Nurturing Relationships Within a Space Created by “Indigenous Ways of Knowing”: a Case Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1375/S1326011100001095Abstract
AbstractA strong educator-learner relationship is continually identified as the most significant form of involvement affecting the student experience. Yet, within the current dominant higher-educational context, student-faculty interactions are also identified as an area in need of improvement. This paper explores the educator-learner relationship within a space created by “Indigenous pedagogy” and epistemology through a case study conducted with undergraduate students at The University of Western Australia. Within this context distinctions such as “inside” and “outside” the classroom are seen to inhibit interconnectedness within a holistic system of knowing. Extensive qualitative enquiry in the form of observations, non-Indigenous and Indigenous student focus groups and faculty interviews, informed a descriptive case study of the unit offered through the University of Western Australia titled “Aboriginal Ways of Knowing”. It was found that this space, as Indigenised, offered students the opportunity to connect spiritually and personally with themselves, one another and their educators. Furthermore, in reading this space as an “interface” between Western and Indigenous systems of knowing, a productive tension emerged in emulation of what Indigenous people experience throughout their daily lives. This research contributes to a growing body of literature indicating the potential of Indigenous pedagogy and epistemologies within the tertiary context.
Downloads
References
Astin A. ( 1977). Four critical years. San Francisco, CA: Jossay-Bass.
Astin A. ( 1993). What matters in college? Four critical years revisited. San Francisco, CA: Jossy-Bass.
Astin A. ( 1999). Student involvement: A development theory for higher education. Journal of College Student Development, 40( 5), 518– 529.
Battiste M., Bell L., Findlay I., & Henderson J. Y. ( 2005). Thinking places: Indigenous humanities and education. Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, 34, 7– 19.
Battiste M., Bell L., & Findlay L. ( 2002). Decolonizing education in Canadian universities: An interdisciplinary, international, indigenous research project. Canadian Journal of Native Education, 26( 2), 82– 123.
Bess J. L. ( 1973). Integrating faculty and student life cycles. Review of Educational Research, 45( 4), 377– 403.
Biermann S., & Townsend-Cross M. ( 2008). Indigenous pedagogy as a force for change. Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, 37(S), 146– 154.
Bin-Sallik M. ( 2003). Cultural safety: Let's name it! Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, 32, 21– 28.
Cook-Lynn E. ( 1997). Who stole Native American studies? Wicazo Sa Review, 12( 1), 9– 28.
Cotton S., & Wilson B. ( 2006). Student-faculty interactions: Dynamics and determinants. Higher Education, 51( 4), 487– 519.
Cyr G. ( 2007). An Indigenist anti-colonialist framework for practice. In Dominelli L. (Ed.), Revitalising communities in a globalising world(pp. 333– 346). Hampshire, UK: Ashgate.
Dei G. J. S. ( 1996). Anti-racism education: Theory and practice. Toronto, ON: Fernwood Publishing.
Dippelhofer-Stiem B. ( 1986). How to measure university environment? Methodological implications and some empirical findings. Higher Education, 15( 5), 475– 495.
Endo J. J., & Harpel R. L. ( 1982). The effect of student-faculty interaction on students' educational outcomes. Research in Higher Education, 16( 2), 115– 138.
Hall B., Dei G. J. S., & Rosenberg D. ( 2000). Introduction. In Indigenous knowledges in global contexts: Multiple readings of our world. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
Jaasma M., & Koper R. ( 1999). The relationship of student-faculty out-of-class communication to instructor immediacy and trust and to student motivation. Communication Education, 24, 41– 47.
Kamberelis G., & Dimitriadis G. ( 2005). Focus groups: Strategic articulations of pedagogy, politics, and inquiry. In Denzin N. & Lincoln Y. (Eds.), The Sage handbook of qualitative research(pp. 887– 908). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Kuh G. D. ( 1995). The other curriculum: Out-of-class experiences associated with student learning and personal development. The Journal of Higher Education, 66( 2), 123– 155.
Kuh G. D., & Hu S. ( 2001). The effects of student-faculty interaction in the 1990s. The Review of Higher Education, 24( 3), 309– 332.
Lambe J. ( 2003). Indigenous education, mainstream education, and native studies: Some considerations when incorporating Indigenous pedagogy into native studies. American Indian Quarterly, 27( 1/2), 308– 324.
McConville G. ( 2002). Regional agreements, higher education and representations of Indigenous Australian reality (Why wasn't I taught that in school?). Australian Universities Review, 45( 1), 15– 24.
Morgan D. ( 2003). Appropriation, appreciation, accommodation: Indigenous wisdoms and knowledges in higher education. International Review of Education, 49( 1/2), 35– 49.
Morgan D., & Slade M. ( 1998). A case for incorporating Aboriginal perspectives in education. Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, 26( 2), 6– 12.
Nakata M. ( 2004). Indigenous Australian studies and higher education: 2004 Biennial AIATSIS Wentworth Lecture, Retrieved 11 July, 2009, from http:/www1.aiatsis.gov.au/exhibitions/wentworth/a352185_a.pdf.
Nakata M. ( 2007). The cultural interface. Australian Journal of Education, 36, 7– 14.
Nakata M., & Muspratt S. ( 1994). How to read the curriculum: the case of social studies ‘social investigation strategy’ as ideological practice. Australian Journal of Language and Literacy, 17( 3), 227– 239.
Pascarella E. T. ( 1980). Student-faculty informal contact and college outcomes. Review of Educational Research, 50( 4), 545– 595.
Pascarella E. T., Edison M., Nora A., Hagedorn L. S., & Terenzini P. T. ( 1996). Influences on students' openness to diversity and challenge in the first year of college. The Journal of Higher Education, 67( 2), 174.
Pascarella E. T., & Terenzini P. T. ( 1979). Student-faculty informal contact and college persistence: A further investigation. Journal of Educational Research, 72( 4), 214– 218.
Pascarella E. T., & Terenzini P. T. ( 1991). How college affects students: Findings and insights from twenty years of research. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Inc.
Semali L. M., & Kincheloe J. L. ( 1999). Introduction: what is Indigenous knowledge and why should we study it?In Semali L. M. & Kincheloe J. L. (Eds.), What is Indigenous knowledge?: Voices from the academy(pp. 3– 58). New York, NY: Falmer Press.
Smith L. T. ( 1999). Decolonizing methodologies: Research and Indigenous peoples. Dunedin, New Zealand: University of Otago Press.
Snow S. ( 1973). Correlates of student-faculty interaction. Sociology of Education, 46( 4), 489– 498.
Strauss L. C., & Volkwein J. F. ( 2004). Predictors of student commitment at two-year and four-year institutions. The Journal of Higher Education, 75( 2), 203– 227.
Terenzini P., & Pascarella E. ( 1994). Living with myths: Undergraduate teaching in America. In DeZure D. (Ed.), Learning from change: Landmarks in teaching and learning in higher education from Change Magazine 1969-1999(pp. 192– 197). Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing.
Terenzini P., & Wright T. ( 1987). Influences on students' academic growth during four years of college. Research in Higher Education, 26( 2), 161– 179.
Tinto V. ( 1997). Classrooms as communities: Exploring the educational character of student persistence. The Journal of Higher Education, 68( 6), 599– 623.
Walker P. ( 2000). Native approaches to decolonising education in institutions of higher learning. The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, 28( 2), 28– 34.
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.
Wilson R., Woods L., & Gaff J. ( 1974). Social-psychological accessibility and faculty-student interaction beyond the classroom. Sociology of Education, 47( 1), 74– 92.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2010 The Author(s)
![Creative Commons License](http://i.creativecommons.org/l/by/4.0/88x31.png)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education is in the process of transitioning to fully Open Access. Most articles are available as Open Access but some are currently Free Access whereby copyright still applies and if you wish to re-use the article permission will need to be sought from the copyright holder. This article's license terms are outlined at the URL above.