Strategies to Create a Culturally Responsive Learning

Environment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Students

Jordyn Sheldrick (20162694)

Working With Indigenous Students (EDUC4132)

Patrick Hampton and Helen Mills

25th October 2019

1,100
 Teachers have a responsibility to create and maintain culturally

responsive and supportive learning environments for Aboriginal and

Torres Strait Islander students. These learning environments created by

culturally competent teachers will aim to enhance and lead to effective

student engagement of Aboriginal children. The Early Learning Years

Framework (2012) defines cultural competence as “much more than

awareness of cultural differences. It is the ability to understand,

communicate with, and effectively interact with people across cultures.”

These teachers who create and maintain culturally responsive learning

environments for Aboriginal students, work to achieve the broader goals

of the ‘Close the Gap’ Report (2018) and the Melbourne Declaration

(MCEETYA, 2008). The Aboriginal Cultural Standards Framework (2015)

exists to guide teachers to create and maintain culturally supportive

learning environments by providing many relevant teachings and learning

strategies and standards. Ultimately the aim of the ACSF (2015) is to

“assist us in our efforts to close the gap in the education achievement of

Aboriginal students.” Culturally supportive learning environments also

promote the embedding of the cross-curriculum priority of Aboriginal and

Torres Strait Islander Histories, which is imperative for non-Aboriginal

students to engage with (SCSA, 2014).

Effective student engagement is the teacher’s way of captivating

students to ensure participation in learning (Marsh, 2014). The ‘What

Works Program’ designed by the Australian Government (2019) defines

effective engagement as “a construct involving three dimensions:

behavioral; affective and cognitive. The ‘What Works Program’ (2019)

  2  
suggests "engagement is critical because it makes a difference to

academic achievement and fosters in students a sense of belonging and

self-worth." The ACSF (2015) ensures that all teachers are able to

thoughtfully create a supportive learning environment by distinguishing

five focus areas to achieve Aboriginal student engagement. This includes

relationships, leadership, teaching, learning environment and resources

(ACSF, 2015).

Effective student engagement is achieved through cultural

responsiveness (ACSF, 2015). To be culturally responsive is too work

collaboratively between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal stakeholders,

building an environment that is welcoming and supportive (ACSF, 2015).

Cultural responsiveness is the ability to build on the wealth of knowledge

Aboriginal students bring into the classroom making deep connection

between their contextual understanding and their belonging within the

classroom (Harrison and Sellwood, 2016). During my final Internship at a

prestigious Perth Boy’s School I was given the opportunity to teach a

series of Literacy lessons on building relationships between Aboriginal

and non-Aboriginal children. In order to achieve effective student

engagement in a culturally supportive environment, I utilised a range of

strategies to make the lesson engaging and accessible for Aboriginal

students, whilst also making the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Histories

accessible to all students (ACSF, 2015; SCSA, 2014).

This Year Six class consisted of twenty-six boys. Twenty-five of

these boys are of predominantly European descent and only one boy is

  3  
Aboriginal, whom was proudly from Koori and Noongar nations. Prior to

commencing any formal teaching, time must be taken to get to know

every student. This includes getting to know each students family

structure and support network (ACSF, 2015). This can be done in a

myriad of ways, but most importantly an open and honest conversation

must occur to form a partnership. Harrison & Sellwood (2016) explain that

Aboriginal students may not have ‘typical’ family structures. Therefore, it

is imperative for the teacher to know who is supporting the student and

who will be an important contact for the student.

These lessons had a focus on students making connections

between their own experiences and those of characters and events

represented in a text drawn from different historical, social and cultural

contexts (ACELT1613). In order to achieve this curriculum goal a suitable

piece of literature had to be selected. I sought help and guidance from the

school’s Aboriginal Education Officer. In doing so, I was empowering my

self-knowledge as a teacher and was being an active and informed

citizen (ACSF, 2015; MCEETYA, 2009). The Aboriginal Education Officer

encouraged me to use a piece of literature that focused on the inclusion

of Aboriginal children. ‘The Barrumbi Kids’ by Leonie Norrington was

selected because it was relevant to our curriculum point and to the

twenty-six boys in the class. Relevant and contextual content in the

classroom will lead to improved engagement of Aboriginal students,

especially if they can see themselves in the learning through story

sharing and story telling (Bissett, 2012; Yunkaporta, 2012). Having

created a partnership with the Aboriginal Education Officer it enabled me

  4  
to employ local Noongar understanding and knowledge into the

classroom (ACSF, 2015). The use of local symbols, community links and

land links allowed for the lesson content to be validated through

Aboriginal processes and protocols which can enhance engagement for

all students (Bissett, 2012; Yunkaporta, 2012).

Theses lessons were taught whilst reflecting on where we were in

the world. Situated on the Swan River, the class utilised the landscape to

frame the setting in the novel, whilst having a conversation about the

cultural significance of the place we were often standing. This created a

sense of place-based learning (Yunkaporta, 2012). This lesson provided

an opportunity to create peer-bonds, whilst also provided an opportunity

to engage in non-verbal reflective learning when the completion of the

novel was reached. During the series of lessons the class was

encouraged to use correct and appropriate terms and language including

using several Noongar and Koori terms taught through the peer-bonds

and community links (Harrison & Sellwood, 2016; Yunkaporta, 2012).

This resulted in all three domains of engagement being met and very

strong interest by all students (DET, 2019).

It is crucial that teachers are able to create and maintain culturally

responsive and supportive learning environments for Aboriginal and

Torres Strait Islander students. Teachers are able to do this through a

range of different teaching and learning strategies such as partnerships,

community links, improvement of self-knowledge, use of relevant content,

peer-bonds and place-based learning (Harrison & Sellwood, 2016;

  5  
Yunkaporta, 2012). These strategies achieve success in the three

domains of engagement (DET, 2019) and meet the proficient level of the

ACSF (2015). The carefully considered pedagogy of the teacher and the

learning environment created will lead to successful student engagement

of Aboriginal students, especially in the context of this series of literacy

lessons where the ACSF (2015) standards are being proficiently met.

When Aboriginal students are engaged in learning they become

successful learners, confident and creative individuals and are active and

informed citizens (MCEETYA, 2008). The ‘Close the Gap Report’ (2018)

states, “A good quality education lays the foundation for success in life.”

A good quality education is the result of a culturally responsive learning

environment created by a culturally competent teacher who can achieve

the standards of the ACSF (2015).

  6  
References:

Bissett, S. (2012). Bala ga lili: Meeting indigenous learners hallway.

Australian Journal of Environmental Education, 28(2), 78-91. doi:

10.1017aee.2013.2

Brown, L. (2019). Indigenous young people, disadvantage and the

violence of settler colonial education policy and curriculum. Journal

of Sociology, 55(1), 54-71. doi: 10.1177/1440783318794295

Department of Education Western Australia. (2015). Aboriginal cultural

standards framework (ACSF). Retrieved from

http://det.wa.edu.au/policies/detcms/cms/service/download/asset/?

asset_id=16993792

Department of Education. (2015). National Aboriginal and Torres Strait

Islander education strategy. Retrieved from

http://www.scseec.edu.au/site/DefaultSite/filesystem/documents/A

TSI%20documents/NATSI_EducationStr ategy_v3.pdf

Department of Education. (2019). What Works. The Works Program

Retrieved from

http://www.whatworks.edu.au/dbAction.do?cmd=homePage

Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. (2018). Closing the gap:

education. Retrieved from

https://www.pmc.gov.au/sites/default/files/reports/closing-the-gap-

2018/education.html

Harrison, N., & Sellwood, J. (2016). Learning and teaching in Aboriginal

  7  
 and Torres Strait Islander education. (3rd ed.). South Melbourne,

Victoria: Oxford University Press.

Marsh, C., Clarke, M., & Pittaway, S. (2014). Becoming a Teacher:

knowledge, skills and issues. 5th Edition. Victoria, NSW: Pearson.

Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs

(MCEETYA). (2008). Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals

for Young Australians. Retrieved from

http://www.curriculum.edu.au/verve/_resources/National_Declarati

on_on_the_Educational_Goals_for_Young_Australians.pdf

School Curriculum and Standards Authority. (2014).Curriculum

Framework for Kindergarten to Year 12 Education in Western

Australia. Retrieved from: http://www.scsa.wa.edu.au/internet/

The Early Years learning Framework for Australia. (2012). Belonging,

being and becoming The Early Years learning Framework for

Australia. Retrieved from:

https://www.acecqa.gov.au/sites/default/files/2018-

02/belonging_being_and_becoming_the_early_years_learning_fra

mework_for_australia.pdf

Yungkaporta, T. (2012). 8 Aboriginal ways of learning. Retrieved from:

https://www.inclusionagencynswact.org.au/WWW_NSWIA/files/30/

30a02eff-8394-4ac8-a39b-862726136bba.pdf

  8