Addressing the Foundations for Improved Indigenous Secondary Student Outcomes: A South Australian Qualitative Study

Kiara Rahman

doi:10.1375/S1326011100000922

Authors

Kiara Rahman David Unaipon College of Indigenous Education and Research

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1375/S1326011100000922

Abstract

It is well documented, that Indigenous students, compared with their non-Indigenous counterparts, attend school less frequently, and are more likely to develop anti-schooling attitudes leading to their early exit from school (Hayes et al., 2009; Gray & Partington, 2003; Hunter & Schwad, 2003). Although research does suggest that there has been some gradual improvements in some areas of education over the years, serious gaps still remain between Indigenous and non-Indigenous student learning outcomes. There is a great need, to build on the more significant research on Indigenous education that is focused on exploring the achievement potentials of Indigenous students to address the foundations for improved Indigenous student outcomes. This paper reports on a South Australian qualitative study based on interviews with 36 Indigenous senior secondary students, on factors which facilitate improved learning and achievement, leading to higher levels of secondary school completion among Indigenous youth.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Beresford Q., & Partington G. ( 2003). Reform and resistance in Aboriginal education; The Australian experience. Crawley, WA: University of Western Australia Press.

Bevan-Brown J. ( 2005). Providing a culturally responsive environment for gifted Maori learners. International Education Journal, 6( 2), 150– 155.

Bishop R., & Berryman M. ( 2003). Te Kotahitanga: The experience of Year 9 and 10 Maori students in mainstream classrooms. Report to the Ministry of Education. Wellington, New Zealand: Ministry of Education.

Bishop R., & Berryman M. ( 2006). Culture speaks: Cultural relationships and classroom learning. Wellington, New Zealand: Huia.

Bishop R., Berryman M., Teddy L., & Cavanagh T. ( 2007, October). Leading from within education by legitimating students' voices. Paper presented at the combined conference of the Australian Council for Educational Leaders, Sydney, Australia.

Brayboy B. M. J., & Castagno A. E. ( 2008). How might Native science inform “informal science learning”? Cultural Studies of Science, 5( 3), 787– 791.

Brayboy B. M. J. & Castagno A. E. ( 2009). Self-determination through self-education: culturally responsive schooling for Indigenous students in the USA. Teaching Education, 20,( 1), 31– 53.

Craven R., & Parente A. ( 2003, November). Unlocking Indigenous educational disadvantage: Indigenous community members' perceptions of self-concept research as potent potential key. Paper presented at New Zealand Association for Research in Education (NZARE)/Australian Association for Research in Education Conference (AARE), Auckland, New Zealand.

Craven R., Tucker A., Munns G., Hinkley J., Marsh H. W., & Simpson K. ( 2005) Indigenous students' aspirations: Dreams, perceptions and realities. Canberra, ACT: Department of Education, Science and Training, Commonwealth of Australia.

Day A. ( 1992). Aboriginal students succeeding in the senior high school years: A strengthening and changing Aboriginality challenges the negative stereotype. The Australasian Journal of Gifted Education, 1( 2), 14– 26.

Fleming R., & Southwell B. ( 2005, February). An investigation of some factors in the education of Indigenous Australians. Paper presented at the AARE International Research Conference, Paramatta, Sydney, Australia.

Gay G. ( 2000). Culturally responsive teaching: Theory, research and practice. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.

Gay G. ( 2002). Preparing for culturally responsive teaching. Journal of Teacher Education, 53( 2), 106– 116.

Gray J., & Partington G. ( 2003). Attendance and non-attendance at school. In Beresford Q. & Partington G. (Eds.) Reform and resistance in Aboriginal education: The Australian Experience(pp. 133– 163). Perth, WA: University of Western Australia Press.

Harris S. ( 1980). Culture and learning: tradition and education in Northeast Arnhem Land. Canberra, ACT: Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies.

Harris S. ( 1990). Two-Way Aboriginal schooling: Education and cultural survival. Canberra, ACT: Aboriginal Studies Press.

Harris S., & Malin M. ( 1994). Aboriginal kids in urban classrooms. Wentworth Falls, NSW: Social Science Press.

Harrison N. ( 2004). Indigenous education and the adventure of insight: Learning and teaching in Indigenous classrooms. Flaxton, QLD: Post Pressed.

Harrison N. ( 2008). Teaching and learning in Indigenous education. Melbourne, VIC: Oxford University Press.

Hayes D., Johnston K., Morris K., Power K. & Roberts D. ( 2009). Difficult dialogue: Conversations with Aboriginal parents and caregivers. The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, 38, 55– 64.

Howard D. ( 2002). Family, friends and teachers: Why Indigenous students stay at or leave school. The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, 30( 2), 8– 12.

Hudspith S. ( 1996). Learning to belong: An ethnography of urban Aboriginal schooling. Doctoral Thesis, Northern Territory University, Darwin.

Hunter B., & Schwad R. ( 2003). Practical reconciliation and recent trends in Indigenous education. Discussion paper No. 249/2005. Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research. Canberra, ACT: Australian National University.

Kanu Y. ( 2007). Increasing school success among Aboriginal students: Culturally responsive curriculum or macrostructural variables affecting schooling? Diaspora, Indigenous and Minority Education, 7( 1), 21– 41.

Malin M. ( 1989). Invisibility in success, visibility in transgression for the Aboriginal child in the urban classroom: Case studies at home and at school in Adelaide. Unpublished Doctoral Thesis, University of Minnesota.

Martin A. ( 2003a). The role of significant others in enhancing the educational outcomes and aspirations of Indigenous/Aboriginal students. The Journal of the Aboriginal Studies Association, 12, 23– 26.

Martin A. ( 2003b). Boys and Motivation. The Australian Educational Researcher, 30( 3), 43– 45.

Martin A. ( 2006). A motivational psychology for the education of Indigenous Australian students. The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, 35, 30– 43.

Matthews C., Watego L., Cooper T. J., & Baturo A. R. ( 2005) Does mathematics education in Australia devalue Indigenous culture? Indigenous perspectives and non-Indigenous reflections. Proceedings of the 28th conference of the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia, 2005, vol. 2(pp. 513– 520) Melbourne, VIC: Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia.

McDonald H. ( 2003, November-December). Exploring possibilities through critical race theory: Exemplary pedagogical practices for Indigenous students. Refereed paper presented at NZARE/AARE Joint conference, Auckland, New Zealand.

Mercurio A., & Clayton L. ( 2001), Imagining themselves, imagining their futures: Indigenous Australian students completing senior secondary education. Adelaide, SA: SSABSA Press.

Munns G., Lawson J., & Mootz D. ( 2003). Aboriginal students and new literacies. The Journal of The Aboriginal Studies Association, 12, 145– 153.

Nakata M. ( 1997). History, cultural diversity and English language teaching. Ngoonjook: A Journal of Australasian Indigenous Issues, 12, 54– 75.

Nicholls C., Crowley V., & Watt R. ( 1996). Theorising Aboriginal education: Surely it's time to move on? Education Australia, 33, 6– 9.

Nicholls C., Crowley V., & Watt R ( 1998). Black and white educational theorizing: an evaluation of “Aboriginal learning styles” theory on Australian Aboriginal Education. Ngoonjook. A Journal of Australian Indigenous Issues, 32– 60.

Sims M., O'Connor M., & Forrest M. ( 2003). Aboriginal families and the school system. In Beresford Q. & Partington G. (Eds.), Reform and resistance in Aboriginal education: The Australian experience. Perth, WA: University of Western Australia Press.

Stewart J. ( 2002). The relevance of the “Learning Styles Debate” for Australian Indigenous students in mainstream education. The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, 30( 2), 13– 19.

Strachan F. ( 2004). Kele! Arratye Mpwareke: we did it against the odds! - A case study of Indigenous students successfully completing Year 12 in the Northern Territory by attending Alice Springs secondary schools. Honours Thesis, University of South Australia.

Villegas A. M., & Lucas T. ( 2002). Preparing culturally responsive teachers: Rethinking the curriculum. Journal of Teacher Education, 30( 1), 20– 32.

Watego L. ( 2005). An Indigenous perspective on maths contextualisation in a pre-school: From safety to empowerment. Australian Council for Education Research (ACER). Retrieved 1 May, 2010, from http://www.merga.net.au/documents/RP892005.pdf.

Williams R. ( 1999). Cultural safety—what does it mean for our work practice? Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 23( 2), 213– 214.