Unit rationale, description and aim
The Australian education system promotes equity and excellence, and for all children and young people to become successful learners as well as creative and confident individuals. Teachers must develop knowledges of, understandings about and respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledges, histories and cultures in order to support Indigenous learners. Teachers also need an awareness of Indigenous protocols, sensitivities and educational practices in order to be able to teach students about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways of knowing, being and doing.
This unit develops teachers’ knowledges and understandings of the complexity and diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures, languages, and the impact of cultural identity and diversity of Australia’s Indigenous students. Through critical reflection of the literature, and sensitive engagement in discussion and collaborative tasks, teachers will develop an advanced understanding of educational philosophy, contemporary issues, contexts and policies shaping the educational experiences of Australia’s ‘First Peoples’. Contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledges, the ways of teaching from an Indigenous perspective and how to work culturally with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and communities is explored. Teachers will gain a thorough understanding on how to embed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives integrating the cross-curriculum priority area of the Australian Curriculum.
The aim of this unit is to develop intercultural understandings, to promote reconciliation and build capacity to teach Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures; as well as being confident and competent in working sensitively and culturally appropriately with Indigenous Australian students.
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.
Describe and evaluate the impact of colonial and p...
Learning Outcome 01
Research and critically analyse contemporary issue...
Learning Outcome 02
Develop practical strategies for building rapport ...
Learning Outcome 03
Research and apply the concepts of Aboriginal and ...
Learning Outcome 04
Develop a personal learning plan informed by the s...
Learning Outcome 05
Content
Topics will include:
- Overview of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures and languages including similarities and diversities across geographic regions (nations)
- An overview of the similarities and diversities of Indigenous and non-Indigenous traditional and contemporary knowledges, ontologies, epistemologies, and pedagogies
- The impact of culture, cultural identity and linguistic background on the education of students from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds
- Theories and forms of racism, its impact on individuals, organisations, systems and nations including; white privilege; systemic racism and differing world views; and anti-racism strategies
- Analysis of contemporary issues, including media portrayal, racism and stereotypical views and assumptions impacting on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities
- Past and present national and local jurisdictional educational policies, priorities, programs and practices, and their impact on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples within the Australian society as a whole, as compared to other relevant international policies
- Current and historical events that have impacted Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and their education
- Strategies to connect with communities and families to promote reconciliation and involve parents/carers in the educative process
- Creating inclusive and culturally safe learning environments to engage with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people highlighting culturally appropriate and relevant teaching strategies incorporating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowings, being and doing
- Reliable resources for extending the understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and education
Assessment strategy and rationale
The assessment tasks and their weightings are designed to allow teachers to progressively demonstrate achievement against the unit learning outcomes. The assessments progress from demonstrating a broad understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures, and languages, and these features on the education of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. As the teaching and learning of the unit progresses from more theoretical understandings and investigations towards application of this knowledge in an authentic context, participants are then assessed on the development of authentic classroom artefacts, drawn from their professional experience and actual teaching, to demonstrate the integration of this knowledge into practice.
The choice of tasks provides a balance of assessment procedures that reflect the key learning processes that are critical to successful achievement of the unit learning outcomes. This includes critical analysis of contemporary issues (assessment 1), the development and commentary around planning documents that integrate unit learning outcomes (assessment 2), and the extensive use of critical reflection (assessment 3). The educational studies units in this course focus on developing understanding of, and skills across the professional knowledge, practice and engagement domains needed to meet the APST at Graduate level. This unit focuses on two APSTs: 1.4 Understand impact of cult/identity/linguistic and strategies for teaching students from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds, and 2.4 Understanding and respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures and languages
Minimum Achievement Standards
To achieve a passing standard in this unit, students must 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. Pre-service teachers are required to demonstrate achievement of learning outcomes by submitting all assessment tasks and obtaining a combined score of at least 50%.
Assessment in this unit includes Critical Tasks:
- Assessment Task 2 – Building capacity, connections and relationships with Community
- Assessment Task 3 – Reflective Journal
These tasks are core to the demonstration of a number of Australian Professional Teacher Standards. Pre-service teachers must demonstrate mastery of every summative Graduate Teacher Standard identified and attain a score of at least 50% in Task 2 and 3 in order to pass this unit.
Overview of assessments
Assessment Task 1: Evaluation of news items invol...
Assessment Task 1: Evaluation of news items involving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples or histories
Students will find three news items or stories in the media that appeared in social media, newspapers, TV or radio within the last 12 months and related to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Students will frame each of these items within their socioeconomic, educational or political contexts. They must justify their selections of the news item based on a set of criteria that they develop. They will critically analyse the significance of the reported stories and reflect upon them in the light of their declared criteria which should include the understanding of news makers or reports of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, cultures and histories.
Students should consider in their account the following questions?
- Are the perspectives of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, cultures and histories been considered? How were they portrayed? Why are these perspectives portrayed as given in each news item or story?
- What is the relevance of each of these news items to the student’s respective local community in general and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander in particular?
- Does the news item include any particular stereotyping or bias? Why? Where is the evidence of bias? How this reported evidence is supported logically and in the literature?
- Is there consistency in the reporting of the news items across the media? Why?
Students will prepare a personal reflection on each story and its significance. They will support their reflections by examples derived from the analysis of the news item, its context and the relevant literature.
30%
Assessment Task 2: Building capacity, connections...
Assessment Task 2: Building capacity, connections and relationships with Community
Critical Task
Students will work individually or in groups to attend an Indigenous community organisation where they live or study to learn about a service through Indigenous Peoples affiliated with or working with the organisation. The aim is to learn as much as possible while meeting with the community/service, so students can develop a comprehensive presentation about how this service/community informs their future teaching.
40%
Assessment Task 3: Reflective Journal Critical Ta...
Assessment Task 3: Reflective Journal
Critical Task
Individually write a reflective journal that synthesises understandings from the weekly lectures, tutorial/workshop activities, prescribed readings and wider literature including policy documents and contemporary research. The journal entries demonstrate critical reflection and integrated understanding of:
- The impact of colonial and postcolonial experiences
- Contemporary issues, history, context and policies and their impact on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
- The specific needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students as learners and the importance of working with communities, knowledges and pedagogies
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages and other linguistic factors in the education of Indigenous students
- Consider Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages and other linguistic factors in the education of indigenous students
- Evaluate how your personal reflections of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples has developed throughout the unit and its impact on yourself as an educator
- Evaluate how the unit content and learning activities including direct and indirect experiences that involved Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island People have influenced your perceptions and practices as a pre-service student teacher during your placement and other teaching experiences.
- Describe the changes you will implement to your future teaching practice to create a culturally safe space for learning.
- Identify professional learning needs and relevant and appropriate sources of professional learning including professional networks and community groups. <
30%
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
Pre-service teachers should expect to participate in a range of the following: online lectures, tutorials, seminar presentations and group discussions, self-directed study activities and assessment tasks. Delivery may involve a combination of online and multi-mode delivery. This combination ensures that participants can engage with critical literature pertinent to learning outcomes and explore and develop critical understanding by engaging in critical conversations with students to promote learning through a theory-to-practice approach that will be responsive and relevant to the diversity of participants’ current knowledge and ongoing contextual experiences with a key component being the reflexive link between theoretical knowledge and the workplace. Online engagement with appropriate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community organisations or service deliverers will be required. Such opportunities will create authentic, contextually rich learning experiences for participants grounded in the communities in which they are teaching.
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 teaching period. The learning and teaching strategies include a range of approaches to support learning such as readings, reflections, discussions, webinars, podcasts and video resources. These strategies will combine to developmentally progress the participant first through a preliminary in-depth understanding of and ability to analyse important theoretical and contemporary issues relevant to unit learning outcomes, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures, languages, knowledges and pedagogies, and the impact of culture, identity, racism, and media portrayal on the experiences and outcomes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. They will continue to read, view, and discuss these issues but situate them in the context of their own classrooms, schools, and broader communities, and engage in activities that emphasise creating and applying knowledge and skills to create effective teaching and learning opportunities, and engaging with key stakeholders in their broader community, including local Indigenous organisations.
The unit is hosted on a Learning Management System (LMS) site with resources and online links, announcements, and a discussion board to post questions and reflections that promote connection between content and educational experiences.
Mode of delivery: This unit is offered in different modes to cater to the learning needs and preferences of a range of participants and maximise effective participation for isolated and/or marginalised groups.
On Campus
Most learning activities or classes are delivered at a scheduled time, on campus, to enable in-person interactions. Activities will appear in a student’s timetable.
Multi-mode
Learning activities are delivered through a planned mix of online and in-person classes, which may include full-day sessions and/or placements, to enable interaction. Activities that require attendance will appear in a student’s timetable.
Online unscheduled
Learning activities are accessible anytime, anywhere. These units are normally delivered fully online and will not appear in a student’s timetable.
Online scheduled
All learning activities are held online, at scheduled times, and will require some attendance to enable online interaction. Activities will appear in a student’s timetable.
ACU Online
In ACU Online mode, this unit is delivered asynchronously, fully online using an active, guided learning approach. Pre-service teachers are encouraged to contribute to asynchronous weekly discussions and receive regular and timely feedback on their learning.
AUSTRALIAN PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS FOR TEACHERS - GRADUATE LEVEL
On successful completion of this unit, pre-service teachers should be able to:
Locations
Credit points
Year
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