It is widely understood that as educators, the teaching and learning strategies they employ

within a learning environment has huge affects on how students learn and understand the

content that is received. However, as educators, they also must consider the negative

impacts and disadvantages Indigenous people have experienced within Australia. This

paper will analyse how effective learning and teaching strategies can be achieved through

using the ‘Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures’ cross-curriculum

priority which is designed for all students to engage in reconciliation, respect and

recognition of the world’s oldest continuous living cultures.” (Australian Curriculum,

Assessment and Reporting Authority, n.d). As educators are required to look at resources

and methods to interact with students, they must consider how to employ these unique

experiences that involve optimal and positive outcomes for indignenous students. Other

aspects for indigenous students will be considering the synthesis of literature, research and

case studies that have had relevant and successful outcomes. These examples will cover

ways in which all aspects of schools and educators have successfully approached strategies

promoting indigenous students. To further add, as the cross-curriculum priority is a focus

within this paper to engage all students within a learning environment, I will further

explore the necessary steps in order to counter issues found within my own Key Learning

Area (KLA) of Physical Development, Health and Education (PDHPE). By using indigenous

perspectives, ideas, peoples, land, and using implementation of community peoples and

knowledge, I will discuss how these aspects will address specific issues across my KLA. As a

pre-service teacher, it is imperative to address these issues to provide an optimal learning

experience to further educate and provide an inclusive environment for all students,

especially indigenous students.

Prior to addressing the key strategies and pedagogies that promote the cross curriculum

priority, the importance and purpose of the cross curriculum priority must be addressed to

come to a complete understanding on key elements and claims in addition to addressing

various issues and areas across student learning and addressing the importance and

purpose including reconciliation, respect and recognition of our First Peoples. Prejudice

between different groups is evidently found across the world across different forms. This

specifically includes the superiority of westernised culture and people, compromising the

majority of the population, which this is also found in Australia (Priest et al., 2014). Racism

and associated discourse found in today's society is largely in relation of racist ideologies

and systems that in the wider society that can be direct, subtle, unintentional and unwilling

(Priest et al., 2014). Consequently, within Australia, derogatory stereotypes and

misinformation can also be found in relation to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

peoples, including ideas of irresponsibility, absent parents, happily unemployed and

alcoholism still is found as a prevalent social discourse (Reconciliation Australia, 2018).

These negative associations across Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples are still

found in daily interactions within Australian society Gallaher et al. (2009). The need for

Australians schools to facilitate an learning environment in relation to tackling these issues

is critical as it is found evident in children, who are found as influenced by negative

discourse around them (York, 2016). Therefore, it is crucial for educators to place an

importance of the cross-curriculum priorities as it emphasises on students’ ability to

participate positively in the ongoing development of Australia through a deepening

knowledge and connection with diverse cultures and experiences of Aboriginal people
through historical, social and political lenses, towards better understanding Aboriginal

ways of being, knowing, thinking and doing. This leads educators when blending their

teaching, strategies and pedagogy within their KLA, indigenous students can improve

greatly within their learning due to relevancy and inclusive learning.

In regards to successful examples that have provided positive outcomes for both idigenous

and non-indingenous students, A case study found to provide significant improvement

across literacy, numeracy and reading was found implemented across schools across

Australian schools. The Department of Education and Training (n.d) using the EATSIPS

framework found that using a key foundation of implementing a blend of both indigenous

and non-indngenous culture practices across their teaching and learning strategy.

Pedagogy that supports the promotion of reconciliation, respect recognition is stated

through Dreamson et al., (2016) as they suggested the implementation of creating inclusive

learning environments for culturally diverse students. This strategy of inclusive learning on

history and cultural aspects of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the

implementation of blended cultural beliefs and systems across non-indigenous students

will be imperative across their future perception, learning and beliefs within their thinking.

This strategy involves educators and the requirement to respond to learners’ diverse

learning needs which are underpinned by their cultures (Blasco, 2014); ensure that the

learning environment enables learners to meet high standards, and explore their own

cultural assumptions, beliefs and values. This suggests that teachers are required to be

culturally responsive within their teaching and learning strategies by validating and
promoting equity within their learning (Jones, 2015) that result in encouragement in

bringing their own ‘unique cultural experiences and perspectives to classroom discourse’

(Quaye & Harper, 2007, p.38). Case study by Miller and Warren (2013) found that an

altering the oral language approach within both listening and speaking found to engage in

understanding of the content in their own ways which resulted in increase of literacy,

numeracy and reading across the schools that implemented these cultural practices. This is

one of the methods I would like to implement across my teaching methods as it allows

students to learn through different ways apart from traditional methods with

implementing culture across my KLA to encompass all students.

For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to feel a sense of belonging within their

learning environments, as educators the key importance of pedagogy is critical in not only

introducing Aboriginal content into the curriculum; however, they must adopt pedagogies

that adopt Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander values and methods. This can allow

students to relate information and content to their own identity and potential from within

their culture (Blasco, 2014). For both educators and students, the pedagogical approach is

critical when considering engaging, respecting and involving all students within a learning

environment - it needs to be a space that is “culturally safe, respectful and conducive to

shared learning” and is influenced wide ranges of resources by “formal and informal

cultural learning” (Biermann & Townsend, 2008). Cultural inclusivity in education refers to

creating inclusive learning environments for culturally diverse learners (Gargiulo &
Metcalf, 2012). A working example is found in Luke et al (2013) where the study took place

to improve on various areas including attendance and academic performance of indigenous

students across education in schools. This was achieved through the implementation of

indgenous community across their learning by bringing in local and respected indgenous

community leaders and individuals to speak on various topics including stories on

indigenous cultures, encouraging various aspects of education and their learning and

working with families to contribute to a inclusive change across their environment. Luke et

al, (2013) found that bringing in indingeous communities within school education found

engagement, motivation and all round inclusive environment for students that sought to

improve all areas. Through this, I will like to implement this strategy of implementing in

culture and knowledge through the connection of local communities within both theory

and practical lessons to encourage motivation and engagement for all students in my future

teaching pedagogies.

Another approach that has seen successful outcomes is the indigenous program Stronger

Smarter and its unique framework in producing a connection across the spheres of

‘personal, school and community’ in attempt to creating high quality education system that

provides every indigneous student in Australia an opportunity for optimal learning

(Stronger Smarter Institute, 2017). One of the areas within the framework consists of

embedding a Strengths Based Approach across the education system. Strength based

approach through this framework looks at the aspect of shifting the mindset to reject

negative thinking and deficit conversations, meaning ‘beyond the victim’ type leadership
(Sarra, 2010). This looks into recognising the strengths that exists in local communities,

working with partnerships and identifying and building on student strengths through

teachers across a school system. Brooker and Woodhead (2018) found that embracing a

positive sense of identity and building on individuals through a strength-based approach

allows the learning environment to diminish assumptions and stereotypes that exist and

improve students into being responsible for positive change. Another research found

within the Stronger Smarter approach was the use of high expectation relationships as

Sarra (2018) stated that using the voices of educators can promote collegiate staff

environments, stronger teacher-student relationships and trusting and supportive

relationships with parents and carers to support the performance outcomes of high

expectations educational agenda which resulted in moving past assumptions and negative

associations of indiginous students. Implementing both of these strategies across my

teaching and learning will be an area that is influenced by these successful areas to

promote engaging and motivating learning across all students.

As a pre-service teacher, there are barriers that need to be considered when attempting to

provide effective teaching and learning strategies for all students, especially regarding

indingeous students within my KLA. One issue found within my KLA is the lack of

inadequate implementation of indingeous perspectives and cultures within physical

education. As Williams (2017) found that in various schools across Australia, Aboriginal

and Torres Strait Island perspectives were rarely taught in PDHPE due to the many

constraints found within educators and the systems found in place. Williams (2017) further
comments on westernised technocratic physical education that emphasizes the teaching of

skill based content or ‘PE-as-sport-techniques (Kirk, 2011). This westernised culture onto

indigenous students has found ineffective measures onto their learning, as such, Williams

(2017) suggested in terms to fix this issue, the implementation of indigenous communities

and histories in terms of physical activity using examples of dance and culture will better

suit engaging indigenous students through feeling a sense of belonging through the content

learnt. I feel as if this will be crucial in terms of my own teaching, as I will look heavily into

bringing a diverse set of content to ensure all students engage with the content in an

optimal manner. In the issue of westernised discourse on indgeinous students across

Australia, bringing in a shared perspective on history and the physical aspect of learning in

relation to their understanding and knowledge creates a more authentic experience for

indigenous students to relate to (Jackson-Barrett & Lee-Hammond, 2018). Therefore, it is

my responsibility to involve the local community and knowledge within my KLA to better

recognise and respect our First Peoples.

In conclusion, as a future educator, it is vital to consider the important role that educators

obtain across the education system when regarding the needs of all students across their

learning. The cross-curriculum that is implemented across all schools within Australia is

vital in regards to promoting reconciliation, respect and recognition of our First peoples.

Using relevant pedagogies and teaching and learning approaches will be vital in creating an

environment that is engaging and motivating for all students. In regards to indigenous

approaches, through successful models and research found across Australia, it is crucial to
implement strategies such as implementing knowledge and local communities and

strength-based approaches across student learning to engage Ingenious and Torres Strait

Islander students to promote successful outcomes across their learning. As this is my

responsibility as a pre-service teacher, I will look into implementing these discussed

strategies across my KLA to create an inclusive environment for all students. This will also

include the awareness of the barriers that could present itself across my own teaching. It is

therefore my whole responsibility to be aware and recognise content that contributes to

pure success and support for both indigenous and non-indigenous students through the

implementation of the cross-curriculum priority across my KLA and school context.

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