It is mandatory for teachers to have an inclusive classroom in Primary Education.

This requires teachers to

cater for the individual learning needs of children from different cultures, disabilities and the diverse
communities within Australia. To appropriately educate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children has
been a difficult task in the past years because the school curriculum and educators were from ‘white’
European backgrounds and education institutions was designed accordingly (Rickwood, Dudgeon, &
Gridley, 2010). There was no mention of any attempts of reconciliation through the process of education,
whereas today education can be considered a good resource to demonstrate reconciliation via the school
system (Darlaston-Jones, 2008). Today, it is the responsibility of educators to develop cultural competence
and build on and implement this knowledge through the curriculum, pedagogical methods, assessment and
develop strong relationships with the community so that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students are
provided with the same opportunities as anyone else.  

As a teacher, it is vital to create a culturally inclusive curriculum that use Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander perspectives to develop a strongly integrated classroom (Munns, O’Rourke & Bodkin-Andrews,
2013). Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples history dates back 60, 000 years ago therefore they
have sovereignty rites to Australia (Miller, 2011). It is therefore essential that teachers build and develop
cultural competence by acknowledging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ culture and history in
the curriculum content (Miller, 2011). In addition, Australian Curriculum HASS Key Learning Area (KLA)
does not allow for explicit reference of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives for primary years
(Birch, 2010). For example, in the Australian Curriculum for Year 4, it states “specifically, students study
European exploration and colonisation in Australia and elsewhere up to the early 1800s and life for
Indigenous Australians pre- and post-contact” (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority
[ACARA], 2019). This rationale still shows a strong emphasis on European culture and does not reflect on
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories prior the 1800s. Teachers should extend the history of
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples prior to the colonisation with guidance from community
members, because an important value is ‘belonging’, which Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
should have to this country. In addition, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students should be provided
with the opportunity to use their own language, as this can have a greater impact for overall learning and
achievements (ACARA, 2019). Within the Australian Curriculum, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
histories and cultures cross-curriculum priorities outlines that in English the Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander literature be used for students to engage and develop awareness and appreciation of, and respect for
storytelling traditions, images and contemporary literature (ACARA, 2019). Therefore, teachers themselves
need professional development opportunities and knowledge in delivering quality content to students, to
demonstrate the cultural interface of Australia’s history, language and literature (Birch, 2010). By
embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait peoples’ perspectives throughout the curriculum, teachers can
ensure a diverse and inclusive classroom for all students. For this to be meaningful and successful, there
needs to be appropriate and innovative pedagogical approaches that cater for diversity within the
classroom.  

Embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives through a culturally appropriate pedagogy
creates an inclusive environment for all students. The 8 Ways Aboriginal Pedagogy Framework can be
applied, giving students the value of having different learning approaches to the curriculum content (NSW
Department of Education, 2012). Using Story Sharing from this framework in the Key Learning Areas
(KLAs) in the Australian Curriculum allows students to demonstrate how the content can relate to their prior
knowledge, allowing them to learn through a personal narrative and making it relevant to each individual
(NSW Department of Education, 2019). Additionally, teachers can highlight the importance of yarning and
storytelling for Aboriginal and Torres Strait cultures and yarning circles can be incorporated as part of the
daily routine in the classroom (NSW Department of Education, 2019). Teachers can also use a place-based
learning approach, Murri Maths, which can support teachers in cultural capabilities to successfully embed
histories and cultures (The State of Queensland (Department of Education), 2020). The State of Queensland
(Department of Education) (2020, n.p) identifies, “the resource suggests more than 40 ways to facilitate
mathematical thinking outdoors. This often begins with a narrative, land links and connection to country and
identifying the maths in Aboriginal culture”. This hands-on approach can allow all students to be actively
involved with learning and can improve student outcomes in a ‘fun’ and more meaningful way. In
Aboriginal peoples’ culture, learning and communicating does not always need to involve words. Using
Non-Verbal cues, such as body language, sign language, facial expressions and hands-on learning can be
incorporated for common classroom instruction (NSW Department of Education, 2019). For the teacher,
having respect for cultures is important in applying pedagogies in the classroom. Therefore, members from
the community should teach content about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ culture, as it is not
the correct protocol for a person who does not identify as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander to teach this
(Lampert, Burnett, Martin, & McCrea, 2014). Community members are also important when learning about
Aboriginal artwork, as they can explain the purpose and meaning so that students can learn about artwork in
a respectful manner. In addition, using Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander literature and languages can be
used in English. It is imperative for teachers to understand and know their students and where-ever possible,
utilise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander literature in KLAs. The pedagogical methods a teacher may use
can enhance student learning outcomes, however assessment tasks require a greater understanding of how
children may best achieve and how they may demonstrate this.

In past years, educators may have viewed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples as ‘unable to learn’
due to the results from educational assessments. The assessments used were biased towards a ‘white’
European culture (Rickwood, Dudgeon, & Gridley, 2010). Today, teachers understand that testing alone
does not indicate learning capabilities, and that all students deserve to have opportunities to reach their full
learning potential. Therefore, diagnostic, formative and summative assessments require authentic learning
experiences, which may be achieved through the 8 Ways Aboriginal Pedagogy Framework. This framework
allows for authentic assessment that make tasks interesting, that require complex thoughts and encourage
high levels of student participation (Frey, Schmitt, & Allen, 2012). It also enhances the students learning
process when completing tasks and help them gain knowledge that align to ‘real world’ experiences
(Concordia University-Portland, 2020). Therefore, in using the 8 Ways Aboriginal Pedagogy Framework,
assessment tasks can use various methods for all students to demonstrate their knowledge though authentic
tasks. Deconstruct and Reconstruct can be applied in various KLAs (NSW Department of Education, 2019).
For example, in Science, the teacher can use the 5E Framework in order to investigate science content from
the curriculum, the students then show their understanding through diagnostic, formative and summative
assessments (Primary Connections, 2020). Through observation assessments, hands-on methods can also be
incorporated using Non-Verbal, Symbols and Images and Story Sharing through drama and dance
performances, artwork pieces and sharing science investigations and design and technology solutions (NSW
Department of Education, 2019). In the early years of education, students can be provided with not just
plastic counters but shells, pebbles, sticks to bundle and other objects from the local environment to use as
counting aids in mathematics assessments. When students’ complete summative assessments, there should
be various options to present these tasks to cater for individual learning needs such as electronically, through
pictures and diagrams, and orally. While there are many ways in which a teacher may deliver lessons and
assessment tasks that are meaningful and caters for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, the
culturally competent teacher draws on the members of the local community to enrich the students learning.

Connecting with the local community to embed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People’s histories,
culture and knowledge is important to have a culturally diverse classroom. Gaining knowledge by working
with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander members of the local community is a valuable resource for the
teacher and the students. Educators should value the contributions made by the local community to ensure
that the knowledge can be used in everyday teaching practices. However, before seeking community
knowledge, building a relationship is crucial. The Commonwealth of Australia (2011, p. 2) states, “you can’t
have a partnership without a relationship, and you can’t have a relationship without a conversation. You’ve
got to have the conversation. Everything starts here”. Relationships can be built by having yarns which
shows a teacher’s interest and being genuine, attending community events, inviting families into the
classroom and participating in informal events such as sporting events outside the school. Once a
relationship is established, teachers can gain the knowledge required to cater for students learning needs. To
show respect for the First Nations People, teachers should do an Acknowledgement to Country at the
beginning of each school day that pays respect to the land where you currently teach. Additionally, teachers
can collaborate with elders and other members of the community to develop an appropriate
Acknowledgment to Country, making it culturally appropriate and respectful to the local people. The elder
or representative of the community would be invited to take part in assemblies or classrooms to deliver the
Welcome to Country. The school community should also involve the wider community when celebrating
culturally significant events, such as NAIDOC week. Additionally, the school should have both Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander flags flying at school along with the Australian flag as a sign of acknowledgement
and respect. The significance of each flag can also be incorporated within curriculum content of geography,
discussing the meaning of both the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags. The school teacher should
provide the opportunity for students to participate in local incursions and excursions to develop an
appreciation and further understandings of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture. For example, The
Goombuckar Bus is an incursion bus that caters for all Primary year levels and aligns to the Australian
Curriculum (Goombuckar Creations, 2020). The bus is converted for a learning platform, which is a living
history and storytelling experience (Goombuckar Creations, 2020). Students are provided with many hands-
on opportunities by participating in art lessons using traditional symbols they have learned about to decorate
their creations (Goombuckar Creations, 2020). An example of a cultural experience is an excursion to the
Stanley River Environmental Education centre. It has programs that cater for Prep to Year 6 with a strong
emphasis on the Aboriginal culture of that area and include customs from other areas (The State of
Queensland (Department of Education), 2020). In particular, the Prep to Year 2 program is called Deadly
Places which is a day excursion that focuses on developing an appreciation of the Jinibara country. The
students are introduced to tribal games, taste bushfood, hear stories and learn the language (The State of
Queensland (Department of Education), 2020). There are many ways in which teachers may involve the
local communities to demonstrate inclusion and diversity in their classrooms. It is the culturally competent
teachers’ responsibility to investigate the possibilities of utilising resources from the school community and
the wider community in any given area.

 The past educational institutions were never designed to include inclusion for diverse cultures within
Australia. Today it has been recognised as an important part of the educational system to cater for all student
learning needs. It is the responsibility of the individual teacher to provide such learning opportunities by
becoming culturally competent in the local area in which they teach. It is of utmost importance to build a
strong rapport with the local community members as they are a powerful resource. The curriculum,
pedagogical practices and assessment tasks are important for teachers to be mindful of when planning and
teaching in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Teachers who have strong connections to the
community can also be seen as demonstrating reconciliation in their behaviours (Darlaston-Jones, 2008).
The Australian education systems have a long way to go in totally catering for inclusion in schools however,
teachers can make a difference. The teachers of today are making a ‘step in the right direction’ for inclusive
education in this culturally diverse country.

 
References

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