A critical analysis of core Aboriginal studies subjects in primary teacher education courses

Abstract

Australia has come to a critical point in its identity as a nation, that is, acknowledging its Aboriginal peoples - Australia's first people - as an intrinsic part of what it is to be Australian. That means respecting Australia's history which includes Australia's first people's histories in our studies, and in the fabric of who we are. It also includes Aboriginal students, achieving educational outcomes commensurate with their non-Aboriginal peers. The New South Wales Department of Education and Training (NSW DET) Aboriginal education policies, along with the national Aboriginal education policies and a whole host of reports, have identified that for a complexity of reasons, non-Aboriginal Australian's have nurtured prejudices and out-dated misconceptions about Aboriginal Australians. These reports and policies have therefore recommended that all Australian school students be taught the truth about Australia's Aboriginal past from colonisation to the present, to learn how the past shaped the present, and to walk together to shape the future. Teaching Aboriginal Studies and integrating Aboriginal perspectives by incorporating Aboriginal history, culture, and values into the school's curriculum has been a challenge for NSW DET. Whilst teachers are expected to teach Aboriginal Studies and integrate Aboriginal perspectives, many lack knowledge about Aboriginal history and culture, many have never met an Aboriginal person, and many pre-service teachers have not been taught the knowledge, skills, and understandings to effectively teach Aboriginal Studies and Aboriginal students as a component of their teacher education courses. Of the pre-service teachers who have experienced Aboriginal Studies teacher education core courses, a paucity of research has been conducted to explicate the nature, value, and impact of these courses. The overarching purpose of this thesis was to assemble an evidence-based rationale, which includes the voices of multiple stakeholders, to test the extent to which core Aboriginal Studies subjects in primary teacher education courses are vital to improving educational outcomes for Aboriginal children, advancing reconciliation, and creating a more socially just society. To address this purpose, the present investigation critically analysed multiple stakeholders' self-perceptions of the value, nature, success, and impact of core Aboriginal Studies subjects in primary teacher education courses.

Date of Award	2011
Original language	English