Teaching Aboriginal Cultural Competence

This book examines a collaborative partnership model between academia and Indigenous peoples, the goal of which is to integrate Indigenous perspectives into the curriculum. It demonstrates how the authentic and creative approaches employed have led to an evolution of curriculum and pedagogy that facilitates cultural competence among Australian graduate and undergraduate students. The book pursues an interdisciplinary approach based on highly practical examples, exemplars and methods that are currently being used to teach in this area. It focuses on facilitating student acquisition of knowledge, understanding, attitudes and skills, following Charles Sturt University’s Cultural Competence Pedagogical Framework. Further, it provides insights into the use of reflective practice in this context, and practical ideas on embedding content and sharing practices, highlighting examples of potential “ways forward,” both nationally and globally.

This open access book explores the transformative experiences of participants in the University of Sydney’s National Centre for Cultural Competence (NCCC) programs. The establishment of the NCCC was viewed as a critical point of departure for developing an institution-wide agenda of cultural competence. The NCCC’s work since its inception reflects efforts to lay important foundations for cultural change at the University. With the ultimate aim of establishing cultural competence as an agent for transformational change and social justice education, the NCCC has steadily expanded its research and teaching work both within and beyond the University of Sydney. Further, it has developed foundational resources to support and encourage University staff to integrate cultural competence philosophy and pedagogy in their curricula, teaching and research. This includes the ability to engage meaningfully with the cultures, histories and contemporary issues in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. The NCCC programs have been designed to encourage participants to learn about who they are and how they can positively impact the transformational change the University has begun. The book presents participants’ reflections on their experiences at the organisational and personal level. Readers will gain insights into a range of topics including cultural competence, communities of practice, policy implementation, and transformative leadership at the interface between higher education and professional lives.

Indigenous children, like all children, deserve a future they choose for themselves. This book aims to empower teachers to help halt the cycle of disadvantage for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and make a real difference to their relationships, learning outcomes and opportunities in the short and long term. Based on their many years of experience in teaching and research, the authors provide approaches that have been proven to be effective. There are strategies for developing sensitivity to a student's cultural background, creating a tone in the classroom conducive to learning, building strong teacher-student relationships and effectively managing student behaviour. The authors show how to bridge the demands of the curriculum with the learning Indigenous students bring with them to the classroom and how to work with the learning styles of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. There is a focus on the best approaches for assessment and an exploration of the particular challenges for teachers of students in remote locations. Both practical and inspiring, this is an essential reference for all teachers working with Indigenous students, whether they be in the city or rural areas, in a class of twenty-five or just one student. 'Teaching Indigenous Students should be essential reading for all educators. This book will challenge the mind and stir the spirit of the practitioner and will help forge a new future for the teaching of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. A seminal piece of work.' - Professor Mark Rose, Executive Director of Indigenous Strategy and Education, La Trobe University 'Hayward and Perso provide the knowledge, wisdom and insights that guarantee success to any teacher who is prepared to embrace their messages, and work hard to make Indigenous students stronger and smarter.' - Dr Chris Sarra, Chairman, Stronger Smarter Institute 'This is a quality piece of work that will contribute to a more informed Australian teaching workforce and more happier and successful Indigenous learners.' - Professor Peter Buckskin PSM FACE, Dean, Indigenous Scholarship, Engagement and Research, University of South Australia Teaching Indigenous Students has been shortlisted for the 2016 Educational Publishing Awards in the category Tertiary (Wholly Australian) Student Resource.

This open access book explores cultural competence in the higher education sector from multi-disciplinary and inter-disciplinary perspectives. It addresses cultural competence in terms of leadership and the role of the higher education sector in cultural competence policy and practice. Drawing on lessons learned, current research and emerging evidence, the book examines various innovative approaches and strategies that incorporate Indigenous knowledge and practices into the development and implementation of cultural competence, and considers the most effective approaches for supporting cultural competence in the higher education sector. This book will appeal to researchers, scholars, policy-makers, practitioners and general readers interested in cultural competence policy and practice.

National standards for teaching have been developed in recent years in Australia to drive improvements and national consistency in teaching quality. Thelma Perso discusses how some of the standards’ focus areas refer specifically to the teaching and learning of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, in recognition of the concomitant urgency around ‘closing the gap’ between the achievement of Indigenous and non-Indigenous students. She comments on the significance of ‘cultural competency’ and outlines some of her concerns regarding the potential of the standards to raise the quality of teaching to the extent that the ‘gap’ will be addressed.

This book provides a comprehensive overview of navigating the on-going systemic challenges, hardships, and problems facing many indigenous teacher education programs today, helping to foster a commitment to developing quality indigenous teacher education programs that are sustainable, distinctive and excellent. However, despite a growing cadre of indigenous peoples working in teacher education, there is still a noticeable gap between the uptake of what is being taught in conventional teacher education programs, and how this translates to what we see student teachers doing in the classroom. The often tricky and complex nature of indigenous teacher education programming also means that there are multiple realities, approaches and pathways that require greater communication, collaboration, and cooperation. The very nature of this complexity, the book suggests, requires a strength-based and future-focused approach built on trust, integrity, courage and respect for indigeneity, as well as an understanding of what it means to be indigenous. The examples and experiences presented identify a number of promising practices that work well in current indigenous teacher education programs and beyond. By promoting a greater appreciation for the inclusion of culturally relevant practices in teacher education, the book aims to breathe new life into the hopes, dreams, and aspirations of indigenous teacher education programs moving forward.

Report from the Kinship Project that developed an online teaching and learning tool incorporating narratives from Aboriginal community, Elders, students and staff into an online workshop for the purpose of cross-cultural learning. It was achieved through the development of online module. The module focuses on the different responsibilities assigned in Aboriginal society and the impact colonialism has had on Aboriginal people. The module was developed by translating an interactive face-to-face Kinship presentation to an online format, now called the âKinship Online Moduleâ. The Kinship Online Module was developed in line with universities and the governmentâs objective of enhancing learning and teaching in higher education. The project team achieved this by developing a framework for cultural competence training with high Aboriginal community involvement, which allows teachers to embed Aboriginal cultural learning and Aboriginal voices into mainstream courses of study. [p.13, ed].