Indigenous Students Role In Education Case Study

I believe the role of a teacher is more than just the facilitator of knowledge, but also the responsibility to mentor responsible and ethical future citizens of Australia. I aspire to be a role model for my students, as my practice and beliefs will inherently shape their cultural understandings. Indigenous students have the right to a high quality education and equal participation and equitability in the classroom. It is my wish that each of my future Indigenous students will be successful and for their learning to be relevant to the Indigenous context. I also wish for my future non-Indigenous students to appreciate and respect Indigenous culture, both locally and nationally.

Vygotsky’s Socio-Cultural theory best aligns with my philosophical approach. Vygotsky suggested that students prosper from relationships with teachers, peers, parents and society. Through social guidance and dialogue within these relationships, students will attain skills and knowledge (O’Donnell et al., p. 99). Furthermore, Hogan and Tudge (1999) contend that “variations in the values, beliefs, and practices of different cultural groups are interdependent with differences in the ways in which children’s development …show more content…
The qualities of this classroom would be mutual respect, trust and admiration for each other’s culture, backgrounds and beliefs. Therefore, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students would feel respected and valued. This is a clear demonstration of culturally responsive teaching, which Perso and Haywood (2015, p. 117) define as a teacher creating an environment fostering consideration, respect and appreciation of the cultures of all students’ in both the school and classroom. This is particularly important for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, as Herbert (2006) contends that warm teacher-student relationships are more vital for success for Indigenous students than teaching