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Engagement with an Educational Issue

Introduction

There is an abundance of research stating that there is an educational gap between Indigenous

and non-indigenous students (Ford, 2013; Song, Perry and McConney, 2014; Lewthwaite et al, 2015).

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders have been accepted into the mainstream education system

since the early 1950’s; despite this, syllabus content and teaching has regularly failed to incorporate

Indigenous culture (Harris & Malin, 1994). Limited Indigenous content in classrooms has been

proven to lead to a sense of disengagement and a low level of acceptance amongst Indigenous

students (Malin & Maidment, 2003). The article by Lewthwaite et al., (2015) outlines the importance

of a pedagogy that includes the cultural knowledge and experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait

Islanders, in order to help decrease this educational disadvantage. However, a gap in the research

exists in regards to what Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and communities identify as

teaching practices that influence their learning. In order to address this, Lewthwaite et al.’s article

will be used to provide a framework for a lesson plan aimed at influencing Aboriginal and Torres

Strait Islander’s engagement in the lesson, in turn improving their educational outcomes.

Relevance for Teaching Practice

In 2016 there were 207 852 Aboriginal and Torres Strait islanders enrolled in Australian schools.

This accounts for almost 5.5% of all students (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2017), meaning that

almost every teacher will educate at least one student identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait

Islander each year. The current retention rate of Indigenous students from year 7 to year 12 is 24.5%

lower than that of all students (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2017). In order for Australia to be

classed as a high quality educational performer and provider for all students, this is something that

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requires attention and alteration. It is required for education in Australia that all teachers must

include Aboriginal perspectives across all Key Learning Areas (KLAs) (Australian Curriculum

Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), 2016; Harrison and Greenfield, 2011). Student’s level

of engagement has been linked to educational performance, therefore it is important to engage the

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in learning to get their best results. One area that has

been found to improve student’s engagement is through relating the content to the students (Reeve

& Tseng, 2011). Therefore the use of a cultural responsive pedagogy could be considered an ideal

way to engage Indigenous students, resulting in better educational outcomes.

On analysis of how this relates specifically to the KLA of PDHPE, we first focus on the PDHPE year

7-10 syllabuses which has an emphasis on the influence culture has on adolescent health. Two

primary topics of the syllabus are aimed at health education and sexual health education. When

comparing the heath of non-Indigenous and Indigenous Australians it has been found that

Indigenous Australian’s have a lower life expectancy, which can be attributed to chronic diseases

including diabetes and heart disease(Gracey, 2014; NSW Government Health, 2017). On comparison

of the sexual health of Indigenous and non-Indigenous youths it has been found that Indigenous

youths have higher rates of both sexually transmitted infections (STI’s) and pregnancies higher (The

Kirby Institute, 2012; Ireland, Narjic, Belton, Saggers, McGrath, 2015). It has been found that an

essential component to help reduce health problems and diseases is through education (Nutbeam,

2000). Therefore this highlights the importance for Indigenous student’s engagement and education

in the subject of PDHPE.

Critical Summary

Background Research

The educational issue that is highlighted in the article by Lewthwaite et al (2015) is the increasing

educational performance gap between Australian Indigenous and non-Indigenous students. This

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issue extends to the need for a pedagogy that influences Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

student engagement and learning. The author provides background research into the roles that

teachers and teaching practices have in improving students learning outcomes. In addition, they

make mention of the need for a culturally responsive pedagogy aimed at improving the learning

outcomes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. This article provides a critical analysis of

the background research which can be seen through the analysis of Hattie’s research, where he

identifies areas that were missed in the research (p. 133). The article established that there is

currently no conclusive research indicating ‘what works’ (p. 134) in influencing Indigenous students

learning. Lewthwaite et al also highlighted gaps in the research, with specific focus placed on the

fact that there is currently limited research in regards to what Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander

students and communities identify as teaching practices that influence their learning. The

insufficient research on this topic in turn becomes the guide for the research highlighted in this

article.

Research Methodology

The methodology for the research project in the article uses quantitative research and is

“informed by participatory action research (PAR)” (Lewthwaite et al., 2015, p. 137). PAR is an

appropriate method for this research as it provides an opportunity for strategies to be developed

with people (McIntyre, 2007), who in this case, are the affected community. The participants

included Aboriginal students, parents and caregivers, inclusive of Indigenous teachers within the

North Queensland Catholic school system. This use of Indigenous participants allows the information

to come directly from the affect group, decreasing the likelihood of stereotypical responses to occur

which can sometimes be seen by non-Aboriginal participants (Harrison and Greenfield, 2011). These

participants were either interviewed individually or within a group setting. The participants were

asked open ended questions focusing on teaching and learning experience in school and outside of

school as well as questions relating to teaching practices that assist their learning. The utilisation of

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open ended questions is appropriate for this study as it allowed the participants to discuss the

question in their own words, without researcher bias. The open ended questions utilised increased

the validity of the study, enabling the researchers to garner a true opinion of their participant’s

(Marvasti, 2003). The interviews were recorded and then transcribed. The transcriptions were then

analysed and coded by each of the researchers, both individually and as a team. The use of the initial

individual analysis carried out by each researcher allows them to gain their own opinion on the

responses, without being lead to a belief based on their colleague’s opinions (Collier and Mahoney,

1996). This coding allowed the researchers to find the significant meaning when relating to effective

teaching.

Results

Five themes were identified by the parents and 7 themes were identified by the students as

factors that lead to Indigenous student’s engagement in learning. These themes were discussed with

the inclusion of participant quotes in order to determine that the researchers weren’t altering their

comments in order to facilitate their research. Although some of the identified themes are concepts

that are identified as effective teaching for all students, they were able to establish themes that

supported a cultural responsive pedagogy, aimed at improving Indigenous student’s engagement.

The main themes that were found to be most beneficial to Indigenous students learning outcomes

were to incorporate into the pedagogy the welcoming of indigenous, local community members,

cultural knowledges, history and values. Also of note was the need for further support from the

teacher due to previous educational oppressions leading to a discourse by the Indigenous

community of not being important at school. Ultimately, this research task provides critical research

in regards to creating a culturally responsive pedagogy, in the view to decrease the educational gap

between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students.

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Revision of Lesson Plan

The recommendations from the article by Lewthwaite et al can be explored through the use of a

BOSTES provided lesson plan for PDHPE (Appendix). The lesson plan (BOSTES, n.d.) is aimed at a

stage 4 class focusing on drug use, specifically tobacco. This falls under Strand 3: Individual

and Community Health of the syllabus (BOSTES). The activity requires students to describe the short

and long term effects of tobacco use based from the reading provided.

In revising this lesson plan with the recommendations from Lewthwaite et al it is clear that

alterations can be made in order to improve the engagement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

students, thus improving their education on this topic. From the outset, although it is obvious that

the lesson is well set out, no mention of Indigenous culture or background is given, which is required

as part of the cross curriculum priorities (Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority

(ACARA), 2016).

When observing the article provided (Watt, Nemec and Dawe, 1999), it is noticeable that it makes

no reference to how smoking affects the Indigenous community at a far greater rate compared to

the non-Indigenous community (Arjunan et al, 2016). This failure to mention the major effect

smoking has specifically on the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community can link to the

theme mentioned by Lewthwaite et al – teachers don’t see Indigenous students as important –

leading to a lack of engagement in the topic. However if the lesson plan included an article that also

mentioned the affect it has specifically on the Indigenous community it would allow the students to

connect to the information on a personal level, therefore increasing the engagement on the content

(Webster, Mîndrilă and Weaver, 2011). This links with the recommendations by Lewthwaite et al to

include pedagogies that respond to the cultural norms of Indigenous student’s community.

Another area that was recommended by Lewthwaite et al to improve the engagement of

aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students was the “welcoming of local community members”

(p.151). This could be incorporated within this lesson plan be approaching a local Indigenous

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member of the community, that has a history with smoking, to attend class and explain the effect it

has had on them. This is important for the indigenous students, as not only does it allow them to

relate to the Indigenous member but it also involves the Indigenous member telling a ‘story’ about

their experience. The sharing of stories plays a primary role in Indigenous culture and it is seen as a

great way of distributing knowledge (Margaret, 2015). The incorporation of an elder in the lesson

allows the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to experience learning in a way that is

common to them, decreasing the amount of ‘cross over’, as mentioned by Lewthwaite et al.

When investigating the incorporation of history and oppressions of Aboriginals into the lesson

plan (as recommended by Lewthwaite et al.) we can make mention of the history to help the

Indigenous students become aware of why smoking is an issue within Indigenous communities. This

history includes the link to Indigenous sources of Tobacco being part of their culture as well as a

history of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders being paid in Tobacco for their services, and the

inclusion of Tobacco in the rations provided by the government in the past (Brady, 2002). This

history will help engage the Indigenous students as it relates to them as well as allows them to

identify reasons why this is an issue relating to their culture.

Conclusion

The use of the research by Lewthwaite et al., in order to revise a lesson plan, can show the impact

that one research article can have on improving the engagement and educational outcome of

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. This reflects the importance that continued research

has on improving the educational outcomes of not only Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

students but on all students’ educational outcomes. Therefore continual research throughout a

teacher’s career is vital as it allows them to evaluate the effectiveness of research and in turn

incorporate the findings into their pedagogical approach towards teaching the class. This will assist

in improvements of not only student engagement, but also their educational outcomes.

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References

Arjunan, P., Poder, N., Welsh, K., Bellear, L., Heathcote, J., Wright, D., Millen, E., Spinks, M., Williams,

M., & Wen, L.M. (2016). Smoking among Aboriginal adults in Sydney, Australia. Health

Promotion Journal of Australia, 27(1), 66-69.

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2017, February). Schools, Australia, 2016 (no. 4221.0). Retrieved

from http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/4221.0

Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA). (2016). Australian Curriculum.

Retrieved from http://v8-5.australiancurriculum.edu.au/

BOSTES (n.d.). Sample Lesson Plan – PDHPE. Retrieved from

https://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/7-10-literacy-numeracy/pdf-doc/pdhpe-sample-

lesson-plan.pdf

Ford, M. (2013). Achievement gaps in Australia: What NAPLAN reveals about education inequality in

Australia. Race Ethnicity and Education, 16(1), 80-102.

Brady, M. (2002). Health inequalities: Historical and cultural roots of tobacco use among Aboriginal

and Torres Strait Islander people. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health,

26(2), 120-124.

Collier, D., & Mahoney, J. (1996). Insights and pitfalls: Selection bias in qualitative research. World

Politics, 49(01), 56-91.Gracey, M. (2014). Why closing the Aboriginal health gap is so elusive.

Internal Medicine Journal, 44(11), 1141-1143.

Harris, S. & Malin, M. (Eds.). (1994). Aboriginal kids in urban classrooms. Katoomba, Australia: Social

Science Press.

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Harrison, N., & Greenfield, M. (2011). Relationship to place: positioning Aboriginal knowledge and

perspectives in classroom pedagogies. Critical Studies in Education, 52:1, 65-76.

DOI:10.1080/17508487.2011.536513

Ireland, S., Narjic, C. W., Belton, S., Saggers, S., & McGrath, A. (2015). ‘Jumping around’: exploring

young women’s behaviour and knowledge in relation to sexual health in a remote Aboriginal

Australian community. Cult Health Sex, 17, 1-16. doi:10.1080/13691058.2014.937747

Lewthwaite, B., Osborne, B., Lloyd, N., Llewellyn, L., Boon, H., Webber, T., Laffin, G., Kemp, C., Day,

C., Wills, J., & Harrison, M. (2015). Seeking a Pedagogy of Difference: What Aboriginal

Students and Their Parents in North Queensland Say About Teaching and Their Learning.

Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 40(5), 132-158.

Malin, M. & Maidment, D. (2003). Education, Indigenous survival and well-being: Emerging ideas and

programs. The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, 23, 85–99.

Margaret, K. (2015). Emerging from the margins: Indigenous methodologies. Toronto, Canada:

Canadian Scholars’ Press Inc.

Marvasti, A. (2003). Qualitative research in sociology. London: Sage.

McIntyre, A. (2007). Participatory action research (Vol. 52). California, USA: Sage Publications.

NSW Government Health. (2017). Aboriginal health. Retrieved from

http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/aboriginal/pages/default.aspx

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Nutbeam, D. (2000). Health literacy as a public health goal: a challenge for contemporary health

education and communication strategies into the 21st century. Health Promotion

International, 15(3), 259-267.

Reeve, J., & Tseng, C. M. (2011). Agency as a fourth aspect of students’ engagement during learning

activities. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 36(4), 257-267.

Song, S., Perry, L. B., & McConney, A. (2014). Explaining the achievement gap between Indigenous

and non-Indigenous students: an analysis of PISA 2009 results for Australia and New

Zealand. Educational Research and Evaluation, 20(3), 178-198.

The Kirby Institute. (2012). Bloodborne viral and sexually transmitted infections in Aboriginal and

Torres Strait Islander people: surveillance and evaluation report. Sydney: The University of

New South Wales. Retrieved from

http://kirby.unsw.edu.au/sites/default/files/hiv/resources/2012ATSIP-ASR.pdf

Watt, A., Nemec, M., & Dawe, B. (1999). Jump into PDHPE – Book 1. Australia: Macmillian Education.

Webster, C., Mîndrilă, D., & Weaver, G. (2011). The influence of state motivation, content relevance

and affective learning on high school students’ intentions to use class content following

completion of compulsory physical education. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education,

30(3), 231-247.

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Appendix

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