THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA

EDUC5429: ABORIGINAL EDUCATION

ASSIGNMENT 2: ESSAY
Unit Coordinator: Clint Bracknell

Student Name: Rui Qi Ng
Student Number: 20751156
Word count: 1996







Discuss how your understanding of the impact of culture, cultural identity and linguistic
background on the education of students from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
backgrounds will inform your practices as a teacher or school psychologist.

A growing number of researches have reported poor educational outcomes in Indigenous
students (De Plevitz, 2007). These studies have raised many factors that affect the
achievement of Indigenous students, including the lack of parental commitment and high
rates of absenteeism (De Plevitz, 2007). Nonetheless, poor educational outcomes cannot be
blamed on students who are more often the victims of cultural inequality (De Plevitz, 2007).
Teachers must understand that culture, cultural identity and the linguistic background of
Indigenous students may be barriers to their learning experience in western education. The
understanding of these three factors gives teachers better understanding of Indigenous
students.
Failure to succeed in schools for Indigenous students is largely attributed to the lack of
Indigenous culture knowledge and perspective in school curriculum and among teachers who
are predominantly non-Indigenous (Kanu, 2005). Children from different cultural background
often interpret concepts differently from the standard view. This is especially true for the
teaching of science (Snively & Corsiglia, 2000). Consequently, students bring a broad range
of ideas, beliefs, values and experiences into the classroom. Constructivism suggested that
concepts of knowledge and beliefs are inseparable (Snively & Corsiglia, 2000). Therefore, it
is not that Indigenous students fail to comprehend what is taught. Instead, it may simply be
that the concepts are not credible or relevant to the student (Snively & Corsiglia, 2000). As a
result, it is always important to understand that cultural differences in the classroom is an
important factor to learning and also that underachievement of students is not a result of
deficit in the culture or the person (McKinley, 2005).


Studies found that educational success for Indigenous students is about high achievement in
western education while retaining their Indigenous identity and cultural connection (Milroy,
2011). As a result, to increase educational achievement including attendance, retention and
completion of Indigenous students, many studies have suggested the inclusion of
Indigenous culture perspective across the school curriculum (Kanu, 2005; Northern Territory
Government, 2010). It is essential to engage with Indigenous Australian perspective to
increase understanding and mutual respect between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students
(Northern Territory Government, 2010). Additionally, including Indigenous perspectives by
teaching culturally appropriate contexts makes the learning materials more relevant to
Indigenous students and enables them to develop their sense of identity and pride in their
culture (McKinley, 2005; Northern Territory Government, 2010).
The Department of Education (2010) suggested that Aboriginal perspectives could be taught
in one of the three ways: as an Aboriginal studies subject; as a unit of study or topic which is
part of another subject; and/or integrated into units of work which is taught in a wide range of
learning areas throughout all years of schooling. Materials used to incorporate Aboriginal
perspectives into classrooms should be from a primary resource that is based on the
community histories, people and places; acknowledges the local Aboriginal Elders and their
culture (Harrison, 2011). Furthermore, it is important to use current and contemporary
resources as old materials may contain stereotypes which are incorrect description of
Aboriginal people (Harrison, 2011). Therefore, the understanding of cultural differences
between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students should encourage teachers to incorporate
Aboriginal perspective texts in the classrooms.
Teachers should also understand the cultural obligations that Indigenous students may face.
Attendance of school may be affected as a result of funerals which Indigenous students are
obliged to attend (De Plevitz, 2007). Along with higher rates of metal and physical health


problems, indigenous adults have shorter life expectancy than non-Indigenous people (De
Plevitz, 2007). Hence, death may occur in not only the grandparents generation but also
parents, aunties and uncles. As funerals do not take place until all relatives have arrived,
Indigenous students may be away from school for a considerable amount of time (De Plevitz,
2007). In times as such, teachers should ensure that students would not miss out on any
learning.
Understanding the cultural identity of Indigenous students is also important for encouraging
success in learning in the classroom. Cultural identity is formed by the complex configuration
of an individuals awareness of their culture and recognition of the social group to which they
belongs in (Lee, 2002). An identity could be either ascribed, where it is assigned to you, or
achieved which is a developed through choice (Forrest, 1998). Cultural identity is typically
ascribed to one (Forrest, 1998). Aboriginality is the identity that makes a person an
Aboriginal which is often based not only on biological characteristics but also social
characteristics (Forrest, 1998; Warburton & Chambers, 2007).
Regardless of living in closely knit communities in rural areas or in the urban city, a wide
range of literature suggested that Aboriginal people develop a strong sense of identity based
on kinship ties (Yamanouchi, 2010; Groome, 1995; Forrest, 1998). One has to be accepted
and be spiritually connected to the community; and maintain traditional ties in order to have
an Aboriginal identity (Yeo, 2003). Yamanouchi (2010) suggested that family identification
where people establish who and where they are from and display understanding on what
being Aboriginal is about is primal to being accepted as Aboriginal in south-western
Sydney. Unlike most Australian norms, extended family makes up the close circle of
Aboriginal family who provides kinship roles (Groome, 1995; Warburton & Chambers,
2007). Family is the most significant aspect in the development of identity of most young
Aboriginal people (Groome, 1995). It is through families that Aboriginal people receive their


formative training to understand accepted behaviours, values and beliefs (Groome, 1995).
Majority of Aboriginal families are deeply concerned to see their children grow up with a
strong sense of Aboriginality (Groome, 1995).
Indigenous people believe that a child needs to be aware and understand the value placed on
kin and attachment to a distinct home territory (Groome, 1995). Children are expected to
become responsible individuals who balance independence and resourcefulness with skills of
group and family membership. These values are taught and modelled through ties and
allegiances within the extended family (Groome, 1995). As a result, in comparison to Anglo-
Australian parents, Aboriginal parents tend to intervene less in the lives of their children and
young people so as to allow them to experience relatively high levels of freedom and
independence (Groome, 1995). Young Aboriginal people are of often reminded of the
importance of their sense of place and relationship of the Aboriginal people to the land
through stories, histories and jokes told by relatives (Groome, 1995). A sense of belonging is
therefore developed as a consequence of kinship bonds and communal life (Yeo, 2003).
Spirituality is also the foundation of the Aboriginal identity. They believe that ancestral
creative beings travelled across the continent during the beginning of time and established
land boundaries between different Aboriginal groups and sacred sites (Yeo, 2003).
Consequently, Aboriginal people carry out rituals at sacred sites and perform religious
ceremonies to feel bound to their land (Yeo, 2003). As Aboriginal people hold deep spiritual
links with their lands, they feel that they are an integral part of the physical environment
(Yeo, 2003).
As a result of the difference in cultural identity in comparison to Anglo-Australian students,
Aboriginal students may experience challenges surrounding the expression of cultural
identity in their classroom (Ortiz, 2000). Some students may feel incompetent as a result of
having different cultural identity (Ortiz, 2000). Nonetheless, it is important for children to be


aware and proud of their Aboriginal identity. Teachers may develop intercultural competence
using cooperative and collaborative methods. These interactions with other students allow
students to express their cultural identity openly (Ortiz, 2000). Alternatively, teachers may
also include Aboriginal perspective into the classroom for students to create a risk-free
learning environment where students could still maintain their identity (McKinley, 2005).
Indigenous students linguistic background is also a factor that affects their learning in
school. The home language of Indigenous Australians constitutes three main linguistic
varieties: Indigenous language, creoles and Aboriginal English (Malcolm, 2003). In
Australia, Creoles are created when Indigenous speakers are confronted with English by an
invading group (Malcolm, 2003). These people attempt to use this language without prior
preparation (Malcolm, 2003). Two distinct creoles are generally recognised in Australia. One
of which is spoken in Torres Strait Islands and the other on the mainland arising
independently in a number of forcibly mixed communities (Butcher, 2008). Like any other
language, Creoles are complex, rule-governed codes with an extensive vocabulary (Butcher,
2008). Hence it is important to recognise that Creoles are languages in their own rights
(Butcher, 2008). Aboriginal English is a dialect of English that is spoken by Indigenous
people throughout Australia (Sharifian, 2001). It is different from standard Australian English
(SAE) phonologically, syntactically and pragmatically (Sharifian, 2001; Purdie, Oliver,
Collard & Rochecouste, 2002).
According to Malcolm (2003), approximately 12.1% of Indigenous students use Indigenous
language as their home language while most of the remaining 79.8% use a variety of English
language which has been maintained within the Indigenous community that differs from
Standard Australian English (SAE). A continuum of variation exists between Creole or
minority English dialect and SAE (Siegal, 2000; Purdie et al., 2002). This forms a major
disadvantage to speakers of creoles or minority dialects in formal education system as the


language of education is a standard variety which they do not speak (Siegal, 2000). More
often, rather than viewing Creole or minority dialects as a deviant form of the standard
education language, some communities see them as an illegitimate language (Siegal, 2000).
Many Australian Aboriginal children speaking Aboriginal English as their primary means of
communication are expected to learn SAE as their second dialect in schools (Sharifian,
2001). As a result of their linguistic background, students that speak Creole or minority
dialects at home may experience some educational inequalities and struggles in school. The
ignorance and negative attitudes of teachers may result in linguistic prejudice towards
Indigenous students who lack understanding of the SAE that is being used in school (Siegal,
2000). The ignorance of teachers may lead to teachers mistaking language problems of
Creole- or dialect-speaking students for stupidity which may further lead to stereotyping
(Siegal, 2000). Such prejudice consequently leads to teachers lowering their expectations of
students and leading to lower students performance and thus reinforcing stereotype. This is
closely related to the next struggle that Indigenous students may face. Many Creole or
Aboriginal English speaking students form negative attitudes about themselves as they do not
regard their form of language as a legitimate language (Siegal, 2000). Rather, they think of it
as a broken form of the standard language. Consequently, these students may experience
low self-esteem and low academic self-concept. When students are not allowed to use their
home language in schools, they repress self-expression because of the need to use an
unfamiliar form of language (Siegal, 2000).
Through the understanding of Indigenous Australian students linguistic background,
teaching practices could be adjusted to better suit the students learning needs and prevent
students from being disinterested in education. Teachers should understand the nature of
creoles and minority dialects by being more knowledgeable about the language background
of their students (Siegal, 2000). Without reducing students self-esteem, teachers should find


ways to assist students to become aware of the language difference. Siegal (2000) also
suggested that students language varieties should be legitimised by bringing them into the
classroom. This could be done by using aspects of Creole or minority dialect speakers
culture; allowing and encouraging students to write in varieties; and examining linguistic and
pragmatic differences between Creoles or minority dialects and SAE (Siegal, 2000). The
above strategies could be used in classrooms to broaden Indigenous students linguistic
repertoire to enable them to code switch from Aboriginal English to SAE.
It is therefore clear that the understanding of students is an essential factor for creating a risk-
free learning environment. This is especially true for Indigenous Australian students whose
culture, cultural identity and linguistic background may have an impact on their learning in
western schools. In addressing such issues, teachers are encouraged to understand the culture,
include Indigenous perspective resources and to acknowledge the different types of dialects
spoken at home.



Reference
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