The importance of Aboriginal Education Workers for decolonising and promoting culture in primary schools: an analysis of the longitudinal study of Indigenous children (LSIC)

Authors

  • Huw Peacock Office of the Pro Vice-Chancellor Aboriginal Research and Leadership, University of Tasmania
  • Jacob Prehn Office of the Pro Vice-Chancellor Aboriginal Research and Leadership, University of Tasmania

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1017/jie.2019.13

Keywords:

Aboriginal children, aboriginal education workers, culture, longitudinal study of Indigenous children

Abstract

Abstract

Aboriginal Education Workers (AEWs) are utilised by primary and secondary schools to improve components of success for Aboriginal students, liaise with their families and the Aboriginal community and contribute to developing and promoting an Aboriginal pedagogy. Despite the challenging role of decolonising the school environment, the important work undertaken by AEWs can be misunderstood and underappreciated by the Western school system. This paper aims to measure the influence of AEWs on Aboriginal culture within schools using quantitative data from Wave 7K Cohort of the Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children. Results show that there is a positive impact on Aboriginal culture within schools through having an AEW present all or some of the time. For Aboriginal children to grow up strong, employment of an AEW is important to decolonise the school environment and provide a holistic education.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Aboriginal Consultative Group (1975) Education for Aboriginies: Report to the schools commissions by the Aboriginal consultative group. Canberra: Schools Commission.

AndersenC, O'DowdM and GowerL (2015) Aboriginal education workers in Tasmania becoming teachers. Hobart: University of Tasmania.

Australian Bureau of Statistics (2013) 1220.0 – ANZSCO – Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations. Available at http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Product+Lookup/1220.0~2013,+Version+1.2~Chapter~UNIT+GROUP+4221+Education+Aides.

Australian Parliament House of Representatives (1985) Select Committee on Aboriginal Education (A. Government Ed.). Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Services.

BaxterLP and MeyersNM (2016) Increasing urban Indigenous students’ attendance: mitigating the influence of poverty through community partnership. Australian Journal of Education 60, 211–228.

BiddleN (2014) Developing a behavioural model of school attendance: policy implications for Indigenous children and youth. Canberra: Australian National University, Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research Canberra.

Bodkin-AndrewsG, WhittakerA, CooperE, ParadaRH, DensonN and BanselP (2017) Moving beyond essentialism: Aboriginal parental perceptions of school bullying and school engagement. In M Walter, K. L Martin and G Bodkin-Andrews (Eds.), Indigenous Children Growing Up Strong (pp. 153–178). London: Springer.

ColquhounS and DockeryAM (2012) The link between Indigenous culture and wellbeing: Qualitative evidence for Australian Aboriginal peoples. The Centre for Labour Market Research, 1–29.

Creative Spirits (2018) Aboriginal culture – Education – How to improve Aboriginal literacy & school attendance. Available at https://www.creativespirits.info/aboriginalculture/education/how-to-improve-aboriginal-literacy-school-attendance.

DelgadoR and StefancicJ (2001) Critical race theory: An introduction. New York: NYU Press.

Department of Education and Training (2003) Aboriginal & Islander Education Officer Handbook. Perth: Government of Western Australia.

Department of Education (2016). Aboriginal Education Workers: Information Handbook for Schools 2016. Hobart: Department of Education.

Department of Social Services (2016) Footprints in Time - The Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children. Retrieved from https://www.dss.gov.au/about-the-department/publications-articles/research-publications/longitudinal-data-initiatives/footprints-in-time-the-longitudinal-study-of-indigenous-children-lsic.

Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (2015) Remote School Attedance Strategy: Interim Progress Report. Canberra: Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.

GervasoniA, HartA, CroswellM, HodgesL & ParishL (2011) Insights from Aboriginal teaching assistants about the impact of the Bridging the Numeracy Gap Project in a Kimberley Catholic school. J Clark, B Kissane, J Mousley. 306–314. Australia: AAMT and MERGA.

GowerG, PartingtonG, ByrneM, GallowayA, WeissofnerN, FergusonN and KirovE (2011). Review of the Aboriginal and Islander education officer program. Perth: Centre for Indigneous Australian Knowledges.

GreenJ, NelsonG, MartinAJ and MarshH (2006) The causal ordering of self-concept and academic motivation and its effect on academic achievement. International Education Journal 7, 534–546.

HarrisonN (2011) Teaching and Learning in Aboriginal Education. Melbourne: Oxford University Press.

HyndsAS, HindleR, SavageC, MeyerLH, PenetitoW and SleeterC (2016) The impact of teacher professional development to reposition pedagogy for Indigenous students in mainstream schools. The Teacher Educator 51, 230–249.

KneeboneL. B, ChristelowJ, NeuendorfA and SkeltonF (2012) Footprints in time: the longitudinal study of indigenous children: an overview. Family Matters (91), 62–68.

Ladson-BillingsG (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, 7–24.

LadwigJG and LukeA (2014) Does improving school level attendance lead to improved school level achievement? An empirical study of Indigenous educational policy in Australia. The Australian Educational Researcher 41, 171–194.

LangtonM and Ma RheaZ (2009) Indigenous education and the ladder to prosperity. In H Sykes (Ed.), Perspectives (pp. 95–119). Sydney: Future Leaders.

LovettR (2017) Indigenous Children's Resilience: The Role of Demographics, Relationships, Achievement and Culture. In M. Walter, K. Martin, & G. Bodkin-Andrews (Eds.), Indigenous Children Growing Up Strong (pp. 287–308). London: Springer.

MacGillB (2008) Aboriginal Education Workers in South Australia: Towards Equality of Recognition of Indigenous Ethics of Care Practices. Flinders University, School of Australian Studies.

MacGillB (2017) Aboriginal community education officers' fight for agency and equality: A historical overview. Australian Aboriginal Studies (2), 56–69.

MartinKL (2017) Culture and identity: LSIC parents' beliefs and values and raising young Indigenous children in the twenty-first century. In M Walter, K. L Martin and G Bodkin-Andrews (Eds.), Indigenous Children Growing Up Strong (pp. 79–99). London: Springer.

McCartyT and LeeT (2014) Critical culturally sustaining/revitalizing pedagogy and Indigenous education sovereignty. Harvard Educational Review 84, 101–124.

McFarlaneP, SchabusN and BC, F. o. P.-S. E. o (2017) Whose Land Is It Anyway?: A Manual for Decolonization. Vancouver: Federation of Post-Secondary Educators of BC.

NakataM (2007) The cultural interface. The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education 36(S1), 7–14.

NakataM (2010) The cultural interface of Islander and scientific knowledge. The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education 39(S1), 53–57.

PearceF (2011) AEWs: Skilled uncles and aunties smoothing out the bumps on the road to learning. Wollongong: University of Wollongong

PriceK (2012) A brief history of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education in Australia. In K Price (Ed.), Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education: An introduction for the teaching profession (pp. 1–20). Port Melbourne: Cambridge University Press.

PriceA, Jackson-BarrettE, GowerG and HerringtonJ (2017) Understanding the Complex Work of Aboriginal Education Workers in Schools. The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, 48(1), 1–13.

Prout QuickeS and BiddleN (2017) School (non-) attendance and ‘mobile cultures’: theoretical and empirical insights from Indigenous Australia. Race Ethnicity and Education 20, 57–71.

PurdieN and BuckleyS (2010) School attendance and retention of Indigenous Australian students. Closing the Gap Clearinghouse (1), 1–25.

RagoonadenKKRUC and MuellerL (2017) Culturally responsive pedagogy: indigenizing curriculum. Canadian Journal of Higher Education 47, 22–46.

RoseM (2012). The `silent apartheid'as the practitioner's blindspot. In K Price (Ed.), Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education: An introduction for the teaching profession (pp. 64–80). Port Melbourne: Cambridge University Press.

Same Kids Same Goals (2007) What is an Indigenous Education Worker? Available at http://www.samekidssamegoals.org/what/

SmithLT (1999) Decolonising Methodologies: Research and Indigenous Peoples. London: Zed Books Ltd.

StoneA, WalterM and PeacockH (2017) Educational outcomes for aboriginal school students In Tasmania: is The achievement Gap closing? Australian and International Journal of Rural Education 27, 90–110.

TrudgettM, PageS, Bodkin-AndrewsG, FranklinC and WhittakerA (2017) Another brick in the wall? Parent perceptions of school educational experiences of Indigenous Australian children. In M Walter, K. L Martin and G Bodkin-Andrews (Eds.), Indigenous Children Growing Up Strong (pp. 233–258). London: Springer.

WalterM (2016) Data politics and Indigenous representation in Australian statistics. In T Kukutai & J Taylor (Eds.), Indigenous Data Sovereignty: Toward an agenda (pp. 79–97). Canberra: ANU Press.

WalterM and AndersenC (2013) Indigenous Statistics: A Quantitative Research Methodology. Walnut Creek: Left Coast Press.

WalterM, DodsonM and BarnesS (2017) Introducing the Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children. In M Walter, K. L Martin and G Bodkin-Andrews (Eds.), Indigenous Children Growing Up Strong (pp. 15–40). London: Springer.

WalterM, MartinKL and Bodkin-AndrewsG (2017) Indigenous Children Growing Up Strong: A Longitudinal Study of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Families. London: Springer.

ZuberiT and Bonilla-SilvaE (2008). White logic, white methods: Racism and methodology. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.

ZubrickS, SilburnS, De MarioJ, SheparedC and GriffinJA (2006) Western Australian Aboriginal Child Health survey: improving the Educational experiences of Aboriginal children and Young people (Vol. 3). Perth: Telethon Institute for Child Health Research and Curtin University of Technology.

Downloads

Published

2019-09-02

How to Cite

Peacock, H., & Prehn, J. (2019). The importance of Aboriginal Education Workers for decolonising and promoting culture in primary schools: an analysis of the longitudinal study of Indigenous children (LSIC). The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, 50(1), 196–202. https://doi.org/10.1017/jie.2019.13

Issue

Section

Articles