Proppa way: Literature as truth-telling and Indigenous futurity in subject English

Amy Thomson

doi:10.55146/ajie.v53i2.1102

Authors

Amy Thomson The University of Queensland

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55146/ajie.v53i2.1102

Keywords:

subject English, Indigenous content, English teachers, truth-telling

Abstract

In light of the results of the 2023 referendum, truth-telling should inform how educators embed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives across the curriculum. It is imperative that students’ experiences of Indigenous content are understood, as this will inform the legitimisation of Indigenous futurity in classrooms and how teachers engage in truth-telling “proppa way” (a colloquial expression Indigenous Australians use to refer to doing something in a way which is culturally informed and appropriate).

Teachers of subject English must understand how their views and approaches to Indigenous literature impact students. Texts present students with First Nations and colonialist histories, the intersections of these histories and the long-lasting legacy of both. How students comprehend and engage with these representations in their classrooms should be prioritised. This paper presents the preliminary findings of my PhD research informed by my positioning as a Mandandanji woman, educator and researcher. This collective case-study research shares data collected from focus groups of Indigenous and non-Indigenous students alongside their English teachers and leaders in private schools across South East Queensland. The data presented privileges the students’ voices regarding their experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives. This paper presents collaborative visions for the future of English teaching. The role of truth-telling is centred within these artefacts, as we look to disrupt the dominance of colonialism and prioritise Indigenous futurity in Australian English classrooms.

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Author Biography

Amy Thomson, The University of Queensland

Amy Thomson is a Mandandanji woman and Doctorate of Philosophy student enrolled in the School of Education at The University of Queensland (UQ). Amy works as a Senior Research Assistant and previously worked as secondary English and music teacher. Amy was Chief Investigator in the Australian Government’s Diversity in STEM review: “Big mob STEM it up!” project and is an Associate Investigator in UQ’s ARC Centre of Excellence for Indigenous Futures. Amy’s PhD research focuses on how the principles of self-determination and codesign can influence the way English educators embed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, histories and perspectives in urban private schools. Amy was awarded the Australian Association for Research in Education’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Postgraduate Student Researcher Award in 2022 and received both first prize and the people’s choice award for UQ’s inaugural Indigenous three-minute thesis competition. Amy’s research interests are codesign, Indigenous education, English and literature.

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