Aboriginal community engagement in primary schooling: Promoting learning through a cross-cultural lens

This article reports on action research conducted at a primary school in rural New South Wales, Australia. The research responded to an expressed school aspiration to foster greater understanding of local Aboriginal culture, historical perspectives and knowledge systems within the school. An explora...

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Main Authors: Turner, A., Wilson, Katie, Wilks, J.
Format: Journal Article
Published: Social Science Press 2017
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/69523
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author Turner, A.
Wilson, Katie
Wilks, J.
author_facet Turner, A.
Wilson, Katie
Wilks, J.
author_sort Turner, A.
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description This article reports on action research conducted at a primary school in rural New South Wales, Australia. The research responded to an expressed school aspiration to foster greater understanding of local Aboriginal culture, historical perspectives and knowledge systems within the school. An exploratory model was developed using a mixed methods approach to investigate non- Aboriginal teacher perceptions and self-efficacy with teaching Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander content specified in the Australian Curriculum. A Bush Tucker Garden was established as a 'Pathway of Knowledge' acting as a vehicle for collaboration between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal stakeholders. Through their participation in this project the teachers were brought together with local Gumbaynggirr Elders, creating a space for the sharing of social capital. Teacher cultural knowledge and understanding was strengthened, enriching the student's learning experience. The findings are of relevance to primary school teachers, curriculum stakeholders and education providers in the broader field of Aboriginal education.
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publishDate 2017
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-695232018-09-07T01:36:06Z Aboriginal community engagement in primary schooling: Promoting learning through a cross-cultural lens Turner, A. Wilson, Katie Wilks, J. This article reports on action research conducted at a primary school in rural New South Wales, Australia. The research responded to an expressed school aspiration to foster greater understanding of local Aboriginal culture, historical perspectives and knowledge systems within the school. An exploratory model was developed using a mixed methods approach to investigate non- Aboriginal teacher perceptions and self-efficacy with teaching Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander content specified in the Australian Curriculum. A Bush Tucker Garden was established as a 'Pathway of Knowledge' acting as a vehicle for collaboration between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal stakeholders. Through their participation in this project the teachers were brought together with local Gumbaynggirr Elders, creating a space for the sharing of social capital. Teacher cultural knowledge and understanding was strengthened, enriching the student's learning experience. The findings are of relevance to primary school teachers, curriculum stakeholders and education providers in the broader field of Aboriginal education. 2017 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/69523 10.14221/ajte.2017v42n11.7 Social Science Press fulltext
spellingShingle Turner, A.
Wilson, Katie
Wilks, J.
Aboriginal community engagement in primary schooling: Promoting learning through a cross-cultural lens
title Aboriginal community engagement in primary schooling: Promoting learning through a cross-cultural lens
title_full Aboriginal community engagement in primary schooling: Promoting learning through a cross-cultural lens
title_fullStr Aboriginal community engagement in primary schooling: Promoting learning through a cross-cultural lens
title_full_unstemmed Aboriginal community engagement in primary schooling: Promoting learning through a cross-cultural lens
title_short Aboriginal community engagement in primary schooling: Promoting learning through a cross-cultural lens
title_sort aboriginal community engagement in primary schooling: promoting learning through a cross-cultural lens
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/69523