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Assignment 3: Academic Essay Written reflections and Critical
Analysis
Critically analyse and reflect on one of the 6 chosen thematic areas of this
unit. Examine the significance and relevance of your chosen thematic to
your future role as a teacher, identify strategies to enhance your
effectiveness in the classroom, particularly for Aboriginal and Torres
Straight Islander students.
Chosen sematic: Indigenous Knowledge
The Indigenous people of Australia are the oldest human culture found on
earth and have lived in Australia for over 40 thousand years. This exceeds
the findings of any other human culture by a very long time. Respecting
and using traditional knowledge in the classroom can work as a strategy
to enhance Indigenous students potential. This essay will be looking at
traditional Indigenous knowledge and education and how it differs to
Western knowledge and education. It will also examine the problems and
disadvantages that Indigenous students are faced within the classroom,
the importance for teachers to understand Indigenous knowledge, and
ways of including Indigenous knowledge into teaching strategies and
practices.
Since the for-coming of the European settlers into Australia, the Aboriginal
and Torres Straight Islander people have been largely robbed of their land,
culture, spirituality and identity (Partington, 1998). The Aboriginal people
were first seen by the European people as a primitive and undeveloped
race and because of this the Aboriginal people were abused, killed,
separated, relocated and forced to fit into European culture. The
happenings of the past have had a devastating impact on the Aboriginal
people and they are still effected by it today. Studies have shown that the
Indigenous people of Australia are at a disadvantage compared to the
non-Indigenous people of Australia ("4727.0.55.003 - Australian Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey: Biomedical Results, 2012-13",
2016). When comparing Indigenous people to non-Indigenous people,
studies have shown that Indigenous people are more likely to have poorer
health, lower levels of education and employment, shorter life
expectancies, and have a higher risk of being abused. These
disadvantages can be caused by racism, discrimination, poor living
circumstances, addiction, abuse, poor social policies and can all have a
negative Impact on an Indigenous students learning. Through this
understanding of the Indigenous peoples background and history,
teachers can use this in an advantageous way to understand and
influence the younger generation within the classroom. It is also important
for teachers to understand the differences in both Indigenous and non-
Indigenous education methods.
Education plays an important role that attributes to the success and well-
being of a persons future. Studies have shown that having a low level of
education can impact a persons income, employment, social status and
can effect their self-esteem. In 2008 the productivity commission reported
that 63 per cent of year 5 indigenous students achieved the national
minimum standard for reading compared with 92 percent of their non-
indigenous counterparts (SCRGSP 2009, p.4.41). There are many
attributes that can effect Indigenous students schooling such as living
circumstances, poor social communities, limited funding and poor
teaching. The findings from above show that schools, communities and
governments are failing their Indigenous students and that there is a need
for change.
There are numerous proven ways to work with this disconnection between
the Indigenous and non Indigenous philosophies. Including Indigenous
history, perspectives and people into school programs is one such
method. It can help build communities, engage students and enhance
their learning. For Indigenous students to have a better chance at
succeeding in education, a new and modern curriculum needs to be
implemented into schools (Troy, 2012). One that includes Indigenous
perspectives and knowledge. Along with this schools need to collaborate
with the Indigenous people of their area to come up with multicultural
programs tailored to meet the needs of the students in the classroom.
This would support a culturally diverse learning program and benefit
students learning by meeting their distinct needs. A project was
conducted by the NSW board of study that aimed to teach students
mathematics in conjunction with Aboriginal history and knowledge (Perry
& Howard, 2008). Students were taken on a field trip to an old Aboriginal
community site where they were met by an Aboriginal man who talked to
them about the Aboriginal history, land and environment. After the talk
the students were given mathematic activities and were asked to
measure, map and calculate different aspects of the land that had been
talk about. The field trip gave both Indigenous and non-Indigenous
students a cultural understanding of the land whilst also building on their
mathematic knowledge in a practical way. Students also found it very
engaging to be out in nature and learning about the Aboriginal culture
from an Aboriginal man. The field trip was very successful and promoted
recognition of the Aboriginal culture thus supporting equality for both
Indigenous and non-Indigenous students.