Seeking a Pedagogy of Difference: What Aboriginal Students and Their Parents in North Queensland Say About Teaching and Their Learning

Abstract

This study presents the outcomes of the first phase of a three phase research initiative which begins by identifying through the voices of

High-Expectations Relationships: A Foundation for Enacting High Expectations in all Australian Schools

“…In Australia, our sociohistorical and professional conditioning into a discourse of deficit and disadvantage regarding Indigenous people means that even with a conscious commitment to high expectations, educators may adopt ‘defensive’ teaching strategies that simplify content and reduce demands on students (Griffiths, Amosa, Ludwig, & Gore, 2007; Perso, 2012). This out-of-awareness negative stereotyping and its underlying assumptions results in unproductive teacher–student relationships where students respond negatively, and the quality of student work is lower (Bishop & Berryman, 2006, 2009; Lewthwaite et al, 2015). A self-fulfilling prophecy results where low-expectancy children receive watered-down lessons which are further removed from students’ personal experiences, background knowledge and culture and in turn limit students’ academic growth (Papageorge & Gershenson, 2016; Torff, 2011, 2014).…”

“…In Australian Indigenous education, recommendations for ‘what works’ for Indigenous student success start with high expectations, along with strong teacher–student relationships, quality teaching and positive cultural acknowledgment (e.g. Lewthwaite et al, 2015; Ockenden, 2014; Productivity Commission, 2016). Despite this, as educators, we work within a policy environment where public discourse around educational underachievement and failure frequently relies on deficit accounts that attribute blame to ‘disadvantaged’ groups.…”

Implementing a Teaching Performance Assessment: An Australian Case Study

“…In the US context, Dover and Schultz (2016) speak of "illusions of objectivity and rigor" (p. 95, emphasis added). TPAs may also fall short of capturing the complexity that is teaching, and the diversity of classrooms and learners (Buchanan, 2017;Buchanan & Schuck, 2016;Lewthwaite et al, 2015;Reagan et al, 2016;Schuck, Aubusson, Buchanan, & Russell, 2012).…”

Untitled

“…The shortcoming of these suggested practices is the lack of empirical evidence with consideration of the influence of the socio-political context in informing responsive behaviour management practices. The dilemma in addressing this concern in teacher education is that it appears that there is little empirically-based research that provides any evidence of what works in positively influencing learning outcomes (Lewthwaite et al, 2015;Price & Hughes, 2009) and assists in positive behaviour management practice for Indigenous students. Many argue for empirically-based research to investigate culturally located behaviour management practices that contribute to Indigenous students' school success (Castagno & Brayboy, 2008;Griffiths, 2011;Perso, 2012).…”