{"title":"Contextualising Aboriginal faunal stories with the Linnaean taxonomy: Culturally responsive pedagogy in zoology","authors":"Joël Rioux, Bronwyn Ewing","doi":"10.55146/ajie.2022.7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.55146/ajie.2022.7","url":null,"abstract":"This article explores the contextualising of local Aboriginal animal stories with the zoology curriculum in Queensland at one independent high school, where students’ learning potential often remains untapped. Contextualisation, encompasses heritage, cultural knowledge, country and Linnaean zoology taxonomy to form a culturally responsive pedagogy that supports students’ learning and pride in their heritage. To illustrate how students can learn in culturally responsive ways, a sinuous path encompassing six phases for collecting local faunal stories was necessary, prior to delivering the Linnaean zoology taxonomy. Elders’ animal stories were documented and then contextualised into classificatory materials to integrate local faunal knowledge. Drawing on an Indigenist Research Framework including storytelling, talking circles, interviewing and Action Research methodology, transcribing, retranscribing and restorying was used to explore the effect of a culturally responsive approach on students’ culture, and knowledge of local fauna. Findings indicated that the local animal stories became the foundation for the development of a First Classification of Animal Kingdom chart from the non-Aboriginal animal knowledge tradition which tapped into students’ learning potential through elders’ stories about local culture. Real-life storytelling on country is preferable as such contexts provide meaningful learning for students, rather than in decontextualised classroom spaces.","PeriodicalId":51860,"journal":{"name":"Australian Journal of Indigenous Education","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2022-07-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49405633","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Counter stories: The voices of Indigenous peoples undertaking educative roles in flexi schools","authors":"M. Shay, G. Sarra, J. Lampert","doi":"10.55146/ajie.2022.20","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.55146/ajie.2022.20","url":null,"abstract":"This paper reports on findings from the first author’s doctoral research examining the experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff in Australian flexi schools. ‘Collaborative yarning methodology’ story boarding was used to hear (and theme) the collective experiences of Indigenous teaching and non-teaching staff in these alternative school settings where both they and Indigenous students make up larger numbers of staff than mainstream schools. Informed by Indigenist and critical race theory, 19 Indigenous staff members contributed to knowledge around three themes: Us Mob; Race and racism, and School Practice which incorporated discussions both of curriculum and of issues related to funding. Many Indigenous staff were working in flexi schools through choice and a sense of commitment to working with Indigenous youth. However other issues, such as experiences of racism, were still present despite the ‘social justice’ nature of flexi schools. ","PeriodicalId":51860,"journal":{"name":"Australian Journal of Indigenous Education","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2022-07-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44933328","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Editorial JIE 50.1","authors":"B. Fredericks, M. Nakata, Katelyn Barney","doi":"10.1017/jie.2021.3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/jie.2021.3","url":null,"abstract":"Redman-MacLaren et al. draw on a survey to explore Indigenous boarding student's levels of satisfaction with Queensland Department of Education's Transition Support Service (TSS) that provide assistance to remote-dwelling Indigenous students in the transition to boarding schools while Louth discusses findings from a longitudinal study that examined the impact of an educational aspirations programme. Norman et al. examine educator's perspectives of a school-based oral language and early literacy programme based on Aboriginal stories, knowledges and cultures while Williamson and Boughton discuss the impacts of an Aboriginal-led adult literacy campaign in Brewarrina, New South Wales. The next two papers focus on findings from the Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children (ages 9–11) with Prehn et al. examining academic self-concepts of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, while Peacock and Prehn highlight the importance of Aboriginal Education Workers for decolonising and promoting culture in primary schools.","PeriodicalId":51860,"journal":{"name":"Australian Journal of Indigenous Education","volume":"50 1","pages":"1 - 1"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2021-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49659236","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Indigenous students’ experience and engagement with support at university: a mixed-method study","authors":"M. Benton, S. Hearn, F. Marmolejo‐Ramos","doi":"10.1017/jie.2021.1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/jie.2021.1","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract There remains significant under representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australian higher education systems. A number of strategies have been implemented by governments and universities to best support Indigenous students within higher education that have produced varying levels of success in increasing participation, retention and completions. One key strategy is the inclusion of Aboriginal Education Units within universities. The current study aimed to examine students experience and engagement with a range of support services across university, in particular with an Aboriginal Education Unit. Utilising a mixed-method approach, data were collected from 103 students who identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander at The University of Adelaide. Overall, students were most satisfied with support provided by family (70%) and the Aboriginal Education Unit (61%), followed by support provided by university faculties (49%), and the wider university (43%). The main reasons students were accessing the Unit was for academic and tutoring purposes, also rating tutoring as the most beneficial service provided by the Unit. This study highlights the importance of examining and evaluating enablers such as support mechanisms from the student perspective and has demonstrated the significant role Aboriginal Education Units play in the student experience, laying a crucial foundation for targeted support initiatives.","PeriodicalId":51860,"journal":{"name":"Australian Journal of Indigenous Education","volume":"50 1","pages":"256 - 264"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2021-03-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1017/jie.2021.1","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41897763","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
J. Guenther, Anna Dwyer, S. Wooltorton, Judith Wilks
{"title":"Aboriginal student engagement and success in Kimberley tertiary education","authors":"J. Guenther, Anna Dwyer, S. Wooltorton, Judith Wilks","doi":"10.1017/jie.2021.2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/jie.2021.2","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Over recent years, considerable effort has been put into increasing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (First Nations) participation in higher education. While there are signs that enrolments are increasing, the sustained engagement and successful completion of higher education remains challenging, particularly in remote locations. With this in mind, a collaborative research project among researchers from three northern Australian tertiary education institutions was designed to understand student perspectives, particularly from remote contexts, about their engagement and success towards completion in higher education. Based on a qualitative research design situating Indigenist/interpretive research within a critical realism metatheory, we present findings from the study, based in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, and unpack implications for higher education provision in remote contexts. The findings point to the unique challenges faced by students who live in the Kimberley—and perhaps in other remote locations around Australia. In order to meet these needs, we suggest that tertiary education providers must tailor provision to ensure that engagement with Aboriginal students is relational and culturally safe.","PeriodicalId":51860,"journal":{"name":"Australian Journal of Indigenous Education","volume":"50 1","pages":"265 - 273"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2021-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1017/jie.2021.2","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49185992","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}