Indigenous Students: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders

Value education when it involves:

components of face to face delivery
culturally appropriate and delivered by
teachers who are either indigenous
experienced with and sensitive to indigenous
learners
truly flexible and considers that family and
cultural commitments may affect community
members participation
(Flamsteed 1999,p.7 cited in Hyde, Carpenter
& Conway 2010, p.80)

Learn through performance rather than practice

in formalised settings
Learn through context specific skills rather than
abstract principles
Learn through observation and imitation rather
than through oral, written and verbal instruction
Learning through trial and error rather than
through verbally meditated demonstrations
Employ an orientation towards people rather
than tasks and information

Acknowledgement and recognition of culture, cultural heritage and

identity
It is paramount that teachers incorporate Indigenous perspectives in their
learning experiences. Teachers need to recognise that the schooling system
has historically been viewed as a means of disconnecting indigenous culture
and therefore, need to consider overcoming this barrier as a primary objective
when establishing relationships with the Indigenous community (Hyde,
Carpenter & Conway, 2010).
It is essential that the teacher is informed about Indigenous culture and foster
relationships with students that avoid consideration of stereotyping and
prejudice. Teachers need to incorporate indigenous culture in the classroom
with significant respect and sensitivity and acknowledgement of the historical
cultural heritage. An effective strategy is for teachers to become familiar with
their local indigenous community and create authentic learning tasks which
involve community relations to engage students (Hyde, Carpenter & Conway,
2012).
Learning Styles
Teachers need to acknowledge that indigenous students learn best when their
cultural, home and community experiences are incorporated into their
educational settings. Mellor & Colligan (2001) state that effective pedagogy is
exhibited by teachers who are able to focus on academic achievement and
cultural competence. Thus it is significantly important that teachers recognise
and affirm their students cultural identity.
Harrison (2011) reports that Aboriginal and Torres strait Islanders exhibit what
he refers to as recurrent Aboriginal learning strengths. Indigenous students
are more likely to be cooperative learners which is a learning strength which
teachers should focus on and integrate into their learning design. Due to their
kinship community values, Indigenous students tend to focus more on their
relationships with their peers and the teacher in comparison to the content
being taught. They tend to prefer cooperative learning as opposed to

independent learning as culturally learning is transitioned through respecting

tradition, communal passing on of knowledge through ceremonial practices as
opposed to critical inquiry and independent acquisition thus, there is a strong
orientation on the teacher and peers (Harrison, 2011).