Raising Awareness to Transcend Disciplines: Developing Teachers' Critical Awareness Across Disciplines to Increase Indigenous Learner Engagement

Authors

  • Tasha Riley Griffith University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1017/jie.2014.20

Keywords:

teacher education, critical reflection, Indigenous education, engagement

Abstract

The issue of low graduation rates among Indigenous learners transcends borders. Some argue that racism and discrimination in schools and in wider society impede the success of Indigenous learners. Although teachers may not intend to make discriminatory decisions based on a learner's ascribed characteristics, research has demonstrated that teachers are capable of making biased decisions that deny opportunities to Indigenous learners. After reflecting upon current debates regarding effective educational strategies for diversity and Indigenous learners, the author contends that courses directed towards best practices for Indigenous learners in the classroom may be less beneficial than developing teachers' overall critical consciousness-raising and self-awareness abilities. The author presents what the literature reveals regarding various educational methods, practices, and epistemologies that have been successfully shared across disciplines in order to create more effective teachers and more responsive learners.

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Published

2014-11-10

How to Cite

Riley, T. (2014). Raising Awareness to Transcend Disciplines: Developing Teachers’ Critical Awareness Across Disciplines to Increase Indigenous Learner Engagement. The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, 43(2), 144–153. https://doi.org/10.1017/jie.2014.20

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