All students, whether Indigenous or non-indigenous, are connected on a journey of learning with individual needs that must be met. This report aims to identify a number of different strategies that can be used to specifically teach and support Aboriginal students on this journey. The suggested strategies are aligned with the NSW Department of Education and Training Aboriginal Education and Training Policy (2008) as well as the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) standards for teaching. The specific focus areas that relate to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) students are 1.4 and 2.4 which specifies what teachers need to know and be able to do in order to teach and support ATSI students (AITSL, …show more content…
In addition to history, there are also many other factors that affect outcomes, such as health, socio economics and language. The following will explore these factors and the responses made by four Aboriginal schools – Djidi Djidi Aboriginal school, Derby District High School, East Kalgoorlie Primary and Yule Brook College and SevenOaks College.
It is also important to note the different ways of knowing, the different ways of learning and the impact of community involvement on achieving student outcomes. When it comes to the ways that Aboriginal people learn, Harris (as cited in Harrison, 2011, p.44) suggests four ways.
• Observation, modelling and imitation instead of talking and listening
• Learn through trial and error instead of from words and instructions from the teacher
• Learn by doing instead of from theory
• Learn from context specific …show more content…
It becomes clear then the impact SES has on their academic achievement. This also extends to issues with their health, sight, hearing and disease prevention (Bonney, 2017). It is important to note that Aboriginals have had a history of disadvantage when it comes to their education with no real attention being given to "structural, historical and social determinants of educational achievement" (Fogarty, 2012). The effects of socio-economics, has a huge impact on how a student feels in class and could leave students with a deficit mindset. The home environment and the community at large can also have a profound impact on the value of education and the worth it has and the role it plays in the student’s future. Ashley Jones, chaplain at Djidi Djidi brings to light the role of pastoral care in education when he spoke of making connections and spending time building relationships with the children goes a long way in building trust and making the children feel safe and valued (DET WA,