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Aboriginal & Culturally Responsive Pedagogies

Critical Reflective Essay

Option 2

The National Education Agreement states that schooling should promote the social inclusion and

reduce the educational disadvantage of children, especially Indigenous children. Yet in New South

Wales the rate of suspension of Aboriginal students continues to increase. (Council of Australian

Governments, 2009)

Based on your investigation of the issues raised in the lectures in weeks 1-4 and the SSI modules

critically analyse school disciplinary practices and their effects in relation to behaviour, well-being

and inclusion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. Explore the school and social

factors that contribute to behavioural problems and social inequity for Aboriginal and Torres Strait

Islander students. Discuss the kinds of practices that you, as a future secondary classroom teacher,

will employ to promote positive, respectful relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

students and reduce the use of punishment and suspension.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students have long been excluded in schools and suffering

under the educational disadvantage. This is evident in New South Wales increasing rates of

suspension of Indigenous students. The ‘Closing the Gap’ report (2017) is admirable in principle,

when promoting the social inclusion and the disadvantage of Indigenous students, however, the

issue lies in addressing issues of equity and inclusiveness in Aboriginal education. This Gap can

truly be closed when Indigenous students are socially included through an engaging and

empowering schooling, and they are not disadvantaged, by means of quality teachers, facilities and

resources. This paper will critically analyse school disciplinary practices and their effects in relation

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to behaviour, well-being and inclusion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students by looking

at various studies and investigations into the disposition. The paper will also explore the school and

social factors that contribute to behavioural problems and social inequity for Aboriginal and Torres

Strait Islander students by looking more closely at the ‘Closing the Gap’ report and other studies,

including psychological studies. Finally, this paper will Discuss the kinds of practices that you, as a

future secondary classroom teacher, will employ to promote positive, respectful relationships with

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and reduce the use of punishment and suspension.

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) sets a standard on school

disciplinary actions, that essentially require the disciplinary administration to be conducted in a

manner that is consistent with the human rights and dignity of children across both government and

non-government schools (UNCRC, 1989). The behaviour, well-being and sense of inclusion that

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students engage with is primarily associated with the

disciplinary measure they receive in school. These disciplinary measures can range from an

informal punishment i.e removal of privileges, detention etc to a formal arrangement such as

corporal punishment and the removal of them from the school or in other terms ‘exclusion’ (ALRC,

2010). Both ends of the disciplinary spectrum hold a serious emotional, social and physical impact

on the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students education and the decisions and behaviour that

engage with as a result of the claimed disciplinary action, as well as their well-being. The formal act

of discipline by exclusion does present major consequences for students, both on a short term and

long term basis (HRSCEET, 1996). The language students use surrounding the disciplinary act such

as ‘kicked out of school’ or ‘thrown out’ provides, “an indication that exclusion is seen and felt as a

hostile and aggressive act, and many children give up on the education system after being excluded

from school” (Ludbrook, 1996). The long term effects of exclusion from school is prominent.

Considerable evidence suggests that a significant amount of student that experience exclusion from

school also fall into the experiences of “criminal activity, poverty, unemployment and

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homelessness.” (HRSCEET, 1996). Research into the effects of exclusion from schools regarding

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students provide an over-representation in statistics (HREOC,

1997).

Studies have shown that some teachers do not take the approach of getting to know their Aboriginal

and Torres Strait Islander students, which is a major factor that enables negative behaviour to arise.

As a result, this enforces a non effective, or ‘tradition’ disciplinary practice, which can enforce a

cycle of continuous misbehaviour (Yunkaporta & McGinty, 2009). Rahman (2010) recognised the

cultural differences that distinguish Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students from other

cultures, include Indigenous students experiences of higher levels of self-reliance, self-regulation,

observance and practicality. Rahman described their culture as having more autonomy, which can

be mistaken in the classroom by teachers who may respond to their behaviour as slow or

disobedient (Malin, 1990b). Malin who also made the same observation suggested that students felt

a sense of shame when their “wrong doing” was made public and counteracted through a

disciplinary approach. The setting at home for many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students

is socially different than the non-Indigenous student, as Malin (1990a) observed that Indigenous

home-parents/carers would deal with their child’s behaviours without “direct and overt verbal

monitoring, directing and persuading” (Malin, 1990a, p. 314), which is contrary to the style of the

teaching language when disciplinary language towards students. The effects of engaging with

Indigenous students through particular anglo styles of discipline does have the potential to effect

their well-being, as teachers need to be “sensitive to the students’ respective personalities and

propensities and respond accordingly” (Malin, 1990a, p. 327).

Various school and social factors are the cause for behavioural problem and social inequity for

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, and many of those factors contribute to the high rates

of exclusion in New South Wales schools with Indigenous students (Stehbens et al.,1999). Stehbens

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et al. (1999) critiqued the schooling system as an institution that replicates the “dominant

mainstream” (p.11), where students are expected to assimilate in order to address the “personal

deficit within the child” (p.11), and failure to assimilate with the school would lead to forms of

school disciplinary practices to be enforced, such as suspension or exclusion. Research into the

reasons for a higher rate of suspensions and the exclusion of Indigenous students have looked

closely at policy and the perceptions formed by staff (Partington et al., 2001). Partington et al.

suggested that one of the reasons for Indigenous students misbehaviour was due to cultural

misunderstandings, where teachers would misinterpret certain behaviours made by Indigenous

students. The school culture is vastly different than the home culture for many Indigenous student,

which has become a major attribute for culture conflict. Another factor primarily in schools is the

historical relations of power and racism, where students have perceived racist discrimination,

largely due to the ignorance of some teachers who of are not aware of Aboriginal and Torres Strait

Islander history, and thus exercising power that can be discriminative (Partington et al., 2001).

The Australian governments formal commitment to address the disadvantages encountered by

Indigenous people is known as the ‘Closing the Gap’ resport(2017), which responds to the gap

between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. Factors of considerable significance in the

report include: shorter life expectancy; higher rates of infant mortality; power health; and, lower

levels of education and employment (2017). It is those factors within the gap that largely contribute

to behavioural problems and social inequity seen in schools. The social and academic

marginalisation of Indigenous students in schools are a result of the suppressing perception of them.

The ‘Close the Gap’ report responds to this dilemma by stating “There is no place in any

educational jurisdiction for educators with stifled perceptions of who Indigenous students are, or

what they can achieve.” (Australian Government, 2017, p. 35). Past traumas and neglect also have a

large impact, mentally, socially and physically on Indigenous students, which can be reflected in

their behaviour. Scientific research has shown that “traumatic experiences can become incorporated

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into our genes”, which passes on the trauma experienced by many Indigenous Australians (Corvo et

al., 2013). This is know as the ‘intergenerational transmission of trauma’. This notion is also

supported by the Australian Institute for Health and Welfare, Children Living in Households With

Members of the Stolen Generations (2019), where a direct transfer of the experiences poverty and

trauma is held between those from the Stolen Generation and their descendants today. Those

children were reported to skip on school, engage in high levels of misbehaviour, have higher stress

levels, experienced greater discrimination and live in poverty (AIHW, 2019).

As a future secondary classroom teacher, various new and non-discriminative practices are needed,

which must include the reduction of punishment and suspension as methods to be employed for

discipline, in order to promote a positive, and respectful relationship with Aboriginal and Torres

Strait Islander students. As a teacher, my goal in my teaching practice to promote a positive

learning environment for Indigenous students must include “sensitivity, respect and allegiance to

common goals…[by] catering for Aboriginal student differences and needs, while focusing student

creativity and energy towards self-enhancing goals” (Hudsmith, 1992, p. 11).

One positive practice would be the incorporation of an Aboriginal Learning style in the pedagogy of

teaching, as well as extensive knowledge of each student that is being taught, and taking into

account all their needs. As a future teacher, my goal is to value students experiences and

Aboriginality, and use my knowledge of my students when teaching the curriculum with an

Indigenous socio-linguistic etiquette, such as having discussions in a circle, sitting on the floor to

talk about certain issues etc. In my classroom, I would change the the nature of speaking to one

another, instead of students asking the teacher for permission, there would instead be respect for

one another and they would ‘let the teacher know’. A factor that graduate teachers must present is

the ability to “Know students and how they learn” (AITSL, 2011, p.3). This approach is a reflection

of teachers highlighting the needs of their Indigenous students, which is reinforced by the SSI

program (Stronger Smarter, n.d).There would be instances during the day for the older students to

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assist and support the younger students in their school work. Parents/ carers would also have an

involvement in their child's’ education at school as part of my teaching practices towards reducing

misbehaviour and encouraging academic and personal growth.

Through these approaches already listed, the classroom environment is reflecting the home norms

of Indigenous students. Regarding reactive strategies in order to minimise suspension and forms of

disciplines, as a future teacher I would move to proactive strategies. This includes the practice of

not spotlighting student, and providing social support for my students. The language I use in

speaking to students, including the requests that I make should be framed in order to engage

students by using cultural knowledge, using a positive tone and engaging students in holistic

thinking rather than empirical thinking. These methods also form part in ‘getting to know your

students’. Students may prefer working in groups instead of their own, which is another factor that

can be used to promote respectful relationships. Herbert (2015) advocates for further classroom

teachers to learn to become a ‘quality’ teacher for their Indigenous students (and all students), rather

than a ‘good’ one. The practice of providing quality teaching would ensure that those ‘quality’

teachers are approaching all the needs of their Indigenous students, differentiating in the classroom,

and holding significance in the classroom to cultural identities.

In conclusion, the analysis, exploration and discussion put forward has agreed to the statement

made by the National Education Agreement, that schooling should “promote the social inclusion

and reduce the educational disadvantage” (2009) of Indigenous students. Moreover, it is

intrinsically important that changing measures and practices are to be taken, and echoed across

schools regarding the traditional disciplinary practices. Traditional forms of discipline have only

promoted a culture of exclusion rather than inclusion. The traditional methods of discipline have

only ever increased poor behaviour, as they fail to investigate and provide care for the core issue.

Schools need to cleanse their thinking and perceptions towards Indigenous students, and rather than

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assimilating them into the school norms, they should instead better learn Indigenous culture and

practices and implement their norms into the classroom. Not only does this increase a schools

ability in knowing their students better, but it promotes a culture of acceptance, positivity and

respect.

References

Australian Government, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, (2017). Closing the gap

prime minister’s report 2017. Retrieved from;

https://www.pmc.gov.au/sites/default/files/publications/ctg-report-2017.pdf

Australian Government, Stronger Smarter, (n.d.). Retrieved from:

http://www.strongersmarterplm.edu.au/content/index/an-introduction-to-stronger-smarter

Australian Law Reform Commission and Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission.

(2010). Seen and Heard: priority for children in the legal process. ALRC Report, 84.

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2019). ’Children living in households with members of

the Stolen Generations', ISSN 9781760545369,

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Brisbane Practitioners’ Forum. (1996). House of Representatives Standing Committee on

Employment, Education and Training Report of the Inquiry into Truancy and Exclusion of

Children and Young People from School AGPS Canberra, 41–46.

Corco, K., & Johnson, P. (2013). Sharpening Ockham's Razor: The role of psychopathology and

neuropsychopathology in the perpetration of domestic violence. Aggression and Violent

Behaviour, 18 (1), 175-182. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.avb.2012.11.017

Herbert, J. (2015). ‘Delivering the promise: Empowering teachers to empower students.’ In (2nd

Ed). Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education: An introduction for the teaching

profession (pp. 35-49). Port Melbourne, Australia: Cambridge University Press

Ludbrook, R. (1996). “Children’s rights in school education” in Funder, K. (ed) Citizen Child:

Australian Law and Children’s Rights AIFS Melbourne, 109.

Malin, M. (1990a). The visibility and invisibility of Aboriginal students in an urban classroom. The

Australian Journal of Education, 34(3), 312-329. https://doi.org/10.1177/000494419003400307

Malin, M. (1990b). Why is life so hard for Aboriginal students in urban classrooms? Aboriginal

Child at School, 18(1), 9-29. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1326011100600261

Partington, G., Waugh, R., & Forrest, S. (2001). Interpretations of classroom discipline practices by

teachers and Indigenous students in a Western Australian secondary school. Education

Research and Perspectives, 28(2), 51-82

National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from Their
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 Families (Australia). (1997). Bringing them home: report of the National Inquiry into the

Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from their Families. Sydney:

Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission.

Rahman, K. (2010). Indigenous student success in secondary schooling: Factors impacting on

student attendance, retention, learning and attainment in South Australia qualitative study.

The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, 39, 65–76

Stehbens, C., Anderson, L., & Herbert, J. (1999). "From little things, big things explode...". Paper

presented at the AARE and NZARE Joint Conference Melbourne, Australia.

The United Nations. (1989). Convention on the Rights of the Child. Treaty Series, 1577, 3.

Yunkaporta, T., & McGinty, S. (2009). Reclaiming Aboriginal knowledge at the cultural interface.

The Australian Educational Researcher, 36(2), 55-72. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03216899

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Alicia Sukkar