Year
2024Credit points
10Campus offering
Prerequisites
NilUnit rationale, description and aim
Through the Alice Springs (Mparntwe) Education Declaration, the Australian Governments have renewed their commitment to celebrating and learning from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge and histories and ensuring that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are supported to imagine, discover and unlock their potential. The EDAB units in this course focus on developing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander pre-service teachers to become exceptional teachers and role models while exploring and developing their cultural identity, personal wellbeing.
This unit examines and critically reflects on how pre-service teachers can best align their own personal values and beliefs, their political understandings and convictions and their teaching and learning practices, to meet the expectations of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers specifically in being able to embed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives across curriculum. The unit does this from a foundation of understanding about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Knowings as well as from one that privileges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Knowings. This unit explores the importance of connectedness and relatedness in this context.
The aim of this unit is to provide Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander pre-service teachers with the confidence and capabilities
Learning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
| Learning Outcome Number | Learning Outcome Description | Relevant Graduate Capabilities |
|---|---|---|
| LO1 | Understand and contextualise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Knowings in their teaching and learning practice (APST 2.4, 7.4 ) | GC1, GC2, GC3, GC4, GC5, GC6, GC7, GC9, GC11, GC12 |
| LO2 | Use a variety of Indigenous models to frame how they embed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives (APST 2.4). | GC1, GC2, GC3, GC5, GC6, GC7, GC8, GC9, GC12 |
| LO3 | Identify, explore and critically analyse their own personal beliefs and values, political convictions and understand the links between these and the context of their own teaching and learning practice (APST 2.4) | GC1, GC2, GC3, GC5, GC7, GC8, GC9, GC10, GC11, GC12 |
| LO4 | Think critically about the concept of ‘whiteness’, race relations and race politics in an Australian context (APST 2.4) | GC1, GC2, GC3, GC5, GC7, GC8, GC9, GC10, GC11, GC12 |
| LO5 | Identify diverse representations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, cultures and histories and the positive and negative impact these have on teaching and learning practice (APST 2.4) | GC1, GC2, GC3, GC5, GC6, GC7, GC8, GC9, GC10, GC11, GC12 |
AUSTRALIAN PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS FOR TEACHERS - GRADUATE LEVEL
On successful completion of this unit, pre-service teachers should be able to:
2.4 Demonstrate broad knowledge of, understanding of, and respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures and languages. |
7.4 Understand the role of external professionals and community representatives in broadening teachers’ professional knowledge and practice. |
Content
Topics will include:
- Exploring and storying Indigenous world-views: Australian and international metaphors and models
- Defining and contextualising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Knowledges/Knowings perspectives
- Connectedness and Relatedness: understanding systems of relationships, responsibilities and reciprocity
- Identifying and critically reflecting on current representations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, cultures and histories
- Identifying and critically analysing race relations, race politics and the concept of ‘whiteness’
- Exploration and critical analysis of the links between personal beliefs and values, political convictions and teaching and learning practice
- Identifying ways for teachers to challenge their practice in ongoing ways
- Understanding that embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives engages process rather than content
- Identifying and exploring the use of different Models of pedagogy including 8 Ways
- Understanding the significance of Connectedness and Relatedness: building community partnerships through active engagement.
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
This unit is offered in a multi-mode. Pre-service teachers are required to attend two compulsory residential schools on campus each semester and to complete course work and assignments within their home communities. Teaching will include lectures, workshops, Talking Circles, presentations, Yarns and online discussions. Attendance is compulsory.
This is a 10-credit point unit and has been designed to ensure that the time needed to complete the required volume of learning to the requisite standard is approximately 150 hours in total across the semester. To achieve a passing standard in this unit, students will find it helpful to engage in the full range of learning activities and assessments utilised in this unit, as described in the learning and teaching strategy and the assessment strategy.
Assessment strategy and rationale
The assessment tasks are designed to allow pre-service teachers to demonstrate achievement against the unit learning outcomes. A range of assessment procedures are used to meet the unit learning outcomes and develop graduate attributes and professional standards and criteria consistent with University assessment requirements.
(http://www.acu.edu.au/policy/student_policies/assessment_policy_and_assessment_procedures).
Both assessment tasks are activities a teacher would undertake in preparing lessons and understanding the educational context. The first assessment task requires pre-service teachers select and critique readily available resources to embed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, histories and perspectives. Task 2 builds the pre-service teacher’s understanding of representations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and the impact on education.
Minimum Achievement Standards
The assessment tasks and their weighting for this unit are designed to demonstrate achievement of each learning outcome. In order to pass this unit, students are required to submit all assessment tasks, meet the learning outcomes of the unit and achieve a minimum overall passing grade of 50% and pass both assessment tasks.
Electronic Submission, Marking and Return
Assessment task submission and return of marked assessment will be done through Turnitin on Canvas. Tasks will be marked and returned three weeks after the assessment is completed.
Overview of assessments
| Brief Description of Kind and Purpose of Assessment Tasks | Weighting | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|
Assessment Task 1 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives Review a unit of work incorporating a sequence of at least 4 lesson plans in one curriculum learning area for a year level. Critique the lessons and reflect on how this sequence of lessons could effectively embed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives. Alternatively, if the sequence of lessons you have chosen does embed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives how effectively does it do this? Present your findings within framework of:
| 50% | LO1, LO2 |
Assessment Task 2 Research Paper Identify and critically analyse race relations, race politics and the concept of ‘whiteness’ on the destruction of traditional transference of knowledge in accordance with Australian history. Using your Unit readings, at least 2 journal articles and other sources, critically reflect on how what you have identified impacts on your own and others teaching and learning practice. Consider your own teaching practice, yourself as a learner, your role as educator and educational expectations and outcomes Use the 8 Ways model or other appropriate model to engage with and inform your paper. | 50% | LO2, LO3, LO4, LO5 |
Representative texts and references
Required text(s)
Australian Curriculum https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/
Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) www.acara.edu.au
Recommended references
Arbon, V. (2008). Arlthirnda Ngurkarnda Ityirnda. Being-knowing-doing. De-colonising Indigenous tertiary education. Teneriffe, Qld: Post Pressed.
Behrendt, L. (2012). Indigenous Australia for dummies. Milton, Qld: Wiley Publishing Australia Ltd.
Blair, N. (2015). Aboriginal education: More than adding perspectives. In Noelene L. Weatherby-Fell (Ed). Learning to Teach in the Secondary School. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp.189-208.
Craven, R. (Ed). (2011) Teaching Aboriginal studies A practical resource for primary and secondary teachers (2nd ed.). Crows Nest, NSW: Allen & Unwin.
Harrison, N., & Sellwood, J. (2016). Teaching and learning in Aboriginal education (3rd ed.). South Melbourne, Vic: Oxford University Press.
Nakata, M. (2007). Disciplining the savages: Savaging the disciplines. Canberra, ACT: Australian Studies Press.
New South Wales Department of Education and Communities. (2012). 8 ways Aboriginal pedagogy. Dubbo, NSW: The Bangamalanha Centre.
Person, T., & Hayward, C (2015) Teaching Indigenous students. Cultural awareness and classroom strategies for improving learning outcomes. Crows Nest, NSW: Allen & Unwin.
Price, K., & Rogers, J. (2019). Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education. An introduction to the teaching profession (3rd ed.). Port Melbourne Vic: Cambridge University Press.
Phillips, J., & Lampert, J. (2012). Introductory Indigenous studies in education. Reflection and the importance of knowing. Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson Education Australia.