Assignment 1 – Option 2

Existing evidence shows that a high-quality school education lay the foundation for success in

later life. Success and achievement in school can be the catalyst for improving life outcomes

in the long term for all students. Any absence from school leads to a disconnection from

learning and a decline in academic performance. Yet, the elevated rates for both suspension

and exclusion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students should be reason for concern

for all educators. It is important to make it clear that this paper is not representative of all the

disadvantages and social inequity that Aboriginal students are facing by any means. Rather

the aim of this paper is to shed light into some of the problems that myself, as a future

educator, need to be mindful of when teaching Aboriginal students. The paper investigates

the significance of cultural issues that need to be recognized. Issues concerning the delivery

of school program, the responding to cultural differences and the mismatch of home and

school disciplinaries and practices, compounded with negative attitudes and low expectations

shared by teachers all viewed as contributing factors of the incline in exclusion and suspension

of Aboriginal students. The paper also includes practices that myself, as a graduate

mathematics teacher, can employ to foster positive respectful relationships with the local

community and create a bridge to promote purposeful and meaningful learning opportunities

for Aboriginal students in the Western education system.

Suspension has been used as punishments to respond to students' repeated behaviour

problems (Lacoe & Steinberg, 2019). This approach brings a negative impact on all students

in general and particularly more harmful for Aboriginal students (Lacoe & Steinberg, 2019, p.

56). The exclusion of Aboriginal students from school do not reflect the commitments made

in Aboriginal Education Policy where it states "The department values the skills, experiences,

and knowledge of Aboriginal people and will increase the participation and retention of
Aboriginal students in schools" (NSW Department of Education, 2018). Rather than using

punishments, a better approach is to seek factors contributing to these behaviour problems

while keeping the students at school (Gage, Lee, Grasley-Boy, & Peshak, 2018).

The nurturing and integrating cultural identity is a critical element in promoting positive

learning experiences of Aboriginal students in education in Australia (Sarra, 2011). Walker,

Robinson, Adermann, and Campbell (2014) point out that developing and fostering a strong

sense of personal identity and self-esteem is equally important to Aboriginal students as it is

to any other students. However, many Aboriginal students often experience racism,

discrimination, and harassment which can result in marginalization and low self-esteem

(Kickett-Tucker & Coffin, as cited in Walker et al., 2014). A study by Oliver and Exell (2019)

show strong positive correlation between positive self-identity and better academic

performance. Although cultural identities of Aboriginal students have been identified as a key

aspect to close the educational gap, the current policies and educational system often

overlook the importance of supporting and engaging in this aspect (Shay & Wickes, 2017).

Coupled with this, the absence of explicit school practices and the inadequate recognition

regarding cultural identity, negatively damage Aboriginal students’ self-esteem and sense of

belonging at school (Shay & Wickes, 2017). This, in turn, can lead to developing behavioural

and emotional problems in Aboriginal students (Whitley, Rawana, & Brownlee, 2014).

The school system in Australia often negate Aboriginal cultural customs, values, and codes of

behaviour which are central to the lives of Aboriginal people. Cultural assumptions from

teachers and schools as well as pedagogies used are not corresponding to Aboriginal cultural

background (Buxton, 2018, p. 123). Aboriginal ways of knowing and learning have been

given significantly lesser merit or even completely disregarded all through the history of the

Australian school education (Williams-Kennedy, 2004, p.81). The perception of Aboriginal

students often struggle in science or mathematics is an example illustrating unfair practice in

school system. Eurocentric model of theory before practice is often adopted in mainstream

school system, which is conflicting to Aboriginal ways of thinking and learning where learning

by practice is prioritised (Aikenhead & Ogawa, 2007; Buxton, 2018). Within the Western

educational practices, many students who have been taught in this system are still struggling,

yet, the current school systems expect Aboriginal students to mould themselves to fit in and

succeed without adequate support from schools and educators (Price, 2012). This result in a

large number of Aboriginal students underperforming in mathematics and science which in

turn lead to disengagement in these lessons or even worse, from school (Buxton, 2018). If

Aboriginal students’ failure to see themselves succeed and being able to learn in the current

school system continue to rise, the commitment set out in the Aboriginal Education Policy will

be hardly possible to meet.

Many Aboriginal families and students are stressed because of cultural assumptions formed

by the mainstream education system. For many Aboriginal students, the inconsistent practice

between school and social-cultural contexts of Aboriginal students' lives result in greater

alienation and confusion of Aboriginal students (Walker et al., 2014). For example,

autonomous is one of the characteristics that Aboriginal students have been raised to be,

however, this characteristic can be somewhat problematic within the western education

system as it is out of the “norms” (Walker et al., 2014). To further elaborate on this point,

some Aboriginal students are given a significant level of responsibility and respect at home,

meanwhile, they are treated as "like kids" at school (Walker et al., 2014). Aboriginal students’

cultural competency are often not recognized and valued by teachers and mainstream system

(Buckskin, 2012). In some cases, Aboriginal students’ behavioural and emotional problems

are associated with deficit relationships with the teachers and lack of connection to the

school.
Aboriginal students have been continuously affected by the implicit societal stereotypes of

low expectations shared by teachers. The toxicity of low expectations placed on Aboriginal

students is not only harmful towards academic performance but continues to limit Aboriginal

students from reaching their full potential both in and out of the classroom (Buxton, 2017).

Friedrich, Flunger, Nagengast, Jonkmann, and Trautwein (2015)’s study shows that higher

self-concepts associate with more academically competence. The reverse of self-concept is

also true (Friedrich et al. 2015), when the students hold lower self-concepts, they consider

themselves as failures and as a result they become disruptive and disengaged. The teachers

that communicate high expectations for students can strengthen their motivation and those

students are more likely to achieve greater results (Walkey, Mcclure, Meyer, & Weir, 2013).

As can be seen, the high expectation is an essential element in creating a quality learning

environment (DET, 2006). Despite the strong correlation between high expectations and

students' achievements. A study found that pre-service teachers and experienced teachers

often lower their expectations for Aboriginal students' achievement (Dandy, Durkin, Barber,

& Houghton, 2015). Without recognition of the inadequacies of expectations and negative

attitudes from the teacher, the majority of Aboriginal students perceive their competence in

less positive ways and thus disconnect themselves from the education system (Whitley,

Rawana, & Brownlee, 2014).

Further grounds for concern arises from result findings of another study showing that

Aboriginal young people are at higher risk of developing mental health, social and emotional

wellbeing, as compared to non-Aboriginal young people (Walker et al., 2014). Many

Aboriginal students are living under poor circumstances which can cause many life stressors

(Walker et al. 2014). These life stressors contribute significantly to the development of

behavioural and emotional problems. Furthermore, past injustices and practices have caused

a range of emotional distress in many Aboriginal students (Shay & Wickes, 2017). Even though
Aboriginal students exhibit considerable resilience, without the help and support from school,

family, and community, they eventually recognize school is not for them and lose interest in

learning (Noguera, 2003).

As a graduate mathematics teacher with a lack of experience in teaching Aboriginal students,

I certainly will not be able to develop an appropriate educational program on my own. Hence,

the first step that I will take in my journey to become a skilled educator who is culturally

competent is to get to know the contexts in which Aboriginal students are living and learning.

I will need to take initiative to work collaboratively with and take direction from community,

teachers, and students if I am to provide my students purposeful mathematics learning

(Buckskin, 2012). This idea is closely tied to the focus area "2.4 Understand and respect

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to promote reconciliation between Indigenous

and non-Indigenous Australians" (AITSL, 2017). Through engaging with community, teachers,

and parents, I hope to learn more about the social and cultural contexts as well as appropriate

teaching-and-learning strategies which can be used within my classroom to support the

students' cultural and learning needs. Not only does the acknowledgment of social and

cultural contexts benefit my professional development, but it also helps to promote cultural

competency and responsiveness within the classroom (Perry & Howard, 2008).

As mentioned earlier, teachers’ lack of recognition and appreciation for Aboriginal students

cultural values can contribute to their poor educational outcomes in mathematics classrooms.

It is my professional responsibility to employ different teaching and learning strategies that

cater for students preferential learning styles. Within the current education system, most

students only experience maths in the abstract form without getting to relate it to relevant

real-world contexts. Being a graduate mathematics teacher, I acknowledge my limitation as I

will be teaching my students through my cultural lens and how I was taught. Price (2012)

stresses that it is important for the next generation of teacher to avoid the same stereotypes
that they were taught. As this is particularly harmful to Aboriginal students as Aboriginal

students walk in a "dual world" of Western mathematics and the mathematics within their

community (Board of Studies NSW, 2001; Warren & Young, 2008; Price, 2012). For many

Aboriginal students as well as other groups of students, they learn through seeing, and doing

hands-on activities or through the use of oral language (Warren & Young, 2008). For example,

in stage 4 "Measurement and Geometry" Mathematics syllabus, students can learn about

different types of angles and relate it to the traditional making of tools, such as a spear or ax

heads. If possible, students can examine various artifacts and discuss different types of angles

and the purpose of sharpness. When students share their ideas and findings, they will need

to use precise mathematical terminology, this is where I will focus on supporting students

literacy through the use of oral language. As mathematics is considered as a language and it

is important to explicitly teach the mathematical concepts and terms. Especially for Aboriginal

students, the discrepancy of languages used at home and school can disrupt Aboriginal

students' achievement in literacy and numeracy (Dickinson, McCabe, & Essex, as cited in

Warren & Young, 2008). There are several components that make a mathematic lesson

purposeful and meaningful for Aboriginal students (Perry & Howard, 2008). These

components include providing opportunities for students to share perspectives, discuss and

share stories with each other; encouraging students to relate mathematical ideas and apply

them to solve problems in practical activities (Perry & Howard, 2008). By knowing how

Aboriginal students learn and apply this knowledge in assisting them, it would help me to

meet the focus area "1.4 Strategies for teaching Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

students." (AITSL, 2017).

Overall, it is important for educators and school systems in Australia to recognize and

acknowledge the cultural issues surrounding cultural identity, values and cultural

assumptions within the education system, the mismatch in terms of practices and
disciplinaries between school and home, emotional and behavioural issues, coupled with

negative attitudes and low expectations experienced by Aboriginal students, if we are to uplift

the educational outcomes of and for Aboriginal students. By properly addressing these

concerns and issues, not only does the suspension rates amongst Aboriginal students may be

alleviated, but it also will help to achieve the objectives listed in the Aboriginal Education

Policy.
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