Counter stories: The voices of Indigenous peoples undertaking educative roles in flexi schools

Marnee Shay; Grace Sarra; Jo Lampert

doi:10.55146/ajie.2022.20

Authors

Marnee Shay The University of Queensland
Grace Sarra Queensland University of Technology
Jo Lampert La Trobe University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55146/ajie.2022.20

Keywords:

Indigenous education, flexi schools, Indigenous educators, Indigenous voices, racism

Abstract

This paper reports on findings from the first author’s doctoral research examining the experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff in Australian flexi schools. ‘Collaborative yarning methodology’ story boarding was used to hear (and theme) the collective experiences of Indigenous teaching and non-teaching staff in these alternative school settings where both they and Indigenous students make up larger numbers of staff than mainstream schools. Informed by Indigenist and critical race theory, 19 Indigenous staff members contributed to knowledge around three themes: Us Mob; Race and racism, and School Practice which incorporated discussions both of curriculum and of issues related to funding. Many Indigenous staff were working in flexi schools through choice and a sense of commitment to working with Indigenous youth. However other issues, such as experiences of racism, were still present despite the ‘social justice’ nature of flexi schools.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

Marnee Shay, The University of Queensland

Marnee is an Aboriginal (Wagiman) senior lecturer in the School of Education at UQ who undertakes research in the fields of Indigenous education, youth studies, policy and flexi schooling.

Grace Sarra, Queensland University of Technology

Grace Sarra is a Professor in education and has over 30 years of experience in Indigenous education. Grace researches in the fields of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education, early childhood and inclusive education and incarcerated young people.

Jo Lampert, La Trobe University

Jo Lampert is a Professor of Education and was the co-founder of the National Exceptional Teaching for Disadvantaged Schools program. Jo’s research has included Indigenous education, teacher education for high poverty schools and community-engagement in teacher education.

References

Australian Curriculum and Reporting Authority. (2016). My school. Retrieved October 2016 from https://www.myschool.edu.au/

Australian Government. (2014). Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander teacher workforce analysis: More Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Teachers Initiative. Retrieved November 2014 from http://matsiti.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/MATSITI-Data-Analysis-Report-2014.pdf

Australian Government. (2019). Indigenous voice co-design fact sheet. National Indigenous Australians Agency. https://www.niaa.gov.au/sites/default/files/publications/indigenous-voice-codesign-factsheet.pdf

Bessarab, D., & Ng'andu, B. (2010). Yarning about yarning as a legitimate method in Indigenous research. International Journal of Critical Indigenous Studies, 3(1), 37–50. http://www.isrn.qut.edu.au/pdf/ijcis/v3n1_2010/Final_Bessarab_Bridget_IJCIS.pdf DOI: https://doi.org/10.5204/ijcis.v3i1.57

Bishop, M., & Vass, G. (2021). Talking about culturally responsive approaches to education: Teacher professional learning, Indigenous learners and the politics of schooling. The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, 50(2), 340–347. https://doi.org/10.1017/jie.2020.30 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/jie.2020.30

Bodkin-Andrews, G., & Carlson, B. (2016). The legacy of racism and Indigenous Australian identity within education. Race Ethnicity and Education, 19(4), 784–807. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13613324.2014.969224

Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa DOI: https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa

Buckskin, P., Davis, C., & Hignett, B. (1994). Ar̲a kuwaritjakutu project: Towards a new way stages 1 & 2: A research project into the working conditions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education workers, report February 1994. Department of Employment, Education and Training.

Castell, E., Bullen, J., Garvey, D., & Jones, N. (2018). Critical reflexivity in Indigenous and cross‐cultural psychology: A decolonial approach to curriculum? American Journal of Community Psychology,

(3–4), 261–271. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajcp.12291 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ajcp.12291

Clark, Y., Augoustinos, M., & Malin, M. (2016). Lateral violence within the Aboriginal community in Adelaide: “It affects our wellbeing”. Journal of Indigenous Wellbeing, 1(1), 43–52.

Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2007). Research methods in education (6th ed.). Routledge.

Commonwealth of Australia. (2020). Closing the gap report 2020. Australian Government, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. https://ctgreport.niaa.gov.au/sites/default/files/pdf/closing-the-gap-report-2020.pdf

Davis, J. (2018). Durithunga: Growing, nurturing, challenging and supporting urban Indigenous leadership in education [PhD thesis, Queensland University of Technology]. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/115810/1/Johnathon_Davis_Thesis.pdf

Gillan, K., Mellor, S., & Krakouer, J. (2017). The case for urgency: Advocating for Indigenous voice in education. Australian Council for Educational Research. https://research.acer.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1027&context=aer

Gower, G., Partington, G., Byme, M., Galloway, A., Weissofner, N., Ferguson, N., & Kirov, E. (2011). Review of the Aboriginal and Islander education officer program. Western Australia Department of Education. Retrieved November 2014 from http://www.det.wa.edu.au/aboriginaleducation/detcms/aboriginal-education/aboriginal-education/docs/aieo-review.en?cat-id=8092822

Guenther, J., Bat, M., & Osborne, S. (2013). Red dirt thinking on educational disadvantage. The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, 42(2), 100–110. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/jie.2013.18

Gunstone, A. (2012). Indigenous education 1991-2000: Documents, outcomes and governments. The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, 41(2), 75–84. https://doi.org/10.1017/jie.2012.26 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/jie.2012.26

Hogarth, M. (2017). The power of words: Bias and assumptions in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education action plan. The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, 46(1), 44–53. https://doi.org/10.1017/jie.2016.29 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/jie.2016.29

Hogarth, M. (2019). Racism, cultural taxation and the role of an Indigenous teacher in rural schools. Australian and International Journal of Rural Education, 29(1), 45–56.

Hudson, S. (2016). Mapping the Indigenous program and funding maze. The Centre for Independent Studies Limited. https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/51343427.pdf

Ladson-Billings, G. (1998). Just what is critical race theory and what’s it doing in a nice field like education? International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 11(1), 7–24. https://doi.org/10.1080/095183998236863 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/095183998236863

Landertinger, L., Tessaro, D., & Restoule, J. (2021). “We have to get more teachers to help our kids”: Recruitment and retention strategies for teacher education programs to increase numbers of Indigenous teachers in Canada and abroad. Journal of Global Education and Research, 5(1), 36–53. https://www.doi.org/10.5038/2577-509X.5.1.1066 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5038/2577-509X.5.1.1066

Lane, J. (1991). South Australia’s contribution to 1000 teachers by 1990: New targets for the year 2000? Aboriginal Child at School, 19(1), 21–26.

Lowe, K., Tennent, C., Guenther, J., Harrison, N., Burgess, C., Moodie, N., & Vass, G. (2019). “Aboriginal voices”: An overview of the methodology applied in the systematic review of recent research across ten key areas of Australian Indigenous education. The Australian Educational Researcher, 46(2), 213–229. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13384-019-00307-5

Luke, A., Cazden, C., Coopes, R., Klenowski, V., Ladwig, J., Lester, J., & Woods, A. (2013). A summative evaluation of the stronger smarter learning communities project, vol 1 and vol 2. Queensland University of Technology.

Malin, M. (1994). Why is life so hard for Aboriginal students in urban classrooms? Aboriginal Child at School, 22(2), 141–154. http://search.informit.com.au/documentSummary;dn=517792619908140;res=IELIND

McKinley, E. (2017). Stop focusing on “the problem” in Indigenous education, and start looking at learning opportunities. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/stop-focusing-on-the-problem-in-indigenous-education-and-start-looking-at-learning-opportunities-71994

McLaughlin, J., Whatman, S., & Nielsen, C. (2014). Supporting future curriculum leaders in embedding Indigenous knowledge on teaching practicum: Final report 2014. Australian Government, Office for Learning and Teaching. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/70967/

Mills, M., & McCluskey, G. (2018). International perspectives on alternative education policy and practice. UCL Institute of Education Press.

Mills, M., & McGregor, G. (2010). Re-engaging students in education: Success factors in alternative schools. Youth Affairs Network of Queensland. http://www.yanq.org.au/uploads/1/4/1/7/14174316/yanq_report_final-art_press_compress.pdf

Mills, M., McGregor, G., Baroutsis, A., te Riele, K., & Hayes, D. (2016). Alternative education and social justice: Considering issues of affective and contributive justice. Critical Studies in Education, 57(1), 100–115. https://doi.org/10.1080/17508487.2016.1087413 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/17508487.2016.1087413

Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs (MCEETYA). (2000). Report of MCEETYA taskforce on Indigenous education. Retrieved November 2014 from http://www.scseec.edu.au/site/DefaultSite/filesystem/documents/Reports%20and%20publications/Publications/Cultural%20inclusion%20and%20ATSI/Report%20of%20the%20MCEETYA%20Taskforce%20on%20Indigenous%20Education%20%282000%29.pdf

Morgan, A., Pendergast, D., Brown, R., & Heck, D. (2014). The art of holding complexity: A contextual influence on educator identity and development in practice in a system of alternative “flexi” schools. Reflective Practice, 15(5), 579–591. https://doi.org/10.1080/14623943.2014.900020 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/14623943.2014.900020

Poultney, V. A., & Anderson, D. B. (2019). Leading change for survival: The rural flexi-school approach. Management in Education, 35(4), 182–188. https://doi.org/10.1177/0892020619878809. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0892020619878809

Price, A., Jackson-Barrett, E., Gower, G., & Herrington, J. (2019). Understanding the complex work of Aboriginal education workers in schools. The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, 48(1), 93–105. https://doi.org/10.1017/jie.2017.34 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/jie.2017.34

Rigney, L. (2001). A first perspective of Indigenous Australian participation in science: Framing Indigenous research towards Indigenous Australian intellectual sovereignty. Kaurna Higher Education Journal, 7, 1–13. http://search.informit.com.au.ezproxy.usc.edu.au:2048

Santoro, N., & Reid, J. (2006). “All things to all people”: Indigenous teachers in the Australian teaching profession. European Journal of Teacher Education, 29(3), 287–303. https://doi.org/10.1080/02619760600795072 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/02619760600795072

Santoro, N., Reid, J., Crawford, L., & Simpson, L. (2011). Teaching Indigenous children: Listening to and learning from Indigenous teachers. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 36(10). http://dx.doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2011v36n10.2 DOI: https://doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2011v36n10.2

Sarra, G. (2011). Indigenous studies in all schools. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 15(6), 611–625. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603110903265040 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13603110903265040

Sarra, G., & Shay, M. (2019). Indigenous education, critical perspectives to enhance learning practices. In M. A. Peters (Ed.), Encyclopedia of teacher education (pp. 1–6). Springer Singapore. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-1179-6_195-1

Shay, M. (2015). The perceptions that shape us: Strengthening Indigenous young people’s cultural identity. In T. Ferfolja, C. Jones-Diaz, & J. Ullman (Eds.), Understanding sociological theory and pedagogical practices (pp. 93–105). Cambridge University Press.

Shay, M. (2017). Emerging ideas for innovation in Indigenous education: A research synthesis of Indigenous educative roles in mainstream and flexi schools. Teaching Education, 28(1), 12–26. https://doi.org/10.1080/10476210.2016.1210594 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10476210.2016.1210594

Shay, M. (2018). Leadership in flexi-schools: Issues of race and racism in Australia. In M. Mills & G. McCluskey (Eds.), International perspectives on alternative education policy and practice (pp. 131–142). UCL Institute of Education Press.

Shay, M. (2019). Extending the yarning yarn: Collaborative yarning methodology for ethical Indigenist education research. The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, 50(1), 62–70. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/jie.2018.25

Shay, M., & Heck, D. (2015). Alternative education engaging Indigenous young people: Flexi schooling in Queensland. The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, 44(1), 37–47. https://doi.org/10.1017/jie.2015.8 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/jie.2015.8

Shay, M., & Lampert, J. (2018). How flexi schools could help close the gap in Indigenous education. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/how-flexischools-could-help-close-the-gap-in-indigenous-education-98013

Shay, M., Morgan, A., Lampert, J., & Heck, D. (2016). Introduction to the special issue on alternative pathways in education for disenfranchised children and young people in the Australian context. International Journal of Child Youth and Family Studies, 7(2), 171–177. https://doi.org/10.18357/ijcyfs72201615716 DOI: https://doi.org/10.18357/ijcyfs72201615716

Shay, M., Radke, A., & Miller, J. (2019). Indigenous evaluation strategy [Policy submission for the Productivity Commission]. The University of Queensland. https://www.pc.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/244522/sub020-indigenous-evaluation.pdf

Solorzano, D. G., & Yosso, T. J. (2001). From racial stereotyping and deficit discourse toward a critical race theory in teacher education. Multicultural Education, 9(1), 2–8.

Stuart, K. (2012). Narratives and activity theory as reflective tools in action research. Educational Action Research, 20(3), 439–453. https://doi.org/10.1080/09650792.2012.697663 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09650792.2012.697663

te Riele, K. (2007). Educational alternatives for marginalised youth. The Australian Educational Researcher, 34(3), 53–68. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03216865 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03216865

te Riele, K. (2012). Learning choices: A map for the future. Retrieved April 2013 from http://www.ntyan.com.au/images/uploads/news_docs/20120427_LearningChoices_Map-for-the-Future_final.pdf

te Riele, K., McGregor, G., Mills, M., Baroutsis, A., & Hayes, D. (2020). Learning from alternative schools to enhance school completion. In Oxford research encyclopedia of education. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190264093.013.513 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190264093.013.513

Yared, H., Grove, C., & Chapman, D. (2020). How does race play out in schools? A scoping review and thematic analysis of racial issues in Australian schools. Social Psychology of Education, 23, 1505–1538. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-020-09589-5 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-020-09589-5