Engagement with An Educational Issue

--- Incorporating Different Worldviews in KLA, Especially for

Aboriginal Worldview

Introduction
Educational pedagogy is existing to satisfy all students’ needs and to include students
from different cultural background. In particular, it is important to consider students’
worldviews and incorporate different worldviews to attempt to create an inclusive and
diverse learning environment. The paper will focus on the exploration of integration
of global worldviews, especially the Aboriginal people’s worldview. More
specifically, it will critically analyze the article and its recommendations for
incorporating worldviews in the teaching. In addition, the paper will demonstrate how
the recommendations and other researches improve the learning activity in a Japanese
lesson plan to include different worldviews, especially from the Aboriginal
perspectives.

Key Issue Relates to KLA

The key issue that is discussed in the following paper is about how to incorporate
different worldviews to involve all students, especially Aboriginal students. My KLA
is language which consists students from diverse culture backgrounds. Students’
home language, social systems, religious beliefs, and even lifestyles are different. As
every student has different cultural background, they have different worldviews. In
recent years, the introduction of global perspectives into the delivery of formal
education has resulted in a growing awareness of distinguishing, respecting and
valuing different worldviews. A significant implication for education systems is the
acknowledgment that learning is culturally based and thus every method of teaching
and learning must recognize the learner’s worldview (Hewitt，2000). It is important to
involve all students from different backgrounds. Cultural diversity must be effectively
addressed in the provision of comprehensive school counseling programs. All
students, regardless of their cultural background and heritage, deserve equal access to
a quality education (Lee, 2001). In particular, teachers need to be aware of Aboriginal
students’ worldviews. For example, between 1986 and 1996 the percentage of
Aboriginal individuals completing any form of postsecondary education only
increased from 15-20 percent (Tait, 1999). The lack of cultural awareness among the
predominantly nonindigenous teaching profession means that Aboriginal culture will
continue to be devalued (Geary,1996). Teachers still tend to blame children for their
failure to adapt to the values of the dominant culture on which the school culture is
based (Hewitt, 2000). Obstacles to school success for young people from culturally
diverse backgrounds thus often come to be perceived as student inadequacies rather
than being considered as originating from institutional insensitivity (Lee, 1995).

Teacher are supposed to teach Aboriginal perspectives in Australian schools. The

difference between the Aboriginal people and the White is not so much one of attitude
and value or of a preference between conceptually valid alternatives but, instead, is
rooted in contrasting worldview and ontology (Bain, 1979, p. 372-373). Teachers
need to take the responsibility to improve own teaching pedagogies to assist all
students to be successful, rather than blaming on students’ abilities of learning. For
many teachers, the deficit view of learning failure absolves them of responsibility
because failure can be explained in terms of flaws in the ability of the learners or their
cultural background (Hewitt，2000). This also causes Aboriginal students to feel
excluded and slighting in schools. Many Aboriginal community members and
education leaders have expressed frustrations that Aboriginal teachers are not fully
grounded in the teaching traditions of their nations (Denis, 2007, p.1080). Hence, it is
important for teachers to incorporate Aboriginal perspectives in their KLAs.
Critical Summary
This article “A Clash of Worldviews: Experiences from Teaching Aboriginal
Students”, the article is written by Doug Hewitt (2000). The article mainly addresses
on the importance for educators and teachers to incorporate Aboriginal students’
worldviews to assist them to be involved in the diverse learning environment.
In this article, the researcher used persuasive resources to support the ideas，which
involve the evidence from researchers, educators, the opinions and experiences from
Aboriginal teachers and students. These researches enrich the article and increase the
reliability and accuracy of the article. Moreover, the article has cited the opinions
from other professional writers to make the content more powerful. The inclusion of
the researches from Aboriginal teachers and students’ experiences can clearly reflect
the deep knowledge of Aboriginal people’s lived experience in school context and
support the article from Aboriginal perspectives to increase the reliability. In addition,
the article has used nine sub-topics to address the ideas and each sub-topic relates to
wider community or Aboriginal community to enrich the content and to logically
provide the evidences to support the ideas.

Moreover, the article incorporates two aspects from the White people and the
Aboriginal people, which are “The European educational tradition” and “The
Aboriginal Worldview”, to clearly reflect different worldviews and analyze the ideas
from the White perspectives and the Aboriginal perspectives to make the article be
more informative. In addition, the article has pointed out the approach of “Blame the
victim” to emphasize on teachers’ misbehaviors towards Aboriginal students and
reflect the privilege of Aboriginal students’ culture and learning. This issue has been
supported by other researchers to clearly reflect the importance of changing this
approach and stopping stereotyping Aboriginal students. The article has provided
some practical examples from Aboriginal teachers to inform how to involve or help
Aboriginal students in the process of learning, which can make the article be more
detailed and motivate teachers to reconsider their teaching pedagogies and
philosophies towards Aboriginal students.

The article has raised one recommendation for teachers to apply in the teaching to
allow White and Aboriginal students to know about each other and different
worldviews which is “Two ways of schooling” (Hewitt, 2000). The aim of the
recommendation is to encourage teachers to allow students to learn to teach each
other to accept different worldviews. The article has included the research on
Australian Catholic University, who has adopted this approach with Aboriginal
students, to support the recommendation. The research incorporates non-indigenous
students’ reflection to increase the authenticity and the reliability of the approach.
Including the reflection of non-indigenous students is able to make the article more
authentic and relevant to real world context and to reflect the positive outcomes of
this approach.

As supported by the researchers, the different studies accumulate to support the

necessity for enhancing teaching pedagogies to include both Aboriginal and
non-Indigenous perspectives as well as the worldviews to make the education more
inclusive and accessible for all students, in particular the Aboriginal students. As such,
the article recommends “two ways of schooling” and “the inclusion of global
perspectives of incorporating some elements of holistic worldview into the
interpretation and understanding of the world we all inhabit” (Hewitt, 2000). Hence,
the article includes valuable and comprehensive research that emphasizes the
Aboriginal and White people’s perspectives, as well as credible and logic evidences to
support the recommendations of incorporating different worldviews in education.
This article hence addresses the main issues of bringing in Aboriginal perspectives
into real-world classrooms and provides an evidence-based insight into the actual
practice.
The Original Learning Activity & Modified Activity
The activity that I have chosen is a group work, which needs to form students in a
group of four and ask each group to make a travel plan in Japanese. Students will be
given a worksheet as scaffolding to facilitate their writing, which includes the sample
format (Appendix, 1). The teacher will decide each student’s role in the group (Group
leader, Recorder & Presenter) and will ask the presenter from each group to show
their travel plan in the whole-class after they complete discussing and writing in their
own groups. As the activity does not integrate different cultural perspectives, the
activity will be improved to be more culturally inclusive. Students will still work
collaboratively and collaborative work can help to develop students’ ability of
negotiation. Students are able to show his or her cultural perspectives or ideas towards
the topic to allow for the integration of different worldviews (Brandler, Roman,
Camille, 2015, p.2). As the original activity only focuses on travelling in Japan, it
cannot relate to global worldviews. Hence, the modified activity will ask students to
make a plan in Japanese of travelling around the world to allow students to reflect on
their motherlands. Instead of a 10 minutes’ activity, it will be changed to a formative
assessment and a week’s time will be given to each group to prepare. Students will be
given more time to negotiate with each other to deeply explore different worldviews.
In this way, student can use the knowledge of cross-curriculum, such as Mathematics
and geography to design the travel plan. Integration of knowledge, understandings
and skills from other subject areas will enhance learning (NSW DEC, 2003, p.45). In
addition, developing student’ engagement is central to learning. Teacher will help
students to arrange each group member’s workload equally because this can ensure all
students to engage in the learning process. Negotiating varied roles within groups to
enhance inclusion and support for all students and joint ownership of tasks is the
teacher’s responsibility (NSW DEC, 2003, p.29). During the activity, all students
have to contribute their ideas and discuss in the groups. Students will have
opportunities to share their own cultural perspectives and own worldviews with other
students. It is beneficial for students to know about their own culture and to reflect on
their own worldviews, especially for Aboriginal students. Aboriginal students need to
be encouraged to be proud of their culture and have more chances to show themselves
(Hewitt, 2000, p.115). Presenting the travel plan is the final step of the activity. As
Japanese may be the third-language for Aboriginal students, allowing Aboriginal
students to draft their ideas using their Aboriginal languages before translating the
plan into Japanese will encourage and motivate them to enhance speaking skills. The
results indicate that students, who have the proficiency of the first language or second
language, will increase the rate of success of third language (Hewitt, 2000, p.115).
Once Aboriginal students’ natural reticence was overcome, students will be fluent in
both oral and written communication. In the process of the group work, the discussion
will encourage students to share experiences to know Aboriginal worldviews and
reduce any stereotyping to Aboriginal students. The ability of showing a range of life
experiences will enhance their contribution to the dialogue. In the process of
presenting, teacher and students can ask questions about the travel plan. Students have
to use the Japanese honorific form when asking questions to others to show respect. In
this way, students can learn how to be a respectful person to show their understanding
and recognition of different worldviews. In addition, this allows students to develop
the relationship with peers. The recommendation in the article is “Two ways of
Schooling”. As Aboriginal students are able to exchange the ideas and worldviews
with other in the process of discussing and communicating, and other students will
learn about their cultural perspectives, students will achieve the goal of this
recommendation. A recognition of Aboriginal English as a valid means of
communication can improve self-esteem (Hewitt, 2000, p.115). This respect for both
cultures, and the provision for the teaching of both the Aboriginal language and
English, is supported by recent research in cross cultural learning (Sykes, 1986;
Walton, Eggington, 1990; Yunupingu, 1987). In the end, teacher will encourage
students to give feedback to each group to help all students to know their strengths
and weaknesses to better improve skills.
Conclusion
The article and other educational researches effectively help to enhance the learning
activity to be more culturally inclusive and to integrate diverse worldviews, especially
Aboriginal worldviews. The recommendation in the article inspires teachers to
consider enhancing teaching approaches and pedagogies to be more integrative.
Educational researches are beneficial for teachers and students to teach and learn in an
inclusive and diverse learning environment. As such, educational researches on
incorporating global views, especially Aboriginal worldviews, need to be further
explored to increase the possibilities of allowing all students to have meaningful and
positive learning experiences.
Reference：
Baruth, L. G., & Manning, L. M. (2000). A call for multicultural counseling in middle
schools. Clearing House, 73, 243-246.
Brandler, S., & Roman, Camille P. (2015). Group Work: Skills and Strategies
for Effective Interventions. (3rd ed.).
Denis, V. S. (2007). Aboriginal education and anti-racist education: Building
alliances across cultural and racial identity. Canadian Journal of
Education/Revue canadienne de l'éducation, 1068-1092.
Geary, J. (1996). Education: Social justice in education. In A. Pattel-Gray, Martung
Upah—Black and White Australians seeking partnership (pp. 240-247).
Blackburn, Australia: Harper Collins Religious.

Hewitt, D. (2000). A clash of worldviews: Experiences from teaching Aboriginal

students. Theory into Practice, 39(2), 111-117.
Lee, C. (2001). Culturally responsive school counselors and programs:
Addressing the needs of all students. Professional School
Counseling, 4(4), 257.
Lee, C. C. (Ed.). (1995). Counseling for diversity: A guide for school counselors and
related professionals. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
NSW DEC, (2003). Quality Teaching in NSW Public Schools. A classroom practice
quide. State of NSW, Department of Education and Training Professional
Learning and Leadership Development Directorate 2006 RYDE NSW
Sykes, R. (1986). Incentive, achievement and community: An analysis of Black
viewpoints on issues relating to Black Australian education. Sydney,
Australia: Sydney University Press.

Tait, H. (1999). Educational achievement of young Aboriginal adults. Canadian

social trends, 52(6), 10.
Walton, C., & Eggington, W. (1990). Language maintenance, power and education in
Australian Ab- original contexts. Darwin, Australia: Northern Territory
University Press.
Yunupingu, B. (1987). Language and power: The Yolngu rise to power at Yirrkala
School. In C. Walton & W. Eggington (1990), Language maintenance,
power and education in Australian Aboriginal contexts. Darwin, Australia:
Northern Territory University Press.

Siwen, C. (2017). Travel in Japan. Retrieved from

Appendix

Lesson Plan
Teacher: Siwen Chen Class: Year 9 (Stage 5)
Language: Japanese Period: 4
Time: 55 minutes Number of students: 12
Topic: Types of Accommodation in Japan
Aim: To learn different names of accommodation in Japan
Prior Knowledge:
 Students should know the six names of cities and transports in Japan.
 Students should know the basic verbs of すむ(live),おんせん(hot spring),
which learnt from activities.
 Students should know the sentence structures that learnt in the last two
lessons.
Syllabus & Lesson Outcomes:
 5.UL.1: Students can recognize and select the words of accommodation in Japan
in spoken texts.
 5. UL.3: Students can use the words of destinations, transports and new
learning words of accommodation to share ideas and communicate with each
other.
 5. UL.4: Students can use the sentence structures and words to translate the
sentences into English or Hiragana. The sentence structures are **で、い
きます。**があるから。/ **ですから。
 5. MLC.2: Students learn to use appropriate sentence structures when
producing the travel plan to express the ideas.
 5. MBC.2: Students can learn about the culture knowledge about special types
of accommodation in Japan from the video clip and the word of Tatami, and
learn to use these words to express own ideas.
Language of learning: Types of accommodation in Japan and other
related words:
 み ん し ゅ く (Private home providing for
tourists)
 りょかん (Japanese Inn)
 ホテル (Hotel)
 カプセルホテル(Capsule Hotel)
 たたみ (Tatami)
 わしつ (Japanese-style room)
 ようしつ (Western-style room)

Sentence structures of  A: どこにすみたい。(Where do you want to

Learning: live?)

 B: **にすみたい。(I want to live at **.)

  A: なぜ** にすみたい。(Why do you want
to live at **?)

 B: **があるから。/ **ですから。(Because
it has/is**)

Stages: Time: Teaching strategies and Students’

Learning activities: action:
Introduction: 2 minutes Say Hello to students in Say hello to
Japanese and mark the teacher in
roll. Japanese.

1 minute Use whiteboard to show Listen

the topic in PPT and carefully. Can
introduce today’s take notes.
lesson.
Revision: 3 minutes
Choose three students Listen to
randomly and ask them to English and
write words on write Hiragana
whiteboard, which means on the
teacher says words in whiteboard or
English, they write in own paper.
Hiragana. Provide
whiteboard markers for
each student. The words
will be the names of
city and transport.
Rest of students can
write on their own
2 minutes paper.

Call students to read Say the

out the sentences, sentences or
which they wrote in last listen to
New material & 4 minutes lesson’s homework others’
Practice: sheet. sentences.

Use PPT to show three

pictures of the feature Listen carefully
words before teaching and follow to
four types of repeat reading.
accommodations and
 introduce in English.
Three feature words are
Tatami, Japanese-style
room and Western-style
5 minutes room. Ask students to
follow to repeat
reading.

Show four pictures of Look at the PPT

types of accommodations and follow
in PPT and read each teacher to
Hiragana and ask repeat. Listen
students to follow to to teacher’s
3 minutes repeat three times. introduction.
Then, introduce them in
English.

Speaking and writing

Exercise: Use flash Participant into
cards to ask students to speaking and
write the words in writing
Hiragana on their own exercise.
paper and call students
to speak Japanese words
3 minutes according to the
picture on flash cards.

Provide opportunities
for students to put
hands up to vote their Choose the most
most interested type of interested one
accommodation. Teacher and watch the
will show the video clip video clip to
of the most popular type learn some
from You tube. Japanese
Recommend the most cultural
special type to knowledge.
students before they
5 minutes vote. (Send the links
of other video clips to
students after lesson.)

Show the sentence

 structures on the
whiteboard and explain
the meaning in English. Participant into
Students follow teacher speaking and
5 minutes to read the sentences listening to
three times. Ask teacher. Take
students to take notes. notes.

Speaking Exercise: Pair

work. Show the words of
accommodation, three
feature words and Practice
sentence structures on speaking and
the whiteboard. Ask communicative
students to make a short skills. Present
conversation and let in the classroom
each group to present in to express their
7 minutes the classroom. sentences or
ideas.

Listening Activity:
Provide each student a
worksheet to complete.
Listen to the Listen to the
audio-tape twice and tape, finish the
find the correct words worksheets
to complete the individually and
Task & 8 minutes sentences. (Appendix 9) share the
Consolidation: After finishing, call answers in the
students to read their classrooms.
sentences.

Writing task: Group

work. Form students
into four groups and ask
each group to make a Participant into
travel plan and they writing tasks
will be given the and share ideas.
worksheet, which has Present or
the sample format, to listen to the
facilitate their travel plan.
writing. (Appendix, 1)
Decide each student’s
 role in the group.
Assessment: 5 minutes (Group leader, Recorder
& Presenter) After
finishing, ask each
group’s presenter to
read their travel plan.

Provide assessment
outline on the
whiteboard and explain
Final Homework: 1 minute in detail. Let them Listen, ask
discuss with each other questions,
and provide time to discuss with
answer their questions each other and
about assessment. Take take notes.
notes

Ask students to review

the words of cities,
transports,
accommodation and all Listen and take
1 minute sentence structures to notes.
prepare their
assessment and provide
the worksheets for them
to summarize. (Appendix
11)

Say Goodbye to students

in Japanese and inform
the topic of next class.
Say Goodbye to
teacher in
Japanese.
Resources: Assessment:
 Whiteboard Pair Role- Play (Travelling)
 PowerPoint  3-4 minutes
 Whiteboard Marker  Decide the roles by themselves and
 Worksheets discuss the travel plan. (The content
 Flashcards must include the place you want to go,
 Internet website to show video clip the activities you will do, the
fro You Tube transports you will choose, the
 Assessment Outline accommodation you will choose and the
 Audio-Tape reason. However, they are allowed to
add more information.)
 Students will be asked to perform on
the assessment day. They can bring
other useful tools if they want to.

Main Marco skills: Listening,

Speaking and Writing.

For next class: Evaluation:

 Revision of the words of cities,  Did all students learn well?
transports, accommodation and its  Which activity is most successful and
features, and sentence structures. effective for syllabus outcome?
 Learn how to buy the tickets in next  How was the time management?
lesson.  What should be improved and
maintained in further classrooms?
Website Link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vu6ZoAg939E (Japanese Inn
37’’-2’37’’)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVAkuBSkaw0 (Capsule Hotel)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrpKPp5_oX0 (Japanese Private house for
tourists’)

Appendix, 1
Format of Travel Plan
Instruction: Following is the format of the travel plan, which can help
your group to write the plan. You can follow this format or design own
one. Please write in Hiragana. Most important, write in logic and in full
sentences.
 Who you want to go with? ＿＿＿＿＿といきます。
 When you want to go?
＿＿＿＿＿に/でいきます。
 Where you want to go?
 What do you do there? ＿＿＿＿＿にいきたい。
 How you go there? ＿＿＿＿＿で、＿＿＿をしたい。
 Where do you want to live? ＿＿＿＿で、＿＿＿にいきます。
 Why? ＿＿＿＿＿にすみます。
＿＿＿＿＿＿から。

Write your Plan

Names of Group members:

Start Here
Who: ……
Date: ……
Where: ……
How: ……
Where you live: ……
Why: ……
What activity: ……