Rochelle Coleman Student no.

21089837 Word Count: 1,944 EDUC5429 Aboriginal Education Essay Why can gifted Aboriginal students often go unnoticed in schools? How can this be remedied?

There are a disproportionately low number of Aboriginal students in gifted and talented programs in Australia (Chaffey et al, 2003, p. 77). A focus on deficit models of Aboriginal education can mean that gifted Aboriginal students are often overlooked in our schools. When the abilities of these students are not noticed, their educational needs can not be catered for. As Garvis (2006, p. 49) points out, Aboriginal gifted education is a basic human right, without vulnerability to marginalisation and exclusion. The Western Australian

Department of Education and Training (DET) also acknowledges the importance of supporting gifted and talented students to achieve their best possible learning outcomes. However, the Departments website states gifts and talents may be masked by cultural or other background factors. Due to these cultural and other background factors, gifted Aboriginal students are often denied their basic human right to receive an appropriate education for their abilities. Before examining the potential reasons for gifted Aboriginal students to be overlooked in the classroom, we must be clear on the concept of giftedness. According to Marsh (2010, p. 266), giftedness is a combination of three characteristics; above average general ability, high motivation to achieve in certain areas [and a] high level of creativity. Woolfolk and

Margetts (2010, p. 169) expand upon this definition of giftedness by outlining the characteristics of gifted and talented students. They state that gifted

students possess superior learning processes, intrinsic motivation, low selfesteem and pessimism, difficulty with interpersonal interactions with peers, and uneven rates of development. The commonly accepted definitions of giftedness can be problematic when identifying gifted Aboriginal students due to a complex interplay of cultural and historical factors, as outlined below. Firstly, gifted Aboriginal students can go unnoticed in schools for many 1

of the same reasons as gifted students from other backgrounds. Giftedness does not ensure that a student will be productive in the classroom (Garvis, 2006, p.42). Gifted students may be disengaged in class and consequently underperforming or they may be gifted in ways other than writing ability, so their giftedness is not readily apparent in testing. Disengagement, non-

attendance, an uneven ability across different subjects, and social factors can impact on an individual students educational output. Also, non -attendance can mean that students are less likely to have positive performance noted by the teacher if they are not present at school for testing. As giftedness is generally determined by productivity in the classroom, students who are educationally non-productive will not be identified as gifted. However, unlike students from other backgrounds, gifted Aboriginal students have a number of other factors why they may go unnoticed in schools. Gifted Aboriginal students can go unnoticed because they have chosen to mask their academic ability. They may be reluctant to work to their full potential for fear of looking different from their peers and risking their sense of belonging. Aboriginal students face a dilemma should they act white and risk alienation from their cultural peers or retain peer acceptance and shun academic excellence? (Garvis, 2006, p47). It can be difficult for even a

dedicated and experienced teacher to identify a student who is hiding their academic ability. Even if they determine that the student is gifted, it can be difficult to encourage a student to work to their full potential when they are determined to conceal their abilities from others. Unfortunately, one of the reasons that gifted Aboriginal children, in particular, go unnoticed in schools can be due to teacher bias. Nomination for gifted and talented programs is reliant on teacher judgments and professional recognition (Garvis, 2006, p43) and if teachers have a conscious or unconscious bias against Aboriginal students, they may not recognise giftedness in an Aboriginal child. Additionally, teachers are likely to identify teacher pleasers as gifted, often overlooking gifted students who display oppositional behaviours or are different in other ways. (Chaffey et al, 2003, p. 78). A student with poor attendance, incorrect uniform, or a defiant attitude is unlikely to be recognized by their teacher as being gifted regardless of their ability. Rochelle Coleman, Student no. 21089837 2

Teacher bias may be a leftover from historical attitudes towards Aboriginal people. According to Garvis (2006, p43), up until the 1960s, the Australian government believed Aboriginal children should be offered only minimal schooling as they had limited inherent intellect within their race. While this attitude is shocking in a contemporary context, it is possible that it has influenced perception of some teachers today and caused Aboriginal students to be viewed in a negative light. This attitude ensures that gifted Aboriginal students abilities are ignored as they are unexpected in the classroom. Gifted Aboriginal students can also be overlooked in schools due to test bias. As discussed by Chaffey et al (2003, p. 78), The most commonly used methods, IQ tests and teachercentred processes are potentially flawed with respect to children from cultural minorities and/or low SES groups. Such children often score lower than the general population on IQ tests due to socioemotional issues and inefficient metacognition rather than because their cognitive potential is lower. Issues surrounding language can further Students who speak

complicate testing for gifted Aboriginal students.

Aboriginal English instead of Standard Australian English tend to have their academic abilities overlooked by teachers. As giftedness is usually assessed in terms of reading and writing (Garvis, 2006, p44), students who speak Aboriginal English or are from other non-English speaking backgrounds find difficulty in demonstrating their giftedness. Another complication in identifying gifted Aboriginal students is the different indigenous perspectives on giftedness. Bevan-Brown (n.d., p. 10) argues that giftedness is a social construct and, consequently, different societies create different notions of giftedness and its significance in their society. From a cultural perspective, the concept of giftedness is shaped by a groups beliefs, customs, needs, values, concepts, attitudes and language and as these differ between cultural groups then so too will their concepts of giftedness differ. Lack of a cohesive definition of giftedness between the school system and the many different Aboriginal communities can hamper discussion on the matter between these groups. This can lead to a lack of family support for the gifted student. Consequently, it is difficult to establish

Rochelle Coleman, Student no. 21089837

an effective way to identify and educate gifted Aboriginal students. As we can see above, Aboriginal students are currently not receiving appropriate teaching for their abilities in our education system. There are a number of ways in which this could be addressed. The most obvious first step would be to test all students in a class for giftedness, not just those identified by the teacher. This would ensure that teacher bias would not be a factor in identifying gifted Aboriginal students. However, care must be taken to ensure that tests are unbiased. Cronin and Diezmann (2002, p. 16) suggest that we use culturally sensitive measures to identify gifted Aboriginal students. For example, more emphasis should be placed on oral language indicators and less attention on written indicators. Bevan-Brown (n.d., p. 14) agrees that there needs to be more flexibility in testing for giftedness in Aboriginal students. Bevan-Brown suggests that there are four factors that could be used as a more culturally appropriate determination of giftedness in Aboriginal students. These are linguistic intelligence, spatial intelligence, interpersonal intelligence, and naturalist and spiritual intelligence. This approach would go some way to addressing the cultural bias inherent in IQ testing. Dynamic testing can also assist with the identification of gifted Aboriginal students by providing a more individualized approach to assessment. Garvis (2006, p. 46) describes dynamic testing as approaches to the development of decision-specific information that most characteristically involve interaction between the examiner and examinee, focus on learner, metacognitive processes and responsiveness to intervention, and follow a pretest-intervention-posttest administrative format. This allows for testin g to be more easily customized for Aboriginal students. This approach is reflective of the National Professional Standards for Teachers, specifically Standard 1 Know Your Students and How They Learn. In particular, attention should be paid to standard 1.4 Strategies for teaching Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Students. It is vital that teachers tailor their pedagogy to the

students in their class, including gifted Aboriginal students. While assessment is important in identifying gifted Aboriginal students, it is equally important that the curriculum is designed to enable gifted students to learn. The curriculum should be challenging and not dumbed-down in a

mistaken belief that it is necessary due to a high Aboriginal population at the Rochelle Coleman, Student no. 21089837 4

school.

A dumbed-down curriculum can have a significant impact on

academic performance and a loss of motivation for gifted students (Cronin and Diezmann, 2002, p. 16). The most effective curriculum for Aboriginal students is one that has been developed in conjunction with Aboriginal communities and incorporates Aboriginal learning styles of: observation,

imitation, cooperation, trial and error, rote learning, holistic rather than step by step, problem solving by repetition and persistence, broad concept of time, importance of past and present, emphasis on sharing and groups goals. (Garvis, 2006, p47). Such a curriculum design would ensure that Aboriginal students are not disadvantaged in their learning due to a different cultural outlook. As well as appropriate curriculum design, there needs to be specialised programs to cater for gifted Aboriginal students. Garvis (2006, p.48) outlines how these programs are referred to as talent development programs, rather than gifted and talented programs in NSW to remove the cultural pressure exerted against those who stand out in Aboriginal communities. Children do not want to be identified as gifted because it sets them apart from their egalitarian communities, causing them to feel shame. Specialised programs such as these talent development programs could ensure that more gifted Aboriginal students feel comfortable to show their academic abilities at school. Another way to assist in the identification of gifted Aboriginal students is to build relationships between the school and the community. The family of the gifted student and the school are more likely to be able to determine an effective approach to educate the gifted student with strong community relationships in place. Garvis (2006, p47) suggests that we need to involve Aboriginal teachers, aides, parents and family and community members in planning and implementation to enable utilization of Aboriginal languages and culturally appropriate activities, resources and styles of learning. This

approach could take some of the shame of being different away from the gifted student if they could see that their community supported them. Lastly, gifted Aboriginal students may be more readily identified if there was a concerted and cohesive approach by the Western Australian Department of Education and Training. While the Department does have a readily accessible Gifted and Talented policy, there is no mention regarding Rochelle Coleman, Student no. 21089837 5

gifted Aboriginal students and the unique challenges that they face.

An

amendment to this policy to include information on identifying gifted Aboriginal students would raise awareness amongst teachers and give them some concrete information on how to identify and educate these students to provide them with the best possible educational outcomes. Cultural and background factors can cause gifted Aboriginal students go unnoticed in schools and consequently, not receive an education that is appropriate to their abilities. These factors include a desire to mask their academic ability so as not to stand out, teacher bias, historical attitudes, testing bias, language difficulties, and the different indigenous perspectives on giftedness. However, we could improve educational outcomes for gifted

Aboriginal students by testing all students to eliminate teacher bias, using culturally appropriate tests (including dynamic testing), effective curriculum design, building strong relationships between the school and the community, and amending the Western Australian Department of Education Gifted and Talented policy to make explicit recommendations surrounding gifted Aboriginal students. These measures can assist gifted Aboriginal students to access their basic human right to an education and achieve their best possible learning outcome.

Rochelle Coleman, Student no. 21089837

References Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership. (n.d.). Professional Knowledge. Retrieved from http://www.teacherstandards.aitsl.edu.au/DomainOfTeaching/ProfessionalKno wledge/Standards/1 Bevan-Brown, J. Indigenous Concepts of Giftedness. In Vialle, W. (Ed.), Giftedness from an Indigenous Perspective. Retrieved from http://www.aaegt.net.au/DEEWR%20Books/02%20Indig.pdf. Chaffey, G., Bailey, S., & Vine, K. (2003). Identifying high academic potential in Australian Aboriginal children using dynamic testing. Australasian Journal of Gifted Education, 12 (1). Retrieved from http://www.aaegt.net.au/DEEWR%20Books/06%20Indig.pdf Cronin, R. P. & Diezmann, C. M. (2002). Jane and Gemma go to school : supporting young gifted Aboriginal students. Australian Journal of Early Childhood; 27(4), p.12-17. Retrieved from Informit. Garvis, S. (2006). Optimising the learning of gifted Aboriginal students. International Journal of Pedagogies & Learning, 2(3), 42-51. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/894124326?accountid=14681 Marsh, C. (2010). Becoming a Teacher (5th ed.). Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson Australia. Taylor, S. 1998. Minority students and gifted and talented programs: Perceptions, attitudes and awareness. Unpublished paper. Sydney, NSW: University of Sydney. Western Australian Department of Education. (n.d.). Gifted and Talented policy. Retrieved from http://www.det.wa.edu.au/policies/detcms/policyplanning-and-accountability/policies-framework/policies/gifted-andtalented.en?bbp.s=9&bbp.e=select&bbp.v=1&bbp.i=d0.w.1&bbp.8.policyID=1 1575252&g11n.enc=UTF-8&bbp.9.pane=0 Woolfolk, A. & Margetts, K. (2010). Educational Psychology (2nd ed.). Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson Australia.

Rochelle Coleman, Student no. 21089837