Reconciliation pedagogy

Throughout Australian history, Indigenous peoples have been greatly impacted by

‘devastating land dispossession, violence, and overt and unapologetic racism’ (Reconciliation
Australia, 2016; McMillian & Rigney, 2018). However, over the course of the last half-century, there
has been notable progress towards national reconciliation. Reconciliation has been highlighted
throughout current literature as a crucial element in bridging the gap between Indigenous and non-
Indigenous Australians (MacGill & Wyeld, 2009; Schulz, 2018; McMillian & Rigney, 2018). It is
understood that education constitutes the most significant role in the process of reconciliation, which
has led educators to utilise the education system as a platform to help rectify the injustices faced by
Indigenous Australians (Schulz, 2018; Buckskin, 2012). Therefore, it is necessary to explore how all
educators can teach for social justice through use of a reconciliation pedagogy and how such
pedagogical practices can help to elicit meaningful change.

Within Australia, the process of reconciliation works towards reconciling differences which
have created division and inequality between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. However, it
has been highlighted that throughout Australian history, there has been a legacy which has seen non-
Indigenous Australians assuming they know what is best for Indigenous people (Rigney & Hemming,
2014; Buckskin, 2012). This belief has had far-reaching implications for Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander people as their voices have been marginalised and decisions made on their behalf (Clark,
Costa & Maddison, 2017; Rigney & Hemming, 2014). Therefore, it is now understood that non-
Indigenous Australians need to start working with Indigenous Australians, which is what a
reconciliation pedagogy aims to achieve (Buckskin, 2012; Schulz, 2018). The primary aims of a
reconciliation pedagogy largely emulate those associated with reconciliation in that they focus on;
understanding country, improving relationships, valuing culture, and sharing history (Schulz, 2018).
By addressing each of these themes, it is apparent that reconciliation can begin to take place. The
introduction of programs like Narragunnawali, have helped to educate non-Indigenous educators on
how to take a reconciliation approach to pedagogy and what strategies they can employ within their
classrooms to help achieve reconciliation (Reconciliation Australia, 2018). It is crucial for educators
to approach a reconciliation pedagogy with a growth mindset because it is important to learn about
what they do not know so that they can investigate the unknowns with their students (Schulz, 2018).
To approach a reconciliation pedagogy with a fixed mindset, greatly limits the potential to further
understand and to learn from students who may have a greater understanding regarding certain issues
(Buckskin 2012, Schulz, 2018).

Reconciliation Australia has highlighted the importance of reconciliation pedagogies within

schools and early learning services, as they are found to help foster higher levels of knowledge
regarding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures and contributions (Reconciliation
Australia, 2016). Due to the versatility of this approach, it makes for a flexible implementation
process within a classroom setting, although heavily requires educators to think critically about the
effectiveness of the strategies and processes they choose to employ, as well as the content they teach.
It is apparent that there are a range of effective ways to implement a reconciliation pedagogy,
however, one strategy that really stands out is ‘engaging with a supportive Indigenous community
who are willing to become involved’ within the school (Schulz, 2018). Not only does this strategy
help to acknowledge Indigenous voices, it helps Indigenous and non-Indigenous people to form
relationships built on trust and respect, which is a crucial element in achieving reconciliation
(Reconciliation Australia, 2016; Buckskin, 2012). However, as MacGill & Wyeld argue, there is a
considerable flaw within Australia’s education system regarding the way the history of Australia is
taught and the treatment of Indigenous people throughout this time (2009, p. 558). Not only has this
left many people unaware of how these past actions have come to influence contemporary issues, it
has also created further divisions and inequalities within contemporary society. Thus, by taking a
reconciliation approach to pedagogy, educators are able to redress such issues by developing an
‘open, inquisitive, critical disposition’ (Schulz, 2018).

Although Australia has made some remarkable progress towards reconciliation, it is apparent
that more needs to be done as Indigenous Australians are still significantly disadvantaged (Australian
Bureau of Statistics, 2013). Therefore, the decision to critically anaylse the theoretical framework of
reconciliation pedagogy was primarily due to the understanding that in order for Indigenous students
to overcome disadvantage, reconciliation needs to occur. As current literature has highlighted, there
are significant achievement and engagement ‘gaps’ when Indigenous and non-Indigenous school
students are compared, so by employing a reconciliation pedagogy it can be argued that these gaps
could be significantly reduced (Vass, 2014; Buckskin, 2012; MacGill & Wyeld, 2009). Furthermore,
by taking a reconciliation approach to pedagogy, it helps educators to meet two crucial teaching
standards proposed by the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL). Standard
1.4 considers the importance for educators to develop strategies for teaching Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander students (AITSL, 2017). As this standard requires educators to demonstrate
professional knowledge regarding the impact that culture and cultural identity can have on Indigenous
students, a reconciliation pedagogy can help educators to achieve this as ‘valuing culture’ is deeply
embedded in the approach. An example of this could be having Indigenous and non-Indigenous
educators co-teach certain lessons to ensure Indigenous voices and cultures are being acknowledged
(Buckskin, 2012). Additionally, standard 2.4 which requires educators to ‘understand and respect
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to promote reconciliation’ is significantly interrelated
with reconciliation pedagogies. By educators taking a reconciliation-based approach to pedagogy,
they can immediately begin developing standard 2.4 as they would be engaging in strategies that help
to foster reconciliation.

Thus, it can be argued that by applying a reconciliation-based pedagogical approach,

educators can work towards altering the perceptions of their students regarding the way they
conceptualise race and culture. It is apparent that education is a vital tool that need to be utilised in
this process to help ‘close the gap’, and eventually achieve reconciliation within Australian.
 Pre-Service Teacher: Hannah Fox
Date: Double lesson - Week 2, Term 3,

Learning area: History Unit Topic: ‘Making a nation’ (ACARA, 2018) Year Level: 10 Lesson: 2 of 10

Curriculum Outcomes (for the entire unit plan):

Recongising culture and developing respect
 Investigate culture and cultural identity
 Explore and compare cultural knowledge, beliefs and practices
Interacting and empathising with others
 Consider and develop multiple perspectives

Exploring values, rights and responsibilities

 Consider points of view

Composing texts through speaking, writing and creating

 Compose spoken, written, visual and multimodal learning area texts
(ACARA, 2018)

Learning aims (for this lesson):

Through use of storytelling, this lesson aims make students aware of the history that saw the separation of
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families.

The activity aims to use storytelling as a way of helping students develop an understanding of the similarities and
differences of the experiences of Indigenous children who were separated from their families.

(ACARA, 2018; Australian Humans Rights Commission, 2010)

Learning Outcomes (for this lesson):

- Students will develop an understanding regarding the forcible separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander children from their families.
- Students will be able to identify social, cultural, emotional and physical consequences of the Stolen
Generations
- Notice the impact that the Stolen Generation continues to have on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

Resources:

- Whiteboard markers, pens, pencils, etc.

- Sheets of butcher paper
- Printouts of worksheets for activities (Personal stories, Personal stories comparison activity)

LESSON OUTLINE

Introduction Time Allocated: 10 minutes

Students will…

- “Think, pair, share” of last lesson to recap knowledge and previous content covered (individual recall, paired
discussion, share ideas to class)
- Listen to teacher explicitly outline lesson aims and outcomes
- Ask any questions and seek clarification regarding the lesson activity

Teacher will…

- Guide the classroom discussion using “think, pair, share” strategy

 APPENDIX

RESOURCE 1 (Australian Human Rights Commission, 2010)

RESOURCE 2
Comparative worksheet to be completed after reading stories from resource 1
RESOURCE 3
Outline of how students should layout their butchers paper

SIMILARITIES DIFFERENCES

To be addressed:

o Social

o Cultural

o Emotional

o Physical

COMMON EXPERIENCES LONG-TERM EFFECTS

RESOURCE 4
Exit Card

What were two things you learnt today? I learnt that…

Another thing I learnt was…

Did you find that by reading these

personal stories your understanding of
the issue was increased? Why/why not?
How do people’s personal experiences
and stories help our understanding of
social issues?
References:

Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). (2013). 4727.0.55.001 - Australian Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander Health Survey: First Results, Australia, 2012-13. Canberra, ACT: Australian
Government.

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA). (2018). Australian

Curriculum. Retrieved 10 October 2018 from, https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/

Australian Human Rights Commission. (2010). Bringing them home. Retrieved 15 October 2018
from,
https://www.humanrights.gov.au/sites/default/files/content/education/bringing_them_home/rightsED_
Bringing_them_home.pdf

Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership. (2017). Australian professional standards
for teachers. Retrieved 8 October 2018 from, https://www.aitsl.edu.au/teach/standards

Buckskin, P. (2012). Engaging Indigenous students: the important relationship between Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander students and their teachers, in K Price (ed), Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander education: an introduction for the teaching profession, Cambridge University Press: Port
Melbourne, pp. 164-180.

Clark, T., De Costa, R., & Maddison, S. (2017). Non-Indigenous Australians and the ‘Responsibility
to Engage’? Journal of Intercultural Studies, 38(4), 381-396.

Macgill, B., & Wyeld, T. (2009). The Need for a Reconciliation Pedagogy: Educating for a More
Holistic, Shared Australian Cultural Heritage. Information Visualisation, 2009 13th International
Conference, 555-560.

Mcmillan, M., & Rigney, S. (2018). Race, reconciliation, and justice in Australia: From denial to
acknowledgment. Ethnic and Racial Studies, 41(4), 759-777.

Reconciliation Australia. (2016). The State of Reconciliation in Australia – Summary. Retrieved 11

October 2018 from, https://www.reconciliation.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/State-of-
Reconciliation-Report_SUMMARY.pdf

Rigney, D., & Hemming, S. (2014). Is ‘Closing the Gap’ Enough? Ngarrindjeri ontologies,
reconciliation and caring for country, Educational Philosophy and Theory, 46(5), 536-545.

Schulz, S. (2018). Reconciliation pedagogies. [Lecture PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from

https://flo.flinders.edu.au/pluginfile.php/3168894/mod_resource/content/1/EDUC2420%20Reconcilia
tion%20Pedagogies%20Lecture%202018.pdf

Vass, G. (2014). The racialised educational landscape in Australia: listening to the whispering
elephant, Race Ethnicity and Education, 17(2), pp. 176-201.