Indigenous Learning – VET delivery
Education systems around Australia have been unable to deliver the same levels of success for Aboriginal students and they have for other students. This is in spite of many excellent and successful initiatives. While Indigenous participation is high in VET, issues of retention, completion, pathways to further education and into employment and economic achievement, have not been resolved.
Seven key factors which lead to positive outcomes for Indigenous Australians when present all of the time, have been identified by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER). They include:
- Community involvement and ownership
- Indigenous identities, culture, knowledge and values
- Working in true partnerships
- Flexibility in course design, content and delivery
- Quality staff and committed advocacy
- Extensive student support services
- Appropriate funding that allows for sustainability
Successful outcomes are achieved where extensive support is available, such as literacy and numeracy programs, mentoring, one on one tutoring and wider support to gain and maintain employment. The following resources are targeted at ideas and practical resources to help the VET practitioner in delivering education and training
Websites
National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Website (NATSIEW)
National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Website (NATSIEW). This has a wealth of resources for the teaching and learning of Indigenous learners and related Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education groups. It has a list of available resource guides on a range oft including:
- Indigenous studies
- Indigenous perspectives across curriculum
- Reconciliation
- Countering racism
- Teaching Aboriginal languages
- Drug education and using feature film
The site includes information on International developments regarding Indigenous peoples and contains guidelines for the evaluation of Indigenous content on the web.
It has recently developed a chronology of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history
Indigenous Education – Department of Education,. Employment and Workplace Relations
This is the website of the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations and includes Indigenous education policy and initiatives. This site has the contact references for Indigenous Education Units located throughout Australia.
What works? The work program: Improving outcomes for Indigenous learners
What works? The work program: Improving outcomes for Indigenous learners. This resource was developed by the Australian Curriculum Studies Association and National Curriculum Services and is now sponsored by the Department of Education Employment and Workplace Relations. These professional development materials include a guidebook, a set of online materials and a workbook. The guidebook outlines the background to Indigenous education in Australia. It includes examples and practical approaches for people working with Indigenous learners with a section on VET and case studies which include Djigay Centre and Booroongen Djugun in NSW.
VIBE Australia
Vibe Australia is an Aboriginal media, communications and events management agency situated in Darlinghurst, Sydney with a staff of 12. This website is contemporary, lively and full of music, information and Aboriginal managed content. It contains targeted, culturally sensitive communication products and services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. There are resources for workshops and the classroom on their website.
Racism. No way!
The Racism. No Way! Project aims to assist school communities and education systems to recognise and address racism in the learning environment. The project is managed by the NSW Department of Education and Training (NSW DET) and has links to major education policies across Australia. Lessons and lesson plans are provided as well as a library of resources
Aboriginal Education
This is the website of the Aboriginal Education and Training Directorate of NSW DET. It contains links to TAFE NSW programs, Aboriginal education strategic polices, and teaching and learning resources
Message Stick
Message Stick is the Australian Broadcasting Commission’s portal to Indigenous Australian Information on the web. It tells Indigenous stories, and includes ABC Indigenous production across radio television and the web. It offers a direct link to all of the ABC’s Indigenous programming and a wealth of resources
Tool Box Repository
The toolbox repository holds over 1000 learning tools disaggregated from toolboxes and supporting a range of industries. Teachers and trainers can download these resources for free with their learners.
Publications
YOUNG Metta, GUENTEHR John BOYLE Alicia, 2007 Growing the Desert Educational pathways for remote Indigenous people,Desert Knowledge Cooperative Research Centre NCVER Adelaide
VET participation is not providing desert Indigenous people with pathways from learning to work or into higher level education. Indigenous labour force participation rates have declined substantially across remote areas of Australia since 2002, despite relatively high participation rate of Indigenous people in VET. There is a significant misalignment between content and delivery models and the prior skills and the educational demands and aspirations of desert Indigenous people. VET programs struggle to adapt to and address the types of learning needs that arise as a result of language and cultural differences and the different ways work is constructed and occurs across the desert. This publication contains case studies of relatively successful models including Murdi Paaki in NSW.
WALSH Fiona & MITCHELL Paul (eds) 2002 Planning for Country. Cross-cultural approaches to decision-making on Aboriginal lands. Jukurrpa books IAD Press, Alice Springs
While this book is written for those who live and work in remote Australia, it builds upon the experience of practitioners, and has excellent ideas for planning, methods, and working together, side by side. It is not a book written particularly for teachers and trainers but is valuable resource for real consultation and dialogue in cross cultural environments, where English language and literacy cannot be assumed.
CRAVEN Rhonda (ed), 1999,Teaching Aboriginal StudiesAllen & Unwin St Leonards
While this resource is largely school based it is a valuable and practical resource for TAFE educators as well for example the chapter on Community Consultation contains help boxes including tips for organising a visit from culture organizers, information which Indigenous Communities may need to have before visiting the school, tips for approaching Indigenous communities and considerations for effective consulting. It is endorsed by the National Federation of Aboriginal Education Consultative Groups.
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION SCIENCE AND TRAINING and the AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL TRAINING AUTHORITY, 2004, Getting’ into it. Working with Indigenous Learners. Australian Training Products Ltd., Melbourne.
This document is to support the implementation of training packages within an Indigenous context. It contains sections on underlying principles, seven teaching and learning strategies, Professional Development activities and Resources.
KEMIS Stephen, ATKINSON Marianne, BRENNAN Rosalie A.M., ATKINSON Casey 2004 Partners in a Learning Culture. Blueprint for Implementation Mid Term Review Final Report. Executive SummaryANTA Brisbane
This review of the Australia’s national strategy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People in Vocational Education and Training, investigated wether the strategy was being implemented and wether it needs renewed emphasis, as well as wether it needs changing. With regard to Training Packages, the review found that people wanted Training Packages, modes of delivery and teaching that are responsive and appropriate.
O’ CALLAGHAN Katy 2005, Indigenous vocational education and training at a glance NCVER Adelaide.
This publication presents the results of a comprehensive research program on Indigenous Australians in VET. It outlines the thinking behind the seven key factors leading to positive outcomes for Indigenous Australians,
HUGHES Paul, MORE Arthur J., WILLIAMS Mark, Aboriginal ways of learning.Indigenous College of Education and Research, University of South Australia, Adelaide
This book investigates the concept of ways of learning for Aboriginal students in a classroom and describes how the teacher might take into account cultural patterns in their pedagogy. The book contains three parts:
- The teacher resource, which describes the Aboriginal ways of learning approach in ways that teachers can use in the classroom. It also contains inventories to identify teaching strengths of teachers as well as the learning strengths of individual students.
- Teacher’s work, which describes classroom units developed and tested by teachers, based upon Aboriginal Ways of Learning principles.
- An historical record of the development of the theories that underpin the programme.
The book can be ordered at www.unisa.edu.au/icer/Aborignal-ways.asp
IESIP SRP NATIONAL COORDINATION AND EVALUATION TEAM; MCCRAE, David et al., 2000, What works? Explorations in improving outcomes for Aboriginal students a report prepared for the Commonwealth Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs Australian Curriculum Studies Association and National Curriculum Services, Canberra
This report summarises the results from 83 Indigenous education and training projects (21 of which were related to vocational and/or adult education and training). The relevant projects include accredited and non-accredited VET delivery, VET in Schools and other adult education.
DURNAN Deborah, and BOUGHTON Bob, 1999, Succeeding against the Odds: The outcomes attained by Indigenous students in Aboriginal community controlled adult education collegesNCVER Adelaide
The study reports upon a survey of 389 students who completed accredited programs in four Aboriginal community controlled adult education colleges in 1997. It shows the comparative outcomes between the Indigenous controlled providers and the VET system as a whole.
NSW DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING, 1997, Aboriginal Education. Training and Development Resource Student Services and Equity Program NSW Department of Education and Training, Sydney
This is a School Support Document to assist schools in the implementation of Aboriginal Education Policy. It contains information, resources and materials that will lead to the development of an understanding of Aboriginal history and cultures and of Aboriginal issues in general. It includes articles from historical sources and of historic significance. It is extremely useful for the VET teacher as well as school educators. It also contains a video resource.
ALFORD Katrina and JAMES Richard 2007 Pathways and barriers: Indigenous schooling and vocational education and training participation. Centre for the study of Higher Education, The University of Melbourne, NCVER Adelaide
This research examines the problems behind the poor participation and completion rates for the Goulburn Valley Indigenous community. It identifies costs to the Indigenous community of non-participation and the reduction in social capital non completion rates entail. A range of strategies to boost successful VET completion are examined from simple concepts, such as a koori family room, to continuing challenges relating to impoverished families and communities, and inappropriate curricula and resources amongst others.
KANGAN BATEMAN TAFE 2006 Wa-dam-buk Indigenous Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) kit.
This Project from the Office of Training and Tertiary Education in Victoria, resulted in the development of the Wa-dam-buk Indigenous RPL kit which includes a DVD contextualised to ‘real’ learning environments, with case studies designed for Indigenous learners and teachers of Indigenous learners. A teacher’s guide supports the DVD with suggested activities, Indigenous protocols and issues related to RPL. The purpose of the kit is to encourage Indigenous learners to undertake RPL. The contact for this resource is wschwedes@kangan.edu.au