An ecosystem of knowledge: relationality as a framework for teachers to infuse Indigenous perspectives in curriculum

ABSTRACT

New data is presented from two studies involving thirteen practising secondary teachers and twelve pre-service early childhood, primary and secondary teachers in Australia. The first study explored how non-Indigenous practising teacher identities, shaped by external and policy discourse, create obstacles to teachers’ willingness and confidence in infusing Indigenous perspectives in curriculum. With this knowledge in hand, the researchers utilised a Design-Based Research methodology to conduct a second study with pre-service (ITE) teachers, exploring the power of relationality as a framework to re-shape non-Indigenous pre-service teachers’ conceptualisation of racial and place-based identity. By enabling non-Indigenous pre-service teachers to construct an authentic connection to Indigenous ways of thinking and being, relatedness pedagogy increased pre-service teacher willingness and confidence to infuse Indigenous perspectives into their future teaching.

KEYWORDS:

• Indigenous curriculum
• initial teacher education
• relationality
• integrated research methods

Acknowledgments

The authors of this article are colleagues and teacher educators on Wadjuk Nyungar Boodjar (Country).² We deliver mandatory Initial Teacher Education (ITE) units that develop pre-service teachers’ understandings of working with Indigenous students, and capacity to deliver curriculum which reflects Indigenous pedagogies, perspectives and knowledge. Macdonald and Booth are former secondary school teachers whose ancestors were Indigenous to countries other than Australia. Jackson-Barrett is a Nyungar educator who is led by Country, sharing her knowledge so that ITE students become culturally responsive educators, infusing Aboriginal perspectives into everyday pedagogy. We acknowledge and pay respects to the Nyungar language regions, to Traditional Owners and Elders past, present and emerging, for the knowledge they share.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Notes

1. Note on Terminology: The phrase “Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples” refers to over 200 separate Indigenous Australian nation groups, each with their own languages, lore, and cultural practices. The authors have chosen to interchangeably use the English-language terms “Indigenous,” “Aboriginal” and “Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander,” when referring to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and knowledge, as a sign of respect for self-determination principles and also to acknowledge the international focus of the journal.

2. Nyungar Boodjar – Nyungar Country is located in the south-west corridor of Western Australia and extends from south of Geraldton along the coast to Cape Leeuwin, continuing south to Esperance and then in a line north-west to re-join the coast at Geraldton. An area of almost 3 000 000 hectares with 1600 kms of coastline and the home to 14 regional language groups. Wadjuk is one of these regions (Green, 1984, p. 1).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Maryanne Macdonald

Mary-anne Macdonald is a lecturer in Aboriginal Education, and a former schoolteacher. Her research explores pedagogies that enable non-Indigenous educators to develop a post-colonial worldview of Aboriginal issues.

Sarah Booth

Sarah Booth is a lecturer in Aboriginal Education, and a former schoolteacher. Her research explores the perceptions of non-Indigenous teachers towards reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.

Libby Jackson-Barrett

Libby Jackson-Barrett has worked in Initial Teacher Education for 17 years and has a particular interest in culturally relevant and critical pedagogy, diversity, inclusivity and Indigenous education issues.