i

‘Movingdeeperintodifference’

Developingmeaningfulandeffectivepathwaysintoteachereducation

forIndigenousadultsfromremotecommunities

SubmittedbyLisaMarieHall

BachelorofArts

BachelorofTeaching(Honours)GraduateCertificateofAustralianIndigenousESLTeaching

MasterofEducation(TESOL)GraduateCertificateofTertiaryTeaching

Athesissubmittedinthefulfilmentoftherequirementsofthedegreeof

DoctorofPhilosophy

AustralianCentreforIndigenousKnowledgesandEducation(ACIKE)SchoolofIndigenousKnowledgesandPublicPolicy(SIKPP)

FacultyofLaw,Education,BusinessandArts

CharlesDarwinUniversityNorthernTerritory

Australia

August2016

ii

Declaration

Iherebydeclarethattheworkherein,nowsubmittedasathesisforthedegreeofDoctor

ofPhilosophyoftheCharlesDarwinUniversityistheresultofmyowninvestigationsandall

referencesto ideasandworkofotherresearchershavebeenspecificallyacknowledged. I

herebycertifythatthisworkcontainsnomaterialwhichhasbeenacceptedfortheaward

of anyotherdegreeordiploma in anyuniversityorother tertiary institutionand, to the

bestofmyknowledgeandbelief,containsnomaterialpreviouslypublishedorwrittenby

anotherperson,exceptwhereduereferencehasbeenmadeinthetext.

Igiveconsenttothiscopyofmythesis,whendepositedintheUniversityLibrary,being

made available for loan and photocopying online via the University’s Open Access

repositoryeSpace.

23rdAugust2016

Signed Dated

iii

Abstract

ThepurposeofthisthesiswastoexplorewhytherearesofewyoungIndigenouspeople

fromremotecommunitiesinCentralAustraliapursuingandcompletingateacher

educationpathway.Thisproblemisexploredprimarilythroughlisteningtotheexperiences

ofremoteIndigenousteachers,includingthebarriersandsupportstheyencounteredin

becomingqualifiedteachersthemselves.Thestoriesoftheteachersaresetagainstthe

historical,politicalandpolicycontextofremoteIndigenousteachereducationinAustralia

withparticularreferencetotheNorthernTerritory.

Thestudywasconductedusingaqualitativemethodology,specificallynarrative

methodology.Theintentionoftheresearcherandteacherparticipantswastoinhabita

Post-ColonialKnowledgespacewheretheprocessofdoingtheresearchworktogetherwas

equallyasimportantastheresearchoutcomes.Whatemergedwasagenerativeresearch

method,namedhereas‘participatorynarrative’.Thisnewmethodgeneratedspecific

insightsintohowtodoresearchtogetherin‘goodfaith’.Themethoditselfuseda

collectiveanalysisprocessdrawingontheteachernarratives.Thethematicfindingsfrom

thiscollectiveanalysiswerethenfurtherexploredthroughtheoreticalandphilosophical

lenseswithaspecificconsiderationofthecoloniallegacyinAustraliaandtheneo-colonial

reality.

TheresearchconcludesthatifwearetoresponsiblyencourageyoungIndigenouspeople

fromremotecommunitiesintoteachereducationpathwaysthenteachereducationitself

needstomoveintoaPost-ColonialKnowledgespace.Thethesisconcludeswithaproposed

frameworkforconductingteachereducationwithinthiskindofknowledgespace.

iv

Dedications

Manyofuswhohaveworkedinremotecommunitiesforlongperiodsoftimehaveone

specialcommunityofpeoplewhofirstopeneduptousnewwaysofknowing,beingand

doing.FormethosepeopleweretheEasternAnmatyerrfamiliesofMulgaBoreand

AngkulaintheUtopiaregionofcentralAustralia.InparticularIwanttoacknowledgethe

BirdandPurvisfamilies.Youlookedaftermeand‘grewmeup’whenIwasyourschool

teacherandyouslowlyandpatientlytaughtmesomanyofthethingsthathaveenabled

metogoonanddoworksuchasthisresearch.IhopethatIhavehonouredyour

investmentinmewiththeworkIhaveundertakenhere.Kelmwerr!

and

Totheremarkableteacherswhosestoriesarethebeatingheartofthisresearch,thisthesis

belongstoyouandwouldnotexistwithoutyou.Thankyouforchoosingmetotellyour

storiesto.IhopethatIhavehonouredthemandyou.Ihopethatwehavetoldthemin

suchawaythatpeoplewilllistenwithopenears.Palya,kalamarra,ngurrju!

v

Acknowledgments

WorktowardsthisthesiswasconductedonthelandofmanydifferentAustralian

AboriginallanguagegroupsincludingCentralArrernte,WesternArrarnta,Luritja,Warlpiri,

Pitjantjatjara,EasternAnmatyerr,LarrakiaandQuandamooka.Iwanttopaymyrespectsto

theancestorsandElders,pastpresentandfuture,ofalloftheselandsforthecontribution

thespiritofyourcountrymadetothecompletionofthisresearch.InparticularIwantto

thankthefamiliesandcommunitiesoftheteacherparticipantsinthisresearchforallowing

usthetimerequiredtoenableustodothisworktogether.

Additionallymythankstothefollowingpeople:

Tomysupervisors:

DrJohnHenry–thanksforbeingaguidingforceandimportantsoundingboardthroughout

theentireprocess.Icouldn’thavedoneitwithoutyou!

ProfMichaelChristie–thanksforalwaysseemingtoknowjusttherightbooktoplacein

myhandtoguidemetowardswhereIneededtogo.

DrPayiLindaFord–thanksforbeingtherewhenIneededit,givingmetheconfidencethat

Ishouldbedoingthisworkandbeingasetoffresheyestowardstheend.

Tomyfamily,friendsandcolleagues-thanksfornevertiringofaskingmehowthingswere

goingandhangingintherewhileItalkedaboutit.Alsothanksforallowingmetofocuson

thisattheexpenseofotherthings.

vi

WhilethePhDisoftencastasasolojourney,Ihavenotfoundthistobethecase.Ihave

tremendouslyvaluedthesupportandcollegialityoftheotherPhDandMastersstudents

withwhomIhavesharedthepast5yearsandparticularlywanttothankDrNia

Emmanouil,DebbieHohaia,DrKathrynGilby,DrJennyTaylor,SueField,JeanieBell,Robyn

Ober,TeresaAlice,JanineOldfield,MargCarew,DrJosieDouglasandKylieCrabbe.

TotheCDUstaff(pastandpresent)whohavelookedaftermeandguidedmyjourneyfrom

anadministrativeandlearningsupportpointofview:MerrilynWasson(whohelpedme

fromtheverybeginning),JenGirling(you’rethebest!),TerryDunbar,RolfGerritson,Aggie

Wegner,JayshreeMamtora,LeonieMoore-Smith,GregWilliams,SueShoreandLisa

McManus.AdditionalthankstoSueReaburn,whosentmelotsofveryvaluablearchival

documentsrelatingtothehistoryofeducationintheNorthernTerritory.

MythanksalsototheAliceSpringsRotaryClubforawardingmetheBillVanDijk

Postgraduatescholarshipwhichassistedmegreatlyincompletingthefieldworkforthis

research

FinallyIneedtothankpeoplewhoofferedmehospitalityalongtheway.Tothosepeoplein

communitieswholookedaftermeasIdidthefieldwork,particularlyPhoebeandFelicity,

thankssomuch!ToYuiforarrangingmyfinalwritingretreat,IanandShirleyforhosting

me,andIanandYuiforlookingaftermewhileIwasonKarragarraIsland–itwasthe

perfectspottofinishwritingmythesis.ThankstoHayley,NathanandFlorenceforlooking

aftermyhomeandmychookswhileIwasaway.

vii

Anoteaboutnomenclature

Iamawareofthedifferingopinions,beliefsandfeelingsaboutthewordsusedtoreferto

thefirstnationspeopleofAustralia.Thereisagreatdealofdebateaboutwhich

terminologyisbest.Itismybeliefthatwherepossiblepeopleshouldbereferredto

accordingtotheirlanguageandculturalidentity.Theteacherparticipantsinthisresearch

areWarlpiri,Luritja,PitjantjatjaraandWesternArrarntawomenofCentralAustralia.

WhereverpossibleIhaveusedthesewordsasdescriptors.However,attimesithasbeen

necessarytomakebroaderreferences.WhileIwastornbetweenusingtheterms

‘AboriginalandTorresStraitIslander’and‘Indigenous’Ihaveultimatelychosentousethe

term‘Indigenous’basedontheunderstandinginthe2015AIATSISEthicalPublishing

guidelines(http://aiatsis.gov.au/sites/default/files/docs/asp/ethical-publishing-

guidelines.pdf)thatsuggestthat‘theterm‘IndigenousAustralians’canbeusedto

encompassbothAboriginalpeopleandTorresStraitIslanderpeople,thoughpreferablynot

foroneortheotherwhenitisknownwhichgroupisbeingspokenabout’.Itisusedinthis

thesiswhereitispossiblebutnotnecessarythatbothAboriginaland/orTorresStrait

Islanderpeoplearepresent.Iapologizetoanyoneforwhomthistermisoffensive.That

wasnevermyintent.Thereareothersauthorswhohavechosentousetheterm

‘AboriginalandTorresStraitIslander’intheirworkandIhaverespectedthatchoiceby

keepingthosewordswhenreferencingtheirwork.

viii

Glossary

Commonwordsandexpressionsusedthroughoutthisthesis:

Warlpiri Luritja WesternArrarnta

Pitjantjatjara Yolngumatha

RakMakMakMarranunggu

English

yuwai yuwa awa awa yes

lawa wiya itchya wiya no

yapa anangu anangu yolngu tyikim Indigenousperson

kardiya tjulkura balanda padakoot non-Indigenousperson

ngurrju palya marra palya Good

ngurrjunyana palyalingku

palyalingku Reallygood

Otherwordsusedinthisthesis:

Word Languageorigin Approximatetranslationormeaning

Jakamarra Warlpiri OneofeightskinnamesformenthatmakepartofthekinshipsystemfortheWarlpiripeopleofcentralAustralia

Jampajimpa Warlpiri OneofeightskinnamesformenthatmakepartofthekinshipsystemfortheWarlpiripeopleofcentralAustralia

anma WesternArrarnta

wait

marlpa Warlpiri,LuritjaandPitjantjatjara

company

ngapartji-ngapartji

PitjantjatjaraandLuritja

yougivesomethingtomeandIgivesomethingtoyou

Ngurra-kurlu

Warlpiri Ngurra-kurluisarepresentationofthefivekeyelementsofWarlpiriculture:Land(alsocalledCountry),Law,Language,Ceremony,andSkin(alsocalledKinship).Itisaconceptthathighlightstheprimaryrelationshipsbetweentheseelements,whilealsocreatinganawarenessoftheirdeepercomplexities.

ix

ForamoredetailedexplanationseePawu-Kurlpurlurnu,HolmesandBox,2008

purami Warlpiri Thepathortheway

blekbala KriolofNgukurr(RoperRiver)area

Aboriginalperson

Kaltja KriolofNgukurr(RoperRiver)area

culture

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TableofContents

Declaration ................................................................................................................ ii

Abstract .................................................................................................................... iii

Dedications............................................................................................................... iv

Acknowledgments ..................................................................................................... v

Anoteaboutnomenclature ..................................................................................... vii

Glossary ...................................................................................................................viii

Chapter1-Introduction............................................................................................. 11.1Theneedforthisresearch............................................................................................................................. 11.2Remotecommunity-basedIndigenousteachereducation.............................................................. 31.3Apersonalorigin ............................................................................................................................................... 41.4Teachernarratives–methodologicalchoices...................................................................................... 51.5Thinkingaboutprocess-Research,relationshipsandreciprocity ............................................. 61.6AcollectivistapproachtoPost-ColonialKnowledgeWork–disconcertmentanddiscovery....................................................................................................................................................................... 71.7Epistemologicalchallengesofworkingbetweenknowledges ................................................... 101.8Researchdesignandprocess–participatorynarrativeandinterruptingtools................ 131.9Thesisoverview............................................................................................................................................... 14

Chapter2–ThehistoricalcontextofformalschoolingandremoteteachereducationintheNorthernTerritory–Areviewofliterature..................................................... 172.1Introduction .....................................................................................................................................................172.2AhistoryofformalschoolingforIndigenousstudentsintheNorthernTerritory ...........192.2.1Before1950................................................................................................................................................... 212.2.21950s-1967 .................................................................................................................................................. 252.2.31967-1979 ..................................................................................................................................................... 282.2.41979–presentday..................................................................................................................................... 31

2.3TrainingprogramsandteachereducationforIndigenousstaffinremoteschoolsintheNorthernTerritory ...............................................................................................................................................342.3.1Earlydays ...................................................................................................................................................... 342.3.2Theeraofcommunitybasedteachereducation........................................................................... 382.3.3ArticulationofIndigenousknowledgepositionsonremoteschooling............................... 402.3.4Recentyears.................................................................................................................................................. 42

Chapter3–TheevolutionofthepoliticalandpolicycontextofteachereducationinAustraliaandtheimpactonIndigenousTeachers–areviewofliterature ................ 453.1Introduction .....................................................................................................................................................45

xi

3.2TheevolutionofthepoliticsandpolicyofteachereducationinAustralia ..........................473.2.1TheoriginsofteachereducationinAustralia................................................................................483.2.2Politicalparadigmsofteachereducation........................................................................................503.2.3Nationalreviews,regulation,teacheraccountabilityandthe‘Quality’agenda ............52

3.3Theimplicationsofthenationalisationandstandardisationoftheteaching‘profession’.......................................................................................................................................................................................553.3.1‘Quality’asaninvisiblebinary ..............................................................................................................563.3.2NationalProfessionalStandardsforteachersandNationalLiteracyandNumeracytestingforteachereducation ...........................................................................................................................59

3.4WherearetheIndigenousteachers?.....................................................................................................623.4.1ThehistoricalandpoliticalpositioningofIndigenousteachers ............................................633.4.2Learninglessons ..........................................................................................................................................663.4.3Emptyrhetoricandpoliticalsleightsofhand ................................................................................71

3.5IndigenousteachersintheNorthernTerritory................................................................................753.5.1-Morereviews–‘smokeandmirrors’ ................................................................................................75

3.6TheimpactofregulationandstreamliningofteachereducationintheNorthernTerritoryonremoteIndigenousteachers ..................................................................................................833.6.1TheTeacherRegistrationBoardoftheNorthernTerritory ....................................................843.6.2Accreditationof‘standards’and‘quality’inteachereducationcoursesintheNT .......873.6.3Somuchregulationforsolittleimprovement ...............................................................................89

3.7Conclusion.........................................................................................................................................................90

Chapter4–MethodologyandMethod .....................................................................934.1Introduction .....................................................................................................................................................934.2Pre-methodologicalquestions .................................................................................................................934.2.1Thecaseforauniqueapproach ...........................................................................................................934.2.2Understandingthepast............................................................................................................................954.2.3Thecoloniallegacyofresearch ............................................................................................................964.2.4Relationalresearchthatgenerates‘goodfaith’ ............................................................................994.2.5TheethicsofPost-Colonialresearchwork.................................................................................... 101

4.3Methodology ................................................................................................................................................ 1024.3.1Theoreticalunderpinnings .................................................................................................................. 1034.3.2Storyasmethod ........................................................................................................................................ 1054.3.3Thewiderappealofstory/narrative............................................................................................... 1054.3.4Sometensionsandchallengeswithstoryasmethod ............................................................... 107

4.4Thenarrativemethodusedinthisresearch ................................................................................... 1084.4.1Purposivesampling................................................................................................................................. 1084.4.2Narrativecollection ................................................................................................................................ 1094.4.3Semi-Structurednarrativeinterviewprocess ............................................................................ 1104.4.4NarrativeAnalysis ................................................................................................................................... 113

4.5Methodologicalevolution–‘participatorynarrative’ ................................................................. 115

Chapter5–Discussionof‘ParticipatoryNarrative’method ....................................1175.1Backgroundandrationale....................................................................................................................... 117

xii

5.2ThecentralityofrelationshipsincollaborativeresearchwithIndigenousparticipants.................................................................................................................................................................................... 1185.3Co-constructingtheresearchprocess ............................................................................................... 1195.4Participatorynarratives........................................................................................................................... 1205.5Analysisofoursharedprocess ............................................................................................................. 1225.6Insightsintohowwedoresearchtogetherin‘goodfaith’–Anma,MarplaandNgapartjiNgapartji................................................................................................................................................................. 1235.6.1Anma..............................................................................................................................................................1235.6.2Marlpa...........................................................................................................................................................1245.6.3NgapartjiNgapartji ................................................................................................................................126

5.7Conclusionsabout‘howwedoresearch’ ......................................................................................... 128

Chapter6-Teachernarratives–groupthemeanalysis .......................................... 1306.1Puttingthingsagainstacontextualbackground........................................................................... 1306.2Collectiveanalysisprocess ..................................................................................................................... 1326.3Seventhemes............................................................................................................................................... 1336.3.1‘Ourfeelingforfamily’............................................................................................................................1336.3.2Learningwith‘marlpa’ ..........................................................................................................................1376.3.3Mentors,supportandencouragement............................................................................................1396.3.4TeamTeaching..........................................................................................................................................1426.3.5Leadership ...................................................................................................................................................1456.3.6Exclusionandpower ...............................................................................................................................1476.3.7‘Notlookingatuslevel’.........................................................................................................................153

6.4Conclusion...................................................................................................................................................... 156

Chapter7–Individualanalysisoftheteachernarratives........................................ 1577.1‘Ourfeelingforfamily’ .............................................................................................................................. 1577.2Learningwith‘marlpa’ ............................................................................................................................. 1717.3Mentors,supportandencouragement .............................................................................................. 1817.4TeamTeaching............................................................................................................................................. 1977.5Leadership ..................................................................................................................................................... 2087.6Exclusionandpower ................................................................................................................................. 2217.7‘Notlookingatuslevel’ ............................................................................................................................ 232

Chapter8-Discussion ............................................................................................ 2428.1Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 2428.2Discussionpartone–RaceandWhiteness ..................................................................................... 2438.2.1Whitenesstheory ......................................................................................................................................2458.2.2CriticalRacetheory .................................................................................................................................2468.2.3Adiscussioninthreesections..............................................................................................................2488.2.4‘Whitebutnotquite’IndigenousTeachersandmimicry........................................................2498.2.5KnowledgestatusandWhitenessenshrinedincurricula.......................................................2598.2.6Systemicwhitenessandinstitutionalracism ...............................................................................2718.2.7Conclusiontodiscussionpartone .....................................................................................................287

8.3Discussionparttwo–Interculturalknowledgework ................................................................ 291

xiii

8.3.1Introduction ............................................................................................................................................... 2918.3.2Interculturalknowledgeworkofcommunitybasedteachereducation ......................... 2938.3.3Differenceanddisconcertment.......................................................................................................... 319

Chapter9–Post-ColonialKnowledgeWorkandIndigenousTeacherEducation......3319.1Post-ColonialKnowledgeWork............................................................................................................ 3349.2ASpaceofPost-ColonialKnowledgeWork ..................................................................................... 3369.3Waysofcomingtogetherin‘goodfaith’............................................................................................ 3379.4ToolsforPost-ColonialKnowledgeWork ........................................................................................ 3489.5ImplicationsofPost-ColonialKnowledgeworkforteachereducation............................... 355

Chapter10–Conclusionsandcontributiontonewknowledge ...............................35810.1Answeringtheresearchquestions ................................................................................................... 35810.1.1Researchquestion1 ............................................................................................................................. 35810.1.2Researchquestion2 ............................................................................................................................. 35910.1.3Researchquestion3 ............................................................................................................................. 36010.1.4Researchquestion4 ............................................................................................................................. 361

10.2Contributiontonewknowledge ........................................................................................................ 36210.2.1InsightsintodoingresearchusingaPost-ColonialKnowledgeapproach................... 36210.2.3Post-Colonialknowledgework–apossibleframework ...................................................... 363

Bibliography ...........................................................................................................365

1

Chapter1-Introduction

InthischapterIprovideanoverviewofthefullthesis.InitiallyIwillexplainwhythis

researchisneededandwillprovideastatementoftheresearchquestionsattheheartof

thework.InorderforyoutobetterunderstandwherethesequestionscamefromIhave

providedanexplanationoftheoriginsoftheresearch.Ihavealsogivenanoverviewofthe

methodologicalchoices,theresearchdesignand,importantly,theprocessundertaken.

Thisexploressomeoftheepistemologicalchallengesandopportunitiesofworking

betweenknowledges.Finally,thischapterwillconcludewithasimpleoverviewofthe

remainderofthethesischapters.

1.1Theneedforthisresearch

BothAustralianandinternationaleducationalresearchwithIndigenouscommunities

demonstratethepositiveimpactofIndigenousorlanguageminoritystudentsbeingtaught

bymembersoftheirowncommunitywhointrinsicallyunderstandthelanguage,culture

andlearningstylesofthestudents(Battenetal1998;Bourkeetal2000;Buckley1996;

Christie1985;Hickling-Hudson&Ahlquist2003;Rosas2001;Santoro&Reid2006;Santoro

etal.2008;Woods1994).Therecent‘ReportintotheRetentionandGraduationof

AboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderstudentsenrolledinInitialTeacherEducation’(Patton

etal.2012)completedaspartoftheMoreAboriginalandTorresStraitTeachersInitiative

(MATSITI)statedthat‘…languageisan‘invisiblefence’orbarrierformanyAboriginaland

TorresStraitIslanderpeopleinremoteareas’whichplacesahighneedforAboriginaland

TorresStraitIslanderteachersfromthesesamecommunities(Pattonetal.2012,p.9).The

MATSITIreportalsoraisestheissuesthat:

2

Qualified(andquality)AboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderteachersareseenas

crucialincurrentdiscussionsabouttheAustralianCurriculum,andtherequirement

ofthenationalProfessionalStandardsforTeacherstoembedAboriginalandTorres

StraitIslanderknowledgesinthecurriculum(Pattonetal.2012,p.9).

Thefactthatin2015therearestillsofewfullyqualifiedIndigenousteachersworkingin

schoolsacrossAustraliaisamatterofnationalconcern.Oneofthemainpurposesofthe

MATSITIinitiative,whichhasbeeninplacefrom2011to2015,wastoexploresomeofthe

reasonswhy,despitethefactthatthecallformoreIndigenousteachershasalonghistory,

thisresearchsuggeststhatAustralianteachereducationprogramsnationwideare

strugglingtoretainandgraduatestudentsfromthesebackgrounds(Pattonetal.2012,p.

7).TheMATSITIreportalsonotesthat:

AlthoughtheneedtoincreasethenumbersofAboriginalandTorresStraitIslander

teachershasbeenhighlightedformanyyears,littlehaschangednationallysince

the1980swhenHughesandWilmot(1982)calledfor1000Indigenousteachersby

1990(Pattonetal.2012,p.9).

ThisisapointthatisrepeatedlyhighlightedinresearchdoneintheIndigenousteacher

educationspacetheearlytomid-2000s(Herbert2002;Santoro&Reid2004).TheMATSITI

reportsuggeststhatoneofthebarrierstochangeistheresistancetounderstandingthat

thisisacomplexspaceinteachereducationandthereisno‘onesizefitsallstrategy’

(Pattonetal.2012,p.14).Thereportnotesthatthereareatleastthreegroupsofteacher

educationprogramsthatserveparticulargroupsofIndigenousteachereducationstudents.

TherehasbeenconsiderableinvestigationoftheregionalandruralIndigenousteacher

3

educationrealitiesinAustralia(Reidetal.2004;Santoro&Reid2006;Santoroetal.2008).

Howeverinrecentyearstherehasbeenconsiderablylessinvestigationaround‘remote

community-basedAboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderteachereducation’(Pattonetal.

2012,p.14),lessstilloftheremoteNorthernTerritorycontext.Ifwedelvedowntothe

levelofCentralAustraliathereisnexttonoresearchinthisarea.Thisstudyistherefore

necessaryandlongoverdue.

1.2Remotecommunity-basedIndigenousteachereducation

ThepathwayintoteachereducationhasprovenaparticularlydifficultoneforIndigenous

adultsfromremotecommunitiesinAustraliatopursue,particularlyiftheyspeaktheirown

languageprimarilyandEnglishisanadditionallanguage.Thosewhohavesucceededhave

oftendonesoinspiteoftheeducationalsystemtheyareworkinginratherthanbeing

supportedbyit.Theaimofthisdoctoralresearchstudyhasbeentoexplorethisimportant

nationalissue,withaspecificlocalfocusontheremoteCentralAustraliancontext,through

posingthefollowingresearchquestions:

• WhathavebeentheexperiencesofIndigenousteachersfromremotecommunities

inCentralAustraliawhohavecompletedteachereducation?

• Whataresomeoftheelementsthatsupportedthemandwhataresomeofthe

barrierstheseteachersencountered?

• Whatarethebenefitstostudents,schoolsandthewidereducationsystemof

havingagreaternumberofqualifiedIndigenousteachersinremoteschools?

4

• Howcanmeaningfulandeffectivepathwaysbecreatedtosupportteacher

educationforfuturegenerationsofIndigenousteachersfromremote

communities?

1.3Apersonalorigin

Theideaforthisresearchhasgrownoutofrelationshipsandpartnershipsbetweenmyself

andagroupofIndigenousteachersfromremotecommunitiesinCentralAustraliawho

havebeensuccessfulintheirambitiontobecomefullyqualifiedteachersaccordingtothe

requirementsoftheNorthernTerritoryTeacherRegistrationBoardandtheNorthern

TerritoryDepartmentofEducation.Throughtwoandahalfyearsofworkingtogether

duringthefinalstageoftheirteachereducationIwasprivilegedtohearthestoriesofhow

thesemature-agedwomenbecameteachersinthefirstplace.Similartotheconcerns

expressedatthenationallevelthroughMATSITI,Iwitnessedfirst-handthesadnessand

feartheseteachersfeltforthedearthofyoungIndigenousteachersbeingeducatedtotake

overfromthemoneday.Ifeltstronglythattheirstoriesheldmuchvalue,bothas

testamentstotheteachersthemselvesandtheirdetermination,commitmentand

dedication,butalsoassignpoststothe‘systems’theyworkin–theUniversitysystemthat

educatedthemandtheschoolsystemtheywerebecomingqualifiedtoworkin.

Insomewaysitfeltlikethosestorieswerebeingentrustedtometoholdonto,to

remember,tocontextualiseinmyworkwiththesewomenandtheirrespective

communities,andtodifferentiatefrommyownstoryandjourneytobecomeaqualified

teacher.ButitalsofeltlikethewomenweregivingmethosestoriestoDOsomethingwith

5

them.InmanywaysthisdescriptionbyLindaTuhiwaiSmith(1999,p.197)bestdescribes

thisfeeling,

Ifoundthatpeopleentrustedmewithinformationaboutthemselveswhichwas

highlypersonal,Ifelthonouredbythattrust,andsomewhatobligatedaswell–in

thesenseofhavingtobeverycarefulandveryrespectfulabouthowIhandledsuch

information.

Thestorieswererevealedtomeinthebroadercontextofthereasonswhytheseteachers

hadchosentocomebacktostudyto‘upgrade’theirqualificationsdespitehavingbeen

deemedtobefullyqualifiedunderpreviousteachereducationcertificationrequirements.

Theirmotivationwasintrinsicallylinkedtotheiragenda,andnowmine–toensurethata

newgenerationofteachersfromwithintheirhomecommunitieswerebeingsupported

andequippedtofollowonbehindthem;ortoexplorewhytheyarenot?Ihavenoproofor

evidencethatthisiswhattheteacherswereaskingmetodowiththeirstories,otherthan

theirenthusiasmforhelpingmewiththisresearchnow,andanintuitiveunderstanding

thathasnotdiminishedovertime.Sotheideaforthisresearchwasborn,tousethePhD

processasavehicletoexplorethewiderlearningthatmightbegleanedfromthesestories

abouttheelementsthatsupportandthosethathindersuccesswhenremoteIndigenous

peopleembarkonthejourneytobecomeaqualifiedteacher.

1.4Teachernarratives–methodologicalchoices

Asstatedpreviouslythecommonconcernattheheartofthisresearchwastolookat

pathwaysforpeoplefromremotecommunitiesintoteachereducation.Thekeyvehiclefor

exploringthisconcernwasthestoriesofsevenIndigenousteachersfromremote

6

communitiesinCentralAustraliawhohadsuccessfullycompletedthispathwaytobecome

fullyqualifiedclassroomteachers.Theobviouschoicegiventhatweweredealingwith

storieswastouseanarrativemethodologyandthenmorespecificallyuseamethodsuch

as‘yarning’(BessarabandNg'andu2010;Williams2007)whichhasbeendevelopedin

recentyearsbyIndigenousresearchersasaculturallycongruentwayofundertaking

narrativeresearchwithIndigenousparticipants.Adetaileddecriptionofthe

methodologicalchoicesandmethodsusedareprovidedinChapter4ofthisthesis.

1.5Thinkingaboutprocess-Research,relationshipsandreciprocity

Animportantelementofunderstandingthisresearchandwhatiswritteninthisthesisis

understandingthatithasfocusedasmuchontheprocessasithasontheproduct.Inthis

waywe,myselfandtheteacherparticipants,havetriedtoexploreandembodyPost-

ColonialKnowledgeWorkwhichwillbeexploredtowardstheendofthethesis.Fornow,I

wouldjustaskyourindulgenceasIoutlinesomekeyelementsofourprocesstogether

beforeoutliningtheoverallstructureofthethesisitself.

InconsideringhowtodothisresearchrespectfullyandeffectivelyIhadtoplacethe

relationshipsIhavewiththeteacherparticipantsatthecentreofitall.Tostepbackfrom

thoserelationshipsinordertodotheresearchwouldbe,Ibelieve,incoherentto

Indigenousontology.VeronicaArbon(2008)talksabout‘BeingasReciprocal’and

‘reciprocalrelatedness’(p34).ArbonnotesthatforArabanapeople,thelanguagegroupto

whichshebelongs,‘becomingwhoyouareisaccomplishedbyknowingyourreciprocal

relationships’andthat‘Reciprocityis…afoundationalontologyanditscoreroleistoseek

balancewithintherelatedArabanalifeworld’(Arbon,2008,p34).Arbontalksaboutthis

7

reciprocalrelatednessbeingthewaythatallthingswereworkedoutbetweenallentitiesin

thelocalareaandshemakesadistinctionbetweenthe‘local’andwhatwas‘beyond’.She

notesthat:‘Beyond,strangersexistandcordialrelationsaremaintainedthrough

ceremoniesortherighttopassthroughCountry’(Arbon,2008p34).Itisforthisreason

thatIqualifythereciprocitythatexistsbetweenmyselfandtheteacherparticipants.Our

relationshipsdonotfitneatlyintothe‘reciprocity’thatispartoftheontologythat

Aboriginalpeopleshare.NeitherdoesitfitintomyWesternideasofreciprocity,which

havetraditionallytendedtofocusmoreonthe‘interchangeofprivileges’(‘reciprocity’

OxfordModernEnglishDictionary1996,p.844).Thesereciprocalrelationshipshavehadto

findathirdspaceofunderstanding,onethatisflexibleandopenenoughtoembrace

differentunderstandingsofreciprocity.ItisforthisreasonthatIhavecalledthem‘ongoing

negotiatedreciprocalrelationships’,becauseitisuptothoseofusintherelationshipsto

negotiatethewaytheserelationshipsplayoutinourever-changinginteractions.

1.6AcollectivistapproachtoPost-ColonialKnowledgeWork–disconcertmentand

discovery

Toacknowledgeandexplainourcollectiveprocessisnottodenythecomplexityofitand

thedisconcertment(Verran2013)weexperienceinhowthisworksinpractice.Questions

ofobligation,accountability,balance,power,oppressionandequalityareallpartofthat

ongoingprocessofnegotiation.KathrynPyneAddelson(1994,p.5)callsthisprocessthe

continualgenerationandregenerationofthe‘we’andsuggeststhatitisanaturalpartof

allcollectivistacts.Shebelievesthereisgreatvalueinexploringanduncoveringwhatitis

wedotogethertonavigateallofthesedilemmasinthecreationofa‘we’(p.6).Formy

part,Ihavebeenveryawareoftheneedtoremainconsciousandalerttotheassumptions

8

Imakebasedonmypositionasanon-Indigenouspersonfromawhite,middleclassEnglish

speakingbackground.TouseAddelson’swordsIhavehadtobecomeconsciousof,

…thesocietythatweactandenacteveryday,thatwegenerateandregenerate

throughouracceptanceandreinforcementoftheauthoritative‘norms’and

‘standards(Addelson1994,p.11).

IntheAustralianexperiencethese‘norms’and‘standards’arebornoftheoriginalactof

coloniallandtheftanddispossession,theramificationsofwhichcontinuetoshape

contemporarysociety.Thisresultsinthe‘norms’and‘standards’ofAustraliansociety

beingbasedontheexperiencesofonegroupoverandaboveallothersandconsideration

onlybeinggiventoonewayofknowing.So-called‘objective’viewsandmodelsofnorms,

rulesandprinciplesarebiasedtowardsthedominantgroup.Theyignoretherelationships

ofauthorityandpower(Addelson1994,p.14).Freire’sterminologyisthatofthe

oppressorsandtheoppressedbuthetoohighlightstheinstinctofthedominantor

oppressorgrouptomaintaintheirpowerandauthoritybydoingwhatisintheirownself-

interest,includingactsoffalsegenerositytomaintainthestatusquo(Freire1972,p.29).In

theAustraliancontextthemostevidentexampleofthisexistsbetweentheEuropean

colonisingpowerandtheoriginalIndigenousinhabitants.Arbon(2008)writes,

ThemajorityofAustraliansstillcannotacceptthattheknowledgeandphilosophyof

ourpeople….areaslegitimateastheirownbeliefsorthatsuchknowledgecanbe

rightfullycomparedtotheirprivilegedandpowerfulscientificallybasedideologies

andphilosophies.Thesescientificandideologicalpositions,ofteninheritedfroma

pastbeyondourbordersorinclusiveoftheinvasion,areconspicuouslypervasive

9

withincontemporaryAustraliansociety,creatinganenvironmentofsubmersion

andcontrolforArabanaNharlaandotherIndigenouspeople(Arbon2008,p.18).

Theseissuesofhegemony,poweranddisparityareoftenthesubjectofexamination

throughthecriticaltheorystreamofsocialscienceresearch.Freire(1972)isoneofthe

giantvoicesinthisfieldparticularlyintheareaofeducation.Foucault(1977)isanotherkey

voiceparticularlyinrelationtothewaythatsystemsandinstitutionsentrench,reinforce

andmaintainpower.Inareasthatrelatespecificallytoissuesofrace,particularlyin

Indigenous/colonisercontexts,thereisagrowingbodyofworkthatrelatesto‘Whiteness

Theory’and‘CriticalRaceTheory’whichendeavourstounpackandunderstandthe

underlyingcausesofracially-basedinequity.Thesetheorieswillbedrawnuponinalater

chapterofthisthesisinthediscussionofboththeliteratureandtheresearchfindingsfrom

theteachernarratives.

Butunderstandinghowthingsareisnotthesameasdoingthingsdifferently.Addelson

(1994)talksabouttheneedfor‘responsiblework’or‘responsibleresearch’which,rather

thanignoringtheseissuesofauthority,power,normsandstandardsbywhichweenactthe

world,forcestheresearchertoexplore‘theirrelationshipwiththoseothersandthepart

theyplayinmaintaining,generatingandregeneratingthenormsandrules’(p.16).Todo

thiswemustfirstovercomethefalsehoodthatwearesomekindof‘judgingobserver’

(Addelson1994,p.18).Thepositivistviewofknowledgecreationisthatasresearcherwe

cansomehowstepoutoftheprocessoflifeandbeobjective,observingthephenomenon

weareexploringthencreatingsomedetachedandobjectiveanalysisofit.Howeverthisis

contrarytohowweactuallyactashumanbeings,wheremeaningcomesfromrelationship

10

andconnectivityandourdecisionsandactionsaremeasuredbywhatweperceivetobe

ournormsandbeliefs.Inlivinglifeweanswerthequestionofhowweshouldlive–itisin

thedoingthatwediscoverhowtodo.Thisisbecausewearereading,responding,

internalizing,adjustingallthetimebasedonthesubtlebuteverpresentacceptedsocial

normsthatarearoundus.Forthosewhoareinpositionsofpowerandauthoritythenorms

willbebasedaroundsolidifyingandprotectingone’splacewithinthatsocialorder.

Asresearchersweneedtobehyper-consciousofhowweareactingtoprotecttheexisting

positionsofpowerandprivilege,andmustconsciouslystepawayfrommakingdecisions

thatgenerateandregeneratethesocialorder,bysteppingintoaspacewherewecando

‘morallyresponsible’work,workthathasasitsfocusthecreationofa‘we’(Addelson,

1994).Iampartofthisstoryalreadyandtopretendotherwiseisnotpossible.This

researchcannotbeadetachedspaceofjudgingobservation.Theempiricalquestionwith

thefocusofdoing‘responsiblework’thenbecomes‘howdo‘we’embarkonthisaction

togetherinawaythatweareallresponsibletoeachother,andinawaythatgenerates

someknowledgethatis‘ours’aboutwhatwehavedonehere?’Thisquestionandthe

responsegeneratedbytheprocessofthisresearchareexploredfurtherinChapter5.

1.7Epistemologicalchallengesofworkingbetweenknowledges

ThechoicetouseaPhDjourneyastheframeforthiswork,aframewhichisinessencean

individualisttaskthatcarriesmynameforwardastheauthor/cognitiveauthority,created

epistemologicalchallenges.Ihavehadtoquestionifitispossibletofulfilmycontractwith

theUniversitytocompletethisworkwhilestillembarkingonmorallyresponsibleworkthat

isrespectfulofthecreativityofothersastheycreatemeaningandknowledge.Isit

11

possibletodoworkwithinaPhDthatiscognizantofandmakesspaceforthecollective

actionrequiredtodoitwell?Myresponsetothesequestionswastomaketheprocessas

importantastheproductinthisresearch.KathrynPyneAddelson(1994,p.1)suggeststhat

‘Answerstohowweshouldlivearecreatedintheprocessofliving’.InthisveinIsuggest

thatanswerstohowweshoulddo‘morallyresponsible’researchworkareansweredinthe

processofdoingresearchtogether.

ParkerPalmer(2009)callspayingattentiontotheprocess‘theworkbeforethework’.Itis

whatwemustdoifweareusingarelationalepistemology.Itisaboutcomingtotermswith

andunderstandingourinnerlandscape,honestly,sothatweenterintotheprocessof

doingtheworkinfrontofusrelativelyunencumbered.Wearethenabletoenterintoa

‘liveencounter’witheachotherthatpermitstheworkthatemergestobetrustworthyand

‘true’fromtheperspectiveoftheparticipants.Bypayingattentiontothis‘workbeforethe

work’weensurethatwhenweactuallysitdowntodothe‘work’,theexperienceisgood

forallwhoareinvolved,andthefeelingweareallleftwithattheconclusionis‘right’.Itisa

processofuncoveringanddiscoveringtogether;itis,atitscore,creativeandgenerative.

Addelson(1994)alsoadvocatesforthistypeofworkinhercollectivisttheorysaying‘I

believethatuncoveringwhatwedotogethermightleave,asagift,allthefreedomof

creationthatisinfactourown’(p6).Shealsoacknowledgeshowdifficultthistypeofwork

isforinstitutionstoacceptorpermit.Shepointstothechallengeofdoingthiskindof

work:

…withinaninstitutionthatisanofficialenactoroftruthandaproducerofofficial

12

meanings,aninstitutionthathideswhatpeopledotogetheraspartofitstaskof

regeneratingthesocialorder(Addelson1994,p.8).

Shearguesthatinordertocreateknowledgetogetherwemustputasidethedualismof

‘organismandenvironment’aswellastheideaofthe‘objectiveandjudgingobserver’.She

advocatesapositionwheretheresearchcommunitymustacknowledgethat,

Humanbeingsare,afterall,livingorganismswhocreatetheirenvironments–who

even,inthatsense,createbothsocietyandnature…Scientistsareparticipantsinthe

processandtheknowledgethattheyproduceoughttoreflectthat(Addelson1994,

p3).

Palmer(1999,pp.100-103)alsocallsintoquestiontheillogicalobsessioninHigher

Educationandresearchwithobjectivistwaysofknowing,statingthat‘Objectivism,

obsessedwiththepurityofknowledge,wantstoavoidthemessofsubjectivityatallcosts’

(p.100).Hesuggeststherearetwoproblemswithobjectivism;firstly,itfalselyportrays

howweknow,andsecondly,ithasprofoundlydeformedthewayweeducate.Both

Addelson(1994)andPalmer(1999)arguethatknowledgeiscreatedandenacted

collectivelythroughrelationshipsandthatinpayingattentiontowhatpeopleinfactdo

togetherhelpsustounderstandgreatertruthsaboutthecreatedknowledgeitself.

Verran(2013)commentsonwhatactuallyhappensatahumanlevelwhenpeoplefrom

differentepistemologicalunderstandingscometogethertodoknowledgework.Shetalks

13

abouttheneedtolearntoliveinwhatshecallsaspaceof‘existentialpanic’(Verran2013,

p.145)whenworkingininterculturalspacesorthespaceofdifference.Shesaysitistobe

expectedthatwefeelmomentsofepistemicdisconcertmentwhenpeoplefromdifferent

ontologicalandepistemologicaloriginstrytoworktogether.Inherownwords,

Epistemicdisconcertment…amomentofexistentialpanic…impliesthatourtakenfor

grantedaccountofwhatknowledgeishassomehowbeenupsetorimpingedupon

sothatwebegintodoubtandbecomelesscertain…cultivationofepistemic

disconcertmentiscrucialforpost-colonialknowledgework(Verran2013,pp.144-

145).

Howwereacttothosemomentsofdisconcertmentandpanicdefinehowweareableto

moveforwardtogetherin‘goodfaith’or‘badfaith’.Verran(2013)suggeststhatifwewant

awayforwardthatmovesbeyondcolonizingreductionthenweneedtobecomeawareof

andwelcomethesemomentsasevidencethatwearewitnessingepistemicdisconcertment

andengaginghonestlyinthemomentinPost-ColonialKnowledgeWork.Todothiswe

mustgo‘deeperinside’whatishappeningatanepistemologicallevelforthoseinvolved.

1.8Researchdesignandprocess–participatorynarrativeandinterruptingtools

Alloftheseelementsmeantthattheresearchdesign,themethodologicalchoicesandthe

researchprocessitselfhadtobecarefullythoughtthroughifwewereactuallywantingto

dogoodPost-ColonialKnowledgeWorktogether.Asimportantasanythingelseinthis

research,collaborationwasourconsciousattempttodothe‘workbeforethework’.This

wasdonebyallowingforalong‘conversationalphase’atthebeginningoftheresearch

process,someintentionalconversationsabouttheresearchprocessatspecificstages

14

throughouttheperiodofactiveresearch‘data’workandanintentionalcomingback

togethertoanalysetheresearchdataasagrouplaunchingtheresearch‘dataanalysis’

work.Weconsciouslyandintentionallychosetotalkandthinktogetheraboutwhatwe

weredoingandhowweweredoingit.InVerran’slanguagewewerecultivatingthe

‘collectivedispositiontointerrogatethefamiliar’(2013,p.159).Thisintentional

interrogationofwhatwashappeningasweworkedtogethergeneratednew

understandingsandthesenewunderstandingsofhowwedoknowledgeworktogethersit

alongsidetheresearchfindingsasequallyimportantnewknowledgearisingfromthis

doctoralresearch.Whatwewereinfactdoingwasco-creatingourownmethodofworking

together,whichIhavecalled‘participatorynarrative’.Thismethodacknowledgedthe

teacherparticipantsashavingauthorityandknowledgewellbeyondjustbeingthetellers

ofthenarrativescentraltothisresearch.Asknowledgeauthoritiesinthisfield,theteacher

participantsbecametheco-creatorsoftheprocessandco-contributorstotheanalysis

work.HowthishappenedisexplainedinfulldetailinChapters4and5,butitisimportant

tounderstandthiselementfromtheoutsetasitaffectsthetoneoftheentirethesis.

1.9Thesisoverview

Thethesisitselffollowsafairlysimplestructureofliteraturereview,methodology,

researchfindings,discussionandconclusion.

Chapters2and3locatetheresearchwithinbothhistoricalandpoliticalcontextsofteacher

educationmorebroadly.Chapter2givesananalysisofhistoricalliteraturewithrelationto

formalschoolingandremoteteachereducationintheNorthernTerritory.Thisisimportant

asitcontextualizesthejourneythattheteacherparticipantstalkaboutintheirnarratives.

15

InChapter3thefocusisontheevolutionofthepoliticalandpolicycontextofteacher

educationattheAustralianandNorthernTerritorylevels,andtheimpactofthisonremote

IndigenousteacherssuchastheCentralAustralianbasedteacherparticipantsinthis

doctoralstudy.

Chapters4and5dealwithmethodologicalquestions.Chapter4outlinesthepre-

methodologicalquestionsconsideredintheresearchdesignprocess.Italsoexplainsthe

narrativemethodologyandthensetsoutthespecificparticipatorynarrativeprocess

followedbytheresearcherandteacherparticipants.Chapter5isananalysisanddiscussion

ofthemeritsofusingthisparticipatorynarrativeapproachwhenworkinginan

interculturalknowledgespace.Itisincludedinthebodyofthethesisasitpointstowards

theimportanceofpayingattentiontoandintentionallyinterruptingtheresearchprocess

asawayofworkingtogetherindifferenceandin‘goodfaith’(Verran2013).These

chapterscombinetogiveemphasistothefactthattheteacherswhoparticipatedinthis

researchwerenotjustthetellersofthenarratives,buttheco-constructorsoftheresearch

designandco-participantsintheanalysisanddiscussionstages.

Chapters6and7containtheanalysisoftheteachernarrativesthemselves.Chapter6isthe

groupanalysisoftheseventeachernarrativesandtheinductiveproposalofkeythemes.

Thisprocessisreflectiveoftheimportanceplacedonfindingamethodofanalysisthatwas

inclusiveofmorethanmyselfastheUniversity-recognized‘principalresearcher’.Itwas

importanttoensurethatthemesinthenarrativeswerenotidentifiedsolelybyonenon-

Indigenousperson,butwereinclusiveoftheknowledgeauthoritiesinthefield;thatis,the

teacherparticipantsthemselves.Chapter7thenusesthesevenproposedkeythemesasan

16

analyticalframetoexaminetheindividualteachernarratives.Atthislevelthedepthand

breadthofexamplesrelatingtoeachthemeareexploredingreaterdetail.

ThediscussioninChapter8isdividedintotwoparts.Thefirstpartdiscussesthefindings

fromtheteachernarrativeanalysisthroughthelensofraceandwhiteness.Thesecond

partexaminestheexamplesofgoodinterculturalknowledgeworkrepresentedinthe

teachernarrativeanalysis.Chapter9thenpresentsthenewknowledgeandinsightsthat

havebeengeneratedbythisdoctoralresearch,namelyasuggestedprocessfordoingPost-

ColonialKnowledgeWorkandtheimplicationsofthisforremoteIndigenousteacher

education.FinallyChapter10summariseshowthethesisanswerstheoriginalresearch

questionsaswellasspecificallyaddressingtheclaimsfornewknowledgemadebythis

research.

17

Chapter2–ThehistoricalcontextofformalschoolingandremoteteachereducationintheNorthernTerritory–Areviewofliterature

2.1Introduction

TherecentnationalreportintotheretentionandgraduationofAboriginalandTorresStrait

IslanderstudentsenrolledinInitialTeacherEducation(Pattonetal.2012),aspartofthe

MoreAboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderInitiative(MATSITI)remindedusthatalthough

theneedtoincreasethenumbersofAboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderteachershas

beenhighlightedformanyyears,littlehaschangednationallysincethe1980swhen,in

1982,HughesandWilmotcalledfor1000Indigenousteachersby1990(inPattonetal.

2012,p.9).ThissametrendistrueforIndigenousteachersfromremotecommunitiesin

theNorthernTerritory.Itishardtogainasenseoftheactualnumberasthereissolittle

datagatheredonthisdemographic.ThemostrecentindicationfromtheTeacher

RegistrationBoardoftheNorthernTerritoryisin2011whichestimatesthenumberof

AboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderTeachersregisteredasclassroomteacherstoworkin

schoolsasaround3%ofthatyear’stotalregistrationof6151teachers(NorthernTerritory

TeacherRegistrationBoardAnnualReport2011).Thisputstheestimatednumberat

around185AboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderTeachersacrossthewholeoftheNorthern

Territory.Atthetimeofitsinceptionin2005throughuntil2008,theTeacherRegistration

BoardrecordedthenumbersofAboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderregisteredteachers.In

2005,156outof3992registeredteachersintheNorthernTerritoryidentifiedasAboriginal

andTorresStraitIslanders.By2008,thelastyearwhentherewasanactualnumber

recorded,thishadgoneupslightlyinnumberto164AboriginalandTorresStraitIslander

18

teachers,buthadgonedownasapercentageofthetotalof5086teachersworkinginthe

schoolsoftheNorthernTerritory(NorthernTerritoryTeacherRegistrationBoardAnnual

Reports2005-2008).Thereisonlyanecdotaldataavailableonhowmanyofthissmall

numberofregisteredAboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderteachersliveandworkinvery

remote1communitiesintheNorthernTerritory.

YetthereisongoingandpersistentrhetoricaroundsupportingandencouragingIndigenous

Teacherstobecomefullyqualifiedclassroomteachers.Theliteraturereviewedinthis

chapterisbasedonthefollowingquestion:Howdoesexplorationofthehistoricalcontext

ofIndigenousteachereducationintheNorthernTerritoryhelpshedlightonthecurrent

lownumbersofpeoplefromremoteIndigenouscommunitiesbecomingqualified

teachers?Theliteratureaboutthisquestionwillbeexploredthroughtwokeylenses.

Firstly,IwilltakeanhistoricallookatthedevelopmentofformalschoolingintheNorthern

TerritoryandtheconnectedworkofIndigenouspeopleasteachersintheseschools.The

secondlenswillbeamoredetailedexplorationoftheliteratureavailableaboutthespecific

historicaldevelopmentoftrainingcoursesandteachereducationforIndigenouspeoplein

theNorthernTerritory.

Theaimofthischapteristocontributesufficientbackgroundandcontextsoasto

understandtheteachernarrativesexaminedinlaterchapters.Thisisstronglyinkeeping

withacentralthemeofCriticalRaceTheory(CRT)whichchallengesahistorismandinsists

oncontextualandhistoricalanalysiswithspecificfocusontheroleofraceinanygiven

1 Australian Bureau of Statistics classification: http://www.abs.gov.au/websitedbs/D3310114.nsf/4a256353001af3ed4b2562bb00121564/6b6e07234c98365aca25792d0010d730/$FILE/ASGS%20Remoteness%20Structure%20-%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf

19

problem(Gillborn2006;Ladson-BillingsandTate2006;Matsuda1995).Thistheorywillbe

exploredfurtherinthediscussioninChapter8.Fornowthisreviewofliteratureisoffered

asawayofbeginningtoprovidesomehistoricalexplanationsforthepresentreality.

2.2AhistoryofformalschoolingforIndigenousstudentsintheNorthernTerritory

AnyexplorationofIndigenousteachereducationintheNorthernTerritory(NT)mustfirst

becontextualizedagainstthebackdropofthehistoryofformalschoolingsystemintheNT.

Pre-invasioneducationforIndigenouspeopleinAustraliawaswellestablishedwithin

familygroupsandcommunities.Price(2012)notesthat‘AboriginalandTorresStrait

Islanderpeoplehavealwayshadtheirowneducationandthiseducationbeganassoonas

thechildmovedinthewomb,assoonasitwasknownthattherewasanewresponsibility’

(p.4).Thissystemoflearningbasedon‘embodieddistinctpracticalteachingstyles,

observation,imitation,repetitionandpracticalactivity’(Russo&Rodwell1989,p.1)also

includedtheroleoftheteacherwithPrice(2012,p.4)observingthat‘foreachchildthere

wasateacher,amentorandapeerwithwhomtolearn.Therewere‘tutors’:wisewomen

andmenwhoensuredthathistoryandtheessentialsoflifeweretaught’.Thepurposeof

thiseducationwastoprepare‘thechildforhis/herroleinthelifeofthetribe,inpersonal,

social,economicandspiritualterms’(Russo&Rodwell1989,p.1).Thisperiodoftime,

unfetteredbycolonialsettlementanditstrappings,isstillwithinlivingmemoryofseveral

generationsstillalivetodayintheNorthernTerritory.

However,asnotedintheMATSITIreport,anydiscussionofAboriginalandTorresStrait

Islanderparticipationinhighereducationmusttakeintoaccountdisadvantageandthe

broaderissuesofsocialclass.Thismeanstheconsiderationofbarriersrelatedtothe

20

historicaleffectsofcolonization,socialdisadvantageandthehistoricalexclusionof

AboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderchildreninschooling(Pattonetal2012,p10).Initially

aftercolonizationeducationwasnotevenaconsiderationfortheIndigenouspopulationof

Australia.Thiswasbasedlargelyontheattitudeofthetimewhichsawearly

anthropologistsofferthefollowingdescriptions:

‘theAustralianaboriginesarethemostprimitiveorbackwardrace’onEarth

(Spencer1904,p.376)

RelicsoftheStoneAge,theyweredoomed,andlittlemorecouldbedoneotherthan

maketheir‘pathtofinalextinction…aspleasantaspossible’(SpencerandGillen

1899,pp.17-18)

Europeanstyleschoolsinanyformwerenotsystematicallyestablisheduntilthe1950’s.

Willis(1985)suggeststhatthehistoryof‘AboriginalEducation’intheNorthernTerritory

canbebrokenintofourperiodsnamely:

1. upto1950s–whichcanbecharacterizedasaperiodofneglectwithsometoken

examplesofschoolsemerging;

2. the1950s-1970swhichroughlycorrespondstothepolicyofassimilation;

3. aperiodof‘culturaladaptation’between1972-1975;and

4. theperiodfrom1975onwardswhichhasoscillatedbetweenpoliciesofcultural

adaptationandassimilation.

Whenconsideringothersources,amoreappropriatedefinitionofthethirdperiodmight

befrom1967,whichwastheyearoftheFederalReferendumthatgavetheNational

governmentthepowertolegislateforIndigenousAustraliansintheStatesandfor

21

IndigenousAustralianstobecountedasAustraliancitizens,until1979whichwastheyear

theNorthernTerritorybeganself-government.

2.2.1Before1950

AcrossAustralia,intheearlydaysofEuropeancolonization,schoolsweregenerally

establishedbythechurch,withtheunderstandingthattheyweretheretocaterforthe

whitechildrenonly(Russo&Rodwell1989,p.1).Theprevailingattitudeofthetimewas

heavilyinvestedinSocialDarwinismandanyminimaleffortsatschoolingforAboriginal

childrenwerebasedonnotionsof‘civilisingandChristianisingtheprimitivesavages’(Russo

&Rodwell1989,p.1).Bythemid1800’seventhese‘civilising’effortsdoneinaspiritof

‘benevolentprotection’werebeingchallengedbygroupssuchastheEugenicsmovement

whowerecallingforgreater‘segregation’andafundingfocusonthe‘educationofthe

whitesettlersofthecolony’and‘protectingsocietyfromcontaminationofthelower

orders’.ThisattitudewasprevalentwhenthefirstschoolwasestablishedintheNorthern

Territoryinthemid-1870s(Oliver&Rodwell1989,p.v;Willis1985,p.47).Anexampleof

thisattitudeisthe‘MentalDeficiencyActof1913’whichaimedto‘segregateandcontrol

themovementsandfertilityofthefeeblemindedinordertoprotectsociety’.This

definitionof‘feebleminded’extendedtoAboriginalpeopleatthistimewithwordssuchas

‘savage,loworder,primitive,barelyhuman,barbaric,dyingrace,blacksandmentally

inferior’beingvariouslyusedtodescribeAboriginalpeopleduringthisperiod(Russo&

Rodwell1989,p2).MoretonRobinson(2004,p.76)expandsonthislistsuggestingthat

IndigenouspeopleinAustraliahavebeenvariouslylabelledas‘treacherous,lazy,drunken,

childish,cunning,dirty,ignoble,noble,primitive,backward,unscrupulous,untrustworthy

22

andsavage’.Thislanguagegivesastrongsenseoftheovertideologyatthattime,butis

alsoasignposttosomeprevailingcontemporaryattitudesthatareoftenlessovert.

ThecommonlyacceptedpublicmythatthetimewasthatAboriginalpeoplewere

‘uneducable’(Price2012).Priceattributesthistoakindofsocialglassceilingthatwas

placedonAboriginalchildrenwhowereseenbymanyas‘onlyfittolearntosew,launder,

cook,clean,garden,buildfences,tendlivestockandgenerallyparticipateinmoremenial

tasks’(Price2012,p.4).Theselimitationswerebuiltintotheearlyeducationsystems

whichwerealmostexclusivelyrunbychurchmissions,taughtexclusivelybywhiteteachers

orclergywhosepurposewastoindoctrinateintotheculturalnormsandvaluesofthe

colonisers(Green&Reid2002).Aboriginalchildrenwereexpectedbythecompletionof

theirschooling‘toattainthelevelachievedbyaten-year-oldchildinthestateeducation

system,withanemphasisonpreparingthechildrenforafutureasunskilledworkerswithin

thegovernmentormissioncommunitiesorascheaplabourinthewidercommunity’(Price

2012,p.4).Forthemostpart,however,Aboriginalchildrenweredeliberatelyexcluded

fromattendingschool.In1929J.W.Bleakleywrotea‘ReportontheAboriginalsandHalf

CastesofCentralAustraliaandNorthAustralia’andinithesuggestedthat‘Untilthe

Territoryisfurtherdevelopedandfacilitiesfortheeducationofwhitechildrenare

provided,anyattemptatcompulsoryeducation(ofAborigines)…wouldbeoutofthe

question.Therescueofhalf-castesfromthecampsandeducationininstitutionsshouldbe

compulsory’(Bleakely1929,p.38).

OnlyinveryfewinstanceswherethenumbersofAboriginalchildreninoneplacewere

largeenoughwouldspecialsegregatedschoolsbesetup,usuallybychurchmissionary

23

organizations(Russo&Rodwell1989,p.3).AnexampleofthisintheNorthernTerritoryis

theHermannsburgMissionSchoolestablishedintheearly1880s,perhapsthefirstexample

ofbilingualschoolingintheNT.Thecurriculumwasbasedonscriptureandthe3R’sand

encouragedaprotestantworkethicanddiscipline(Russo&Rodwell,p.4).Examplessuch

asthisledtoincreasingpressureinthelate1800’sontheSouthAustralianGovernment,

whohadresponsibilityforschoolsintheNorthernTerritoryatthattime,toprovidesecular

educationforAboriginalchildren.HowevertheGovernment‘wasreluctanttoacton

recommendationsthatnecessitatedadditionalexpenditureoffunds’(Russo&Rodwell

1989,p.4).Somerareexamplesexistedofsegregatedschoolsbeingestablishedforthe

educationofAboriginalchildreninplacessuchasKahlinCompoundinDarwin(Urvet1982;

Russo&Rodwell1989)andBagotAboriginalReserveinDarwin(Urvet1982).

However,increasinglythedevelopmentofeducationalopportunitiesforAboriginal

childrenwerelinkedtothepoliciesofremovalof‘halfcaste’childrenfromtheirfamilies.In

theNorthernTerritorychildrenofmixedparentagewerebeingtakenfromtheirfamilies

andcommunitiesandplacedincompoundsinplacessuchasMelvilleandCrokerIslands,

AliceSpringsandPineCreekgenerallymanagedbyCatholicandMethodistmissionaries.It

wasthengenerallyuptothemissionarieswhatkindof‘schooling’wasprovided(Russo&

Rodwell1989,p.5).InAliceSpringsthefirstschoolwasestablishedin1914(Willis1985,p.

47).Europeanchildrenwereschooledinthemorningsand‘halfcaste’childreninthe

afternoonsuntilachangeofschoolMatronsawtheAboriginalchildrenremovedentirely

andsenttoJayCreek45kilometrestothewestofAliceSprings(Urvet1982,p.6;Willis

1985,p.47).Thisnotionofeducationof‘mixedbloods’asopposedto‘fullbloods’is

echoedbyA.K.Elkin’scommentsin1937inthejournalofOceania:

24

Thepresentpolicyistoeducateaborigines(mostlymixed-bloods)uptowhatmight

becalleda“usefullabourer’sstandard”,fortodomore,ifitwerepossible,would

nothelpthem...aborigines(fullandmixedblood)shouldnot,andcannot,be

assimilatedbythewhitecommunity.Theymustliveapart...theycannotbecome

equalsofthewhiterace.(ElkinascitedinGrayandBeresford2008,p.205)

Theyear1940sawthepolicyofassimilationadoptedbytheCommonwealthandStates

conferenceonAborigines.However,asnotedbyRussoandRodwell(1989,p.6),‘after

morethansixtyyearsofsegregation,publicopiniondidnotnecessarilychangeinharmony

withthelegislation’.Thisledtothe‘swiftcompromise’of‘specialclasses’orannexschools

effectivelycontinuingthepracticesofsegregationforafurthertenyears(Russo&Rodwell

1989,pp.6-7).Upuntil1950adualsystemofschoolingexistedintheNorthernTerritory

wheretheresponsibilityforschoolingfornon-Indigenouschildrenwassharedbetweenthe

CommonwealthandSouthAustralia,andAboriginaleducationwastheresponsibilityofthe

WelfareBranchoftheNorthernTerritoryDepartmentofTerritories(Russo&Rodwell

1989,p.7;Urvet1982,p.25;Willis1985,p.47).Policiesaroundaccesstoeducationwere

changingbutsystems,structuresandattitudesensuredthatthequalityofeducation

availabletotheIndigenouspopulationoftheNorthernTerritoryremainedunequal.Even

thoughbythe1950saccesstoeducationforIndigenouschildrenwasgenerallywell

established‘thisdidnotmeanequalityofeducationalopportunityorthat,becausepolicy

hadchangedthatthiswasreflectedinthegeneralpublic’sattitudesandbehaviour’(Russo

&Rodwell1989,p.7).CampbellandProctor(2014)reinforcethispointstatingthatthe

‘obstaclesfacingAboriginalchildrenremainedconsiderable’,that‘theremovalofformal

25

enrolmentbarsdidnotnecessarilymaketheschoolswelcomingplaces’andthat‘the

attainmentof‘European’educationwaslikelyattheexpenseofAboriginalculture’(p205).

2.2.21950s-1967

CampbellandProctor(2014,p.203)suggestthateducationinthesecondhalfofthe1900s

wascharacterizedbytwobroadstrandsofreforms.Thefirstwasthereformofwhatwas

happeninginsideclassroomsinresponsetotheprogressivismofthepostwarperiod.The

secondaddressedthesocialandeconomicinequalityexperiencedbyanumberofgroups

includingIndigenouschildren.However,CampbellandProctor(2014)alsonotethatthere

werecompetingvisionsforchangein‘Aboriginaleducation’.Whilesometookanactivist

approachfocusingonhumancitizenshiprightsandeconomicinequality,othersremained

withinanassimilationistorevenpaternalisticparadigm.Urvet(1982,p.25)notesthat

‘priortotheSecondWorldWar,exceptforthestepstakentoeducatepart-aboriginal

childreninspecialinstitutions,noattempthadbeenmadebytheGovernmenttodevelop

specialeducationprogramsforAboriginalchildren’.Manychildrenlivinginremoteareasof

thenorthofAustralia,firstencounteredschoolsinthe1950sand1960s(Campbelland

Proctor2014,p.203).Inthelate1940sconcernswereraisedandresearchdoneintothe

‘problemsofeducatingfull-bloodAborigines’whichultimatelyledtoanagreementin1950

resultingintheeducationofallAboriginalchildrenbecomingpartofthebroader

Commonwealthpolicyofassimilation,whichwaspreviouslyaimedonlyat‘part-Aborigines’

(Urvet1982,p.26).Willis(1985)pointsoutthatthispushforassimilationhappened

‘despitethefactthatitwasnolongerfavouredinotherpartsoftheworldconcernedwith

thedevelopmentandeducationofIndigenouspeoples’(p.48).Inresponsetothisvervefor

26

assimilationnewCommonwealthschoolswereestablishedinthe1950sintheNorthern

TerritoryatDelisaville(Belyuen),BagotinDarwin,theBungalowinAliceSpringsand

Yuendumu.AccordingtoUrvet(1982,p.27)in1950asix-weektrainingcoursebeganfor

newteachersheadingtotheNorthernTerritory.ThecoursewasconductedinSydney

wheretheteacherslearnedAnthropology,TropicalMedicine,HistoryandAimsofNative

EducationandTeachingEnglishasaForeignLanguage.

By1956therewerefourteengovernmentspecialschoolsandfourteenmissionschools

cateringfor1633AboriginalchildrenintheNT(NorthernTerritoryDepartmentof

Education1982,p13)withschoolsnowalsooperatinginplacessuchasSantaTeresa,Finke

andPapunya(Willis1985,p.48).By1968itwasestimatedthatschoolingwasavailableto

90percentofthepotentialprimaryschoolagegroup(Urvet1982p28).Willisnotesthat

theassumptionbehindthisexpansionofschoolingforchildrenintheremotesettlements

wasthat‘Aboriginalpeoplewouldlearnwesternculturalwaysintherelativelyprotected

environmentofthesettlementandthenwouldmoveintothemainstreamofsociety’

(Willis1985,p.48).

Asthissystemexpandedtherecruitmentofqualifiedteachersbecameincreasingly

challenginganddespitespecialistteachertrainingschemesbeingestablishedinBrisbane,

Perth,AdelaideandGeelongsupplydidnotmatchdemand(Urvet1982,p.29).Itwasthis

challengethatinfactgaverisetothetrainingandemploymentof‘AboriginalTeaching

Assistants’fromthelate1950sonwards(Urvet1982,p.31).TheCommonwealthcontrolof

the‘AboriginalEducation’systemintheNorthernTerritorycreatedseparationbetween

typesofschools,with‘Aboriginal’schoolsunderthecontroloftheCommonwealthand

27

mainstreamschoolsunderthecontrolofSouthAustralia.Thismeantthataunifiedsystem

andphilosophyofeducationdidnotevolveasitdidintheStatesandfurthermorethe

provisionofeducationissuebecamedivisivewithscarceresourceshavingtobesplit

betweentwosystemsandthissplitreliedonthegood-will,commonsenseandco-

operationofseniorofficersinbothsystems(Urvet1982,p.32).Huxleynotesthatby1966

onlythree‘full-blood’AborigineswereinsecondaryschoolintheNorthernTerritory

(Huxley1967,p.257).TheWattsandGallagherreportof1964focusedonthisissueof

studentprogressionamongstotherissues.Thisreportultimatelyledtothedevelopmentof

‘TransitionColleges’:KormildaCollegeinDarwinopeningin1967withsimilarinstitutions

beingestablishednearNhulumbuy(Dhupuma)andAliceSprings(Yirara)inlate1973(Urvet

1982,p.29).

ApowerfulturningpointinAboriginalandTorresStraitIslandereducationhappenedinthe

formofthe1967Federalreferendum.UntilthispointAboriginalandTorresStraitIslander

peopleinAustraliahadbeenclassifiedaccordingtothelawas‘fauna’.Thiswasinlarge

partbecausetheattitudesincecolonizationhadbeenthatasanirredeemablyprimitive

race,theyweredeemedincapableofexercisingtherightsofcitizenshiporappreciatingits

responsibilities(McGregor1997).MoretonRobinson(2004,p.77)pointsoutthatthis

‘racializeddistinctionbetweentheanimalandthehuman…operatedtonormalize

whitenessasthemeasureofbeinghuman’.Untilthispointthisfaunalclassificationalong

with‘TheWhiteAustraliapolicy’combinedtomakeAnglocentricwhitenessthedefinitive

markerofcitizenshipinAustralia(MoretonRobinson2004,p.79).Sothislegalshiftthat

sawAboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderpeopleaccordedfullcitizenshiprightsforthefirst

timewassignificantinovertlyaddressinganissueofrace.Aswillbediscussedinlater

28

chaptershowever,alegalshiftdoesnotnecessarilyindicateanideologicalone.These

citizenshiprightsincludedimportantrightsrelatedtoeducation(Burridge&Chodkiewicz

2001,p.16;Price2012,p.6).This‘YES’vote,supportedbyover90%oftheAustralian

population,ledtoanintenseperiodofrapidchangeinIndigenousaffairsbothfederally

andintheNorthernTerritory.

2.2.31967-1979

The1967referendumledtomuchgreatercontrolofAboriginalEducationbythe

Commonwealthandmoreresourcesbeingputintoconsultationwithcommunitiesand

otherstakeholders.ItalsoledtothedevelopmentofNationalAboriginalEducationpolicies

forthefirsttime(Burridge&Chodkiewicz2001,p.17)andtheAboriginalConsultative

group,acommitteeoftheSchoolsCommission(CampbellandProctor2014,p.205;

Burridge&Chodkiewicz2012,p.17).Thefirsthalfofthe1970salsosawasignificant

growthintheinvolvementofAboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderpeopleineducation

(Price2012,p.8),atleastattheFederallevel.Whileonthesurfacethismarkedanendof

sortstotheassimilationistera,itisworthnotingthatin1969theideologyremainslargely

unchanged.Forexample,

ThefundamentalassumptionisthattheAustralianstateeducationalsystemsandtheir

valuesshouldbetaughttoAborigines:onemustteachtheAboriginehowtobecomea

whiteAustralian,thenteachhimatrade,andthenexpectachievementinthewhite

Australiansenseoftheterm(Tatz1969,p.6)

Howeversomeimportantstructuralchangeshappenedinthisperiod.The1970ssawthe

effectiveendofthedualeducationsystemintheNorthernTerritory.In1973South

29

AustraliawithdrewfromitsinvolvementintheNorthernTerritoryeducationsystem(Urvet,

Heatley&Alcorta1980;Willis1985).Onthe12February1973,theALPPrimeMinister

GoughWhitlamannouncedthathehadendorsedanagreementwherebyeducationfor

AboriginesintheNTincludingadulteducationwouldbecometheresponsibilityofthe

CommonwealthMinisterforEducation.Allschoolsatthispoint,whichhadpreviouslybeen

labelledasCommunityschoolsorSpecialAboriginalschools,became‘NorthernTerritory

Schools’andtheNTEducationalbranchbecameresponsibleforamuchlargersystem.This

waspartoftheWhitlamgovernment’splatformto‘restoretotheAboriginalpeopleof

Australiatheirlostpowerofself-determination’(CampbellandProctor2014,p.204).The

CommonwealthretainedcontrolovertheNorthernTerritoryeducationsystemuntil1979

whentheNorthernTerritorywasgiventherighttoself-govern(Urvet,Heatley&Alcorta

1980,p.18;Willis1985,p.47).

Thiseraof‘self-determination’broughtthelocalcontextbackintofocusintheNorthern

Territory.Oneexampleofthisisthe‘Outstationmovement’whichbeganduringthisera.

ThiswasamovementofAboriginalpeoplebacktocountryawayfromthemissionand

settlementstolivingontheirancestrallands.In1974therewere8outstations,butby1978

thisnumberhadgrownto40outstationsacrosstheNorthernTerritory(Urvet1982,p.42).

Anothersignificantdevelopmentduringthisperiodwastheformalestablishmentof

bilingualschoolsin1973(Urvet1982,p.40).Thelanguagebeingusedtoannouncethe

bilingualinitiativeandtheeducationalaimsinthestatementbelowisafascinating

reflectionoftheshiftinattitudetakingplaceduringthisperiod:

OneofthemostsignificantAustralianGovernmentinnovationsinAboriginal

30

educationhasbeentheintroductionthisyearofbilingualeducationincertain

NorthernTerritoryschools.Thepolicyistointroducethisprogram,ascircumstances

permit,inschoolswherethenecessaryprerequisitesaremet.Theseareschoolsin

distinctiveAboriginalcommunitieswhereanAboriginallanguageisthemother

tongueofthechildren….theaimisforthesechildrentocommencetheirschoolingin

theirownlanguage,proceedtotheacquisitionofliteracyskillsinthatlanguage,

thenacquireliteracyinEnglishandhavemostoftheirsubsequentschoolingin

English.Theeducationalaimofsuchanapproachisthedevelopmentofchildren

whoarethoroughlycompetentintheirownlanguageandabletoreadandwriteit,

whoaremoreproficientinEnglishthantheywouldhavebeenundertheprevious

systemandwhoarebetteratalltheirschoolsubjectsbecausetheirschooling,and

theirearlyschoolinginparticular,hasbeenmoreinteresting,enjoyableand

meaningfultothem.Onewouldalsoexpectpsychologicalbenefitsfromthis

recognitionofthechildren’slanguageandculture,andmoreenthusiasticsupport

fromtheparentsfortheschoolingtheirchildrenareoffered.(Tandy1973,p.21)

Itisworthnotingthesignificanceofthisannouncementandthephilosophical

underpinningsasthebilingualschoolsmovementgavegreatimpetusandmomentumfor

thetrainingoflocalteacherswhocouldteachthefirstlanguageofthechildrenintheir

owncommunities.Itwasduringthisperiodthatthefirstnationaltargetsforthetraining

andeducationofAboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderclassroomteacherswereestablished

(Price2012p8).TheReportbyO’GradyandHale(1974)into‘BilingualEducationinthe

NorthernTerritory’alsoaddedweighttothissupportofeducationforAboriginalstaffwith

someoftheirrecommendationsfocusingonabroadeningoftheAboriginalbaseofthe

31

bilingualeducationstaffandprovisionstobemadeforthetemporaryreplacementof

bilingualeducationpersonnelwhoareonleaveforvariouscoursesofstudy.Bi-lingual

educationcommencedinfiveAboriginalschoolatthestartof1973,twoinCentral

Australia–AreyongaandHermannsburg-andthreeintheTopEnd–Angurugu,Goulburn

IslandandMilingimbi.Overthefollowingfewyearstheprogramexpandedrapidlywith

sixteenschoolsparticipatingby1976andthenafurthersixjoiningtheprogramtomakea

totaloftwenty-twobilingualschoolsby1978(Urvet1982,p.41).

Theexpansionofbilingualeducationprovidedthekeyimpetusforthedevelopmentofthe

RemoteAreaTeacherEducation(RATE)program,anon-siteteachertrainingprogramfor

Aboriginalteachers,whichcommenceddeliveryinYirrkalaCommunityinNorthEast

ArnhemLandin1976.ThismeantthatforthefirsttimeAboriginalpeoplewhowantedto

doteachertrainingdidnothavetoleavetheirhomecommunity(Urvet1982,p.41).Many

oftheteacherparticipantswhoarethefocusofthisthesis,whowentontocomplete

teachereducationcamefrombilingualschoolsandstartedtheirteachereducationwith

theRATEprogram.Thisisdiscussedingreaterdetaillaterinthischapter.

2.2.41979–presentday

Willis(1985)pointsoutthatwhilemuchofthe1970sarelabelledasbeingatimeof‘self-

determination,’amoreapplicablelabelwouldbetheterm‘culturaladaptation’(p.48).She

pointsoutthattheofficialpolicyof‘self-determination’wasconnectedtotheshortlived

periodoftheWhitlamgovernmentandthatitwasneveradoptedasapolicybythenewly

formedNorthernTerritoryGovernmentwhichcameintoexistencein1979.Willisargues

thatwhilethiswasaperiodofgreatchangeoftenthesechangeswerenotimplemented

32

withadequateconsultationorviablestructures.Inparticularshenotesthat‘controlof

educationalservicesandfundswasnotinthehandsofAboriginalpeopleandnoviable

structureswereestablishedtobringthisabout’.Eventheintroductionofbilingual

education‘wasimplementedwithoutpriorconsultationwithAboriginalparents’(Willis

1985,p.48).Rudolph(2013,pp.209-210)notesthatduringthisperiodwhiletherewas

rhetoricalsupportfordifference,supportingitinpracticeprovedmoredifficultinasociety

stillheavilyrootedinAnglo-centricinstitutionsandideology.

Theperiodfromthe1980sthroughtothepresentdaycanbebestcharacterizedasoneof

policyoverload.ManynationalpoliciesaboutAboriginaleducationweredevelopedinthe

1980sandhavesubsequentlyundergonereviewafterreviewandrevisionafterrevision,

ofteninconcertwiththepoliticalagendaoftheNationalgovernmentoftheday.For

example,thefirstAboriginalEducationPolicy(AEP)wasdevelopedinNewSouthWalesin

1982(AboriginalEducationUnit1995).ThispolicywasthensupersededbytheNational

AboriginalEducationPolicy,knownastheAEP,in1989(Price2012).Anotherexampleis

the‘AboriginalEducationandTrainingactionplan’introducedinthe1980s,revisedin2009

andrelabelledtheAboriginalEducationandTrainingpolicy(Burridge&Chodkiewicz2012,

p.18).Despitethesepolicydirectionstherewereoftenverypassiveresponsestothe

policies,examplesofintentionalorselectiveignoringorfailuretoimplementpolicy.

BurridgeandChodkiewicz(2012)refertothisphenomenonassubliminalprioritizationof

whicheducationalpolicieswereimportantandwhichcouldbeignored.Addingtothis

policyenvironmentweretwomajorreviewsofIndigenouseducationconductedbythe

NorthernTerritoryEducationDepartment,the‘LearningLessonsReport’(Northern

33

TerritoryDepartmentofEducation,1999)andthe‘Ashareinthefuture’report(Wilson

2014).

ThesereviewsweresupplementedbytheLadwigandSarra(2009)‘StructuralReviewof

theNorthernTerritoryDepartmentofEducationandTraining’,andthereviewbyNutton

andothers(2012)entitled‘Recruitment,retentionanddevelopmentofqualityeducatorsin

veryremoteNTschools’.Nottobeoutdone,theCommonwealthGovernment,in

conjunctionwithStateandTerritorygovernments,reviseditsAboriginalpoliciesseveral

timesduringthisperiodcarryingout‘majorinvestigationsintoimprovingtheeducational

attainmentofAboriginalstudentsatalllevelsoftheeducationalspectrum’(Burridge&

Chodkiewicz2012,p.19).AllthisculminatedintheAboriginalandTorresStraitIslander

EducationActionPlan2010-2014withsixprioritydomains,oneofwhichis‘Leadership,

qualityteachingandworkforcedevelopment’(Burridge&Chodkiewicz2012,p.19).This

mostrecentperiod’smaincharacteristicisthesignificantgapbetweenpolicy,subsequent

changesinpracticeandanykindofbeneficialoutcomes(Burridge&Chodkiewicz2012);in

otherwords,questionableachievement.

Insummary,Willis(1985)assertsthat‘(d)espitedifferencesinpolicyeachofthefour

stageshasbeencharacterizedbyfailuretoinvolveAboriginalpeopleindecisionmaking;

failuretolearnfromoverseasexperiences;aconcentrationonchild-basededucationand

lowmoraleintheschoolsystem’(p.46).RussoandRodwell(1989)alsocommentonthe

limitationsofanychangethattookplace.‘Aboriginaleducationhassufferedfromneglect,

indifference,antagonism,prejudiceandtheculturaldominationofthewidersociety’(p.7).

Price(2012)levelsacriticismofadifferentkindsuggestingthattheintroductionofthe

34

westerneducationsystemcreatedapolaroppositeexperienceoflearningforAboriginal

andTorresStraitIslanderchildrencomparedtothelearningtheyexperiencedintheirown

culturalsystem.‘Westerneducationintroducedregulatedratherthanstagedlearning,and

enforcedparticipation–aswellas‘non-compliance’:failure,truancyandnon-attendance.

TheseareallnegativewordsassociatedwithAboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderstudents’

(Price2012,p.4).BurridgeandChodkiewicz(2012,p.20)suggestthat‘manyoftheearly

policieswereladenwithpreconceivedcolonialist,ethnocentricandcivilizingnotionsof

raceandculture,theirimplementationprovedverydetrimentaltothewell-beingof

Aboriginalpeople’.Incontrasttheyassertthat‘thepoliciesofthelatterpartofthe20th

Centuryweredevelopedinamoreconsultativeway,inclusiveofAboriginalvoices,and

werethereforemoreresponsivetotheneedsofAboriginalchildren,communitiesand

protocols’(Burridge&Chodkiwicz2012,p20).Whilethismaywellbetruewithrespectto

thedevelopmentofmorerecentpoliciesaroundIndigenouseducation,itcontinuestobe

worthaskingsomehardquestionsaroundtherollout,implementationandenforceability

ofsuchpolicies.Whilethetoneandlanguageofthepoliciesmayhavechanged,isthere

stillselectiveignoringandpassiveresistancetotheimplementationoftheseideasandis

suchresistancestillfirmlyembeddedinthecolonialistandethnocentricviewsofthepast?

2.3TrainingprogramsandteachereducationforIndigenousstaffinremoteschoolsintheNorthernTerritory

2.3.1Earlydays

AccordingtotheMATSITIreportthereareearlyrecordsofuntrainedAboriginalteachersin

missionschoolsandonstations(Pattonetal.2012,p.10)butthatthese‘Aboriginal

teacheraides’wereoftenexploited,underpaidanddelegatedmenialduties(Pattonetal.

35

2012,p.13).Ingram(2004)notesthatapprovalforAboriginalTeachingAssistantstowork

inNorthernTerritorySchoolsfirsthappenedin1953.Howeververylittlewaswrittenon

thetopicofteachertrainingorteachereducationforIndigenouspeopleworkinginremote

schoolsbeforethe1960sandeventhentheliteratureissparse.BothPattonandothers

(2012)andIngram(2004)suggestthatthefirsttrainingcourseforAboriginalTeacher

assistantswasconductedinthe1960s.TheWattsandGallacherreportintoAboriginal

Schoolsin1964alsomakesmentionoftheneedtoextendtrainingprogramsinlightofthe

incompleteeducationoftheteacherassistantsthemselves.TheWattsandGallacherreport

(1964)talksaboutthe‘MasterofMethod’approach.Inparticulartheauthorsnotethat,

newpossibilitiesforthetrainingofassistantsshouldfallintotwomainareas–

trainingcoursesandfollow-upworkintheschools.

and

TheMasterofMethod,inspectors,headteachersandteachersshouldcooperatein

theireffortstogivemaximumguidancetotheteachingassistantswithaviewto

increasingtheirefficiency.

Alreadywecanseetheoriginsofwhatcametobeknownasthe‘mixedmode’or‘block

releasemode’approachtoremotelearning(Asmar,Page&Radloff2011).ThereisalsoThe

‘SpecialSchoolsBulletin’of1967whichtalksabouttheimplementationofonesuch

trainingcoursestatingthat:

DuringtheChristmasschoolvacationtwelvewomenandeightmenattendeda

TeacherAssistant’sCourseheldinDarwinattheBerrimahTrainingCentre.Sixteen

ofthesestudentshadbeennominatedbytheMissions.Allnominationsreceived

36

fromWelfareBranchschoolswereaccepted…Duringthecourseadiversetraining

programmewasfollowedinwhichtherudimentsofteachinganacademicstudy

occupiedmuchoftheday.Thiswasnormallyfollowedbyart,musicorphysical

educationtakenbythespecialistteacherconcerned….Topattainmentsarestill

muchlowerthandesired,buttherewouldbemanyteachers’collegesinemerging

countriesthatwouldappreciateaclassthathadthequalitiesandabilitiesshownby

theseteachingassistants.(SpecialSchoolsBulletin1967)

ThenationalliteratureonthistopicreallybeginsinAustraliainthe1970swhenIndigenous

peoplebegantobemoreformallyincludedinteachereducationprograms.These

programswerelocatedintheTAFEorcommunityeducationsystemsanditwasoftenmore

communitybasedandinvolvedgreatcommunityengagementandAboriginalleadership

(Pattonetal.2012,p.13).Itisatthistimethatpeoplebegintoanalyzethebenefitsof

havinglocalpeopleonstaffinschoolsintheroleof‘AboriginalTeacherAides’,tousethe

terminologyofthetime(Budby&Young1976;Cameron1973;Dyer1973;McClay&

Bucknall1973),or,astermedbyAllen(1979)andMore(1978),‘AboriginalTeacher

Assistants’.ThewritingcomesmostlyfromtheNorthernTerritory,QueenslandandSouth

AustraliawithsomewritingfromNewSouthWalesand,inthelaterstages,remotepartsof

WesternAustralia.Themainbenefitstheseauthorsidentifiedforhaving‘Aboriginal

TeacherAides’or‘Assistants’intheclassroomsandschools,particularlyinremote

communities,weretogivethestudentsadultsintheschooltheycouldrelateto,to

increasetheuseoffirstlanguageinclasstoimproveengagementinlearning,tofacilitate

theuseofgroupworkinclass,tolowertruancy,tohelpnon-Indigenousstaffbetter

37

understandthechildrentheywereteachingandtoimprovecommunicationbetweenthe

schoolandtheparents(Cameron1973;Dyer1973;McClay&Bucknall1973;Santoro&

Reid2006;Valadian&Randall1980).

Thesuccessoftheseinitialroleswasverymuchmeasuredbyexternalindicatorssuchas

studentattendancedata(Cameron1973,p.2)andaperceivedgreaterengagementby

bothstudentsandcommunitymembers,althoughthelatterislargelycharacterizedbythe

parentalenforcementofschoolbehaviours(Dyer1973,p.2).Anothermeasureofsuccess

wastheinterestinanduptakeofthepositionswithincommunities(Dyer1973,p.2)and

theongoingstabilitythatthesestaffmembersprovidedtotheschools,manyhavingbegun

workingintheschoolenvironmentbackinthemissiondays(Valadian&Randall1980).

GreaterparticipationofIndigenousadultsasstaffmembersofschoolsledtotheneedfor

anddevelopmentoftrainingprograms.

Commentaryonthetrainingof‘TeacherAides’and‘TeacherAssistants’emphasizedthat

theAboriginalappointees‘grew’intotheseschoolroles(Allen1979;Budby&Young1979;

Cameron1973;Dyer1973;McClay&Bucknall1973;Valadian&Randall1980).Muchofthe

trainingatthe‘Assistant’or‘Aide’levelwasverysuccessfulasitwasdevelopedaccording

tothespecificneedsoftheclassroomsandschoolsinwhichpeopleworked.Courseswere

oftenstagedwithmultipleentryandexitpointsandobviouscareerprogression(More

1978).Bythemidtolate1970sconcernwasraisedforthelimitedcareerpathwayof

IndigenousstaffmembersaswellasastrongsensethatfullytrainedAboriginalteachers

wouldbeofgreatbenefittoschools,particularlyinschoolsinAboriginalcommunities

38

(Metcalfe1983;More1978;Valadian&Randall1980).WhilefullytrainedIndigenous

teacherswereseenasbeinghugelybeneficialtocreatingstability,engagementand

successinschools,by1978therewereonly100Indigenousteachersintraininginthe

wholeofAustralia(Valadian&Randall1980,p.11).

2.3.2Theeraofcommunitybasedteachereducation

Thefollowingdecadesawalargeincreaseinthenumberofprogramssetupacross

AustraliatotrainIndigenousstudentteachersbeyondthelevelof‘TeacherAides’or

‘Assistants’throughtoqualifiedclassroomteachers.Itwasduringthistimethatprograms

suchastheTownsvilleAboriginalandIslanderTeacherEducationProgram(laterRATEP)in

Queensland(Loos,1986),theAboriginalTeacherEducationProgram(ATEP)whichlater

becameAnTEPinSouthAustralia(AdelaideCollegeoftheArtsandEducation1981),the

TraditionalAreaTeacherEducation(TATE)programinWesternAustralia(Metcalfe1983)

andtheRemoteAreaTeacherEducation(RATE)programatBatchelorCollege(Kemmis

1988)whichlaterdevelopedintotheDeakin-BatchelorAboriginalTeacherEducation

program(D-BATE)(HenryandMcTaggart1987)intheNorthernTerritoryandtheKoorie

TeacherEducationProgram(KTEP)atDeakinUniversityinVictoriaallcameintobeing.

Theseprogramsbuiltonwhathadbeendoneattheparaprofessionallevelandmany

courseskeptthestagedapproachtotraining.Participantswentthroughthecoursewitha

cohortoftheirpeersandmuchofthedeliverywasofferedonsiteintheirown

communitieswithlecturersandtutorsbeinglocatedonsiteinthecommunityaswell.

Studentswerealsorequiredtoattendbriefcampus-basedworkshopsinadeliverymode

knownas‘mixedmode’;aformofcoursedeliverywhichdecreasedtheneedforstudents

39

tohavetorelocateasfulltimeon-campusstudents(Arbon1998,p.17;Bat2011,p.122).

Thiseraofremoteteachereducationbecameapoliticallyandideologicallycontested

space.Thecelebrationofthesuccessoftheseprogramstemperedbytheworkstillneeding

tobedoneisperhapsbestencapsulatedbyanAddresstotheD-BATEgraduation

(Lanhupuy2002)atBatchelorCollege(nowBatchelorInstituteforIndigenousTertiary

Education)in1987byWesLanhupuywhohighlightedtheimportanceofhavinggraduates

fromremotecommunities,butalsotheresponsibilitythesegraduateshadtothose

communities.Coupledwiththiscommunityexpectationofgraduates,thecommunity

basedcohortprogramscameunderalotofscrutinyandoftencriticism.Statisticalsuccess

wasoftenmeasuredintermsofgraduatesversusdropoutsorbythelongertimeframethat

wasrequiredforpeopletocompletethecourse(AdelaideCollegeoftheArtsand

Education1982;Kemmis1988;Loos1986).Forthosewhowereclosetocompletionorhad

graduatedandwereworkinginclassroomtheirsuccesswasoftentemperedbyquestions

raisedoverproficiencyinEnglishandtheirabilitytotakeonalloftherolesexpectedofa

classroomteacher(Buckley1996;Harris,Odling-Smee&Graham1985).Intheliterature

availableitmustbepointedoutthattheselatterquestionswerebeingraisedonlybynon-

Indigenousresearchersandauthors.InfactwiththeexceptionofBunburyandothers

(1991)thereisverylittleliteratureavailableinthe1980sandearly1990sthatcontainsany

experientialreflectionsfromtheIndigenousteachersthemselves.Programsuccessismost

oftenvoicedthroughofficialreports(McGarvie1991)orthroughnon-Indigenous

philosophicalpositionpapersthatseemtofallonacontinuumofextremes.

40

2.3.3ArticulationofIndigenousknowledgepositionsonremoteschooling

Bythemidtolate1990sandearly2000showever,theliteratureisstartingtocontainsome

Indigenousvoicesarticulatingtheirexperiencesoftheirownlearningjourneyandtheirrole

asteachersinschools.AneloquentexampleofthisisDrRaymattjaMarika’sarticle

‘MilthunLatjuWanaRomguYolngu:ValuingYolnguKnowledgeintheEducationSystem’

(1999).ThereshespeaksofherfoundationalknowledgeintheYolngubeliefsystemas

taughtbytheElders,attendingamissionschool,beginningworkattheschoolin1976

whereherjobwastotypestoriestheoldpeoplehadmadeandtranscribingthem.She

speaksofthesignificanceoftheintroductionofbilingualeducationundertheWhitlam

government,theinitialstaircasemodel,theshiftfrombilingualeducationtobicultural

educationandthedevelopmentofa‘bothways’curriculuminvolvingtheElders.Inher

ownwordsthesignificanceofthisshiftwasthat:

Educationmeansmorethanjusthavingprintliteracyintwolanguages–itmeans

havingstrongemphasisonYolnguknowledgeaswell.Indoingthiswearetryingto

getawayfromthe‘ThreeLittlePigsinGumatj’ideaandbringpropercultural

knowledgeintotheschool.(Marika1999,p112)

SignificantworkwasdoneinmanyremoteschoolsintheNTduringthisperiodtodevelop

trulybiculturalcurriculumthatdrewstronglyonlocallanguageandknowledgesystems.

ThisworkgavetruemeaningandpurposetoIndigenousteachersfromthelocal

communityworkingintheseschools.Thebook‘AboriginalPedagogy:AboriginalTeachers

SpeakOut’(Bunburyetal1991),inwhichD-BATEgraduatescontributeachaptereach,is

animportantcollectionfromthaterawhereAboriginalteacherspublishedtheirownaction

41

researchandreflectionsoneducationintheirowncommunities.Othergraduatesofthese

programssuchasOberandBulsey(1998),alsoDBATEgraduates,sharetheirown

reflectionsbasedontheirexperienceasgraduatesabouthowstudentscanbestbe

supportedanddevelopedduringtheirtertiaryeducationalexperience.Thebook‘Strong

Voices’(Blitneretal.2000)releasedalmostadecadeafter‘AboriginalPedagogy’,brings

togetheranothergroupofteachereducationcandidatesfromremotecommunitiesinthe

NTtosharetheirviewsandreflectionsonIndigenouseducationandpedagogy.However,

whiletheseimportantconversations,deeplyrootedinepistemologicalandpedagogical

understandingsabouteducation,areoccurringtherearesimultaneouslyalarming

developmentsinthenationaleducationagendathatisunderminingtheworktheseschools

andteachersaredoing.Inparticulartheintroductionofstandardizedtesting(MAP),

literacybenchmarksandlanguageprofiling(Marika1999,pp.10-11).

MeanwhileBatchelorColleges’RATEdeliverymodelcontinuedtobeapoliticallycontested

space.Onenon-IndigenousteachereducatoratBatchelorduringthe1990sreflectedthe

followingaboutthisera:

BothWayseducationwaswhatwegrappledwithinthecourseofourdailyworkin

anendeavourtomakethespacebetweenWesternandIndigenousknowledgeand

educationsystemsavibrantplacefornewandmeaningfullearning.InthoseyearsI

learntoverandoveragainwhatitmeansasaneducatortolistentoallperspectives

andattempttorespondwithhumilityandintegrityinamutualsearchforagreater

qualityoflife.Ileftwithjustasmanyifnotmorequestionsaboutwhatitmeansto

42

workineducationinawaythatopensoptionsforpeopleintheirlivesanddoesnot

closethem.(Gillespie2003,p.60)

IndigenousacademicssuchasVeronicaArbon(1998)pointedoutthatatBatchelorwhile

‘strongnotionsoftransformationexistinthe‘bothways’concept….noparadigmof

dialogueandcontestationofknowledgeexists’(p.18).Whilethisphilosophicaldebatewas

occurringwithintheleadershipandstaff,fundinganddeliverymodelswerealsochanging

duringthisperiodwiththefirstsignsofashifttowardstheVocationalEducationsystem

appearing.

2.3.4Recentyears

Morerecentlysomeattemptsatwhattheseprogramshaveachievedoverthelastthree

decadeshavebeenmade.Bat’s2011thesis,inadditiontoprovidingacomprehensive

literaturereviewfocusinginpartonthedevelopmentofteachereducationintheNorthern

Territory,particularlyatBatchelorInstitute,providessomepersonalevaluativenarratives

fromgraduatesoftheteachereducationprogram,althoughnotspecificallyfrom

candidatesfromremotecommunitiesintheNorthernTerritory.Hallandothers(2010)

reportontheprogressandsuccessoftheIndigenousTeacherUpgradeProgram(ITUP)

conductedintheArnhemandCentralAustraliaregionsoftheNT.Thisprogramoffered

manyformerRATEgraduatesacommunitybasedoptiontoupgradefromathreeyear

qualificationtoafouryearBachelorDegree.Atthesametimeaprocessofevaluationand

reflectionhasoccurredparticularlyfortheRATEPprograminQueensland(Bethel,2006)

andtheAnTEPprograminSouthAustralia(Osborne&Underwood,2010).Thelatterisof

43

particularinterestasthisreviewmadesignificantuseofconversationswithAnangu

participantstoevaluatetheprogram.

However,basedontheliteratureavailabletherehasbeennointentionallisteningtothe

graduateswhohavecomefromremoteNTcommunitiesandprogressedthroughdifferent

incarnationsofremoteteachereducationprogramsabouttheirexperiencesasstudentsof

theprograms.Thishasleftmanyquestionsunanswered,forexample:whereisthespace

forthestudents/teachers’ownperceptionsoftheirsuccessandwhathelpedandhindered

theminachievingthissuccess?Whatlearningandunderstandingcouldpotentiallybe

developedbytheeducationalinstitutionsbylisteningtothesestoriesofsuccessas

experiencedfromtheinsideofthejourney?

Additionally,thenumberofnewteacherscomingthroughandgraduatingfromremote

communitieshasdroppeddramaticallyinrecentyears.Bat(2011,p.132)suggeststhatthe

earlytomid-1990sshouldbeconsideredthemostsuccessfulperiodofremoteteacher

educationforBatchelorwith‘largenumbersenrolledacrossallthreeyears(stages2,3and

4)oftheprogram,withmostofthesestudentscomingfromtheAboriginalcommunitiesof

theNorthernTerritory’.However,Bat(2011p.133-135)pointsoutthatbytheendofthis

decade,whiletheteachereducationenrolmentsatBatchelorwerestillhigh,completions

weredroppingandtherewasashiftinthecommunity-baseofenrolmentswithenrolments

comingmainlyfromInterstatecommunitiesinsteadoffromcommunitiesintheNorthern

Territory.

Bat(2011)attributesthesetrendstoanumberoffactors,namelyashiftawayfrom

community-baseddeliveryandanincreasedfocuson-campusbaseddeliverydueto

44

fundinganddifficultyrecruitingstaff.ShealsonotesthatamoreregulatedHigher

Educationsystematthetimeforcedcoursestodevelopstandardizedassessmentmeasures

suchastheGraduateAttributes,whichperhapsconstrictedtheflexibilityandcontextual

applicabilityoftheteachereducationcourses(Bat2011,p.136).Thismorehighly

regulated,nationalizedandstandardizedsystemofteachereducationthatemergedinthe

late1990shadsignificantimpactsonsmall,contextspecific,flexibledeliverymodelssuch

ashadbeendevelopedintheNorthernTerritorybyBatchelorCollege,nowtheBatchelor

InstituteforIndigenousTertiaryEducation(BIITE).Thenatureandconsequencesofthis

shiftwillbeexploredinChapter3aspartofadetailedpolicyanalysis.

45

Chapter3–TheevolutionofthepoliticalandpolicycontextofteachereducationinAustraliaandtheimpactonIndigenousTeachers–areviewofliterature

3.1Introduction

Thischapterwillexploretheevolutionofthepoliticalandpolicydomainsofteacher

educationatthenationallevelinAustraliaandhowthesechangeshaveimpactedon

Indigenousteachersandtheircareerpathways.Itwillspecificallylookatthe

nationalisationofteachereducationandtheshifttoanoutcomesbased,standards

approachtoaccreditationattheNationalandNorthernTerritorylevels.Additionallyitwill

exploreparadigmshiftsinthinking,thepositioningofteachersthroughtheuseofterms

suchas‘qualityteaching’andtheintensefocusinrecentyearson‘literacyandnumeracy’.

Throughananalysisofpolicies,reportsandreviewdocumentationthischapterwill

examinetheenvironmentwithinwhichremoteteachereducationintheNorthernTerritory

sitsandthewaystheseexternalfactorshaveimpactedontheworkofIndigenousteachers

inremotecommunityschoolsandtheirabilitytopursueteachereducationasacareer

pathwaythatleadstofullqualification.

ThistypeofpolicybasedanalysisisimportantbecauseasCriticalRacetheorists(for

exampleGillborn2005,Vass2015,Leonardo2009)remindustheeducationalpolicy

frameworktendstobebuiltonwhathascomebeforeit,withcontemporarypolicy

assumedtobeimprovingonandadaptingtoevolvingcircumstancesanddemands.This

policybehaviourisassociatedwitha‘sanitized(White-washed)versionofhistory(that)

envisionspolicyasarationalprocessofchange,witheachstepbuildingincrementallyon

itspredecessorinamore-or-lesslinearandevolutionaryfashion’(Gillborn2005,p.486).

46

Thisapproachtopolicydevelopmentservesto‘deflectattentionfromengagingwiththe

racializedfoundationsfromwhichtheyemanate’(Vass2015,p381)andrelieson‘race-

neutral’assumptionsthatpaveoverthepoliticalandsocio-historicaleventsthatcreated

andnowsustaintherace-basedinequities(Leonardo2009).Theimpactofthisapproachto

policyintheareaofIndigenousteachereducationwillbeexploredingreaterdepthin

Chapter8.

Thischapterisagaindividedintoanumberofparts.Partonelooksattheevolutionofthe

politicsandpolicyofteachereducationinAustralia.Itcoverstheoriginsandhistorical

developmentoftheteachereducationsysteminAustralia,thevarioussignificantpolitical

paradigmsshiftsthathaveoccurredwithinteachereducation,aswellasthenational

reviews,regulation,increasedemphasisonteacheraccountabilityandthe‘Quality’agenda

thathasrisentoprominencesincethe1990s.Parttwolooksattheimplicationsofthe

nationalisationandstandardisationoftheteaching‘profession’includinghowtheterm

‘quality’hasbecomeakindofinvisiblebinarywhentalkingaboutteachers.Parttwoalso

explorestheimpactoftheintroductionofProfessionalStandardsforTeachersatthe

nationallevelandtheevolutionoftherequirementforNationalLiteracyandNumeracy

testinginteachereducation.Partthreeasksthequestion‘WherearetheIndigenous

teachers?’inthisnationalconversation.Itexploresthehistoricalandpoliticalpositioning

ofIndigenousteachersasthesystemhasbecomemorenationalisedandstandardized.It

examinestheinitiativestakenatthenationalleveltoincreasethenumberofIndigenous

teachers,aswellasexploringwhytheseinitiativessooftenfail.Partfourbringsthe

conversationmorespecificallybacktothefocusgroupofthisdoctoralstudy,theNorthern

TerritoryandtheremoteIndigenousteachingworkforce.Itlooksatthe‘smokeand

47

mirrors’effectofsuccessivereviewsandreportsthathavealldrawnthesameconclusions

aboutthenumberofIndigenousteachersinAustraliawhileneveractuallyimprovingthe

outcomes.Finallyitexplorestheimpactofregulationandstreamliningofteacher

educationintheNorthernTerritoryonremoteIndigenousteachers.

3.2TheevolutionofthepoliticsandpolicyofteachereducationinAustralia

IntheconclusionofthelatestfederalreviewintoteachereducationinAustralia,itsreport

entitled‘ActionNow:ClassroomReadyTeachers’(2014)states:

TheAdvisoryGroupacknowledgesthatinitialteachereducationinAustraliahas

previouslybeenthesubjectofalargenumberofreviews,theoutcomesofwhich

havehadlimitedimpactonthepolicyandpracticeofdevelopingnewteachers.The

AdvisoryGroupisdeterminedthattheproposalsinthisreportmakeareal

differencetotheAustralianteachingprofession(ActionNow:ClassroomReady

Teachers2014,p.49).

Preciselywhatwillmakethisreportdifferenttoalloftheothersisnotexactlyclear.The

thingthatisclearisthatteachereducationisoneofthemostscrutinised,examined,

reported,debatedandanalysedareasofgovernmentpolicy(Aspland2006;Dyson2005).

Since1990,Aspland(2006p.141)namesnofewerthanninereportsandreviewsinto

teachereducationina16-yearperiod.The‘TopoftheClass’reportcontainsanappendix

listing103separateteachereducationinquiriesatNationalandStatelevelbetween1979

and2006(TopoftheClass2007,pp.169-179).Intheperiodsincethentherehavebeenat

leastthreeadditionalnationalreviews.Thisintenseinterestintheworkofschoolsand

teachersisoftenusedaspoliticalleverageandtakesintoconsiderationthewidespread

48

commentaryandopinionsfromparents,politiciansandmembersofthegeneralpublic.To

understandhowthisextraordinarilyscrutinizedsystemhascomeintobeingitisimportant

tobrieflytracetherootsbacktotheoriginsofteachereducationinAustraliaandobserve

itsdevelopmentandthepoliticalagendasandphilosophicaldevelopmentsthathave

influencedtheshiftsandchanges.

3.2.1TheoriginsofteachereducationinAustralia

BothAspland(2006)andDyson(2005)giveacomprehensivedescriptionoftheoriginsof

teachereducationinAustralia.Theybothidentifytheinitialapprenticeshipbasedsystem

wheretheschoolandtheclassroomwereseenastheprimarysiteoflearningtheroleof

beingateacher.Theyalsonotethatamovetowardsamoreformalcollege-based

educationalapproachtoteacherpreparationdidnotemergeinAustraliauntiltheearly

1900swithamandatedminimumrequirementofoneyearformalteacherpreparationand

amoretheorybasedapproachratherthanthepreviouspracticalmodel(Aspland2006;

Dyson2005).Dyson(2005)talksaboutthepost-WorldWarTwoeraashavingavocational

approachtoteachertrainingwhenteacherpreparationhappenedprimarilyatState

controlledandfundedTeacher’sCollegeswithanemphasisplacedonbasicknowledgeand

skills.Hyams(1980)alsodenotestheimportantexpansionofthe‘TeacherCollege’system

inthepostwar‘babyboom’eratomeettheteachershortage.BeforeWorldWarIIthere

werenineTeacher’sCollegesnationally,butby1964thereweretwenty-ninethroughout

Australia.Theshortageofteacherswasalsosolvedbystandardsofentrybeinglowered

andthedurationofcoursesshortened.Dyson(2005)pointsoutthatthistypeof

changeabilityinstandardsandexpectationscanbeseenthroughoutthehistoryofteacher

49

educationinAustraliawithwhatisexpedientandcheapforthestategovernments

becomingtheacceptedpractice.Thishascreatedaconflictbetweenmeetingademand

createdbyateachershortagebutalsokeepingthe‘teacherquality’highwhichhas

becomeanentrencheddiscourseinteachereducationinAustralia.

AbinarysystemoftertiaryeducationexistedformanyyearsinAustralia.TeacherColleges

werepartoftheadvancededucationsystem,whichwasseenaspreparingthevocational

orserviceprovidersofsociety,whileuniversities,withtheirresearchorientation,were

theretopreparegraduatesforworkinthe‘professions’(Dyson2005,p.44).Inthe1970s

thisdiscoursebegantochangeandteachingbegantobetalkedaboutasa‘profession’.For

example:

Asitis‘ofthemind’teachinghastobestudied,thoughtaboutanddiscussed....As

teachingisacreativeart,itmustbepractised,analysed,re-thoughtandpractised

again.Thisrequiresobservationandpracticeteachinginschoolsandthetimeand

equipmentnecessaryforclose,sophisticatedanalysisofthisobservationand

performance(Swanson1973,p.11).

Bythelate1970sitwasapparentthatteachereducationhadbecomeafullyintegrated

componentoftheAustraliantertiaryeducationsystemultimatelybeingbroughtintothe

universityarenaandincludedintothenationalsystemofhighereducation(Aspland2006;

Dyson2005).TherecentMATSITIreportpointstoquestionsatthetimearoundtheability

ofuniversitiestodelivercoursesthathadtraditionallyrequiredagreatdealofcommunity

engagementstatingthat,‘theinvolvementofuniversitiesledtoconcernsaboutthe

50

responsibilityofuniversitiesfortertiarypreparation,giventhelimitedschoolingofmany

AboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderstudentswhosoughtentryintheprogram.

Universitiescouldprovide‘real’credentialsbuthadlessexperiencewithcommunity

engagement’(Pattonetal.2012,p.13).Connell(2009)talksaboutthesignificanceofthis

majorparadigmshiftwiththedevelopmentoftheideaofwhatconstitutedateacherfrom

the‘obedientservant’model(Connell2009,p.215)tothemore‘reflectivepractitioner’

and‘scholar-teacher’models(Connell2009,p.216)asteachereducationbecamethe

purviewofuniversities.Shealsonotestheshiftagaintothecurrent‘competentteacher’

model(Connell2009,p.217)wheretheroleoftheteacherisconnectedwiththegrowthof

amarket-orientedpoliticalandculturalorder.

3.2.2Politicalparadigmsofteachereducation

TeachereducationinAustraliacannotbeseparatedoutfromthebroaderpoliticalshifts

thathaveoccurredwithregardtoeducation.In1973theKarmelReportproducedunder

thenationalWhitlamgovernmentwasunderpinnedbyacommitmenttopromoting

equalityofoutcomesinschoolingbymakingthe'overallcircumstancesofchildren's

educationasnearlyequalaspossible'(Karmel1973,p.139).Welsh(1999),notesthatthis

positionwasconsistentwiththeprogressivisteducationalphilosophyofthe1960sand

1970s,whichfocusedprimarilyontheneedsoftheindividualchildandonsocialjustice

withinsociety.Thiscorrelateswiththeperiodof‘self-determination’(Willis1985,

CampbellandProctor2014)and‘Aboriginalisation’(Rogers1991,Reaburn1989)policiesin

relationtoremoteIndigenouscommunitiesintheNorthernTerritory.However,asFogarty,

LovellandDodson(2015,p5)pointout,Indigenouseducationhasalwaysbeenatthe

51

whimofpoliticalshiftsandasaresulthasoscillatedbetweenlocally,self-determined

educationalcontrolandthemorestatisticallydrivenpursuitofstandardizededucational

norms.Allofthesemorecontemporaryshiftswereofcoursehappeningintheshadowof

theunresolvedhistoricallegacyofinstitutionalizedracism(Fogarty2012).

Theeconomicclimateinthe1980s,namelythediminishingratherthanexpanding

resources,andanincreasingconcerntoensure'valueformoney',meantthatgovernments

wereincreasinglyfocusedontheconnectionbetweeneducation,thelabourmarketand

theeconomy(Welsh1999).Theyear1985sawthereportoftheQualityofEducation

ReviewCommittee(QERC),QualityofeducationinAustralia(Karmel1985).Thisreport

markedashifttoagreaterfocusonoutcomesratherthaninputsintheprovisionof

funding,andontheeffectivenessandefficiencyofprograms(Welsh1999).Lokan(1997,

p.1)describesthisperiodinthe1980sasthe'paradigmshiftfromfocusingonindividual

studentsaslearnerstoaneconomics-drivenconcernwithachievingpre-specified

outcomes'.Thismarkedthemovetoafocusonoutcomes-basededucation,the

developmentofnationalcurriculumframeworks,andacommonsetofgeneric

competenciestounderpintheincreasedparticipationinYears11and12(Welsh1999).

Connell(2009)assertsthatthismovetooutcomesbased,moreaccountableeducation

systemswaspartofabroadshifttowardsneoliberalpoliciesandassumptionsconnected

totheshifttowardsglobalizationaswellasbythespreadofeconomic-rationalistideology.

Partofthisshiftwasapushfor‘competencies’forteachers.Theteacher-competency

modelwasconnectedwiththe‘growthofamarket-orientedpoliticalandculturalorder’

52

(Connell2009,p.217).Itisagainstthisparadigmshiftthatteachereducationbegantobe

reviewedmoredirectlyatthenationallevel.

3.2.3Nationalreviews,regulation,teacheraccountabilityandthe‘Quality’agenda

Thefirstnation-widereviewofteachereducationknownastheNationalInquiryinto

TeacherEducation(NITE),orthe‘Auchmutyreport’happenedin1980(Dyson2005).The

mainfocusofthereportwastoshiftteachereducation‘fromanarrowtrade-based

vocationalapproachtoabroadermoreprofessionalapproachandfromcertificatesand

diplomastodegreesineducation’(Auchmuty1980,p.xxv).In1987undertheFederal

MinisterforEducation,Dawkins,thebinarysystemoftertiaryeducationwasreplacedby

theunifiednationalsystemoftertiaryeducationthatstillexiststoday(Aspland2006p.

152;Dyson2005p.45).Itwasatthispointthatthe‘quality’discoursebegantoemerge

whentalkingaboutteachersandteachereducation.

In1988Dawkinsisquotedassaying:

Thequalityofteachingiscentraltothequalityofourschools....Wemustexamine

meansofimprovingtheinitialandon-goingtrainingofteacherstomeetthe

demandsofachangingeducational,economic,andsocialworld(Dawkinscitedin

Dwyer1990,p.103).

The‘pursuitofquality’becamethehallmarkofthe90’snamely:

…theremustbegreaterefforttoattractpeopleintotheteachingprofessionwhoare

ableandsuitedtoteaching;teachereducationmustbeimprovedinbothqualityand

outcomesandmustpaygreaterattentiontopedagogyandpracticalexperience...

Thesereformsareonlyachievablethroughthecooperativeeffortsofemployers,higher

53

educationinstitutions,schools,teachersandgovernmentsandthroughthe

developmentofaunifiedteachingprofession(Howe1991,p.59).

Boldrecommendationssuchasathree-yearuniversity-basedprogramofpreparation

followedbyatwo-yearparttimeinternship/‘associateship’weresuggestedasmodelsfor

initialTeacherEducation(Dyson2005).Asearlyas1990,nationalteacherregistrationand

anationalprofessionalbodyofteacherswerebeingcalledforasamechanismtoensure

‘quality’(Dyson2005,p.48).Thepolicystatement,‘TeachingCounts’(Beazley1993)was

broadlysupportedforitsthemesofabalanceintheoryandpractice,astrongknowledge

base,professionalism,partnershipsandflexibilitywithinteachereducationprogramsas

theessentialcomponentscontributingtotherenewalofteachereducation(Dyson2005).

Howeverthependulumwasabouttoswingagainwithasubsequentpolicychangeand

defundingwhentherewasachangefromLabortoCoalitiongovernmentsatthefederal

level.Asthegovernmentchangessotoodoestheagendainteachereducation(Dyson

2005).ByMarch1996,theCommonwealth'spolicyagendaforschoolswasfocusedclosely

ontheestablishmentofaNationalLiteracyandNumeracyGoal,nationalbenchmarksfor

studentachievementandtargetsforperformanceagainstnationalgoalsforschooling

(Welsh1999).Thismarkedthebeginningofanauditcultureineducation,whichincluded

thepushfornationaltesting,for‘leaguetables’ofschoolsandforthecreationofthe

teacherregistrationinstitutionsthatwouldoperateseparatelyfromteachereducation

institutions(Connell2009).

54

‘Quality’wasincreasinglybeing'measured'intermsofoutcomes.AccordingtoWelsh

(1999)qualitywasnottalkedaboutmuchuntil'outcomes'wereinvoguemostlybecause

oftheviewthatqualitycouldnowbequantifiedthroughoutcomesdata.Therewasa

prevailingclimateof‘outcomes-driven’economicrationalismwherepolicyactivityrelated

toissuesofaccountability,assessmentmonitoring,performanceindicators,quality

assuranceandschooleffectiveness(Rowe2003).Inordertoenforcethisoutcomes-driven,

data-quantified,‘qualityteachers’agenda,teachereducationhadtobemoretightly

regulated.Thepushfornationalisationcontinuedintheformof‘NationalCompetencies’of

qualityteachersandthe‘NationalStandardsandGuidelinesforInitialTeacherEducation’

wereproducedin1998despitetherecognitionthat‘thedevelopmentofexplicitstandards

forsuchahighlycontextualisedprofessionasteachingwouldbeverydifficult’(Dyson2005

p.49).

Bytheendofthe1990s,andinresponseto‘lowmorale’ofteachersresultingfromthe

perceived‘lackofstatusintheteachingprofession’(Dyson2005p.50),thedevelopmentof

NationalProfessionalTeachingStandardsandateacherregistrationbody(Australian

ParliamentSenateEmployment,EducationandTrainingReferencesCommittee&Crowley

1998)wasrecommendedasthepanacea.Thiswasatleastinpartalsoaresponsetothe

concernthat‘quality’newrecruitstoeducationwouldnotbefoundtoreplacetheaging

teachingforceifthestatusofteachingwasnotincreased(Dyson2005).Thesemore

‘nationalised’conversationsaboutteachereducationinthe1980sand1990smoved

teachingawayfromthecontext-drivenvocationalperspectivestoastandardized,

professionalapproachtoteachereducation.

55

3.3Theimplicationsofthenationalisationandstandardisationoftheteaching

‘profession’

Whilethisnationalisationandstandardisationofthe‘profession’acrossthecountrydid

resolvesomeoftheissuesfacedpreviously,italsoraisedotherareasofconcern.Havinga

commonapproachtocourselengthandsomenationalunderstandingsofwhatitmeantto

beateacherdidnotleavealotofroomforconsiderationoftheregionalandcontextual

differencesintheexperienceof‘beingateacher’acrossAustralia.Withtheadventofand

increasingdelegationofresponsibilitytoanationalpeakbody,originallynamed‘Teaching

Australia’andinitscurrentformastheAustralianInstituteofTeachingandSchool

Leadership(AITSL),nationallycoherentrulesweredevelopedintheformoftheNational

ProfessionalStandardsforTeachers(AustralianInstituteofTeachingandSchoolLeadership

viewed24/9/2015a).Theseprofessionalstandardsoutlinedwhatteachershadtoknow,do

andbeinordertobegoodenoughtoteachinAustralia’sschools.Paralleltothese

standardswereadditionalregulationsaboutwhatteachereducationcourseshadto

includeinordertoprepareteacherstomeettheseProfessionalStandards(Australian

InstituteofTeachingandSchoolLeadership2011).Connell(2009)highlightsthedangerof

thesedevelopmentswarningthat,

TheStandardsframeworkembedstheneoliberaldistrustofteachers’judgment.

Whatteachersdoisdecomposedintospecific,auditablecompetenciesand

performances.Theframeworkisnotonlyspecifiedinmanagerialistlanguage.It

embedsanindividualizedmodeloftheteacherthatisdeeplyproblematicforapublic

educationsystem.Thearbitrarinessofthedot-pointlistsmeansthatanyattemptto

enforcethem,onthepracticeofteachersoronteachereducationprogrammes,will

56

meananarbitrarynarrowingofpractice.Thiscannotbeagoodthingtodo,whenin

conditionsofglobalintegrationandsocialdiversity,educationneedstobecome

culturallyricher.(p.223)

Thismovetowardsa‘standards’approachtoteachereducationhasfurtherhomogenized

conceptionsaboutwhatconstitutes‘quality’teachingintermsofaccepted‘standards’that

leadtomanagerialperceptionsof‘normality’whenitcomesto‘good’teaching.Itis

importanttoquestionwhoseperspectiveson‘good’teachingtheseconceptionsof‘quality’

arebasedupon.

3.3.1‘Quality’asaninvisiblebinary

Theuseoftheword‘quality’hasalsobecomearhetoricaldeviceinreportsandreviews

aboutteachingandteachereducation.‘Quality’isoneofthosetermsthatishardtoargue

against.Noonewantstoraisetheirvoiceagainsttheideaof‘qualityteachingand

learning’.Butitisadangerousterminthatitsetsupaninvisiblebinary.Ifsomethingcan

bemeasuredashighqualitythenotherthingscanberelegatedasloworlowerquality.Itis

increasinglyubiquitousindocumentsandpaperswrittenaboutteachers,andhas

developedintothedefaultpositionofhowwewishtodefinetheprofessionalroleof

teachers.Theextenttowhichthisistruecanperhapsbestbeunderstoodbylookingata

selectionofthenationalreviewsonteachereducationspecificallyfortheuseofthisword.

Inthe2007‘TopoftheClass’nationalreviewofteachereducationtheword‘quality’is

used120timesinthe119pagesofthemainbodyofthereport.Theattitudeofthe

report’sauthorstowardswhatconstitutes‘quality’canperhapsbebestsynthesizedbythis

excerpt:

57

Itisnotenoughtohaveacademicaptitudetobeaneffectiveteachernorisacademic

performanceareliableindicatorofwhetherastudentpossessesthewiderangeof

otherattributesrequiredofateacher.Theotherattributescitedinclude:aknowledge

andenjoymentofthesubjecttheyteach;anabilitytoacquirenewknowledgeand

understanding;‘otherdirectedness’orrecognitionofandresponsivenesstothe

distinctive,individualneedsandinterestsofothers;favourableattitudestochildren;

asenseofcallingandastrongmotivationtoteach;and,specifiedlevelsofliteracy

andnumeracy(TopoftheClass2007,pp.53-54).

Itisworthnotingatthispointthattheterms‘literacyandnumeracy’areusedatotalof28

timesinthebodyofthe‘TopoftheClass’(2007)report.

By2014whenthenextmajornationalreviewofteachereducationwascompleted,the

‘ActionNow:Classroomreadyteachers’reportcontainsmorethandoublethefrequencyof

usageoftheword‘quality’.The51pagesinthemainbodyofthereportcontain126uses

oftheword‘quality’.Thisreportsetsoutthefollowingasitsvisionofwhatconstitutes

‘quality’:

Whiletheremaybenosinglefactorthatcanpredictsuccessinteaching,researchon

teachercharacteristicsandstudentoutcomeshasfoundthatusingabroadsetof

measurescanhelpimprovethequalityofteachers.Predictorsincludeteaching-

specificcontentknowledge,cognitiveability,personalitytraits,feelingsofself-

efficacyandscoresonacommerciallyavailableteacherselectioninstrument(Action

Now:ClassroomReadyTeachers2014,p.13).

58

The‘commerciallyavailableteacherselectioninstrument’referstotherecentlydeveloped

‘NationalLiteracyandNumeracytestforpre-serviceteachers’(AustralianGovernment

DepartmentofEducationandTraining,viewed24/9/2015).Thistestwillbediscussed

furtherbelow.Itisworthnotingthatinthis2014reportthefrequencyoftheuseofthe

terms‘literacyandnumeracy’hasincreasedsixfoldwith72usagesinthe51pagesofthe

report.Despitelipservicebeingpaidtotheother‘qualities’ofteachers,itisclear

numericallyandsemanticallythatthe‘literacyandnumeracy’abilitiesofteachersare

valuedhighlybythereviewersasamajorcontributortotheformationofa‘quality’

teacher.ThisshowsadistinctbiastowardsthosewhocomefromanEnglishspeaking,

Westernknowledgebackground.Whatisneveraddressedinanyofthesereportsisthe

persistentproblemthatwhenfacedwithteachingIndigenousstudentsmanynon-

Indigenousteacherslackthenecessaryknowledgeandskillsandstruggletoaddressthe

needsoftheselearners(Santoro&Reid2006).‘Quality’bythisdefinitionisclearlyskewed

towardsawhitenessbias.

Aninterestingexampleofthiswhitenessbiasshowsupinthe‘TeachforAustralia’

program.Thisprogramallowsuniversitygraduateswithanon-educationfirstdegreeand

sixweeksof‘teachereducation’tobedispatchedtoschoolsinregionalandremote

NorthernTerritoryasfullyaccreditedteachers(Galtry2015).Thisisaninteresting

developmentinthelightofthenationalrequirementfora4-yearqualificationandthe

conversationsabout‘teacherquality’.Thisinmanywaysharksbacktoearlierobservation

oftheentrenchedpendulumswinginteachereducationbetweenensuringprofessional

readinessinteachersandmeetingthedemandsofteachershortages,particularlyinrural

59

andremotecommunities.Thechoicetofundthe‘TeachforAustralia’program

demonstrateshowthesystemprivilegesthequalitiesintrinsicinwhite,middleclass,

Englishspeaking,universityeducatedcandidatesasopposedtolocal,Indigenouslanguage

speaking,remoteteachereducationcandidatesfromthesamecommunitieswherethe

teachershortagesexist.

3.3.2NationalProfessionalStandardsforteachersandNationalLiteracyandNumeracy

testingforteachereducation

DiscoursearoundteachereducationinAustraliainthefirstdecadeandahalfofthe21st

centuryhasbeendominatedbyconsiderationanddevelopmentofandadherenceto

NationalProfessionalStandardsforTeachers.Infacttheinitialideasabout‘standards’that

wouldensure‘quality’teacherslookedattheneedforstandardsatanumberoflevels

includingstandardsforentryintoteachereducationprograms,standardsfortertiary

qualifications,accreditationstandardsandregistrationstandards(Ingvarson,2002).The

firsttwohavelargelybeenthedomainoftheHigherEducationprovidersofteacher

educationcourses,whilethelattertwohavebeenunderthepurviewoftheAustralian

InstituteforTeachingandSchoolLeadership(AITSL).Inapolicybriefingreportadvisingon

thedevelopmentofanationalstandardsframeworkIngvarson(2002)goesintogreatdetail

aboutthebenefits,uses,applicationandstructureofsuchaframework.Howeverany

discussionofthe‘context’ofteachingislimitedtocurriculumareasandlevelsofteaching.

Noconsiderationofthegeographical,culturalorlinguisticcontextofteachingisexplored

inthisformativedocument.Thisthensetsthetoneandemphasisforthefurther

developmentoftheNationalTeachingStandards,whichwereultimatelyendorsedby

EducationMinistersfromallStatesandTerritoriesinAustraliainOctober2011(Australian

60

InstituteofTeachingandSchoolLeadership,viewed24/9/2015b).Thesestandards,along

withtheNationalAccreditationofInitialTeacherEducationcourses(AustralianInstituteof

TeachingandSchoolLeadership2011),havebecometheyardsticksthatarenowusedin

Australiatoensureandmeasureteacher‘quality’.

Therewassomequestioningandcriticismoftherolesuchstandardswouldplayandwhat

theirimpactwouldbe.Connell(2009,p.218)pointsoutthatthesestandardsdocuments

thatarebeingusedbyteacherregistrationbodieshavebecomethe‘mostimportant

definitionsofthegoodteacher’.Howeversheishighlycriticalofthedisconnectedand‘dot

point’natureofthestandardsdocumentsuggestingthat‘(t)helistsdonotcomefromany

systematicviewofEducationasafieldofknowledge’(Connell2009,p.218).Connellisalso

highlysuspiciousoftheinfluenceoftheneoliberalagendaintheconstructionofthe

developmentofstandardsstatingthat:

Thestratificationoftheworkforcethatissoughtbyneoliberalagendasofindividual

competitionamongworkersisthusbuiltintothedefinitionofteacher

professionalism…They(thestandards)constructthegoodteacherasan

entrepreneurialself,forgingapathofpersonaladvancementthroughtheformless

landscapeofmarketsocietywithitsshadowystakeholdersanditsendless

challengesandopportunities(Connell2009,pp.219-220).

Shefurtherwarnsoftheinherentdangersofthiskindofasystem:

Goodteaching…needsalsotobediverse.Awell-functioningschoolneedsarangeof

capabilitiesandperformancesamongitsteachers.Giventhediversityofthepupils

andtheircommunities,aschoolshouldhaveamongitsteachersarangeof

61

ethnicities,classbackgrounds,genderandsexualidentities,agegroupsandlevelsof

experience.Anydefinitionofteacherquality,anysystemofmonitoringorpromotion,

thattendstoimposeasinglemodelofexcellenceontheteachingworkforce–

whateverthatmodelmaybe–islikelytobedamagingtotheeducationsystemasa

whole(Connell2009,p.223).

Unfortunatelysuchwarningsdonotseemtohavebeenheeded.Infact,quitetheopposite

hashappened.Evengreaterstandardisationandrestrictionsarebeingplacedonadmission

intotheteachingprofessionthroughthefocuson‘literacyandnumeracy’levelsof

teachers.Thisbecomesevidentinthe2007TopoftheClassreportwhichstatedthat:

‘itis…desirablethatstudents’literacyandnumeracyskillsareassessedwhen

enteringcourses,notinordertoexcludestudentsfromteachereducationcourses,

butasadiagnostictooltoassistuniversitiestosupportstudentstodevelopthe

requiredlevelofskills’…‘Teachereducationcoursesshouldguaranteethatall

studentswhograduatewithaqualificationineducationhavethoroughly

demonstratedthattheyhavehighlevelliteracyandnumeracyskills’(TopoftheClass

2007,pp.59-60).

Bythe2014‘ActionNow:ClassroomReadyTeachers’reportthisideahadbecomemuch

moreprescriptivewitharequirementfor‘entrantstoinitialteachereducationprogramsto

havepersonalliteracyandnumeracylevelsbroadlyequivalenttothetop30percentofthe

population’(ActionNow:ClassroomReadyTeachers2014,p.12).By2015ameasurement

mechanismhadalsobeendevelopedintheformof‘TheTest–anationalLiteracyand

Numeracytestforpre-serviceteachers’(AustralianGovernmentDepartmentofEducation

62

andTraining,viewed24/9/2015).Inastatementabouttheroleofthistestthefederal

governmentdepartmentofeducationstatesthefollowing:

TheAustralianGovernmentbelievesthatthefirststeptoachievingaquality

education,whichissocriticalforthefutureofyoungAustraliansandournation,isto

focusonthequality,professionalism,andstatusoftheteachingprofession.One

aspectofliftingqualityistoensurethatteacherspossessthestrongpersonalliteracy

andnumeracyskillsneededtofosterthedevelopmentoftheseskillsintheirstudents.

Togiveeffecttoimprovingtheliteracyandnumeracyofteachers,theAustralian

GovernmentisintroducingtheLiteracyandNumeracyTestforInitialTeacher

EducationStudents(theTest).TheTestwillassisthighereducationproviders,teacher

employersandthegeneralpublictohaveincreasedconfidenceintheskillsof

graduatingteachers(AustralianGovernmentDepartmentofEducationandTraining,

viewed24/9/2015).

Sopervasiveandubiquitousistheneo-colonialdiscourseinthesekindsofreportsthatitis

notevenconsiderednecessarytoadd‘English’whentalkingaboutliteracy.Onceagainwe

seediversityinbothlearnersandteachersnotevenbeinggivenfringeconsideration.All

teachereducationcandidates,nomatterwhattheirownculturalandlinguistic

background,nomatterwhatthecontextoftheirintendedteachingwork,mustnowhave

theirliteracyskillsmeasuredbyexactlythesameyardstickascandidateswhosefirst

languageisEnglish.

3.4WherearetheIndigenousteachers?

63

ReferencetoandaboutIndigenousteachersintheoverallnationalteachereducation

discoursecouldbecharacterisedasfringeatbestandisfrequentlyanafterthought.When

itisbroughtunderthemicroscopethediscussiontendstofocuspredominantlyaround

targetsettingsoastoreflectpopulationdemographics,aswellasakindofsurreptitious

ongoingcolonialdiscourseaboutwhetheritisrealistictothinkthatIndigenousteachers

willeverbeequalinqualityandabilitytotheirnon-Indigenouscounterparts.Onceagain,

tounderstandthesubtleandnot-so-subtlepositioningofIndigenousteachersinthe

broadersystemofteachereducation,weneedtoexplorethepastandexaminethe

intentionsofpolicies,programsandpolitics.

3.4.1ThehistoricalandpoliticalpositioningofIndigenousteachers

Asdetailedinthepreviouschapter,thelatterhalfofthe1970sandearly1980swerea

timeofgreatfocusaroundlocallycontextualisedprogramsandpoliciesthatsupported

Indigenousteachersinremoteschools.In1978and1979thefirstmajornationalresearch

wasdoneinto‘teachereducationforAboriginesandTorresStraitIslanders’(National

AboriginalEducationCommittee1986).Thisresearchexamineddeliverymodelsin

operationinWesternAustralia,SouthAustralia,QueenslandandtheNorthernTerritory

andmadeasubmissiontothe1980NationalInquiryintoTeacherEducation(Auchmuty

1980).Includedinthissubmissionwastheanalysisthatthestill‘lownumbersofAboriginal

teachers’shouldbeseenasanareaof‘criticalneed’andtherecommendationofspecific

targetstobringthenumberofIndigenousteachersinlinewiththeproportionof

IndigenousstudentsinAustralianschools.Theseinitialtargetsaimedtoincreasethe

64

numberofIndigenousteachersfromthe72trainedteachersin1979to1000by1990.

Howeverby1986theNationalAboriginalEducationCommittee(NAEC)waswarningthat

basedontheprogramsthathadbeenthusfarintroducedtosupportIndigenousteacher

education,by1990itwouldbemorerealistictoexpectonly500qualifiedIndigenous

teachersnation-wide(NationalAboriginalEducationCommittee1986,p3).IntheNorthern

TerritoryspecificallytheNAECnotedthatin1982therewasaspecifictargettoreach137

qualifiedIndigenousteachers.Thisrepresentedanincreaseof134fromtheexisting3in

theNTin1982.

In1980areportentitled‘ThetrainingofAboriginesforteachingintheAboriginalSchools

oftheNorthernTerritory’(Penny1980)wasalsoproduced.Thisreporthadamorespecific

focusjustontheNorthernTerritoryandevenspecificallyonremoteschoolswithhigh

numbersofIndigenousstudents.ThisreportwasdoneinconjunctionwiththeNAEC.Itwas

authoredbyanon-Indigenousresearcher,W.H.Penny.Intheinitialpagesheidentifies

somebackgroundfactors.Henotesthat‘allresearchstudiesshowthatAboriginalpupils

are,underthepresentsystemofschooling,achievingverylowstandardsinliteracyand

numeracy’(Penny1980,p.3).HealsorecognisesthepositionoftheNationalAboriginal

EducationCommitteeonthisissuewhichisthat‘Inordertoensuretheeffectivenessof

educationalservicesforAboriginalpeople,Aboriginesshouldplaythemajorpartinthe

deliveryofthoseservices.Thisrequiresanimmediateandsubstantialincreasein

programs…toemployAboriginesinthefieldofeducation’(PennyquotingfromNAEC1980,

p.4).

65

InterestinglyPenny(1980)almostimmediatelyseekstoqualifyorquestionthispositionby

sayingthat‘Animportanttaskofthisreportwillbetoconsiderwhetherahastened

AboriginalizationofSettlementschoolstaffswillachievewhatmembersofNAECandmany

otherAboriginessoearnestlyseek’(p.4)andhealsonotes‘theuneasinessofofficersand

Balanda(non-Indigenous)teachersintheEducationDepartmentoftheNorthernTerritory

aboutthegenerallevelofattainmentsofchildreninAboriginalSchools,aboutthe

educationalqualificationsandtrainingofmanyoftheAboriginalmembersofstaffandin

particularabouttheircompetenciestotakesustainedchargeofaclass’(Penny1980,p.4).

Thismentionof‘uneasiness’isoneofmosttangibleexamplesoftheongoingcolonial

discoursestillatplayintheschoolingsystemoftheNorthernTerritory.Whileby1980the

discoursehasmovedbeyondoneofIndigenouspeoplebeinglabelledas‘uneducable’as

theywereinthefirsthalfofthetwentiethcentury,theuseoftheterms‘hastened’and

‘uneasiness’perhapsexposeaconstantandenduringlackofbeliefonthepartofnon-

IndigenousstakeholdersabouttheeducationalpathwayspossibleforIndigenousstudents

andteachers.Inthesetwoexamplesweseegreatemphasisbeingplacedonthe

importanceofIndigenousteachers,butagaintheresistanceoftheWesterneducational

systemstoactuallybringtherealityofincreasedIndigenousparticipationtofruition.

Passiveresistanceisalsoevidentinthelackofpoliticalandeconomicsupportforprograms

tomeettargetsandtheattitudesimplicitinthelanguageofthereportsbeingwritten.This

willbeexploredfurtherinduecourse.

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3.4.2Learninglessons

The1990sisaperiodofscarcityofreportsthatfocusonIndigenousteachereducationat

anylevelinAustralia.Perhapsthisisreflectiveoftheneoliberalagendathattookhold

duringtheperiodandthefactthatmostoftheworkineducationwasfocusedaroundthe

shifttooutcomesbasedandstandardisedsystems.Importantlythoughthe‘Learning

Lessons’reportwasreleasedintheNorthernTerritoryin1999.Thisindependentreviewby

CollinsintoIndigenouseducationintheNorthernTerritory(NorthernTerritoryDepartment

ofEducation1999)wasthemostin-depthreviewintwodecades.The‘LearningLessons’

reportwasscathinginitsassessmentofmanyaspectsrelatedtoIndigenousEducationand

inparticularremoteIndigenouseducation.Intheareaofstaffingremoteschoolsthereport

tookaimattwoimportantareas:therecruitment,retentionandtrainingofnon-local

teachers,andtheattitudestowards,treatmentofandsupportforlocalteachers.Itwas

importanttoaddressbothoftheseaspectsofstaffingasremoteschoolsreliedonbothto

function.

The‘LearningLessons’reportbringsintosharpfocusthedysfunctionalitycausedbythe

highturnoverofnon-localstaff.Collinsdrewonearlierresearchwhichsuggeststhatinthe

mid-1980stheaverageperiodofservicefornon-localteachersinCentralAustralian

communitieswassixmonths(Young1996).The‘LearningLessons’report,whilebeing

highlycriticaloftheinabilityoftheNorthernTerritoryDepartmentofEducation’sdata

recordstoprovideaccurateinformation,wasabletoverifythe‘widespreadunderstanding

thatIndigenousteachersareinplacefarlongerthannon-Indigenousteachers’(Northern

TerritoryDepartmentofEducation1999,p.76).Collinspointsinparticulartothe‘costsof

67

highstaffturnover…fromarecruitmentandinductionpointofview’,butsuggeststhat‘of

evengreaterconcernistheeducationalimpact’(NorthernTerritoryDepartmentof

Education1999,p.77).Onceagaintheauthorofthisreportwashighlycriticalthatthere

wasobviousdataavailableabouttheactualdollarcostofrecruitmentandretention.He

didhoweverpointoutthat‘theshorttermteachertransitingthroughacommunitygetsa

farricherandmorerewardingeducationalexperienceforthemselvesthantheyareever

abletoimparttotheirstudents(NorthernTerritoryDepartmentofEducation1999,p.77).

Atthesametimetherewasanemphasisonthecrucialsupportprovidedbythelocal

Indigenousstaff.Onerespondenttothereviewofferedthefollowingreflection,

I’minmysecondtermnowandIstilldon’tknowhowtoevenprogramalessonfor

thesekids.NothingIdidinmytrainingpreparedmeforthis.Ifitwasn’tforthehelp

I’mgettingfromtheIndigenousstaff,Iwouldn’tknowwhatIwasdoing(Northern

TerritoryDepartmentofEducation1999,p.83)

Thisseemstobearouttheassessmentofthe‘LearningLessons’report,whichsuggested

that‘theschoolreliesforstabilityonlocalIndigenousstaffandfacesaconstantstreamof

newstaff’(NorthernTerritoryDepartmentofEducation1999,p.71).Thereportalso

emphasizedthecrucialvalueofteachingpartnershipsbetweennon-localandlocalstaff

(NorthernTerritoryDepartmentofEducation1999,p.82).Thesefindingsareimportantas

theyraisenuancedpositionstobegintoanswerthequestion‘whatis‘quality’teachingand

learning?’Howhighcanthequalityofteachingandlearningbeinremoteschoolswhenthe

teacherturnoverissohighandthosewhocomefromoutsidethecommunitysay‘Idon’t

knowhowtoprogramalessonforthesekids’?Theattributionof‘quality’beingconnected

toauniversityqualificationseemstocomeintoquestioninthiscontextthatreliesso

68

heavilyontheknowledgeandskillsoftheIndigenousparaprofessionalsworkinginthe

schools(Santoro&Reid2006).DePlevitz(2007,p.65)pointsoutthatthereisamajor

problemwitheducationalsystemsthat‘assumethatteacherqualityissimilaracross

schoolsandthateveryteacherprovidesthesamestandardofeducation’butthenrely

heavilyonnewandinexperiencedteacherstoteachforshortperiodsoftimeinruraland

remotecommunitieswhicharenotoriousfortheirhighteacherturnover(DePlevitz2007,

FovetandHall2012,Hall2012).Thisrelianceonteachersstayinginschoolsforashorttime

underminesthetimeittakesforteachersfromoutsidethecommunityandnotembedded

inthecommunityculturetodevelopunderstandingsofthelocalculture,history,language

andfamilyqualitieswhicharenecessarytobeaneffectiveandsuccessfulteacherof

Indigenousstudentsinthesecommunities(DePlevitz2007;Santoro&Reid2006).Critical

ofthiskindofpolicyandpracticeDePlevitzsuggeststhat‘Indigenousstudentsinschools

affectedbyapolicythatencouragesaturnoverofstaffaremorelikelytobedeniedthe

continuityandstabilityofexperiencedstaffessentialforaqualityeducation’(DePlevitz

2007,p.66).Thiscreatesaninevitableparadoxwherethebeliefthat‘quality’canbe

streamlinedandmeasuredresultsinchildrenreceivinglessthan‘quality’teaching.

The‘LearningLessons’reportwasboldinitsrecommendationthat‘thelongtermstrategy

inremoteschoolsistoincreasecommunitycontrolwithmorelocalstaffsupportedbynon-

localteachers’(NorthernTerritoryDepartmentofEducation1999,p.83).Thereportfound

thattrainedlocalteacherswere‘muchmorestable’(NorthernTerritoryDepartmentof

Education1999,p.89)thannon-localteachersandthatstabilitywasthekeytostudent

attendanceandlearning(NorthernTerritoryDepartmentofEducation1999,p.83).This

69

insightagainreinforcestheneedtoquestionnationalconceptionsof‘quality’teachingas

appliedtothelocallycontextualizedcircumstancesoftheseremotecommunities.The

reportpointstonotonlythebenefitsfortheschoolbutindeedforthewholecommunity,

ofhavingpeoplewithHigherEducationqualificationsfromthelocalcommunity.The

reportatonepointsuggeststhat‘therecanbenobetterrolemodelstoconvince

Indigenousparentsandtheirchildrenofthevalueofeducationthanthealumniof

BatchelorInstitute’(NorthernTerritoryDepartmentofEducation1999,p.89).However,

thereportalsopointsouttheextremeinequityofthetreatmentof‘local’verses‘non-local’

recruits.Intheareasofhousing,conditions,payandincentivesandclassroomconditions

therewas,in1999,oneruleforlocalteachersandanotherforthosecomingfromoutside

thecommunity.Indigenousandnon-Indigenousrespondentsalikeraisedthisinequity,

Yapa(Aboriginal)teachersgoandstudyandworkreallyhardyettheycomeback

andaretreatedassmallpeople….Howcomewhiteteachersliveingoodhouses?

Yapa(Aboriginal)teachersgetnothing.(NorthernTerritoryDepartmentof

Education1999,p.68)

Indigenousstaffinschoolsdonotgetthesameconditionsofserviceasexpatriate

teachers…ItalsomakesithardtoinsistonthesamestandardsfromIndigenous

teachersasareexpectedfromexpatriateteachers(NorthernTerritoryDepartment

ofEducation1999,p.68).

MyassistantteacherisfarmoreeffectiveatteachingthesekidsthatIam.I

wouldn’tknowwhattodowithoutherhelp.ButI’vebeeninthiscommunityforsix

70

monthsandI’minreasonableaccommodationthatIsharewithoneotherteacher.

MyTAhaslivedhereallherlifeandlivesinanoldwreckedhousewithtwenty-two

otherpeople(NorthernTerritoryDepartmentofEducation1999,p.68).

SoevenforIndigenousteacherswhohavecompletedtheirqualificationanddemonstrated

tothesystem’sgoverningthisprocessthattheymeetthestandardsrequired,thesystem

stillchoosestotreatthemdifferentlytonon-Indigenousteacherswhomeetthosesame

standards.

Thereportstressesthatjustasnon-localrecruitsrequiresignificantongoingsupport,soto

dolocalrecruitsrequirethissupport,althoughitwillbedifferentinnatureandthe

advantageisthattheinvestmentthesystemmakesintheseteachersismuchmorelikely

tostayinthecommunitylongterm.Inparticularitpointsoutthebenefitsofacohort

approachaswellasusinganapprenticeshipmodelforthenextgenerationofteacher

trainees(NorthernTerritoryDepartmentofEducation1999,p.91).Ultimatelythereport

recommendsthat:

‘itisimperativethatIndigenousteachertraining,buildingontheroleofassistant

teachersandbytargetingtalentedseniorstudentscurrentlyinsecondaryprograms,

ismadeahighpriorityacrossallregions’(NorthernTerritoryDepartmentof

Education1999,p.91).

The‘LearningLessons’Reportwasregardedbymanyasawatershedmomentin

IndigenouseducationintheNorthernTerritory.

71

3.4.3Emptyrhetoricandpoliticalsleightsofhand

By2003inthereport‘Australia'sTeachers,Australia'sFuture:AdvancingInnovation,

Science,TechnologyandMathematics–AgendaforAction’,producedbytheCommitteefor

theReviewofTeachingandTeacherEducation,concernisbeingraisedagainaboutthe

continuinglownumbersofIndigenousteacherscompletingteachereducationatthe

nationallevel.Thereportstatesthat:

ProspectiveIndigenousteachersneedtobeattractedtotheprofessioningreater

numbers.Suchteachersserveasrolemodels,infuseabroaderrangeofcultural

perspectivesintoschools,andbringacapacityforcloserrapportandidentification

withstudentsfromIndigenousbackgrounds(CommitteefortheReviewofTeaching

andTeacherEducation2003,p.21).

Sadlyby2007itseemslittlehaschangedwiththe‘TopoftheClass’reportstatingthat:

Australia-wide,theproportionofIndigenousstudentsenrolledininitialTeacher

Educationisapproximately2%,justbelowthe2001estimatethat2.4%ofthe

AustralianpopulationidentifyasanIndigenousAustralian.However,thesuccess

andretentionratesforIndigenousstudentsfallwellbelowaverage,andthe

proportionofIndigenouspeopleintheAustralianteachingworkforceismuchlower

thantheproportionofIndigenouspeopleintheAustralianpopulation.In2004,

approximately0.7%ofallteachersinAustraliawereIndigenous.In2003,

Indigenousstudentsrepresentedalmost4%oftotalschoolenrolmentsacross

Australiaandthisproportionisgrowing.(TopoftheClass2007,pp.38-39).

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ThesamereportprovidesanevenstarkerpictureintheNorthernTerritory,where

IndigenousAustraliansmakeupapproximately30%ofthepopulation,with40%ofthe

schoolstudentcohortidentifyingasIndigenous.In2004,accordingtoDepartmentof

Education,ScienceandTraining–IndigenousEducationStrategicInitiativesPrograms

(IESIP)performancereports,2003and2004,approximately15%ofinitialTeacher

EducationstudentsintheNorthernTerritorywereIndigenous,and15%ofteachersinthe

NorthernTerritorywereIndigenous(TopoftheClass2007,p.39).Thesefiguresareworth

furtherexplorationasjustoneyearlater,in2005whentheTeacherRegistrationBoardof

theNorthernTerritorybeganregisteringteachers,theyreportedonly156outof3992(or

lessthan4%)registeredteachersintheNorthernTerritoryidentifiedasIndigenous

(NorthernTerritoryTeacherRegistrationBoardAnnualReport2005).The‘TopoftheClass’

report(2007,pp.40-41)goesontomaketwopagesofrecommendationsaboutwaysto

supportandencouragemoreIndigenousteacherstocompleteteachereducation.Onekey

recommendationistheallocationof$20millionperannumtoestablishaTeacher

EducationDiversityFund,whichwouldbedesignedtoprovideadditionalsupportto

studentsfromunderrepresentedgroupsinteachereducationacrossAustralia,withan

emphasisonIndigenousteachers(TopoftheClass2007,p.51).

Hereinliesapowerfulexampleoftherhetoricalsupportofaninitiativethatisnotbacked

upwithpoliticaloreconomicwill.Examinationofthe2008HigherEducationReportreveals

thattheFederalGovernmentappearedtoactonthisrecommendationwiththe

developmentofthe‘DiversityandStructuralAdjustmentFund’.Howeveruponcloser

examinationitbecomesevidentthatthis‘Fund’wasinfacttherenamingofsomethingthat

73

hadbeencalledthe‘CollaborationandStructuralReformFund’,whichhadbeeninplace

since2005.Initsnewformthepurposeofthe‘Fund’isdescribedasfollows:

TheobjectiveoftheDiversityFundwastopromotestructuralreformbyeligible

highereducationprovidersthatsupportsgreaterspecialisationamongproviders,

morediversityinthehighereducationsectorandbetterresponsivenesstolabour

marketsoperatinginthelocalornationalinterest.Over$200millionwasallocatedto

theDiversityFundoverfouryears(2008-2011)withacompetitivefundingroundheld

in2008(DepartmentofEmploymentEducationandTraining2008,p.25)

Withnospecificmentionofteachereducationortheintentiontousethemoneyto

increasediversityinteachergraduates,thisfundsimplybecomesanotherbucketfor

universitiestoaccess.Asearchonprojectsfundedbythismoneyrevealsthatfundedunder

thismodelincludedengineeringprojects,ruralhealthprojects(SenateStanding

Committee,2012)anduniversitywideonlinelearningprojects(CharlesDarwinUniversity,

2009).Thistypeofconnectionbetweenareview,whichproducesrecommendations,and

thepoliticalsleightofhandusedtoactuponsuchrecommendationsthroughpolicyand

fundingdecisionsiscrucialtounderstandingthecurrentissuesfacingIndigenousteacher

educationinAustralia.

ThemostsignificantefforttofocusonIndigenousteachersinmanyyearshasbeenthe

‘MoreAboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderTeachersInitiative’(MATSITI).MATSITIisan

AustralianGovernmentfour-yearinitiativemanagedcooperativelybyanumberof

AustralianUniversitiesandtheAustralianCouncilofEducationalDeans.Thisinitiativearose

outofaneedtoreaddressthe‘OneThousandAboriginalTeachersby1990’project

74

(NationalAboriginalEducationCommittee1986)andinrecognitionofthefactthatthere

hadbeenlittlecohesivenationalpolicyandoutcomesinthisareainover20years.This

initiativehasproduceda‘ReportintotheRetentionandGraduationofAboriginaland

TorresStraitIslanderStudentsEnrolledinInitialTeacherEducation’whichhasbroughtinto

sharpfocusthefactthatthoughthecallformoreAboriginalandTorresStraitIsland

teachershasalonghistoryAustralianteachereducationprogramsnationwideare

strugglingtoretainandgraduatestudentsfromthesebackgrounds(Pattonetal.2012).

Theinitiativehasbeenfocusedonimprovingtheretention,successandgraduationratesof

AboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderteachereducationstudentsaswellasincreasingthe

‘recruitment,retentionandleadershipcapabilityofAboriginaland/orTorresStraitIslander

peoplesworkingasteachersinAustralianschools’(Pattonetal.2012,p7).Emphasisatthe

beginningoftheinitiativewasplacedonidentifyingthecontext,practicesandoutcomes

forIndigenousstudentsininitialteachereducationprograms(Pattonetal,2012).The

MATSITIprojecthasalsofilledanobviousgapinbringingtogetheranationalfocusonthe

roleofIndigenousteachersinAustralia.Ithasbeenamechanismforgatheringrealdatain

aspacethathashadsporadicandinconsistentdatacollectedinthepast.Ithasalso

providedacentralresearchco-ordinationrolelookingatissuesaroundsuccess,retention,

completionandbarriersforIndigenousstudentsundertakingInitialTeacherEducation

(Pattonetal.2012)withanumberofprojectsscheduledtoreportonthisbytheendof

2015.Additionallythisinitiativehasbeenabletofacilitateprofessionallearningandco-

ordinatedpromotionofteacherpathwaysforIndigenouspeople.Finally,ithasbeenable

todrawsomenationalattentiontotheracismexperiencedbyIndigenousstudentsand

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teacherswithintheeducationalsystemsinAustralia(Pattonetal.2012;Buckskin2013)

andhowthisimpactsonthesuccessoflearnersbothattheschoolanduniversitylevels.

3.5IndigenousteachersintheNorthernTerritory

Theseshiftsandchangesatthenationallevelhaveofcoursehadaflowonaffectatthe

NorthernTerritoryandremotecentralAustralianlevel.Theseimpactscanbeseenthrough

anexplorationofthereportsandreviewsundertaken,aswellasthroughlookingatthe

increasinglyregulatedteachereducationandteacherregistrationsystemsintheNorthern

Territory.

3.5.1-Morereviews–‘smokeandmirrors’

Nottobeoutdonebythenumberofreviewsatthenationallevel,theNorthernTerritory

Governmenthascommissioneditsshareofreviewsandreportsinrelationtothe

Indigenousteacherworkforce.In2012theNorthernTerritoryDepartmentofEducation

andTrainingcommissionedareportintothe‘Recruitment,RetentionandDevelopmentof

qualityeducatorsinveryremoteNTschools’(Nuttonetal.2012).Thisappearstobethe

firstandonlyreporttofocusspecificallyonremoteIndigenousschoolsintheNTsincethe

Pennyreportin1980.Theroleofthisreportisto‘reviewtheimplementationandexamine

theoutcomesofarangeofNorthernTerritoryDepartmentofEducationandTraining(NT

DET)initiativestoimprovetherecruitment,retentionandqualityofteachingstaffinvery

remoteschools’(Nuttonetal.2012,p.5).

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Twothingsshouldbenotedatthispoint.Firstly,theupfrontandcentraluseoftheword

‘quality’,reflectiveofthenationaldiscoursearoundthisterm,andsecondly,thefactthat

thisreportislookingatallstaffingofveryremoteschools,notjustIndigenousstaff.This

latterpointisreflectiveofthepoliciesoftheNorthernTerritoryDepartmentofEducation,

whichhasincreasinglyemphasizedtheneedtoattractandretainnon-Indigenousstaff

fromoutsidetheseremotecommunitiesovertheneedtosupportlocalstafftocomplete

fullteachingqualifications.Theserecruitmentandretentionpolicies,programsare

outlinedindetailinBrascheandHarrington(2012)withaparticularfocusontherecent

‘QualityremoteTeachingServicerecruitmentstrategy’.Theseauthorstouchontheimpact

highteacherturnoverhasonthequalityoftheteachingandlearninginremoteschools.

Yetagainthedefaultfocusisonimportingteachersfromoutsidethecommunity,rather

thangrowingthemfromwithin,asevidencedbyprogramssuchas‘TeachforaTerm’

(NorthernTerritoryDepartmentofEducationandTraining,AnnualReport2008/9,p.111).

TheNuttonreport(2012)focusesaboutathirdofitsattentiontoIndigenousstaffin

remoteschoolsintheNorthernTerritory.Itevaluatesprogramsthathavebeeninplaceto

bothrecruitmoreIndigenousteachersandsupporttheeducationandtrainingof

Indigenousstaffworkinginschools.Overallthough,itpointstothelackofsustained

momentumorsuccessofanyoftheseprogramsduetothe‘disparate’natureofthe

initiativeswhichlacka‘comprehensiveoverarching’strategy(Nuttonetal.2012,p.59).It

takesacautiousapproachtotargetsformoreIndigenousteacherssuggestingthat‘a

radicallyimprovedandbettersupportedstrategywillbeneededtoachievetheNorthern

TerritoryGovernment’stargetof200IndigenousTeachersby2018,especiallyifthis

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numberistoincludeasignificantproportionorremoteIndigenousstaff’(Nuttonetal.

2012,p.60).Italsohighlightsthebenefitsof‘specificcohortplanning’andquestionsthe

meritsof‘intensivefasttrackprograms’(Nuttonetal.2012,pp.60-61)suchastherecent

CharlesDarwinUniversityRemoteIndigenousTeacherEducation(RITE)program.The

reportalsonotesthat:

ThestatusofIndigenousremotestaffcurrentlyundertakingteachertrainingand

educationsupportcoursesneedsquantifying(p.61).

Thereportalsodrawssignificantattentiontothe‘overallliteracyandnumeracy

competenciesintheremoteIndigenousworkforce’citingthat‘accesstosecondary

educationforresidentsinmanyremoteNTcommunitieshasbeenlow,andconsequently

thereisonlyasmallpoolofpeoplewiththecapacitytosuccessfullyundertakehigherlevel

vocationaleducationortertiarystudies’(Nuttonetal.2012,p.63).Theauthorscomment

thatthisperceptionofIndigenouscapacityissomethingthathasbeen‘raisedconsistently

inconsultations,reportsandpublications’(p.63).Thisidentificationoflowliteracyand

numeracyamongstIndigenouscommunitymembersisconsistentlyusedtoexplainaway

andjustifylowcompletionratesofIndigenousadultsfromremotecommunitiesintertiary

coursesincludingteachereducation.

Whilethereviewclaimedtohavemanydiscussionswith‘stakeholders’(Nuttonetal.2012,

p.8)itwasclearthatthesestakeholderswereinthedifferentdivisionsofNTDETandthe

varioustrainingproviders.Itisunclearifanyconsultationordiscussionhappenedwith

communitiesorthepeopleforwhomtheinitiativesarebeingdeveloped,orindeedifthis

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waspartofthebriefforthisreview.Theimperativesdrivingthereviewweretoimprove

thesupplyofveryremoteteachingstaff,reducetheimpactof‘demand’challengesthat

derivefromhighstaffturnover,andincreasethequalificationsandqualityofveryremote

teachingstaff(Nuttonetal2012,p9).Thesesameimperativeshadbeenraised13years

earlierbytheLearningLessonsreport(NorthernTerritoryDepartmentofEducation1999).

ThereisnodiscussionofhowremoteIndigenouschildrenlearnandwhatkindofteaching

andpedagogyisbestforthem,andsotheissueof‘quality’israisedagainbutwithouta

discussionaboutthepedagogicalqualitiesthatmightpositionIndigenousteachersbetter

qualifiedtoteachchildrenfromtheirowncommunities.Thereisasensethatincreasing

thelocalIndigenousworkforcewillenableimprovedstudentoutcomesbutnoexplanation

ofwhatthatmeansandhowtheseunderlyingbeliefsshapethepoliciesandinitiativeswith

regardtoremoteworkforcedevelopment.Thereisasuggestionthatsuchpoliciesand

initiativesareperhapsimplementedinresponseto‘commissionedinquiriesandreports’

(Nuttonetal.2012,pp.10-11)orasanoverlapwith‘specificnationalstrategies’togrow

theIndigenousworkforceratherthananyrealsenseofcommitmentfromwithintheNT

itself.

IfthereisabeliefaboutthevalueofhavingastrongIndigenousworkforceinremote

communitiesitislargelywrappedupintheideathatIndigenousemployeesarestrong

advocatesofthevalueofeducationandtrainingintheircommunitiesandthatIndigenous

staffareuniquelyplacedtohelpdevelopstrongpartnershipsbetweenIndigenous

communitiesandtheDepartmentofEducation(Nuttonetal.2012,p.12).Onceagainthis

doesnottouchonimprovinglearningoutcomesforstudentsthroughchangesin

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pedagogicalpractices.Thisoversightpromptsanumberofquestions.Isthereabeliefthat

Indigenousteachersareinschoolstodoadifferentjobtonon-Indigenousteachers?Is

thereahiddenimplicationhereaboutthepedagogicalqualityofIndigenousteachers?

By2013/2014,withNationalAssessmentProgramLiteracyandNumeracy(NAPLAN)

statisticscontinuingtopaintableakpictureabouttheprogressbeingmadein‘literacyand

numeracy’forIndigenousstudents(Smee2013),itwastimeforyetanotherreviewof

IndigenousEducation.ThistimetheNTDepartmentofEducationbroughtinformerCEOof

theCurriculumCorporation,turnedEducationconsultant,BruceWilson,todothereview.

WilsonusedashisstartingpointtheLearningLessonsreportfrom1999,aswellasthe

2005LearningLessonsstatusreport.Anentirechapterofthereportwasdedicatedto

‘WorkforcePlanning’(Wilson2014,p.189)andnotesthe‘evidenceforweaknessinthe

recruitmentandtrainingofIndigenousstaff(Wilson2014,p.193).WhileWilson(2014)

suggeststhatsincetheLearningLessonsreport(NorthernTerritoryDepartmentof

Education1999)‘abroadrangeofprogramsandresourceshavebeenputinplaceto

improverecruitmentanddevelopmentopportunitiesforthegeneralremoteworkforce

andforIndigenousemployees’(Wilson2014,p.195).Henotesthat‘increasingIndigenous

staffingnumbersandquality’stillrequiresattention.Theauthorusesthatterm‘quality’to

refertothetypesofteachersneededtoteachIndigenousstudents.However,thereisno

detailputaroundhowsuch‘quality’istobedefined.

Wilson’sreportcomestothesameconclusionasBat(2011),thattheRemoteAreaTeacher

Education(RATE)programwhichranfromthe1970sto1990swasthemostsuccessful

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programhistoricallyatproducingqualifiedIndigenousteachersandwas‘responsiblefor

producingmanyoftheIndigenousteachersinschoolstoday’(Wilson2014,p.196).He

doesnotplaceanyexplanationaroundwhythisTeacherEducationprogramfromthisera

wassosuccessful.HethennamestheCharlesDarwinUniversity(CDU)RemoteIndigenous

TeacherEducation(RITE)programas‘thecurrentTeacherEducationmodel’butalready

speaksaboutitinthepasttensenotingthatit‘wasregardedasunsuccessfulaftera

relativelyshortlife’(Wilson2014,p.196).HenotestheCDUfigureof‘120Indigenouspre-

serviceteachersenrolledindifferentstudymodesinprogramsdeliveredthroughthe

AustralianCentreforIndigenousKnowledgesandEducation(ACIKE)ajointenterprisewith

BIITE’(Wilson2014,p.196)butdoesnottakeintoaccountthatACIKEcoursesareopento

allAboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderstudentsacrossAustraliaandanecdotallyfarmore

ofthese120studentcomefrominterstateorurbanbackgrounds,notveryremote

NorthernTerritorycommunities.Wilson(2014)pointsoutinhisreviewtheheavy

investmentbytheNorthernTerritoryDepartmentofEducationinthe‘MoreIndigenous

Teachers’(MIT)program,whichofferedarangeofscholarships,cadetshipsandfellowships

tofinanciallysupportIndigenousteachersintheirtraining.However,onceagainthedatais

sufficientlyambiguous(Wilson2014p.196)astoprovidenorealwayofknowingifthis

MoreIndigenousTeachersprogramhasbeenaneffectivesupportforensuringmore

IndigenousteachersfromveryremotecommunitiesarecompletingtheirTeacher

Education.

Wilson(2014,p.196)notesthatthecombinationofthe‘lowliteracylevelofcandidates’

andtheAustralianInstituteofSchoolLeaderships(AITSL)‘requirementsthatteacher

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educationstudentsareinthetop30%ofthecommunityinliteracy’haspresentedbarriers

forIndigenousTeacherEducationstudents,andsuggeststhatthishasimpactedon

recruitment.Anotherpotentialimpactonrecruitmentnamedinthereportistheongoing

‘differenceinemploymentarrangementsandrewardsforIndigenousteachersappointed

intheirowncommunity’(p.199).Thisisthesameissuenamedandcriticizedinthe

LearningLessonsReport(NorthernTerritoryDepartmentofEducation1999).Wilsonnotes

that:

Thelackofhousingentitlementandrelatedbenefitsfortheseappointeesisseenas

discriminatory,andwascitedbyIndigenousteachersthemselvesasbotha

disincentivetoteachintheirowncommunitiesandapracticalobstacletoeffective

planningandteaching,giventhatinsomecasestheywerelivingincrowded

conditionswithlittleopportunityforquietstudyandplanning’(Wilson2014,p.199)

Wilsoncommentsonthedamagingeffectofa‘two-tieredrewardstructurefordifferent

teachers’andthatwhilethereasonsforitarehistoricalitis‘basedessentiallyonrace’

(Wilson2014,p.199)andthatthisineffectcreatesadisincentiveforpeopletobecome

teachersintheirowncommunities.

Other‘difficulties’namedbytheWilsonreportarethe‘highlevelsofsupport’and‘high

levelsofcosts’insustainingpre-serviceprogramsforremoteIndigenousteachers,thelack

ofco-ordinationbetweenprovidersandtheabsenceofmentoringarrangementsfornew

Indigenousteachers(Wilson2014,p.197).Thereportalsoraisesthepossibilityof

‘standards’beingloweredand‘assessmentprocessesbypassedordistortedtoensure

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graduations’ofIndigenousteachersandnames‘consistentfeedbacktothereviewabout

theunsatisfactoryqualityofsomegraduates’(Wilson2014,pp.198-199).Wilsonnotes

thatthesecriticismsare‘anecdotal’andhedoesnotprovideanyspecificevidence.The

choicetopublishinthereporttheseunsubstantiatedclaimsaboutIndigenousteacher

‘quality’issignificantasitechoesthecontinuationoftheideologicalpositioningofthe

Indigenousasoflowercapacitytothenon-Indigenous.

Wilsondoesoutlinearoadmapforstrengthening‘programstoincreaseIndigenous

teachernumbersandquality’(2014,p.205).Hissuggestionsincluderigorouscandidate

selection,programslargelydeliveredinschoolwithalocalcoordinator,schoolbased

coordinatorswithtimereleasetosupportpre-servicecandidates,principallyface-to-face

instruction,developmentofacommonunderstandingofresponsibilitiesbetweenthe

candidateandtheschool,clearexpectationsofcandidatesbeingoutlined,areasonable

expectationofstudyload,assessmentandsupervisionarrangementonparitywith‘other

pre-serviceteachers’andadditionalcoachingandadvisorysupportthroughtheeducation

department,schoolandtertiaryinstitution(Wilson2014,pp.197-198).Theauthormakes

specialnoteoftheneedforstrongdepartmentalsupportdemonstratedbya10-year

commitmenttofundingandajobguaranteeforgraduates.Aworryingaspectofthis

roadmapistheassumedcompletepassivityoftheIndigenousteachercandidates

themselvesandtheircommunitiesinthisprocess.AtnopointdoesWilsonsuggestthe

needtoconsultwithremotecommunitiesaboutthe‘recruitment’ofcandidates.Thissits

indirectoppositiontotheideathatinremoteIndigenouscommunities‘whostudiesto

becomeateacherisadecisioninwhichmanycommunitieswanttoactivelyparticipate’

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(BatandShore2013,p14).Indeedtherecruitmentprocessreadsasbeingratherclinical,

muchlikethearmydraftusedtobe–soldierspulledintoabattlebecausetheircountry

‘neededthem’.Onewondersaboutthesuccessofsuchastrategyusedto‘recruit’teachers

tofightthe‘battle’against‘lowIndigenousliteracy’ratherthanastrategythatseeksto

engageinprocessesandpracticesthatfacilitaterelationshipswithlocalcommunitiesand

developprogramsthathavecontinualreferencetothesociety,cultureandcommunity

needsofthestudents,whichisthepreferredapproachthatIndigenouspeopleinthe

NorthernTerritoryhavecontinuallyarticulatedforthemselves(BatandShore2013).

BoththeNuttonreportandtheWilsonreviewemploythecommon‘smokeandmirrors’

approachofreferringtootherreportsandreviews,theirfindingsandrecommendations.

Littlecriticalanalysisofthelackofactionisappliedbeforethelatestreviewgoesonto

makesurprisinglysimilarfindingsandrecommendations.TheremoteIndigenousworkforce

istrappedinarevolvingdoorofpolicyandpolitics,providedmomentumwithwell-timed

andpoliticallymotivatedreviewsandreportsthatneverseemtoachieveanyofthestated

aimsofincreasingnumbersandpercentages.Thisshouldleadustoquestionwhythe

responsesneverquitematchtherhetoric.

3.6TheimpactofregulationandstreamliningofteachereducationintheNorthern

TerritoryonremoteIndigenousteachers

Itwasinthenatureofthisnationalizedsystemthatanyteachereducationprogramsinthe

NorthernTerritorywouldnowneedtofallinlinewiththeNationalStandardsandthat

teachersintheNorthernTerritorywouldhavetodemonstratetheir‘quality’asmeasured

bytheProfessionalStandards.

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3.6.1TheTeacherRegistrationBoardoftheNorthernTerritory

Aregulatorybodywasrequired.Onthe13thSeptember2004the‘TeacherRegistrationAct

(NT)’waspassedandthislegislationcameintoeffectonthe1stFebruary2005.Thiswas

theNTkeepingpacewithotherjurisdictionsinAustraliawhenitcametowhowasallowed

toteachintheschoolsoftheTerritory.Inthewordsofthelegislationitwasthere‘To

ensurethatonlypersonswhoarefitandproper,andwhoareappropriatelyqualified,are

employedasteachersintheNT’(NorthernTerritoryTeacherRegistrationBoardAnnual

Report2005).ToadministertheActtheTeacherRegistrationBoard(TRB)oftheNorthern

Territorywasestablishedin2005andfromthebeginningBoardmembershiphasincluded

oneIndigenousteachernominatedbytheChiefExecutiveoftheDepartmentofEducation.

TheTRBsitsasanIndependentstatutoryauthoritywithintheNorthernTerritory.Inits

firstyeartheTRBreceivedatotalof4098applications.Initially3992oftheseapplicants

wereapprovedwithafurther85‘authoritiestoemployanunregisteredperson’granted.

Forthese85teachers,theBoardconsideredemployers’abilityandwillingnesstoprovide

adequatesupervision,support,mentoringwithintheschool,persons’qualificationsand

relevantexperience,hoursofemployment,purposeofemployment,teachingenvironment

wheretheywork.ThecategorieslistedundertheTRB’s‘authoritytoemployan

unregisteredperson’included‘BatchelorCollegegraduates’withatwoyearteaching

qualificationapprovedforteamteaching(NorthernTerritoryTeacherRegistrationBoard

AnnualReport2005).

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ThiswasthefirstpieceofregulationintheNorthernTerritorythatfocusedontheneedfor

a4-yearqualificationtobearegisteredteacher.Priortothis,teachersweretraineduptoa

3-yearqualificationandconsideredeligibletoteach.TodealwiththisanomalytheTRB

created4schedulesofregistrationwithatransitionclausestatingthatthatultimatelyall

teacherswouldneedafouryearqualificationasaminimum(NorthernTerritoryTeacher

RegistrationBoardAnnualReport2005,p.11).ManyoftheIndigenousteachersworkingin

remoteschoolsintheNTatthismomentintimewere3yearqualifiedteacherssowere

affectedbythistransitionclause,althoughtherewaslittlesystemicthinkingbytheTeacher

RegistrationBoard,theuniversitiesortheDepartmentofEducationabouthowtodealwith

thistransitionuntillatein2008whensomespecificshorttermprogramswerefunded(Hall

etal.2010;Hall2014).Thisisagoodexampleoftheacademicgoalpostsbeingshifted

throughchangesinpolicy.

IntheyearsthatfollowedtheestablishmentoftheTRBthenumbersofteachersworkingin

theNorthernTerritoryschoolswerereportedintheTRBannualreports.Thenumberof

IndigenousteacherswaslessconsistentlyreportedastheTRBseemedtotakean

inconsistentapproachtothegatheringofsuchdata.Thisdataiscompiledinthetable

below:

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Registeredteachers Indigenousteachers Un-identified

2005 3992 156(3.9%) NA

2006 4022 169(4.2%) 290

2007 4572 164(3.6%) 287

2008 5086 164(3.2%) 693

2009 Over5400 3% NA

2010 5768 NA NA

2011 6151 3% NA

2012 5884 NA NA

2013 6014 NA NA

2014 5710 NA NA

Figure1:NumberofregisteredIndigenousandnon-IndigenousteachersintheNT

Source:TRBannualreports2005-2014

Thetableaboveshowstwomaintrends1)thattherehasbeennoconsistentcollectionof

statisticalinformationaboutthenumberofregisteredIndigenousteachersintheNorthern

Territoryand2)that,basedonwhatlittleinformationhasbeencollected,thenumberof

registeredIndigenousteachersintheNorthernTerritoryhasstayedverylow.

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3.6.2Accreditationof‘standards’and‘quality’inteachereducationcoursesintheNT

Inadditiontotheirroleasaregistrationbodyforteachers,theTRBwasalsogiven

oversightoftheteachereducationcoursesofferedintheNT.AtthebeginningoftheTRB’s

existencein2005therewere18separateteachereducationcoursesavailableintheNT.

CDUoffered10separatecourses,allatBachelorlevelorhigher.BatchelorInstituteoffered

8coursesfromDiplomatoBachelorlevels.WhiletheCDUcourseswereopentoall

students,theywerepredominantlydesignedwithanon-Indigenousclienteleinmind.The

BatchelorInstitutecourseswereonlyofferedforenrolmenttoAboriginalandTorresStrait

Islanderstudentsandweredesignedwitha‘BothWays’philosophy(Bat&Shore2013;

Lhanupuy2003;Marika1999;Ober&Bat2009).These28teachereducationcourseswere

onofferfromthetwoHigherEducationinstitutionsoftheNTatthetimetheFederal

Governmentcalledforanationalreviewofpre-serviceteachereducation,foreshadowing

furthernationalstreamliningofteachereducationinAustralia.

IntheperiodsinceitsinceptiontheTRBhasplayedanimportantroleinregulatingand

monitoringthequalityofteachereducationcoursesintheNT.Soonafteritsinceptionthe

Boardnotedthefollowinginrelationtoitsworkintheassessmentofthequalityofteacher

educationcourses:

Akeyfactorinthedevelopmentandassessmentofnewprogramswillbetheextent

towhichtheycanfacilitatetheabilityofpre-serviceteacherstomeettheNorthern

Territorystandardsofprofessionalpracticeforteaching(NorthernTerritory

TeacherRegistrationBoardAnnualReport2006,p.14)

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ThissamephraseisrepeatedyearafteryearuntiltheNorthernTerritoryStandardsfor

professionalpracticeinteachingweresupersededbythe‘AustralianProfessional

StandardsforTeachers’developedandpublishedbytheAustralianInstituteforTeaching

andSchoolLeadershipin2009.Itwasanotherkeyshifttowardsthestreamliningand

standardizationofteachereducationinAustraliaand,asacorollary,intheNT.Inthe2010

TRBannualreportthereisanacknowledgementoftheworkthatwillneedtobedonein

ordertodevelop‘theBoardsaccreditationpracticesinordertoparticipateinthenational

system’(NorthernTerritoryTeacherRegistrationBoardAnnualReport2010,p.2).The

legislativechangesbroughtaboutbytheAmendmentBillin2010alsogaveenhanced

powerstotheTRBtorecommendnewteachereducationcoursestotheNTMinisterfor

Education.Thishashappenedin2011,2012and2013.

Ofparticularnotein2011wasthedevelopmentofanewpartnershipbetweenCharles

DarwinUniversity(CDU)andBatchelorInstitutewiththedevelopmentoftheAustralian

CentreforIndigenousKnowledgesandEducation(ACIKE).Thiswasadecisionmadeatthe

federalgovernmentlevelandtheresultwasthatallteachereducationstudentsintheNT

wouldcompletetheCDUaccreditedcourseswithBatchelorInstitutefromthispointbeing

unabletosubmitteachereducationcoursesforaccreditationinitsownright.Existing

BatchelorInstitutecourseswereintegratedintoCDUcourseswiththeoutcomethatall

teachereducationcoursesofferedthroughtheACIKEpartnershipcarryCDUaccreditation.

BatchelorInstitutehasbeenabletocontinuewithitsspecializedmixed-modeofcourse

deliveryforIndigenousteachereducationstudents.The2012TRBannualreportnotedthe

following:

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TeacherEducationprogramsforIndigenousstudentshavebeenandwillcontinueto

bedeliveredbytheinstituteinBatchelorandtheDPC(DesertPeoplesCentre)in

AliceSpringsthroughthemixedmodeapproach.Thisapproachcombinesintensive

workshops,communitybasedlearningandonlinelearningtosupportIndigenous

studentstoachievetheirteachingqualification(NorthernTerritoryTeacher

RegistrationBoardAnnualReport2012,p.5)

Itisworthquestioningthisamalgamation.Seenbysomeasanewrelationshipof

collaborativedeliverythatprovidesthepotentialforincreaseddelivery(BatandShore

2013,p.16)itcouldalsobeseenasanactofeconomicpragmatismforatertiarymarketas

smallastheNorthernTerritory.Anotherinterpretationcouldbethatitwasanactof

assimilatingthepreviouslystrong‘BothWays’teachereducationcoursesintothemore

‘mainstream’(ShoreandBat2013,p15)offeringsoftheCDUcourses.Whateverthe

motivationitisworthaskingthequestionwhetherthismovereallywillfacilitateand

supportmoreIndigenousteachersfromremotecommunitiesbecomingfullyqualified

teachers.

3.6.3Somuchregulationforsolittleimprovement

In2014AITSLreportedthatAustralia-widethenumberofIndigenousstudentsininitial

teachereducationprogramswasnomorethan3%ofthetotalstudentteacherpopulation

(AustralianInstituteforTeachingandSchoolLeadership2014,p.16).Thereisnospecific

IndigenousstudentteacherdataavailablefortheNorthernTerritory.However,thefederal

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government’sreviewofteachereducation,‘ActionNow:Classroomreadyteachers’,

reportedthat:

In2013,therewere183,306AboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderfull-time

equivalentenrolmentsinAustralianschools.Thisrepresents5percentofallfull-

timeequivalentenrolmentsinAustralia.Eighty-fourpercentofAboriginaland

TorresStraitIslanderstudentswereenrolledingovernmentschools,10percentin

Catholicschoolsand5percentinindependentschools(ActionNow:Classroom

readyteachers2014,p.83).

FromthesedataitisclearthatthenumberofIndigenouspeoplepreparingtobecome

schoolteachersisnotkeepingpacethenumberofIndigenousstudentsAustralia-wide.

WithamuchhigherproportionofIndigenousstudentsinNTschools(40%)thanthenation-

widefigureof5%,andtheproportionofIndigenousteachersinNTschoolsintheorderof

3%,onewouldexpecttoseeNTandfederalgovernmentsplaceaheightenedlevelof

urgencyonincreasingthenumbersofIndigenousstudentteacherspreparingtoteachin

theNT,andparticularlysowithrespecttopreparingtoteachinremotecommunityschools

intheNTwheretheIndigenousstudentpopulationcanbeupto100%ofallstudentsat

certainschools.

3.7Conclusion

Theprogressionfromtheoriginal,practical,onsite,classroombasedteachertrainingto

themodern,professional,national,universitybasedsystemof‘quality’teachereducation

wasperhapsinevitable,andmayevenhavebeennecessary.However,inacountrythesize

ofAustraliawithsomuchgeographic,culturalandlinguisticdiversity,itisworthaskingthe

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question‘whodoesthisNational‘quality’teachereducationsystemservebest?’The

processofnationalizationandstandardizationassumesa‘standard’ora‘norm’andherein

liesthedangerforIndigenouspeoplefromremotecommunitieswantingtobecome

teachers.ThestandardsandnormshavenotbeenbasedontheexperiencesofIndigenous

studentsandIndigenousteachersinremotecommunitiesintheNTand,giventheresearch

locationofmydoctoralstudy,intheremotecommunitiesofCentralAustralia.

Hasthequestionofwhatconstitutes‘quality’inthatcontextbeengivenmorethana

cursoryconsideration?Somewillarguethatthestandardsareopenandflexibleenoughto

beinterpretedindiverseways.Butthatleavesopenthequestionofwhoisdoingthe

interpretation?Eachmovetowardsacentralized,standardized,homogenizednormof

whatitmeanstobea‘quality’teacher,makesthemeetingofthosestandardsharderand

harderforpeoplewhocomefromculturalbackgroundsandlanguagesandteachingstyles

thatdeviatefromthatnorm.Thisisespeciallytruewiththeincreasinglyheavyemphasison

theEnglishliteracyandwesternnumeracyrequirementsofteachereducationapplicants.

Onthequestionofqualityitisworthaskingsomehardquestionsaboutwhatconstitutes

‘quality’teachingand‘classroomready’teachersforteachingthattakesplacein

classroomslocatedonWarlpiri,Luritja,ArrarntaandPitjantjatjaracountry.AsBat(2013)

suggests:

Inthecurrenteraofnationalisation,accreditationandregulation,theneedsofwhat

couldbearguedarethemostdisadvantagedcommunitiesinthecountry,appearto

havebeenlostintherushtocreateauniformteachereducationsystem(Bat2013p

1).

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WhilethesepoliticalandpolicybasedshiftsattheNationalLevelinteachereducationmay

notbethesolereasonwhynumbersofIndigenousstudentsfromremotecommunities

undertakinginitialteachereducationprogramsarelow,itisworthconsideringtowhat

extentthesechangesandpressureshavecontributedtotheproblem.

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Chapter4–MethodologyandMethod

4.1Introduction

Thepurposeofthischapteristoexplainthemethodologcalchoicesmadeinundertaking

thisdoctoralresearch.Thisisdoneinthreeparts.Thefirstpartexplainsthepre-

methodologicalworkthatwasdoneaspartofacommitmenttodoingPost-Colonial

Knowledgeworkin‘goodfaith’withtheIndigneousteacherparticipants.Thesecondpart

outlinestheoverallmethodologyanditsrationale.Thethirdpartexplainsthespecific

methodsusedinthecollectionandanalysisoftheteachernarratives.

4.2Pre-methodologicalquestions

4.2.1Thecaseforauniqueapproach

ThecommonconcernattheheartofthisresearchistolookatpathwaysforIndigenous

peoplefromremotecommunitiesintoteachereducation.Thekeyvehicleforexploringthis

concernwasthestoriesofIndigenousteachersfromremotecommunitiesinCentral

Australiawhohavesuccessfullycompletedthispathwayandbecomefullyqualified

classroomteachers.Theimmediateimpulsewastouseanarrativemethodologyandthen

chooseamethodsuchas‘yarning’(Bessarab&Ng'andu2010),orsomethingsimilarthat

hasemergedfromthefieldof‘Indigenousresearch’inrecentyears.Toanextentthose

immediateinstinctshaveproventobegoodonesandtheuseofnarrativeisoutlinedlater

inthischapter.

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However,asanon-Indigenousresearcherworkinginaresearchspacethatwasprioritising

IndigenousresearchparticipantsandIndigenousstoriesandknowledge,IknewIhadsome

worktodotoensurethatthisparticularresearchprojectdidnotreplicatemanyoftheills

ofpastresearchinthisfield.TothatendIdidalargepieceof‘pre-methodological’work

thatIhavecometothinkofas‘theworkbeforethework’(Palmer2009).InparticularIwas

interestedintheethicalprocessesthatleadintoresearchworkandfindingwaystocome

togetherintheresearchspacethatcanfaciliate‘goodfaith’Post-ColonialKnowledgework.

The‘participants’inthisresearchwerenotjustthestorytellersbutareimportant

knowledgeauthoritiesinthisfieldofstudy.Thesewomenarerecognisedleaderswithin

theirowncommunitiesandacrossothers’communities.Inmanycasestheyareamongthe

mosthighlyeducatedmembersoftheirhomecommunities,asdefinedbytheWestern

academy.Additionallytheyholdavastamountofknowledgeabouteducationinthe

interculturalsettingofremotecommunityschools.Thesewomenalsoholdandare

responsibleforanextensiveamountofculturalandprotocolknowledgefromwithintheir

ownknowledgetraditions.Tolimittheirroleintheprocesstoonlybeing‘participants’and

ignoreeverythingelsethattheyareandthattheybringtotheprocesswouldbeinsulting

tothemaswellasdoingahugediservicetothequestionwearetryingtoanswertogether.

AsdetailedinChapter1ofthisthesis,thecommonconcernatthecentreofthisresearch

wasbornoutofacollectiveprocessbetweenmyselfandalloftheseladiesduringsome

previousworkwehadcompletedtogether.Sofromtheverybeginningconversationson

thistopicithasfeltlikeacollaborativeeffort,withthePhDprocessservingasavehiclefor

thatexploration.Whilethisisclearlyanunusualapprochtotake,thereareimportant

opportunitiesthatariseasaresultofthis.

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Onethingbecameveryclearfromtheoutsetofseeingthisasacollaborativeprocess:we

wouldneedtopayattentiontoandnurturethecollaborationfortheenitrelengthofthe

processassociatedwithmyPhDstudy.Soitbecameobviousthatthisongoingreflection

andevaluationwasanelementthatneededtobebuiltintothatprocessfromthevery

beginning.Thisgaverisetoparallelquestion,namely‘Howdowedoresearchtogetherin

theinterculturalspace?’Thisdoctoralresearchwasofferingauniqueopportunitytoreflect

on,evaluateandanalysewaysofdoingresearchtogetherthatmightofferalternative

modelsforfutureresearchers.Thisalsobecomeamethodologicalquestionbecausethese

reflectiveandevaluativestagesneededtobebuiltintotheentireprocess.Utlimatelythis

gaverisetoanewtypeofmethodologywhichIamcalling‘participatorynarrative’,the

processofwhichisoutlinedinthefinalsectionofthischapterandtheimplicationsand

benefitsofwhicharediscussedinChapter5.

4.2.2Understandingthepast

ItaketheviewthatnoresearchershouldplantodoresearchinvolvingIndigenouspeoples

andcommunitieswithoutfirstexaminingthehistoryofresearchthathasdamaged,

disempoweredandsilencedIndigenouspeoples.Itisespeciallyimportantfornon-

Indigenousresearcherstoacknowledgetherolethattheirculturalancestorshaveplayedin

thishistoryandtomakeafirmcommitmentthattheywillnotmakethesamemistakes.

FortunatelywearenowlivinginanerawheremanyIndigenousresearchersarespeaking

backtotheWesternAcademyandnotonlynamingtheimpactofthedamagethathas

beendonebutalsoclaimingtheirrighttorethinktheunderpinningsoftheresearch

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processfromIndigenousstandpoints.Thisisleadingtoexcitingnewresearchparadigms

thathaveatheartIndigenouswaysofknowing,Indigenousworldviews,Indigenousvalues

andethicsandIndigenousmethodologies.

4.2.3Thecoloniallegacyofresearch

'Researchersarelikemosquitoes,theysuckyourbloodthenleave'

AlaskanNativesaying(inCochran2008,p.1)

ThisAlaskaNativesayingsumsuphowmanyIndigenouspeopletheworldoverfeelabout

research.LindaTuhawiSmith(1999)talksaboutresearchbeinga'dirtyword'formost

Indigenouscommunities.Australianacademic,LowitjaO'Donoghuesummedtheresearch

experienceofAustralianIndigenouspeoplethus,

Untilveryrecently…scientificresearchhasbeenaverytopdownapproach.For

Aboriginalpeople,thishasmeantwehavebeenamongstthemoststudiedand

researchedgroupintheworld…fewifanytangiblebenefitshaveflowedtoour

people,astheresearchpapersandtheacademicaccoladeshavestackedup.

Researchershave,byandlarge,definedtheproblemsandsoughtsolutionsthat

theyhaveseenasthecorrect,'scientific'waytogo(LowitjaO'Donoghue1998,cited

inHenryetal.2002,p.12).

Researchhas,inthepast,beensomethingthathasbeendone'to'Indigenouspeople

ratherthanwiththem.IthassetIndigenouspeopleupasthe'Other'tobestudiedrather

thanpeoplewhohaveagencyovertheirownlivesandknowledgesystems.Ithasdone

enormousdamageintermsofstigmatisingIndigenouspeopleandreinforcingnegative

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labelsandbeliefsandperhapsworstofall,butunsurprisingly,ithasproducedveryfew

benefitstotheIndigenouscommunitiesthemselves,withthemajorityofthebenefitsgoing

tothenon-Indigenousresearchersandtheinstitutionstheyworkfor.Westernresearchers

seemedtoapproachresearchinoneoftwoways.OftentheywouldapproachIndigenous

communitiesasknowledgetreasurecheststobelooted,miningthelocalpeopleoftheir

knowledgeandthenclaimingtheprizeofdiscovery,apracticewhichwasaviolentwayof

dismissingtheIndigenouspeople'sknowledgeasirrelevantandawayofdisconnecting

themfromwhattheyknewandhowtheyknewit(Chilisa&Preece2005).Rigney(1999)

alsocommentsonthedamagedonetoIndigenouspeoplethroughresearchwhentheir

voicesweresilencedandtheirwaysofknowingunder-valued,ignoredandshutout.

Alternatively,Westernresearchershavehistoricallylookeduponthelives,practicesand

traditionsofIndigenouspeopleasproblemstobesolved(Cochranetal.2008)withan

emphasison'illnessratherthanhealth'(Wilson2009,p.17).Wilson(2009,p.16)points

outthatthiscounterproductivefocushascomeaboutbecausetraditionallyresearchers

camefromoutsidethecommunityto‘study’theIndigenous‘problems’andthenimpose

‘outsidesolutions’ratherthanappreciatingandexpandingupontheresourcesavailable

withinIndigenouscommunities.Thishasresultedintheproliferationofnegative

stereotypesaboutIndigenouscommunities(Wilson2009)andthestigmatizationthatcan

occurwhentheseproblemsandnegativestereotypesarethefocusofpublishedresearch

findings(Cochranetal.2008).

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Thisnegativefocusalsopointstoalackofcommitmenttorelationships,whichis

fundamentallyimportanttoIndigenouspeople.Wilson(2009)notesthatinthepastin

mostcasesresearchundertakenwasnotattherequestofthecommunity,butrather

basedonadecisionmadebytheindividualresearcherortheinstitutionheorsheworked

for.Research,therefore,wasperceivedbythecommunitiesasdisconnectedandlacking

anyrelevancetothem,andtheyfeltexcludedfromanykindofagencyovertheresearch

process.Therewasnoexpectationorcommitmentonthepartoftheresearchertobuild

relationshipandtrustwiththecommunityandnoengagementintheissuesthe

communityitselfwouldidentify,orindeedtheresourcesavailablefromwithinthe

communitytocreatesolutionsforthoseissues.

AtamorebenignendofthespectrumWilsontalksaboutthisaffectingpeople’sattitudes

towardsresearchsaying,'Peopleareaccustomedtoseeingresearcherscomeintotheir

communities,dowhateveritistheydoandleave,nevertobeheardfromagain'(Wilson

2009,p.15).AtamoresinisterlevelCochranandothers(2008,p.2)giveexampleswhere

thetrustofcommunitiesiscompletelyviolatedwheninformedconsentisnottaken

seriouslyandpeoplebelievetheyareparticipatinginresearchforonepurposeonlyto

discoverthedataisbeingusedforanentirelydifferentsetoffindings.Suchappalling

researchbehaviourhasledtoresearchfindingsthatcannotbeconsideredvalidand

reliable,butthathavestillhadtractionamongstpolicyanddecisionmakingbodies.

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Perhapsthemostglaringcondemnationoftheresearchofthepastisthat'somuchhas

beendoneforsolittleimprovement'(Cochranetal.2008,p.1).GormanandToombs

(2009,p.4)similarlystatethat'Despitedecadesofresearchtherehasbeenlittleorno

improvement'andidentifyoneofthereasonsforthis,'Partoftheproblemthathasbeen

identifiedistheineffectivenessofresearchbasedonnon-Indigenousculturalvalues'.Smith

(1999,p.3)saysthatfortheMaoripeople'researchwastalkedaboutbothintermsofits

absoluteworthlessnesstous,theIndigenousworld,anditsabsoluteusefulnesstothose

whowieldeditasaninstrument'.FinallyWilson(2009,p.20)makesacommentaboutthe

neverendingresearch'inquiries'thatIndigenouscommunitiesarebombardedwithnoting

thatthe'thingthatalloftheseinquiriesholdincommonisthatwithoutfail,theconditions

andissuesthatarebeingstudiedgetworse,ratherthanimproving,aftertheresearchhas

beendone'.Researcherscannolongerignorethis'coloniallegacy'ofresearch(Cochranet

al.2008;Gorman&Toombs2009).

4.2.4Relationalresearchthatgenerates‘goodfaith’

Oneofthekeyreasonsthatwehavesuchaclearcritiqueofthewayresearchwith

Indigenouspeoplehasbeendoneinthepastisbecauseoftheemergencewithinthelast

twoorthreedecadesofanumberofIndigenouswritersandresearcherswhoarespeaking

backtotheAcademyabouttheexclusionoftheirvoicesandknowledgesystemsin

research.Throughthesescholarsweareremindedthathowyoudotheresearchisjustas

importantastheoutcomesoftheresearch.Thismeansthatifresearchisconductedwith

IndigenouspeopleandthedesignignoresIndigenouswaysofknowingandappropriate

ethicaldevelopmentthenitcannotbeconsideredrigorous,andtheresultswillbe

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questionableintermsoftheirefficacy(Cochranetal.2008,p.2).Ifwebelievethat

choosinganappropriateresearchmethodologyisbasedontheskillofmatchingthe

problemwithan'appropriate'setofinvestigativestrategies'andthatitis'concernedwith

ensuringthatinformationisaccessedinsuchawayastoguaranteevalidityandreliability'

(Smith1999,p.173),theninordertobevalid,reliableandrigorousinresearchwith

Indigenouspeopletheresearchdesignmustbeco-constructedinordertoremainopento

openthemultiplicityofwaysofknowing,beinganddoing(Martin2008).

ResearchinvolvingthecollaborationofIndigenousandnon-Indigenouspeopleneedsto

havetheintentofconductingitselfin‘goodfaith’(Verran2013)whichmeansthatatits

coreitneedstoremainrelational.Wilson(2009,p11)suggeststhattheresearchitself

mustbeconsidered'ceremony'.Warlpirischolar,StevePatrickremindsusthatfor

Indigenousepistemologiestheknowledgeliesintherelationships,notintheseparate

parts(PawuKurlpurlurnu,HolmesandBox2008,p.15).DeCrespignyandothers(2004)

alsoconcurwiththisnotionofrelationality,asdoesChilisa(2011,pp.108-122)reminding

usthatitisnotjustaboutrelationshipsbetweenresearcherandcommunity,butmore

importantlyaboutunderstandingtherelationalontologiesandaxiologiesofIndigenous

peoples.Inthisparadigmtheresearchers’relationshiptoknowledgeitselfisandmustbe

different.AccordingtoMoreton-RobinsonandWalter(2009,p.6)Indigenouswaysof

knowingexplicitlyrecognisethatonecannotknoweverything,thateverythingcannotbe

knownandthatthereareknowledgesbeyondhumanunderstanding.Additionallythey

maintainthat'knowledgecannotbediscoveredorowned;itcanonlyberevealedand

shared.InresearchtheIndigenouspersonisalwaystheobserverandIndigenous

worldviewsandperspectivesareexplicitlypositionedasthelensthroughwhichthe

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researchseekstorevealknowledge'(Moreton-Robinson&Walter2009,p.12).AsChilisa

(2011,p.99)pointsoutthisIndigenousperspectiveofresearchbeingabout'unveiling

knowledge'mayposesomechallengesforanAcademythathaspreviouslybefocusedon

the'discovery'of'new'knowledge.

4.2.5TheethicsofPost-Colonialresearchwork

Rose(2004)placesethicsascentraltotheworkofdecolonisation.Butshesaysthatwe

mustnolongerseeethicsasa‘closedsystem’butratherasa‘wayofliving…invulnerability

andopennesstoothers’(Rose2004,p8).Shefurtherexplainsthatthisneedstobean

ethicsofresponsibilityratherthanguiltanditshouldfocusondevelopingahuman

conditionof‘livingwithandforothers’(Rose2004,p12).Finally,Rosesuggeststhatethics

arerevealedinourlivesasthey‘unfoldwithinrelationshipsofresponsibility’(Rose2004,

p.13).Thisconceptionofrelationalethicscorrespondsstronglywithideasexpressedby

Indigenousscholars.Moreton-Robinson&Walter(2009,p.6)underlinetheimportant

principlesofrespect,reciprocityandobligation,whileSmith(1999,p120)recommends

thatwhenworkingwithIndigenouspeopleoneshould,

• Showarespectforpeople

• Presentyourselftopeoplefacetoface

• Look,listen….speak

• Shareandhostpeople,begenerous

• Becautious

• notflauntyourknowledge

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Similarsetsofethicalprinciplescanbereadilyfoundincontemporaryexamplesof

collaborativeresearchbetweenIndigenousandnon-Indigenouspeople.ForexampleHenry

etal(2002,pp.9-13)giveadetailedoverviewoftheattemptsmadeinthefieldofHealth

researchinAustraliabetween1983and1999todefinesomenewprinciplesandprotocols

fordoingresearchwithIndigenouspeople.Cochranandothers(2008,p.4)alsogivean

Australianexampleofguidelinesforresearch.GormanandToombs(2009,p.11)identify

thefollowingassomeoftheethicsandvaluesthatneedtounderlieresearchwith

Indigenouspeoples,

• mutualrespect

• confidentiality

• clarificationofwhobenefitsandhow

• identificationofoutcomes,and

• agreementsbetweentwopartiesaboutthehowtheresearchwillbeconducted

anddisseminated

Accountabilitytotherespectivecommunitiesisalsoakeyprinciple,asisafoundational

beliefintherelationshipandconnectednessofknowledge(Moreton-Robinson&Walter

2009,p.7).Findingrelationalandethicalwaysofdoingresearchtogetheringoodfaith

requirescarefulconsiderationatthemethodologicallevel.

4.3Methodology

Thechoiceanddevelopmentofamethodologyisonlyonepartofresearchdesignandit

neednotbethestartingpointforaresearcher’sconsideration.Howeveritisclearthat

therearecertainmethodologies,particularlyqualitativemethodologies,whichstandoutas

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beinglargelycompatiblewiththerelationalandethicalrequirementsfordoingPost-

Colonialresearchworkin‘goodfaith’.Theonechosenforthisresearchwasanarrative

methodology.

4.3.1Theoreticalunderpinnings

ThisdoctoralresearchfocusesonthestoriesofagroupoffullyqualifiedIndigenous

teachersmeaningthattheseteachershavebeenassessedasdemonstratingthe

ProfessionalStandardsforTeachersatagraduatelevel.Thestudyusesanarrative

methodologytoexplorehowtheseteachersinterpretandenacttheprofessionalstandards

inwaysthataremeaningfultothecontextinwhichtheyliveandwork.This‘narrativeturn’

(Bochner2001)‘honourspeople’sstoriesasdatathatcanstandontheirownaspure

descriptionofexperience,worthyasnarrativedocumentaryofexperience…oranalysedfor

connectionsbetweenthepsychological,sociological,cultural,politicalanddramatic

dimensionsofhumanexperience’(Patton2002,p.116).Narrativetraditionallysitswithin

theinterpretativesocialsciencetheoreticaltradition,beingattimesatoolof

phenomenologyoratothertimestoolofhermeneutics.Asapieceofqualitativeresearch

thatsitswithinthe‘reformedsocialscience’community(Polkinghorne2007,p.473),this

researchwillbelookingfor‘theoreticaltransferabilityratherthanempirical

generalizability’(Pringleetal2011,p.21).

ImportantlytheuseofstoryisalsowidelyregardedbywritersonIndigenousresearch

methodologytobeanappropriateandvalidchoice(BarnhardtC.2001;BarnhardtR.2007;

Basso1996;Chilisa2011;Hughesetal.2004;Kahakalau2004;Kawagley1995;Kawagley

1999;Kovach2009;Partington1998;Wilson2009;Wilson2001)aswillbediscussed

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furtherbelow.CriticalRaceTheory(CRT)alsoplacesthe‘voicesofpeopleofcolour’atthe

centreofresearch(Ladson-BillingsandTate2006,p.22).Centraltothischoiceisthe

assertionandacknowledgementoftheimportanceofthepersonalandcommunity

experiencesofpeopleofcolourassourcesofknowledge(DixsonandRousseau2006b,p.

35).Matsuda(1995,p.3)remindsusthat‘thosewhohaveexperienceddiscrimination

speakwithspecialvoicetowhichweshouldlisten’.

AmaingoalofCRTistousestorytellingandnarrativetoexamineraceandracisminsocial

andpoliticalinstitutionsandCRTscholarsbelievethattheutilizationofpersonalnarratives

andotherstoriesarevalidformsof“evidence”andtherebyCRTchallengesa“numbers

only”approachtodocumentinginequityordiscrimination,whichtendstocertify

discriminationfromaquantitativeratherthanqualitativeperspective.Oneimportant

functionofvoicestorytellingandcounter-storytellinginCRTscholarshipistocounteract

thestoriesofthedominantgroupsothatthemyths,assumptions,andreceivedwisdoms

canbequestionedbyshiftingthegroundsofdebateorpresentinganalysesinwaysthat

turndominantassumptionsontheirhead(Gillborn2006,DixsonandRousseau2006b).

Delgado(1989,p.240)remindsusthatthedominantgrouptellsstoriesdesignedto

‘reminditofitsidentityinrelationtooutgroupsandprovideaformofsharedrealityin

whichitsownsuperiorpositionisseenasnatural’.Gillborn(2006,p.24)suggeststhat‘CRT

approachesservetoappropriatesuchformsandusethemtobuildapowerfulchallengeto

‘‘mainstream’’assumptions’.ThestorytellingaspectofCRThasbeencritiquedas

problematicbecauseitisregardedas‘unscientific’andsubjective,butCRTnevermakes

claimsofobjectivityorrationality.Rather,itseesitselfasanapproachtoscholarshipthat

integrateslivedexperiencewithracialrealism(DixsonandRousseau2006a,pvii).

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4.3.2Storyasmethod

Thecentralroleofstorytellingasameansofknowledgetransmissionisattheheartof

Indigenousknowledgesystems(BarnhardtC.2001;BarnhardtR.2007;Basso1996;Buker

2014;Chilisa2011;Hughesetal.2004;Kahakalau2004;Kawagley1995;Kawagley1999;

Kovach2009;Partington1998;Wilson2009;Wilson2001).Partington(1998)stateswith

regardtotheAustraliancontextthatlearningwaslargelyoralandtheuseofstorytelling

wasimportant.ElizaJones,anAlaskaNativewoman,reinforcesthecentralimportanceof

storyforAlaskaNativepeople.Shesays,

Ournativebeliefsareinsidethosestories…it'slikegospeltous.Itisverymucha

partofmybeliefinlivinginharmonywithnature,withtheland,trees,water,

animalsandbirdspirits(ElizaJones,citedinC.Barnhardt,2001,p.16)

StoriesandmetaphorsweretheoriginalteachingtoolusedbyIndigenoussocieties.Wilson

(2009,p.17)pointsoutthat'storiesallowlistenerstodrawtheirownconclusionsandto

gainlifelessonsfromamorepersonalperspective.Bygettingawayfromabstractionsand

rules,storiesallowustoseeothers’lifeexperiencesthroughourowneyes.This

informationmaythenbeinternalisedinawaythatisdifficultforabstractdiscussionsto

achieve.'

4.3.3Thewiderappealofstory/narrative

NotonlyisstoryornarrativewidelyusedbyIndigenouspeople,butitisincreasinglybeing

recognisedasanimportantresearchmethodologicalstrategywithinthesocialsciencesand

healthfieldsofresearch(Gorman&Toombs2009;Hamiltonetal.2008;Lai2010;Mattos

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2009;Pepper&Wildy2009).InmoreWesternresearchparadigmsitisseenthattheuseof

narrativesasamethodologypermitslife-likeaccountsofindividualexperienceandoffers

anopportunitytovaluetheexperienceofothers(Gorman&Toombs2009;Pepper&Wildy

2009).Thewiderappealofstorytoallisthatouraestheticunderstandingofrealityis

formedandinformedthroughourembeddednessinthegenerativeandcreativeprocessof

story(Lewis2011).Reidetal(2005,p.22)remindusthatinresearchthevalueofstoryas

methodisthat‘theresearcherbeginsbyhearingpeople’sstories,andprioritisesthe

participants’worldviewatthecoreoftheaccount’.Pringleandothers(2011,p.24)

underlinetheimportanceofthisstatingthat‘itisbyunderstandingandbringingtothefore

individualaccountsthatwecanbegintounderstandthe‘lifeworlds’ina

phenomenologicalsense’.

Therearemanyadvantagestousingnarrativeandstorytellingasamethodology.For

example,itcancreateapowershiftinresearchwheretheparticipantisabletodirectthe

courseoftheresearchandretainownershipoverit(Gorman&Toombs2009.p.10).

Allowingpeopletimeandspacetotelltheirownstoryintheirownwayhasalsobeen

showntocontributetopeoples'wellbeing(Pepper&Wildy2009,p.1).Storyalsofreesthe

participantuptochoosethelanguageoftelling,andChilisa(2011,p.153)pointsoutthat

thelanguagethestoryistoldinisoneofthekeycomponentsofresearchwithIndigenous

people.Additionally,PepperandWildy(2009,p.6)remindusthatinadditiontolanguage

therearenon-verbalcuesthatareassociatedwithstorytellingandtheycaninformusas

muchasanythingsaidaloud.Additionally,whoisactuallytellingthestoryandhowthey

arerelatedtothosearoundthemiskeyinunderstandingthestory(Chilisa2011).Allof

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theseelementsmakestoryornarrative,arichandindepthmethodofresearch,butstory

offersopportunitiesnotjustfordatacollectionbutalsoasamethodofinformation

dissemination(Chilisa2011,p.149).CriticalRaceTheoryalsoshowsusthatstoriescanbe

powerfulwaysofidentifying,uncoveringandunderstandingthemoreinvisibleand

everydayformsofracismthatpeopleexperience(Delgado1989,Gillborn2006,Dixsonand

Rousseau2006b).

4.3.4Sometensionsandchallengeswithstoryasmethod

Therearesometensionsandchallengesinvolvedinusingstoryornarrativeasaresearch

method.Thereareimportantissuestodowithreliabilityandanalysiswhenusedwithina

qualitativeresearchapproach.Narrativesrequiremorethanvalidity,reliabilityand

generalisabilityastheyalsoinvolveatensioncentredoncontext.Inanysituationcontext

counts;itisessentialformakingsenseofanyperson,actionorevent.Sothecontextof

boththestoryandthepersontellingthestorymustbefullyunderstoodandfactoredinto

theanalysis(Pepper&Wildy2009).

Itisalsoimportanttoacknowledgethatresearcherswillgenerallyactas'initialfilters'of

data.Non-Indigenousresearchersinparticularmustquestiontheirunderlyingassumptions

andensurethattheyusetherightquestionsforcheckingtheirunderstandings(Pepper&

Wildy2009).Toaddrigourtothismethodologyitmaybeimportanttolookformeaningful

waystobringparticipantsintothisanalysisandfilteringprocess.Itmaybepossiblefor

participantstoanalysetheirownandeachother’snarrativesand,throughrecognisingthe

pointsofsimilarityanddifference,participateindrawingoutthecriticalconclusions.Itis

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importanttorememberthat‘qualitativeapproaches…donotseektofindonesingle

answerortruth,butratheracoherentandlegitimateaccountthatisattentivetothe

wordsoftheparticipants’(Pringleetal.2011,p.23).

4.4Thenarrativemethodusedinthisresearch

4.4.1Purposivesampling

Theparticipantsforthisresearchwerechosenusingpurposivesampling.Thisisaformof

non-probabilitysamplinginwhichdecisionsconcerningtheindividualstobeincludedin

thesamplearetakenbytheresearcherbaseduponavarietyofcriteria.Thesecriteriamay

includespecialistknowledgeoftheresearchissueandcapacityandwillingnessofpotential

participantstocontributetotheresearch.Itisparticularlyappropriateforresearchthat

necessitatestheidentificationofindividualparticipantswhowouldbemostlikelyto

contributeappropriatedata,bothintermsofrelevanceanddepth(Oliver2006).Inthe

caseofthisresearchthecriteriausedwasasfollows:

• Indigenous

• FullyqualifiedclassroomteacherhavingcompletedafouryearBachelorof

Education/Teaching

• FromaremotecommunitylocatedinCentralAustralia(thisisintentionallya

CentralAustralianfocusedresearchproject)

Atthebeginningitwasestimatedthatthenumberofparticipantswaslikelytobebetween

sixandtenwhichisacommonlyrecommendednumberinstudiesofthiskind.Ultimately

thereweresevenparticipantswhohadtheirnarrativesrecorded.Instudiessuchasthis

‘fewerparticipantsexaminedatagreaterdepthispreferabletoabroader,shallowand

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simplydescriptiveanalysisofmanyindividuals’accounts(Heffron&Gil-Rodriguez2011,p.

756).Pringleandothers(2011p21)alsopointoutthata‘reducedparticipantnumbers

allowsforaricherdepthofanalysisthatmightbeinhibitedwithalargersample’.Purposive

samplingoftenleadstoamorehomogenoussample,butthisisquiteintentionalwhere

participantsarechosenbecausetheyofferinsightsfromapositionofsharedexperience

(Pringleetal.2011,p.22).Inthisresearchthenumberandnatureofparticipantswas

determinedbytherealityofhowmanyfullyqualifiedIndigenousteacherstherearefrom

remotecommunitiesinCentralAustralia.

4.4.2Narrativecollection

Themain‘data’forthisresearchisintheformoftheteachers’narratives.Theywere

gatheredusinganinterviewtechniquethatfallsonthecontinuumbetweenun-structured

andsemi-structurednarrativeinterviews(Sarantakos1998).Thislackofinitialstructureis

commoninqualitativeresearchthatusesanarrativemethodforanumberofkeyreasons.

HefferonandGil-Rodriguez(2011,p.757)maintainthatitispreferabletobeginwith‘a

moreopenendedinterviewmaintainingacarefulbalancebetweenguidingandbeingled’

andto‘startwithbroad,generalquestionsthatallowtheparticipanttoseetheparameters

ofthetopic…sothattheresearcherdoesnotimposetheirunderstandingofthe

phenomenonontheparticipant’snarrative’.Pringleandothers(2011,p.23)alsowarnthat

‘expansive,honestandreflectiveaccountsmaybelessforthcomingandmoredifficultto

accessfromparticipantsifarigidsetofquestionsoramorestructuredinterviewing

techniqueareused’.

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Inthisresearchthestorytellingfocusedonthewholeofcareerexperienceofeach

teacher.Eachnarrativewasrecordedoveranumberofsessionsandproducedadetailed,

indepth,richaccountoftheexperienceofbecomingandbeingateacherforthe

participant.Thelanguageoftellingwasleftuptotheparticipantandtranslationwasused

whererequired.Thiswasmostoftendonebytheparticipantsthemselves,eitheratthe

timeoftelling(i.e.theyrepeatedwhattheyhadjustsaidbutinEnglishformeto

understand)oratalaterdateinafollowupsession.

4.4.3Semi-Structurednarrativeinterviewprocess

Step1

Sensitivetotheuniquecontextsoftheindividualparticipantssomequestionswere

consideredcollectivelypriortostorytelling.Theseincluded:

• Wherewouldbeagoodplacetotellthisstory?

• Whoaretherightpeopletobeinvolvedintellingthisstory?

• Whowouldliketo/shouldlistentothisstory?

Inthecaseofeachparticipanttherecordingofthenarrativewasprecededbyalong

conversationalphase.Thiswasdoneovermanymonths,attimesinface-to-face

encountersandatothertimesoverthephoneorothersocialmediacommunication

avenues.Thisgaveeachparticipantthetimetofullyconsidertheirparticipationinthe

researchandtobeincontrolofwhenandwherethe‘telling’wouldcommence.The

importanceofallowingthiskindofleadintimeisfurtherexplainedchapter5.

Step2Onlywhenthestorytellerwasreadyweretherecordingdevicesswitchedon.Each

narrativebeganwiththefollowingprompt:

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“Whenyouarereadycanyoustarttellingmethewholestoryofyoubecomingateacher?”

Afterthisthetellerwasincontrolofwherethenarrativewent.Someparticipantschoseto

introducethemselvesandgiveabriefsynopsisoftheirteacherstory.Otherschosea

differentstartingplace.Questionsandadditionalpromptswereonlyusedwhenrequired

tomovethenarrativealong,andwereconstructedonanadhocbasisbytheresearcherin

responsetothenarrativebeingtold.Inthisaspectthemethodcloselyresembleda

‘yarning’approachasdescribedbyBessarabandNg'andu(2010).

Aseachnarrativeranoveranumberofrecordingsessions,oftenondifferentdays,the

researcherwouldstarteachsubsequentsessionwitharecapofwhathadbeendiscussed

attheendoftheprevioussession.Thisservedtoremindbothtellerandlistenerand

providesomecontinuitytotherecordednarrative.

Step3

Oncethetellercametoanaturalpointofclosuretotheirownteachernarrative,onefinal

recordingsessionwascompletedwitheachparticipant.Theaimofthisfinalsessionwasto

explorehowtheprofessionalroleoftheteacherisunderstoodandenactedbyIndigenous

teachers.Thequestionsorpromptsforthisfinalsessionweredevisedinadvanceanda

copyofthemwasprovidedtotheparticipantbeforerecordingcommenced.These

questionswereguidedbythesevenProfessionalStandardsforTeachers(Australian

InstituteforTeachingandSchoolLeadership,viewed24/9/15a).Namely,

o Knowingstudentsandhowtheylearn

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Exampleprompts:Tellmehowwellyouknowyourstudents.Tellmewhatyou

knowabouthowstudentsfromyourcommunitylearnbest?Wheredoesyour

knowledgeaboutyourstudentscomefrom?

o Knowingthecontentandhowtoteachit

Exampleprompts:Whatisimportantforyourstudentstolearnandhowshould

theylearnit?Whatresourcesdoyoudrawontoteachwhatyourstudentsneedto

learn?

o Planningforandimplementingeffectiveteachingandlearning

Exampleprompts:Whatisgoodteachingandgoodlearninginyouropinion?What

doyoudotomakesuregoodteachingandlearninghappens?Howdoyouplanfor

yourclasseseachdayandeachweek?Howdoyouincludeallofyourstudentsin

learning?

o Creatingandmaintainingsupportiveandsafelearningenvironments

Exampleprompts:Whatdoesasafelearningenvironmentlook,feelandsound

like?Howdoyoumakesurethatyourclassroomandtheschoolisasafelearning

environmentforyourstudents?

o Accessing,providingfeedbackandreportingonstudentlearning

Exampleprompts:Whatkindoffeedbackdoyougivetostudentsabouttheir

learning?Howdoyoudothis?Whodoyougivethisfeedbackto?Whodoyoutalk

toabouthowthestudentisgoingatschool?Doyouinvolveyourstudents’parents

andotherrelativesinyourtalksabouthowyourstudentsaregoingatschool?

o Engaginginprofessionallearning

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Exampleprompts:Whatkindsofprofessionallearninghaveyoufoundthemost

usefulduringyourworkasateacher?Haveyougotaprofessionalrolemodelin

mindasyouworktobecomeabetterteacherinyourcommunityschool?What

sortsofprofessionallearningactivitieshavehelpedyoumost?Howhasyour

professionallearninghelpedyougrowasateacher?

o Engagingprofessionallywithcolleague,parents/carersandthecommunity

Exampleprompts:Whatdoesitmeanforyoutoengageprofessionallywith

colleagues?Howdoyouengagewithparents/carersandthewidercommunity?Do

youseeyourselfhavingawiderroleasateacherinyourcommunitythanjustbeing

aclassroomteacher?

Participantswereinvitedtorespondtothepromptsusingstoriesorexamplesfromtheir

ownteachingexperience,orinanyotherwaytheychosetorespond.

4.4.4NarrativeAnalysis

Athreelevelanalysiswasusedtoexploretheteachernarratives.Theparticipantswere

involvedindifferentwaysatallthreelevelsofthisanalysis.Thisisnotuncommonin

qualitativeresearchthatusesnarrative,where‘theinterviewerisunderstoodtoworkwith

therespondentinflexiblecollaborationtoidentifyandinterprettherelevantmeanings

thatareusedtomakesenseofthetopic’(Reidetal.2005,p.22).Involvementofthe

participantsinanalysisalsohelpstoovercomeissuesoflanguageandcross-cultural

understandingastheparticipantsweregiventhisadditionalopportunitytoclarifytheir

meaningandunpackanymetaphorsandsymbolismused.Thisisparticularlyimportantin

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communicatingmeaningandunderstandingsinacross-culturalspace(Pringleetal.2011.

p.21).

Level1–ResearcherwithindividualparticipantsAttheconclusionofthenarrativerecordingstheresearchertranscribedeachnarrative

usingNVivo©software.Afterthistheresearcherwentovereachnarrativetranscriptwith

therespectiveteacherparticipantandtogethertheyexploredtheindividualnarrativeto

seewhatitrevealedaboutthequestionatthecentreoftheresearch.Duringthisprocess

someinitialbasiccodingwasdoneonthebasisofrepetitivewords,themesandideas

emerging.Thiswasalsoatimefortheparticipantstoevaluatewhattheysaidintheirstory

andtoremoveanythingtheywerenotcomfortablewith,aswellasaddinginadditional

partsofthenarrativethattheymayhaveforgottentomentionatthetimeoftelling.Itwas

achancetorevisitthelanguageusedandclarifywhatthetellerwassaying,aswellasdoing

anytranslationworkthatwasnecessary.Thisfirstlevelwasimportanttoensurethatthe

storytellerwascomfortableandhappywiththeversionoftheirnarrativethatwouldbe

usedinthenextstepofanalysis.

Level2–GrouplevelanalysisTheresearcherworkedwiththegroupofteacherparticipantswhotoldtheirstoriesto

explorethesetofnarrativescollected.Thiswasanimportantwayofensuringthat

importantthemesinthenarrativeswerenotidentifiedsolelybyonenon-Indigenous

person;thatis,theprincipalresearcher.Thisworkwasdoneatatwo-dayseminar

conductedinAliceSpringswithallresearchparticipantsinattendance.Eachparticipant

readandanalysedthenarrativeofanotherteacherandprovidedcommentaryaboutthe

importantthemestheyfeltwerecontainedinthatnarrative.Thissecondlevelofanalysis

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bythegroupgaveimportantdirectiontotheinitialcodingworkcompletedintheLevel1

analysis.Ithelpeddirecttheresearchtowardsthecodesandthemestofocusonmore

strongly.Therewerekeymomentsduringthistwodayseminarwhenthetopicunder

discussiongeneratedtheengagementofthewholegroupandsomeadditionalexamples

andexpansionofthenarrativeswereofferedbythegroupmembers.Theenergyofthe

groupduringthosetimeshadadifferentfeeling.Thesekeymomentsofengagementwere

indicationsthatwhatwewerediscussingwasfelttobeimportantbyallparticipants.Itwas

aroundthesekeymomentsofengagementthattheinitialseventhemeswereidentified.

Theanalysisofthesegroupdiscussionsandthethemesthatwereinductivelyproducedin

thiswayaredetailedinChapter6.

Level3–Researcheranalysis&feedbackloopAfterlevels1and2werecompletedthethemesandanalysisdrawnoutbytheindividuals

andthegroupwereusedbytheprincipalresearcherasanalyticalframetofurtherexplore

andanalysetheindividualnarrativesoftheteacherparticipants.Thisanalysisiscontained

inChapter7,themesonetoseven.Anongoingfeedbackloopwiththeresearch

participantsalsoprovidedawayfortheparticipantstoprovidefeedbacktotheresearcher

ontheconclusionsdrawnastheprocessunfolded.Thishappenedinanadhocway

throughsomecasualandsomeintentionalinteractionsbetweentheresearcherand

teacherparticipants.

4.5Methodologicalevolution–‘participatorynarrative’

Whiletheoriginalresearchdesignenvisionedtheuseof‘narrativemethodology’the

carefulconsiderationofthe‘ethics’ofresearchandthedesiretocometogetherin‘good

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faith’todoPost-Colonialresearchworkmeantthatwhatemergedwasanewformof

narrativemethod,onewherethoseofferingtheirnarrativestotheresearchwerealso

activeparticipantsintheresearchprocess.Iamcallingthismethodology‘participatory

narrative’andthiswillbediscussedfurtherinChapter5.

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Chapter5–Discussionof‘ParticipatoryNarrative’method

5.1Backgroundandrationale

Thedecisiontopayattentiontoourcollectivepracticeswhiledoingthisresearchwasborn

outofthefactthattheproblemwascentredonacollectivepublicproblemtobeginwith.

Thequestionattheheartofthisresearchemergedoveranumberofyearsofcollaborative

workbetweenmyselfandtheteacherparticipants.Duringthiscollaborationwehadmany

discussionsaroundthelackofpeoplefromremotecommunitiesinCentralAustralia

completingteachereducationandbecomingqualifiedteachers,astheteacherparticipants

themselveshaddone.Inthisparticularresearchtheteacherparticipantsarenotjustthe

onesprovidingthenarrativesasdata,butarethemselvessomeofthekeyknowledge

authoritiesonthissubject.WhenitcomestoquestionsofWesterneducationintheir

communities,andmanyotherareas,theyarethe‘goto’people.Thesewomenarealso

scholarswhoareinmanycasesthehighestqualifiedpeopleintheircommunitieswhen

seenthroughthelensoftheWesternacademy.Anumberoftheteacherparticipantsare

alsointerestedinpursuingfurtherstudyintheformofpostgraduateeducationandat

leastpartoftheirmotivationforparticipatinginthisPhDprocesswastogainsome

experienceandfirst-handknowledgeoftheresearchprocess.Theywerekeentoactively

participateinandlearnfromtheresearchprocessitself.SimilarlyI,asthenon-Indigenous

researcher,aminterestedindeepeningmyownunderstandingabout‘waysofbeing’and

‘waysofdoing’withIndigenouspeople.Bynotonlyworkingtogethertoexploreaproblem

butalsopayingattentiontoourprocesswewereabletofindwaysofworkingtogetherin

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‘goodfaith’andofferwhatwelearnedhereasanexampleofPost-ColonialKnowledge

work.

5.2ThecentralityofrelationshipsincollaborativeresearchwithIndigenousparticipants

Thepresenceofpre-existingrelationships,whileoftenseenasariskorthreatinthe

positivistviewofresearch,iscommonlyseenassomethingadvantageoustothequalityof

theresearchwhenworkingwithIndigenousresearchparticipants(Chilisa2011,Wilson

2009).Largelythankstomyownexistingknowledgebaseandcontextualexperiencethat

hasbeenbuiltupovertimeworkinginremotecommunitiesandwithIndigenouspeoplein

CentralAustralia,Iapproachedtheresearchprocesswantingtokeeprelationshipscentral

tothisnewendeavour.BecauseoftheseexistingrelationshipsIwasbetterplacedtoenter

intowhatThrift(2004)callsresearch‘encounters’.Thrift(2004)talksaboutthesespacesof

‘ethicalencountersasbeingpartoftherealethicsofdoingresearchandsuggeststhat

thingssuchas‘knowingwhentowaitforaresponse,knowingwhenandwhennotto

forecloseasituation,knowingwhentobeplayfulandwhentobeserious…canopenout

theethicalpossibilitiesofanencounterandallowboththeresearcherandtheresearched

totrusttheirjudgement’(Thrift2004).Hesuggeststhattheseencountersexpandsour

subjectivity,butdoessoinaframeofresponsibility.ThisechoesRose(2004)whotalks

abouttheneedforan‘ethicofrelationalresponsibility’whichiscentraltotheworkof

decolonisation.Thereisalsoevidencetosuggestthatresearchisstrengthenedbythe

principalresearcherbeingexperiencedandknowledgeableintheareabeingresearched;

someonewhounderstandstheexperiencesoftheparticipants(Pringleetal.2011).Inthis

case,astheprincipalresearcher,Isharedboththeexperienceofteachingintheremote

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CentralAustraliacontextforoveradecade,aswellassupportingthedeliveryofteacher

educationforremoteIndigenousteachers.

ThegroupofresearchparticipantswerealreadyknowntomeandItothem.Weare

accountabletoeachotherthroughfriendship,collegialityandasharedcommitmentto

education.Wehavedevelopedarapportthatenableshonestandsometimeschallenging

conversationstotakeplaceinrespectfulandresponsibleways.Ensuringparticipants'free

andvoluntaryconsentandparticipationintheprojectwasveryimportanttome.Ididnot

wantpeopletoparticipateoutofobligationtomeortoourfriendship.Ensuringthe

participantsfeltfreetoenterintobutalsooptoutoftheprojectwasanimportantpartof

whatneededtobenegotiatedinanongoingway.Alsoimportantwastheprovisionof

manyopportunitiesforparticipantstonegotiateaspectsoftheprojectsothattheoptions

werenotsimplyoptinginorout,butensuringthattheresearchwasdoneinwaysthat

everyonefelthappywith.

5.3Co-constructingtheresearchprocess

Fromthebeginningitwasimportanttousallthatwedidn’tjustfocusontheoutcomesof

theresearchbutontheprocessitselfandhoweveryonewasexperiencingthatprocess.To

ensurethatwekeptthisfocusweneededmechanismsofcheckingonourrelational

accountabilitytoeachother.Thesemechanismsemergedandevolvedastheresearch

progressed.Anextended‘conversationalphase’wasallowedforatthebeginningofthe

researchprocess.Thisenabledeveryonetodoasmuchtalkingastheyneededtoaboutthe

researchquestions,theimplicationsofparticipationandtheprocessofgatheringthe

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narratives.Italsoprovidedpeoplewithtimetohaveconversationswithfamilyand

communitymembersabouttheresearchandtheirrolewithinit.Thiswasimportantasit

oftenenabledtheparticipantstoembedtheirunderstandingoftheprojectintheirfirst

languagebyexplainingittoanddiscussingitwithotherlanguagespeakers.The

conversationalphaseenabledtheresearcherandtheparticipantstoconductonemain

groupdiscussionabouttheprojectwherealmosteveryonewaspresent.Italsoallowedfor

anumberofadhocindividualandgroupconversationstotakeplace.Itwasalsoduringthe

conversationalphasethatwehadconversationswithleadersandEldersintherespective

communitiestoexplaintheresearchweweredoingandinvitequestions,conversationand

inputaboutthepurposeandusefulnessofwhatweweredoingforpeopleinthatcontext.

Attheendofeachnarrativecollection,eachresearchparticipantandtheresearcherhada

finalreflectiveconversation.Thefocusofthisconversationwastodocumenthowboththe

researcherandtheparticipantwerefeelingabouttheresearchprocessthusfar.Ineach

instanceitwasamomentofethicalandrelationalaccountabilitytoeachother,toensure

thattheconsentgivenatthebeginningoftheprocessstillfelttrueforbothparties.These

conversationswererecordedonaudioonlyandtranscribed,againwithfullconsent.

5.4Participatorynarratives

Nonarrativerecordingsessionscommenceduntiltheindividualparticipantsindicatedtheir

readinesstobegin.ThefirstofthenarrativerecordingsbeganinJanuary2014andeach

narrativewasgenerallyrecordedoveranumberofsessionsatthetimeandplaceofthe

teller’schoosing.ThefinalnarrativerecordingshappenedinJanuaryof2015.

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Theteacherparticipantswerealsoinvolvedintheexplorationandanalysisofthefullsetof

narrativescollected.Thiswasanimportantwayofensuringthatimportantthemesinthe

narrativeswerenotidentifiedsolelybyonenon-Indigenousperson;thatis,measthe

principalresearcher.Thisworkwasdoneatatwo-dayseminarconductedinAliceSprings

withallresearchparticipantsinattendance.Eachparticipantreadandanalysedthe

narrativeofanotherteacherandprovidedcommentaryabouttheimportantthemesthey

feltwerecontainedinthatnarrative.Thissecondlevelofanalysisbythegroupgave

importantdirectiontotheinitialcodingwork.Ithelpeddirecttheresearchtowardsthe

codesandthemestofocusmorestronglyon.Therewerekeymomentsduringthistwoday

seminarwhenthetopicunderdiscussiongeneratedtheengagementofthewholegroup

andsomeadditionalexamplesandexpansionofthenarrativeswereofferedbythegroup

members.Theenergyofthegroupduringthosetimeshadadifferentfeeling.Thesekey

momentsofcollectiveresonancewereindicationsthatwhatwewerediscussingwasfeltto

beimportantbyallparticipants.Itwasaroundthesekeymomentsofresonancethatthe

initialseventhemeswereidentified.Duringthistwodayseminartherewerealsoongoing

parallelconversationsaboutthe‘rightway’toworktogether.Theseconversationsbuilton

theideasdiscussedintheonetooneconversationsattheendofeachnarrativerecording.

Theprocessofdoingandreflectingonwhatweweredoingbecamesymbiotic.

Theseongoingandintentionalconversationsthroughouttheresearchprocessprovided

whatVerran(2013)calls‘interruptingtools’.Shetalksabouttheneedinpost-colonial

knowledgeworktopayattentiontomomentsofepistemicdisconcertmentandtobealert

tothedifferencesweencounter.Theseintentionalconversationsabouttheresearch

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processhelpedusto‘godeeperinsidetheencounter’(Verran2013,p.147)toexplorehow

thewaywedidthingsactuallyhelpedustoworkin‘goodfaith’witheachother.

5.5Analysisofoursharedprocess

Theanalysisprocessthathelpedustothinkabouthowweweredoingtheresearchwas

twofold.Firstly,transcriptsfromtherecordingsofourintentionalconversations,atotalof

sevendocuments,wereuploadedintoNVivo©software.Ideasthatrepeatedinthetexts

wereidentified,oftenusingthewordsorphrasesfromtheconversationsthemselves.By

theendofthisprocesstherewerethreeareasthatrepeatedthemselvesoftenenoughto

makethemstandout.Thesethreeareasrelatedtonotionsoftime,thenatureofour

existingrelationships,andourabilitytoensurethatmultipleneedsweremetbythework

weweredoing.IfIhadleftitatthislevelthenIwouldhavebecomewhatVerran(2013)

callsananalystwhothinksshecanstepoutsidethesituation.Consciousofthisitfelt

importanttocheckinwiththeteachersagainanddiscussthepossibilityofgoingfurther

intothesethreeareas.This‘checkingin’happenedboththroughonetooneconversations

whereandwhenpossible,andthenagainwhenalloftheparticipantscametogetheratthe

twodayanalysisseminarinAliceSprings.Itwasduringthisperiodofdiscussionthatthe

useofthewords‘Anma’,‘Marlpa’and‘Ngapartji’increasinglybegantobereferencepoints

betweenallofustodiscusstheseareas.Waitingandallowingtimebefore‘comingto

concepts’(Verran2013)wasanimportantpartofthiswork.Itmeantthatwewereableto

discoversomeimportantinsightsaboutwhatmadeadifferencewhenweintentionallyset

abouttoworktogetherin‘goodfaith’.Thesediscoveriesarediscussedbrieflybelowas

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examplesofthepossibilityofgeneratingnewsharedunderstandingswhenworking

togetherinaPost-ColonialKnowledgespace.

5.6Insightsintohowwedoresearchtogetherin‘goodfaith’–Anma,MarplaandNgapartjiNgapartji

5.6.1Anma

‘…notusually,youknowstraightanswer'No'butyouknow,‘anma,givemetime'

Thefirstareathatweneededtopayattentiontoinhowweworkedtogetherwasinour

differingnotionsoftime.Togetherweultimatelycametotalkabouttheimportanceof

‘Anma’.ThisisaWesternArrarntawordthathasequivalencesinotherlocalIndigenous

languages.ForexampleasimilarconceptinWarlpiriisexpressedwiththeword‘murnma’.

InLuritjaandPitjantjatjarathewordoftenusedis‘wanyu’.Therearealsorelatedconcepts

inotherAustralianIndigenouslanguagesfurtherafield.Itcarriesepistemologicallycomplex

understandingsthatIcannothopetograsp,butmyimmatureandexperiential

understandingisthatitcanbeinterpretedinmanywaysincludingwaiting,givingspace,

waitingfortherighttime,notfillingupallthespace,beingpatientandwaitinguntilthe

otherpersonfeelsready.Whileitmightbeperceivedasapassivetermwherenothingis

happening,itisoftenquiteanactivespaceofpreparationandforeshadowing.

Wediscoveredthat‘Anma’orwaitingisimportant.Thiswaitingisaspacethatallowstime

formanythingstooccur.Itallowstimeforgoodcommunicationtohappenandallowsfor

everyonetofeelreadyandprepared.ThiswasreallyimportantforenactingtheWestern

academicresearchconsentprocess.Waitingforthe‘righttime’anduntilpeopleindicated

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theirreadinessfeltmoreinformed,morelikegenuineconsentandensuredthatthe

narrativesthatcamefromthatprocessemergedcomfortablyandconfidently.Thisperhaps

pointstowardsapointofdifferenceinrelationtoethicswhichcanbeidentifiedand

grantedintothefuturethroughawesternmetaphysics,butinIndigenousknowledgeand

understandings,itisalwaysprovisionalasrealityitselfemerges.Approachingthingswith

‘anma’createdaspaceforpatience,considerationandagivingoverofcontrolwhen

required.Thisenabledparticipantstonotfeelpressuredtothepointofoptingoutofthe

research.Participantscontinuedtoengageintheprocessuntiltheyfelttheytimewas

right,ortheirlivesallowedenoughtimeforrecordingthenarratives.Participantsalsofelt

somesenseofcontrolovertheirparticipationintheprocess.Itisaspacethatallowsfora

respectfulwayofenteringintoworkwithpeopleandprovidesenoughtimeforeveryone

whoneedstobeinvolvedintheprocesstobeincluded.Ofteninresearchtheperceptionis

thattheresearcherneedstobeincontroloftheprocess.ThereweremanytimeswhenI

neededtogiveupcontrolandtrustinmyresearchcollaborators.Sometimesthiswas

aboutlettingsomeoneelseplanhowandwhenwewouldspendourtimetogetherand

beingflexiblewhenplanschanged.Itisawayofthinkingabouttimenotassequentialand

linear,butaspatterned,seasonalandemerging.Itisnotsomethingthatyouplanfor,but

rathersomethingthatyoupayattentiontoandallowtounfold.Itissomethingthatyou

meetwithreadinessonlywhenthetimeisright.

5.6.2Marlpa

‘…wecan’tleaveyoubyyourself,wegottauseeveryone'seyesandearsandsearchforit.’

Thesecondareathatweneededtopayattentiontoinhowweworkedtogetherwasinthe

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natureandroleofourexistingrelationships.Togetherweultimatelycametotalkaboutthe

roleof‘marlpa’.ThisisawordthatisusedbyWarlpiri,LuritjaandPitjantjaralanguage

speakers.IthasequivalencesinmanyotherIndigenouslanguages,forexampleinWestern

Arrarntatheconceptisoftenexpressedusingtheword‘ilkwatharra’.Itisoftentranslated

simplyas‘company’butonceagainthedepthofepistemologicalunderstandingsofthis

wordisbeyondmyreach.Ihavecometounderstandthatatitscore‘marlpa’isrelational.

Itisaboutfriendship,doingthingstogetherandnotleavinganyoneout.Itisawayofbeing

withothersthatensuresharmony,connectednessandrelationalresponsibility.‘Marlpa’is

oftenexperiencedbodily,asa‘goodfeeling’.Itwasofcentralimportancetohowwe

workedtogetherinthisresearchprocess.

Havingexistingrelationshipswitheachotherenabledustooperatefromapositionof

relationaltrust,sharedexperienceandcommitment,andaccountabilitytoeachother.

Knowingeachotherforsolongandwithsuchfamiliarityenabledflexibility,gaveusthe

abilitytoreadthemoresubtlenuancesofcommunicationandstrengthenedour

commitmenttoworkingtowardsacommonpurpose.Newworkrequiredadditional

negotiation,butitmeantthatwewerestartingfromaplaceofknowledgeandtrustthat

doesnotexistiftheresearcherandparticipantsareunknowntoeachother.Alargepartof

thecommitmentoftheseteacherstoworkonthisresearchwasnotnecessarilyabouttheir

relationshiptome,buttheirrelationshiptoeachother.Theteacherparticipantshavea

senseofcommunitybornoutoftheirsharedjourneyworkinginschoolsandtheirteacher

education.Theyprovide‘marlpa’foreachotherthatcannotbeprovidedbyotherpeople,

includingme.Relationshipsand‘marlpa’providedanimportantaccountabilitymechanism

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intotheresearchprocess.Thisisimportantwhenconsideringthetraditionallyprivileged

andpowerfulroleoftheprincipalresearcher.IhavebeenabletotrustthatifIwasheaded

inthewrongdirection,thestrengthofourrelationshipsmeantthatpeoplewouldfind

honestwaystotellmeandshowmethat.Butthatfeelingof‘marlpa’wasalsoan

importantreminderthatitwasn’tallabouttheresearch.Sometimes‘marlpa’wasabout

makingtimeandspacetobetogetherdoingotherthings:storytelling,hunting,teachingor

laughter.Mostlyitwasjustaboutbeingtogether.Thesesharedactivitieswerealsowaysof

enteringintotheresearchprocessmoregentlyandcomfortably;ofstartingfromapointof

‘marlpa’andre-establishingthattrustrelationshipbeforetherecordingdevicesgotturned

on.Itwasimportantpreparationworkthatneededtobedoneeachtimewecame

together.

5.6.3NgapartjiNgapartji

‘…myhistoryishelpingbothyouandmebecausethat’slikeourcountryhelpsustodoour

languageandculture’

Thethirdareawhereweexperiencedbothdisconcertmentand‘goodfaith’asweworked

togetherwasinourabilitytoensurethatmultipleneedsweremetbytheworkwewere

doing.Togetherwetalkedaboutthisusingthephrase‘ngapartjingarpartji’whichcanbe

translatedinmanyways.IndiscussionwedecidedthatthebesttranslationtoEnglishto

usewas‘yougivesomethingtomeandIgivesomethingtoyou’.Warlpirispeakerswill

sometimesborrowthisphrasefromLuritja,butwillalsousetheword‘watinyarra’meaning

‘equal’or‘level’toexpresssomethingsimilar.InWesternArrarntaitisoftenexpressedas

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‘kapanha’.ToencapsulatethisconceptinEnglishwemighttalkaboutreciprocityor

mutualgenerosity.Inpracticethisconceptwasenactedinmanydifferentways.

Throughthisprocessofexplorationwecametoacknowledgewhatmutualgenerosity

actuallylookslikeinaninterculturalspace.Helpingeachotheroutisabouteveryone

gettingtheirneedsmetwiththecollectiveresourcesthatwepossess.Findingwaystodo

thatthatarebalancedandrespectfulofallcanbechallengingbutattimesalsomadethe

differencebetweenresearchsessionsgoingaheadornot.Learningfromeachotherhas

beenadefiningfeatureofthereciprocitythathasexistedthroughoutmytimeofknowing

andworkingwiththeseteachersandithasbeenacentraltenetofwhatwehavebeen

doinginthisresearchwork.

Thereciprocityofideasattimeshappenedineverydayconversationsaboutthingsthat

matteredtous,whiledrivingsomewhereorsittingtogetherofanevening.Thenthere

wereothertimeswhenIwastheonewhowasdoingmostofthelearningthrough

conversationswithElders,timespentoncountryandvisitstosignificantplaces.Itwas

throughmomentsof‘ngapartjingarpartji’thatIbegantounderstandtheresearchitselfas

beinganembeddedpartofthelivesofparticipants,mylife,andininterconnectedwaysto

thelifeofallthosewecameintocontactwith.Thestoriesbeingtoldwereindivisiblefrom

allknowledgeforthetellers,andIneededtobegintounderstandthisaboutthestorieswe

wererecordingtogether.Thiswaschallengingformeasitseemedtoincreasemysenseof

obligationandresponsibilitytodoit‘right’,whateverthatmeant.Perhapsthisjustpoints

towardsanongoingepistemologicaldisconcertmentthatneedstobedweltinlonger?

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FinallytheparticipantsandIfrequentlydiscussedthe‘goodfeeling’thatweoftenfelt

throughouttheprocess.Insomewaysthisisatypeofreciprocitythatliesinthewell-being

thattheteacherparticipantsgotinreturnforofferingtheirstoriesasthedataforthe

research.Atothertimesitwasthe‘goodfeeling’ofworkingtogetheronasharedproblem

thatweallcareddeeplyabout.StevenPatrickaWarlpirischolarfromLajamanucommunity

talksaboutthisinhiswritingsonNgurra-Kurlu.Heusesthefollowingphrasetodescribe

this‘goodfeeling’,‘Peopletastedit,theylikedthattasteintheirmouthandtheycameback

formore’(Pawu-Kurlpurlurnu,HolmesandBox2008,pp7-8).ThisissimilartowhatVerran

(2013)isreferringtowhenshetalksaboutdoingthingstogetherin‘goodfaith’fromwhich

somethingdifferentandinterestingemerges.

5.7Conclusionsabout‘howwedoresearch’

Theresearchprocessusedinthisstudywasnotwithoutfault.Itwasstillconfinedand

constrictedbythetrappingsthatcomealongwiththePhDframe.Thereweretime

constraints,languageconstraintsandethicalconstraints,tonamebutafew.Allofthese

werelimitedbythecapacityofmeastheprincipalresearcherandbytheadministrative

constraintsofthePhDprocessitself.Butbecausewehavenotsolelybeenfocusedonthe

narrativesastheoutcomeoftheresearch,buthaveintentionallymadespacetonotice

howwedothisworktogether,wehaveallbeenleftwitha‘goodfeeling’aboutwhatwe

havedonetogether.Inparticular,wehavethoughtandtalkedextensivelyaboutwhatwe

wantedtodotogether,wehavemadetimeandspaceinourmindsandinourlivesandwe

havekepttalkingtoeachothertofindthe‘righttime’todothework.Wehavediscovered

‘anma’asaninsightinhowwehavedonethework.Wehavealsoallowedthedeeptrusted

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relationshipsbuiltovertimebetweenmyselfandtheseteacherstoactasacompassto

helpusnavigatetherightwaytodotheresearchtogether.Wehavediscovered‘marlpa’as

aforcethatshapestheresearchspace.Wehavealsovaluedtheimmenseknowledge,

capabilitiesandexperiencethateveryonebringstotheprocessandhaveactedinaspiritof

reciprocityandgenerositytowardseachother.Ratherthantheresearchprocessbeinga

onewaystreetthatonlybenefitstheresearcher,wehaveactedinaspiritof‘ngapartji

ngarpartji’wherethemultipleneedscanbemet.Thereisaninherentdangerinlabelling

andcategorisingtheselearnings.Theyarewordsthatpointtowardssomethingdeeper,

withmultiplemeaningsand,insomeways,unabletobeknown.Weusethemherenotto

notbywayasestablishingthemasrecommendationsoraprescriptionforothers.Weuse

themasakindofnarrativethattellsthestoryofhowwetalked,thoughtanddidthings

together.Theywerewaysofdoingandbeingthathelpedustolearnaboutourdifferences

inhowweapproachthingsandinturnhelpedustofindwaysofdoingtheresearchthat

lefteverybodywiththat‘goodfeeling’indicatingthatwewereworkingin‘goodfaith’.Itis

this‘participatory’approach,wherewehaveallcollectivelysharedthisresponsibilityof

participationandreflectingonourparticipation,whichfeelsmostimportant.By

intentionallysettingupsome‘interruptingtools’andbycreatingthetimeandspacetotalk

togetherbothabouthowwearedoingthingsaswellaswhatwearedoing,wehave

learnedimportantlessonsabouthowtodoresearchtogetherin‘goodfaith’(Verran2013).

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Chapter6-Teachernarratives–groupthemeanalysis

Boththischapterandthenextonearefocusedontheteachernarrativesthemselves.This

chapterreportsthefindingsofthegroupanalysisworkdonecollaborativelywiththe

teacherparticipants.Chapter7thenusesthethemesproposedthroughthisgroupprocess,

tointerrogatetheindividualnarratives.

6.1Puttingthingsagainstacontextualbackground

AsestablishedinChapter2,itisimportanttorememberthatschoolingisstillarecent

developmentinremotecommunitiesintheNorthernTerritory.Manyplacesdidnothave

anykindofschoolinguntilthe1960sor1970sand,priortothis,Indigenouschildrenwere

oftenspecificallyexcludedfromparticipatinginschools.Apartfromsomeveryearly

examplesofbilingualschoolsinplacessuchasNtaria/Hermannsburgmission,schooling

hasalmostexclusivelybeenconceivedoutofaWesternculturalframework.The

epistemologyandmodelthattheschoolingsystemwasbuiltuponcamewiththe

colonisers.Educationalprocessesandpracticeswereestablishedinignoranceorblatant

dismissaloflearningprocessesthatalreadyexistedwithinthelanguageandfamilygroups

thathadlivedandthrivedformanytensofthousandsofyearsbeforethattime.Incontrast

tothesteadinessandreliabilityofthetried,trueandtrustedtraditionallearningprocesses

theywereusedto,theexperienceofIndigenousAustralianswiththeWesterneducation

systemhasbeendefinedbyconstantandrapidchange.

Chapter3establishedthatthosepolicymakersdefiningtheexperienceofWestern

schoolingforpeopleinremotecommunitiesdosooperatingwithinaculturalmilieuthatis

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greatlyremovedfromthelocalcontext.Timeframesforeducationforbothschools

studentsandtertiarylearningaresetatStateandNationallevelsandaccordingtoWestern

knowledgeandtimeframes.Notionsofequalityorequityineducationaredefinedatthe

Nationallevelbyonesizefitsallcurriculum,standardizedtestsandprofessionalstandards

forteachers.Thesystempromotestheideasofsamenessandquality,buttheseconcepts

aredefinedbasedona‘mainstream’normthatscarcelyresemblesthelifeandrealityof

childrenoradultsinremotecommunitiesincentralAustralia.Anychangesthatcomefrom

outsideareimposedwithoutlocalchoiceorautonomy.

DespitethistherearecommittedanddedicatedIndigenousadultsinremotecommunities

whohavechosentogetinvolvedintheirlocalschoolsandhavededicatedtheirlivestothe

qualityeducationoftheirownchildren.Thereareparentsandcommunitymemberswho

absolutelybelievethateducationiscruciallyimportanttothefuturechoices,aspirations

andleadershipoftheircommunities.Someremarkableindividualshaveshownsuch

dedicationsoastopersevereandnavigatetheirwaynotonlythroughtheeverchanging

westernschoolingsystemtheyworkin,butalsothroughthechangingteachereducation

landscape,tocompletetheirteachereducationandbecomefullyqualifiedclassroom

teachers.Butthesequalifiedteachersarefewandfarbetween.Despitedecadesof

rhetoricaroundwanting‘moreIndigenousteachers’inremoteschoolsweseealmostno

newpre-serviceteachersfromremotecommunitiesintheregionofCentralAustraliaor

theNorthernTerritoryasawhole.Thereasonforthiscurrentsituationisthefocusofand

impetusfortheresearchforthisdoctoralstudy.Throughaseriesofteachers’narratives

theinsiderexperienceofbecomingafullyqualifiedIndigenousteacherinaremote

communityhasbeenexamined.Theseinsideraccountshavebeenanalysedatbotha

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collectivelevel,discussedinthischapter,andanindividuallevel,discussedinthenext

chapter.TheChapter8willthenexplorethefindingsoftheseanalysischaptersfurther

againstthecontextualbackdropestablishedinthetwoliteraturereviewchaptersandwith

dueconsiderationoftheoreticalknowledge.

6.2Collectiveanalysisprocess

Fromtheoutsetoftheresearchdesignattentionhasbeenpaidtothecollectivistnatureof

theresearch.Intheanalysisoftheteachernarrativesitwasimportanttofindamethod

thatwasinclusiveofmorethantheprincipalresearcher.Itwasimportanttoensurethat

themesinthenarrativeswerenotidentifiedsolelybyonenon-Indigenousperson,but

wereinclusiveoftheknowledgeexpertsinthefield;thatis,theteacherparticipants.Irefer

tothisstageintheresearchasasecondlevelofanalysis.Inordertomeetthisanalytical

imperativeatwo-dayseminarinAliceSpringswasconductedwithallteacherparticipants

inattendance.Eachteacherparticipantreadandanalysedthenarrativeofanotherand

providedcommentaryabouttheimportantthemestheysawemergingfromthatnarrative.

Thissecondlevelofanalysisbythegroupgaveimportantdirectiontotheinitialcoding

work.Ithelpeddirecttheanalysistowardsthecodesandthemesuponwhichwe

collectivelyfeltshouldbethefocus.Thediscussionduringthistwodayseminarincluded

momentswhentheenergyofthegrouphadadifferentfeeling.Thesekeymomentsof

engagementwereindicationsthatwhatwewerediscussingwasfelttobeimportantbyall

participants.Thesemomentsprovidedemphasisaboutwhatinfluencedandimpacted

upontheexperienceofbeingaremoteIndigenouscommunityteacher.

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6.3Seventhemes

Theseventhemesbelowwereidentifiedbytheteacherparticipantsthroughthisinductive

processasimportant,recurringandenduringideasthroughouttheirlivesandteaching

careers.Thischapterwillprovideanalysisofthethemesastheyemergedduringthegroup

seminarexperience.Inthenextchapterthisthematicframewillthenbeappliedtoamore

detailedanalysisoftheindividualteachernarratives.

6.3.1‘Ourfeelingforfamily’

Theteacherparticipantsplacedastrongemphasisontheimportanceofwhatone

participantcalled‘ourfeelingforfamily’.Thissenseofconnectiontofamily,cultureand

countrycamethroughasapowerfulandnot-negotiableimperativeinthelivesofthe

participants.Oneparticipanttalkedaboutitincomparisontothenon-Indigenousculture

saying,

there’speopleallthetimeinourlives,doingthingsandeveryoneknowseach

other...likeyouknowwhitepeoplesocietythere’sonlythatonehousethatyoucan

bein,yourownhouse,nextdoorneighbours-nothingtodowiththem.Butoutin

thecommunityits'ohthisisyouraunty,yourcousin'youknow...it'sdifferent

Severaloftheparticipantstalkedabouthowthis‘feelingforfamily’impactedontheir

schoolingexperience,especiallyinrelationtoattendingboardingschoolintheirsecondary

years.AlloftheparticipantshadattendedaboardingschoolinAliceSpringsforaperiodof

timebutnoneofthemhadstayedformorethantwoorthreeyears.Whenaskedwhythey

thoughttheydidn’tstaylonger,theuniversalresponsewasbecauseoftheexperienceof

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homesickness.Whenpressedforafurtherexplanationofwhatthatfeelingof

homesicknesswasabout,itprovedtobeacomplexsetofmotivatorslinkedstronglyto

that‘feelingforfamily’andcommunity.Anotherparticipantlinkedthistothefeelingof

beinginaspacethatjustfelttoodifferenttohomesaying,‘thechangeofthatfrom(going)

intothecollege,itwastoodifferent’.Oneparticipantslistedactivitiessuchas'hunting,

beingwithfamily,startingtogetmarried’asbeingthetypesofthingsshefelthomesick

for.Otherpartcipantsidentifiedthefeelingofpersonalandculturalsafetyasbeinga

motivationforleaving,

‘otherstudentsteasing,youwouldwanttogobackearly,wewanttobesafe’

'Andsometimesteachersgetsmartforstudentsandstudentsdontfeelsafeand

theywanttogobackhome'

Oneparticipanttalkedaboutthefeelingoflonlinessandthelossof‘company’asbeinga

reasontoleavesaying,

sometimeswecouldseeourfriendsnotstayingthere,goingearly,theykept

leaving,andyoumightthink'ohI'mbymyselfnow,Imightdosame,gobackhome'

Finally,thedeathoffamilyandcommunitymembers(referredtoculturallyas‘sorry

business’)wasidentifiedasamajorreasonforleavingschoolandmovingbacktothe

community,

'Andsorrytoobackathome,whenwelosefamilywewanttogoback'

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Alloftheseexamples,referringtotheparticipantsownsecondaryeducationalyears,

demonstratethatinthechoicebetweenschoolingandfamily,theparticipantsalways

chosefamilyfirst.Oneparticpantreinforcedthatshefeltthatpeoplestillfeelthatsame

waytodayasshedidwhenshewasatschool,

'Ithinktechnologyandallthisstuffhaschangedbutourfeelingforthefamilyand

thecommunityhasn’t,it'snotgonnachange,thatneedtobeclosetothefamilies...I

thinkthiscultureisreallystrongyouknow,familyandfamilyconnectionandsorry

business...you'reexpectingthemtogetagoodeducationbutthesethingsare

gonnacomeallthetime’

Theteacherparticipantsalsoidentifiedthatthis‘feelingforfamily’wasakeyaspectthat

supportedthemtobesuccessfulintheirteachereducation.Oneofthekeydeterminants

ofthembeingabletocontinueonwiththeirteachereducationwasthefactthat,atleastin

thebeginning,thecoursesthattheseteachersparticipatedinwerecommunitybased

whichenabledtheirfamiliestoengagemeaningfullyinwhattheyweredoing.

Ithinktherewasmoresupportatthattimeandliketheactivitiesweredoneinthe

communitysopeoplecouldseewhatweweredoingandthatmadeit,youknow

strong.

Oneteachertalkedaboutthisasbothbeingsupportiveofthelargegroupwhobeganthe

studyandthemainreasonwhypeopledroppedout,saying

Westartedoffinabiggroupanditwasjustcommunitybasedandwewerejust

travellinginbetweencommunitiesforworkshops.Andthenthebigonecame,you

knowtogotoBatchelororcomeintoAliceandeveryonethought'No!'

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Whenencouragedtoreflectonwhythisgroupofteacherscontinuedontocompletetheir

study,whileothersdroppedout,againthisthemeofobligationtofamilyandculturecame

through.Inthiscaseitwasthewillingnessoftheirfamiliestoreleasetheparticipantsfrom

theirobligationsthatmadethebiggestdifference.Oneparticipantsimplysaid‘family

supportedmetogoaway’.Whenaskedwhatsortsofthingsfamilydidtoprovidethis

supportanotherparticipantsaid,

‘Takingoverresponsibilities,likeifyou'reawaysomeonewillcomeinandlookafter

yourfamilywhenyouareaway.’

Anotherparticipantsuggested,

‘Evenmysickhusbandhe'sbeensupportingmetoo’

Sothissupportcameinthefamilygivingpermissionfortheparticipanttogoawayfrom

thecommunityforperiodsoftime,givingthempermissiontomissouton‘sorrybusiness’

andinpracticalwaystakingontheworkloadleftbehindsuchascaringforchildrenorsick

familymembers.

This‘feelingforfamily’isontological.Itspeakstoideasofculturalknowledge,connection

tocountry,participationinritualandceremonyandtheobligationofinterconnected

relationships.ItissomethingthatispartofwhotheteacherparticipantsareasWarlpiri,

Luritja,PitjantjatjaraandWesternArrarntapeopleandwillneverbesupersededbyother

demandssuchaseducation.However,theseparticipantsareproofthatthis‘feelingfor

family’,andallthatthatrepresents,mustbeaccommodatedandrespectedaspartofthe

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educationaljourney.Whenunderstoodandappliedcreatively,thisontologicalimperative

canactuallybeatremendoussupportstructuretohelpAboriginalTeacherssucceed.This

isexpandeduponthenexttwothemes.

6.3.2Learningwith‘marlpa’

‘Marlpa’meanscompanyintheWarlpiri,LuritjaandPitjantjatjaralanguagesofCentral

Australia.Itisaconceptthatis,atitscore,relational.Itisaboutfriendship,doingthings

togetherandnotleavinganyoneout.Itisawayofbeingwithothersthatensures

harmony,connectednessandrelationalresponsibility.Itwashighlightedbytheteacher

participantsasbeinganimportantpartofthedeliverymodelofteachereducationthat

theyexperienced.Manyoftheparticipantstalkedaboutthefactthattheyfoundstudying

atthatlevelforthefirsttimedauntingandwerecomfortedbythefactthattheycoulddo

thestudyintheirhomecommunityandwithagroupofpeople.Forexample,

Itwasfirsttimeforusandeasybasedatthecommunity,

Thatfirstyearwewereluckythatwehadlecturersortutorsworkingwithus

sometimessomeofusweren’tconfidentbutwefeltlikewewantedtostudytohave

experience,moreexperiencethroughthatprogram,tobecometeachers.

…andsecureaswell,andlikethatwas,Ithinkwealldidn’thaveaqualification.

Studyingwasnew,somethingnewtous,cositwasn’treallythoughtof.Wehad

otherjobsbeforebutdidn’thaveanytraining.Ithinkreallyit’sjustthatstudy,when

there'sotherpeoplewecanfeelconfident.

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…butthatwasreallyeasywecouldseethatwewereallcomingtogether,sharing

ideas,talkingup.

…anditwasalsobiteasybecausewehadalreadybeenteachingintheclass,and

therewerealsoalotofpeople.

Thiscohortmodelwasmentionedrepeatedlybytheteacherparticipantsasbeingakey

determinantintheirsuccess.Theyidentifiedthisasbeingpartoftheirearlysuccessinthe

programwhenitwascommunitybased,butalsoinlaterstageswhentheyhadtotravelto

workshops.Therelationshipsbuiltacrosscohortsfromdifferentcommunitiesalsoplayed

animportantroleinsupportinglearning,anddeviationsfromthatmodelimpactedupon

theirlearning.

Thatshowwegettoknoweachotherbecasuewewerealldoingthesamestudy.

SeelikeRATEprogramwewerealldoingthesamemoduleatthesametime.We

didn’tknowanythingaboutitbutwewerealwaysingroupworkingtogether,

sharingideasandpresentingtoeachother,that'showwewerelearning.Andthen

whenwewenttoBatcheloritwaslikeseparateworknow.

TherelationalaspectwasanimportantelementinthewaythattheoriginalRemoteArea

TeacherEducation(RATE)programwasdeveloped.Participantswerenotleftby

themselvestolearnindividualistically;theyhad‘marlpa’.Theseteachereducationstudents

didnotfeelleftalone,butthroughthecohortmodelfeltapartofagroupworkingtowards

thesamegoal.

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6.3.3Mentors,supportandencouragement

Alloftheparticipantsidentifiedtheroleofcommunityandfamilyencouragementasbeing

veryimportantintheirearlydiscernmentaboutbecomingateacher.Manyofthe

participantstalkedabouthavingsupportiveparentswhoencouragedthemfromayoung

age,

WhenIwenthomemymumsaid'you’vegottobeworking,getajob'...Andlike

beforecomingtoboardingschoolweusedtohelpmumoutinherworkplace,go

andsweep,whateverjobshewasdoingandshewouldtakeusinandsay'youdo

thisyoudothat',thisishowwelearnt.

Thisalsoextendedtofamilymemberswhoworkedintheschoolandwhotheparticipants

gottoseeplayingaroleinlearninginboththeschoolandhomeenvironments,

…likefamilyworkingintheschool,likeassistantteacherteachingtheminthe

schoolandthengoinghomeandteachingthemathometoo

….shetalkedaboutatschoolshehadoneofherfamilyworkingthere,heruncle,he

usedtobeateachingassistantandthenalsotaughtherwhenshewentbackhome,

tellingstories.Andthat'sgoodwhensomeone'slikethatinthefamilysowecan

passontothelittlekidsafter.

Someoftheparticipantsalsoexperiencedthiskindofsupportandencouragementthrough

beinginspiredbyothersfromtheircommunitywhowerestartingtoundertakefurther

education,

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Like(name),whenIwasastudentatYirarawewentonanexcursiontoDarwinand

thenBatchelorandwesaw(name)shewasdoinghertrainingandIstartedthinking

'onedayImightcometothisplace,Batchelor'.

Thisinspirationofseeingothercommunitymembersgoingonandsucceedingintheir

studywasanimportantformofencouragementthroughoutthelearningjourneyofthe

participants,

…justinspiringseeingothersonvideoorgoingtoceremonywheretheyactually

graduated,andfromthatthatIsaid'ohnextoneI'mgoingtobelikeher!'youknow

lookingatstudentswhograduatedbefore.

Familymembersworkingintheschoolalsoplayedastrongroleinencouragingthe

participantstostartworkingintheschoolthemselvesandthenplayinganimportant

ongoingmentoringrole,

LikeIhadmycousinthere,sheencouragedme'cometowork,theyarelookingfor

peoplelikeyou,comeandworkwithus...Shewasastronglady...andwealsolearn

fromher,shealsotookmetoAdelaideforconference,Indigenouslanguageand

cultureconference,firsttimeItalkedinfrontoflotsofpeople.Iwasyoung,Iwas

justlearningbutIthoughttomyself'I'vegottofeelstrong'becauseshewantedme

totalk...yuwaishewaslikeamentorperson.

Alloftheparticipantstalkedaboutanongoingneedforencouragement,supportand

mentoringthroughouttheircareer,evenaftertheyhadcompletedtheirqualifications.This

wasseenbymanyasanormalpartofreflectivepractice,

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AndalsohavingatutorinsidetheclassroomwhenIwasteaching,observing,she

usedtotakenotes,observationofwhatItaughtandthenshewouldinmyfreetime

gothroughwhatshewrote,'ohthisiswhatyouhavetodonexttimetomakeit

improve'.Thathelpedmeasateacher.Thathelpedmeandmademeastronger

personandabetterperson.AlwaysI'daskwhoeverwasinsidetheroom,other

teacherorothertutor,Iusedtoaskthemtobecriticalbecausethat’showIwantto

learn.Comeupwiththecriticalquestions.

Thisneedforongoingin-servicementoringwasoftenduetocurriculumandpolicychanges

intheNorthernTerritorythatwereconstantlyalteringwhatitwasteacherswereexpected

todeliver.Attimesitwasalsoneededtomakeupforthefactthattheywerenotgetting

thatsupportfromtheschoolleadership,

Becausewe'reateacher,we'vegottotakeonthatroleandteach,butwestill

weren’tconfidentaboutplanningandprogramming.Weneedsomeonetocome

andsitdownwithusandplanwithus.Westilldidn’tunderstandtheNTCF

frameworkcurriculum.

Likeamentorcomingoutinthecommunity,like(name)usedtocomeoutand

supportme.Likesomeoneoutintheschoolalreadydoesn’thelpus.

Thismentoringroleisalsosomethingthattheparticipantsidentifiedasaroletheynow

playedforotheryoungIndigenousteachersintheirschools.Oneteacherparticipantspoke

eloquentlyaboutthis,

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Iwanttoworkwithadultsandmentorthem,theyneedyapapersonhelpingthem

withthatexperience,andIwanttoencouragethem,wedothat,weorganiseyapa

staffmeetingandthoseyoungwomentheyhaveopportunitytotalkupaboutwhat

theydointheclassroom…Theyaskforadvice…Ialsowenttotheirworkshopin

(communityname)fortheseyoungATsandI'vealsohelpedthemwithplanninga

programandtalkingaboutplanning.

Soonceagainwecanseethatthissupportandencouragementplaysanimportantrolein

thecareersoftheseparticipantsrightthroughfromwhentheywerechildren,throughthe

discernmentprocessofchoosingtoworkintheschoolandintotheirteachereducation.

Certainmentors,especiallykeyfamilymembers,havehadastronginfluenceonthe

careersandsuccessesoftheseteachers,suchthattheyhavenowdevelopedasenseof

themselvesasmentorstoothersforthefuture.

6.3.4TeamTeaching

Alloftheteacherparticipantsemphasizedthecentralityofteamteachinginbothhow

theydevelopedtheirunderstandingoftheworkofteachersandhowtheybuilttheir

confidencetodothiswork.

Andteamteaching,likethewayitwasbuildingconfidenceandthenafterthat

takingsmallgroups

Manyoftheparticipantstalkedaboutthevalueofworkingwithotherteachersandstaff

membersintheclassroom.Theytalkedabouttheimportanceintheirearlyyearsof

workingintheschoolofhavingopportunitiestoworkasateamwiththefullyqualified

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teacherandoftenaliteracyworkerortutoraswell.Theparticipantssaidthattheteam

dynamicallowedforthemtowatchbutmoreimportantlyparticipateinallaspectsofthe

teachingcycle,

Youaretheretoworkwiththeteamandlearnfromthem

Itwasn’tonlyherteachingteam,theybothplannedit

Weneedtobetheretoteachthemandtakethatgroup,bepartofthatteam,be

partoftheplanning

Sittingdownandtalkingabouthowdidthelessongo…

Whileparticipantstalkedagreatdealabouttheimportanceandeffectivenessofteam

teachingtheyalsoidentifiedthedetrimentaleffectofnotbeinginvolvedinteamteaching

andsomeofthewaysteamteachingbecamedifficult.Insomesituationsthefullyqualified

teachertheywereworkingwith,whomostoftenwasnon-Indigenous,didnotknowhowto

workinateamteachingenvironmentandwouldendup‘usingassistantteachersfor

languagelessons’only.Atothertimestheassistantteacherwouldnotbeinvolvedin

anythingotherthanbeingcalledontotranslateandmonitorchildren’sbehaviour.The

participantspointedouthowthisnon-colleagialbehaviourdiscouragedmanyasssitant

teachersfromtakingtheirworkandlearningseriously.Asoneparticipantsaid,

Ifyou'rejustsittingdowntherewatchingthekids-itsboring

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Anotherparticipantpointedoutthechallengeofthepowerandhierarchicalissuesthat

existedinsomeclassrooms,

seelikeforexampleifmeandmyteamteacherworktogetherbutsometimesthat

teamteachercanbelikeabossinthatclassroom,andshe'sputtingmedown,but

whoisfeelingbadthereandfeelingboss.Therearesometeacherslikethatwhoare

bossybutwe'vegottoreportthembecasuewe'vegottolearntogetherasateam

andteachtogether

Sometimesthesehierachicalissueswithinteamswereenactedbypassiveresistanceonthe

partofthefullyqualifiednon-IndigenousteacherrefusingtolettheIndigenousassistant

teachersparticipateinupskillingandeducationcoursesonthebasisthattheywereneeded

intheclassroom,

nowadayswe'vegotmorethanoneATintheclass.Inourschoolwe'vegottutor

aswell,andstillthat'snotenoughwhentheATgoesforstudyandthetutoris

there.It'sjustreallydifferentnow.Inourschoolwe'vegotAssistantTeacheranda

tutorineachclassandIthinkthat’snotenoughforthewhiteteacher.They'renot

lettingpeoplego.

Thisparticipantsuggestedthatthiswassomethingthathadchangedfromwhenshe

completedherstudyandfeltthatitwasoneofthereasonsthatmoreassistantteachers

werenotcompletingtheirteachereducation.Otherparticiantspointedtothekeyrolethat

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thePrincipalplayedinwhetherornotteamteachingwasvaluedandimplementedina

school,

Sometimesithappensifthatschoolhasbeendoingitforalongtimeit'llgothat

way,youknowteamteaching,butifPrincipal-youmightgetagoodoneorabad

one,itjustfallsapart...

Alloftheparticipantssawtheteamteachingworktheydidinclassrooms,whetherbefore,

duringandaftertheirteachereducation,asacornerstoneinlearningabouttheroleofthe

teacher.Havingtheopportunitytomeaningfullyparticipateinandcontributetothe

studentlearningthathappenedintheclassroomwasoneofthemostpowerful

experiencesinhelpingtheseteachersdeveloptheirprofessionalidentity.

6.3.5Leadership

Thetoneofthegroupconversationbecamealmostwistfulwhenwebroachedthetopicof

leadership.Oneparticpantcommentedsimply,

…beforewehadagoodprincipalbutnowadaysIdon’tknow,noonesupportsus.

Whenencouragedtoidentifywhatmadeagoodprincipaltheteacherparticipants

identifiedthefollowingqualities,

- onethatlistens.

- goingaroundcheckingeachclassroom.

- workingstronglywithIndigenousstaff.

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- talkingwithalltheyapaandkardiyastaffandaskinghowitisgoing.

- Someonewhomakesusfeelcomfortableandsafe.

- Havelearningtogethersessionsandsharingideas.

ParticipantsthoughttheyweremorelikelytogetaPrincipalwiththesequalitieswhen:

- YapashouldbeonthatpaneltointeviewthatPrincipal.

- theyshouldbechosenbythecommunity.

Inthegeneraldiscussionaboutleadershipitbecameclearthatthekindofleadershipthat

theseteachershadfoundthemostusefulandpowerfulhadbeenacollaborativemodel

thatwasfocusedonlearningtogetherandteachingtogether.Whenaskedwhatkindof

leadershipshefoundhelpfuloneparticipantsaidthefollowing,

Havingprofessionaldevelopmentforthewholestaff,talkaboutstuffandthen

doingit,checkinghowwellitwent.Wehavealotofthoseatschoolbutreallyit

doesn’twork,it'snotfollowedupandit'snotdoneintheclassroom,whatwetalked

about.It’sjustsomethingthattheEducationDepartmentwantstohear'Ohthisis

reallygoodwhatthey'redoingatthatschool'butit'snotfollowedup,itsnotdone.

ThisiswhatIseeallthetime.‘Cosoneofthethingsweweretalkingaboutwas

teamteaching...stillnothappening!Weneedtogetbacktogetheragainandtalk

andmaybechangesomethingsthataren’tworking…Andlikethereshouldbe

evidenceaswell,likeshe'stakingasmallgroupthereandI'mtakingtheother

group,thereshouldbeevidenceinthoselearningtogethersessions,youknow'this

iswhatshe'sdoing,thisiswhatI'mdoing'

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Thisagainshowsastrongdesireandcommitmentonthepartoftheseteacherstobe

reflectivepractitioners.Manyoftheparticipantstalkedabouttheirownleadership

aspirationsaswell.Theyreferredtopartoftheirteachereducationcoursethatsupported

thiskindofdevelopment,

Alsolikefieldtripsmadeusconfidentinleadinginotherareastoo,likewhenwego

backandbealeaderandbetterpersontobeaspokespersonforyourcommunity,

that’sanotherwayIlookedatitwhileIwasdoingfieldtripstoothercommunities

andlookingathowtheircouncilworkedandschoolworkedandbothcommunity

andschoolwhereyoucangainyourconfidenceandbealeaderinyour

position....andputitinpractice.

Sadly,manyoftheparticipantsalsotalkedabouthowtheseleadershipaspirationshad

beenblockedorstymiedthroughoutthecourseoftheircareers;atopicthatwillbe

discussedfurtherintheindividualnarratives.

6.3.6Exclusionandpower

Inthetwodayseminarwhereallparticipantscametogetherandanalysedtheindividual

teachernarratives,themostanimateddiscussionhappenedinrealtionshiptothe

experienceofexclusionandpower.Itbeganwithoneparticipanttellingthefollowingstory

aboutherexperience,

…wegotanewfencebuilt,they'redoingitnowandPrincipalcameuptomewitha

planbeforeitwasstarted,andsheshowedme'ohIwanttoshowyouthisiswhere

thenewfenceisgoing'.AndIsaid'nonono',thatswhatI'mjustfeelingabitbad,I

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wentandseenityesterdayandsawthefenceisstillgoingwheretheoldfencewas

before.AndIsaid'noweneedtoputthisfence,makeitbigger,morespace'.AndI

hadspokentothePrincipalandshehadsaid'yeahthat'salright,we'lldothat'and

thenyesterdaywhenIwentaroundit'sstillgoinginthesameplacewheretheold

fencewas.Shedidn’tlistentome.It’sstillgoingwheretheoldfencewas....Ithink

it'sherdecision'I'mjustgoingtogoaheadandtellthemwheretoputit.I'mthe

boss!'.Idon’tknowwhyshecomesandasksme?...ifshe'snotgoingtolisten,just

tomakemehappy,showmethepieceofpaper,soIcan’tthink'OhI'mpartofthis

aswell'.That'swhatIthought...andovertheholidaysIwentandsawwherethe

picketswereputinplacewherethefenceisgonnago,anditswaybackthatway.

Butthefenceisstillgoingwheretheoldfencewas...it'shurtingmebecasuewe're

beingusedinallofthesesortsofthings...assoonasschoolstartsIwasgoingtogo

backandasktheschoolcouncilifsheshowedthemtheplantotheschoolcouncil,

didtheyagree?..Ithinkshealreadyspokentothosefencepeoplebeforegoingon

holidaysandwhenshewasawaytheystartedbuildingthefence...’cosIwassaying

'where'sthegategonnago,coswecanputthegaterightnearthekitchenwhere

wecanseethekidsgoingout'.'Noitcangobackovertothesameplace,nearthe

toilet'.Shedidntreallywanttolistentome.

Inresponsetothisstoryoneoftheotherparticipantsobservedaboutthebehaviourofthe

Principalinquestion,

Shewantstodoitherownway...shewasusingherownpowertorunherdown,run

overher...shedidthatwithherownpowerbutshedidntsharethatwithothers

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Thisledtoanumberofotherstoriesbeingshared.Alloftheparticipantshadexperienced

somethingsimilarduringtheirworkinglife.Somestorieslikethefirstexamplefocusedon

theroleandpowerofthePrincipalintheschool.OnthesubjectofPrincipals,one

participantremarked‘Theycomewithbadpowers’.Anothertoldthefollowingstory,

WehadonePrincipalcomeandsaytous'I'mnotheretomakefriends,I'mjusthere

tofixtheschool,that'sall!'Andweusedhavealotoffightswithhimandonetime

hesaid'YoushouldgoandgetCentrelink'.IwasntgoingtogetCentrelink,I'mhere

toworkinmyownschool.Hewasaracist.Hetookhisfamilytogotothetoilet

backhome.Theirkidsweren’tinvolvedwithyapakids,lawa.Theyusedtoteach

theirownkidsintheprincipal’soffice.Theyweren’tsupportingus.Hehadthat

powerforhimselftoruleoverusandhewasn’tlistening,hewashurtingus,hewas

doingthingshisway.Hedidn’twanttolistentoanybody.It'salifetimestoryand

I'vestillgotitinmyheart,thatbadfeeling.

Otherstoriesfocusedonthebehaviourofothernon-Indigenousteachingstaffandeven

curriculumadvisorsvisitingtheschool,

Wewerehavingastaffmeeting.Onlynon-Indigenousstafftheytalktoeachother

insteadoftalkingtoanangustaff,andonedayIbangedthetableandsaidtothem

'heyweareanangustaffhere,we'renotinvisible.Wewanttoshareourideastoo!'

Theyallstoppedtalkingandputtheirheadsdown.Isaid'youonlycomeandgo,but

wearehere,westayhereforalongtime'.

150

Istayedinoneafternoontoworkwithmyteamteacher,butshewasalsotalking

with(anothernon-Indigenousteacher)aboutWalkingTalkingTexts.Isatthere,

theywereyappingaway.Isattherewaitingforher,thinking'whenwillshecome

anddoplanning?'Theywerejusttalkingaway,lookingatthebooksandgetting

ideas.AndwhileIwassittingthereIthoughttomyself'I'maninvisiblepersonhere

inthecorner'.Shedidn’tevensaytome'comeoverandjoinme!'Ididn’twantto

waitanymore,Ihadtowalkaway.Andshesaid'Oh(name),areyougoinghome?'

NextdayIcameback,feelingsad,andshesaid'I'mreallysorryforwhathappened'.

Isaid'No!youmademefeelinvisible!Youdidn’tincludemeinthatteaching,

becauseIamyourteamteacher,youshouldhaveinvolvedmeinthat.AndI'mreally

sad,Idon’tknownowwhatwe'regoingtoteach.Youtheonewhoknows

everythingandIdidn’tplanwithyou.I'mjustgoingtobesharpeningthepencils

becauseyouhaven’tincludedmeinyourplanning'.Sheleftmeout,shedidn’t

includeme,Iwasjustaninvisiblepersonsittingthere.Ireallywantedtolearn,listen

towhat(name)wastryingtoteachher.

OneAssistantTeacherinJuniorclass,Iwentpastandshesaidtome'Canyoucome

here?'SoIwentovertoherandshesaid'LookI'msittingawayfromthekids,what

canIdo?Wedidplanningtogethermeandher.'SoItalkedtotheteacher'excuse

mewhatisshedoingsittingoverthere?Isshedoinganythingorjustsittingand

watching?Howcanyouteach?There'salotofkidshereandshedidplanningwith

you.'Theteachersaid'Ohhhyoucomeover'.ButItoldher'Youshouldhave

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involvedher,youdidplanningwithher,andinsteadshe'sjustwatchingand

sharpeningpencils.Butwearealltheteachers!'.Butwhenthekidsstartfightingor

notlistening,that'sthetimetheystartusingIndigenousstaff.'

Manyoftheotherstoriessharedinthisthemerelatedtothelackofsupportthese

teachersfelttheyreceivedfromtheleadershipoftheschoolandhowthiswasaformof

inequalityandexclusion.Oneteachertalkedabouthowthiswassomethingtheyfirst

discoveredwhencompletingtheteachereducationcourse,

See…wefoundoutthatthereweren’tanyequalrightsnotrightsforyapateachers,

Indigenousteachers.Thingsweren’tsameforusbecasuetheyusedtobringkardiya

teachersfromsouth,usingallthatmoneytobringthemintoworkinour

communityandwestartedfeelingsad.I’mateacherandIneedtohavesameequal

rightswithkardiyateacher.Justgivingushousing,butlaterontheytookthataway.

Thingslikethatwelearnedabout.Itwassodifficultforustobeayapateacher.

Thissenseofneglectcontinuedonformanyintotheirpracticuumteachingexperience,

somethingthatdoesn’tgounnoticedbythecommunitymembers,

WhenIdidmypracteachingandIwasworkinginthatlittleroom,doingplanning,

nohelpfromthePrincipal,lawa,nohelpingwithplanningoranything...she'snot

helpingyapa,lawa.Theyapapeoplewholivethere,theydon’tgoandaskherfor

jobbecausetheydon’twanttoworkthere

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Oneparticipantcommentedspecificallyonthelackoforientationtothe‘educationlaw’

thatshereceivedwhenshefirstbecameafullclassoomteacher.

SowhenIfirstbecameateacherinmyclassroomtheysaid'yeahgoaheadthisisall

yourstuffand...teach!'Buttherewerealsorulesthere,andlawsfromeducation,I

wasexpectedtolearnthembutIdidn’thaveanyonetellingme,Ihadtogoalone

andjusttryingtodomybest.

Otherparticipantscommentedonhowhardtheyfoundittotransitionintotheroleof

beingthefullyqualifiedclassroomteacher.Thiswaschallengingforthempersonallyand

forthestudentstounderstandasgenerationsofinternalisedassimilationhadcausedthese

childrentobelievethatwhiteteacherswerethe‘real’teachersand‘black’teacherswere

justthehelper,theassistanttothewhiteteacher.

Butsomekidsusedtotalklike'You'renotEnglish!You'reWarlpiri!'Mainlyinthe

school.You'vegottohaveboththose...explainingtothem'Thisiswhatwe'vegotto

teach,Englishsideofthings.I'vegottoteachboth'.ThisiswhatIwasexplainingto

thekids"Becausesomebodyiswatchingmeinthecorner,youknow?'Thosekids

werelookingforakardiyateacher.Iwasshowingthemmycertificate'ThisiswhatI

got.I'mlikekardiyateachernow'.Thekidshadtoknow.Aftertalkingtomeand

saying'noyou'renotourteacher'Ittookalongtimeforthekidstoknow.

Sameat(communityname).Wealwaysusedtokeeponsaying'Wearethe

teacher!Iamyourteacher.Doesn’tmatterpangki(colour?),butIamtheteacher'.

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Inthiswayitwasthecontacthistoryandthecoloniallegacythatwascausingtheexclusion

fortheseteachers,andtheyreceivednosupporttohelpthemnavigatethistransition.

6.3.7‘Notlookingatuslevel’

Thesevenththemeisconnectedtothepreviousthemeofexclusionandpower,butitis

morestronglyrelatedtothisideaofthecoloniallegacyofIndigenousteachersworkingin

schoolsintheNT.Manyoftheparticipantsspokeoftheirexperiencesbeingtreated

unequally,evenoncetheyhadcompletedtheirfullteachingqualification.Theparticipants

sharedanumberofexamplesofthiskindofunequaltreatment.Attimesthiswas

expressedbyexpectingfullyqualifiedIndigenousteacherstotakeonextraworkandroles,

I'vebeentakingthepreschoolersforayearandIhaven’thadanyoneplacedwith

measanAssistantteacherbecasuetheythink'Ohshe'sIndigenousshecando

everything!'Costherequirementistenkids,can’tbealoneintheclassroomwith

anymorethanthat,andI'vegotabout14or12.Theynevercomeandaskorlook

forsomeonetoworkwithme.Butifawhiteteacherhadfivekidsohshe'llbe

screamingherheadoff'Ohhhthey'regoingtoattackme!'

Anotherparticipantspokeaboutbeingcalledonwhenevertherewerevisitorstothe

schoolwhowantedto‘consult’withthecommunity,

Sometimesit’snegotiatedtoobythePrincipalandwhoeveriscoming,theypullyou

out,nowarningjustcomeanddragyouout.

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Otherstalkedabouthowitfelttobeconstantlycalledontodealwithbehaviourproblems

inawaythatthenon-Indigenousstaffwerenot,

Likewearequalifiedteachers.Theydon’tuseusasaqualifiedteacher.Theyuseus

tolookafterthebehaviour.'You'vegottotalktothischild!You'vegottostopthem

fighting!'That'swhattheyuseusfor.Notlikeactprofessionallikethem.Even

thoughwestartedworkingalongtimeagowe'restillgonnabestoppingfighting.

That'swhattheyareusingusfor.

Soitseemsthattheschoolleadershiptreatstheseteachersasfullyqualifiedstaffmembers

orevenschoolleaderswhenitsuitsthem,likeleavingsomeonebyherselfinaclasswith

toomanystudentsandpullingIndigenousteachersoutofclasstoconsultwithvisitorsto

theschool.However,theyareequallyprepararedtoexpecttheIndigenousstafftoactas

the‘behaviourpolice’anddoallofthecommunicationwiththefamiliesandcommunity

members.

They'renotlookingatuslevel,whereweare.We'resupposedtobesame

professionallevelandtheystillputusdownlikewe'reanAT

Theyalwaysgetustotelltheparents,talktotheparents,butIalwayssay'Wiya,

youandme,we'llgotogether'

Theyarefrightenedofthekids!AlotofthetimeIseeteachersareondutyandkids

startfightingandtheyruntotheIndigenousstaff,‘canyoucomeandtalktothe

kids,findoutwhathappened’.Andthey'reonduty!

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Aswellasbeing‘frightened’oftheirpupils,bynotwantingtovisitparentsand

grandparentsthesenon-Indigenousteachersareshowingthattheyarealso‘frightened’of

thecommunity.Thispointstodeepculturaldisconcertmentonthepartofthenon-

Indigenousteacherswhocomefromaverydifferentculturalandknowledgetradition.

Inlargepartthisexclusionandinequalitytranspiresintheeverydayactivities,actionsand

reactionsoftheleadershipandstaffoftheschools;selectivelyignoringsomerulesand

theninsistingthatIndigenousstaffdothingsthatthenon-Indigenousstaffrefusetotake

on.OneparticipanttalkedaboutthisinacurriculumsenseaswellsayingthatPrincipals

insistthatsomeelementsofthecurriculumweretaughtwhileignoringandnotmaking

timeforotherpartsofthecurriculum.Thisisparticularlysointhecaseoflocallanguages

andculturebeingtaughtaspartofthecurriculum.

Howcomethiscurriculum,thisiswhatyou'vegottodointheclassroomandthis

Principal,boss,doesthewrongthings.Andwe'retryingtolearnandteachthekids

andthebossesarenot….We’vegotthatlanguageandcultureprograminthe

schoolandthey’vegotnothingtolose,whiteteachers,ifthatprogramgoes,‘cos

they’vegottheseotherprograms,Englishones.Theycanteachitbecausethey’re

expectedtoteachitintheclassroom.Theycanjustchange,change,changethe

program.We’veonlygotthisoneprogramthatwewanttoholdontoandit’svery

sadtoseeitgo.Notgobutdoesn’tfollowon,doesn’thappenintheclassroom.It’s

important,wewanttoholdontoit.Itcomeswithouridentity.Theydon’tcare.

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Soinadditiontotheteachersnotbeingseenas‘level’,therearealsodecisionsbeingmade

intheschoolsaboutwhatcurriculumismostimportantthatexhibitsaninequality

regardingthestatusofIndigenousandnon-Indigenousknowledgeitself.

6.4Conclusion

Thereweremanymoreexamplesofthethemesincludedinthischapterintheindividual

narrativesrecordedwitheachoftheindividualteacherparticipants.InChapter7these

seventhemes,‘feelingforfamily’,‘learningwithmarlpa’,‘mentors,supportand

encouragement’,‘teamteaching’,‘leadership’,‘exclusionandpower’and‘notlookingatus

level’,willbeusedasananalyticalframeworkforfurtherinterrogatingtheindividual

narratives.

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Chapter7–Individualanalysisoftheteachernarratives

Theseventhemes,asgeneratedinthegroupanalysisprocessoutlinedinChapter6,were

appliedasananalyticalframeforthedetailedexaminationofthemuchlongerindividual

narrativesoftheseventeacherparticipants.Thisexaminationprovidedincreasedrichness

anddepthandsomeexpandedunderstandingsoftheseseventhemes.

7.1‘Ourfeelingforfamily’

Oneofthethemesthatemergedascentralduringthegroupdiscussionwaswhatone

teacherparticipantdescribedasour‘feelingforfamily’.Thisphrasepointstowardsalarger

truththatiscentraltounderstandingthejourneyoftheIndigenousteachersinthis

research.Thisthemeisontologicalbecauseitissomethingthatisatthecoreofwho

peopleare.Itisnotsomethingepistemological,somethingtheyhavelearned.Neitherisit

axiological,somethingtheseteachershavechosen.Thewaytheteachersspokeofit,itis

clearlyanotnegotiablehumanconditionforthem.Itisexpressedinchoicesthataremade,

prioritiesthataredecidedanditregulatestheirparticipationinthelifeoftheirfamiliesand

community.Itisapowerfulobligatoryforcethatwillalwaysremainmoreimportantthan

anyotherresponsibility–includingeducationandwork.Theteacherparticipantsspokeof

ittounderlinethatthis‘feelingforfamily’,andallthatthatrepresents,mustbe

accommodatedandrespectedaspartoftheeducationaljourney.Additionally,these

teachersarelivingproofthatwhenunderstood,respectedandappliedcreatively,such

ontologicalunderstandingscanactuallybeatremendoussupportstructuretohelp

Indigenousteachersachievesuccesswhilenavigatingtheinterculturalspaceofeducation.

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Thefollowingexamplestakenfromtheindividualteachernarrativesillustratefirstlyhow

this‘feelingforfamily’isalwaysforemostintheheartsandmindsoftheIndigenous

teacherparticipantsandhowseparationfromfamilycancauseintenselonelinesstothe

pointofderailingpeople’seducationaljourney.Secondly,theexamplesexplorehow

culturalobligation,asanexpressionofontology,meanthatthosepursuingteacher

educationwillalwaysbeforcedtojugglemultipleresponsibilities.Thirdly,theexamples

showhowacommunitybasedmodelofteachereducationthatenliststhesupportof

familiesandcommunitymemberscaninfactgreatlyassistIndigenousteachersto

completetheirlearningjourney.Finally,theexamplesillustratehowthis‘feelingforfamily’

actuallyprovidesIndigenousteacherswithuniqueinsightsabouthowbesttoteach

studentsfromtheirhomecommunities.

Lonelinessandthecomfortoffamily

Manyoftheteacherparticipantsspokeofgivingupontheireducationatvariouspoints

becauseofafeelingofextremelonelinessandisolationwhentheywereawayfromtheir

community.Thiswasespeciallytruewhentheytriedtocompletetheirsecondaryyearsat

BoardingSchool.

Iwasthereforoneyearandgotlonelyandcamebackto(communityname).Iwas

lonely(for)family,yuwa,

…itwasjustlikeyouwanttobehomeandnotwanttoleavethathomeandjustlike

youknowwhenIgotoDarwinorAdelaideIwanttocomebackhomeandthat'sthe

homesickIusedtohavewhenIwasthatstage.

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NoneoftheteacherparticipantsstayedatBoardingSchoolthroughtotheend.Allofthem

endedupbackintheircommunitiesandthiswasthepointatwhichallofthemstarted

workingintheirlocalschooleitherasassistantteachersorLiteracyWorkers.Oneteacher

participantsaidthefollowing,

I'mnothomesick(when)I'mathomeI'myouknow,workingandmorethemore

prouderIgot.Andmymumusedtocometotheschoolandseemeteachingand

usedtopraisemeandallthatpraisingmadememoreconfident….andmysister

usedtocomeandtakephotosandusedtostayaround,bringthechildrentoschool.

'Yeahshe'sgonnabeyourteachersoon'

Theteacherparticipantsalsostronglyemphasizedthatthisfeelingforfamilywasnot

somethingthatcanbeignoredorswitchedoffwhenpeopleentertheschool.Infactinthe

samewaythatbeing‘athome’madetheteacherparticipantsfeelcomfortable,manyof

theteacherparticipantssuggestedthathavingIndigenousteachersmadeIndigenous

studentsfeelmorecomfortableandlesslonelyintheforeignandWesternenvironmentof

school.

forIndigenouskidstheylookatusandthey...we'retheirfamilyandtheyknowus,

wehavegoodrelationshipslikewe'refamilyandkidslookatusandwearetherole

modelsforthem…IfIndigenouskidshaveIndigenousteachersandlanguageand

cultureprograms,they'lllistentousandtheelderscominginteachingthem

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Thisfeelingforfamilywassomethingthattheteacherparticipantsenlistedasapowerful

allyinensuringstronglearningandengagementfortheirstudents.

Culturalobligation

Thisontological‘feelingforfamily’,wassomethingthattheteacherparticipantshadto

continuallybalanceagainsttheircommitmenttostudyandwork.Tryingtofindequilibrium

betweentheculturalobligationsthatareapartoftheirontologicalexistencewhileatthe

sametimecontinuingonwithstudy,workandteachingcommitmentsissomethingthat

hasbeenapersistentchallengethroughouttheircareers.Manyoftheteacherparticipants

talkedabout‘familyproblems’andinparticulartheobligationsthatcamewiththedeathof

apersonintheirfamily,referredtoas‘sorrybusiness’.

Yuwaibutalsolikefamilyproblems,sorryproblems,wehadtogoalongwithallof

thosethingsandwestillhavechallengingthingsyouknowlikefamilyproblemis

alsoreallyimportanttoo,yuwai.

Maybefamily,problemwithfamily,maybewife.Orsomebodygetssickintheir

family,sorrybusinessallthat.Becausewhensorrybusinesscomesandwehaveto

goforayearyouknowandthenwedon’tknowwhattodoyouknowwhenwego

backteaching.Youloseallthatthing,thatexperienceofhowyouwanttoteach

back.ButIhadlikeIwentbacklikewhenIwasinsorry,Istayedoutforayear.

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Travellingtoanothercommunityforsorryandtakingextratimes,comingback,not

goingtoschoolearlyandstufflikethat

Oneparticipanttalkedofhowsheneededtoenlistastrategyof‘postponement’todealing

withfamilyproblemsandculturalobligation.

EventhoughIhadfamilyissuesbackhome,Ididn’tpicturethat,youknow.Ialways

leftitaftercourseorwhenIgotback.AndIfeltstrongandyouknowsaidtomyself

'I'mnotgoingtoforgetthat,carrythat,I'lldealbackinmycommunity,butthat's

notgoingtobemybigissue'.SoIkeptongoingandgoing.

Howeverthereweresomeculturalobligationsandresponsibilitiesthatwereso

overwhelmingthattheyalmostderailedpeople.Atthesetimesthefeelingforfamilyand

familysupportwasoneofthethingsthathelpedkeeppeoplegoing,

Andthen.....andthenIlostmysister(in1996).Iwasjustabouttograduate.

Mmm….Irangmymotherandtoldherthatmysisterwas,shewasdeteriorating

fromhersickness,andIrangMumandMumwalkedsevenkilometresandhada

heartattack…that'swhenIsortofwentdown…andmyhusband'sfamily,myother

familycameandsupportedme,…Ihadtwolossesandstayedandhadafuneralfor

herandpeoplefromschoolcame,teachers,ananguteachers,andfamiliescame

andtalkedtome'bestrong,Iknowyoucandoit,butdon’tgiveuponstudying,still

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doyourstudy,you'vegotonlyonemoreyeartogo'andyeahitwaslongtimeIwas

ongrief,longtimeandmyhusbandsupportedmetoo,keptongoing.

Fortheseteachers,thefurtheralongthatprofessionalpathwaytheyventuredthemore

challengingthisbalancingactbecame,

youknow,forexample,ifIlosemysonIwouldfeelsadandIwouldn’twanttogoto

schoolbecauseIstillfeelnogoodinmyheartandImissmykid,mysonandIwould

rathersayohIdon’tfeellikegoingtowork…butthenIstressaboutit,‘YeahIhave

togotowork,whyamIsittingdown?...IhavetoforgetaboutitandIhavetostart

workingagainandbestrong'.Butweneedtobethereforourkids,ourkidsthatare

learning.It'simportanttheyneedtolearnfromus,weneedtobearolemodelfor

them.

Oneteacherparticipanttalkedabouthowherschoolenlistedculturalknowledgeto

facilitateboththeculturalandeducationalresponsibilities,

Iwouldbeinsorrybusinessyouknowlike.Wethoughtabouthavinglike,for

exampletwoTAswereworking,maybeateacherandaTA,ifforexamplesomeone

losessonandI'mnotallowedtowork,soIwouldgo,ATwouldstayandworkthere

tohelpkardiyateacher…someonealwaysthere,forexampleifanAT'sfamilypass

awayIwouldbethereworkingwiththeteacher,kardiyateacherandaliteracy

worker.

Sowhiletheculturalobligationsthatcomewiththis‘feelingforfamily’canbeastrong

challengeforthosewhochosetobeteachers,adetailedunderstandingofhowthese

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culturalobligationsworkcanalsohelptheteacherstonavigatebothculturalandeducation

obligationssuccessfully.

Communitybasedstudyandsupportfromfamily

Alloftheteacherparticipantstalkedabouthowmucheasieritwasforthemtonavigate

thedualpressuresofstudyandculturalobligationwhentheteachereducationdelivery

washappeningasacommunitybasedmodel.

…soitwasn’tjusthappeninghere(AliceSprings),ithappenedthere(community

name)too…wehadyouknowourchildren…andtheywereallsolittle.That’swhy

weaskedforacommunitybasedlecturersothelecturercanbethereandsothat

weneededtobewithourfamilytoo.‘Cosjusttomakethecourseworkout

well…everyonewasreallygoodandtheyfelt'Ohthat'sworked'youknowand

'that'smakingitbetterforeveryonetoyouknowbeathomeandbewiththeir

family'

Thisgroupingofcommunitiesseemedacommonpartofthecommunity-basedmodel

theseteachersparticipatedintodotheirteachereducation.Oftenacohortwouldconsist

ofgroupsofteachersfromseveralsmallremotecommunitieswhowouldcometogether

forworkshopsinacentralremotelocationratherthantravellingtoanurbancentresuchas

AliceSpringsorDarwin.

…wehadlecturersbasedinthecommunity,theywerestayingthereallthetime,

awa,andwehadtimesthatwecangoandyouknowdoourstudy…schooltime,

andwehadworkshopsinthecommunitylike(communityname)moband

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(communityname)andwecansometimeswegooutto(communityname),have

workshoporgoto(communityname)foryouknowlearningtogethersessions.

Mmm,Ithinkthatwasbetterinthosedays…becausewewerealwaysathome,not

goingaway…likewehadkids!AndIthinkwefeltrelaxed,notstressingoutwhen

yougo,youknowwhenyougosomewhere,yeah.Wehadtogobacktothefamily.

Oneteacherparticipantspokeabouthowproudhercommunitywaswhenthecommunity

baseddeliverywashappeningandhowitfacilitatedmuchgreatercommunityinvolvement

inthecourse,

…thatRATE(BatchelorCollegeRemoteAreaTeacherEducation)programwasreally

big,everyonewasjustlookingatus'ohthey'redoingagreatjob'youknow,yeah

andIthinkeveryonethoughtitwasagoodthing,yeahthecommunity…inthat

coursewedoneitinthecommunitylikeweinvitedoldpeopletocometothings

withus,yeah,wewentoutbush,mmm.Itwasallcommunitybased,youknow

doingalotofthingsinthecommunityandeveryoneknewwhatweweredoing.

That'swhyalotoftheotherpeoplewantedtodotheirstudy

Manyoftheteacherparticipantstalkedabouthowthisdeliverymodelchangedoverthe

courseoftheirteachereducationandnotedthatfundingwasthemainreasongivento

themforthechangesmade.Theshiftwastoamoreconventionalcampusbasedworkshop

modelbasedinBatchelor,AliceSpringsandTennantCreekatdifferentstagesoftheir

teachereducationcourse.Manyoftheteacherparticipantssurmisedthatthisrequirement

toleavethecommunitytoattendworkshopswasoneofthemainreasonsthatmanyof

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theteachereducationstudentsfromtheircohortsdroppedoutatthattime.

…Ithinkthatchangeiswhatmadepeopleunhappyandalotoftheotherstudents

left,yeahcomingintotown,leavingfamilybehind,mmm,didn’twanttogoaway.

…it'sahardjourneyIknow,weallknowthatourfamily'simportant,wecan’tleave

ourhusbandandgoandspendtwoweeksandcomeback.

…yeahsomepeopledroppedout,maybeinsecondyear,yeahmaybehadproblem,

familyproblem…likehusband,children,theydon’twanttomisstheirkidsyouknow

…someofthempulledout,andBatchelorsaidwecould(not)havewhenthere's

only5,like10or11or12studentsyoucanhavetutorandlecturerthere,butif

studentsfalloutorstaybehindthenwecan’thave.Mmmthatmadeitsohardfor

us.

Becauseshesaidtomethatitwasreallyhardstudyingyouknow…shewasmaybe

worriedforherhusbandhewaslikeoldman,justworryingforhimnow.Mighthave

tostayhomeanddoherworkthere.Butshesaidtome,‘yeah(Name)youcando

yourstudybutI’vegottostayhereandhelpintheschoolhere.Idon’twanttogo

outnow’.

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Forthoseteacherparticipantswhomanagedtokeepgoingandcontinuewiththeirstudies

theyallnamedthesupportoftheirfamiliesasthemainthingthatfacilitatedthis.Thisis

discussedinmoredetailinalatersectionofthischapter,butitisimportanttonotethat

evenforthosewhocontinuedtheshiftawayfromacommunitybasedmodelmadethings

morechallengingasitevokedfeelingsofhomesicknessforthemagain,

…backandforwardsbutthenweweregettinghomesicksowethoughtnowe

wouldcomeback.Maybewehadagap,anotheryeardidn’tfeellikedoingstudy,

wewereonlyworkingasafulltimeATnow,butwewerealsothinkingabout

working(and)doingourtrainingtobecomeateacher.

Theperiodsdescribedaseasiestandbestfortheteacherparticipantsintermsoftheir

teachereducationjourneywerethetimeswhentheywereparticipatinginacommunity

basedmodelandnothavingtomakethehardchoicesbetweenthat‘feelingforfamily’and

theirdedicationtobecomingteachers.

Knowledgeoffamilyandculture

Alloftheteacherparticipantstalkedagreatdealaboutthis‘feelingforfamily’andthe

intrinsicunderstandingoftheircommunitiesasbeinganassetintheirteachingwork.This

ontologicalpre-conditionhelpedthemtobebetterteachers.Ithelpedthemintalkingto

familiesabouttheirchildrenandtheworkoftheschool,

…Igotta...talktopeoplerightway,mightberighttime,rightway,yeah…andcos

we'reinonecommunityandweknoweachother,knowfamily…awa,yougotto

haveatalkattherighttime,getpeoplehow...explainittothemsotheycan

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understand,mmm,likeIsaidyouknow,Ican’ttakethepre-schoolersmyself,Itake

themumsaswell…ButIneedtotalktothem,youknowinawaytheyfeel

comfortable.Yeah

…we'refamilies,we'reconnectedtoeachotherinfamilylineandweliveinthe

samecommunityandalotofthetimesIseewhat'shappeningyouknow,to

childrenandthefamilies.AndIknowthosefamiliesmightbehavingbitofproblem

orawa,Iknowthelifestyleofthefamilies,yeah,soIcanknowifthey'renotdoing,

ifthey'renotlearningproperly,cosIknowit'sgottheseotherproblemsathome

andIcanyouknowencouragethestudent.Andtalk,cosalotofthetimeItalkto

thefamilyaswellifthatstudentisnotdoingwellinclass.Italktothe

families….awalanguageisabigpartofit.Youknowwe...Ithinkmewiththat

languageithelpstalkingtofamilies…ithelpsstudentsaswell.Youknowwecan

...theycaneasilytalktomeaboutwhat'sgoingon.Mmm.…andforfamiliesaswell

youknow,theymightbethinkingthesameasthestudent.That’swhytheydon’tgo

totheschool,yeah.AndIcanseethemathomeoryouknowbumpintothematthe

shop,yeah.It’seasyforme,youknow,yeahcosIliveouttherewiththeminthe

community.Iseethemeverytime.

They(parents)lookatusasopenheartteachers.Theycancomeandtalktome,we

letthemtalk,wetalkasnormal,likewe'reyapafriendsandwe'reyapafamily.They

cancomeandtalktous.Butlikewethinkasateacher,yapateacher,wethinkalot

abouteducationandwetalktotheminaneducationalway,likeactingasaperson

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thathasbeenthereforalongtimeasaneducatorandparentssometimeswantto

learnfromusandwanttoknowwhat'shappeningfortheirkids,butwetellthem

whatthekidsaredoingnow.

Thissharedfeelingforfamilyenabledtheseteacherparticipantstoalsohaveuniquely

helpfulrelationshipswhendealingwithstudents,

Iwouldsaytothem…’(We’re)family,we'renothereassomeoneelse,soweneedto

youknowlistentoeachotherandyouknowlookaftereachother‘coswearehere

asone….thatmadealotofdifferencecosI'manangutheyknowme.

…maybetheysawyapanotkardiya…maybeyouknowtheyknewthatperson

speakssamelanguage,yeah…theywerereallygoodtotalktome,yeah,nomatter

theyshame,theycouldcomeandtalktome…theyfeelmorecomfortable

ThisinsiderunderstandingalsomeansthatoftentheseIndigenousteachershavebecome

bothadvocatesforthestudentsandtheculturalinterpretersbetweentheschoolandthe

community,asevidencedbythefollowinganecdote:

…yuwa,Iwasa,likeIwasadvocatingforallofthechildrenthatwasgoingthere,

alsoforMumsandfamilies…becauseIknowtheananguwayandhowtodealwith

ananguwayandtoalsotoeducateandmentorforthatwhitefella,tjulkurra,who

don’tknowanytraditionalknowledge...Liketherewasanincidentwhereyoung

fellaswhojustcame,wantedtogotoschoolandthePrincipalwouldn’tletthem

comein‘costheyworethis,wecallit(language),headband,tosaythatthey're

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manandjustgotoutfrombush.AndIusedtosay'ohyouknowthoseyoungmen

needsbitofspacewheretheycanseethemselvesasyoungmen,notputoff,butthe

Principalwouldn’tlisten.Shekeptonsaying,'Ohyouknowtheynotman,they

youngboys'.Youcan’tsaythat.Itoldthatperson,'Youcan’tsaythat,ifwe

acknowledgethemandsaytothemthatthey’reyoungmenthat'syouknow,we

respectthemandyou'reheresayingthattheycan’tcometotheschool

environmentbecausetheyarelikeboys'.Andoneoftheteachershelpedme,

tjulkurra(non-Indigenousperson),shesaid,‘Youknow(name)'sright,sheknows

thebackgroundandsheadvocatingforthem,soweunderstandasthepeoplewho

don’thavethatknowledgeforanangu,wecomeandlearnfromthem,wecan’tput

barsorbarriers,we'vegottounderstandtheirculturalawareness,that'showshe

puttingintohowwecanengagewiththem'.

Thisadvocacyoftenextendstowhatisbeingtaughtintheschools.Alloftheteacher

participantstalkedpassionatelyabouttheteachingoflanguageandculturalknowledgeas

acentralpartoftheschoolcurriculum.Itwasevidentthattheseteacherssawlanguage

andculturalknowledgeasanextensionofthisfeelingforfamily.Inorderfortheirchildren

togrowupstrongtheyhadtobegroundedinastrongsenseofwhotheyareandwhatis

valuedbytheircommunity.Allofthiscomesfromthelandandthelanguage.Theteacher

participantssawschoolandcommunityworkingtogetherashavingacentraland

importantroleinsupportingandmaintainingthisknowledge.

Ithinkbestwayisgoing,youknowgoingouttoplaces…theycanlookatthingsas

well,lookwhatthisis,it'sreal,youknow…Ithinkit'simportanttogototheactual

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placeandseeitandyouknowdoit,dothings...Ithinkcommunityisabigpartof

it....andit'slikethekidscanfeelit’safamilyoutingandtheycanknowalltheserich

youknowlanguageiscomingoutfromfamilieswhentheyareoutbush.Andthey

canseethedifference,youknowit'sdifferentinthehomeenvironment,different

wayofdealingwiththelanguagethanoutbush.Yeahit'smore,Iguessit's

stronger,yeah.Likeit’ssomething,it’sserious…takingitserious,thelearning.

…theycan’tstopWarlpirilawa,theyareWarlpiriliteratekids,yeahtheylearnto

speaklanguagewhentheyweresmallandtheyneedtokeeptheirlanguageand

theirculture

…becausetheyreallyhavetoknowtheplacesnameswheretheygoforcountry

visitsandallthatandtheskinnamesystemandwheretheycomefrom.Because

thekidsknow,someofthekidswereknowingtheycomefrom(communityname)

ortheycomingfrom(communityname),ortheirfather’scountry,theycanknow

theirfather'scountry.

yeahsomethingswecan’tlearninaclassroom,wehavetogoout.Youcanonlydo

liketeachingotherthings,likereadingandmathsandallthatthere,butforlike

animaltrackingorplants,everythingyouhavetogooutsideofthecommunity.Alot

oflearningforthekidsislikegoingoncountryvisits….WeusedtotakeElders.

BecausewithouttheElderswecan’ttakethekidsoutbecauseEldersarethemost

importantpeoplebecausetheyknowtheknowledgeandtheycantalkaboutthe

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countryandallthat.Ancestorsandallthat.

Alloftheteacherparticipantsinthisresearchwerepowerfullydedicatedtotheir

professionalidentityasateacher.Butthisidentitycameasanadd-ontotheidentitythey

alreadyhaveasaWarlpiri,Luritja,WesternArrarntaorPitjantjatjaraperson.The

ontologicalidentityoftheteacherparticipantsandthelanguage,cultureandpracticesthat

embodythatidentity,camefirstandwillalwayspre-supposeanythingrelatedtobeinga

teacher.Asevidencedbytheteachers’stories,thisontologicalstandpointcaneitherform

astumblingblockforIndigenousteachersoritcanbecarefullyandrespectfullyenlistedas

astrengththatinfactsupportstheseteacherstobethekindofteachers,accordingtotheir

professionaljudgement,Indigenousstudentsneed.

7.2Learningwith‘marlpa’

‘Marlpa’isawordusedintheWarlpiri,LuritjaandPitjantatjaralanguagesofCentral

Australia.Itcanbetranslatedas‘company’.Morespecificallyitmeansnotleavinganyone

out,orbythemselves.Thisconceptwasrepeatedlyidentifiedbytheteacherparticipants

asbeinganimportantpartoftheirteachereducationpathway.Theteacherparticipants

clearlyarticulatedthathaving‘marlpa’intheformofbothotherstudentsaswellas

lecturersandtutorshelpedthemtosuccessfullycompletetheirteachereducationcourses

andthengoontodeveloptheirprofessionalteachingidentities.

The‘marlpa’ofotherstudents–acohortmodelofteachereducation

Alloftheteacherparticipantsinthisresearchtalkedaboutthestartoftheirteacher

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educationjourneyasbeingsomethingtheysharedwithothers.Alloftheparticipants

talkedabouttheotherpeoplewhostartedtheprogramatthesametimeasthem,

sometimesinsmallgroupsoftwoorthreeandatothertimesinlargegroups.

…soIwasfeelinghappytostartdoingtheteachertrainingbecausetherewasalso

coupleofotheryapateacherstherewhowantedtodoteachertrainingalso,sowe

startedtodoteachertrainingthroughRATEprogram.

…then1990'salltheTAssomeYapa,Aboriginalteachers,TAswantedtodotheir

studiessowealldecidedtogetherweweredoingRATEprogram...wehadmeeting

allofus'Ohwe'lldoRATEprogram,youknowdofirstyear'sowedidfirstyear…we

werestillTAsbutdoingcoursesametimeanditwasreallygood.

Sothat'swhenwe,meandotherladiesfrom(communityname),starteddoing

RATEcourse…Fourorfiveofus…IstartedworkingasaLiteracyworkerthenstarted

doingstudy,RATEcourse.MaybeIsawsomeladiestheyweretalkingabout'oh

we'redoingcoursesinAliceSpringswithBatchelor'.ThenIjoinedwithladiesfrom

(communityname)andthenkeptondoingit.

…thenaladyandafellacametoschoolandcametoameetingwhereallthestaff

wasandstartedtalkingaboutthistrainingforBatchelor,thatyouknowAssistant

TeachersmightthinkaboutdoingtrainingandthenIsaid,'Ohthat'sme,I'mgonna

putmyhandupstraightaway'andthenPrincipalsaid'ohanyofyouladiesormen

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wantstostudy,soyoucangetqualifications?'andtherewerethreeofusputting

ourhandsup.

Theteacherparticipantsspokeabouthowhaving‘marlpa’aspartofthischallenging

processprovidedgreatsupportasthestudyprogressedandhelpedthemtofeellikethey

couldkeepgoing.Italsohelpedthemtobuilduptheirindividualconfidenceandself-belief.

Thisisbestexemplifiedbythefollowinganecdote,

…reallygoodpeople,alwayssupportedmetooandweusedtositdown,talkand

talkaboutthetrainingandusedtohelpeachotherhowstrongwewillbeyouknow

whilewe'redoingthiscourseandgaveallour,youknow,encouragingeachotherin

apositiveway.Mmm,travelledonfieldstudy,lookafterourselves,yuwaand

someonewouldgetaphonecallfromhome,weusedtositdownwiththatperson

'youknowthishappensbutyouknowthisisgoodwaytoyouknowsolveit'weused

tohelpeachother,sothatweusedtomakethatpersonlaughandthennext

morningwecouldseeyouknowgoodnewscomingbackfromhome.Yuwa…Mmm

feelingthatpersonisnotalone,mmmandthat’swhatstudentsandfamily'sabout

encouragingoneanother,supportingoneanother,mmm.Yuwa,marlpa

Partofthecohortmodelthattheseteachersexperiencedinvolvedbringingtogethersmall

groupsfromanumberofnearbylocalremotecommunitiestodotheirstudyworkshops

together.Manyoftheteacherparticipantstalkedaboutthesignificanceofjoiningtogether

withtheseothergroups,

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…weweretoldyouknoweveryAssistantteacherthatworksatthisschoolneedsto

dothistraining…yeah,wewereallsignedup…westartedoffwithaboutten…from

(communityname)aswell…Ithinkprobably3or2from(communityname)and8of

usfrom(communityname)schoolwestartedoff.

Ithinkwehadeachother,yeahtohelpusout,yeah…likesomemightn’tunderstand

whatwe'regoingtodo,whatwe'redoing,awa,andtalkinArrarnta,explaining'oh

thisiswhatwemightneedtodo',andbeingprepared‘ourworkshop'scoming’

and…remindingeachotheryeah.

Istartedoffwith19studentsfromthisregion…wesortoftalkedtooneanother

andsupportedoneanother,youknow'feelstrong,don’tgiveup,tryandgetitover

anddone,thisisgood'…andthatmademeevenbecomemorestronger,in

studying.Andwedidreportwritingand,discussedgroupdiscussions.

Thissenseof‘marlpa’,ofnotbeingleftbyyourselftodothestudyalone,providedagreat

senseofcomforttotheseteachersastheyprogressedintheirteachereducation.They

formedstrongsupportbondswiththeotherstudentsbothfromtheirowncommunities

andfromthecommunitiesnearby.Oncethedeliverymodelchangedandtheworkshops

werebeingheldinurbancentresratherthancommunitybased,theteacherparticipants

maintainedthatthis‘marlpa’continuedtobeimportant.Theteacherparticipants

developedadditionalsupportandencouragementnetworkswithothergroupsof

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IndigenousteachereducationstudentsfromacrosstheNorthernTerritory.

IdidtrainingatBatchelor,teachertraining.AndImetalotofstudentsfrom

differentcommunitiesandtopendschools,topendteachersandIwashappy

studyingatBatchelorandsharingideaswithotherteachersandworkingwith

lecturers.

…ithelpedmeliketobeconfidentinmyteachingandlearningfromotherstudents

andbecausewecamefromthesamecommunityandjoiningwithothersfromthe

Barklyregionyouknowandlearningthroughthat.Itwasreallygoodyouknow

learningbecauseIlearnedalotofgoodthings,whatIlearnedfromthem.Because

it’salwaysdifferentfromwhereIcomefrom.

Ireallylikedcomingtogetherandmeetingtheananguteachersfromdifferent

communitiesliketalkingtothemandgroupworkandstudyingbackandyouknow

feelingproudandsayingyouknowwe'retherefordoingourbestforour

communityandstrivingmoreandmore…Sogettingbacktostudywasmore

importantsowecanmeetourselvesback,meetalltheananguteacherswhoI

workedwith,whoIstudiedwithandI'mstillreallyproudthatthey'regoingon.

Manyoftheteacherparticipantstalkedaboutthisfeelingofhaving‘marlpa’asbeingone

ofthereasonstheycontinuedwiththeirstudies.

IfeltgoodwhenbothofusweredoingitandifIwouldhavestarteddoingitby

myselfIdon’tknow...wouldhavebeenquitedifferent...

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The‘marlpa’oflecturers,principalsandteamteachers

Theotherkindof‘marlpa’discussedbytheteacherparticipantswasthecompanyprovided

bytheteachereducationlecturerswhoworkedwiththeircohort,thePrincipalsoftheir

schoolsandtheteamteacherstheycontinuedtoworkwithintheirclassroomsbetween

teachereducationworkshops.Thesekeypeopleprovidedimportantsupportthatassisted

theteacherparticipantstokeepgoingwiththeirstudies.Someteacherparticipantstalked

aboutthekeyrolethatPrincipalsplayedespeciallyinsupportingandfacilitatingthemto

knowabouttheopportunitiestostudyandtocommencetheirstudies,

…likewhen(non-IndigenousPrincipalname)and(anothernon-IndigenousPrincipal

name)maybewasworkingat(communityname)theymusthaveknownabout

thoseothersyouknow,maybedoingmaybeRATEprogramat(communityname).

BecauseIwasstartingtoasknow,'Isthereanytraininggoingonyouknow?Any

teachertraininggoingon’?'Yeahthere'ssomepeoplewhostartedit,like(name),

(name),and(name),(name)andtherewasacoupleofotherstooIcan’t

remember…andIaskedthem,'Canyouhelpmetodoanapplication’?SoIwanted

todothisstudy.Solikemeand(name)weredoingit.

Theprincipalswhowereidentifiedasbeinghelpfulandsupportivewereoftenoneswith

experienceinotherplacesworkingcross-culturallyandwhowereabletoprovidethe

ongoingsupportaroundtheRATEworkshopsthestudentswereparticipatingin.

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…yeahtheywerereallysupportingmelikeIremember(name),Irememberthose

othertwolike(name)and(name),becausetheyknewyapaat(communityname),

theyworkedthereandtheywerereallysupportive.

…yeahsupportingme,givingmeideas,likeIfeltconfidentlikeafterthatone,

talkingtokardyiasnow,tellingthem'thisiswhatIlearnedandcanyouhelpme

out,tomaybegetbetteratlikestartingtowritedowninmyworkbookwhatIneed

todo'.Andlittlebylittle…yeahtakingitbackandtheytoldusyouknowlecturers

'you'vegottogobackandthisiswhatyou'vegottodoandwhenyoucometothe

nextRATEprogramworkshopthenyoucantelluswhatyoudidthere'.Yeahthisis

whatwedid,wentbackdidwork.

Theteacherparticipantsalsoidentifiedthepresenceofteachereducationlecturers

workingwiththemintheirschoolsandclassroomsasacrucialsupportduringtheirstudy.

Thisreflectivepracticemodelwherethestudentwasabletoimmediatelyreflectontheir

practiceseemedtobeparticularlyeffective.

…thereusedtobealecturer,RATElecturerhere…wedidlessonwithherandwe

(talkedabout)whatwentwrong,youknowwewouldtalkaboutourlesson,we

lookedbackeverythingandwrotethingswehaddone,youknow

…andthenitwastimewhenthelecturercameandshedidoneweekhereandwe

wasintheclassroomandwedidapresentationonwhatworkweweredoingandI

gotthebestmark,cosIwasgettingstrongerandpractisingandthatmademeeven

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more,morecleverandmoreunderstanding,whichIcanyouknowgofurther…cosI

wasn’tlikeumIwasn’tburnedoutoryouknowtiredIwas,costhegoodnessIwas

gettingisfromwhatwasrelatingtomyworkplace..(and)communitytoo,like

communityandschool,howweshouldmakeabetterplaceforpeopletocomeand

itwasreallyhelpingmetoanalyseandfindoutwhatwasinthatschoolandinthat

communityhowwecanworktomakeabetterschool.

Whentheteachereducationlecturerswerenotpresentthisreflectivepracticeandday-to-

daylearningwascontinuedonintheworktheteacherparticipantsweredoingwiththeir

teamteachers.

…wewoulddolittlebitof....practiceteachingandwhatsortofcurriculumwould

weusetowriteImeantoplanalesson,whatsortoflessonwouldIteachtolook,

butIwasn’talsoconfidentaboutreadingcurriculum….Myteamteacher,shewould

sitdownandhelpmeandotherswouldalsohaveteamteacherhelpingthem,

becausethenwewerestilllikeATs,yuwai…weweredoingtrainingbutwewerealso

basedin(communityname)usingresources,butalsoourteamteacherswouldhelp

uswiththetrainingandwiththeteaching.

Oneteacherparticipantdescribedindetail,andbasedonherownexperience,herideaof

howthiscommunitybasedreflectivemodelsupportedyoungteachersintheirworkand

theirstudy,

…thelecturerandthetutorcomesinandyouknow,mainlythelecturercomesin

andtalkstothatteamteacheryouknow,who'sthatassistantworkerworkingwith,

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saytoheryouknow,'Okwehaveidentifiedtheweaknessthatthisgirlishaving,

let’swork,youworkonthisonesoshecanimproveonit’,andthenshe’sgotta

writeumwhattheycallachecklistofwhatsheimprovedonandshecantakeit

backandshe'llsay,'Ohyeahyou'regettinggoodatthis',youknowalotofpraising

andthat'showpeoplefeel,'OhnowI'mdoinggoodthings‘cosmylectureris

praisingmeandmyteamteacherispraisingmenowIcanputitinpractice'…ifthey

gotagoodsupportfromtheteamteacher…Hardwork!Butatleastit'sidentified

bythatpersonandthenitcanbeimprovedyuwa.Littlesteps.

Theteacherparticipantswereabletoidentifysignificantchangesthathadoccurred

betweenthecommunitybased,reflectivepractice,teamteachingmodelofTeacher

Educationthatwasinplacewhentheywerestudying,comparedtowhattheysaw

happeningintheirschoolsnow.Theyidentifiedtwomainchangesthathadoccurred.The

firstrelatedtothelecturingmodelandisbestexemplifiedbythefollowinganecdote,

Ithinkalotofchangesgoonattheschool,youknowchanges.Notatschoolbutthe

courseitself,thetrainingatBatchelor…Ithinklecturers…youknow

different…anotheryearsomeoneelseturnsuportheydon’thaveanyonefora

wholeyear,nobodygoesouttothem,tothecommunitynowadays.Ihaven’thad

oneBatchelorpersoncomeintothatschool,haven’tseenanyone!Ithinkthat's

lackingyouknow,thatIthinkyouknowpeopleloseinterest…I'veheardyouknow

themsay,that'sIthinkthemainimportantone,lecturersnotgoingoutvisiting

studentsinthecommunity.

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Thesecondareaofchangethattheteacherparticipantsidentifiedwasintheareaofteam

teachingandtherolethisplayedinsupportingassistantteacherstodostudy.Theteacher

participanttalkedagreatdealaboutthefactthatmanyfullyqualifiedclassroomteachers

didnotunderstandtheroletheyneededtoplayinsupportingIndigenousteacher

education,

yuwa,cosumatthemomentIfeelthattheydoinglikewhattheteamteacheris

saying,youknow'youdothis,youdothat,youdothisinthemorning,thisiswhat

we’regonnadonextweek'-weekbyweek,notactuallyyouknowsittingdownwith

herorhimandgoingthroughwhatshe'sweakat,allthat

Insteadwhatmanyoftheteacherparticipantssawhappeningwasthenon-Indigenous

expressinganxietyaboutbeing‘leftalone’intheclassroomwhentheassistantteachers

wereparticipatingintheirownstudytime.

IcanonlysayifIhearteacherssaying,'I'mreallysupportiveofhis/her'.Ihaven’t

heardanyonesaythattome…OnlythingIhearis,'OhamIgonnabe

alone?'…that'stheonlythingthatIhear.WhatIwasthinkingisyou

know…unqualified,apersongoingoutoftheclassroomandleavingaqualified

teacher…doneallthistrainingyouknow,knowswhattodointheclassroomand

thispoorassistantteachertryingtogettothatlevelyouknow…That’swhatI'm

thinkingyouknowabouttheclassroomteacher,ishejustfeelingsafe‘costhe

assistantteacher’sthere?Andisthattalkingfromhere(pointstoheart)or...?

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…what'slackingthere?What's(he)worriedisgonnahappentohimortheclassor

thestudentswithouttheassistantteacher?...I’malwaysthinkingaboutthat,you

know,whenclassroomteacherssay,'OhI'mgonnabeleftaloneintheclass'you

know.

Theselastcommentspointtowardsasignificantshiftthathashappenedinremoteschools

inCentralAustraliaandshineslightonwhywearehardlyseeinganyqualifiedIndigenous

teachersemergingfromtheremoteschoolteachereducationpathway.Thisabsenceof

supportfromtheschoolleadershipandtheclassroomteachers,inadditiontothesporadic

supportprovidedbylecturingstaffhasleftthenextgenerationsofIndigenousteachers

feeling‘leftbythemselveswithno‘marlpa’fromthesystemtheyareworkingwithin.

7.3Mentors,supportandencouragement

Support,mentoringandencouragementhaveallplayedavitalroleinthecareersofthe

teacherparticipantsinvolvedinthisresearch.Manyofthemidentifiedpositiveand

encouragingmessagesfromtheirparentsandotherfamilymembersasbeinghighly

influentialontheirdecisiontobecomeateacher.Manyoftheteacherparticipantstalked

abouttherolethatmentors,familyandcommunitymembersplayedintheirdiscernment

processofchoosingtoworkintheschoolandintotheirteachereducationcourse.This

mentoringsupportbecameevenmorevaluedandvaluableastheteacherparticipants

embarkedontheirinitialworkintheschoolandthenmovedintotheirTeacherEducation

program.Alloftheteacherparticipantswereabletoidentifyacleardesire,andinmany

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cases,astrongtrackrecordofbeingmentorstootheryoungIndigenousteachers.However

whatdidbecomeclearwashowfewstructuralopportunitiesexistedfortheseexperienced

teacherstotakeonmentoringroles.

Growingup

Acommonthemeamongsttheteacherparticipantswastheimportantrolefamilies,andin

particularmothers,playedinencouragingthemalongtheirteacherpathway.Receiving

strongsupportfortheirowneducationgrowingup,aswellasparentsdisplayingastrong

workethicwereextremelyinfluentialonthesewomen.Manyspokeatgreatlengthabout

theimportantroletheirmotherandotherfamilymemberplayedinprovidingthisexample

andencouragement,

Childrenusedtomakefunofmebutmymotherandmyotherfamilyusedtotellme

'they'renotfoolingyoubecauseyou'reugly,they'refoolingyoubecauseyou're

gettingsmarter,seeyou'regoingtoschooleverydayandthat’showtheydon’tlike

you.Butkeepongoing'.Andsometimessheusesmetaphor,like"sometimeswhen

yougoingthroughastrongwindorstorm,yougettotheotherside".…Iusedtosay

tomysisterabouthowIwantedtogotoschoolandthenMumsaid'ohyoucan,if

yougetajob,youcanstillgeteducated'…Icouldseethat(others)wereyouknow

havingjobsandhelptheirmotherandgettingeducatedandlookingaftermy

motherwasthereallytoppriorityforme,cosIreallywantedtoyouknowhelpmy

motherandalsogetmoreeducation,cosImissedoutonthat.

…thenIthought'nah'didn’twanttogotoschoolnow.ButwhenIleftschoolmy

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mumdidn’tletme,mymumencouragedmetogetajob.Yeahstraightawaywhen

Ileftschoolshesaid'ohyou’regonnadothis'.Cosshewasacleanerattheclinic

andshesignedmeupstraightawaytobeacleanerattheclinic,yeah,andIdidit…

Ilearnthowtolookafterkidsbywatchingmymother.Sheusedtolookafterkids

yeah…(Ilearned)tobegentletothekidsandcleanupandforyouknowschool,

…sheworkedandshekepteverythingneatandtidy,yeah.Iseenmymotherwork.

Nomattershewentto(communityname)sheworked.Whenshewentbackto

(communityname)sheworked…yeahwhenIwasalittlegirl…I’veseenlotsof

peopleworkingthosedays…IsawMumworkingandshewasagoodmother,no

mattershewasasinglewomanandsinglemother,toraisetwochildren,shewas

reallygood.

SoIhadastrongfamilyanditwasreallyyouknowstrictearlydays…goingto

school.Nowit'sabitdifferentnowdays…backthenparentswerereallystrict.We

hadtobeinschooleverydayandtherewereonlyafewthingshappening,good

things…youknowafterschool,wehadtolistentothestoriesofoldpeopleatnight.

Andafterschoolontheweekendparentsusedtotakeusouthuntingandcamping,

outforbushtucker.That'swhyyouknowwehavelearnedgoodthingsinthepast.

Anumberoftheparticipantsmadecommentsaboutthevarietyofinfluencesanddifferent

parentingstylesincontemporarylifebeinginpartareasonwhytheremaybefeweryoung

peoplepursuingtheteachereducationpathwaynow.

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Encouragementtoworkattheschool

Manyoftheteacherparticipantsalsospokeaboutthespecificencouragementthey

receivedtoworkintheschoolandtotrynewroleswithintheschool.Manyofthewomen

identifiedspecificlinguists,Principalsorteacherswhoactedasmentorstothem,building

theirconfidencetobelievetheywerecapableoftheworkbeingsuggested.

…thenoneladycamealongofferedmeajob.…AndIsaidyesI'llcometowork.So

oneyearIworkedatLiteracyCentre,cameeverydayandtheteacherssawme

comingthereandtheteachersthought,'ohshe’sagoodworkerandshecomes

everyday,we'llgethertobeourTA'.Sotheteacherswereracing'ohwe'llget

her…’

…thePrincipalsaidtome'IthinkyouneedtoworkasanAT,helpintheclassroom'

sowiththatexperienceIstartedworkingintheclassroom.Thefirstteacher,kardiya

teacherthatIworkedwith….wasyoungteacher.Mainlyshedidlotsofplanning,

andlotsoftalkingandteachingbutIwasthereasanAT,Assistantteacher,helping

withsharpeningthecolouredpencils,butIalsoknewhowtodoWarlpiri,butIwas

alsohelpingherwithEnglish,Englishteaching…Iusedtositdownwithanychildone

toone,helpingthemtoread,helpingthemtowritetheirrecountsorotherwriting

activities,likehandwritingmaybe.Ididlotsofthat.

Oneteacherparticipantalsoidentifiedtheimportanceforherofhavingafamilymember

workingatschool,andtheimportantrolemodelhewasforhercareer.

…atschoolIhadoneofmyfamilyworking…myuncle,butheusedtobemy

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assistantteacher.Healsotaughtusafterschoolathometoo…AndIremember

whathesaid-'whenyougrowupIwantyoutobelikeme!'soitdidhappen.But

whenIgotolder,wenttoboardingschoolandthenfinishedboardingschooland

wentback,hekeptonsaying.Soafterthat,straightawaywhenIfinishedmy

schoolingIwentworkingasassistantteacherat(communityname).

Theteacherparticipantsallidentifiedtheseearlyexperiencesofbeingassistantteachers

andworkinginateamenvironmentintheclassroomasbeingakeyfactorinthemdeciding

togoonanddotheirteachereducation.Thisissummedupbythefollowingstatement,

‘CosIreally,fromworkingasanAssistantTeacher,Ireally,Isawwhatourkids

reallyneeded,youknow…Likesomeoneintheschool...andIthinkitwasforthe

communityaswell,toseeanIndigenouspersonattheschool…Asaclassroom

teacher,yeah.

Therewasalsosomequitespecificencouragementfortheteacherparticipantstopursue

theirstudy,andoftenthementorsandrolemodelsforthiswereagainotherIndigenous

peopleandfamilymembers,

IusedtoseealotofmycousinsdoingtrainingthroughBatchelorandtherewasthis

RATEprogramthatwasgoingonandpeopleweresigningonforthenextyearandI

cameupandasked'ohwhat'sthisfor?…Isthisgoingtodoliteracytoo?"andthey

said'yeahit’sgonnadoalotofreportwriting,narrativewritingallthat'.‘CosI

wantedtoimproveonspellingandwritingandwritingreportsand...alsotobecome

ateachertoo.

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Thislastexampleshowshowmanyoftheteacherssawgoingtoworkattheschooland

subsequentlyundertakingtheirownteachereducationwasawayforthemtocontinue

theirowneducationwhichhadbeenpreviouslyinterruptedorcutshort.

Familysupportduringstudy

Manyoftheteacherparticipantsalsoidentifiedthecrucialrolethatfamilysupportplayed

whiletheywereactuallycompletingtheirteachereducationstudies.Thiswasespecially

importantwhenitcametolookingafterchildren,

Mymumanddadandmyotherfamilywaslookingafterthem.Likeifwehavea

workshopinAliceSprings,workshopagaininDarwininBatchelorandinTennant

Creek.Yeahthat’swhenweusedtohaveworkshops.

Oneteacherparticipanttalkedofthebigdecisionshemadetomoveherselfandherfamily

uptoBatchelorcampusforayeartofocusonherstudies.Thiswouldnothavebeen

possiblewithoutthesupportofherpartnerwhoagreedtothemoveandtotakeonthe

mainresponsibilityforthechildrearingduringthatperiod,

…westayedatBatchelorforayearbecauseItoldJakamarra'Ineedtodostudyto

becomeateachersoIcanhelpmoreouthere,Icancomebacktobeateacher'.I

reallywantedtodothatyouknowcommitmyself.SoJakamarrasaid'yeswe'llgo

I'llhelpyououtwiththekids'.Whichhedid,yuwaihewasreallygoodhelpingout…

Yuwai,Jakamarralookedafterthem.IleftthosekidspoorthingsbecauseIwentout

twoweeks,oneweek,twoweeks,(for)practeachingyuwai.

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Otherteacherparticipantstalkedabouttherolethatfamilyplayedinreleasingthemfrom

certainculturalobligationssuchasfuneralsduringtheperiodwhentheywerestudying.

Thesupportprovidedherewasintheformofpermissiontoprioritisethestudyoverother

importantculturalandfamilycommitments.

….myfamily,mysisters,mymothersupportedme,andIwasmissingfromfunerals

frommymother’sfamilywhileIwasstudying,thatwashelpful,shewashelpingme

alotbysendingmeaway'youcangoforyourstudy,don’tworryaboutthefuneral'.

Iwasdoingfulltimestudy.

Interestinglyalloftheteacherparticipantstalkedaboutthisneedforincreasedand

intensivefamilysupportduringtheperiodwhentheywereparticipatinginacampusbased

workshopmodelofdelivery.Thesesamecommentswerenotmadewhenthedelivery

modelwascommunity-based.Manyoftheteacherparticipantsreiteratedthatthose

teachereducationstudentswhodidnotreceivethisleveloffamilysupportforcampus

baseddeliverywerenotinfactabletocontinuewiththeirstudies.Thisisastrong

indicationthatthedecisiontopursueteachereducationisnotonethatcanbemadeby

theindividualalonebutneedstheengagementandsupportoftheirfamily.Ifthesupport

comesfromtheentirecommunitythisplacestheindividualsinthestrongestpositionto

succeed.

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Supportatworkwhilealsostudying

Alloftheteacherparticipantswereworkingintheirrespectiveremoteschoolswhilethey

wereundertakingtheirteachereducation.Theyspokeabouttheimportantsupport,

encouragementandlearningthathappenedintheirclassrooms,aswellasthepractical

supportgivenbytheschoolandthecommunitywhenthestudywasbasedintheir

community,

…theschoolwouldmakeaspace,oneoftheclassroomssothattheBatchelor

studentscanhaveaspace,andwealsonegotiatedwiththefamily.Likewhenwe

hadCDEPtheschoolwouldpayacoupleofmumstocomeorfamiliescomeand

workasaTeachingAssistant,yuwathroughCDEP2

Additionally,whenthedeliverymodelchangedandstudentswererequiredtotravelto

Batchelorfortheirstudy,theytalkedoftheadditionalsupportprovidedforthematthat

time,

…wewouldhave3or4tutorscomeintoBatchelorandhelpusatnighttutoring

anddoingour,whatevertheygaveusfor,andthenjournalwritingafterthat.

Acoupleoftheparticipantstalkedabouttheimportanceofreceivingexplicitpraiseand

encouragementasbeingvitalforthemtofeelthattheywereabletokeepgoing,

Praising,thathowIusedtogetstrong,praising.It’sabigchallengeItookonand

that'swhatyouknowafteritbecomesanachievementcosyoudoit,youpracticeit.

2 Community Development Employment Projects: http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Products/6287.0~2011~Chapter~Community%20Development%20Employment%20Projects%20(CDEP)

189

Ifitdoesn’twork,youknow,doitagainuntilyoumettherequirements.

…thestudyyouknow,itwasgettingharderandharder,andwhenIgottostage3I

wasfeeling,youknowtryingtoquitandmylecturerkeptsayingtome'thisisStage3

andkeepitupandtryandfinishyourstudy'andIdid,Ifinished.Stage3andStage4

washard.

Finallymanyoftheteacherparticipantstalkedaboutthevalueofhavingongoing

mentoringastheytransitionedfrombeinganassistantteacherwhowasstudyingto

becomeateacher,andthenfinallytalkingontheroleofafullyqualifiedteacher.Thisis

bestexemplifiedbythefollowinganecdotes,

…maybeforlikeacoupleofmonths,yeah.SomeonecamefromAliceSpringsand

mentoringmetodothat.…someonecameandhelpedme,mentoringandlike

doingplanning,beforeIcanstartteachingintheclassroom.Sheshowedmehowto

setuptheclassroom'thisiswhatyou'vegottodo'thisisfortheearlychildhood/

transition/yearone.Theywereallamixtureofkidsintheclassroom...butasitwent

alongmyteachingwaslikegoodnowyouknow…Iwasgoodatthatnowbecause

that’swhatI’velearnedthroughthatmentor.

...thepeoplewhocameouttherementorpeople.Theybroughtmelikeresources

youknow'thisiswhatnewthingsthatyoucandototeachthekids.Ifyouwantto

doanotherthingthisiswhatyoucanplananddo'.

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…whenIwasteaching…someonewasobservingmelikewhenIwasdoingteaching

there…shewasonmypaneltooyouknow,whenIwasteaching…yeahshedidmy

probation.Butwhentheprobation,they'retheonewhocameandsaid'ohyou

passedyourtest,youareareallyqualifiedteachernow'andthatmademefeel

reallyhappyandproudnow.Ican’tbelieveitI'moneoftheyapateachershereat

(communityname).Iwishsomeonecoulddothesamelikeme,youknowIwas

thinking,‘yeahImightbehelpingotherswhentheywanttodostudy’.

ThisideaofwantingtomentorotheryoungIndigenousteacherswasraisedrepeatedlyby

theteacherparticipantsandwillbediscussedingreaterdetailattheendofthissection.

Professionallearning

Anotherkeysupportstructureidentifiedbytheteacherparticipantswasaccessto

professionallearningopportunitiesthroughoutboththeirstudyyearsandtheirteaching

years.Oneparticipanttalkedabouthowthishappenedverysuccessfullyinherhome

communitywiththeinvolvementoflocalElders.

...professionaldevelopmentandcomingintolikedoingworkshops…tomakeit

stronger‘cosincommunitieswehave…Elderscoming…likeeveryfortnightthey

usedtocomeandhelpushaveresourcesandIusedtorunaroundandhelpthem.

WewashelpingeachotherandwhenwecametoworkshopsIsortoflearnedhow

togetstrongeratplanningandprogramming,andteaching.

Oneparticipanttalkedabouthowshewasabletolearngoodideasfromherworkshops

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weresheinteractedwithotherIndigenousteachersandheardaboutwhattheyweredoing

intheirschools.Shewasthenabletooffertheseideasbacktoherownschool,

Iusedtowriteitdown'ohthisisworking,thisiswhatthey'redoing.I'lltakeittomy

schoolandseeifitworks'.AndonPDsIusedtotellthisPrincipalwhosaid,'Ohthis

ishowwe'regonnawork',andsay,‘Ohyouknowlet’sworkthisway?'

AlloftheWarlpiriteacherparticipantstalkedabouttheimportantrolethattheirown

WarlpiriTriangleprofessionallearningcycleplayedinsupportingthemandhelpingthemto

feelmoreconfidentintheirteaching.Attheheartofthisprofessionallearningmodelisthe

understandingthatitisrunbyWarlpiriteachersforWarlpiriteachersinWarlpirilanguage.

…whenwecometoWarlpiriTrianglelikeeverybodygetstogether…wegettogether

and…wedopresentation'thisiswhattheschooldoes'showtheworkandallthat.

Soeverybodydoesthat.Andthenwegotodifferentworkshops,youknowlike

singingworkshops,readingworkshopandlikeoldpeoplegotolikelookingaround

forbushmedicinesandallthat….notkardiyas,onlyalltheyapasdothat.

WarlpiriTrianglealsohelpedusplanlessons.Weusedtodolotsofworkshops,song

writingworkshops,lookingatcurriculumsbutplanningprogramswith(name)and

whoevertheteachercurriculumpersonwas…andweusedtodothatandweusedto

havealotoflinguistteacherscomingfromotherplacestoteachusabout

recording,transcribingbutwritingstoriesfromWarlpiribook,learningtoread

Warlpiribook,sothatwecanreadthatbookwiththechildrenintheclassroom.And

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wedidlotsofprogramthroughtheme.

ThingslikethatwedidatWarlpiriTriangle,teaching,talkingabouthowweteach

mainlyinWarlpiri.(Teaching)themaboutculturearoundthecommunity,culture

days,what’shappeningintheschoolandallthat…yeah(and)themeslikemaybe

with'Watia',trees,and'Ngapa',water,likewedothatforlikeamonthforwhole

theme,ormaybetermtheme,andthenanotheronenow.Butlikeeverybodywas

doingthesame,youknowlikefourWarlpirischools.Wetalkedaboutit…what

themeweweregoingtodo.Butwesharedthat,thisiswhatwe'regoingtodowith

thethemes…wesharedthat...like'(name)canyousendmesomethingthrough

withlike...faxitovertome,becausesomethingsthatIhaven’tgothere'.Because

wedidn’thaveateacherlinguistoverthereat(communityname),lawa,for

teachingWarlpirilikethat,lotofthingsthatweusedtogetwasfrom(community

name),someonecameoverandbroughttheresourcesover.

Interestinglyanotherteacherparticipantidentifiedthesheernumberofotherteachers

thatshehadworkedwithinherschoolasbeingoneofherkeyprofessionaldevelopment

activities.Shetalkedaboutwhatshehadlearnedfrombothseeingmanydifferentteaching

styles,butalsopointedoutthatshehadlearnedcopingstrategiesfromhavingtodealwith

pointsofdifferenceorconflictwithotherteachers.Shehadlearnedtodefendherown

professionalpositionthroughthesecontestedmoments,

…Ithinkithelpedmelikealotofteacherscomeandgoandallthedifferent

experiencesandthatreallyhelpedmegetstrongatmyprofessionalteaching,

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workingwithdifferentpeople,yeah…awaandlearningaboutdifferences'ohshe's

gotagoodidea'yeahandallthesedifferentwaysofteachinganddifferent

teachersthatcomesthrough,yeah….Ipersonallyreallythinkthatit'sreallyhelped

me…awamakesmefeelstrong,yeahfromalotoftheways,ifIdidn’tunderstand

tothiswhiteteacher,likeIsaid,'Idon’tunderstand'andIargue,'Ohwemighthave

abitofa...'andallthathelpedmetolikeIsaidbefore,Imightn’tagreeonwhat

you'resaying,butithelpedmetoseehowtodealwithit,andI’velearned.Apart

fromteachingandallthatotherstuff,yeah,talkingtootherteachers.

Thisisaninterestingspintoputonthe‘comeandgo’syndromethathasplaguedremote

schoolsinCentralAustraliafordecades.Whilemanyseethishighteacherturnoveras

problematicforremoteschools,thisIndigenousteacher,whohasnointentionofever

leaving,identifieditassomethingsheinfacthaslearnedfrom.

Mentoringothers

Thefinalconsistentmessageaboutmentoring,supportandencouragementthatcameout

oftheteachernarrativeswastheclearandunequivocaldesire,thatalloftheseteachers

felt,tobecomeamentortootheryoungIndigenousteachers.Someoftheteacher

participantstalkedaboutthishappeningfromthemomenttheybecameaclassroom

teacherandworkedwithotherIndigenousassistantteachers,

…firstofallwhenIhadmyownclassroomIwas,IreallylikeditandIreallyenjoyed

ittoo,cosIhadmyownspaceandownlikecurriculumtofollowonandtoteach

andalsoIwasworkingwithayounggirlandIwasteamteachingatthattimeand

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reallylikealeadershiprole,andalsosomeonetolookatmelike,I'mateacherandI

gotownclassroomandusedtotalkinstaffmeetingssothatyoungpeoplecansee.

ThissenseofbeingabletosupportandencourageotherIndigenousstaffmembershas

becomeasourceofgreatpridebutitalsobringswithitasenseofresponsibility,

….alotofthetimeIfeelproudofmyselfbecausetheylookuptome,youknowthe

otherAssistantTeachersandusemeifanyissuesariseandsometimesItellthem

'youknowyougottostepupanddothingsyourself',yeah.

…thoseotheryapateachers,ATs,becausetheyneededmeand(name)toteach

themifwearetheleaderintheschool,andoldteachers,youknowElders,still

there,sothatwewantedtoteachthoseyoungteachers,AT’s

ItrytoencourageothernewTA’syouknow'yougottacometoschool'...someof

thoseladiesaredoingstudies…andItellthemyouknow,asateacher'yougotta

walkaround,don’tjustsitthere,yougottawatchthekidsandyougottawalk

around'.Forpreschoolkidstheygottawalkaround,becausetheyneedhelpallthe

timeandthere'ssomeonetowatchthem…andIdon’twanttotellthemyouknow

'Yougottacomeontime!….Idon’twanttoforceyoutocomeearly,it'syour

decisiontocomeearlyandstayatwork'

TheytalkedabouttheresistancethattheyoftenreceivefromotheryoungIndigenous

teacherswhofeeloverwhelmedbytheideaofworkingintheschoolorbytheideaof

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doingstudy,

Whentheyhadworkshopsat(communityname)theyusedtoinvitemetotalk

abouttrainingandhowIgotinto(beinga)qualifiedteacherandlotsofthemwas

alwaysasking‘costheyareyoungallIcouldhearwasyoung....'It'strickycoswe're

young'.AndIsaid,'YeahIwasyoungwhenIstarted.Ihadonepiperi(child)notwo

piperi(child),Iwaschallenged,yougottayouknowhavestrongcommitment

…Itellthemyouknow'it'salongwaytogo,andI'mstilllearning'andweboth

sidesneedtolearnandItelltheAssistantTeachers'youneedtoinvolveyourself,

talk,that’showyou'regoingtobeunderstanding,understandwherethey're

comingfromandwhatyou'retryingtoexplaintothem'.

Ithinkit’simportantforthemtoseeandlearn…yeahteamteachingit'syourturn,

andItellthemyouknow,theseAssistantTeachers'youknowyoudon’thavetoget

shy'theygetshamefromthekids,youknow,'ohIstartedofflikethatIgotreally

shamefromthekidsandIhatedbeinginthefront.Yougottagetusedtoit’.

Alloftheteacherparticipantswerepassionateabouttheneedtohaveyoungpeoplefrom

theircommunitieslearningtobeteachers,

Iwantyoungpeopletocomeinandworkintheclassroomasatutorandthey'll

learnstepbystephowtobeateacherandiftheyfeelconfidentdoingliketeaching

intheclassroom,theymightdecide,theymightthink'ohI'llgoanddotrainingat

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Batchelor'

…somelikewhenI'mlookingatsomepeoplewhenthey'relookingaftertheir

family'schildren,maybetheyarethekindofpersontoworkintheschool?...starting

outfromtheagedcare,preschool...mmm.Wewantpeoplewhostayinthe

communitytoworkintheschool.Wedon’twantpeoplewhocomeandgo.

Havingmyownclassroommademehappyandworkingwithchildreninthe

classroom,mademehappytoo,teachingfamily'skids.AndIwasthinkinglikeI

wantyoungpeopletocomeinandworkintheclassroomasatutorandthey'lllearn

stepbystephowtobeateacherandiftheyfeelconfidentdoingliketeachinginthe

classroom,theymightdecide,theymightthink'ohI'llgoanddotrainingat

Batchelor'

Onlyoneteacherparticipantwasabletoidentifyanavenueforhertobeinvolvedinthis

supportandencouragementofthenextgenerationofIndigenousteachers,

I’vealsogotinvolvedwithBatchelorworkshopinlearningcentreandhelpingthose

ATs.Theywerejustsittingtheredoingnothingandthatteacher(lecturer)inthe

frontasking'whatwouldyoudotobeateacher?'youknow.AndIsatthere

thinking'whatanswerwilltheygivethatteacher,theirlecturer?'Andtheydidn’t

answer.Shestartedgivingoutbooks,programbookand'lookatthis,whatwould

youdotobeateacher?'AndIsaid'youneedtoplanyourprogramtobeateacher.

Youneedtolookatoutcomesandlookatallthelearningstrategiesandmaterials'.

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That’swhatIsaidtothemandtheylookedatme'that’sright!'andtheystarted

speakingandgivingfeedback,yuwai,ngurrju.Startedmakingthemtalk,theywere

likeachildsittingdownwiththe...yuwaiandoneofthelecturerssaid'goodonyou!

Youmovedthem,youmadethemtalk'.CosIknewalotofthingswhatIneededto

tellthem,yuwai…They'recleverwomen,ATs,teachers,they'reclever,andthenIleft

themworkingawaynow.Yeah,thatwasareallygoodrolemodel,yuwai.

Noneoftheotherteacherparticipantsidentifiedanyopportunitiesavailabletothem

beyondtheirroleasaclassroomteachertosupport,encourageandmentornewyoung

teachersintheirworkandstudy.Thisisdespitethefactthatallofthemhaveatleast20,

somemorethan30,yearsofexperienceworkingintheirschools.

7.4TeamTeaching

Thepointofstrongestagreementbetweentheteacherparticipantscamethroughonthe

subjectofteamteaching.Alloftheparticipantsregardedtheteamteachingworkthey

experiencedbefore,duringandaftertheirteachereducationasprofoundlyimportantin

developingtheirprofessionalidentityandlearningabouttheroleoftheteacher.

Oneparticipantwasabletorecallherownexperiencebeingastudentandhaving

Indigenousstaffintheclassroom.However,shemadethedistinctionbetweenwhatshe

experiencedasastudentandwhatsheconsideredtobegoodteamteaching,

…yeahsomeYapaworkingthere…workingintheschoollikelookingafterus…like

supervisingoutsideandinside,andlikecounsellinglikethattootheywerebecauseI

remembertheywerelikecomingintotheclassroomsifwewerenaughtyandwe

wouldsitdowninthecorner,puttingusinthecornerformightbeforanhourand

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you’renothavingrecessoranything,you'vegottobedoingyourwork.Itusedtobe

hardlikethat….Ican’trememberthemteachingus.ButIremembertherewassome

Yapathereintheclassroomallthetime.Lookingafterustellingus'yougottabe

listening,yougottalearnfromthem,yougottalearnfromKardiya,yuwaiyoucan’t

benaughty'.That’swhattheyweretellingus,yeah.

Experiencesofteamteachingasanassistantteacher

Alloftheteacherparticipantsbeganworkingintheirrespectiveschoolsasassistant

teachers(AT),teacheraides(TA)orliteracyworkers(producinglearningmaterialsinfirst

languageinbilingualschools).Soitfollowsthattheirfirstexperienceofteamteaching

happenedwhileundertakingthisinitialwork.Insomecasesthisexperiencewasnot

particularlyproductive,

…whenIwasassistantteacherIusedtocomeinandjustlookat,youknowsitand

sitandlookquietlyonthecorner,almostasleep,cosIdidn’thaveajob…that

teacherwouldsay'(name)canyousharpenallthepencilsandmakesurethey're

readyforthenextday?'andgotallthebooksneatlyandeveryFridaytheyusedto

getitbackintheirlittlecupboardswheretheyhadnames….that'showIusedtodo.

Insomecasestheteacherparticipantsreportedhavingtheirroleextendedslightlyto

contributelanguagerelatedassistance,

Iwasassistantteaching…justhelpingout,handingoutstuff,yeahthatsortof

things…explainingthings.Ithinkmostimportantwasthelanguage,youknow

explainingtothekidswhattodo….forthemtounderstand,understandwhatthey

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needtodo,liketheteacherwouldsayitinEnglishandIcantelltheminArrarnta,

whatthey'resupposedtodo.

Overtimethisrolechangedfortheteacherparticipants,particularlyonceformallearning

wasaddedtotheirrolesintheschool.Oneteacherparticipanttalkedabouttheincreased

confidenceshefelttospeakup,challengeideasandmakeacontributionasadirectresult

oftheteachereducationworkshopsshehadbeenundertaking,

…thenatthemeetingIsaid…'whichclassroomworkswell?Let’sdoafloodwalk

aroundtheclassrooms'andweusedtoseethatone'sworkingandweusedtotake

ideas.IwasassistantteacherandIsaidtothisgirl,younggirl,andshedidn’tlikeit.

Shesaid'ohbutthisishowwedoit'.'Butyourwaysisn’tworking,let'sdoitthisway

andwe'llseenextweekitmightwork'andshehuggedmeandsaid'thisisworking,

howdidyoudothat?''Isawallthisinaworkshopwherethisladywassayinginthis

schoolitworkslikethat,likethis,soItakeit,Ibringwhatthey'redoingthereto

practicehere'anditwasworking…Istartedtalkingbecausemyworkshopshadbeen

helpingme.

Thispowerfulcombinationofreflectivepracticewheretheteacherparticipantswereable

tostudyandworkatthesametimegavethemamechanismtotrynewideas,implement

changesandmaketheimportantconnectionsbetweentheoryandpractice.Itwaswiththis

stronggroundingandexperienceofteamteachingthatthesewomenwerethenableto

commencetheirworkasthefullyqualifiedmemberoftheteam.

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Experienceofteamteachingoncetheteacherparticipantsbecamequalified

Havingthemselvesexperiencedtheroleofassistantteacher,thesenewlyqualified

teacherswereabletobringthatknowledgefromthatexperiencetotheirwaysofworking

withassistantteachersastheytransitionedintobeingqualifiedclassroomteachers.In

particularitisquiteclearhowhighlytheseteachersvaluedtheworkdonebytheirteam

teachersandalsotookseriouslytheprocessneededtoteam-teacheffectively.

Ihadanassistantteacher,reallygoodone,I'mgladIhad(name)…yeahwewerea

goodteam…Ithinkthatgotme...throughtheyear,Ithink(name)andmewerea

strongteam…Shereallygotintoteaching…wewereliketeamteaching…equalyeah

Ididn’ttakethejobonmyown…weplannedthingstogether…groupwork,whatto

do,whatlessonstotake…Groupworkwhichkidswecanhaveinourgroups.Yeah

(name)wasjustexcellent!

Iwasteachinganditwaschallengingbecausethat'swhenIwasleftinaroomon

myown,butluckyIhadassistantteachercoswecouldyouknowcommunicatewell

intheclassroomandweweregettinglotsofchildren…theywereconfidentand

comfortableseeingbothAnanguthere…Andtheyusedtocomeandsitatmydesk

andsay'oh,I'mteachernow'theyusedtoseemeandtheyusedtobeproud…they

want(ed)tobelikethattoo.

Anotherteacherparticipantalsohighlightedthecentralimportanceofgroupworkina

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multi-levelclasswithlargenumbersofstudentsallatdifferentlevels,

…firstItaughtmaybeyear1,maybeT/1?Itwasreallygreatcoslittlekidscameand

theyknewtheyhadWarlpiriteacherandtheywerehappy…wetookgroups...and

literacyworkersusedtocomeandtakegroups.Itwasreallygoodlikethat.Yeahwe

don’tdothatnow…weusedtorotatewhenweusedtohaveWarlpiri…andfor

Mathswedidsame,meandmyTAdid,tookgroups…becausetherewerelotsof

kids....forexampleifthere’s20kidsmaybemyTAusedtotake10,Iusedtotake

10…andjustsetthemaroundthecircle.

Anumberoftheteacherparticipantstalkedaboutthesignificanceofcontinuingtowork

collaborativelywithnon-Indigenousteachersduringthisperiod.Thestrongfeelingwas

thatthingsworkedbestwheneveryonehadgoodrelationshipsandworkedwelltogether

andeveryonewasworkingtowardsthesamegoalsandsupportingeachother,

…therewasthisyoungteacherthatIworkedwith…weusedtoteachinteambecause

IwasaWarlpiriteacherandshewasanEnglishteacher,soshewoulddoEnglish

lesson,maybereadingandwriting,IwouldmaybeafterrecesswouldbeWarlpiri

learning,yeahWarlpiriteaching,thenIusedtoplananddoWarlpirilessons….Yuwai

therewerelotsofkidswhoweretryingandtherewerelotsofkidswhowerehaving

difficulties.Yuwai…myteamteacherwashelpingmetohelpwithotherkids,butshe

wasalsolearningWarlpiribecauseshewasn’taWarlpirispeaker.Sometimeswe

couldworkwithtwogroupsorthreegroups.TherewouldbelikeATinbetweenfor

meandher,myselfandthekardiyateacher.

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Weworkedasteam,teacherandassistantteachers…threeineachclass…andone

Principalwhousedtobeintheofficewhilewewereteachingintheclass….butnow

Principalisteachingnow.Andweusedtohaveateacherlinguisttoo.Teacherlinguist

andliteracyworkerusedtocomeouttotheclassandteach.Palyalingkueverything

wasworkingwellbefore,youknow?Teamteaching.Andweusedtohaveastaff

meetingandallpalya.Staffmeeting,teamteaching,planningtogether,planning,

staffmeeting,teamteaching.Butnotnow….

Anumberoftheteacherparticipantsalsonotedtheimportanceoffeelingliketheywere

offeringleadershipandmentoringtotheyoungerteacherstheywerenowworkingwithin

ateamteachingenvironment,

….myprofessionallearningformyself,Idomyownplanningandprogramwithmy

ATandshesitsdownwithmeandwebothtalktoeachotherandyouknowlooking

atoutcomesandtalkingaboutoutcomesandwhereitfits.That'smylearning,

learningmyselftoteachthatotherteachers,likeATandbeingastrongteacher,

talkinginmeetings,goingtomeetingsandbeingarolemodelfortheleadership.

IhadmyownspaceandownlikecurriculumtofollowonandtoteachandalsoIwas

workingwithayounggirlandIwasteamteachingatthattimeandreallylikea

leadershiprole,andalsotosomeonetolookatmelike,I'mateacherandIgotown

classroom.

Oneteacherparticipanttalkedabouthowmuchmoredifficulthertransitionintobeinga

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fullyqualifiedteacherwaspreciselybecauseshewasnotinateamteachingcontextand

waslefttocopeinaclassroombyherself,

…atfirstitwasreallyhardyouknow,afterallthosestudiesthatIdid.WhathaveI

gottodotoorganisemyself...andthenwhatcanIteach?Anditwasreally(hard)at

first.Yuwaithat’swhenIstarted…todomyownpreparationandallthat,lesson

planningbecausethere’llbenooneheretohelpme….ItwasreallyhardbecauseIhad

noAssistantTeacherwithme.

Ideasaboutwhatmakesgoodteamteaching

Alloftheteacherparticipantshadverystrong,clearideasaboutthekindsofthingsthat

madeteamteachingworkwell.Attheheartofthisistheideaofplanningtogetherfor

whathappensintheclassroom,

…bothteachersneedtobethere,likeassistantteacher/teamteacher.We'vegotto

reallyincludethemaswellforplanning.Andalsoyouknowwetalkedaboutitvery

stronglyandweteamteachingteamsshouldbeplanningtogether,yeah….Ithinkit

teachestheother,theassistantteacher,it'stheirwayoflearningyeah.Andtheycan

seehowit'sdoneandyouknow'it'snotjustfromtheirheadthey'redoingit,these

resourcesthatweneedtoaccessandwhateverwe'replanning'.Ithinkit’simportant

forthemtoseeandlearn.

…workingtogetherandsupportingeachotherandsittingdownandplanningwith

teamteaching,butmakesureweneedtobetheretolookafterkidsasweare

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workingtogetherandbeateamteacherbutwegottalearnfromeachother,both

WarlpiriandEnglish.Weneedtoinvolveothers,weneedtoworkwithmentorsto

keepusgoingtodotherightthingswhatwe'retryingtoteach.

…teamteaching…goodprogramandsharingideas…planningtogether…sitwiththe

kids…teachinginmulti-agegroups…makeagoodprogram,whatissuitableforthe

kidwho'sgotadifficultlearning…fordifferentagegroups…goodresources.

Anumberoftheteacherparticipantstalkedabouthowcrucialitisforallmembersofthe

teamtofeelempoweredandactivelyengagedintheteachingprocessaswellasthe

centralityofbuildingstrongandbalancedrelationshipsbetweenteamteachers,

Iseethemcomingtoworkeverydayandjoininginwithteachingandliketaking

groupsitisreallygood,andaskingquestionsyeahlike'whatwedoingtoday?'…

(Important)tobeactive,activeanddoeverything,yeahnotsittingdown.

It’snotaboutyouknowonebeinggreat.It’sbeingyouknow,it’sgoodtobeworking

witheachotherandlearningtogethertoo.

…relationshipsthatthemainthingyougottalookatforrelationshipandtobuild

that,tobebetterpersons.

Anotherteacherparticipanttalkedabouttheabsolutenecessityinaremoteteaching

environmenttoworkasateamifyouwanttobeabletohaveanykindoflongevity,

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Ifyou'reonepersontryingtoteachyouwillstressout,youwon’thaveanyidea'what

amIdoing,there'skidsplayingeverywhere'.Youwon’teversitthemdown.You

won’teversettlethemdown.Youneedagroupofteamteacherstohelpyouandto

workwithyouandtoworkhowwewantthekidstolearn.

Thisphilosophyofteamteachingbasedonplanningtogether,activeengagementinthe

teachingandlearningprocess,andstrongandbalancedrelationshipsprovidesapowerful

roadmapforremoteschoolswantingtoengageineffectiveteachingandlearning.This

finalexamplegivesastrongindicationofhoweffectiveteamteachingcansupportteachers

andstudentsalike,

…butifyou'retogetherintheoneclassroomyouneedto…planandprogramthen

thatpersonneedstohaveaclassonherown….Likeifthere’sumtwentythensayten

each,ifthere's30wellmaybe15eachandthat'showyouteachandthencomeback

and(discuss)'soandsoisreallow,howcanwemakehimmeettotheothers?'…and

comeback…andlookatit'ohthiswasreallylowandneedstomoveontothislevel

andhowcanwehelpthatstudenttobecomeinthatgroup?'Wecan’tleaveherand

say‘that'sit,youareinthecornerandyou'retheweakest!'No.Andthat'swhereI

seethebehaviourcanimproveinschools….andalsohe(thestudent)thinksthathe's

beingcaredabouttoo,sohe'snotshoveddowninthecorner,heknowsthat'ohboth

teacherscareformesoI'llcomeyouknowandI'llputmyeffortinlearning'.

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Thecurrentteamteachingenvironment

Sadlymanyoftheteacherparticipantscommentedrepeatedlyonhowfarfromtheideal

thecurrentteamteachingexperienceseemedtobe.Asalludedtoinpreviouscomments

theparticipantsoftenspokeofhowthingshadbeeninthepastbut‘notnow’.

…feelslikenowthatweareoutside.Onlythenon-Indigenousstaffplanning.

Everythingchangedandbeforewhenwewereworkingwhenthereusedtobea

NAPLANtesting(communityname)schoolwasalwaysnumber1and2,because

therewereIndigenousteachersworking.Palyalingku,itwasreallygoodwhenwe

wereworking.Kidshavelearnt.

…nowadaysit'sreallyhardtohandlethekids…maybeit’sbecausetherearenon-

Indigenousteachersintheclassroomallthetimeteachingthosekids…there'sabig

differenceyuwa…yeahmaybethat’saproblemthekidsnotresponding

Cosyouknowalotofthetimesyouhear,(and)Ijustreallyhate,alotofthetimes

whenyouhearassistantteachercomplain'OhI'mjustthereasapolicemaninthe

classroom'.Ijusthatethat.IfIhadassistantteacherIwanttotreatherlikea

classroomteacherwhentheyworkwithme.

…atthemomentIfeelthatthey(assistantteachers)doinglikewhattheteam

teacherissaying,youknow'youdothis,youdothat,youdothisinthemorning,this

iswhatwegonnadonextweek'weekbyweek,notactuallyyouknowsittingdown

withherorhimandgoingthroughwhatshe'sweakat,allthat.

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...sometimestheydon’tseetheir…programandtheydon’tplanwitheachother…

someofthepeoplewhotheywereteamteachingwithweresometimescritical…yeah

costhatperson,youknowtheonewho'sfullytrainedmightthinkoh'she'snogood',

or'he'snogood',butactuallytalkingandprogrammingandsharingmakesagood

teamteacher.

….andthat’showIthoughtumsomeofthetrainingisn’tgiventopeople…Howabout

youknowgivethattrainingtoimproveinthatarea,andthat’swherethestrengthis.

Andtheyseetheweakness...theycandoit,buttheyneedsupport,youknowandnot

tobecriticalbutactuallyhavesupportandlookatthestrengths,lookatthe

weaknessandbuildonthat,ratherthanbeingcriticalandsaying,what'stheword...

patronising?

Itmightseemobviousenoughthatteamteachingreliesupontraining,supportive

relationships,collaborationandconstructivefeedback.However,basedontheexperience

andevidenceprovidedintheteachernarrativesitwouldappearaswhereasonceteam

teachingwasvaluedandeffectivelyimplemented,wearenowseeingareturntothekind

ofclassroomenvironmentdescribedbyateacherparticipantattheverybeginningofthis

section.InmanyschoolsandclassroomstheIndigenousstaffarethereasclassroompolice

andtranslatorsratherthanaseducators.Thisabsenceofapedagogicalrolefor

paraprofessionalstaffcouldbeconsideredoneofthereasonswhywearenotseeingmore

youngteachersprogressthroughtobecomingfullyqualifiedteachers.

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7.5Leadership

Inlinewiththegroupanalysisthethemeofleadershipcamethroughstronglyinthe

Individualteachernarratives.Therewereanumberofaspectstothediscussionaround

leadership.TheseweretheroleofschoolPrincipals,collaborativeleadership,supporting

leadershipaspirations,cross-culturalleadershipandhierarchy.

TheroleoftheschoolPrincipal

Oneofthestrongpointsmadebyallteacherparticipantswasthepowerfulroleplayedby

theschoolPrincipalineithersupporting,enhancingandleadingtheirschooltowardsthe

kindofworktheteacherparticipantsfeltshouldbeprioritised,orbeingthecauseof

significantdifficultiesandbarrierstothiskindofwork.Anumberoftheteacher

participantstalkedaboutthechallengingroleofthePrincipalwhoareoftencomingto

contextsinremotecommunityschoolsthatareoutsidetheircomfortzoneandmarkedly

differenttotheirpreviousprofessionalexperiences,

…youknowwhenthePrincipals,newPrincipalscameanditwasalsochallengingfor

thembecausetheyneverworkedinabilingualschoolbefore,whichwaslike

differentforthem.LikePrincipalwouldbeahighschoolPrincipalorteachercoming

intoourcommunitytoteachinaschoolandsomePrincipalsfounditdifficultand

challenging.

AnothercommentwasonthehighturnoverofPrincipalsandthelackofpower

experiencedbylocalcommunityteachersinmattersoverwhichteachersgettostayand

whichonesneedtoleave,

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…Badonesstaylongtime,butwewanttotrytogetridofthem,wepushthem

awaybutgoodonestheygoquickly…Theyfindanotherjobbetterthanwhatthey

aredoingthere?Youknowtheymovearoundalotbecausetheyjustavisitorand

theymovealong,theywanttogo.Wearelocalpeoplewealwaysstay,butwesee

lotofmovements,lotofgoodPrincipalsgoaway,yuwai.

Examplesofpoorleadership

Thereweremanyexamplesofwhattheteacherparticipantsconsideredtobepoor

leadershiponthepartofPrincipals.TheseexamplesrangedfromPrincipalsactinglike

parentswhoscaldedtheIndigenousstafflikechildrenandspokeinawrongwaytothe

students,

…cosIhadbadPrincipalsbefore,whenIwasassistantteacher.Ifsomeofuswould

comelate,theywouldgrowlus.

Andthenanotheronecameinwithanutritionprogramandthekidscominginwitha

coke'Younothavingthis,youcanhaveitthisafternoon,I'llputitaway!'Madekids

cry…..Yes,kidsshouldn’tbedrinkingcokebutshewouldhavedoneitright…She

would’vesatdownwithusandexplainedit,shewaslikeacting,shewasthe

Principal.

TherewereotherexamplescitedbytheteacherparticipantsofthePrincipalsbeingopenly

hostiletotheirteachingstaffandcausingagreatdealofanxietyandconflictattheschool.

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…wehadalotofchangesofourPrincipals,yeahtheycomewithdifferentideas.

Somewouldcomewith'I'mnotgonnabeafriendhere,I'mjustheretocleanupthe

mess'youknow'withmypower'.Theleadershiprolehewasn’treallycleaningupthe

mess,hewasmakingthingsworseforus….yeahgivingushard,badtimeandhard

time…thatwasreallysadbecauselikehesaidhewouldcomeandcleanupthemess,

buthemadelotofmess.Anditwasreallychallengingforus…Hewasn’talsoasking

forhelpbuthewasbyhimselftryingtocleanthismess,tryingtodothis,buthe

wasn’tgettingother...peopleinvolved,that'strue….henevercaredaboutany

parents.Wewouldn’thaveparentsmeetingtotalkaboutthis,lawa….hedidn’tgoto

talktoparents,lawa,hewasjustaPrincipalinhisoffice

Thisinmanycaseswouldbedirectlyrelatedtothehighturnoverofnon-Indigenous

teachersatthatschool,addingtotheinstability.

…shekeptonpickingonkardiyateachers,Idon’tknowwhy.Theyweretryingtodo

theirjob,becauseshe’sthePrincipal'dothisproperly,dothat’!Theywouldcometo

uswithtearsrollingdowntheircheekandIwouldsay'Ireallydon’tknowwhattodo

butweneedtofight,bestronginagroup'.Yuwaisometeachersleftbecauseofher,

yeahtheysaid'Ican’tworkwhenshe'shere,Iwillcomebackwhenthere'sanother

Principal'.

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ThelackofsupportfromthePrincipalfeltbytheteacherparticipantswasalsoarecurring

messageinthenarratives.Attimesthislackofsupportoccurredwhiletheywere

simultaneouslyworkingintheschoolandundertakingtheirteachereducationstudies.At

othertimesitwasrelatedtoimportantdecisionsbeingmadeabouttheschoolprograms.

InallexamplesthereisthesuggestionthatsupportwaswithdrawnwhenthePrincipaldid

notunderstandthingsfromaculturalorcommunitybasedperspective.

He(Principal)wasn’treallysupportive….becausemaybehedidn’thelpmethrough

alotofthings,likemaybehedidn’twantmetostudyoranythinglikethat….Maybe

hedidn’tknowsorrybusinessorthingsthatwerehappening?…somekardiyaslike

himweren’treallysupportiveandgood….

…weusedtogotoleadershipmeetingsandIusedtoseethem…coupleofPrincipals

…notwhereIwantedtoseethem…Iwasyouknowforthatparticularprogramand

theywereagainstus.AndIthought…shewasgonnabewithme‘cosIwasgoingfor

programs,butshewasagainstme.

Oneteacherparticipantsummedthisexperienceofthelackofsupportupwiththeideasof

‘righttime’and‘badfeeling’

….wedidn’thavethatinotherPrincipalswhoweren’tworriedaboutsupporting

yapateachersorkardiyateachers….becauseyouknowwedidn’thaverighttimeto

gettogethertotalkaboutprogramandstufflikethat.Yuwaiandwhichweallhad

badfeeling.

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Goodcollaborativemodelsofleadership

However,theteacherparticipantswerealsoabletotalkextensivelyaboutexamplesof

wherethe‘righttime’andthe‘rightway’ofdoingthingsledtoa‘goodfeeling’for

everyoneaboutthedirectiontheschoolwastaking.Thismostoftenwaslinkedto

collaborativemodelsofleadershipwithintheschool.

…lateronwehadtoget,aladyPrincipalcameandshedidhelpfixitandthingswere

goingsmoothlyandwewereteachingwell.Wewerehappybothyapaandkardiya

teachers,wewouldsitdownandhelpeachother.

Thefollowingstrongexampletalksabouttheimpactontheeverydayteachingthatthe

leadershipcanhave,

….wewantPrincipal…thatlovesworkingwithyapaandlovesdoingtheirjobright

way,notlookingatproblemsandgivingproblems.Yuwai.That’swhatwewant.We

wantpeoplewholoveworkingwithyapapeopleandlovehelpingmakingprograms

workwell,yuwaiandourteachingworkswellbecausewhenweteachingourlessons

intheclassroomwefeelmuchbetter,youknowwefeelhappyyeahthisiswhatthey

learn.AndifyouhavethosekindsofhardfeelingsandhardproblemwithPrincipal

andyou'retryingtoteachyourlesson,youwon’tfeelright.Yuwaiandyou'rethinking

alotaboutit,'howcanImakemyteachingtodaybettertomorrow?'Yuwai,butyou

needtolookathowwouldyouworkwithaPrincipalthatisgivingyouahardtime

andnotworriedaboutwhatdidthekidslearntoday.

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OftentheseexamplesofgoodleadershipcamewhenPrincipalsarrivedwithexperienceat

anothercommunityorwithpre-existingrelationshipswiththecommunityandtheschool.

Inotherwordstheywere‘known’topeoplealready,

….butlike(name)and(name)theywereworkingat(communityname)before,but

theyknew,andweknewthem.Butweworkedtogetherverywellafterthat.Butnot

likebefore,likenewkardiyascameandcameandcameandwentback.Likethey

wereinarunyouknowcomingandgoing,comingandgoing.

Anotherteacherparticipantwhenaskedaboutpreferredmodelsofleadershiptalked

abouttheneedfortheissueofpowertobeaddressed,particularlythedangeroftoomuch

powerinthehandsofthenon-Indigenousleadership.Shesuggestedtheneedfornon-

IndigenousstafftounderstandtheirroleasbeingtheretomentorIndigenousstaffand

providesupportandconstructivefeedbacktohelppeopleimprove,

Tjulkurraonlycomesasamentor,onlytheretoteachthatpersonandnottoreally

takeover,yuwa.Justsayyouknowthisishowyoucandothis,thishowyoucan

teach,butdoingitinabothwayculture.Yuwa,ratherthansaying'ohhe'shopeless

atthis,he'suselessatthis'insteadoflookingatthatbuildingonyouknowlikethe

strengthsandtheweaknessandmovingwhoeverisinthatposition.

Anotherteacherparticipanttalkedaboutthecollaborativemodelofsharedleadershipthat

hadbeendevisedatherschoolthroughtheuseofgroupsorcommittees.Thesewere

groupsthatallstaff,Indigenousandnon-Indigenousparticipatedin,andtheytookcarriage

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ofimportantaspectsofschoolplanning,programmingandfunctioning,

…there’sIthinkfourotherlittlegroupsdownbelowus.Wefeedintothemlikewe

talktothemandtheyorganisethingsnow.Whattodoyouknow,gooutto

community,outtofamilies.There'scommunityengagementandotherone'sabout

behaviourmanagement,andotherone'ssomethingelse.Yeahandeveryone'sinthat

group,likenon-IndigenousstaffandIndigenousstaff….Iwasinthecommunity

engagement,thatmeansplanningthecampfiremeetingandyeahgoingoutto...and

likewhenithappened,notonlycampfiremeeting,eventsthathappen,likeKupurilia,

Easter,wedoalotofworkaroundthoseevents,liketheChristmasparty.

Inalmostallexamplesgivenbytheteacherparticipantstherewasaclearpreference

shownforleadershipthatwascollaborativeandinclusiveofbothpeopleandthe

knowledge,experienceandskillstheybroughtwiththem.

Leadershipaspirations

Inadditiontotalkingabouttheirexperiencesofleadershipoverthecourseoftheircareers,

theteacherparticipantsalsotalkedquiteextensivelyabouttheirownleadership

aspirationsandexperiencesasdevelopingleaders.Someofthekeyinfluencesthathelped

theseteacherparticipantstodeveloptheirleadershipskillsweretheirstudy,community

supportandencouragementandworkingwitharangeofdifferentpeople.

IwasthereallyquietonewhenIfirstgotmyjobandasIwasstudyingIbecamenow

tospeakupbecauseIcouldseethatsomeofthediscussionwasrelatingtomystudy

andthat…sortofgavememoreknowledgeandunderstanding,yeah‘cosIalready

hadwisdomfrommycommunityandthelocallevelbuttogetintowisdomIwas

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morecarefuland…findingoutasIwentalong….wheneverwehadstaffmeetingI

startedspeakingupandsaying'ohyouknowthisisnotrightandthatisnottrue'all

that,sothat'swhenourPrincipalstartedgivingmemorepractice….

…yeahcommunitywassupportivetheysaytheleadersweresaying'ohyouknow

she'sgoodatdoingthatandshe'sgonnabeyouknowmorequalified'andsomeof

theleadersIgotgoodfeedbackthatafterwhenIgraduatedwhenIdidtrainingthey

gavemegoodfeedback….schoolonlymainlytheteachers,notthePrincipal,wiya

AndinstaffmeetingIwaschanged,cosIwastalking,likewhenourPrincipalwould

goIthenwasacting,forthreedayswhenshewasawayonmeetings,Iusedtoacton

someofthePrincipalrole,whichmadememoreconfidentandIfounditchallenging

butsomethingIliked(the)challenge.

Buteventhemostaspirationalofstatementsmadebytheteacherparticipantsaboutthe

desiretotakeonleadershipwithintheschoolstillhasatitscoretheneedforcollaboration

andsupportiverelationships,

Iwanttobeanordinaryteacherbuthavethatleadershiproletorunmyownschool

butwiththesupportofmentor.Yuwai,ifIwouldbecomeourPrincipalIwouldwork

withamentortohelpmealongmyleadership,toruntheschool.That’swhatI

think,butIcan’tbeleaderorPrincipalmyself,butIneedpeopletosupportmeto

directmeintherighttrack,onthatjourneytorunmyownschool….Iwouldliketo

workwithAT’s,newAT’sthatI'vebeenworkingthereandolderAT’sthathavebeen

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workingthereforlongtimeandnewonesthatarecomingin.Theyneedtosee

Yapapersonworkingwiththem,butwiththesupportofmentor…Yuwai,

ngurrjunyana

Thisaspirationtobealeaderismotivatedbythedesiretoseeothersfollowingintheir

footsteps,beforeitistoolate.

Wetalkedaboutthatinourmeetingsyouknow'wewanttoseealotofyoungpeople

doingstudies,likeme'.ItalkedaboutmyselfwhenIwentthroughthisstudy,whatI

toldwasthatitwasreallyhardinmyfirstyearsbutastheyearswentbyyouknow

whenIdidmytrainingbackinthecommunity,Ifounditreallyeasybecausesupport

ofthecommunity,supportofmyfamily,supporteverybodysupportedme,youknow..

AndthatmeetingtimeIusedtotellthembecausewewanttobringinmoreyoung

peopleyouknowtobecometeachers.Becausewewon’tbethereforlong,we'reold

ones,we'resick.

Cross-culturalleadership

Theteacherparticipantswerealsoacutelyawarethattheywerecalledupontoprovidea

greatdealofcross-culturalleadershipwithintheirschools.Assomeofthemost

experiencedandlongestservingstaffintheirschools,theyoftenfoundthemselvesasked

tomentornewnon-Indigenousstafffrequentlyarrivinginthecommunity.

Likementoringteachersthatcamefromyouknow,firsttimein(communityname)

andthePrincipalsyouknownottohaveissuesagainstanangupeopleyouknow,

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helpthemhowtobehavetherightway.Itookthatroleandbecameyouknowgood

role,goodleaderforyouknowbothananguandtjulkurra.

Oftentimesthiskindofculturalorientationworkwouldcontinueastheteachersfrom

outsidethecommunityweredealingwiththecultureshockandadjustmentoflivingina

remoteIndigenouscommunitysodifferenttotheirown,

…sometimes(they)didn’tfititwellandthat’swhenwesaidyouknowit’snotthe

sameasyourculture,ifyouhaveyourculturedifferenttoourculturesoweshould

besittingdownandyouknowlookingatthis,whatbarriersarethere,sowecan

workandmakeitbetter…sometimesresponsesaresometimesquestionable,

sometimeswewouldyouknowdisagreeoneachother,butoncewepracticedon

andmakeanaction,thatwouldwork,andsometimesyouknow,somenon-

Indigenousdidn’ttakeitsotheyendedupgettingburntoutcostheyweren’tfitting

intoourculture,whichsometimescanbehard.

…likewhen,liketjulkurraaskanangu…sometimestheananguisnotreadytoask

thattjulkurra.…alongthewayI’velearnedquiteanumberofthingsthatwasn’t

giventome,toworkincommunityschools,remoteschoolsyouhavetobetrusting

eachotherandworkingonthatinaparticular...maybehowwecanlikeIsaidbefore

behaveintherightway,insteadofyouknow.Cossomeofthebehavioursisnot

appropriatetoourculture.

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AsthemoreexperiencedstaffmembersotherIndigenousstaffmembersalsolooktothese

qualifiedteacherstotakeontheleadershiproleandprovideguidanceforhowtonavigate

andbeheardintheschoolenvironment,

…hadaPDwhenananguandtjulkurrayouknow,whenwetogethersometimesthe

ATsdon’tfeelcomfortableandyouknowtoanswerquestionswhensomeoneasks

youknow,andIusedto,withthePrincipal,Iusedtonegotiatesomewaysof

improvingthat.Soweusedtocomeupwithaplanoflikewe'lldotheintroduction

withallofusinthesameroomandthenwe'llsplitupintoseparategroupssothat

anangucanbejustananguandtjulkurracanbejusttjulkurra.Andthat'showwedid

it…sowhenananguwantedtoaskquestionstheywereconfidentandcomfortable

cositwasjustananguintheroom…Yuwa,andthatwentaroundinlanguageand

thathelpedumsomeoftheyoungeronestogettohaveasayonwhattheywanted

andwhattheywantedtoimproveon…thenafterthatwecametogetherandIwrote

downsomeofthethingsthatwassaid…andIusedtointerpretforthem.

Itoftenfallsontheseteacherparticipantstoalsoplaythisculturalinterpreterrolewiththe

parentsandcommunitymemberstoo,actingasculturalbridgesbetweenthecommunity

andtheschool.

Ithinkthelanguage(is)…important!TalkingEnglish…ifthey(parents)allcameand

satalongwayandtheteacherswentovertothem,yeah…theyfeltcomfortable

wheretheyweresitting...AndIdidn’treallywanttomakethemshame'ohyoumob

don’tsitlongway,comehere!'youknowIdon’treallywanttodothatIjustleave

them'ohtheycansittherewheretheyfeelcomfortable'yeah.Andeverytimeyou

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knowwewentouttothecommunity'ohkala!'theyknownow,theycomenow

morewithoutgettingshame…

BecauseafterschoolIusedtogoandsitdownwithparents'you’vegottotellyour

kidstocometoschoolsoshecanlearn…sometimeswegettheirparentstocomein.

Theyusedtositdowntohelpus,youknowifhedoesn’tfullyunderstandandthen

that’showwecanassessthekids,wherethey’relearningfromboththeteachers

andtheparents.

Oneoftheteacherparticipantstalkedaboutthechallengesplayingthiscross-cultural

leadershiproleposedforher,butalsohowithadmadeherstrongerandmoreconfident

asaleader,

…it’shardyeah,it’shardformewhenI'malwaysputinthemiddle.I'vegottoreally

youknowtrytoexplaintobothsides…it’shardforme,yeahthey'retryingtosaythat

andthisgrouptryingtosaythisandyouknow.It’salwayshardforme,yeah.AndI'm

reallypleasedthatI'vereallylearnedallthisyeah,howtodealwithit.Dealwith

issuesatschool,theschoolissues.IthinkI'velearnedenoughtosay'ohthisiswhat

youneedtosay/do'tobothsides.I'vegotthatknowledge…tosaythatwhatIthink

'ohyouprobablymusthavemisunderstoodaword'or'thisisnotthewaytogoabout

it'toIndigenousstaff.‘Cosalotofthetimeswhiteteacherscomesupwith'ohmust

havemisunderstood'thisisthewayofsayingallthetime.Butgettothepointyou

know.'Whatisitshemisunderstood?'reallygointoitandtalkaboutit.

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Leadershipvhierarchy-‘Aleaderonthatsamelevel’

Onefinalthingthatstoodoutinthediscussionofleadershipwastheverystrongopinion

thatleadershipshouldnotimplyWesternstylehierarchy.Eventhefactthatsomestaff

membershadcompletedqualificationsandsomehadnotdidnotequate,intheviewsof

theteacherparticipants,tosomestaffmembersbeingmoreimportantorhavingmore

powerthanothers.Oneteacherparticipantexpresseditsimplyintheseterms,

…thelaststaffmeetingIwasinIsaid'listennobodyishigherthanmeandI'mnot

higherthananyofyouteachers.We'reallequal.'

Anotherteacherparticipantgavemorewordstothesameideaandexplaineditinmore

detail,

IreallywanttoshowthatleadershipforIndigenousstaff….Ireallywanttobejusta

leaderonthatsamelevel,yeah.Workingwiththem,yeah,Idon’treallywanttherole

modelterm.That'smyreallystrong...Idon’twanttohavemyAssistantTeachers

down,youknow'I'mthebossandIknoweverything!'…‘cosIseeotherIndigenous

workersasimportantasIamintheschool.Likewe'realltheretodothesamething,

yeahteaching…I'mnotdoinganythingdifferentfromthem,we'realldoingthesame

thingintheclassroomsowhydoIhavetobehigherthanthem?IcansaythatI've

donethetraining...yeah…(Iwantto)helpthem…Idon’twanttobebetter,Iwantto

helpthem,yeah,tobecomewhereIamnow.Awa….howcanIputit,whenpeopletell

me'ohhhyou'reareallygoodrolemodelforthese...'andassoonastheysayit,it’s

myheartthatnogoodfeeling.'NoIdon’twanttobearolemodel,Iwanttobeatthe

samelevelastheyare'yeah.Andjustgivethemsupporttowheretheywanttoget

to,yeah....Idon’twanttobesingledout.IwanttobepartoftheIndigenouscrew

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thatareworking…anddoingthesamethingintheclassroom.WhyshouldIbehigher

andI'mnotdoinganydifferentfromthem.

Thislastpointlinksstronglytothenotionofthe‘feelingforfamily’discussedinthefirst

themeasanontologicalstandpointthatplacesharmoniousrelationshipwithfamilyasa

centralwayofbeing.Itinturnposessomeinterestingquestionsaboutthepossible

misunderstandingsandmisinterpretationsabouttheperceivedrolesandresponsibilitiesof

peopleworkinginremotecommunityschools.Thiswouldparticularlybethecasefornon-

IndigenousPrincipalsandteacherstakingonaleadershiproleinschoolswheretheybring

Westernisedunderstandingsofhierarchyinschoolsanddon’tunderstandthecultural

nuancesofbalancingfamilyandleadershiprolesinthatcommunitycontext.

7.6Exclusionandpower

‘Wedon’tmakeittothetop.Lawa’

Intheteachernarrativestheexperienceofexclusionwascommonlytalkedabout.Allof

theteacherparticipantshadhadsignificantmomentsintheirworkingcareerswhenthey

hadfeltpowerfulforcesmovingagainstthemandhadexperiencedasenseofbeingside-

linedorshutoutofthepowerwithintheirschool’soperation.Thiswasexperiencedina

varietyofwaysandcontexts.

ThepowerofschoolPrincipals

Manyoftheexperiencesofpowerandexclusionofferedbytheteacherparticipantswere

connectedtohowtheyexperiencedtheleadershipwithintheirschools,andinparticular

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thewaythePrincipaloperated.Oneofthemostcommonexperienceswasthefeelingof

beingexcludedfromtheconsultationordecision-makingprocessesoftheschool,despite

beingthemostseniorandexperiencedIndigenouspersononstaff,

…thingswerehappeningaroundlikePrincipalwouldspeaktoastaffmemberor

othertjulkurrainsteadoftellingoraskingme'thisoneheisn’ttherightonefor

this’…that’swhatthepointIgottothatIwasn’tbeingasked,beingnotifiedor

beinglikeIwasn’ttold'ohthiscanhappenifthishappens'.Principalwouldtakeit

overandstartdoingitonhisown.

OtherexamplesinvolvedthePrincipalcircumnavigatingthelocalstaffbyrecruitingtheir

ownpeopletoworkintheschool.Thissortof‘stackingthedeck’wasexperiencedasaway

ofkeepingallthepowerinaconcentratedway,

….hebroughthissister-in-lawand(her)husbandtothatET2job….buttherewere

teachersalreadythere,thattheywouldgetthatposition.Thatwasreallyhard

becausehehadhispower,heusedhispowertorunonlyhisfamilymember,allof

hisfamilymember,likehissister-in-law,hisbrother,Imeanhissister-in-law's

husband,hiswife,allhavingposition,buthealreadyhadahighpositionwhenhe's

aPrincipal,butgivingthatET2positiontohisfamilywhichnoteacherstheredidn’t

getit.Evenusasayapateacher,lawa.

Anothermoreinsidiousformofexclusioncamedisguisedoftenintheformoffriendshipor

kindness.Manyoftheteacherparticipantsdiscussedtimeswhentheywereexperiencing

difficultiesintheirpersonallives–managinghealthproblemsforthemselvesorfamily

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members,navigatingthecomplexculturalobligationsrequiredofthemandotherpersonal

matters.TherewereanumberofexamplesgivenofschoolleadersandPrincipalsin

particularusingtheseissuesasanopportunitytorelegatethesequalifiedteachersto

paraprofessionalandassistantlevelpositions.

Iusedtoteachyouknow,MathsEnglish,Science,butnowI'monlyteaching

language,becauseI'maliteracyworker.

…insteadofjustputtingusintoassistantteacher(roles)youknowtheyshouldhave

givenusleave,likewhenI’vebeenhavingproblemwithmyhusbandbecausehe'ssick

andsometimesIalwayscomelateandsoIwasPrincipalatthattime.Butinsteadof

justgivingmeayear(off)…theysaid'ohyoujustneedtosignthisformhereand

thenyou'llbecomeanassistantteacher',straightawayinsteadofgivingusahand,

'we'lljustgiveyoumaybesixmonthsleaveorayearoff'

(Principalsaid)'youwillstillbeateacher'…butnotonthesalaryside,palya?It'sonly

assistantteacherpay….hewastryingtohelpmelike'you'rehavingproblemsathome

andgettingstressed,andIwanttohelpyou'.

Itishardtoimaginesuch‘solutions’beingsuggestedtoqualifiednon-Indigenousteachers.

Thepowerofnon-localstaff

Therewerealsonumerousexamplesoftheteacherparticipantsexperiencingexclusionin

theirdealingswithnon-localteachersaswellascurriculumadvisorswhocomefrom

outsidethecommunitytoworkintheirschools.

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…feelslikenowthatweareoutside.Onlythenon-Indigenousstaffplanning.

Newstaff,non-Indigenousstaff,cominginandtakingover….programchanging…like

beforewhenwewereteachingherenowweareteachingtheirkidsnow,beforewhen

wewereteachingtheolderkids,them(thepreviousgeneration),they'velearnedbut

nowwewereteachingtheirkidsnow.Butit'sreallyhard,we'restruggling.Beforethe

kidsusedtolistentous.(Speaksinlanguage)....kidswerelearningbecause

Indigenousteacherwasteachingthem….(now)wehavesit,Ihavetositandsee

the(m)teaching

Thisstatementisreflectiveofjusthowlongtheseteacherparticipantshavebeenworking

intheirlocalschools.Theyhavebeentherelongenoughtoseethegenerationalchange

happeninapproachestoteaching,fromatimewhentheywere‘inside’and‘kidswere

learning’tonowwhentheIndigenousteachersfeelliketheyare‘outside’and‘it’sreally

hard’.

Oneteacherparticipantinparticularexplicitlyquestionedhowanon-localpersoncould

achieveahighlevelpositioninherschoolwithoutknowledgeaboutIndigenousculture

thatshefeltwasapre-requisitetoworkinaremoteschool.Shemadethecomparisonthat

toattainanequallyhighpositionshewouldhavetodemonstrateahighlevelofknowledge

andcompetenceintheWesterneducationalsystem,

…thisparticularteacherreallydoesn’twanttolistentome,youknowwhenI(say)'oh

youneedto...'…probablyhe'sthinking…I'mprobablysmarterthanhim?…youknow?

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Hedon’twanttolistentome.I’mreallytryingtoopenupwhathe'sthinkingyeah,

andhe'sthrowingalltheseotherthingsatmeyeah.That'stheotherreasonthatyou

knowprobably(I’m)abitcareful….andsomeonethat'snotreally,youknow…never

haslearnedanythingaboutIndigenouscultureisalwaysgoingtobethrowingthings

atyou,youknow,blockingit.Hepretendsheknowsbutthewaywhathetalksabout

isdoesn’tmakeanysensetome….hecan’tlisten‘coshecan’ttakeit,hedoesn’t

knowwhattosayaboutit,torespond...IfanIndigenouspersonwant(s)tobeina

higherposition(we’ve)gottogothroughall,gottofaceallthat,butsometimesyou

knownon-Indigenousteacherignoresandtryandpushitback…Thisiswhat’sI

think…(is)holdingthem(otherIndigenousstaff)back…TheyseeanotherIndigenous

persontryingtohavethatgowiththewhiteteacherandthink'ohit'sveryhard,what

amIgoingforwardfor?'youknow(laughs)….yeah'amIgonnadealwiththat,go

throughthatwhenIgettoahigherpoint/higherlevel’?Noitmakesyouscar(ed).

Itisinterestingthatthisteacherparticipantmadeadirectlinkbetweenthisformof

exclusion,seeingthestruggleofotherqualifiedIndigenousteacherstogainrecognition

andequality,asareasonthatwoulddiscourageotherIndigenousteachersfromwantingto

pursuefurthereducationandtraining.

Someexperiencesoftheteacherparticipantswereactuallyphysicalactsofexcludingthem

fromparticipatinginprofessionallearning,asevidencedbythisstory,

Seethisladycameintoourclassroomandsheonlytalkedtomyteamteacherand

youknowIwastherealsoasateacher,butinvisiblesittingthere.Andtheywere

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whisperingaway,talking,openingtheirpageandtalkingaboutsomeareasthatthey

gottofocusonteachinginEnglishandIwasjusttherelisteningwithmyear.'Oh

whataboutme'youknowIwasthinkingtomyself'Iamaninvisiblepersonsitting

here,Ineedtolearnthattosupportmyteamteacher'andtheydidn’tsay'(name)

comeoverhere,you'repartofthisteam,let’slookandtalkaboutthisprogramthat

we'regonnabedoingasateamteaching'.Isattherefeelingsadjustmyselfwhile

theywereyappingawaytalkingaboutallthesegoodideas,thatIwasmissingout.

AndIfeltreallysad.ThentheyfinishedtalkingandIhadtosneakaway,walkoutside,

justfeelinglow,feelingsad,Iwantedtobepartofthatgrouptolearnaboutthatnew

program,newidea.Iwenthomejustfeelingandthinkingallaboutit.Howcouldmy

teamteacherbenotlettingmein,rejectingme?

Theteacherparticipant,ratherthanstayingquietspoketoherPrincipalaboutthis

exclusionandreceivedaresponsefromthecurriculumadvisor.Theteacherparticipant,

whilestandingupforherselfwasalsoabletoreflectonthelongertermimplicationsof

suchexclusion,

Andthenwhenshewasgettingreadytogobacktotownshecalledme,shesaidshe

invitedmetostaffroomandsaidtome'I’mreallysadforwhatyoutoldyour

Principal'.'YesI'malsoaprofessionalYapateacherandIwanttolearnyourideas'

that’swhatIsaid'youreallymademelooklikeIwasaninvisibleperson.Weall

teachers,bothYapaandKardiya.Iwantedtolearn'.Isaidthattoher.'Ifeelreally

guiltybutIwillbringaworkshopandyouwillbeinvited,Yapateacherswillbe

invited'.'Wellwhataboutwhatyoudidandwhatyoutalkedabout?Iwouldhave

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learnedthefirststep'…Yepmaybeafteranotheryearshedidcometoourschooland

sheranthisworkshopabout(programname).…YeahIwasnotfamiliaraboutit,butI

thoughttomyself'Idon’treallycare',seeIneverlearnedwhenshefirstcametoour

school.AndYapaladieswereasking'what'sthis?''Idon’tknow,Idon’thaveanyclue'

yeah.Itwasthatfirststepthatwouldhaveopenedmyhearttolearnwhatshewas

tryingtoteach….wehadsomegoodteamteaching,Kardiya,theywouldsitdown

withme'Thisiswhatshemeant'andwewouldopenthatpage'Youknowhowshe

came,longtime''YeahIremember','Thisiswhatshetalkedabout'yeah....difficultfor

metothinkifIwouldhavebeensittingdownwiththeminthefirstplaceIwouldhave

learned…Iwantedtobepartofit.

Thisisapowerfulexampleofboththeexclusionthattheteacherparticipantshave

experiencedthroughouttheircareersaswellastheunequalregardinwhichtheyareoften

heldbycolleaguesandleaders.Thisideaisexploredfurtherinthefinaltheme(7.7).

ThepoweroftheDepartment

Theteacherparticipantsalsospokeofthegreatshiftsinpowerandcontrolthatthey

experiencedatthehandsofwhattheycalled‘TheDepartment’or‘TheOffice’.Herethey

arereferringtothebureaucratic,policyandfinancialpoweroverthedailyoperationof

remoteschoolswieldedbytheEducationDepartmentoftheNorthernTerritory.

Oneteacherparticipantreflectedontheschoolthatshehadhelpedtostartundersome

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beantreesnexttoasandduneinhercommunity.Inthesehumblebeginningsthe

communityandtheteachershadcontroloverhowandwhatwastaught.However,once

‘TheDepartment’gotinvolvedandstartedprovidingresourcessuchasclassroomsthey

alsogotinvolvedindictatingwhatneededtobetaught,

DepartmentofEducation…Youknowtheygotabit'youneedtostartteachingthe

goodthingsnow,goodway.Becausefromthattreetothatclassroomnow,youcan

teachlikebetterEnglishyouknow'.

Thisexperienceofpowerinrelationtoresourcesandfundingwasacommonexperience,

…weusedtohaveasecondaryclasstoobutgovernmentnowIdon’tknow,

governmentcuttingfundingandteachers,cutting...

Someoftheteacherparticipantsnoticedashiftinthispoweroncetheybecamequalified

asteachersandbegantakingonleadershiproleswithintheirschools.Thiswasexpressed

inthefollowingexamplesfromthenarrativesasbeing‘inside’andthenapowerfulforce

comingalongandpushingthem‘outside’,

…mustbesomeoneintheOfficeischanging,awa…changingandputtingwhitefellas

andpushingAnanguoutside…wiya,...Italkedaboutthatatthestaffmeeting.Idid

mytrainingtobeaclassroomteacher.AllthoseyearsIdidmytraining.

LikeyouknowthatwashardworkthatIdidlearn,I'veyouknow,itwasreallyhard,

I'vestruggledandtriedhardandthengotthroughandnowIwentthroughallthe

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thingsIdidbutnow,youknow,I'vegotmygoal,what'snow?What'shappening

now?It'sreallyhard.DidallthosethingsandI'mjustdoingnothingnow.Outside...

(of)thebuilding,theschoolhere.Wedidalotofstudy,alotofhard

work….somethingcameacrossandtookitover.Ididalittlebit,maybeforcoupleof

yearsItookover.Thensomethingcameoverandpushedmeout.Peoplecansee,you

knowthisschoolhere.There'stwopeopleherewhoreachedthegoal,nowtheyare

walkingaroundoutside,nottakingover.Wedidtakeitover.Ithinkwewentbackto

thebeginning,afterwedidallthosestudies.Insteadweshouldbetakingover.

MaybeEducationDepartmentyouknow.I'mthinkingyouknow,I'mthinkingother

wayround,maybeEducationDepartmentyouknow,they'renotlookingatus

becauseweareAboriginal.That'swhy.Becauseofourskin.(speaksinlanguage)I'm

sayingthissameinlanguage...Wetookitoverandthensuddenlysomethingcame

across.(speaksinlanguageagain)...weknowwe'vegotagoodexperience...likeyou

knowworking,working,workingandthengoingbacktounemployment,likethatone

same.Wereachedourgoal…(speaksinlanguage)…We'vegotabigOfficeinAlice

Springsthey'resaying'ohwiyawe'llgetthisone(non-Indigenousteacher)here'

(speaksinlanguage)...(But)We'vegotourcertificate!

Thissenseofbeingexcludedorkept‘outside’ofanyrealpowerwithintheirschoolswas

alsoevidentinthelimitedcareerpaththatwaseverofferedtotheseteacherseitherwithin

theirschoolsorwithintheDepartment,

IwantedtochangetonextlevelwhichIdidn’tgetitbecauseofthebureaucrats.I

reallywantedtobenexttosomeonewho'sbigbosslike(name)orsomeone.Iwanted

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tobewiththemsothateducationinIndigenouscommunitiescanyouknowgohow

wewantittogoandIreallywantedtostepintodothat,buttherewasnosupportso

Ineededto,becauseIdidn’twanttostayinthereandgetburntout.Ithenresigned.

Thereseemedtobeacommonexperienceofexclusionwherebyeventhestandardcareer

trajectoriesforteachersinremoteschoolswereconsistentlydeniedtotheteacher

participants.

Lackofsupport

Thislackofsupportwasagainaformofexclusioninitself.Therewerenumerousexamples

intheteachernarrativesoftheseteachersexpressinginterestindevelopingtheir

leadershippotentialandbeingmetwithlittletonosupportormentoringtohelpmakethis

happen,

IwenttolotsofPrincipalswhowerethereandaskedthem'Iwanttostepontonext

levelwhereIcanbenotintheclassroombutstillchallengeanewjobandyouknow

offeredbyDepartmentsoIcanbemoreinleadershiprole,thatway'andnoone

couldgivemesupportorfindawayhowIcanyouknowtalktootherpeopleandyou

knowfindoutwhereIcangetsupportfromandthat’swhatIgotstuckonandthat

mademereallygodepressed.

...wasquestioningmyself…I’mtheseniorpositionIshouldbeasked,Ishouldbe

challengedondoingnewjobs,newroles…whereIcanyouknowgetoutof

classroomworkandchallengeanewjobasaseniorpersonthereinsteadofyouknow

beingaclassroomteacherIcouldhavedone‘umamentorrolefortheyoung

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assistantteachers.ThatwouldhavebeenmyotherjobifIwerebeingaskedbysenior

staff…shouldhaveofferedtome…Iwasaskingmyself,whywouldn’thavebeen

offeredtome,‘cosIwouldhaveyouknowgonealongwayandyouknow,gonetoa

nextlevelanddidjobs…that’swhatcommunitysortofexpectmetogotoanext

level…whenIsee…teacherswhoaretherealongtimeIseethemgetintonewroles,

steppingoutoftheclassroomandgivenaprofessionaljobslikeESL,co-ordinatoror

mentorforteachingteacherswhoarefirstout-jobslikethatyouknow,I(sh)ould

havebeenoffered(the)challenge(ofthe)nextlevel.

Thislackofsupportwasalsooftenexperiencedbytheteacherparticipantsliterallybeing

excludedfromconversations,professionaldialoguesanddecision-makingprocesses,

LikewhenIwasatthe(school)office…twopeoplewilltalkaboutsomethingwhich

gavemeasignal'ohtheytalkingaboutme,underminingme'…Theywerehiding,

theywerelockingupoffices,that’sthereactionIwasgetting…nooneusedtotalk,no

oneusedtogivemefriendship.Mmm…itchanged‘cosIwasmoreisolated,likeno

oneusedtowanttohavecupoftea,nooneusedtowanttotalk.

Cosleaderssitinonetableandshareideasandsharewhataheadofus…butnoneof

themwouldgivemeanyfeedbackorencouragement…strangethingswere

happening‘cosIrememberusedtogetencouragementforleadershipsusedto

engagewithitandlookatnextyearand'thisiswhatwe'regonnadonextyear'andif

youdon’tlikeitthentalkaboutit,but(afterthat)weneverusedtotalkaboutit…

theyshouldhaveengagedmeinyouknow,tosharewhat'sgoingtohappento

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school….butstrangethingswerehappeningandonlypeoplethatworkedamong

themselveswereyouknowkeepingitforthemselvesinsteadofengagingme.

…Iwasalittlebitfeelingthat,thattheywerecriticizingme,butneverseeninaction,

butfelt…likeIwasn’ttrustedanymore…that'swhenIstartedquestioningmyself'oh

thisisweird,andpeoplearen’tcomingandaskingme...parentsusedtocomeandsee

meandsay'ohsoandsocameandsawme,butyouweren’tthere'andbeforeIwas

theonewhotheywouldapproach…iftherewasaconcernwiththestudenttogoand

seeaparentoracommunitymemberbutIwasn’ttoldoryouknowbeingaskedto

comewiththatperson.That'swhenIfeltthatIwasn’tincluded.

Whileundertakingtheirteachereducationstudiestheseteacherparticipantswereoften

engagedinrhetoricaroundleadershipandrolemodelling.However,theactualexperience

oncetheybecamequalifiedturnedouttobequiteadifferentscenario.Theexperienceof

beingaqualifiedteacherinaschoolwasoftenoneofdisempowermentandexclusion,

oftenasadirectresultofnon-Indigenousteachersandleaderswhocamefromoutsidethe

communitybutenteredtheschoolinpositionsofauthorityandpower.Inmanycasesjust

thefactofbeingIndigenousplacedthesefullyqualifiedteacherparticipantsinaless

powerfulposition–aconceptthatisexploredfurtherinthefinaltheme–‘notlookingatus

level’.

7.7‘Notlookingatuslevel’

Chapter2ofthisthesisexploredthecoloniallegacyofIndigenousteachersworkingin

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schoolsintheNT.Throughtheteachernarrativesthelivedexperienceofthispersistent

colonialideologyispalpable.Manyoftheparticipantsspokeofexperiencingunequal

treatmentor,asoneteacherparticipantnamedit,notbeinglookedat‘level’.

Unequalconditionsofemployment

Thegoodconditionsofemployment,particularlyinrelationtoteacherpaywasseenasone

oftherealincentivestoencourageyoungpeopletofollowingateachingpathway,

…ifyoubecomeateacheryou'llgetlotsofmoney…yeah,soweyouknowreached

thatpointyouknowtobecomeaproperteacher…seeItrytoencourageothernew

TAs

Itwasalsoacknowledgedthatthesefavourableconditionswereoneofthethingsthat

enticednon-localteachersouttoremotecommunitiestoworkinschools,

Ithinkthisisoneofthethingsthatarehighlyexpected,youknowwhenwhite

teachersgoouttocommunities…probablytheythinking'ohremoteschoolsare

bettertogoandteach.Yougeteverything'.Youknow?

Howeveralloftheteacherparticipantswereawarethroughpersonalexperiencethatthe

conditionsofemploymentwerenotequalforlocalandnon-localrecruits,particularlyin

relationtotheprovisionofhousing,furnitureandtheprovisionofelectricityandwater

whilelivinginthecommunityandworkingattheschool,

…westartedaskingforhousing,butbecausewewerelocalrecruitstheycouldonly

giveusoldhousinglikeschoolhouses.Andnowbecausegovernmentchanged

you’renotallowedtokeepschoolhouses,youneedtoworkthereandgotowork

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andnowweusedtostarttalkingaboutlocalrecruits,weneedabetterhouse

becauseweareteachers.

ThecurrentEducationDepartmentpolicyremainsthatnon-localrecruitsareprovidedwith

afullyfurnishedEducationDepartmenthouseforthedurationoftheirtimeworkinginthe

communitywhilelocalrecruitshavetofindtheirownaccommodation.

Unequalintheclassroom

Anumberoftheteacherparticipantsalsoexperiencedtimeswhentheyweretreatedas

lessthanequaltotheirnon-Indigenouscounterpartswhileintheclassroom.Intheteacher

narrativesthesestorieswereoftenconnectedtothehighturnoverofnon-localteaching

staffandtheunfamiliaritynewstaffhadwithteamteaching.Therewasacommon

assumptionamongstnon-Indigenousteacherswhooriginatedfromoutsidethecommunity

thatallIndigenousstaffintheschoolmustbeassistantteachers.Evenoncethis

assumptionwasrectifiedtheattitudeofmanyqualifiednon-localteacherswastotreatthe

fullyqualifiedIndigenousteachersaslessqualifiedthanthem.Thisisevidencedbythe

followingexchange,

onedayIwassittingintheclassroomand'ohhhcanyoulookafter(myclass)?'(the

non-Indigenousteacher)wentaroundtoalltheotherstaffthere'canyoulookafter

mykidsthere?'butIwassittinghere.'Excuseme!I'mhere!oryouwantmetowalk

out?'…Andwhenthekids,youknowtheyasksometimesnon-Indigenousnotlistening

sometimestheyaskmetogoouttothebathroom'yuwapalyayoucango!'but(the

non-Indigenousteacherquestions)'heywhereyougoing?''OhIbinask(name)','Oh

youshouldaskme!''Heyletthemgo,I'vealreadytoldthemtogo!'…'YouthinkI'ma

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studentwiththem?'Itoldthemyouknowtheyshouldrecogniseustoo!

TheseattitudesoftenleadtotheIndigenousteachersintheclassroomonlybeingvaluedas

‘classroompolice’,theretomonitorandmanagethebehaviourofthestudents,butnotto

actuallyteach,

...andonedayIsaid'YuwaI'mgonnaresignandI'mjustgoinghome!'"Wiyawiya

wiyawiyayoucan’tdothat(name),youcan’tdothat,kidsareonlylisteningtoyou!'

Seethat'stheway.'Wereallyneedyou!'(speaksinlanguage)they(thechildren)

listentoAnangustaff.

Thisdelineationbetweenbehaviourmanagementandcurriculumrolesalsoappliesto

attitudestowardswhatotherIndigenouscommunitymembershavetooffer.Oneteacher

participantquestionedtheneedtooutsourcethingslikemusicprogramstonon-local

musicianswhentherewerelocalpeoplewhoweremorethanabletotakeonthatrole,

…wehavemusicmancomingtoteachmusic.AndI'mthinkingwhataboutthelocal

Anangucomingintoteachthemsinging?We'vegotmenthatplayintheband.

Hereweclearlyseetheskillsandknowledgeofthenon-localWesternknowledgeholders

beinggivenpreferenceovertheskillsandknowledgewithinthelocalcommunity.Inthis

waylanguageandknowledgeisbeingtreatedunequallyaswell.

Unequalresponsibilityregardingthecommunity

Conversely,whenitcomestoliaisonbetweentheschoolandtheparentsandwider

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community,thelocalstaff,particularlytheexperiencedqualifiedteachers,areexpectedto

takeonmorethantheirfairshare.Therearecountlessexamplesintheteachernarratives

oftheseteacherparticipantsbeingaskedtospeakonbehalfofothers,toaccountforthe

whereaboutsoractionsofothersorlikewisetospeakonbehalfoftheschooltothewhole

community.Thisseemstobesomethingthatisnotaskedofnon-localteachers.

…likeyouknowwhenclassroomteacher(says)youknow'ohwhere'smyteam

teacher?What'shappening?'Itellthem'thisproblem,she'sgotthisproblem'or

yeah….Ithinkitsometimesgetshard.Ijustsaytothem'howlonghaveyoubeenhere

for?You'repartofthecommunity!'youknow.'Youknowalotofthepeoplehere

now,youknowwheretheylive,youknowthatsortofthing’Itellthem.'Youcould

justgoandvisitthem'...It'sbestforyoutogoandsitdownandtalktothat

person'…sometimesit'sjustme,theyjustaskme‘cosI'mthereeveryday'what's

goingon?'andItellthemyouknow'shedon’tlivewithme!She'sgotanotherhouse

downtheroad.Goandfindout!'

…It’shardyeah,it’shardformewhenI’malwaysputinthemiddle.I'vegottoreally

youknowtrytoexplaintobothsides,yeah.Andit'shardforme,yeahthey'retrying

tosaythatandthisgrouptryingtosaythisandyouknow.It’salwayshardforme,

yeah.

I'malwayscaughtbetween…andsometimesItellthem…IexplaintothePrincipalor

anotherteacher'canyougoandtalktothem?…Ithinkallthisneedstobeexplaining,

weneedtoexplaintowhiteteachersyouknow.Thisiswhat’shappening.Youknow

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alltheselittlethings.

Allof‘theselittlethings’,asarticulatedbythatlastexcerpt,areextraexpectationsand

stressesthatarecarriedbythelocalIndigenousteachersthatarenotpartofwhatthenon-

localteacherseverhavetodealwith.Thatfeelingofbeingcaughtinthemiddle,beingthe

bridgebetweenthecommunityandtheschoolwasacommonexperienceforthese

teacherparticipants.

Unequalexpectationsandresponsibilities

Thisroleofbeingaliaisonpersonorbridgemeantthattheteacherparticipantshadallfelt

theirroleexpandoverthecourseoftheyears,usuallywithoutanyacknowledgment,

additionalremunerationortimereleasetotakeontheextratasksexpectedofthem.Many

oftheteacherparticipantstalkedaboutthe‘biggerrole’theyhadtotakeonaswellasthe

impactthathadonthem.

IthinkI'vegotthatbiggerrole…alotofthetimesit'sme,calledon,andI'vegotto

beseenasthemainperson,thelocalpersonintheschool.YeahsometimesIdon’t

likeit!Itellthem'no,getthatotherperson!'butreallyIdon’t...Iseeit,theyreally

wantme…IguessI'veworkedtherelonger,yeah.Andalotofthethingsaroundthe

school,Iknow,yeah,sortofknow…what'sgoingon.

ThatwasalsochallengingformeandchallengingforthoseotherYapateachers,

ATs,becausetheyneededmeand(name)toteachthemifwetheleaderinthe

school,andoldteachers,youknowelders,stillthere,sothatwewantedtoteach

thoseyoungteachersATs,yuwaiandthat'swhatI'mthinkingaboutdoing.

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…seewehadexperience,becausewewereteachingandweknewsomeworksyou

know…tobeconfidentandumtospeakupinumstaffmeeting,yeahatthe

meetingstoowithotherassociations.

Intheirhomecommunitiestheseteacherparticipantsaresomeoftheveryfewpeople

whohavecompletedhighereducationqualifications.Thismeansthattheyareoftencalled

uponbyotherorganizationsandcommitteestobemembers,decisionmakersand

consultants.

…seelikechildcarereferencecommittee…wetalkaboutthebuildingandhowto

teachnewworkersandweencouragethem,wetalktothemandhowtoworkwith

umKardiyasidebyside,youknow.Wewanttogrowupthosepeoplewhoare

workingrightnow,youknow.

…onetimewaswewouldhavelotsofmeetings,likeremotelearningpartnership

thing,andthatwasthetimethattheypickedmeand(name)togoto,butIwasthe

onlyonegoingtothatmeetingand(name)wouldstayandteachandIwouldyou

knowgetcommunitypeopletocomealongwithme

IntheWarlpiricommunitiestheseadditionalresponsibilitiesalsoextendtooverseeingthe

WarlpiriEducationTrainingTrust(WETT),whichisfundedfromminingroyalties.Allofthe

WarlpiriteacherparticipantstalkedabouttheworktheydidwithWETTandhowproud

theywereofwhatWETThadaccomplished.Theyalsotalkedabouthowtheywere

mentoringotheryoungpeopletogetinvolvedinthatwork.

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WETTwejusttalkaboutmoney,howweuseit,wetalkaboutthisisourcircle,how

themoneyisspent,howmuch,likewegivemoneytochildcareandworldvisionand

MtTheo,wedon’tgivemoneytoclinic,nothing,justonlyschoolarea….yeahandit's

reallyworkingwell...WETTcommittee

SoIwastherepresentativeforWETT…yeahWETTcommittee,likeanadvisory

group…wewashavinglikemeetingslikeamongourselvestalkingaboutwhat’sbeen

happeninginthecommunitiesseeifeverything'sbeenworking,ifwe'vebeen

workingwellwithKardiyasoutinthecommunity.Wehavetotakethatbacktothe

advisorygroup,thebigbossessolikethebigchairmanislikefromCLC,DEETor

DCIS…yuwaiandfromNewmont….Andwehavegotthatlikeeveryyear,threetimesa

yeartheycomein…we'vegotthreefromeachcommunity,threethat’ssittingon,but

webringthereonlyyoungpeoplewhentheywanttocomeforproxy,yeahwebring

themintoo…that’sreallygoodsotheycanlearn.

Onceagainallofthisrepresentativeworkisoftenworkthatisentirelyshoulderedbythe

Indigenousstaffintheschools.Non-localstaffarerarelyinvolvedinsomanyadditional

educationalresponsibilitiesastheseteachersandifandwhentheyareitusuallyinvolvesa

positionofseniorityoradditionalremuneration,whichisnotthecaseforanyofthe

teacherparticipants.

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Unequalopportunities

Despitebeingaskedtotakeonsuchadditionalworkloadsandresponsibilitiesand

concurrentlybuildinguptheirownexperience,theteacherparticipantsalsotalkedabout

howunequalthedistributionofseniorleadershippositionswere.

IlearnedsomuchfromwhatI'veseen,whatIwasgiven,butattheendIwasasking

formoreequalitylike,inlikeseniorpositions,notintheclassroom.CosI’vegotalot

ofskillsintheclassroom,practices.Buttomovemeaslikebeaconsultantor

somethingthatIwantedtoaskforandthey,Iwasn’tsuretoask,becausepeople

weren’ttherightpeopletoask.Andthat'swhyIwaslikeIwassunkdown,Icouldn’t

movefromthat,Iwastotallybogged…stucktowhereIwasn’tyouknow,nobody

wasinterestedtoaskmeortheywerejustaskingmetodothisanddothat,tomake

theirjobsyouknow,tomaketheirjobsveryinterestingortomaketheirjobseasy

becauseIknewbutIwasyouknowgivingtothembutIdidn’tgetsomethingback.

Despitethevastexperienceoftheseteacherparticipantsatthetimeofrecordingthese

narrativesnotoneofthemheldapositionofleadershipinanyoftheirrespectiveschools.

Unequalideasaboutthingsthatmatter

Finally,itwasveryclearthatdespitetheyearsofexperience,knowledgeandskills,despite

havinganequivalentqualificationanddespitetheextraworkthattheseteacher

participantstookon,whensomethingwasimportanttothemtheystillwerenotsupported

ortakenseriously.Thisnextexamplerelatedtobilingualeducationshowshowveryoften

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thereisacompletelyunequalattitudewhenitcomestowhatdifferentstakeholdersvalue

ineducationinremotecommunities.

…theywereYapaeducators,Yapaworkingforgovernment,andtheyweregetting

moreideasfromusandwewouldgivethemourideasaboutWarlpiriwayandwe

wouldask'ifwegiveyouWarlpiriideaswouldyouhelpussupportourbilingual?'...

youknowwewouldaskthemthatway.'Yes,yeswewillsupportbilingual'but…we

weregivingallourideastothembut…youknowtheyweren’tbringingtheright

ideasbacktous,becauselikebilingualteachingwouldbelike'literacylearning'they

wouldbringthatanotherwordinbecausemaybetheydidn’tliketheword‘bilingual’.

Theywouldchangethatbilingualprogramintoa'literacyprogram'whichwasnot

thefullideaofbilingual.

Theseteacherparticipantsareaskedtotrustintheprocessandparticipateingoodfaith,

butwhenitcomestothemaskingforsupportinreturnforawayofteachingandlearning

thathashighvaluetothemtheyarenot‘lookedatlevel’.Thelocallanguage,localculture,

localrelationshipswiththecommunity,theseareallthingsthatareseenaslessimportant,

‘notlevel’withtheall-important‘Englishonly’agendaoftheDepartmentalschools.The

colonial,assimilationistideologyisstillaliveandwellinremoteNorthernTerritoryschools.

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Chapter8-Discussion

8.1Introduction

Thecommonconcernatthecentreofthisdoctoralresearchhasalwaysbeenthelow

numberofyoungIndigenousteacherscurrentlyundertakingandcompletingteacher

educationinremotecommunitiesinCentralAustralia.Thisconcernisfirstandforemost

onesharedbytheteacherparticipantsattheheartofthisresearch.Theyhaveeachspent

between20-35yearsworkingintheirrespectivecommunityschoolsandhaveundertaken

andcompletedtherequisitestudytobecomefullyqualifiedteachers.Buttheyarenow

deeplyconcernedthattheydonotseeanyteachersfromtheircommunitiescomingup

behindthemtotakeoverfromthemwhentheyretire.Thepremiseofthisresearchwas

thatbylisteningtothestoriesofthesefullyqualifiedandexperiencedteacherswemight

betterunderstandthecomplexarrayofbarriersaswellassupportsthatpeoplefrom

remotecommunitiesencounterwhentheyundertaketobecomequalified.Thenarratives

ofhowthesewomencametobefullyqualifiedteachersintheirschoolsthusformedthe

dataofthisresearch.Inadditiontothesenarrativestwoextensiveliteraturereviewswere

completed,onethatfocusedonthehistoricalcontextofremoteIndigenousteacher

educationintheNorthernTerritory,andonethatfocusedonthepoliticalandpolicybased

positioningofremoteIndigenousteachers.

Thepurposeofthischapteristoexaminethethemesthatwereproposedandexemplified

throughtheanalysisprocessinchapters6and7,throughanumberoftheoreticallenses.

Thethemesfallbroadlyintotwoareas–barriersandsupportsandthusthediscussionwill

beconductedintwoparts.Partonewillexploretheexamplesofbarriersexperiencedby

243

theteachersthroughthetheoreticallensofrace,primarilyusingWhitenessTheoryand

CriticalRaceTheory(CRT).Parttwowilllookatthesupportsexperiencedbytheteachers

andwillbeinformedbyAustralianIndigenousScholarship(Martin2008;Arbon2008;Ford

2010),Post-ColonialTheory(Verran2013,Rose2004)andCollectivisttheory(Addelson

1996)withadditionalreferencetoparticulareducationaltheorists(Dewey1938,Palmer

1999).

8.2Discussionpartone–RaceandWhiteness

Inorderforstudentstogrow,theirteachersneedtounderstandandusethe

students’earlyexperiencesintheprocessofeducatingthem.Teachersmustknow

theirstudentsandtheirenvironment–thephysicalandsocialexperiencesthathave

actedasthefoundationforwhatthestudentsknow–assuchinfluencesprovide

studentswithcontinuityintheirownworld(Lipsitz2006,p4).

ThisquotecreatesastrongargumentfortheimportanceoflocalIndigenouspeople

becomingqualifiedteachersandteachingthestudentsfromtheirhomecommunities.They

aretheonesafterallwhoimplicitlyandintrinsicallyknowtheirstudents,understandtheir

earlyexperiences,knowtheenvironment,understandthesocialexperiences,speakthe

languageandcanprovidethecontinuityrequiredforstudentstobesuccessfulatlearning.

However,examinationoftheliteratureandtheteachernarrativesofthisresearchhas

shownthattheseepistemologicalandpedagogicalargumentshavenotalwaysbeenwhat

hasinformedthesystemicattitudestowardsIndigenousteachereducationinAustraliaand

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particularlyintheNorthernTerritory.Apartfromaperiodbetweenthemidtolate1970s

andtheearly1990s,anerawhichhadamoresocialjusticeandculturallyresponsive

emphasis,attitudestowardsIndigenousteachersinremotecommunitiesintheNorthern

Territoryhaveremainedfirmlyentrenchedinthecolonialandassimilationistmindsets.

Soinmanywaysweshouldnotbesurprisedwhenareviewinto‘InitialTeacherEducation

forAboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderstudents’revealsthatalthoughtheneedto

increasethenumbersofIndigenousteachershasbeenhighlightedformanyyears,little

haschangednationallysincethe1980swhentherewasacallfor1000Indigenousteachers

nationallyby1990(Pattonetal.2012,p9).Sincethattimenumeroussystemictargets

havebeensetandhavefailedtobereached.Despitecopiousrhetoricaroundthesystemic

desireformoreIndigenousteachers,thesettingoftargets,andtheallocationofsome

funding,theresultsaresimplynotthere(GrayandBeresford2008;Herbert2002;Nutton

2012;Santoro&Reid2006;Vass2015)andtherehasbeenlittleinterrogationofwhythis

failurehasoccurred.Vass(2015,p374)pointstowards‘somethingbigger(and)moredeep

seated’thathaslonghinderededucationpolicy,andthefirstpartofthisdiscussion

chapter,likeVass,arguesandnamesthatsomethingas‘race’.SantoroandReid(2006,p

289)concur,suggestingthat‘theAustralianschoolsystemremainsabastionofwhite

culturalsupremacywithregardtonativeandimmigrantculturesandpeoples.’Itisthe

contentionofthisresearcherthatallofthemajorbarriersexperiencedbytheteacher

participantsinthisstudyhavebeenideologicallygroundedinissuesofrace.Thesebarriers,

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asnarratedbytheteacherparticipants,canthusbebetterunderstoodthroughthelensof

WhitenessTheoryandCriticalRaceTheory.

8.2.1Whitenesstheory

AccordingtoMcGregor(2006,p511)‘Whitenesswasatreasuredqualityofearly

twentieth-centurysettlerAustralians,anemblemoftheirstatusasacivilisedrace…a

badgeofBritishness…(a)‘crimsonthreadofkinship’toaffirmtheethnicsolidarityofwhite

Australians,bothwitheachotherandwiththeirBritishparent’.Moreton-Robinson(2004,

p74)writingfromanIndigenousAustralianstandpoint,suggeststhatWhitenesshastaken

onan‘epistemologicalapriori’statuswhich‘providesforawayofknowingandbeingthat

ispredicatedonsuperiority’.Shearguesthatthis‘racialsuperioritybecomesapartofone’s

ontology,albeitunconsciously,andinformsthewhitesubject’sknowledgeproductions’(p

78).Lipsitz(2006,p4)remindsushoweverthatWhitenessisnotsomethingthatonly

existedbackthen,intheearlydaysofcolonialsettlement.Heassertsthat‘possessive

investmentinwhitenesstodayisnotsimplytheresidueofconquestand

colonialism…Contemporarywhitenessanditsrewardshavebeencreatedandrecreatedby

policies’.Thesystemicpolicies,structuresandproceduresweorganizeourselvesbyin

contemporarysocietyareallbaseduponsocio-historicalinequalityandracistideologyand

thusthesebeliefsandthebehavioursthatreinforcesthemaredeeplyembeddedinall

aspectsofourlives.Whitenesshasbecomeahidden,unmarked,unnamedcategory

againstwhichdifferenceisconstructed(Lipsitz2006,MoretonRobinson2004,Rudolph

2013).Thedangerinthisisthatsomuchthatisraciallybasedisabletocontinueincovert

246

andubiquitousways,andracismbecomesvisibleonlyatthemostextremeendofaracist

continuum.Lipsitz(2006,p20)describesitthus,

abletodiscernasracistonlyindividualmanifestationsofpersonalprejudiceand

hostility.Systemic,collectiveandcoordinatedgroupbehaviourconsequentlydrops

outofsight.Collectiveexercisesofpowerthatrelentlesslychannelrewards,

resources,andopportunitiesfromonegrouptoanotherwillnotappear“racist”

fromthisperspective,becausetheyrarelyannouncetheirintentiontodiscriminate

againstindividuals.

Taylordefines‘Whiteness’asawayoftalkingaboutapoliticalandlegalframework

groundedintheideologiesofWestern‘supremacy’andtheimpactofcolonialistprocesses

(Taylor2009).Vass(2015,p377)remindsusthatitisimportantto‘distinguishbetween

Whitenessasaracialdiscourseand‘Whitepeople’asasociallyconstructedidentityand

groupthatareoftenthebeneficiariesofWhitenessbasedonskincolour’.Intheanalysis

includedinthischaptertheroleof‘Whiteness’willbeexploredatboththesystemicand

theinterpersonallevels.

8.2.2CriticalRacetheory

CriticalRaceTheory(CRT)isextremelyusefulasatooltointerrogateissuesofraceand

whiteness.Itsbasicpremiseistoviewclaimsof‘neutrality,objectivity,colour-blindness,

andmeritocracy’bythedominantknowledgesystemas‘camouflagesfortheself-interest

ofpowerfulentitiesofsociety’(Gillborn2006,Tate1997,Ladson-BillingsandTate2006,

DixsonandRousseau2006b).Gillborn(2006)suggeststhatthesenotions,despitetheir

veneerofconcernforequityandjustice,infactoperateasamechanismbywhich

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particulargroupsareexcludedfromthemainstream.CRT’smainfocusis‘thebusiness-as-

usualformsofracism’thatare‘normal’andingrainedintotheeverydaysystemsand

practicesratherthantheexamplesofobviousdiscrimination(Delgado&Stefancic,2000).

CRTconsidersraceasthecentralconstructforunderstandinginequality(LadsonBillings

andTate2006).DixsonandRousseau(2006bp48)statethat,

…acentraltenetofCRTistoexaminehowwhitenessaspropertyasanideological

andoppressiveconstructperpetuatesinequalitythroughostensibly“colourblind”

policiesandpractices…CRTgoesbeyondraceandracismasaproductofskincolour

andphenotypetoanalysehowwaysofbeing,knowledgeconstruction,power,and

opportunityareconstructedalongandconflatedwith“race”.

CRTbuildsonWhitenessTheory.WhereasWhitenessTheoryilluminateshowwhitenessis

organizedandunderstoodCRTprovidesadeeplycriticalandradicalquestioningaboutthe

unequaloutcomesthatraceperpetuates.TheoriginsofCRTareinlegalscholarshipinthe

UnitedStates(Monaghan1993).Howeverinthelasttwodecadesconsiderableworkhas

beendoneapplyingCRTtoeducation(DixsonandRousseau2006a).Althoughstillrelatively

new,CRTisbecoming‘amatureandvibrantepistemologicalstancethatscholars

throughouttheworldcanemploytounderstandpersistentinequity,injusticeand

oppression’(DixsonandRousseau2006a,pxii).

AccordingtoMatsudaandothers(1993,p6)CRT‘challengesahistorismandinsistson

contextual/historicalanalysis…(it)adoptsastancethatpresumesracismhascontributedto

allcontemporarygroupadvantageanddisadvantage’.Italso‘insistsonrecognitionof

experientialknowledgeofpeopleofcolourandtheircommunities’(Matsudaetal.1993,p

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6)anddoesthisthroughtheuseofthetoolsofstorytelling,counterstorytellingand

narratives(Delgado1989;DixsonandRousseau2006a&b;Gillborn2006;LadsonBillings

andTate2006).CriticalRaceTheoristsassertthattheuseofstoryallowspeopleofcolour

to‘nameone’sownreality’andtheyprioritisethis‘voicescholarship’despitemainstream

academicchallengesofitbeing‘unscientific’andsubjective(DixsonandRousseau2006a,p

vii).InresponseCriticalRacetheoristsarguethatpoliticalandmoralanalysisissituational,

thattruthonlyexistsforthispersoninthissituationatthistime,andthatsocialrealityis

constructedbytheformulationandtheexchangeofstoriesaboutindividualsituations

(LadsonBillingsandTate2006).CRTsuggeststhattheexchangeofstoriescanhelp

overcomeethnocentrismandprovidethenecessarycognitiveconflicttojardysconscious

racism(LadsonBillingsandTate2006,Delgado1989,King1991).AmaingoalofCRTisto

usestorytellingandnarrativetoexamineraceandracism.ThismakesCRTagoodfitto

theoreticallyanalysetheinductivelyproposedthemesthatcamefromtheteacher

participantnarrativesatthecentreofthisdoctoralresearch,particularlythosethatrelate

totheracism,exclusionandinvisibilityexperiencedbytheteachers.

8.2.3Adiscussioninthreesections

CriticalRaceTheoryandWhitenesstheorywillnowbeusedtoexaminethethematic

findinginthreesections.Thefirstsectionisentitled‘Whitebutnotquite’whichtakesthis

titlefromtheworkofBhabha(1984).ItwilllookatthewaysthatraceandWhitenessnever

allowIndigenousteacherstobefullyequaltotheirnon-Indigenouscounterparts.The

secondsectionisentitled‘KnowledgestatusandWhiteness’.Thissectionexploresthe

inequalityofknowledgesystemsthathasbeendeeplyembeddedintoattitudes,policyand

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curricula.Thethirdsectionlooksmorebroadlyattheexamplesof‘SystemicWhiteness’to

befoundintheteachers’experiences.

8.2.4‘Whitebutnotquite’IndigenousTeachersandmimicry

Oneoftheseventhemesproposedbytheanalysisoftheteachernarrativesfocusedon

ideasofinequality.Thisisperhapsbestencapsulatedinthewordsofoneoftheteacher

participantswhocommented‘they’renotlookingatuslevel’.The‘they’inthiscasearethe

non-Indigenousteachers,PrincipalsandNorthernTerritoryEducationDepartmentalstaff,

aswellaspossiblyuniversityfacultyrelatedtoteachereducation.Inessence‘they’is

referringtoallthosewhorepresentprofessionallytheWesterneducationsystem.The

MATSITIreport(Pattonetal.2012,p.37)notesthatmanyteachereducationstudents

fromremoteIndigenouscommunitiesaremotivatedtoundertakestudyasawayof

possiblyovercomingthe‘subservientpositions(lowpay,lackofrespect)theyencounter

whileemployedasAboriginalteachingassistants’.Thereportalsonotesthatwhileitis

‘hopedthatgainingfullqualificationsasteacherswillredressinequities,Aboriginal

teachersalsoencounterattitudestowardsthemthatactasbarriers’(Pattonetal.2012,p

37).Theseattitudesandbarrierswereopenlydiscussedbytheteacherparticipantsintheir

narratives.Theteachersrepeatedlycommentedonthefactthatevenaftertheyreached

thestatusoffullqualificationtheywerestillrepeatedlytreatedaslessthanequalbythe

‘comeandgo’(Hall2012)non-IndigenousPrincipals,teachersandDepartmentalstaff.

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HomiBhabha(1984)connectstheseattitudesandbehaviourstothecolonialexperienceof

thecolonisedinhistheoryof‘mimicry’.Hesuggeststhat‘Colonialmimicryisthedesirefor

areformed,recognizableOther,asasubjectofdifferencethatisalmostthesame,butnot

quite’(Bhabha1984,p.126).FromhisowncolonialexperienceinIndiahereflectsonthe

Britisharticulateddesirefor‘aclassofinterpretersbetweenusandthemillionswhomwe

govern–aclassofpersonsIndianinbloodandcolour,butEnglishintastes,inopinions,in

moralsandinintellect–inotherwordsamimic‘man’raisedthroughourEnglishschool’

(Bhabha1984,p.128).Thishasapowerfulresemblancetotheattitudestowards

Indigenousteacherswhoareencouragedtopursuetheeducationgoaloffullqualification

asteachers,butthenkeptatarm’slengthfrombeingtreatedasequalsbythe

predominantlywhiteorWesternteachersandPrincipalstheyworkwithintheir

communityschools.InBhabha’stermstheybecome‘Anglicized’butnever‘English’

(Bhabha1984,p.128).Theseteachersfelteventhoughtheyhadbecome‘qualified’inthe

eyesoftheWesternqualificationsystem,theywerenevertrulyregarded,bythosefrom

thedominantWesternculture,asequallycompetent.

Intheirnarrativestheteacherparticipantsdiscussedtimeswhentheyweretreatedasless

thanequaltotheirnon-Indigenouscounterpartswhileintheclassroom.Whentheywere

workingasassistantteachers,oftenstudyingatthesametime,theywereoften

encumberedwithafullyqualifiedteacherwhomostoftenwasnon-Indigenousanddidnot

knowhowtoworkinateamteachingenvironmentandwouldendupusingassistant

teachersforlanguagelessonsonly.Atothertimestheassistantteacherwouldnotbe

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involvedinanythingotherthanbeingcalledontotranslateandmonitorchildren’s

behaviour,effectivelyusedas‘classroompolice’.

Likewearequalifiedteachers.Theydon’tuseusasaqualifiedteacher.Theyuseusto

lookafterthebehaviour.'You'vegottotalktothischild!You'vegottostopthem

fighting!'That'swhattheyuseusfor.Notlikeactprofessionallikethem.

'OhI'mjustthereasapolicemanintheclassroom'

Theparticipantspointedouthowthisnon-collegialbehaviourdiscouragedmanyassistant

teachersfromtakingtheirworkandlearningseriously.

Theteacherparticipantsalsohighlightedtheproblematicnaturethatthehighturnoverof

non-Indigenousteachershadontheiridentityasteachers.Therewasadefaultattitude

displayedbymostnewnon-Indigenousstaffarrivingintothecommunitiesthatall

Indigenousstaffintheschoolmustbeassistantteachersandtheattitudeofthequalified

non-localteacherwasoftentotreatthefullyqualifiedIndigenousteachersassuch.

They'renotlookingatuslevel,whereweare.We'resupposedtobesame

professionallevelandtheystillputusdownlikewe'reanAT

Thiscreatedpowerandhierarchicalissuesinmanyclassrooms,withthenon-Indigenous

teachersimposingpassivehierachicalbarriersthroughactionssuchasrefusingtoletthe

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Indigenousassistantteachersparticipateinupskillingandeducationcoursesonthebasis

thattheywereneededintheclassroomornotoffereingIndigenousteachersaccessto

ProfessionalDevelopmentopportunities.

Inourschoolwe'vegottutoraswell,andstillthat'snotenoughwhentheATgoes

forstudyandthetutoristhere.It'sjustreallydifferentnow.Inourschoolwe'vegot

assistantteacherandatutorineachclassandIthinkthatsnotenoughforthe

whiteteacher.They'renotlettingpeoplego.

Seethisladycameintoourclassroomandsheonlytalkedtomyteamteacherand

youknowIwastherealsoasateacher,butinvisiblesittingthere.

Otherbarriersandinequalitiesweremoreovertsuchasintheconditionsofemployment.

ThecurrentEducationDepartmentpolicyremainsthatnon-localrecruitsareprovidedwith

afullyfurnishedEducationDepartmenthouseforthedurationoftheirtimeworkinginthe

communitywhilelocalrecruitshavetofindtheirownaccommodation.

wefoundoutthatthereweren’tanyequalrightsnotrightsforyapateachers,

Indigenousteachers.Thingsweren’tsameforusbecasuetheyusedtobringkardiya

teachersfromsouth,usingallthatmoneytobringthemintoworkinourcommunity

andwestartedfeelingsad.I’mateacherandIneedtohavesameequalrightswith

kardiyateacher.Justgivingushousing,butlaterontheytookthataway.

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Thisoftenseesfullyqualifiedlocalteacherslivinginovercrowdedhousing,oftenwith

sporadicwaterandelectricity,dependentoncommunityresourcesfornecessaryrepairs

andnoneofthecomfortandsecurityprovidedtotheirnon-Indigenouscolleaguesintheir

Departmentallyprovidedaccommodation.

IronicallyoneoftheotherwaysthatIndigenousteachersarenot‘lookedatlevel’is

throughtheexpectationforthemtotakeonadditionalrolesoncetheywerefullyqualified

thatwerenotrequiredoftheirnon-Indigenouscounterparts.Theschoolleadership

selectivelytreatedtheseteachersasfullyqualifiedstaffmembersorevenschoolleaders

whenitsuitedthem,likeleavingsomeonebyherselfinaclasswithtoomanystudents,

I'vebeentakingthepreschoolersforayearandIhaven’thadanyoneplacedwith

measanassitantteacherbecasuetheythink'Ohshe'sIndigenousshecando

everything!'Costherequirementistenkids,can’tbealoneintheclassroomwith

anymorethanthat,andI'vegotabout14or12.Theynevercomeandaskorlook

forsomeonetoworkwithme.Butifawhiteteacherhadfivekidsohshe'llbe

screamingherheadoff'Ohhhthey'regoingtoattackme!'

AnotherexampleofthisispullingIndigenousteachersoutofclasstoconsultwithvisitors

totheschool.

Sometimesit’snegotiatedtoobythePrincipalandwhoeveriscoming,theypullyou

out,nowarning,justcomeanddragyouout.

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Theseteachersarealsofrequentlycalledupontoactasliaisonbetweentheschoolandthe

parentsandwidercommunity.

IthinkI'vegotthatbiggerrole…alotofthetimesit'sme,calledon,andI'vegottobe

seenasthemainperson,thelocalpersonintheschool.YeahsometimesIdon’tlikeit!

Itellthem'no,getthatotherperson!'butreallyIdon’t...Iseeit,theyreallywant

me…IguessI'veworkedtherelonger

Theyareaskedtospeakonbehalfofothers,ortoaccountforthewhereaboutsoractions

ofothers.TheseextraexpectationsandstressesthatwerecarriedbythelocalIndigenous

teachersarenotpartofwhatthenon-localteacherseverhavetodealwith.Theywere

alsoaskedtomentornewnon-Indigenousstaffarrivinginthecommunity,whichwiththe

highturnoverofnon-localstaffhasbecomeanincreasingburden.OftenotherIndigenous

staffmembersalsolookedtothesequalifiedteacherstotakeontheleadershiproleand

provideguidanceforhowtonavigateandbeheardintheschoolenvironment.Theyalso

feltliketheywereoftenpointedtoas‘rolemodels’forbothotherIndigenousstaffand

students,alabelthatsatuncomfortablyforsomeoftheteacherparticipants.Allofthe

teacherparticipantshadfelttheirroleexpandoverthecourseoftheyears,usuallywithout

anyacknowledgment,additionalremunerationortimereleasetotakeontheextratasks

expectedofthem.

However,despitetheyearsofexperience,knowledgeandskills,despitehavingan

equivalentqualificationanddespitetheextraworkthattheseteacherparticipantstookon,

whensomethingwasepistemologicallyorpedagogicallyimportanttothemtheystillwere

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notsupportedortakenseriously.Sotheexperienceoftheseteachersisthattheyare

valuedasrolemodels(solongastheydemonstrateWesternvaluestowardseducation),

andtheirprimaryrole,despitehavingequivalentWesternqualificationsasotherteachers,

istoactasclassroompolice,translatorsandculturalliaisoncontactswiththecommunity,

butnotasknowledgeholdersorpedagogues.

Hereinliesthemimicryideology.Bhabhalabelsitas‘anerratic,eccentricstrategyof

authorityincolonialdiscourse’explainingthat‘mimicryislikecamouflage,nota

harmonizationorrepressionofdifference,butaformofresemblancethatdiffers/defends

presencebydisplayingitinpart’(1984,p131).TheWesternsystemofeducationinremote

communitiesusesarhetoricofwantingqualifiedIndigenousteachers,butthisrhetoricis

embeddedincolonialdiscoursethatharksbacktothedayswhenIndigenouspeoplewere

excludedfromeducationonthegroundsofbeing‘primitivesavages’and‘feebleminded’

(RussoandRodwell,1989),‘uneducable’(Price2012)and‘childish’and‘backward’

(Moreton-Robinson2004).Therewereincrementalshiftsinattitudeofcoursetowhere

educationwasacknowledgedtobesomewhatusefulforAboriginalchildrentobringthem

uptoa‘usefullaborer’sstandard’(A.K.Elkin,quotedinGrayandBeresford,2008,p205),

orasPricepointsoutsolongastherewasrecognitionthattheywere‘onlyfittolearnto

sew,launder,cook,clean,garden,buildfences,tendlivestockandgenerallyparticipatein

moremenialtasks’(Price2012p4).Rudolph(2013,p214)remindsusthatthe‘remnants

ofcolonialpowerrelationships-inwhichwhitepeoplewereseenassuperior-remain

embeddedinAustralianeducationdiscoursesandinstitutions,despiteovertandstated

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concernforequityandinclusion’.Fogarty(2012)callsittheunresolvedhistoricallegacyof

institutionalizedracism.

ThemerepresenceoffullyqualifiedIndigenousteachersinschoolscausesepistemic

disconcertmentorexistentialcrisis(Verran2013)withinthesystemasaresultofthe

colonialdiscourselegacyaroundIndigenouspeopleandeducation.Thefalsityand

inequalityofattitudethattheteacherparticipantshavespokenaboutintheirnarratives

andhavehadtofightagainsttheirwholecareersstemsfromthecolonialwhitenesswhich

isembeddedinandembodiedbythepeopletheyhavetoworkwithaswellasthesystems

withinwhichtheyhavetooperate.

OthertheoristsworkinginWhitenessTheoryandCriticalRaceTheoryalsodiscussthis

whitenessideology,whichstemsfromthelegacyofcolonization.Lipsitz(2006,p2)

suggeststhat‘ItsuitedEuropeanscoloniststoviewotherracesas‘raciallyinferiorpeople

suited“bynature”forthehumiliatingsubordinationofinvoluntaryservitude’whileatthe

sametimesecuringtheirownhegemonybymanipulatingthemto‘seektherewardsand

privilegesofwhitenessforthemselves’(p3).McGregor(2011,p.xiii)commentsonthe

incrementalandcalculatednatureofchangenotingthat‘Aboriginalpeoplewere

increasinglyincludedinthelifeandmeaningoftheAustraliannation—thoughthis

inclusionwasalwaysconditional,nevercompleteandonlyeveratthebehestofthe

dominantwhitesettlermajority’.InIndigenousteachereducationthisbecamemanifestin

teacherswhojumpedthroughallthehoopsto‘become’teachersbutthiswasalwaysa

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conditionalmembershipofaclubwheretherulescould,andfrequentlydid,changeatany

time.

Thischangeablenatureofthe‘rules’isatoolofwhitenessthatensurescontinuing

hegemony.Whilethe‘IndigenousOther’is‘givenanopportunityofevolving,moreorless

intoawhiteman’(McGregor2011,p5)thiswillneverbefullyallowedbecauseitcreatesa

powerfulandirresolvableparadoxintheWhitepsyche.Theproblemattheheartof

mimicryandassimilationisthatWhitepowerdependsontheaspirationto‘becomelike’,

withouteverbeingabletorealizeit.Assimilationisafalseambitiononthepartofthe

colonizerbecausewhitenesswillalwaysinsistonOthering.InthewordsofMoreton-

Robinson(2004,p76)‘Theexistenceofthosewhocanbedefinedastrulyhumanrequires

thepresenceofotherswhoareconsideredlesshuman.Thedevelopmentofthewhite

person’sidentityrequiresthattheybedefinedagainstother‘lessthanhuman’beings

whosepresenceenablesandreinforcestheirsuperiority’.

Inthepost-colonialcontextarequirementof‘sameness’andconformityhaslargely

replacedtheformalexplicitpolicyofassimilation.Thisthenoftenmanifestsas‘mimicry’

andstrandspeopleinastateoflimbo–neverfullyequalneverabletobefullythesame.

Bhabha(1984)talksaboutthisparadoxwherethe‘colonialauthorityrepeatedlyturnsfrom

mimicry–adifferencethatisalmostnothingbutnotquite–tomenace–adifferencethat

isalmosttotalbutnotquite’(p132).Themenaceisparticularlyobviouswhenfullyqualified

Indigenousteachersrefusetoplaytheirpartandbegood‘mimics’butinsteadmove

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beyondtherolesassignedtothem,andthelimitsthathavebeenmethodicallyputinplace,

andattempttoasserttheirownknowledgeandpedagogicalunderstandings,basednoton

WesternepistemologiesandontologiesbutonIndigenousones.ThisthreatensWhite

hegemonytothecoreandtheresponseisusuallypowerfulandswift.Thisisdiscussed

furtherinthenexttwosectionsonKnowledgeStatusandSystemicWhiteness.

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8.2.5KnowledgestatusandWhitenessenshrinedincurricula

Oneofthekeyexperiencesemergingfromtheteachernarrativeswasthattheyfelt

powerfulformsofexclusionworkingagainstthemintheirworkinschoolsaswellasin

theirownexperienceofteachereducation.Oneofthewaysthattheyfeltthisexclusion

wasthroughtheskillsandknowledgeofthenon-localwesternknowledgeholdersbeing

givenpreferenceovertheskillsandknowledgewithinthelocalcommunity.Specificallyall

oftheteachersspokeaboutIndigenouslanguagesandknowledgesbeingtreatedasless

importantandlessvaluablethattheEnglishlanguageandWesternknowledgesandthe

formerbeingcrowdedoutofthecurriculumbythelatter.

ThisprioritisationwasoftenmadeclearthroughtheactionsanddecisionoftheSchool

Principal.Thenarrativestalkedabouttheinfluentialandpowerfulroleplayedbythe

Principalineithersupporting,enhancingandleadingtheirschooltowardsthekindof

knowledgeworktheteacherparticipantsfeltshouldbeprioritised,orbeingthecauseof

significantdifficultiesandbarrierstothiskindofknowledgework.

…weusedtogotoleadershipmeetingsandIusedtoseethem…coupleofPrincipals

…notwhereIwantedtoseethem…Iwasyouknowforthatparticularprogramand

theywereagainstus.AndIthought…shewasgonnabewithme‘cosIwasgoingfor

programs,butshewasagainstme.

Theteacherparticipantsraisedimportantquestionsaboutthelackofrequirementfor

PrincipalstoshowtheyhadthequalitiesrequiredfromanIndigenousepistemological

pointofviewtoleadinthecontextofaremotecommunityschool.

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Maybehedidn’tknowsorrybusinessorthingsthatwerehappening?BecauseIlost

oneofmysonsinthat1990.YeahandIstayedawayforlikeayearmaybe,from

work.Maybethat…becausesomeKardiyaslikehimweren’treallysupportiveand

good….Culture,culturalthingsthathappened.

Oneteacherparticipantinparticularexplicitlyquestionedhowanon-localpersoncould

achieveahighlevelpositioninherschoolwithoutknowledgeaboutIndigenousculture

thatshefeltwasapre-requisitetoworkinaremoteschool.Shemadethecomparisonthat

toattainanequallyhighpositionshewouldhavetodemonstrateahighlevelofknowledge

andcompetenceinthewesterneducationalsystem.

andsomeonethat'snotreally,youknow…neverhaslearnedanythingabout

Indigenouscultureisalwaysgoingtobethrowingthingsatyou,youknow,blocking

it.Hepretendsheknowsbutthewaywhathetalksaboutitdoesn’tmakeanysense

tome….hedoesn’tknowwhattosayaboutit,torespond…IfanIndigenousperson

want(s)tobeinahigherposition(we’ve)gottogothroughall,gottofaceallthat,

butsometimesyouknownon-Indigenousteacherignoresandtryandpushitback….

Theteacherparticipantsalsohighlightedtheirextensiveexperiencesofmisunderstandings

andmisinterpretationscausedbyPrincipalsandteacherstakingonrolesinschoolswhere

theydon’tunderstandtheimportantculturalnuancesinthatcommunitycontext.

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…wehadalotofchangesofourPrincipals,yeahtheycomewithdifferentideas.

Somewouldcomewith'I'mnotgonnabeafriendhere,I'mjustheretocleanupthe

mess'youknow'withmypower'.

Theymadespecificmentionoftheimpactthishadoncommunitybasedteachereducation

programswhenrepeatedlyschoolbasedsupportwaswithdrawnfortheteacherswho

werestudyingwhenthePrincipaldidnotunderstandthingsfromaculturalorcommunity

basedperspective.

He(Principal)wasn’treallysupportive….becausemaybehedidn’thelpmethrougha

lotofthings,likemaybehedidn’twantmetostudyoranythinglikethat

WhenIdidmypracteachingandIwasworkinginthatlittleroom,doingplanning,no

helpfromthePrincipal,lawa,nohelpingwithplanningoranything

Ultimatelyeachoftheteacherparticipantshadfelttheeffectoftoomuchpowerinthe

handsofthenon-Indigenousleadershipandtheblatantdisrespectanddisregardfor

Indigenouswaysofknowingandknowledgesystems.

AustralianIndigenousscholarAileenMoreton-Robinson(2004)helpsustounderstand

someofwhatishappeningunderneaththesurfaceofthesebehavioursthroughan

examinationofWhiteness.Sheexplainsthat‘Whitenessasanepistemologicalapriori

providesforawayofknowingandbeingthatispredicatedonsuperiority’(p75).Inother

wordsingeneralnon-Indigenouspeoplewillcomeintoaneducationalspaceandassume

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thattheirwayofknowingisprimaryandsuperiorandthereforeshouldtakepriorityinthe

children’s’learning.Thisbehaviourissteepedinthepoliticalhistorythatarrivedin

Australiawiththecolonists.SincetheEnlightenment,thedominantepistemological

positionwithintheWesternworldhasbeenthewhiteCartesianmalesubjectwhose

disembodiedwayofknowinghasbeenpositionedinoppositionto…Indigenouspeople’s

productionofknowledge(Moreton-Robinson2000).Oncetheworldmovedintothe

periodofEmpireandcolonialexpansionthesewhiteAnglonations,representing

themselvesastheholdersoftruehumanity,‘positionedthemselvesasthe

liberators…bringingcivilizationtoanuncivilizedpeople’(Moreton-Robinson2004,p78).It

isinterestingthattheteacherparticipantsinthisdoctoralresearchstudyindicatedthat

thisformofknowledgeexclusionmightwellbeareasonthatwoulddiscourageother

Indigenousteachersfromwantingtopursuefurthereducationandtraining.

Theexclusionthattheteacherparticipantshaveexperiencedthroughouttheircareersisat

timesembodiedintheunequalregardinwhichtheirlanguagesareheldbynon-Indigenous

colleaguesandleaders.Oneparticipantpointedtothedecisionsmadeaboutcurriculum,

sayingthatPrincipalsinsistthatsomeelementsofthecurriculumweretaughtwhile

ignoringandnotmakingtimeforotherpartsofthecurriculum.

Howcomethiscurriculum,thisiswhatyou'vegottodointheclassroomandthis

Principal,boss,doesthewrongthings...We’vegotthatlanguageandculture

programintheschoolandthey’vegotnothingtolose,whiteteachers,ifthat

programgoes,‘costhey’vegottheseotherprograms,Englishones...Theycanjust

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change,change,changetheprogram.We’veonlygotthisoneprogramthatwe

wanttoholdontoandit’sverysadtoseeitgo...It’simportant,wewanttohold

ontoit.Itcomeswithouridentity.Theydon’tcare.

ThisisparticularlysointhecaseofAustralianIndigenouslanguagesandculturebeing

taughtaspartofthecurriculumandspecificallyinrelationtothehistoryofbilingual

educationinremotecommunitiesintheNorthernTerritory.

…weweregivingallourideastothembutnottakingtheright,youknowthey

weren’tbringingtherightideasbacktous,becauselikebilingualteachingwouldbe

like'literacylearning'theywouldbringthatanotherwordinbecausemaybethey

didn’tliketheword‘bilingual’.Theywouldchangethatbilingualprogramintoa

'literacyprogram'whichwasnotthefullideaofbilingual,onlyfewthingsthatthey

wouldpickouttomakeitlooklikebilingualbutyoucallit'literacyprogram'torunin

theschool

Theseprogramsareconstantlyunderthreatofhavingtheirfundingreducedorcut

altogetherandareattheconstantmercyofkneejerkpolicyresponsesasevidencedbythe

overnightparliamentarydecisiontointroducea‘FourhoursofEnglish’policyin2008

(NorthernTerritoryGovernment,2008).

Asitis,theseIndigenousculturalknowledge-basedprogramsareseenasdiscreteunitsto

betaughtinisolation,ratherthanasthefoundationforembeddinglocalknowledgeinto

thecurriculumthroughtheuseofthelocalcommunitylanguage.Thestatusofthese

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programsbecomereducedtotrivialexamplesandartefactsofculturesuchasfoods,

singingsongsordancing,readingfolktalesandotherlessthanscholarlypursuitsinsteadof

engagingwithrecognitionofafundamentallydifferentbutequallyimportantconceptionof

knowledge(Ladson-BillingsandTate2006).Alltoooftenthecatchalltermof‘cultural

inclusiveness’(Wilson2014,p85)isinvokedtotalkaboutthewaythat‘culture’can

functiontosupportthebusinessoftheWesternschoolingagenda.Fogarty,Lovelland

Dodson(2015,p12)talkabouthowbyusingthisapproach‘Aboriginalcultureneedonlybe

takenintoconsiderationintworespects…whereculturalnormsorcommonbehaviours

mightactasanimpedimenttoeducationalsuccess…(or)whereAboriginalinvolvementor

culturalactivitiescanbeusedasastrategyforincreasingstudentinvolvementinschool

activities,orinincreasingstudentcompliancewiththeeducationdepartment’sobjectives’.

‘Culture’isonlytheretoservetheagendaofwhiteness.Thisindicatesanimportantpower

differentialinwhodecideswhatisimportantinacurriculasenseandhowthatisdefined.

Ladson-BillingsandTate(2006)useaCriticalRaceTheorylenstoexplainwhatishappening

here.Theyexplainthiswiththefollowingstatement:

Whenstudentsarerewardedonlyforconformitytoperceived“whitenorms”or

sanctionedforculturalpractices(e.g.,dress,speechpatterns,unauthorized

conceptionsofknowledge),whitepropertyisbeingrenderedalienable.(Ladson-

BillingsandTate2006,p22)

Theyfurtherexplainhowtheavailabilityofenrichedintellectualpropertydefinesa

person’s“opportunitytolearn”.Sobyenshriningwhatconstitutesenrichedintellectual

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propertyintoeducational“standards”thatdetailwhatstudentsshouldknowandbeable

todothedominantsystemturnsstandardizededucationintoa‘formofintellectual

property’(Ladson-BillingsandTate2006,p18.).Sointhisway,throughastandardized

curriculum,Whitenessactslikepropertythatcanaddvaluetoyourstandingifyou

conform,ordecreasevaluetoyourstandingifyourebel.Indigenousknowledgeisreduced

tothestatusof‘culturalinclusivity’andisonlyincludedasamechanismtochannel

studentstowardsthewhitecurriculum.

Oneofthefourfunctionsofwhitenessasproperty,accordingtoCRT,is‘reputationand

statusproperty’.Ladson-BillingsandTate(2006)suggestthattoidentifyaschoolprogram

asnon-whiteisanywayistodiminishitsreputationorstatus,andtheyofferthespecific

exampleofbilingualeducationintheUnitedStates.ArecentexampleofthisinAustraliais

thedecisioninNewSouthWalestomakeAboriginallanguagesaHSC(finalyearofhigh

school)subjectfrom2016,butthequalificationthatthesubjectwillbedesignatedasa

‘content-endorsedcourse,whichmeansitwillnotcounttowardsastudent'sATAR’

(Universityentrancerankingscore)(Bagshaw2015).Thismeansthatitwillnotbeasubject

thatwillsupportstudentswithpointstowardstheirUniversityentrancescore.Asasubject

itwillnotholdthestatusofEnglish,orevenofanotherlanguagesuchasFrenchor

Indonesian.

AdditionallyCRTpointsoutthatanotheroneofthefourpropertyfunctionsofwhitenessis

the‘rightstouseandenjoyment’andthatthisrightisalsoreflectedinthestructureofthe

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curriculumwhich‘emphasizescriticalthinking,reasoningandlogic’(Ladson-Billingsand

Tate2006,p23).Themainstreamcurriculuminschoolsisbasedonwhiteculturalvalues

andknowledgecategories.Studentsarerequiredtodemonstratetheabilitiestooperatein

thesewaysinordertobesuccessful,whichinturnadvantagesthoselearnerswhoshare

thisepistemologicalstandpointanddisadvantageslearnerswhodonot.Moreton-Robinson

(2004,p79)agreesthat‘Representationsofwhitenesscontinuetobeenshrinedin

curricula’anddeliberatelycreateinequalitiesbecause‘withinwhiteness’sregimeofpower

allrepresentationsarenotofequalvalue:somearedeemedtruthfulwhileothersare

classifiedasfictitious’(p76).ThuswhitenessandWesternepistemologiesarecreatedas

‘normativerepresentations’(p77).Inthiswaywhitenessbecame‘thesystemofbeliefs,

valuesandknowledgethatcreatedaracialhierarchy(that)placedwhitenessatthetop’(p

87).Itisthishierarchicalbeliefthatisguidingthedecisionsofthenon-Indigenous

Principalsandteacherswithregardtowhatknowledgeisdeemedimportantforinclusion

intheschoolcurriculum,andisguidingteachereducationfacultiesforwhatneedstobe

includedinteachereducation.

Apowerfulexampleofthiskindofcurriculumprioritysettingistherelegationof

Indigenousknowledgeto‘LanguageandCulture’programsandtheabsolutelycentralityof

thewestern(Anglo-derived)‘literacyandnumeracy’agendainIndigenouseducationnow,

asdiscussedinChapters2and3.Itshouldbenotedthatthiswasnotalwaysthecase.

Therewasaperiodduringthe1970sand1980swhenamoreholisticviewofknowledge

andlanguagewastakenwithregardstoIndigenouseducationinremotecommunities.This

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isexemplifiedinthefollowingexcerptfromtheintroductionofthebilingualeducation

policyintheNorthernTerritory,

…theaimisforthesechildrentocommencetheirschoolingintheirownlanguage,

proceedtotheacquisitionofliteracyskillsinthatlanguage,thenacquireliteracyin

EnglishandhavemostoftheirsubsequentschoolinginEnglish(Tandy1973,p21)

ThisgaverisetoagenerationofIndigenousteachersfromremotecommunities

undertakingteachereducationandthroughthatprocessfindingavoicetoarticulatetheir

ownideasaboutwhateducationmeantfromanIndigenousstandpoint.Anexampleofthis

isthefollowingquotefromYolnguscholarDrMarika,

Educationmeansmorethanjusthavingprintliteracyintwolanguages–itmeans

havingstrongemphasisonYolnguknowledgeaswell.Indoingthiswearetryingto

getawayfromthe‘ThreeLittlePigsinGumatj’ideaandbringpropercultural

knowledgeintotheschool.(Marika1999,p112)

Marikahowever,soundsawarningbellabouttheproblematicsystembasedchangesshe

alreadysawcomingoverthehorizonatthatpointintime,includingtheintroductionof

standardizedtesting,literacybenchmarksandlanguageprofiling(Marika1999,pp.10-11).

Sadly,aroundthetimethatqualifiedIndigenousteachersfromremotecommunitiesinthe

NorthernTerritorywerefindingwaysofarticulatingtheirideasaboutIndigenous

knowledgeandpedagogyinschools(Bunburyetal1991;Blitneretal,2000)theeconomic

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rationalist,neo-liberal,marketdrivenagendawasinfullswing.Inthisnewpoliticaland

economicparadigmclassroomteacherswere

expectedtoshapestudentsinwaysthatwillallowthemtoproduceandconsumein

theglobalmarketplace.Toaidinthiseconomicassimilation,thisdehumanizing

process,teachersarefrequentlyhandedscripted,standardizedcurricula

(Weilbacher2012,p2).

Akeymechanisminensuringtheproductionoftheseproducingandconsumingeconomic

unitswastheproductionofastandardisedcurriculumthatcentredaroundmeasurable

literacyandnumeracylevels.Thestandardizedtestingbecameanincreasinglycentralway

ofassessingtheselevelsandbecamethecorefocusofwhatteacherswereexpectedteach

towards.Smee(2013)notesthatastheyearswentbytheNationalAssessmentProgram,

LiteracyandNumeracy(knownasNAPLAN)resultscontinuedtopaintableakpictureabout

theprogressbeingmadein‘literacyandnumeracy’forIndigenousstudents,particularly

thosefromremotecommunitiesintheNorthernTerritory.Thisledtoevenmoreintensive

emphasisontheneedforteachertofocusonthisattheexpenseofallotheraspectsofthe

curriculum.

Thisnarrowcurriculafocusandheavyemphasisonstandardizedtestingcreatesanumber

ofentrenchedinequalities.Young(1990,p209)pointsoutthat‘Standardisedtesting,while

oftenpresentedasvalue-freeandneutral,hasbeenfoundtogiveadvantagetothoseof

thedominantcultureasthetestsoftenreflectparticularvaluechoicesandcultural

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meanings’.Rudolph(2013)givessomeexamplesofhowthishappensfromtheAustralian

context,

thesetestsshowpeopleusingEnglishandMathematicalknowledge.Whenthe

peopleportrayedinthesescenariosarepredominantlyofAnglooriginand

experience,itcanhavetheeffectofsuggestingitispeoplelikethisthataresuccessful

andconfidentusersofthisknowledge….studentswho…canseethemselvesoraspects

oftheirexperiencesrepresentedandthesituationsportrayedaremorelikelytobe

thosetheyhaveexperienced,thusenablingthemtoconnectwhatisbeingaskedof

themintheteststotheirownexperiences….whilethosewhohavetoimaginethese

scenariosandstruggletoconnecttheirownexperience(p212).

Vass(2015)highlightsthatthisneo-liberal,marketdrivenapproachreductivelyequates

improvededucational‘achievements’withpotentialeconomicsecurity,invitingthose

involvedineducationtofocusonnumerical(test-based)improvements,ratherthana

moreholisticstudent-centredapproachtoschooling.Inthisneo-liberalparadigm

educationisrepositionedas‘technicalandbureaucratic’ratherthan‘socio-politicaland

pedagogic’(Fogarty,LovellandDodson2015,p3).

Morerecentlythisstrongemphasison‘literacyandnumeracy’hasfinallyinfiltratedthe

TeacherEducationsystemwiththe2014‘ActionNow:ClassroomReadyTeachers’report

recommendingthat‘entrantstoinitialteachereducationprograms…havepersonalliteracy

andnumeracylevelsbroadlyequivalenttothetop30percentofthepopulation(Action

Now:ClassroomReadyTeachers2014,p.12).By2015ameasurementmechanismhadalso

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beendevelopedintheformof‘TheTest–anationalLiteracyandNumeracytestforpre-

serviceteachers’(AustralianGovernmentDepartmentofEducationandTraining,viewed

24/9/2015).Bymakingthisabenchmarkrequirement,therequirementforWhitenessin

teachershasbecomeentrenched.Theculturalandlinguisticbackground,knowledge,

languageandskillsofTeacherEducationcandidateshasallbeenrelegatedtobeingmuch

lessimportantthattheirlevelofEnglishliteracyandwesternnumeracy.Wilson(2014p.

196)notesthatthecombinationofthe‘lowliteracylevelofcandidates’andtheAustralian

InstituteofSchoolLeaderships(AITSL)‘requirementsthatteachereducationstudentsare

inthetop30%ofthecommunityinliteracy’haspresentedbarriersforIndigenousteacher

educationstudents,andsuggeststhatthishasimpactedonrecruitment.

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8.2.6Systemicwhitenessandinstitutionalracism

Bothoftheprevioustwosectionsonmimicryandknowledgestatusareexamplesofhow

whitenesspermeatestheentireeducationalsysteminremoteIndigenouscommunitiesin

CentralAustralia.Herewediscussadditionalwaysthatwhitenessisembeddedinto

educationalinstitutionsattheDepartmentallevel,theleadershiplevelandthe

interpersonallevel.

8.2.6.1SystemicwhitenessattheDepartmentlevel

Despitethedecadesthathavepassedthecolonial,assimilationistideologyisstillaliveand

wellinremoteNorthernTerritorySchools.Itisnotasobviousasitusedtobebecausethe

timeshavechangedandwiththemthevocabularyanddiscoursesused.Buttheideologyof

whitenessremainsthereasfirmlyasiteverwas.InCriticalRaceTheorywhitenessistalked

aboutintermsoffourpropertyfunctions.Oneofthesefunctionsisthe‘absoluterightto

exclude’whichineducationwasmanifestedmostobviouslyinthepastbyinitiallydenying

anyonewhowasnon-whiteaccesstoschoolingaltogether,andlaterbythecreationof

separateschools(Ladson-BillingsandTate2006p.22).Theoccurrenceofthisinthe

NorthernTerritorycontextwasdescribedindetailatthebeginningofChapter2.Itis

importanttounderstandingthissocio-historicalcontextofracismandwhitenessas

backgroundtomanyofthebehavioursweseestilloccurringinschools,eventhoughat

timestheyarehardertosee.CarmichaelandHamilton(1967)notedthat‘institutional

racism...islessovert,farmoresubtle,lessidentifiableintermsofspecificindividuals

committingtheacts.Butitisnolessdestructiveofhumanlife.[It]originatesinthe

operationofestablishedandrespectedforcesinthesociety,andthusreceivesfarless

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publiccondemnation’(Carmichael&Hamilton,1967,inCashmore&Jennings,2001,p.

112).Someofthese‘establishedandrespectedforces’presentthemselvesintheformof

governmentandeducationpoliciesandpractices.Gillborn(2006,p.11)reinforcesthis

criticalinsightandthatwenowfindourselvesinaneraof‘thedevelopmentofincreasingly

racistandexclusionaryeducationpoliciesthatoperatebeneaththeveneerofprofessed

toleranceanddiversity…de-politicizedandmanagerialistlanguageofschooleffectiveness

andimprovement’.

Theteacherparticipantsinthisresearchwereallacutelyawareofthegreatshiftsinpower

andcontrolthattheyexperiencedatthehandsofwhattheycalled‘TheDepartment’or

‘TheOffice’.Heretheyarereferringtothebureaucratic,policyandfinancialpowerover

thedailyoperationofremoteschoolswieldedbytheEducationDepartmentofthe

NorthernTerritory.Inparticulartheypointedoutthevastpower‘TheDepartment’hadin

relationtotheresourcingandfundingofprogramsandstaffingintheirschools.Theywere

alsopainfullyconsciousoftheall-importantre-introductionofthe‘Englishonly’agendaof

theDepartmentalschools.

Someparticipantscouldremembertheexactmomentwhentheyfeltthepowerof‘The

Department’sweepinandtakecontrol,

DepartmentofEducation…Youknowtheygotabit'youneedtostartteachingthe

goodthingsnow,goodway.Becausefrom(under)thattreetothatclassroomnow,

youcanteachlikebetterEnglishyouknow.

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Othersspokeofexperiencingthispowerintheformofdecisionsmadeaboutresourcesat

theirschool,

…weusedtohaveasecondaryclasstoobutgovernmentnowIdon’tknow,

governmentcuttingfundingandteachers,cutting...

AtothertimesthisWhitenesswasexperiencedasanabsenceofsupport.Someteacher

spokeaboutthelackofsupportandorientationtotheworkofbeingateacherprovidedby

‘TheDepartment’whentheyfirstbecamefullyqualified,

SowhenIfirstbecameateacherinmyclassroomtheysaid'yeahgoaheadthisisall

yourstuffand...teach!'Buttherewerealsorulesthere,andlawsfromeducation,I

wasexpectedtolearnthembutIdidn’thaveanyonetellingme,Ihadtogoaloneand

justtryingtodomybest.

Othersspokeofthefactthatdespitebeingaskedtotakeonconsiderableadditional

workloadsandresponsibilitiesandconcurrentlybuildinguptheirownexperiencethey

experiencedanabsenceofopportunity,mentoringorsupporttohelpthemadvancetheir

careersastheygainedmoreexperience.Manyoftheotherstoriessharedinthistheme

relatedtothelackofsupporttheseteachersfelttheyreceivedandhowthiswasaformof

inequalityandexclusion.Teachersspokeofseeingothernon-Indigenouscolleague

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advancearoundthemandtryingtoseekguidanceandsupporttofollowinasimilarcareer

path,butbeingblockedorstymiedthroughoutthecourseoftheircareers

…attheendIwasaskingformoreequalitylike,inlikeseniorpositions,notinthe

classroom.CosI’vegotalotofskillsintheclassroom,practices.Buttomovemeas

likebeaconsultantorsomethingthatIwantedtoaskfor…(but)nobodywas

interestedtoaskme…theywerejustaskingmetodothisanddothat,tomaketheir

….jobsveryinterestingortomaketheirjobseasy…Iwasyouknowgivingtothem

butIdidn’tgetsomethingback.

IwantedtochangetonextlevelwhichIdidn’tgetitbecauseofthebureaucrats.I

reallywantedtobenexttosomeonewho'sbigbosslike(name)orsomeone.Iwanted

tobewiththemsothateducationinIndigenouscommunitiescanyouknowgohow

wewantittogoandIreallywantedtostepintodothat,buttherewasnosupport

IseeyouknowteacherswhoaretherealongtimeIseethemgetintonewroles,

steppingoutoftheclassroomandgivenaprofessionaljobslikeESL,co-ordinatoror

mentorforteachingteacherswhoarefirstout-jobslikethatyouknow,I(sh)ould

havebeenoffered(the)challenge(ofthe)nextlevel

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Evenmorethanreceivingnosupporttoadvance,theseteachersspokeofmanytimes

when‘TheDepartment’intervenedattheschoolleveltoremoveIndigenousteachersfrom

positionsofauthorityandputnon-Indigenouspeopleintheirplace,

…mustbesomeoneintheOfficeischanging,awa…changingandputtingwhitefellas

andpushingAnanguoutside.

Wedidalotofstudy,alotofhardwork….somethingcameacrossandtookitover.I

didalittlebit,maybeforcoupleofyearsItookover.Thensomethingcameoverand

pushedmeout…MaybeEducationDepartmentyouknow.I'mthinkingyouknow,I'm

thinkingotherwayround,maybeEducationDepartmentyouknow,they'renot

lookingatusbecauseweareAboriginal.That'swhy.Becauseofourskin.

Soconsistentandfamiliarwasthistypeofexperiencefortheteacherparticipantsthatthe

onlyexplanationthatmadesensewasovertinstitutionalracism.

8.2.6.2SystemicwhitenessandpowerintheformoftheschoolPrincipal

InmanyinstancestheschoolPrincipalbecamethelocalinstrumentof‘TheDepartment’to

enactpoliciesdecreedfromonhigh.Manyoftheteacherparticipantscommentedonthe

highturnoverofPrincipals,thepowertheyyieldandthedamagetheycandointheshort

timeoftheirtenureattheschool.Inparticulartheteacherparticipantscommentedon

Principalsbeingopenlyhostiletotheirteachingstaffandcausingagreatdealofanxiety

andconflictattheschool.Thisinmanycaseswouldbedirectlyrelatedtothehighturnover

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ofnon-Indigenousteachersatthatschool,addingtotheinstability.Theyalsotalkedabout

thelackofpowerexperiencedbylocalcommunityteachersinmattersoverteacher

recruitmentaswellasdecidingwhichonesneededtoleave,

…wehadalotofchangesofourPrincipals,yeahtheycomewithdifferentideas.

…someteachersleftbecauseofher,yeahtheysaid'Ican’tworkwhenshe'shere,I

willcomebackwhenthere'sanotherPrincipal'.

…Badonesstaylongtime,butwewanttotrytogetridofthem,wepushthemaway

butgoodonestheygoquickly.

OneofthewaysthatPrincipalswieldedtheirpowerwastocreateaveneerofconsultation

withtheIndigenousteachersandthecommunitymembersbuttoultimatelynotlistento

anyadviceorguidanceoffered,andthenusetheirpowertoactindependently,usually

accordingthewishesof‘TheDepartment’.

Idon’tknowwhyshecomesandasksme?...ifshe'snotgoingtolisten,justtomake

mehappy,showmethepieceofpaper,soIcan’tthink'OhI'mpartofthisaswell'...

Shedidn’treallywanttolistentome.

Hehadthatpowerforhimselftoruleoverusandhewasn’tlistening,hewashurting

us,hewasdoingthingshisway.Hedidn’twanttolistentoanybody.

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…thingswerehappeningaroundlikePrincipalwouldspeaktoastaffmemberor

otherTjulkurrainsteadoftellingoraskingme…Principalwouldtakeitoverandstart

doingitonhisown.

TherewasalsoanumberofcommentsaboutthePrincipalsusingtheirpowertoreinforce

theirownpositionandsecuritywithinthesystem.SomeexamplesinvolvedthePrincipal

circumnavigatingthelocalstaffbyrecruitingtheirownpeopletoworkintheschool.This

sortof‘stackingthedeck’wasexperiencedasawayofkeepingallthepowerina

concentratedway.Oneparticipantremarked‘Theycomewithbadpowers’.

Shewantstodoitherownway...shewasusingherownpowertorunherdown,run

overher...shedidthatwithherownpowerbutshedidn’tsharethatwithothers

…healreadyhadahighpositionwhenhe'saPrincipal,butgivingthatET2

(leadership)positiontohisfamilywhichnoteacherstheredidn’tgetit.Evenusasa

Yapateacher,lawa.

Anothermoreinsidiousmanifestationofexclusionarypowercamedisguisedofteninthe

formoffriendshiporkindness.Manyoftheteacherparticipantsdiscussedtimeswhenthey

wereexperiencingdifficultiesintheirlives.Therewereanumberofexamplesgivenof

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schoolleadersandPrincipalsinparticularusingtheseissuesasanopportunitytorelegate

thesequalifiedteacherstoparaprofessionalandassistantlevelpositionsinwaysthatare

unimaginableiftheteacherswerewhite,

…theysaid'ohyoujustneedtosignthisformhereandthenyou'llbecomean

assistantteacher',straightawayinsteadofgivingusahand,'we'lljustgiveyou

maybesixmonthsleaveorayearoff'

(Principalsaid)'youwillstillbeateacher'…butnotonthesalaryside,palya?It'sonly

assistantteacherpay….hewastryingtohelpmelike'you'rehavingproblemsathome

andgettingstressed,andIwanttohelpyou'.

Thiskindofbackhanded‘help’isidentifiedbyDixsonandRousseau(2006b,p.41)as‘false

empathy’.Theyidentifyitasapaternalisticformofempathywhichisacommon

characteristicofwhiteliberals.Delgado(1996)alsorefertothisideaoffalseempathy

whena‘whitebelievesheorsheisidentifyingwithapersonofcolour,butinfactisdoing

soonlyinaslight,superficialway’(p.12)orindeedhelpingsomeonelessfortunatethan

themnavigateasituationina‘fundamentallyjustsociety’(p.91).Thistypeofbehaviouris

alsolinkedtoFriere’snotionof‘falsegenerosity’(Friere1972,p.21),whichpointsoutthat

anychangeinthestatus,particularlytheadvancementofthosebeinghelped,threatens

thepositionofthehelper.BasedonFriere’sargument,inaremoteschoolifanIndigenous

teacherbecomesfullyqualifiedthenthatreducestheneedforandthreatensthestatusof

non-Indigenousfullyqualifiedteachers.Sotheraciallyprivilegedarepossessivelyinvested

inthestatusquoandwillbehaveinwaysthatprotectthatprivilege(Lipsitz2006).

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8.2.6.3Interpersonalwhiteness

Manyoftheexamplesofbeingexcluded,madetofeelinferiororeveninvisiblehappened

intheeverydayworkingoftheschool.Itmanifestedusuallyintheselectiverefusalbytheir

whitecounterpartstoacknowledgethesefullyqualifiedteachersasequaltothemselves.

sometimesthatteamteachercanbelikeabossinthatclassroom,andshe'sputting

medown

Wewerehavingastaffmeeting.Onlynon-Indigenousstafftheytalktoeachother

insteadoftalkingtoAnangustaff,andonedayIbangedthetableandsaidtothem

'heyweareAnangustaffhere,we'renotinvisible.Wewanttoshareourideastoo!'

Theyallstoppedtalkingandputtheirheadsdown.Isaid'youonlycomeandgo,but

wearehere,westayhereforalongtime'.

Sheleftmeout,shedidn’tincludeme,Iwasjustaninvisiblepersonsittingthere.

…'YouthinkI'mastudentwiththem?'Itoldthemyouknowtheyshouldrecogniseus

too!

Intheirhomecommunitiestheseteacherparticipantsaresomeoftheveryfewpeople

whohavecompletedhighereducationqualifications.Thismeansthattheywereoften

calleduponbyotherorganizationsandcommitteestoberepresentativecommunity

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members,decision-makersandadvisoryconsultants.Thishigher-levelrepresentativework

isoftenworkthatisentirelyshoulderedbytheIndigenousstaffintheschools.However,

insteadoftheseextrarolesbeingrewardedandacknowledgedintheschools,theteacher

participantsspokeinsteadoftheexperienceofliterallybeingexcludedfromwithin-school

conversations,professionaldialoguesanddecision-makingprocesses.

…strangethingswerehappeningandonlypeoplethatworkedamongthemselves

wereyouknowkeepingitforthemselvesinsteadofengagingme.

…Iwasalittlebitfeelingthat,thattheywerecriticizingme,butneverseenin

action,butfelt.

Gillborn(2006)arguesthatacharacteristicwhiteassumptionisthatracismissimpleand

crudeandobvious.However,institutionalracismisfrequentlyunintendedandhidden.At

thesystemlevelitsagendaissocialcontrolthroughtheinsistenceon‘sameness’.Atthe

interpersonallevelsuchbehaviourisoftenaproductof‘dysconsciousracism’onthepart

ofthosebelongingtothedominantrace.Thesedifferenceswillbediscussedbelow.

8.2.6.4Standardisationandthequalityagenda

Theracebasedconversationsofthe1960sand1970sduringthecivilrightsmovement

advancedlegalequalityforpeopleofdifferentracesinplacessuchastheUnitedStatesof

AmericaandAustralia.HoweverasGillborn(2006,p.26)remindsus‘racismiscomplex,

contradictory,andfast-changing’.Sonowwearefacedwithacontemporaryrealitywhere

thelanguagehaschangedbutnottherealityofraceinequality(Gillborn2006).Racismhas

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certainlybecomewellcamouflaged(Tate1997,p.235)tothepointwheremostcommonly

weare‘abletodiscernasracistonlyindividualmanifestationsofpersonalprejudiceand

hostility.Systemic,collectiveandcoordinatedgroupbehavioursconsequentlydropoutof

sight.Collectiveexercisesofpowerthatchannelrewards,resources,andopportunities

fromonegrouptoanotherwillnotappear‘racist’fromthisperspective,becausethose

exercisingthepowerrarelyannouncetheirintentiontodiscriminateagainstindividuals

designatedasraciallydifferent.Yetthey‘nonethelessgiveracialidentitiestheirsinister

socialmeaningbygivingpeoplefromdifferentracesvastlydifferentlifechances’(Lipsitz

2006,p20).DelgadoandStefanic(2000,pxvi)callracism‘aningrainedfeatureofour

landscape’andMacpherson(1999,p.321)defines‘InstitutionalRacism’as:

…thecollectivefailureofanorganisationtoprovideanappropriateandprofessional

servicetopeoplebecauseoftheircolour,culture,orethnicorigin.Itcanbeseenor

detectedinprocesses,attitudesandbehaviourwhichamounttodiscrimination

throughunwittingprejudice,ignorance,thoughtlessnessandraciststereotyping

whichdisadvantageminorityethnicpeople.

Sohowdoesthissystemicorinstitutionalracismmanifestineducationandspecificallyin

teachereducation?Ithappensinmanyways,butonepowerfulexamplecanbefoundin

therecentcreationof‘ProfessionalStandardsforTeachers’andinthediscoursearound

‘qualityteaching’.Gillborn(2006)remindsusthattheuseofdiscourseisoneoftheprime

meansbywhichacriticalperspectiveisdeniedlegitimacyandthestatusquoisdefended.

The‘quality’discourseisusedbecauseitishardtoargueagainst.Noonewantstoargue

thattheteachersinourschoolsshouldnotbeofhighquality.Theproblemwiththeuseof

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thistermisthatitisdefinedthroughaculturallens.Boththeumbrellaterm‘quality

teachers’andthesetofProfessionalStandardsforTeachers(AustralianInstitutefor

TeachingandSchoolLeadership2011),thatnowexisttofleshoutwhatwemeanby

quality,originatefromawhite,Englishspeaking,Westernizedepistemologicalperspective.

Butinsidiouslytheyarepresentedasrepresentativesof‘transcendent,acontextual,

universal…truthsorprocedures’(Ladson-BillingsandTate2006,p.20).Weilbacher(2012,

p.2)putsitsuccinctlyassertingthat‘standardizationisWhiteness’andlabelling

educationalstandardsa‘currentpowerfulexampleofthedeliberatenatureofdominance’.

The‘quality’discourseisportrayedas‘educationalcommonsense’(Gillborn2006,p.12)

butitisdangerousinthatitsetsupaninvisiblebinary.Ifsomethingcanbemeasuredas

highqualitythenotherthingscanberelegatedasloworlowerquality.Itisincreasingly

ubiquitousinreportsandresearchwrittenaboutteachersinAustralia,andhasdeveloped

intothedefaultpositionofhowthesystemwishestodefinetheprofessionalroleof

teachers.

Inordertobeassessedas‘quality’teachercandidatesneedtomeetasetofquality

‘standards’thataredefinedbyaWesternepistemology,assessedbyandlargebypeople

fromaWesternworldviewtoreinforceasystemthatprivilegestheWesternknowledge

andpowerstructure.Otherconsiderationsaboutwhatconstitutes‘quality’inaparticular

contexthavebeensystematicallysidelined,devalued,givenalowerprioritythereby

creatinganational‘norm’.Weilbacher(2012,p.4)pointsoutthatwithinthecurrent

standardsenvironment‘eachcommunityisforcedtode-centeritsculturalknowledgeand

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attempttoreachstandardsthatarewrittenandimposedbyentitiesthathavelittleorno

knowledgeofthecommunity’sphysicallocation,history,andeconomyandtheunique

socialrelationshipstothosefactors’.Oneofthemanyproblemswiththisapproachisthat

itisaformofwhatLeonardo(2009)calls‘Whitenessaspolicy’thatrelieson‘race-neutral’

assumptionsthatwilfullyignorethepoliticalandsocio-historicaleventsthatoriginally

createdandnowsustaininequality.Gillborn(2005)buildsonthisideasuggestingthat

policytendstobebuiltonwhathascomebeforeit,withcontemporarypolicyneedingto

beseentoimproveandadapttoevolvingcircumstancesanddemands.Heconnectsthisto

asanitizedorwhitewashedversionofhistorythatseespolicyasarationalprocessof

changewhileconvenientlyignoringthefactthattheprocessremainsembeddedwithina

particularontologicalandepistemologicalframework.

ThisepistemologicalstandpointisvisibleinthelanguagearoundIndigenousteachers

wherethewordqualityisoftenqualifiedbyreferencetolowliteracyandnumeracyskills–

asiftohighlightthatautomaticallytheseliteracyandnumeracylevelsarethemost

importantaspectofwhethersomeoneishighqualityornot.Orperhapsitjustindicatesa

peckingorderintherangeofqualitiesthatarevalued?Nowhereinthestandardsisthere

mentionofthevalueoftheclassroomteacherbeingabletospeakthesamelanguageas

thechildrentheyareteaching.StandardAustralianEnglishisassumedasboththetarget

andthelanguageofinstruction.Thisisashiftfurtherawayfromacknowledgingand

valuingthelocallanguageandknowledgethatIndigenousstudentsandteachersalready

have.ThisiswhatGillbornistalkingaboutwhenhedescribesthe‘moresubtleandhidden

operationsofpowerthathavetheeffectofdisadvantagingoneormoreminorityethnic

groups’(Gillborn2006,p.21).The‘quality’discourse,formalstandardsandinsistenceupon

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‘high’literacyandnumeracyskillsoperatehereasideological,systemic,Trojanhorsesof

assimilation.TheyarebasedontheunquestionedassumptionthatproficiencyinStandard

AustralianEnglishliteracyandWesternnumeracyandthepossessionofaWestern

epistemologicalknowledgestandpointarepre-conditionstobeinga‘quality’teacher.

Picower(2009)callsthesetypesofmechanismsenshrinedinpolicyandproceduralaspects

ofsystemsthe‘toolsofWhiteness’.

Sowhiletherhetoricalintentionsof‘TheDepartment’andschoolleadershipmightinclude

adiscussionofmorequalifiedIndigenousteachersandtheupskillingofIndigenousstaff,

thisisconditionaluponithappeningwithinawhite,unflinchinglyWesternepistemological

system.

Frequentlythosetaskedwithprotectinganddefendingthe‘system’,bethey

representativesof‘TheDepartment’ortheschoolPrincipalastheinstrumentof‘The

Department’onthegroundinremoteschools,willfeelasenseof‘epistemological

disconcertment’(Verran2013)becausethestandardwayofoperatingisbeingquestioned

orchallengedbythepresenceofqualifiedIndigenousteacherswhobringwiththem

differentepistemologicalandontologicalstandpoints.Todealwiththisuneasethese

representativesofwhitenessreadilyemploymechanismssuchasthe‘quality’discourse,

supportedbytheNationalStandardsandliteracyandnumeracylevels,aswaysof

diminishingand/orexcludingthis‘alien’presencethroughsilencingtheseteachers,

denyingthemcareeradvancement,excludingthemfromparticipation,demotingthemand

treatingthemaslessthanequaldespitehavingequivalentWesternqualifications.Inthese

waystheremnantsofcolonialpowerrelationships-inwhichwhitepeoplewere

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unashamedlyseenassuperior-remainembeddedinAustralianeducationdiscoursesand

institutions,despiteovertandstatedconcernforequityandinclusion(Rudolph2013,p.

214).

8.2.6.5Interpersonaldysconsciousracism

WhileIhavearguedabovetoexposethesystemicandinstitutionalracismthatexistsand

positionsIndigenousteachersinremotecommunitiesaslessthanequal,itisimportantto

notethattheliteratureandtheoreticalworkonwhitenessandCriticalRaceTheory

acknowledgethatattheinterpersonallevelmuchofthisbehaviourisnotnecessarily

consciousorintentional.Infactanumberoftheoristsinthisfieldlabelthebehaviour

experiencedbytheteacherparticipantsinthisstudyasaformof‘dysconscious’racism

(Delgado1989;King1991;Wellman1977).King(1991,p.135)definesthetermthus,

Dysconsciousnessisanuncriticalhabitofmind(includingperceptions,attitudes,

assumptions,andbeliefs)thatjustifiesinequityandexploitationbyacceptingthe

existingorderofthingsasgiven.

Wellman(1977)positsthatdysconsciousracismisaformofracismthattacitlyaccepts

dominantwhitenormsandprivileges.Itisnottheabsenceofconsciousnessbutan

impairedconsciousness,adistortedoruncriticalwayofthinkingaboutrace.Uncritical

waysofthinkingaboutracialinequitymeanthatindividualsacceptcertainculturally

sanctionedassumptions,myths,andbeliefsthatjustifythesocialandeconomicadvantages

Whitepeoplehaveasaresultofsubordinatingdiverseothers.Thisacceptancehappens

foranumberofreasons.TheprimaryreasonisexplainedbyLipsitz(2006)asapossessive

investmentinwhiteness.AsKing(1991)pointsoutanyseriouschallengetothestatusquo

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thatcallsracialprivilegeintoquestioninevitablychallengestheself-identityofwhite

peoplewhohaveinternalizedtheseideologicaljustifications.Therealsotendstobea

defensivenesstothisinvestmentwherethosewhobelongtothedominantculturebelieve

that:

…racistthingshappenedinthedistantpastandthatitisunfairtoholdcontemporary

whitesaccountableforthem…(theexpress)irritationatwhattheyperceiveasefforts

tomakethemfeelguiltyorundulyprivilegedbecauseofthingsthattheydidnot

personallydo.Theyfeelinnocentindividuallyandcannotconceiveofacollective

responsibilityforcollectivewrongs(Lipsitz,2006,p.21).

AnotherreasoniswhatCrenshaw(1988)callsa‘restrictiveandexpansiveviewsof

equality’.Crenshaw(1988,p.38)explainsthatwhileanexpansiveviewofequalityin

educationfocusesontheoutcomesforallstudents,

…ineducationaltermsarestrictiveviewofequalityisonewhereequalityisviewedin

termsoftreatmentratherthanoutcomes.Teachersdon’tconnectequalitytothe

outcomesofthestudentsintheirclassonlytotheirownbeliefsabouthowtheytreat

thestudents.

Thatis,ifteachersbelievethattheyarebehavingina‘colourblind’(Crenshaw1988,p.39)

wayandtreatingeveryoneequallythentheyarenotbeingracist.‘Colourblindness’plus

theviewofequalityasprocesspreventsteachersfromreflectingontheirownpractices

andtheirroleintheproductionoftheunderachievementofstudentsofcolour(Crenshaw

1988,p40).

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Manynon-IndigenousteachersgotoworkinremoteIndigenousschoolswith‘good

intentions’butApplebaum(2010)pointsoutthatthe‘goodintentions’ofteacherscango

awrybecausethesesameteachershavebenefitedfromtheeducationsystemand

consequentlyoftenoperatefromadefaultpositionofprotectingandreproducingthe

statusquo.DelgadoandStefancic(2000,pxvii)pointoutthatoften‘whiteeliteswill

tolerateorencourageracialadvancesforblacksonlywhensuchadvancesalsopromote

whiteself-interest’.Vass(2015)agreeswiththispoint,highlightingthatoneofthe

mechanismsofprotectingthelong-terminterestsofwhitenessisbyenablingonly

incrementalgainsforIndigenouspeopleineducation.Soeventhoughtheymaynotbe

fullyconsciousoftheimpactoftheirbehaviours,non-Indigenouseducatorsdysconsciously

actinwaysthatprotectwhitenessandassertthedominanceoftheWestern

epistemologicalstandpoint.Theexamplesintheteachernarrativeshighlightactual

experiencesofinterpersonaldysconsciousracismandthebarriersitcreatesforIndigenous

teachers.

8.2.7Conclusiontodiscussionpartone

Theteacherparticipantsinthisresearchhaveexperiencedmanybarriersduringtheiryears

ofbeinginvolvedinthewesterneducationsystem.Manyofthesebarrierscanbebetter

understoodbyseeingthemthroughthelensesofWhitenesstheoryandCriticalRace

theory,aswellasbydevelopingourunderstandingsofideassuchasdysconsciousracism

andmimicry.Whatwecanseeifwesettheseteachersagainstthesocio-historical

backdropofcolonizationisthatthesystemhasalwayspositionedthemaccordingtorace.

Thishappenedinveryovertandobviouswayspriortoandduringthe1950s.Thelanguage

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usedtodescribeIndigenouspeopleduringthaterashowsusthat‘whiteness’wasvisible

andconsideredsomethingforall‘others’toaspireto.Thisisevidentintheovertpoliciesof

theremovalofIndigenous‘mixedrace’children,the‘WhiteAustraliaPolicy’andthe

deliberateexclusionofIndigenouschildrenfromaccesstoschooling,allreferencedin

Chapter2.

However,thedominantwhitesettlermajoritywereincreasinglydeniedtheirusual

linguisticandpolicybasedweaponsofassimilationthroughaparadigmshiftinthe1960s

commonlyreferredtoasthecivilrightsmovement.Thismeantthatthewhitesystemsand

structuresofcontrolhadtobecomemuchmoresubtleinitsweaponsofexclusion.Thisis

particularlyevidentineducationalsystemssuchasteachereducation.Hereweseethe

Trojanhorsesofassimilationemerge,suchasusingtheterm‘quality’andasetof

nationalisedstandardstoexcludethosewhodon’t‘measureup’,andfurther,compulsory

‘literacyandnumeracy’teststodeterminewhomeetsthebenchmarkrequirementsto

becomeateacher.Attheschoollevelweseedecontextualizednationalcurriculumthat

assumesthepossibilityofa‘universal’approachtowhatshouldbetaughtinschools.

Howeverthese‘universal’truthsandlearningsarenotculturallyneutral.Theyarebasedon

white/Westernculturalnorms,asaretheNationalProfessionalStandardsforTeachers.

Thisensuresthatthosedoingtheteachinghavetobejudgedascapableofensuringthe

ongoinghegemonyofthese‘universal’educationalnormsthroughtheirdemonstratedand

approvedknowledgeofEnglishliteracyandWesternnumeracyandthroughdemonstrating

adherencetoandreplicationofawhiteepistemologicalstandpoint.Thismeanshowever

thatwhatisbeingtaughtneverfeelsfamiliarorrelevanttothosewhodonotfit,interms

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oftheirontologyorepistemology,withinthemainstreamdominantsettlersociety–those

whodonotsharethe‘crimsonthread’(McGregor2006,p.493)ofwhiteness.

Fromtimetotimetherehavebeenmomentsofdiversitythathavesnuckin,when

localised,contextualisedprogramshaveemergedthathavesoughttogivevoiceandspace

toIndigenousepistemologiesandIndigenouslanguages(suchasthebilingualprogramin

theNorthernTerritory)andIndigenousknowledge(suchasthecommunitybasedRemote

AboriginalTeacherEducationprogramintheNorthernTerritory).However,whenthe

dominantsocietyhasbeguntofeelunsettledbythedifferenceoftheseprogramsithas

actedtoendthemusingthe‘toolsofwhiteness’(Picower2009)atitsdisposal.Thesetools

mostcommonlycomeintheformoffundingdecisions,policychanges,systemwide

reviewsandthealltoocommonstrategyofshiftingthegoalpostswhenIndigenous

teachershavesomehowmanagedtoreachthegoalsthathavepreviouslybeenset.Some

rareindividualshavemanagedtopersevereandcompletealltherequirementsof

samenessthroughcredentialism,oftenhavingtocompromise,negotiate,betrayandalter

themselvesandtheirbeliefsandknowledges–impossibleepistemologicalandontological

choices.Howeverthestoriesshowthatoncetheseindividualshavejumpedthroughallthe

hoopstheystillhavetofaceworkenvironmentsthatrefusetoaccepttheirprofessional

equality.

Attheinterpersonalleveltheyareoftenfacedwithattitudesandbehavioursofschool

Principalsandnon-localstaffforwhomtheculturalsuperioritycomplexissodeeply

embeddedthattheyarenotevenconsciousofit.Thisdysconsciousracismshowsitselfat

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momentsofdisconcertment,whentheassumedandtakenforgrantedwhitewaysof

knowingaredisruptedorchallengedbyIndigenouseducatorswhohaveadifferent

epistemologicalstandpointbecausetheyhavetheirownontology.Inthesemomentsthe

interpersonaltoolsofwhitenessemergeoftenintheformofmimicry,falseempathyand

falsegenerosity,exclusionthroughlanguageorprocedures,ortreatingtheseIndigenous

teachersasinvisible.Alloftheseinteractionsattheinterpersonallevelserveastoolsto

reinforceandprotectwhitehegemony.Thus,thestoriesoftheseteacherparticipants

cannotbefullyunderstoodwithoutbeingseenthroughthepowerfullensofracial

inequalityandthesubtleandnot-so-subtleforcesatworkinstitutionallyinAustraliathat

acttoperpetuatethisformofinequality.

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8.3Discussionparttwo–Interculturalknowledgework

8.3.1Introduction

Violenceisnotthewholestory.Whatliesbetweenus,orbetweensomeofussomeofthe

time,islove,respect,sympathy,andthedeterminationtoacttogether.Thepossibilityof

dialogue,anditsaccomplishmentinmanycontexts,restsinthefactthatoursituatednessis

neitherwhollyviolentnorwhollynon-violent.Entanglementsgiveusgroundsforaction.

(Rose2004,p.22)

Whileitisvitaltoreveal,acknowledgeandbetterunderstandtherolethatraceandracial

positioninghasplayedincreatingbarriersfortheteacherparticipantsinthisresearch

study,itisjustasimportanttorealizeandunderstandthatthisisnotthefullstory.These

storiesarebeingtoldpreciselybecausethisgroupofteacherspersevered,inspiteofthe

significantbarrierstheyexperienced,andcontinuedtheiracademiclearningthroughtoa

fullteacherqualification.Theyhavebeenabletodothisinpartbecauseofwhotheyareas

people,butalsowiththesupportofparticularwaysofbeinganddoing.Includedinthe

teachernarrativesaremanyexamplesofontologicalandepistemologicalmomentsthat

pointtowardshowgoodinterculturalandcollaborativeknowledgeworkcansupport

learninginwaysthatgrowstheexperienceforeveryoneinvolved.Thesearemoments

Rose(2004,p6)call‘alternativestothewild’,alternativesthat‘ariseunexpectedlyin

relationshipsamongpeoplesandbetweenpeopleandplace’.Asisrevealedbytheteacher

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narrativesthispositiveandbeneficialinterculturalknowledgeworkwasembeddedinto

policy,programsandpracticesinthepast.BatandShore(2013),intheirstudyofthe‘grey

literature’aroundteachereducationinremotecommunitiesintheNorthernTerritory,

foundthatthiskindofinterculturalknowledgework‘isexemplifiedbycollaborativeefforts

betweencommunity,schoolandprovidertoproduceanegotiatedcurriculumthroughco-

construction.Inthisway,theteachereducationprogramispartofthewholelearningof

theschoolandcontributestocommunitydevelopment’(Bat&Shore2013,p12).Allofthe

teacherparticipantswere(andare)co-constructorsandbeneficiariesofjustsuch

interculturalknowledgework,particularlythroughtheirearlierstagesofteacher

education.Theformativeprofessionalyearsfortheteachersattheheartofthisstudy

occurredataperiodoftimewhenthevibrancyofthelocalschoolwasdeeplyintegrated

withcommunitylife.Itwasaperiodwhenteachers,schoolPrincipalsanddepartmental

representativesworkedtogetherwithparents,communityleadersandEldersingoodfaith

andthroughcollaborativeandcontextuallyembeddedpractices.ThelocalIndigenous

teacherswereattheverycentreofthesecollaborativepractices.

Tobetterunderstandthesemomentsofsuccessfulinterculturalknowledgeworkattheir

pointofintersectionwiththeformaleducationsystem,thispartofthediscussionwillbe

dividedintotwosections.Thefirstsectionwilllookattheinterculturalknowledgework

madepossiblethroughthedevelopmentofcommunitybasedteachereducationprograms

intheNorthernTerritoryinthe1970s,1980sandearly1990s.Itwillexploretheelements

ofculturalandcontextualembeddedness,culturalsafetyandtwo-waylearningthat

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contributedtothesuccessofthisdeliverymodeforremoteteachereducation.Thesecond

sectionwillexplorethepartsoftheteachernarrativesthatactassignpoststoexploring

epistemologicaldifferencesinhowIndigenousandnon-Indigenouspeopleviewand

experienceeducation.Thisdiscussionofdifferencehighlightstheneedtopayattentionto

epistemologicaldisconcertmentasatoolofgoodinterculturalknowledgework.

8.3.2Interculturalknowledgeworkofcommunitybasedteachereducation

Theteachersatthecentreofthisdoctoralresearchallbecameinvolvedineducationin

theirrespectivecommunitiesataparticularmomentintime,afactthatplaysalargerole

inthetrajectoriestheircareershavetaken.In1993Watson-VerranandWhite(p.67)

pointedoutthatsince1972thedirectionofpolicyconcerningdevelopmentofAboriginal

Australiancommunitieshadbeentowardsadoptionofthenotionofself-

determination.Numerousauthorslinkthispolicyof‘self-determination’totheprogressive

butshort-lived,federalWhitlam-ledgovernmentinAustralia(CampbellandProctor2014;

Willis1985).InparticularWatson-VerranandWhite(1993)highlightthechangein

discourseatthistime.Thereisasenseoflamentforthepastandapromisetowards

difference.

PastpoliciesofearliergovernmenttendedtobreakdownAboriginalityand

Aboriginalheritage.Wehavereversedtheprocess.Nolongerwillinsensitivepolicies

causeAboriginalstobecomerootlesssecondclassAustraliansthroughdenialoftheir

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ownlanguage,culture,beliefsandideals(Cavenagh1974,p.35,inWatson-Verran

andWhite1993,p.68)

IntheNorthernTerritory,thepolicytointroducebilingualeducationisoneofthefirst

tangibleactsofdifferenceasthisexcerptfromtheintroductionofthebilingualeducation

policyintheNorthernTerritorydemonstrates:

OneofthemostsignificantAustralianGovernmentinnovationsinAboriginal

educationhasbeentheintroductionthisyearofbilingualeducationincertain

NorthernTerritoryschools…TheseareschoolsindistinctiveAboriginalcommunities

whereanAboriginallanguageisthemothertongueofthechildren…theaimisfor

thesechildrentocommencetheirschoolingintheirownlanguage,proceedtothe

acquisitionofliteracyskillsinthatlanguage,thenacquireliteracyinEnglishandhave

mostoftheirsubsequentschoolinginEnglishTheeducationalaimofsuchan

approachisthedevelopmentofchildrenwhoarethoroughlycompetentintheirown

languageandabletoreadandwriteit,whoaremoreproficientinEnglishthanthey

wouldhavebeenundertheprevioussystem…Onewouldalsoexpectpsychological

benefitsfromthisrecognitionofthechildren’slanguageandculture,andmore

enthusiasticsupportfromtheparentsfortheschoolingtheirchildrenareoffered.

(Tandy1973,p21)

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ThefollowingyearareportbyO’GradyandHale(1974)intobilingualeducationinthe

NorthernTerritoryalsoaddedweighttothisdirectionthroughhighlightingtheneedfor

highereducationforAboriginalstaff.ThisgaverisetothedevelopmentofnewTeacher

Educationprogramsthatwerespecificallydesignedtobringcontextuallyrelevantand

culturallyresponsivelearningopportunitiesforAboriginalteachersinremoteschoolsinthe

NorthernTerritory.Thepolicyandpoliticallanguageofthetimerevolvedaroundideas

suchas‘self-determination’aspreviouslymentioned,aswellasthenotionof

‘Aboriginalisation’ofeducation(Rogers1991,Reaburn1989).Theemphasisfroman

EducationalDepartmentalperspectivewasoncommunitycontrollededucation(Urvetet

al.1980).Itwaswiththiscontextasaback-dropthattheseimportantcommunitybased,

cohortmodelsofteachereducationweredeveloped.

8.3.2.1Communitybasedteachereducationthatcreatesdeepengagementandsupportbyfamilyandthecommunity

Alloftheteacherparticipantsidentifiedtheirinitialworkintheirrespectiveschools,as

assistantteachers,teacheraidesorliteracyworkers,asbeingakeyfactorinthemdeciding

togoonanddotheirteachereducation.Thiswasnotsomethingthattheyexperienced

individuallybutasanembeddedpartofacommunityexperience.Fromthehistoricalroots

ofIndigenouspeoplebeingexcludedfromeducation,toatimewherenewpossibilitiesof

differentwaysofworkingarebeingtalkedabout,theseteachers,theirfamiliesandwider

communitieswereacutelyawareofthesignificanceofwhatwaspossibleiftheyundertook

teachereducation,

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‘CosIreally,fromworkingasanassistantteacher,Ireally,Isawwhatourkidsreally

needed,youknow…Likesomeoneintheschool...andIthinkitwasforthe

communityaswell,toseeanIndigenouspersonattheschool…Asaclassroom

teacher,yeah.

Infactthisgroupofteachershadthebenefitofanoldergenerationwhohadembarkedon

teachereducationinthe1970s.Inspiredbyothersfromtheircommunitywhowere

startingtoundertakefurthereducation,theyexperiencedthisinspirationasakindof

supportandencouragement,

…justinspiringseeingothersonvideoorgoingtoceremonywheretheyactually

graduated,andfromthatthatIsaid'ohnextoneI'mgoingtobelikeher!'youknow

lookingatstudentswhograduatedbefore.

Theyalsoexperiencedsupportintheformofencouragementfromfamilymembersand

communitymemberstokeepgoingwiththeirowneducationandtoexplorefurther

educationalpossibilitiesthroughwork.

IusedtosaytomysisterabouthowIwantedtogotoschoolandthenMumsaid

'ohyoucan,ifyougetajob,youcanstillgeteducated'

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LikeIhadmycousinthere,sheencouragedme'cometowork,theyarelookingfor

peoplelikeyou,comeandworkwithus...Shewasastronglady...andwealsolearn

fromher

TherewasalevelofcommitmenttoandbeliefineducationonthepartofIndigenous

peopleatthismomentintimethatisstronglylinkedtotheseideasof‘communitycontrol’,

‘self-determination’andthe‘Aboriginalisation’ofeducation.Theteacherparticipants

notedthatacrucialpartoftheirearlystudiesinteachereducationwasthefactthatitwas

basedintheirhomecommunities.Thisenabledtheirfamiliestoengagemeaningfullyin

whattheyweredoing,andthereforeprovidebothsupportandvalidationaswellasinput,

Ithinktherewasmoresupportatthattimeandliketheactivitiesweredoneinthe

communitysopeoplecouldseewhatweweredoingandthatmadeit,youknow

strong.

ThesignificanceofthisprogramphilosophyisstronglyreinforcedbyotherIndigenous

teacherswhoundertookteachereducationduringthissameperiod.MarikaandWhite

(1999,p4originalemphasis)offerthisreflectionfromYolnguteacherswhoparticipatedin

communitybasedteachereducationaroundthesametimeastheteacherparticipantsin

thisresearch,

Oneofthemainreasonswecansaythatourcommunitysupportsusisbecausewearevery

clearabouttheaspirationsandexpectationsofthecommunities....Wecanonlyhelpour

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communitydothisifweareinourcommunityandpartofitandbyusmakingsurethat

communitymembersexploreeducationissuesalongsideus...studentsandotherteachers.

Ourexperience...hasshownusthatthisisagoodwayforadultstogetagoodeducation.

Wecanseethatthishasallowedourcommunitiestoshareinourdevelopmentand

training.

and,

…ourcommunityhasbeenabletoseeusaslearnersandworkersinourcommunity.Thisis

animportantideaaboutwhyourcommunitywantustotraininourowncommunity-so

thattheycanseeusthemselvesthatwearereallydoingtheworkfortheirplanforour

communityschoolandwhattheywantustodo.

Ultimately,whenthecommunity-basedprogramschangedtocampusbasedworkshops

models,asdiscussedinChapter2,thefactthatatleastinitiallytheprogramshadbeen

communitybasedprovidedanongoingfoundationforfamilyandcommunitysupport.For

examplewhenoneteacherhadtomoveherselfandherfamilyuptoBatchelorcampusfor

ayeartofocusonherstudiessheidentifiedthesupportofherpartnerthatmadeit

possible,

…westayedatBatchelorforayearbecauseItoldJakamarra'Ineedtodostudyto

becomeateachersoIcanhelpmoreouthere,Icancomebacktobeateacher'.I

reallywantedtodothatyouknowcommitmyself.SoJakamarrasaid'yeswe'llgo

I'llhelpyououtwiththekids'.

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Manyoftheteacherparticipantsnotethattheshiftawayfromcommunitybaseddelivery

andtowardsacampusbasedworkshopdeliverywasthemostsignificantbarrierfor

teachersatthistimesuggestingthatthoseteachereducationstudentswhodidnotreceive

thisleveloffamilysupportwerenotinfactabletocontinuewiththeirstudies.

Thisdeepleveloffamilyandcommunitysupportandembeddedunderstandingsofthe

teachereducationprocess,ledtofamiliesnavigatingdeepontologicalandepistemological

understandingssuchasculturalobligations.Theteacherparticipantstalkedabouttheir

familiesgivingthempermissiontoprioritisethestudyoverotherimportantculturaland

familycommitments.

….myfamily,mysisters,mymothersupportedme,andIwasmissingfromfunerals

frommymother’sfamilywhileIwasstudying,thatwashelpful,shewashelpingme

alotbysendingmeaway'youcangoforyourstudy,don’tworryaboutthefuneral'.

Iwasdoingfulltimestudy.

Tohelpunderstandhowthisdeeplyembeddedfamilyandcommunitysupportcametobe,

itisimportanttounderstandthephilosophyoftheseprograms.Attheheartofthemwas

theideaof‘Aboriginalisation’.Thisword,outofvogueincontemporarytimes,inthatera

stoodforapowerfulsetofideasabout‘lessinvasivepractices’andeducationthatnotonly

maintainedbut‘strengthenAboriginality’(Reaburn1989,p.3).Theprogramswere

designedtomeettheoutcomesnotsolelyoftheeducationalinstitutions,theschoolsand

universities,buttomeettheoutcomesarticulatedbyAboriginalpeople(Reaburn1989,p

300

4).Rogers(1991)reflectshowthisphilosophywastranslatedintopracticeatthetimeinhis

homecommunityofNgukurr.Hepointsoutthatsince1960hiscommunityhadpressed

stronglyforAboriginalcontrolandhadbeen‘politicallyactiveinthestruggleforCitizen

RightsandAboriginalself-determination’(Rogers1991,p.144).Thisimportantlylocates

‘self-determination’notjustasapolicyimperativebutassomethinglocalpeoplewere

activelyworkingtowardsthemselves.Intherealmofeducationhegivestheexampleofa

newsystemthattheydecidedtotrialinthelocalschool,

…theCouncilhaddiscussionswiththeheadoftheNorthernTerritoryEducation

DepartmenttotryanewsystemwherealltheAboriginalassistantteacherswouldbe

doingfacetofaceteachingintheclassroom.Theyalsoreachedanagreementthat

therewouldbeanAboriginalPrincipalwithanon-AboriginalteacherastheLocal

EducationAdviser(Rogers1991p144).

Thisillustratesthatakeyaspectofthe‘Aboriginalisation’ofeducationinremoteschools

involvedaninversionofthepowerrelationshipbetweenlocalandnon-localstaffwithlocal

Indigenousteacherstakingprimaryresponsibilityforteaching.Rogersfurtherexplainsthe

deeplycentralrolethatparentsandEldersplayedindecisionsaroundwhatshouldbe

taughtinschool,bywhoandhow:

ThesubjectsthatweretaughtwerethethreeR'swhichwereWriting,Mathsand

Reading.Theparentssaidthatthiswastobetaughtandtherestofthedaywouldbe

spentonBlekbalaKaltja….TheBlekbalaKaltjaprojectwasdiscussedwiththeelders.

BlekbalaKaltjawastobepartoftheSchool'sCurriculumandtheyagreedthatitwas

veryimportantforthechildrentolearntheirownKaltja.Itwasdecidedthatthe

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teachersandtheeldersshouldteachintheseareas.Theelderstaughteachclan

groupthattheywereresponsibleforandthesewere,Mambali,Murrungun,Budal

andGuyal.Weknewwehadtochangethestructureoftheschooltomakeita

Blekbalaschool.(Rogers1991,p.144-145).

‘Changingthestructure’asRogersdescribesisadirectwayofdealingwithwhatReaburn

callsthe‘embeddedpatternsandstructureofdominationanddisempowerment’(Reaburn

1989,p.4).Itisalsoimportanttonotethatepistemologicalandpedagogicaldecisions

abouttheschoolwerebeingmadelocallybasedonlocalexperientialknowledge.Thisis

muchmoreinharmonywithtraditional,pre-invasion,epistemologicalunderstandingsas

discussedbyPrice(2012).ButitisalsoconsistentwithcertainWesternpedagogiessuchas

thoseespousedmanydecadesagobyDeweywhostatedthatlearningprinciplesshould

alwaysbegroundedinthe‘conditionsofthelocalcommunity’(Dewey1938,p40).In

particularheremindsusthat,

Experiencedoesnotoccurinavacuum.Therearesourcesoutsideanindividualwhich

giverisetoexperience.Itisconstantlyfedfromthesesprings.

Healsostressesthatwemustfind,

…way(s)inwhichaneducatorcandirecttheexperienceofeducationwithout

engaginginimposition.Aprimaryresponsibilityofeducatorsisthattheynotonlybe

awareofthegeneralprincipleoftheshapingofactualexperiencebyenvironing

conditions,butthattheyalsorecognizeintheconcretewhatsurroundingsare

conducivetohavingexperiencesthatleadtogrowth.Aboveall,theyshouldknow

howtoutilizethesurroundings,physicalandsocial,thatexistsoastoextractfrom

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themallthattheyhavetocontributetobuildingupexperiencesthatareworthwhile

(Dewey1938,p.40).

WhobettertodothisforIndigenouschildrenthanpeoplefromtheirowncommunity?This

pedagogicalunderstandingofexperiencebased,contextualizedlearningisastrong

argumentbothforthelocatedmodelsofcommunitybasedteachereducationdeliverythat

existedduringthe1970s,1980sandearly1990s,aswellasfortheneedtohavelocal

teachersfromthelocalcommunityastheonesresponsiblefortheschooleducationof

theirowncommunity’schildren.Theexampleofcommunitybasedteachereducationand

‘Aborginalised’schoolingfromNgukurr,aswellasotherexamplesincommunitiesacross

remoteNorthernTerritoryduringthiseraprovidevaluableinsightintohowlocalElders

andfamilieswentonthejourneywiththeteachersanddevelopeddeeplyembedded

understandingsofwhateducationcouldbecomeintheirrespectivecommunities.

8.3.2.2Communitybasedlearningthatprovidesforthesocio-culturalneedsoflearners–‘marlpa’andculturalsafety

InadditiontotheimportantsupportofElders,familyandthewidercommunity,the

teacherparticipantsalsospokeofthesignificanceoflearningintheirowncommunitywith

agroupofothers.

Westartedoffinabiggroupanditwasjustcommunitybasedandwewerejust

travellinginbetweencommunitiesforworkshops.

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…Studyingwasnew,somethingnewtous,cositwasn’treallythoughtof…when

there'sotherpeoplewecanfeelconfident.

…butthatwasreallyeasywecouldseethatwewereallcomingtogether,sharing

ideas,talkingup.

Thiscohortapproachwasadeliberatepartofthecommunitybaseddeliverymodeldesign

anditisspecificallyidentifiedbytheteacherparticipantsasbeingakeydeterminantin

theirsuccess.

Thatshowwegettoknoweachotherbecasuewewerealldoingthesamestudy.

SeelikeRATEprogramwewerealldoingthesamemoduleatthesametime.We

didn’tknowanythingaboutitbutwewerealwaysingroupworkingtogether,

sharingideasandpresentingtoeachother,that'showwewerelearning

Peoplewerenotleftbythemselvestolearnindividually;theyhadwhattheteacher

participantsreferredtoas‘marlpa’,aconceptwhichisdiscussedinChapter5ingreater

detail.Theseteachereducationstudentsdidnotfeelleftalone,butthroughthecohort

modelfeltapartofagroupworkingtowardsthesamegoal.

…soIwasfeelinghappytostartdoingtheteachertrainingbecausetherewasalso

coupleofotherYapateacherstherewhowantedtodoteachertrainingalso,sowe

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startedtodoteachertrainingthroughRATEprogram.

Thissenseof‘marlpa’,ofnotbeingleftbyyourselftodothestudyalone,providedagreat

senseofcomfortandsupporttotheseteachersastheyprogressedintheirteacher

educationandfacilitatedtheirmutualprogress,

…wesortoftalkedtooneanotherandsupportedoneanother,youknow'feel

strong,don’tgiveup,tryandgetitoveranddone,thisisgood'…andthatmademe

evenbecomemorestronger,instudying

Whenthedeliverymodelchangedandtheyshiftedtoacampusbasedworkshopmodel

theroleof‘marlpa’continuedtoplayarole.Theteacherparticipantsformedstrong

supportbondswiththeotherstudentsbothfromtheirowncommunities,fromthe

communitiesnearby,andfromthoseinmoredistantplacesintheNorthernTerritory

IreallylikedcomingtogetherandmeetingtheAnanguteachersfromdifferent

communitiesliketalkingtothemandgroupworkandstudyingbackandyouknow

feelingproudandsayingyouknowwe'retherefordoingourbestforour

communityandstrivingmoreandmore

…ithelpedmeliketobeconfidentinmyteachingandlearningfromotherstudents

andbecausewecamefromthesamecommunityandjoiningwithothersfromthe

Barklyregionyouknowandlearningthroughthat.Itwasreallygoodyouknow

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learningbecauseIlearnedalotofgoodthings,whatIlearnedfromthem.Because

it’salwaysdifferentfromwhereIcomefrom.

Thesignificanceofthisfindingcanbebetterunderstoodthroughtheexplorationofthe

importanceofculturalsafetyforIndigenouslearnersaswellasthroughabetter

understandingofrelationalityandconnectednessinIndigenousontology.Ford(2010,p.

153)statesthat:

Tyikim(Aboriginal)peopleactivelyseekkindrednessandconnectednessamongst

membersofgroupstheyfindthemselvesin.Onceestablished,therelationships

revealedformanetworkthatcanbindthegroupmembersintocooperative

arrangementsbasedonasharedcollectivememoryofourrelatedpast’

ThisiswhatFordcalls‘RelationalityasPedagogy’whichisoneoffivepedagogicalprinciples

sheidentified.Sheexplainsthat:

WithrelationalityaspedagogytheTyikimstudentsareabletoidentifywithinthe

highereducationstudygroupaTyikimculturaldimensionthatresonateswiththe

kindrednessandconnectednesstheyexperienceintheirownimmediatefamilies,

extendedfamiliesandcommunities(Ford2010,p.153).

Sointhiswaytheirstudycohortbecameasupportivesocio-culturallyreflectivemicrocosm

fortheteacherparticipants.Thesignificanceofthisinalearningspaceisthatthecohort

providedasafespacebothculturallyandintellectuallyfortheteacherparticipantsto

explorethisnewendeavourofhighereducation.

Ithinkwehadeachother,yeahtohelpusout,yeah…likesomemightn’tunderstand

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whatwe'regoingtodo,whatwe'redoing,awa,andtalkinArrarnta,explaining'oh

thisiswhatwemightneedtodo',andbeingprepared‘ourworkshop'scoming’

and…remindingeachotheryeah.

In2003BinSalikraisedpeople’sconsciousnessoftheimportantroleofculturalsafetyfor

Indigenouslearnersinthehighereducationspace.Sheofferedthefollowingdefinition,

(C)ulturalsafetyextendsbeyondculturalawarenessandculturalsensitivity.It

empowersindividualsandenablesthemtocontributetotheachievementofpositive

outcomes.Itencompassesareflectiononindividualculturalidentityandrecognition

oftheimpactofpersonalcultureonprofessionalpractice(BinSalik,2003,p.21).

SincethenotherIndigenousscholarshavealsotakenupthisissuewithVeronicaArbon

(2008)exploringthepowerrelationshipsandimbalancesbetweenknowledgesystems

operatinginthetertiaryeducationdomainandPayiLindaFord(2010,p.16)lookingatthe

‘potentialformakinglandscapesestablishedunderWesterneducationculturalregimes

culturallysafeplacesforTyikimteachingandlearning’.MartinNakata(1998,2002,2007a,

2007b)disagreeswiththeuseoftheterm‘culturalsafety’andadvocatesstronglyforthe

needforIndigenousstudentsandscholarstoengageat‘theculturalinterface’,whichhe

namesas‘thecontestedspacebetweenthetwoknowledgesystems’(1998).Nakatasees

this‘interface’asawayofsupportingIndigenouslearnersto‘exploretheirexperiential

knowledgebeyondtheclassroomandtobringitintoinformhowparticularIndigenous

positionsarecontested’(2007b,p.11).Hearguesthatlearnersmusthaveopportunities

fordevelopingwaysofreading,andcriticallyengagingwithinacceptedIndigenous

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discourseaswellasthewidermainstreamdiscourse.Increasinglyculturalsafetyisbeing

redefinedsoastoincludeunderstandingsofintellectualsafety.Theimportanceofthisis

explainedbyFord(2010,p.154)whoremindsusthat,

SpeakingoutinconventionalWesternclassrooms…isarisktakingventureformany

Tyikimacademics,studentsandcommunitymembers.Therisksaredeeplyfeltand

areassociatedwithone’santicipationofthepossibilityofembarrassmentand

humiliation…..(that)mayresultfromtheresponsesofPadakoot(Non-Indigenous)

lecturersandstudentswhohavenocommonexperiences…whomayquestionthe

speaker’sauthority…orwhomaycomparetheofferedTyikimnarrativewith….the

‘same’experiencesinthePadakootworld’.

Fordexplainsthat‘theseresponsesmayactivelyundermineanddiminishthesignificance

oftheTyikimspeaker’sontologyandtheopportunityforexpandedlearning’(Ford2010,p.

154).ThesetypesofexperiencesforIndigenouslearnersinHigherEducationsettingswas

reinforcedintherecentMATSITIreportintoInitialTeacherEducationforAboriginaland

TorresStraitIslanderstudents.Thereportincludedinitsfindingsanumberofimportant

elementsaboutculturalandintellectualsafetyincludingthefactthatAboriginalandTorres

StraitIslanderstudentsfinditdauntingtoparticipateintheunaccommodatingsystemof

UniversitieswhichrepresentWesternknowledgethatisgovernedbydominantWestern

knowledgeparadigms(Pattonetal2012,p.10).Thereportalsofoundthat:

WhilestudentswantedtobevaluedandrecognizedasATSI,theysometimes

experiencedstigma,racism,ignoranceorhugeexpectationsaboutrepresenting

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theircultureandpeople…(andnoted)regularreportsofignoranceandracismfrom

bothschool/facultystaffandotherstudents/peers(Pattonetal.2012,p.34).

ThereportnotedthatonewayofuniversitiestryingtobemoreinclusiveofIndigenous

knowledgeswastointroducediscretecoreorelectiveunitsinmainstreamprograms.

Howeverthefindingswerethatthisoftenonlyservestocreateconversationswhere

AboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderstudentsaretalked‘about’bynon-Indigenous

studentsandunderqualifiedstafforwhereAboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderstudents

areexpectedtobetheexpertsontheentiretyofIndigenousknowledgeandculture

(Pattonetal2012,p.36).ThereportconcludedthatsupportforAboriginalandTorres

StraitIslanderHigherEducationstudentsthereforeneededtoinclude‘havingasafeplace

awayfromthesesituations’.

Fordsuggeststhatacohortapproachoffersaculturallysafeplacebecausethereisan

‘evennessinthepowerrelationships’andpeoplefeeltheyareinaspacewheretheyshare

commonexperiences,haveestablishedrelationshipsandamodeofdiscoursethatismore

familiartothem(Ford20120,p.154).Thisenablespeopleto‘communicatefreelyand

openly’(Ford20120,p.154)anddiscusstheissuesthatdirectlyaffectthemwithout

intervention,interruptionorbeingfilteredthroughWesternepistemologies.Ifwewant

futuregenerationsofteachersfromremotecommunitiestocompletetheirteacher

educationqualificationthentheculturalsafetyand‘marlpa’providedbythecohortmodel

needstobetakenseriously.Whenthiscohortmodelisalsocommunitybasedthe

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participantsnotonlyexperiencetheculturalsafetyprovidedthrough‘marlpa’butthe

intellectualsafetyprovidedthroughtheactiveengagementofandcollaborationwiththeir

Eldersandlocalknowledgeauthoritiesastheyexploreandexpandtheeducational

practicesintheirownlocalcontext.

8.3.2.3Communitybaseddeliverythatcreatessupportandtwowaylearningwithinthe

educationalsystem

Acommonexperienceamongsttheteacherparticipantswastheimportantandsupporting

workingrelationshipstheyhadwithnon-Indigenousstaffthroughouttheirworkandstudy.

Thiscouldbetracedbacktotheirveryearliestexperiencesworkingintheschoolwhere

theirworkwasinitiatedbylinguists,Principalsorteacherswhohadadoptedastandpoint

of‘self-determination’and‘Aboriginalisation’andunderstoodthenecessityformore

Aboriginalpeopletoworkintheschools,

…thenoneladycamealongofferedmeajob.…AndIsaidyesI'llcometowork.So

oneyearIworkedatLiteracyCentre,cameeverydayandtheteacherssawme

comingthereandtheteachersthought,'ohshe’sagoodworkerandshecomes

everyday,we'llgethertobeourTA'.Sotheteacherswereracing'ohwe'llget

her...'

ThePrincipalsandotherstaffwhowereidentifiedasbeinghelpfulandsupportivebythe

teacherparticipantswereoftendescribedashavinghadexperienceinotherplaces

workingcross-culturallyandhadlearnedhowtodothingsatthe‘righttime’orinthe‘right

way’andthatthisleftpeoplewitha‘goodfeeling’aboutthedirectiontheschoolwas

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taking.Itwasthesekindsofoperatorswhowerealsotheoneswhomostoftenprovided

theongoingsupportaroundthecommunitybasedteachereducationprograms.

Therewasapowerfulsymbiosisofknowledge,reflectionandpracticebuiltintothe

communitybasedteachereducationmodels.Eachparthelpedtheother.Marikaand

White(1999,p.5)talkaboutthissuggestingthatinamainstreamteachereducation

programthetheoryandpracticearesplitintoseparatedomains‘thetheoryyougetat"The

Institution"and/versusthepracticeyougetinaschoolduringpracticum’.Bycontrast

MarikaandWhitesuggestthat:

Communitybasedprogramscanforcethere-examinationofthiserroneous

dichotomy.Thetwocannotbedivorcedinthatway-thedemandsoftheworkplace

requireaconversationaboutourrationale/sforwhywedothingsthewaythatwe

do.Thisisthestuffofmakingandusingworkingtheories.Thesetheoriesareabout

ourpractice.Ourpracticeisinformedbyourtheories(MarikaandWhite1999,p.

5).

Theteacherparticipantsalsoidentifiedthebenefitsoftheimmediacyofthisreflective

practiceaspartoftheCommunityBasedmodel,

…thereusedtobealecturer,RATElecturerhere…wedidlessonwithherandwe

(talkedabout)whatwentwrong,youknowwewouldtalkaboutourlesson,we

lookedbackeverythingandwrotethingswehaddone,youknow

Thepresenceofteachereducationlecturersworkingwiththeseteachersintheirschools

andclassroomswasacrucialsupportduringtheirstudy.Thisreflectivepracticemodel

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wherethestudentwasabletoimmediatelyreflectontheirpracticeseemedtobe

particularlyeffectiveanditmeantthatpowerfuldiscussionswereabletobehadbetween

Indigenousandnon-Indigenousstafftodevelopeveryone’sunderstandingsofwhat

learninglookedlikeinthatsituatedcontext.Thesetypesofdiscussionswerealso

happeningasapartofteamteachingwhichwasanothercentraltenetofthecommunity

basedmodel.

…wewoulddolittlebitof....practiceteachingandwhatsortofcurriculumwould

weusetowriteImeantoplanalesson,whatsortoflessonwouldIteach…butI

wasn’talsoconfidentaboutreadingcurriculum….Myteamteacher,shewouldsit

downandhelpme…weweredoingtrainingbutwewerealsobasedin(community

name)usingresources,butalsoourteamteacherswouldhelpuswiththetraining

andwiththeteaching.

Thestrongfeelingexpressedintheteachernarrativeswasthatthingsworkedbestwhen

everyonehadgoodrelationships,workedwelltogetherandwereworkingtowardsthe

samegoalsandsupportingeachother:

workingtogetherandsupportingeachotherandsittingdownandplanningwith

teamteaching,butmakesureweneedtobetheretolookafterkidsasweare

workingtogetherandbeateamteacherbutwegottalearnfromeachother,

Ofkeyimportancehere,accordingtotheteacherparticipantswaspayingattentionto

powerrelationshipsintheteamenvironment,

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It’snotaboutyouknowonebeinggreat.It’sbeingyouknow,it’sgoodtobeworking

witheachotherandlearningtogethertoo.

ThisisreinforcedbyReaburn(1989,p.3)whoexplainsthatcentraltothecommunity

basedmodelistheideathattheroleofnon-localpeopleisto‘support,asrequired,

AboriginalpeopleintheirendeavourstoappropriateaspectsofWesterncultureand

societyintotheirlives’.Reaburnnotesthechallengeofthisforthosefromthedominant

culturewhoareusedtobeinginchargestatingclearlythat‘Asuccessfulprogramfor

AboriginalpeoplemustcharacterizeNonAboriginaleducatorsfirstandforemostas

learners(p.3)’.Thiswholeschoolphilosophyofongoingtwo-waylearningbasedaround

theteamteachingmodelwasextremelysuccessfulatthetime.Duringthisperiodthere

wasstrongcommitmenttowardstheideathataschoolthatrunsaboth-wayslearning

programrequiresteacherswhocanteachboth-wayswhichmeanttheco-constructionof

notonlytheprogrambuttheconceptionsofknowledgeaswell(BatchelorCollege,1994).

Basedonplanningtogether,activeengagementintheteachingandlearningprocess,and

strongandbalancedrelationshipsthisco-operativeteachingmodeldrewstrengthfromthe

integrationbetweenthelifeoftheschoolandthelifeofthecommunity.Whileelementsof

thistypeofmodelstillexists,itisnowmoreofanexceptionthanarule.However,it

providesapowerfulroadmapforcurrentremoteschoolswantingtore-engageineffective

teachingandlearningforbothIndigenousandnon-Indigenousstaff.

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8.3.2.4Significantchangestothecommunitybasedmodel

Theteacherparticipantsalsonoticedwithsadnessthechangesthathadoccurredto

teachereducationsincetheyhadbeguntheirstudy.Inparticulartheynoticedabigshift

fromthestrongcommunitybased,reflectivepractice,teamteachingmodelofteacher

educationthatwasinplacewhentheywerestudying,comparedtowhattheysaw

happeningintheirschoolsnow.

Ithinkalotofchangesgoonattheschool,youknowchanges.Notatschoolbutthe

courseitself,thetrainingatBatchelor…Ithinklecturers…that'sIthinkthemain

importantone,lecturersnotgoingoutvisitingstudentsinthecommunity.

Thesechangesinthe1990s,discussedinChapter3,sawthegradualdisappearanceof

community-basedprogramssuchasRATEprograms.AsobservedbyBrabham,Henry,

BamblettandBates(2002)thenationalpolicyclimateshiftedfromIndigenousspecific

programstothatof‘practicalreconciliation’,whichresultedinthelossoffundingfor

communityprogramsandthe‘mainstreaming’ofteachereducation.Ingram(2004)points

outthatthiseffectivelysignalledtheendofBatchelor’scommunity-basedteacher

educationprograms.

TherecentreviewintoInitialTeacherEducationforAboriginalandTorresStraitIslander

students(Pattonetal.2012)providessomevaluableinsightsintothisshift.Firstand

foremosttheyoutlinethesignificanceandimportanceandsuccessofcohortmodelsfor

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AboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderteachereducationstudents.Partoftheexplanation

forthisisthat:

…auniquecomponentofcohortprogramsistheirabilitytobothIndigenizeand

‘politicize’thecurriculumandtoensurethatAboriginalvoicesareheardand

AboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderpoliticsopenlydiscussed(Pattonetal2012,p.

17).

Theygofurthertoassertthatacohortapproachis‘notsimplyanother‘band-aid’usedto

covertheinfestationsthatculminatefromIndigenousneglectbutisanauthenticremedy

thatattacksthecoreoftheproblem’(Pattonetal2012,p.18).Thereportalsonotesthat

evenwhenthecommunitybasedmodelshiftedtoamorecampus/workshopbasedmodel

usinga‘blockrelease’modetheystillprovedmoresuccessfulthanmainstream

alternativesforAboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderstudents,

blockreleaseprogramshadbetween16%and20%highercoursecompletionrates

thanthosewhowerestudyinginfulltime‘mainstream’programson

campus….programssuchastheseovercomesomesignificantbarriersforstudents

whowouldotherwisehavelittleornochanceofbecomingqualifiedteachers

(Pattonetal.2012,p.18).

Despitetheirsuccessatbothapedagogicalandstatisticallevelhoweverstudentsand

associatedstaffandfacultyassociatedwithblockreleaseandcohort-modeprogramsare

oftenforcedtodefendthelegitimacyoftheircoursesinrelationtomainstreamcourses.

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Theyareoftenperceivedbytheuniversityasthe‘lesscredibleoffshoot’andstrugglefor

recognitionandthereforeexistwithinastateofinstitutionalandfinancialinsecurity.The

reportnotesthatthereis‘considerablepressureonproviderstodemonstratetheir

standardsandprovethattheyarecosteffective’(Pattonetal.2012,p.17)andthat

‘questionsaroundqualityandcertificationconsistentlycomeupwithregardtograduates

bothinAustraliaandinCanada’(Pattonetal.2012,pp.17-18).

Thisonceagaindemonstratesasystemicintoleranceofdifferenceandinsistenceon

sameness.Thestatisticsthatshowsuccesscanbeexplainedawaybyquestioningthe

‘credibility’and‘legitimacy’ofthecourseandthe‘qualityandcertification’ofthe

graduates.Theargumentthattheseprogramsprovideopportunitiesforstudentswho

wouldotherwisenotbeabletobecometeachersisturnedintoacritiquetoimplythatthey

wouldnotmakeitinamainstreamcontext.ThisusesasomewhatDarwinianstandpoint

thatassumesalevelplayingfieldtobeginwithbasedonanassumptionofcultural

neutralityandahistorism.Thedominanteducationsystemstrugglestoacceptthat

differentmodelsofteachereducationmightberequiredfordifferentgroups.The

discussionofcosteffectivenessfailstotakeintoconsiderationanylong-termsocio-cultural

costbenefitanalysis.Onceagainwebumpintotheassimilationistintentofmainstreamor

‘whitestream’teachereducation.CohortprogramsareanattempttolocateIndigenous

knowledgeandunderstandingsascentralandtoplacethecommunityatthecentreofthe

process.Thedominantcultureisdeeplydisconcertedbythis.

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Asameansofallowing‘incremental’change(Vass2015)inremoteschoolsintheNorthern

TerritoryIndigenousassistantteachersarestillinvolvedwithapaleshadowoftheprevious

communitybasedprograms.ParaprofessionalqualificationsattheVocationalEducation

andTraining(VET)levelareavailablethroughaminimalcommunitybaseddeliverynow.

ButifAboriginalpeoplefromremotecommunitieswishtobecomefullyqualifiedteachers

theyhavenochoicebuttostudyoncampusorbydistanceeducationnow.Thiseffectively

enforcesadefactoglassceilingonremoteteachers’careerprogression.

Anothersignificantpointofchangefromtheoriginalcommunitybaseddeliverymodelthat

wasidentifiedbytheteachersparticipantsassignificantforthemontheirteacher

educationjourneywasintheareaofteamteachingandtherolethisplayedinsupporting

assistantteacherstodofurtherstudy.Theteacherparticipantstalkedagreatdealabout

thefactthatmanyfullyqualifiedclassroomteachersdidnotunderstandtherolethey

neededtoplayinsupportingIndigenousteachereducationanymore.

…atthemomentIfeelthatthey(assistantteachers)doinglikewhattheteamteacher

issaying,youknow'youdothis,youdothat,youdothisinthemorning,thisiswhat

wegonnadonextweek'weekbyweek,notactuallyyouknowsittingdownwithher

orhimandgoingthrough…allthat.

...sometimestheydon’tseetheir…programandtheydon’tplanwitheachother…

someofthepeoplewhotheywereteamteachingwithweresometimescritical…yeah

‘costhatperson,youknowtheonewho'sfullytrainedmightthinkoh'she'snogood',

or'he'snogood',butactuallytalkingandprogrammingandsharingmakesagood

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teamteacher.

….andthat’showIthoughtumsomeofthetrainingisn’tgiventopeople…Howabout

youknowgivethattrainingtoimproveinthatarea,andthat’swherethestrengthis.

Andtheyseetheweakness...theycandoit,buttheyneedsupport,youknowandnot

tobecriticalbutactuallyhavesupportandlookatthestrengths,lookatthe

weaknessandbuildonthat,ratherthanbeingcriticalandsaying,what'stheword...

patronising?

…nowadays…therearenon-Indigenousteachersintheclassroomallthetime

teachingthosekids

MarikaandWhite(1999)notedthatduringthetimewhencommunitybasedteacher

educationwasstrongestschoolswererequiredtoviewthemselvesasbothworkplacesand

‘training’placesforIndigenouseducators.Inthismodelteachereducationwaspositioned

asawholeofschoolapproachtolearning(Bat&Shore2013).MarikaandWhite(1999,p.

7)alsonoticedashiftinthispracticewhen‘BatchelorCollege’startedemployingAEP-

fundedtutorswhichremovedasignificantrequirementforinitiatingandsustainingthe

programsfromwithinthestaffingoftheschools.MarikaandWhite(1999)commented

thatwithinashorttimethiscausedaculturalchangeintheschools.Theynotedspecifically

that‘Partnershipsdisappearedveryquicklywhenworkplaces(schools)couldgetby

withouthavingtoallocateresourcesoracceptsomeresponsibilityfortheeducationand

trainingoftheiremployeesorpotentialemployees’(MarikaandWhite1999,p.7).Insome

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waystheinstabilityofthemodelisforeshadowedinReaburn’swordsaswellwhenshe

writes,

ThedevelopmentofAboriginalandNonAboriginalRATEparticipantunderstanding

towardsacommonwayofseeingandactingisdocumentedhereinthehopethat

theexperiencesofsomecanbeusefulforthoseothersyettocome,thatNon

AboriginaleducatorsparticularlycanrecognizethattogetherwithAboriginal

peoplewecanworktowardsdevelopingamoreappropriateeducationforall.

(Reaburn1989,p.4)

Thementionof‘thoseothersyettocome’isanacknowledgmentoftheinstabilityofany

changesmadewithinasystemthatisstillsoheavilyreliantonthosealreadyqualifiedwho

comeandgofromoutsidetheseremotecommunities.Suchhighturnoverasseeninthe

staffingofschoolsinremotecommunitiesbringswithittheconstantthreatofwhiteness

anddysconsciousracismthatthreatensanyprogressthathaspreviouslybeenmade

towards‘self-determination’forAboriginalpeople.Thisplacesanyprogram‘atthemercy

ofeveryintellectualbreezethathappenstoblow’(Dewey1938,p.51),nottomentionthe

ideologicalandpoliticalcyclonesthatperiodicallywreakhavoc.

Theseshiftsawayfromthestrongcommunitybasedmodelofteachereducationshine

somelightonwhywearehardlyseeinganyqualifiedIndigenousteachersemergingfrom

theremoteschoolteachereducationpathwayanymore.Whiletherecontinuestoexist

someisolatedexamplesofpeopleworkingtogetherin‘goodfaith’insmalloutoftheway

places,thisisnowhereclosetohappeningatasystemwidelevelanymoreinremote

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schoolsintheNorthernTerritory.Nolongeristeachereducationaprocessofco-

constructingknowledgeinthelocalcontext.Nowitis‘mainstreamed’tomeetthenational

requirementsforsameness.Theabsenceofconsistentandprioritisedsupportfromthe

schoolleadershipandtheclassroomteachersandthesporadicsupportprovidedby

universitylecturingstaffhascausedthenextgenerationofIndigenousteacherstofeelleft

bythemselveswithno‘marlpa’fromthesystemtheyareworkingwithin.

8.3.3Differenceanddisconcertment

Whilethemodelsandprogramsofcollaborationandco-constructiondiscussedinthe

previoussectionwereexamplesofsuccessfulinterculturalwork,thereisamoreimportant

aspectthatprecedesthosemodels,thatofontologicalandepistemologicaldifference.

Ontologicaldifferencesbetweenpeople,asexpressedinwhatweknowandhowweknow

it,needtobecentraltoanyinterculturalknowledgework.Thisneedfordifferencetobe

understood,embracedandembeddedwasakeymessagecomingfromtheteacher

narratives.

8.3.3.1Culturallyembeddeddifference

Thefirstthemediscussedintheteachernarrativeisonecalled‘ourfeelingforfamily’.This

phraseusesthewordsofoneoftheparticipants,

'Ithinktechnologyandallthisstuffhaschangedbutourfeelingforthefamilyand

thecommunityhasn’t,it'snotgonnachange,thatneedtobeclosetothefamilies...I

thinkthiscultureisreallystrongyouknow,familyandfamilyconnectionandsorry

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business...you'reexpectingthemtogetagoodeducationbutthesethingsare

gonnacomeallthetime’

Thiscommentthengeneratedagreatdealofsubsequentdiscussionabouttheplaceof

educationinthemoreholisticviewoflifeforchildrenandadultsintherespective

communitiesoftheteacherparticipants.Strongemphasisonconnectiontofamily,culture

andcountrycamethroughasacentral,powerfulandnot-negotiableimperativeinthelives

oftheparticipants.Engagingwithwesternsystemsofeducationwasseentobeinconflict

attimeswiththisimperativeandcauseddeepdisconcertmentonthepartoftheteacher

participants.This‘feeling’wasoftenexpressedbodilyasafeelingofhomesicknesswhen

peoplewereawayfromtheirfamilyandcommunity,andinaneducationalspace,

‘thechangeofthatfrom(going)intothecollege,itwastoodifferent’

Oftentheteacherparticipantstalkedabouthowfinding‘marlpa’withotherstudentsfrom

neighbouringcommunitieshelpedwhentheywereinformaleducationalsettings.This

companyhelpeddealwithlonelinessbutitneverfullyovercametheunderlying‘feelingfor

family’thatpulledthemhome.Whenfacedwithachoicebetweenschoolingandfamily,

theparticipantsalwayschosefamily.

Theemphasisplacedonthisthememadeitclearthattheteacherparticipantswantedto

highlightitasapointofontologicalandepistemologicaldifference.Deepandcomplex

understandingsofeducationexistwithintheirknowledgesystems,butthose

understandingsemanatefromanontologicallydifferentplacetoWesternunderstandings

ofeducation.Itisnottheintentionhere,orindeedmyplace,toinanywaytrytoexplainor

definetheseIndigenousontologicalunderstandings.ManyIndigenousscholarshavedone

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soverythoroughlyandgenerouslyfromtheirownperspectives.Iwoulddirectyoutowards

Arbon(2008),Martin(2008)andFord(2010)inparticularforfurtherunderstandingabout

thecentralityof‘relatedness’inAustralianIndigenousontologiesandMeyer(2001),

Kahakalau(2004),Kawagley(1995),Wilson(2009),andBattiste(2002)whospeakabout

thistopicfromNativeHawaiian,AlsakaNativeandFirstnationsCanadianperspectives.The

waytheteachersspokeof‘feelingforfamilyasapointofontologicaldifference,itisclearly

anotnegotiablehumanconditionforthem.Itisexpressedinchoicesthataremade,

prioritiesthataredecideduponandparticipationinthelifeoftheirfamiliesand

community.Itisapowerfulobligatoryforcethatwillalwaysremainmoreimportantthan

anyotherresponsibility–includingeducationandwork.Theteacherparticipantsspokeof

ittounderlinethatthis‘feelingforfamily’,andthedifferencethatitrepresents,mustbe

accommodatedandrespectedaspartoftheeducationaljourney.

However,theteachernarrativesdemonstratedthatwhensuchpointsofontologicaland

epistemologicaldifferencewereengagedwithpatiently,thoughtfully,relationallyand

deeply,thenthegenerativeknowledgeandunderstandingsthatemergedcouldactuallybe

powerfullyenlistedtosupporteducationalsuccess.Asdiscussedintheprevioussection

oneofthekeydeterminantsoftheseteachersbeingabletocontinueonwiththeirteacher

educationwasthefactthat,atleastinthebeginning,thecoursesinwhichtheseteachers

participatedwerecommunitybased.Thisthenenabledtheirfamiliestoengage

meaningfullyinwhattheyweredoingandenabledthelocalleadersandElderstomake

valuableknowledgecontributionstotheprograms.Additionallythecohortmodelallowed

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participantstofeelsupportedbythecollectivenatureoftheprogram.Attimeswhen

obligationtofamilyandculturewasrequired,thedeepunderstandingofwhatwastrying

tobeachievedbytheseteachereducationprogramsallowedforanegotiationofthese

obligations.Oneparticipantsimplysaid

‘familysupportedmetogoaway’

Atothertimesfamilysupportedpeopleinpracticalwaysliketakingontheworkloadleft

behind,caringforchildrenorsickfamilymembers.Theseareallexamplesthatindicate

that,whenunderstoodandappliedcreatively,thispointofontologicaldifferencecan

actuallybeatremendoussupportstructuretohelpAboriginalteacherssucceed.Those

pursuingteachereducationqualificationswillalwaysbeforcedtojugglemultiple

responsibilitiesandwillalwaysfeelpulledindifferent,andattimes,oppositional

directions.Butgenerativesolutionscanbefoundwhengoodinterculturalknowledgework

isdone.Inorderforthistohappenweneedtocreatespacefordifference.Teacher

educationcannotbeaonesizefitsallmodelwhereanyonewhositsoutsidethatmodelis

excluded.Differenceshouldnotbeabarriertoaccessandsuccess.

Astheteacherparticipantspointedoutintheirnarratives,thesedeepontological

differencesdon’tjustexistintheirnavigationoftheeducationalsystem,butalsoexistfor

thechildrenintheirhomecommunities.Thesharedontologicalidentitybetweenthese

teachersandtheirstudentsandthesharedlanguage,cultureandpracticesthatembody

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thatidentityprovidestheseteacherswithuniqueinsightsabouthowbesttoteach

studentsfromtheirhomecommunities.

forIndigenouskidstheylookatusandthey...we'retheirfamilyandtheyknowus,

wehavegoodrelationshipslikewe'refamilyandkidslookatusandwearetherole

modelsforthem…IfIndigenouskidshaveIndigenousteachersandlanguageand

cultureprograms,they'lllistentousandtheelderscominginteachingthem

Infacttheaspectsthatmightbejudgedbyaonesizefitsallstandardizedsystemofteacher

educationasreasonstoexcludeIndigenousteachersshouldbecarefullyandrespectfully

enlistedasstrengthsthatmaketheseteachersthekindofteachersIndigenousstudents

need.Weilbacher(2012,p.4)remindsusthat‘Inorderforstudentstogrow,theirteachers

needtounderstandandusethestudents’earlyexperiencesintheprocessofeducating

them’.Heassertsthat‘Teachersmustknowtheirstudentsandtheirenvironment–the

physicalandsocialexperiencesthathaveactedasthefoundationforwhatthestudents

know–assuchinfluencesprovidestudentswithcontinuityintheirownworld’.Indigenous

teachersfromwithinlocalcommunitiesareuniquelyplacedtounderstandchildren’searly

experiencesandprovidethiscontinuity.Theyareuniquelyplacedbecausetheyshare

ontologicalandepistemologicalknowledgeandunderstandingswiththechildrenfrom

theircommunitiesandcanthereforeundertaketheworkofateacher‘withoutengagingin

imposition’(Dewey1938).

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8.3.3.2Navigatingdifference

Yearsofworkingintheinterculturalspaceofeducationintheirhomecommunitieshave

madetheseteacherparticipantsexpertsatunderstandingandrespondingtodifference.

Theyareoftenrequiredtohelpothersnavigatethisspaceofdifferenceaswell.Thisis

particularlyvisiblewhenteachersfromoutsidethecommunityexperiencetheculture

shockandadjustmentoflivinginaremoteIndigenouscommunitysodifferenttotheir

own.Itisthelocalteachers,parentsandElderswhogivethesenon-localsthesupportand

strategiestonavigatethedisconcertmenttheyareexperiencing,

sometimes(they)didn’tfititwellandthat’swhenwesaidyouknowit’snotthesame

asyourculture,ifyouhaveyourculturedifferenttoourculturesoweshouldbe

sittingdownandyouknowlookingatthis,whatbarriersarethere,sowecanwork

andmakeitbetter

Theteacherparticipantspointedouthowchallengingthisspaceofdifferencewasfor

schoolPrincipalswhowereoftencomingtocontextsinremotecommunityschoolsthatare

outsidetheircomfortzoneandmarkedlydifferenttotheirpreviousprofessional

experiences,butexpectedbytheDepartmenttotakechargeandproduceoutcomes.

…youknowwhenthePrincipals,newPrincipalscameanditwasalsochallengingfor

thembecausetheyneverworkedinabilingualschoolbefore,whichwaslike

differentforthem.LikePrincipalwouldbeahighschoolPrincipalorteachercoming

intoourcommunitytoteachinaschoolandsomePrincipalsfounditdifficultand

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challenging,butasateamweworkedtogethertotryandrunWarlpiribilingual

way.

Rose(2004,p.16)associatesthiswiththefactthatmodernityhasprivilegedaparadigmof

progressthatseeshumanagencyasthedrivingforce.TheWesternepistemological

system,whichisfoundedon,detached,objectivehierarchicalcontroldoesnotreallyhave

manyanswerswhenfacedwithdifference.Itiscommittedtothe‘grandorderingnarrative’

thatseeseducationaspartofa‘singlespacesubstantiallydefinedbyacompetitiveneo-

globaleconomyandananalogouslycompetitiveglobalintellectualsystem’(LawandLin

2010,p.142).Non-localscomeintothecommunitiesandexpectthatthesamewaysof

workingfromtheirpastexperiencewillworkinthisnewcontext.Thesubjectivityofthe

differentexperiencechallengesthem.The‘bodilydisconcertment’(Verran2013)thatthey

experienceisatoddswiththescientificrationalitythatrestsupontheCartesianseparation

betweenmindandbody,subjectsandobjects(Watson&Huntington2008).

Inthebestcases,whenthenon-localteachersareabletobecomeopentodifference,

listentotheknowledgeofthelocalstaffandbecomeopentochangethisproducedgood

results,

IwasAssistantTeacherandIsaidtothis(teacher),younggirl,andshedidn’tlikeit.

Shesaid'ohbutthisishowwedoit'.(Isaid)'Butyourwaysisn’tworking,let'sdoit

thiswayandwe'llseenextweekitmightwork'andshehuggedmeandsaid'thisis

working,howdidyoudothat?'(Isaid)'Isawallthisinaworkshopwherethislady

wassayinginthisschoolitworkslikethat,likethis,soItakeit,Ibringwhatthey're

doingtheretopracticehere'anditwasworking.

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Howeververyoftentheresponsetotheepistemicdisconcertmentborneoutofthe

experienceofdifferenceisaverybasicfightorflight,

…sometimesresponsesaresometimesquestionable,sometimeswewouldyouknow

disagreeoneachother…somenon-Indigenousdidn’ttakeitsotheyendedupgetting

burntout‘costheyweren’tfittingintoourculture,whichsometimescanbehard.

Blair(2015)suggeststhattheproblemhereisthatdifferenceisn’tvaluedwhendifferent

understandingsemergebetweenknowledgesystems.Shesuggeststhatwhendifferenceis

notvaluedaspacein-betweenemerges,muddiedbyignoranceandalackofwantingto

know.Thisislargelybecausethecoloniserconstruesdifferenceasnon-existentor

irrelevant.Dewey(1938,p.30)explainsthisbehaviourbysuggestingthatpeoplewill

‘followthelineofleastresistanceprovidedbytheoldintellectualhabits’.

Incontrast,theteacherparticipantsoftentalkedabouthowusefultheyfounddifference

tobeinthedevelopmentoftheirownknowledgeandprofessionalidentity

…Ithinkithelpedmelikealotofteacherscomeandgoandallthedifferent

experiencesandthatreallyhelpedmegetstrongatmyprofessionalteaching,

workingwithdifferentpeople,yeah…awaandlearningaboutdifferences'ohshe's

gotagoodidea'yeahandallthesedifferentwaysofteachinganddifferentteachers

thatcomesthrough,yeah….Ipersonallyreallythinkthatit'sreallyhelpedme….awa

makesmefeelstrong,yeahfromalotoftheways…I’velearned…otherteachers

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comingandgoingandbringsdifferentexperience,styleofteaching,ornotonly

teachingbutthewholethingintheschool…IthinkI'velearnedenoughtosay'ohthis

iswhatyouneedtosay/do'tobothsides.I'vegotthatknowledge.

Theteacherparticipantssawdifferenceasaninvitationtolearnandtogrowandtheysaw

itasanopportunitytotrynewideasandimplementchanges.Itwasthedeepaversionto

differenceembodiedinsomeoftheirnon-localcolleaguesthatoftenpreventedthisfrom

happening.Perhapsthisisbecause,accordingtoVerran(1998,p.242)‘Aboriginal

communitiesknowhowtonegotiateoveronticcategories’inwaysthatallowfordisparate

waysofknowing.Inthiswayperhapstheteacherparticipantsunderstoodintrinsicallythat

partoflearningwasbeingabletoexploreone’sowndiscomfort(Holt2001).

8.3.3.3Thevulnerabilityofdifference

Theexperiencesoftheseteacherssuggestthataninevitable,andinfactnecessary,partof

doinginterculturalworkisexperiencingdifference.Oneoftheproblemswiththisisthat

duetohistoricalcolonialismandtheongoingneo-colonialideologythatpersistsin

Australia,thisdifferenceismostcommonlyignored,pressedtoassimilateordismissedby

hegemonicpracticesofthedominantWesternknowledgesystem.Continuingdownthis

pathonlyleadstowhatRose(2004,p.22)calls‘doubledviolence:thepracticesthathurt

others,andthesustainedindifferencetothehurtofothers’.Oneofthekeysisthat

differenceisexperiencedpersonally,emotionallyandbodily.Verran(2013,p.145)

suggeststhatwhenpeopleexperiencedifferenceatanepistemologicalormetaphysical

level,thisisexperiencedasbodilydisconcertment.Theyexperiencea‘momentary

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existentialpanic’whensomethingtheyhavealwaysknownorfelttobetrueis

contradictedorinterruptedbyanothertruth.Our‘comfortablecategories’havebeen

thrownintodisarray.Thesearethingsthatwe‘feel’asepistemicallyright,thingsthatwe

areordinarilyunawareofuntilitis‘rentasunder’(Verran2013,p.146).Itisexperienced

bodilyandishencepersonallybutVerransuggestsourdiscomfortis‘anexpressionofour

solidifiedcollectiveinstitutionalhabits’(Verran2013,p.145).Thiskindofpersonaland

bodilypanicleavespeoplefeelingvulnerableinthefaceofdifferenceandacommon

response,particularlyfromthosebelongingtothedominantknowledgesystem,isthe

instinctofself-protectionbyfiercelyadheringto‘their’known.Thisiscommonlydone

throughthe‘toolsofwhiteness’,rejectingthe‘other’knowledgeasinferior,lessscientific,

lessvalid.Sometimespeoplewillremainvulnerableinthisspaceofdisconcertmentlong

enoughtotrytoexplainawaythedifferenceusingallegory,ormetaphor,butagaindraw

thesefromthereferencingrepertoireavailabletothemaccordingtotheirown

epistemologicalunderstandings(Verran2013,p.147).

Warlpirischolar,StevenJampajimpaPatrick(Wanta)alsotalksaboutdifferenceinthe

discussionofhistheoryofNgurra-Kurlu.Ngurra-Kurlucanbeunderstoodinmanyways

accordingtoPatrick,butoneofthosewaysisaspurami,‘thepath’or‘theway’.For

WarlpiripeopleNgurra-KurluhighlightstheessentialfeaturesofbeingWarlpiriagainstthe

deafeningbackgroundnoiseofmainstreamAustralianculture.InthisstoryPatrick

comparespuramitotheroleoftrafficlightsinacity:

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SamethingwhenIlookedatthecity,whenIwentthereforthefirsttime.Ithought,

whydoeseveryonehavetostopfortheredlight?Whycan’twejustkeepondriving?

Butyoucansee–everyonethinksabouttherightwayofdrivingacar,otherwise–

poof!Everyoneneedstounderstandthecolourandwhatthatistellingthem.You

knowthat’soneofthethingsthatcapturedmewhenIfirstwenttothecity:thislight

istellingyouwhentogoandwhennottogo.Yousee,ngurra-kurlu[islikethelights]

–itbringspeopletogethersothattheycanunderstandeachother,andlikethe

motorcarsandstreetseverywheretheydon’tpileup.Sometimestheydo,youknow,

kardiya[non-Aboriginalpeople]respondtothat[pileup]reallyquickandyapa

[Warlpiripeople]havewaystodothattoo.(Pawu-Kurlpurlurnu,HolmesandBox

2008,p.8)

PatrickidentifiesNgurra–Kurluastheepistemologicalunderstandingsthroughwhich

peopleofdifferencecanseektounderstandeachother.Healsowarnsofthepossibility

the‘pileup’whentheepistemologicalunderstandingscrashagainsteachother.How

peoplerespondinthesemomentswillbeverydifferentbutPatrickalsocallsontheneed

fortimeandspacethatallowustofindwaysto‘turnthevolumedowntohearourselves.’

(Pawu-Kurlpurlurnu,HolmesandBox2008,p.10).

Verran(2013,p.145)agreesthatweneedtofindways‘torecognizeandexplicitlymanage

thepositionsthatarethrownupinthetensionsthatepistemicdisconcertmentexpresses’.

Thisneedstohappeninwaysthatrecognizewewillallbedrawingonourown

incommensurableepistemicresources.Iwillneverbeabletounderstandingknowledge

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fromaWarlpiriorLuritjaorPitjantjatjaraorWesternArrarntaepistemologicalor

ontologicalstandpoint,andneitherwilltheteachersIworkedwitheverbeableto

understandmyownWesternknowledgeepistemologicalandontologicalstandpoint.But

thatdoesn’tmeanthatwecannotintentionallyoccupyaspaceofdifferenceandseektodo

work‘generativelyandingoodfaith’(Verran2013,p.144).Verranexplainswhatismeant

bydifferenceinthiscontext,

Differenceinthisusageisnotdifferenceallowedbyacommonsameness,butrather

differencebeforecomingtoconcepts.Learningtorecognizeandvaluesuch

difference,learningtorefusethestepwhichrequiresacolonizingreductiontoa

sharedcategory,andacceptancethatwemaynotbemetaphysicallycommittedtoa

commonworld,iswhatisinvolvedincultivatingapostcolonialimpulse(Verran2013,

p.144).

Thisideaofcultivatingapost-colonialimpulseiswhatthefinalsectionofthisdoctoral

thesiswillelaborateoninthecontextofIndigenousteachereducation.

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Chapter9–Post-ColonialKnowledgeWorkandIndigenousTeacherEducation

Thecommonconcernattheheartofthethesiswasthequestionofhowtosupportmore

peoplefromremotecommunitiestobecomequalifiedteachers.Totrytofindsome

insightsintothisquestiontheteachernarrativesofsevenfullyqualifiedIndigenous

teachersfromtheremoteCentralAustraliancontextwerelistenedto,recorded,written

downandanalysed.Theco-explorationofthesenarrativeshavegivenmyselfandthe

teacherparticipantsinsightsintothefollowinginitialresearchquestions:

• WhathavebeentheexperiencesofIndigenousteachersfromremotecommunities

inCentralAustraliawhohavecompletedteachereducation?

• Whataresomeoftheelementsthatsupportedthemandwhataresomeofthe

barrierstheseteachersencountered?

• WhatarethebenefitsofhavingqualifiedIndigenousteachersinremoteschools?

Wecomenowtothefinalresearchquestion,

• Howcanmeaningfulandeffectivepathwaysbecreatedtosupportteacher

educationforfuturegenerationsofIndigenousteachersfromremote

communities?

Toanswerthisquestionwehavehadtotakeanhistoricallookatthejourneysintoteacher

educationofIndigenousteachersfromremotecommunitiesintheNorthernTerritoryand

wehaveseenthatsomestrong,effectiveandsuccessfuldeliverymodelsandunique

programsweredevelopedinthepast.Theseventeacherparticipantsatthecentreofthis

doctoralresearcharebyandlargeproductsofthatera.Therecontinuetobesmall,

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sporadicexamplesof‘goodfaith’,collaborative,interculturalwaysofworkingwithin

remotecommunitiesbutsadlythesetendtobetheexceptionratherthantherulenow.

Tounderstandwhythingshavemovedawayfrompreviouswaysofworkingwehavealso

hadtouncoverandunpacktheinitiativesandpoliciesthathavemovedteachereducation

intoaspaceofstandardizationandnationalizationwithanemphasison‘quality’and

‘literacyandnumeracy’.Thebureaucraticdiscoursesurroundingthisshifthasbeenoneof

commonsense,benefits,necessityandculturalneutrality.Oncloserinspectionthese

elementshaveinfactproventobemechanismsofaneo-colonialshift,whichhasatits

coreanagendaofassimilation.Itishardertorecognizenowbecauseitisnotpopulated

withtheassimilationistlanguageandovertonesofapreviousage.Howevertheunderlying

intentandoutcomesarethesame,andoneofthemajoroutcomeshasbeenaninsistence

on‘sameness’inthebodyofpeopledeemedeligibletobecomeateacher.Thishashadthe

effectofexcludingIndigenousteachers,particularlythosewhospeaktheirownlanguages

throughtheuseofthe‘toolsofwhiteness’suchaslanguagetesting,professional

standards,standardizedcurriculumandthemainstreamdeliveryofteachereducation

programs.BarriershavealsobeencreatedthroughtheTrojanhorsesofassimilationsuch

assystemicanddysconsciousracismintheworkplace,the‘quality’teacherdiscourseand

therelegationofthestatusofIndigenousknowledgesystemsasinferiorandsecondaryto

thedominantWesternknowledgesystem.Againstthisbackgrounditwouldbe

irresponsibletoencourageyoungIndigenouspeoplefromremotecommunitiestopursuea

pathwayintoteachereducation,fortodosowouldbeanactof‘doubledviolence’(Rose

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2004,p23).Itwouldforcethemintoaknowledgespacethatrequiresassimilationthrough

‘standardizedbehaviours’;aspacethatpermitsthementryuptobutnotbeyondthepoint

ofmimicry,neverreallybeingabletoachievetrueequality;aspacethatrejectsand

disrespectstheknowledgetheseyoungpeoplebringwiththem:aspaceinwhichtheir

struggletobecome‘white’isnotperceivedashurtfulbutnecessary.

Ifwetrulywishtocreatemeaningfulandeffectivepathwaysintoteachereducationfor

Indigenouspeoplefromremotecommunities,thenweneedtofindwaystomovebeyond

thisspaceof‘doubledviolence’;beyondthebenignandineffectualrhetoricofteacher

diversity,andbeyondtheroleofIndigenousteachersas‘mimics’ofwhiteteachersand

‘rolemodels’forIndigenouschildren.BatandShore(2013,p.17)suggestthat‘whatis

requiredisthescopetoworkwithlocalcommunitiestodeveloprelevantandeffective

teachereducationprogramsthatcanstillmeetthenationalaccreditationguidelines’.I

agreethatthenationalstandards,guidelinesandcurriculumarenotgoinganywheresowe

needtofindmeaningfulandeffectivewaystoworkintothem.However,weneedtobe

intentionalaboutthekindof‘work’thatisbeingreferredtohere.Theworkneedstobe

thekindofworkthatisgroundedinaconsciousnessofourhistoricalcolonialpast,and

withthatknowledgeseekstoco-createadecolonizedfuture.ItiswiththisinmindthatI

suggestthatteachereducationneedstomoveintoaspaceofPost-ColonialKnowledge

Work.ButperhapsmoreimportantlywecannoteventhinkaboutreformingtheIndigenous

teachereducationspaceuntilwealsocommitandbeginworkingtoreintegrateeducation

withthelocal.Thevibrancyandstrengthoflocalremoteschoolslieintheirreintegration

withthelifeofthecommunity,andtheframeworkforPost-ColonialKnowledgeworkcan

beusedasamechanismforthisreintegration.

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9.1Post-ColonialKnowledgeWork

Astory:

Oneoftheteacherparticipantstoldmethisstoryrecently.Itisusedherewithher

permission,

Thestudentsattheschoolwherethisteacherworkswerelininguptocollecttheirlunchone

day.Theteacher’syounggranddaughterwasinline.Hercousinswereaheadofherinthe

line.Whentheysawherstandingtherebyherself,withoutherfamilynearhertheycalled

outtoher‘comeandstandherewithus’.Respondingtothisurgingtheyounggirlmoved

forwardtostandwithhercousins.Anon-Indigenousteacherwhohadbeengiventhetask

ofsupervisingthelinesawhermoveandimmediatelyscaldedherfor‘cuttingin’and

punishedherbysendinghertothebackoftheline.Theyounggirlburstintotearsunsure

whatshehaddonewrong.

ThisisabriefandsimplestorybutonethatIbelievehighlightstheimportanceand

generativepossibilityofdoingPost-ColonialKnowledgeWorkineducationalspaces.

Thechildreninthisstoryareoperatingfromaplaceofknowledge.Their‘feelingforfamily’

andsenseof‘marlpa’,ofnotleavinganyonebythemselves,wasguidingtheirthoughtsand

actions.Thenon-Indigenousteacherwasoperatingfromadifferentplaceofknowledge–a

Westernsenseofrightandwrong,ofpropriety,ofsocialorderamongst‘strangers/non-

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relatives’,ofappropriatewaysofperformingcertaintasks.Whenthetwowaysofknowing

aboutthissituationclashed,thenon-Indigenousteacherimposedherassumptionsand

usedherpowertorestorethingstothewayshebelievedtheyshouldbe,tothe

bewildermentanddistressoftheyounggirland,Idaresay,ofhercousins.

Imagineforamomentifthenon-Indigenousteacherhadrealizedthatsomethingfelt

‘wrong’,hadnoticedherbodilydisconcertmentinthatmoment.Howmightthingshave

beendifferentif,insteadofimmediatelyreacting,insteadofimmediatelytryingtoset

thingsto‘right’,shehadsatwiththediscomfort?Imagineifshehaddecidedtodelveabit

deeperintothedifferentunderstandingsaboutwhatwashappeninginthatmoment.

Imagineifshehadtakenthetimetoenterintoadialoguewiththegirl’sgrandmother,a

senioreducatorandleaderinthecommunity,andaskedhertoexplainwhathadhappened

sothatshecouldbetterunderstandbeforetakingactionthatwouldonlyservetoconfuse

andalienate.Imaginewhatdeepeningherunderstandinginthatmomentmighthaveled

to?Hopefully,attheveryleastalessreactiveandcensuringresponse;perhapsevena

dialoguethatledtheschooltofindingnewwaysforthechildrenreceivetheirlunchesthat

respectedthefactthatchildrenlikedtobegroupedwiththeirfamilies.Imaginenowhow

manyofthesetypesofinstancescouldleadtogenerativesolutionsifeveryoneinthat

schoollearnedhowtoworkwithinaPost-ColonialKnowledgeframe.

TheresearchconductedinthisdoctoralresearchgiveusinsightsintodoingPost-Colonial

KnowledgeWorkattwolevels.Firstly,throughthestoriesoftheteachersandthe

subsequentanalysisofthesenarrativeswecangainsignificantinsightintointercultural

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knowledgeworkthathasbeendoneinteachereducationinthepastwhenpeoplehave

cometogetherandworkedin‘goodfaith’.Secondly,theprocessofthisresearchitselfis

imbuedwiththeideasofPost-ColonialKnowledgeWorkandsoexaminingthisco-

constructedprocesscanofferinsightsaswell.

9.2ASpaceofPost-ColonialKnowledgeWork

Ifwetrulywantmoreyoungpeoplefromremotecommunitiestofolloweffectiveand

meaningfulpathwaysinteachereducationthenteachereducationitselfneedstomove

intoaPost-ColonialKnowledgespaceandthosewithinitneedtobeequippedtodoPost-

ColonialKnowledgeworktogether.Othershavetalkedaboutthiskindofspace.For

example,

theconceptofknowledgespacestorefertothespacewithinwhichdifferent

knowledgesareconceivable.Thesearethespacesfromwhichknowledgesarisebut

alsospacesthatare,inturn,shapedbytheseknowledges.Thisprovidesamechanism

forunderstandingallknowledgesassituatedinaparticulargeo-historicalcontext

(whilstgoingbeyondunderstandingthiscontextas‘local’)andalsoforextendingthe

notionofcontextualizationtooneofco-creation(Wright2005,p.908).

Additionally,inthedevelopmentofhertheoryof‘Lilyology’AustralianIndigenousscholar

NeridaBlairtalksofaspacewhereIndigenousandnon-Indigenouspeoplecanplaywith

differentconceptsandideaslearningtovalueandpayrespecttoeachotherknowingthat

differentontologiesareatwork(Blair2015).

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Inmanywaysthisdoctoralresearchhasbeenanattempttocreateandembodysucha

space.APost-ColonialKnowledgespaceisnotsomethingthatalreadyexists,itneedstobe

createdbyitsparticipants.AsRose(2004,p.24)remindsus‘wehavenomodelsfromthe

pasttoguideus…Wehavetoworkitoutstep-by-stepdialogicallywithandamongeach

other’.ThisechoesAddelson(1994,p.1)whoremindsusthat‘Answerstohowweshould

livearecreatedintheprocessofliving’.CanadianFirstNationsscholarMarieBattiste

remindsusthat‘Indigenousthinkersusetheterm‘postcolonial’todescribeasymbolic

strategyforshapingadesirablefuture,notanexistingreality.Theterm(referstoan)

aspirationalpractice,goaloridea….toimagineanewformofsocietythattheydesiredto

create’(Battiste2002,p.xix).

9.3Waysofcomingtogetherin‘goodfaith’

ThefollowingfourWaysofcomingtogetherin‘goodfaith’andthesubsequentthree

ToolsforPost-ColonialKnowledgeworkareofferedaslearningsfromthisjourneythatI

havetakenwiththeteacherparticipants,fromtheirnarrativesandfromtheactofcoming

togethertodotheworkaroundourcommonconcern.Whiletheydrawonmanyideas

fromdiversetheorists,theyariseinthisformandframeworkdirectlyfromthelearnings

gainedbylisteningtothenarrativesoftheteacherparticipantsandfromtheexperienceof

doingPost-Colonialresearchworktogetherinthisdoctoralstudy.These‘Ways’and‘Tools’

aremyinterpretation,asprincipalresearcher,ofthespecificelementsthatopenedupthe

possibilitiesoftheemergenceofnewunderstandingsandwaysofgoingontogether.They

willbeastartingpointforongoingandfuturenegotiationandrenegotiationasmywork

goesonwiththeteacherparticipantsinthefuture.Theyareincludedhereaspirationallyas

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offeringnewpossibilitiesforfutureeducationandteachereducationworkinthePost-

ColonialKnowledgespace.

9.3.1GoodPost-ColonialKnowledgeworkisrelational…

Thisresearchbeganfromaplaceofrelationship.Iwasknowntotheteacherparticipants

andtheywereknowntome.Wehadestablishedrelationaltrustthroughourprevious

worktogetherandthroughthefriendshipsthatgrewfromthatwork.Itwasthisrelational

trustthatresultedintheteacherstellingmetheirstoriesinthefirstplaceandthatleftme

withafeelingofneedingto‘do’somethingtogetherwiththem.Itwasalsothisrelational

trustthatenabledustonavigateourwaythroughthisnewresearchbasedrelationship

togetherandtohavethisnewworkbesomethingthatstrengthenedratherthan

diminishedourrelationshipwitheachother.Oneoftheinsightsthatwelearnedaspartof

ourprocesswastheimportanceof‘marlpa’,asdiscussedinChapter5.Thissamepresence

of‘marlpa’camethroughintheteachernarrativesasakeyelementthatsupportedthem

tobesuccessfulintheirteachereducationstudiesandintheirworkinschools.

Martin(2008,p.128)talksaboutthelevelsofrelationshipthatpeoplecanenterinto–

beingunknown,beingknownaboutandbeingknown.Shestatesthat‘Toremain

‘unknown’isapersonaldecisionandregardedasatemporarystateofrelatedness’.Itis

possibletoseemanyexampleswherepeopleworkingininterculturalspaceshavechosen

toremain‘unknown’toeachother.HowevergoodPost-ColonialKnowledgeworkrequires

ustoengageinaprocessof‘comingalongside’whichMartin(2008,p.128)suggests

‘occursasrelatednessisexpanded,strengthenedanddeepenedfromthatofbeingknown

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abouttobeingknown’.Manyothershavetalkedaboutthecentralityofrelationshipsand

relatedness(Arbon2008;Bishop1998;Buker2014;Carnes2011;Fredericks2008;Ford

2010;Meyer2001;Smith1999;Wilson2009).

Rose(2004)assertsthatrelationshipsarecrucialbecauseitisthroughtheserelationships

amongpeopleandbetweenpeopleandplacethatalternativestothewayswehavedone

thingsinthepastcanarise.Weneedtheserelationshipstoderivefromanewsenseof

ethics,an‘ethicofconnection’,whereweseeourselvesas‘mutuallyimplicatedhumans

whoseprimarydutyistorespondtothecallsofothers’(Rose2004,p.14).Rosecallsthisan

ethicsofresponsibilitynotguilt,anethicthat‘demarcatesapathtowards

decolonization…towardsahumanconditionoflivingwithandforothers’(Rose2004,p.

12).Post-ColonialKnowledgeWorkrequiresustoberelationalinwaysthataremutually

vulnerableandresponsive.

9.3.2GoodPost-ColonialKnowledgeWorkallowstime…

Oneoftheimportantaspectsinthedesignofthisresearchwastopayattentiontoour

understandingsoftime.Thismeantfindingcreativewaysofworkingaroundthesystemic

constraintsofthePhDframe,andallowingenoughtimeforeveryonetofeel‘ready’to

participateinthework.Welearnedthatthisconceptofallowingtimeinvolvedwaiting,

givingspace,waitingfortherighttime,notfillingupallthespace,beingpatientand

waitinguntiltheotherpersonfeelsready.Itwassomethingwecametotalkaboutas

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‘Anma’andthisisfurtherexplainedinChapter5.Ratherthanbeingapassivespacewhere

nothingishappening,itisanactivespaceofreflection,preparationandforeshadowing.

Thiswaitingisaspacethatallowstimeformanythingstooccur.Itallowstimeforgood

communicationtohappenandallowsforeveryonetofeelreadyandprepared,itallowsfor

arespectfulwayofenteringintoworkwithpeopleandprovidesenoughtimeforeveryone

whoneedstobeinvolvedintheprocesstobeincluded.Italsoallowedustobeflexible

whenplanschanged.Itwasawayofthinkingabouttimenotassequentialandlinear,but

aspatterned,seasonalandemergent.Itwasnotsomethingthatyouplanfor,butrather

somethingthatyoupayattentiontoandallowtounfold.Itissomethingthatyoumeet

withreadinessonlywhenthetimeisright.Toanextenttheflexibledeliverymodelsthat

weredevelopedforremoteteachereducationdiscussedinChapter8alsopaidattentionto

differingnotionsoftimeandallowedenoughtimeatthelocallevelforboththeteacher

participantsintheseprograms,aswellastheirfamilies,Eldersandwidercommunityto

comeonboardanddevelopdeepunderstandingsaboutwhatkindofeducationwasbestin

thatplace.

ParkerPalmer(2009)suggeststhatallowingtimeaspartoftheprocessis‘theworkbefore

thework’.Heconnectsthisideastronglytotheideaofworkingrelationally.InPalmer’s

understandingtheworkbeforetheworkisabouttakingtimetocometotermswithand

understandourinnerlandscape,honestly,sothatweenterintotheprocessofdoingthe

workinfrontofusrelativelyunencumbered.Wearethenabletoenterintoa‘live

encounter’witheachotherthatpermitstheworkthatemergestobetrustworthyand

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‘true’fromtheperspectiveoftheparticipants.Bypayingattentiontothis‘workbeforethe

work’weensurethatwhenweactuallysitdowntodothe‘work’theexperienceisgoodfor

allwhoareinvolved,andthefeelingweareallleftwithattheconclusionis‘right’,

embodyingadeepmutualrespectforourdifferences.InPost-ColonialKnowledgework

thisisimportantbecauseofradicallydifferentontologicalandepistemological

understandingsoftime.Carnes(2011)explainsthatnon-IndigenousAustraliansaretuned

toalinearnotionoftimethatbelongstothepositivistideologyofthedominantWestern

paradigm.Rose(2004)seesdealingwithnotionsoftimeascrucialintheworkof

decolonisation.SheassertsthatinWesternconceptsoftime‘lifeisatwarwithdeath’

(Rose2004,p.25).Thisstemsfromtheontologicaldisjunctionbroughtaboutby

Christianity,explainedthus,

Stretchingtimebetweentwokeymomentsofontologicalsignificance–birthofChrist

andreturnofChrist–hadtheeffectofshrinkingthepresenttoamomentof

transition…pastandfuturewereofgreatersignificanceandvaluethanthepresent

whichwasfleeting(Rose2004,p.15)

Thishastheeffectofcreatinga‘telelogicalframe’forhowtimeisviewed.Thisputsa

positivevalueonchange,andbelievesthathistory,orsociety,ismovingtowardsthe

resolutionofconflictandcontradiction.Thiscreatesanobsessionwithfutureorientation:

everythinginourlivesisdirectedtowardsthecreationofamoreperfectfutureandonthis

basisdisrespectforhumanorothersufferingisjustifiedorignored(Rose2004).Rose

(2004)alsopointsouttheinherentflawinthisdismissalofthepresentonthewaytothe

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futurebecauseourfailuretopayattentiontowhathappensinthepresentdestroys

whateverfuturewehopetoinhabit.‘Ourlivesarethussuspendedinaweboftime

conceptsthatholdusalwaysabouttobethatwhichwewouldbelievewetrulyare’(Rose

2004,p.18).

ThiscontrastsstronglywithnotionsoftimereflectedinIndigenousontologiesand

epistemologieswhichCarnes(2011)suggestsaremorecircularwaysofbeingintheworld

andrequiretimeforthinking,musing,reflectingasawayofdoingbusiness.MiriamRose

Ungenmerrhighlightstheimportanceof‘Dadirri’whichsheexplainsis‘innerdeeplistening

andquietstillawareness-somethinglikewhatyoucallcontemplation’(Atkinson2002,

p.16).MiriamRoseUngenmerralsoexplainsinrelationtotimethat,‘OurAboriginalculture

hastaughtustobestillandtowait.Wedonottrytohurrythingsup.Weletthemfollow

theirnaturalcourse-liketheseasons…Wewaitfortherighttimeforourceremoniesand

meetings.Therightpeoplemustbepresent.Carefulpreparationsmustbemade.Wedon’t

mindwaitingbecausewewantthingstobedonewithcare’(Ungenmerrn.d.p.2).Allowing

timeforpeopletocatchup,learningaboutwhatishappeningandputtingpeopleinto

contextbefore‘thework’givesthisworkabetterchanceofrunningsmoothly,effectively

andmeaningfullyforallinvolved(Carnes2011).Buker(2014)talksoftheimportanceof

allowingtimefortherepetitiveandoftenseasonalsharingofknowledgethroughstories.

Allowingtime,combinedwithbuildingrelationships,helpstobothmitigatethechancesof

conflictarisingbutalsoprovideasolidfoundationuponwhichtoresolveconflict.

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ThismaybeachallengingwayofworkingespeciallytothosefromaWesternparadigm

withitsfocusonoutcomes,destination,actionandquantification(Carnes2011).Theidea

ofallowingroomforcontemplation,thinkingandconferringwithothers,takinglongerand

givinguptakenforgrantedWesternprivilegeandauthority(Dudgeon2008)willbe

uncomfortable,butitisanimportantandnecessarypartofdoingPost-ColonialKnowledge

work.Rose(2004,p.25)invitesustoconsider‘alternativestolineartime…thetimeofthe

generationsoflivingthings,includingecologicaltime,synchronicities,intervals,patterns,

andrhythms,allofwhicharequitelegitimatelyunderstoodasformsoftime’.Most

importantlysheinvitesustoconsiderthe‘possibilitiesofourpresentmoment’(Rose2004,

p.213),allowingtimeinthepresentmomentwhichwillteachusallnewandgenerative

waysofworkingtogether.

9.3.3GoodPost-ColonialKnowledgeworkisdeeplyengagedinthelocalcontextandembeddedinexperience…

Theoriginalpremiseforthisresearchwasbasedonthebeliefthattheexperiencesofthe

teacherparticipantsthroughouttheirstudyandworkwouldprovidevaluableinsightsinto

whymoreyoungIndigenouspeoplefromremotecommunitieswerenotpursuingthis

pathway.Eachnarrativeisalocal,personal,experience-basedaccountofwhatitislikefor

peoplefromremotecommunitiesinCentralAustraliatobecomefullyqualifiedteachers

andteachintheirowncommunityschools.Theteacherparticipantsinthisdoctoral

research,numberingsevenintotal,representamajorityofthequalifiedIndigenous

teachersintheCentralAustralianregion.Thescarcityoftheirpresenceinthesystem

makestheirexperiencesevenmoreimportant.Inadditiontothistheseteacherswere

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largelysuccessfulincompletingtheirinitialyearsteachereducationbecausethedelivery

modelwascontextuallyembeddedandresponsive.Therewasspaceforlocalknowledge

andtheparticipationandengagementofthewidercommunity.Meyer(2001,p140)

remindsusthatthisisimportantbecause‘contextisculturallysituated’.Theresearchin

thisstudyremindedusthatinpartthesuccessofthesecommunity-basedprograms

refutedtheideathatteachereducationwasa‘grandnarrative’thatcouldbeappliedtoall

contexts.Theseculturallyembeddedandcontextualisedprogramsinsteadoperatedina

generativewayallowingforthepossibilitythatnewknowledgewouldemergethatwould

bebeneficialtoall.

Ladson-Billings(2014)arguesthatexaminingsuccessamonggroupswhohavebeenleast

successfulislikelytorevealimportantpedagogicalprinciplesaswellasthesocialand

culturalaspectsthatmakesuccesspossible.Indeedmanytheoristswhocomefroma

CriticalRaceperspectivearguethataninsistenceoncontextandlivedexperienceprovides

adefenceagainstthe‘colourblindandsanitizedanalysesgeneratedviauniversalistic

discourses’(Gillborn2006,p.23).Thisviewissharedbypost-colonialandcollectivist

theorists.LawandLin(2010,p.137)suggestthatthebenefitofcontextualizingand

groundingthingsinexperiencesisthat‘largeissuescanbedetectedinspecific

practices…thewholecanbefoundwithin…ifweexaminetheseintherightwaythenlarge

post-colonialknowledgepredicamentscanbefoundatworkwithinspecificinteractions’.If

weseeIndigenousteachereducationasanexampleofalargepost-colonialpredicament,

andthenthestoriesoftheteacherscanbeseenasspecific,experience-basedinteractions

withinthatpredicament.Byexploringandmovingdeeperintothemomentsofboth

‘disconcertment’and‘concertment’containedwithinthestorieswemightbetter

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understandwhatishappeninginthesystemasawhole.Wemustdothis,however,

consciousofnotcreating,intheprocess,a‘grandnarrative’(Rose2004;Verran2013).

Thenarrativesthemselveshighlightedverystronglythebenefitsofteachereducation

programsthatwerestronglyembeddedinthelocalcontextandbasedaroundexperience.

Locatingthelearninginacontextthathadmeaningforparticipantsallowedthemtodraw

onthesignificantknowledgeresourcesoftheirfamilies,cultureandland.Thisapproach

offeredaninvitationforthelearningtohappencollectivelyandmeantthatadeeplevelof

familyandcommunitysupportcouldbebuiltupaswellasembeddedinunderstandingsof

whatteachereducationmeantforpeopleineachcontext.PerhapsthisiswhatDewey

(1938,p49)meantwhenhesaidthat‘Attentivecaremustbedevotedtotheconditions

whichgiveeachpresentexperienceaworthwhilemeaning’.

Thesepastpracticesoflocatingtheteachereducationprogramsinthelocalcontextalso

enabledaninversionofthepowerrelationshiphabituallyatplayintertiaryeducation

programsbecauseepistemologicalandpedagogicaldecisionsaboutthesubstantive

‘content’oftheseteachereducationprogramswerebeingmadelocallybasedonlocal

experientialknowledge.Theseprogramswerebothpre-plannedandemergentin

character,contrarytothetertiaryeducationnormoftightlydesignedcoursestobe

imposedunalteredthroughstandardiseddeliveryirrespectiveofthecontextforlearning.

Allowingspaceforemergentknowledgeandunderstandingsoffersthepossibilityof

producingacounternarrativetoassimilation,whichmustbecentraltoPost-Colonial

KnowledgeWork.QuiochoandRios(2000,p.159)remindusthatwemust‘createspace

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fordiscoursearoundtheimpactofraceonschoolingsothatracistassumptionscanbe

problematized’.TheexperienceofIndigenouspeopleonthegroundworkinginschoolsand

undertakingteachereducationplacesthemaskeyfiguresinexposingracistbehavioursand

hegemonicpractices.Rose(2004,p.13)suggeststhatwhatisneededisthecreationof‘a

senseofmoralengagementwiththepastinthepresent–rejectingtheparadigmoffuture

socialperfection,revaluingthepresentastherealsiteofactionintheworld’.Thus,justas

timeandrelationshipsarecrucial,engagementinthelocalandexperientialisanimportant

partofPost-ColonialKnowledgeWork.

9.3.4GoodPost-ColonialKnowledgeWorkwelcomesdifference…

Inmanywaystheoriginalimpetusforthisresearchwasdifference.WhenIheardthe

storiesoftheteacherparticipantsthefirsttimearoundIrecognisedthemasdifferentto

myownstoryofbecomingateacher.Isawinherentpossibilityinbetterunderstandingthis

difference,butastheresearchwentonIalsocametorealizethedestructiveimpactthe

requirementfor‘sameness’washavingwithintheeducationalsystems.Theteacher

participantswereclearintheanalysisprocessthatoneoftheunderstandingsthatneeded

tobehighlightedfromtheirnarrativeswasthatwehavedifferentcultures,different

ontologicalandepistemologicalunderstandingsandthatthisneedsdifferenceneedstobe

centralandembracedintheworkwedotogether.

Westernwaysofthinkingandknowing,whichare‘dominatedbyamatrixofhierarchical

oppositions’(Rose2004,p.19),havenottraditionallycopedwellwiththemultiplicityof

possibilitiesthatdifferenceallows.Theyaredeeplydisconcertedwiththenotionof

‘pluralismanddiversityinlanguage,cultureandlocation’(Fogarty,LovellandDodson

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2015,p.16)andmuchmorecomfortablewiththeformationofdualities‘man/woman,

culture/nature,mind/body,active/passive,civilsation/savagery’(Rose2004,p.19)which

inevitablyleadstothedualityofdominantandother.Verran(2013,p.147)talksofhowin

‘explainingtheotherintermsofitself,eachactuallyexplainstheotheraway’.Asaresultof

thesekindsofWesternknowledgepracticeswenowhaveastatewhere‘notallpositioned

perspectivesareequallyvalued,equallyheard,orequallyincluded....somepositionshave

historicallybeenoppressed,distorted,ignored,silenced,destroyed,appropriated,

commodified,andmarginalised’(Bell2009,p.42).Thisapproachallowsusto‘forgetthe

differenceand…tostayfocusedonourownsituationwithoutgrapplingwiththeother

person’sreality’(GrilloandWildman2000,p.649).

Post-ColonialKnowledgeworkrequiresusnotonlytoacknowledgedifferencebutto

welcomeitandthegenerativepossibilitiesitoffers(Verran2013).Tograspthese

generativepossibilitiesVerrancounselsusthatweneedtobewillingtogo‘deeperinside’

theexperienceofdifferencebeforethepointofcomingtogeneralconcepts(2013,pp.

146-147).Ifwemovetooquicklytoimposeourownepistemiccategoriesoneachother

thenwearecontinuingtheneo-colonialproject.Wemustlearnwaystoresistand

counteractthisinstinct.Verran(2013,p.147)suggeststhatpeopleneedfindwaysto

‘…simultaneouslymaintainanddissolvedifference,inwaysthatareauthenticand

generativeintermsoftheirowndisparateknowledgepractices…(and)enablethe

negotiationofusefullinksthatcangoalongwithmaintainingsignificantdivisions’.Aspace

thatwelcomesdifferenceisnotaspaceofbinariesorhierarchies,butinsteadisaspaceof

hybridities(Watson&Huntington2008)andofheteroglossicnarrativeswherethereis

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discursivespaceforconflictingarguments(Rose2004).Blair(2015)remindsusthat

engagingwiththe‘in-betweenspace’isbothchallengingandexciting.Weneedtofind

waysfordifferentknowledgesystemstoco-existandinsodoingcreatepowerfuland

dynamicdialogueanddiscourseleadingtogenerativelearningsandnewknowledge.This

kindoftransformationalworkmustbetheagendaofPost-ColonialKnowledgework.

Togetherthesefourinsights,generatedbytheresearchdonehere,offerwaysofpeople

comingtogetherin‘goodfaith’toembarkontheprocessofPost-ColonialKnowledgework.

Theyarewaysofbeingthatshouldinformtheworkwedo.Inadditiontothesewaysof

beingwerequiresome‘waysofdoing’thework.Thesuggestedtoolsforthese‘waysof

doing’,whichhavebecomeclearthroughthisresearchprocess,arediscussedbelow.

9.4ToolsforPost-ColonialKnowledgeWork

9.4.1Story

Storieswereattheveryoriginofthisresearch.Theoriginalideawasbornoutofastory

sharingprocess.Thecollectionofstorieswasthemethodchosen.Theanalysishappened

throughthesharedreadingofstories.Storyprovideduswithawaytoblurthereceived

ontologicalandepistemologicalcategories,suchastimeandspace,aswellasinvertingthe

powerstructureoftheresearchrelationship,placingthecontrolinthehandsoftheteller.

Thismeantthatpowerfulgenerativeworkcouldbeachieveduntrammelledbyanysenseof

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allegiancetothepositiviststructuresthatstillholdswayovermuchofWesternsociological

research.

StoriesmustthereforebethemaintoolofdoingPost-ColonialKnowledgeworkas

evidencedbythisdoctoralstudy.Thisisbecausetheybringtogetherthefourwaysof

workingtogetherin‘goodfaith’.Firstly,storiesareawayofus‘becomingknown’toeach

other(Martin2008).Whenwelistentothestoryofanotherweadrawnintoaworldof

ethicalencounter;wearewitnesses,webecomeentangled(Rose2004).Tobearwitnessto

someone’sstorywediscoveramodeofrespondingtothatpersonthat‘exceedsan

epistemologicaldeterminationandbecomesethicalinvolvement’(Rose2004,p.31).It

upsetsourpreviousnotionsofwhothatpersonwasandhelpsustocomeintoadeeper

knowledgeandunderstandingofthatperson.Storiesarerelational.

Secondly,storiesallowtimefordeeplisteningtoeachother.Thetimeallowedforthe

tellingisdeterminedbythetellerandtheycanchoosethestructure.Inacontextinvolving

Indigenoustellersthismeansthatthereistimetotellthestoryfromaplaceofcultural

safetyandrespect(Martin2008),andinacircularwayusingthematicrepetition,as

opposedtothestep-by-step,linearprogressionofaWesternstructure(Youngblood

Henderson2000).Usingstorymeansthetellerremainsincontrolofallowingasmuchtime

asisnecessaryforthefulltellingandtheroleofothersisto‘listenwithattentiveness’

(Rose2004,p.30).Storiesallowtimeforcomingtogetherin‘goodfaith’.

Thirdly,storiesarepersonal,basedinthelocalcontextofthetellerandbasedon

experience.Storiesorfirstpersonaccountsareawayofnamingone’sownrealityinyour

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own‘voice’(Ladson-BillingsandTate2006).Thistakestheepistemologicalstancethat

‘truthonlyexistsforthispersoninthispredicamentatthistimeinhistory’(Ladson-Billings

andTate2006,p.21),thusgroundingitinthelocalandthepresent.Thestorymightbe

aboutpastexperiencebutitunfoldsinthepresentmomentintheactoftelling.Itis

importantinPost-ColonialKnowledgeworkbecauseitisawayofintegratinglived

experiencewithracialrealism(DixsonandRousseau2006a).Lasdon-BillingsandTate

(2006)suggestthatnamingone’sownrealitythroughstoriescanbeawayofaffectingthe

oppressor.Inthiswaystoryactsasatoolof‘disconcertment’(Verran2013).Storyand

experienceallowsidentityandepistemologicalunderstandingstobecentrallypresentin

learningbecauseourstoriesareshapedbyhowweknowandwhoweare.Rose(2004,p.

24)talksabouttheimportanceofthe‘webofstoriesweareabletoweaveoutofour

historicallygroundedexperiences’,whichhelpustoexplorethe‘localpossibilitiesthat

illuminatealternatives’.Inthiswaystoriesarewaysofcomingtogetherin‘goodfaith’that

generatenewknowledgebetweenus.

Finally,storiesmakespacefordifference.Itisintheverynatureofstoriestoallowfor

difference.Thereisnotonlyonemeaningtoanystory.Theteller’sintentionisfiltered

throughtheirownexperientialknowledge,butsotooisthelistener’sunderstanding.A

multiplicityofmeaningsarepossibleinanystory.Weareremindedthat,

Storieshavelayers;layersthatafewpeoplemayKnowandmorelayersthat

everyoneKnows.Thestorytellerisoftenthelisteneratthesametimetheyarethe

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storyteller.Thestorytellerisoftentheonebeingspokento(Armstrong,J.inKing

2003,p.2)

Hokari(2000,pp.8-9)suggeststhatitisnotaboutfindinga‘right’storybutwideningthe

possibilitiesofstories.Variationcanprovideuswithabundleofpossibilitieswithout

judgmentanddifferentstorieswilloftencontradicteachbutcancoexist.Storiesofferusa

wayofcomingtogetherin‘goodfaith’thatinvitedifferenceandinviteusaslistenersand

tellerstobecomecomfortablewiththatdifference.

9.4.2CultivationofDisconcertment

ThesecondtoolthathasemergedasimportanttoPostColonialKnowledgeWorkisthe

cultivationofdisconcertment.Whatthistooloffersisawayofinterruptingwhitenessand

dysconsciousracism.Somanyofthebarriersexperiencedbytheteacherparticipantsin

thisresearchweredirectlyrelatedtotheongoingandneo-colonialexperienceofmodern

Australia.Weneedtofindmechanismsforinterruptingthesedeeplyembeddedideological

andculturallyexclusivewaysthatdominatetheeducationalexperience.Teachingpeople

topayattentiontoanddwellintheirowndisconcertmentisonesuchmechanism.

Inordertoensurethatwecometogetherin‘goodfaith’todoPost-ColonialKnowledge

workitisnotenoughtosimplylistentoeachother’sstories.Wemustlearntocultivateour

owndisconcertmentintheprocessoflistening.Verran(2013,p.146)explainsthis

disconcertmentas‘atypeofexperiencethatalertsustothetensionsoftherelationsthat

existwithinwhatwe‘feel’asepistemicrightness,somethingwhichwearegenerally

unawareof,untilthatis,itisrentasunder’.Lipsitz(2006,p.2)invokesthewordsofWalter

Benjaminsuggestingtheneedfor‘presenceofmind…apreciseawarenessofthepresent

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moment’.This‘presenceofmind’isbasedonanunderstandingofhowdifficultitcanbeto

seethepresentinallofitsrichcomplexity.Cultivatingone’s‘presenceofmind’and

learningtopayattentiontomomentsof‘disconcertment’astheyarisearewaysofstaying

groundedinthepresentandlearningtolivewiththediscomfortofdifference.LawandLin

(2010,p.138)explainthat‘bodilydisconcertmentmaybeunderstoodasanexpressionof

metaphysicaldisjuncture’andthat‘discomfitedand‘personal’bodilystatesarecrucial

potentialdetectorsofdifference’.

Verran(2013,p.146)suggeststhatthebodilytensionwefeelwhenweexperience

epistemicdifferencepointstothe‘vastinertiaofthemeshofinstitutions,categories,

arrangedmaterials,andcommunicativeprotocolsandprocesses,whichisknowledge’.

Whenourtakenforgrantedwaysofknowingaredisruptedorchallengedbyanalternate

wayofknowingourinstinctisself-protectionthroughtheinvocationofandinsistence

uponourownsingleadmissiblemeaning(Verran2013).Rose(2004,p.21)callsthisa

‘narcissisticsingularity’andmaintainsthatweneedtofindwaysofunmakingthisifwe

wanttoworktowardsdecolonization.Presenceofmindandpayingattentionto

disconcertmentcanhelpustoindividuallybecomeconsciousandawareofwhatAddelson

(1994,p.11)calls‘thesocietythatweactandenacteveryday,thatwegenerateand

regeneratethroughouracceptanceandreinforcementoftheauthoritative‘norms’and

‘standards’.Verran(2013)seesepistemicdisconcertmentascrucialforPost-Colonial

Knowledgework.Perhapsthisisbecausetheexperienceofdisconcertmentissodeeply

embeddedandexperienceddailyasapartoftheneo-colonialrealityofthesettlersociety.

Rose(2004)explainsthat‘theconquestwasalwaysmeanttobecomplete…theconquestof

Indigenouspeoples…wasundertakeninamodeofreplacement…itwasimaginedasa

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projectthatwouldbefinishedwhenthereplacementwasfullyaccomplished’.In

contemporaryAustraliathecontinuingexistenceofAboriginalpeoplerendsasunderthe

ideologicalpremiseofcolonizationandcausesacollectivedisconcertmentthathasbeen

historically‘collectivelydenied’(Verran2013,p.146)andhasledtothedoublingof

violencethatRose(2004)discusses.Thedefaultpositionofmanyistoignoreorbrushoff

differencesasculturalquirksthatareunimportant.

InordertomoveintoaPost-ColonialspaceVerran(2013)suggeststhatindividualsneedto

becomesensitizedtothesemomentsofdisconcertmentandthatitneedstobecollectively

cultivatedasananalyticalandmethodologicaltool.To‘sensitize’and‘cultivate’our

disconcertmentVerran(2013)suggeststheneedfor‘interruptingtools’.Theinterrupting

toolsbeingproposedherearethoseofstoryandof‘dialoguewithotherpeopleandwith

theworlditself’(Rose2004,p.21).Thedialoguerequiredinvokespluralityandhelpsusto

noticethedisjunctivemomentsandengageinquestioningandconversationaboutthe

epistemologicalandontologicalunderstandingsthatliebeneaththem.

9.4.3Dialogue

Theprocessfollowedincompletingthisresearchwasadialogicone.Itembracedtheneed

formyselfandtheteacherparticipantstocontinueindialoguewithoneanother

throughouttheentireprocess.Wemovedbackandforthbetweenstoryanddialogueas

wediscoveredthepathsthatfelt‘right’fortheresearchtotake.Thisopenandhonest

dialoguewasanimportantaspectofworkingethicallytogether.Inthecommunitybased

modelofteachereducationboththeflexibledeliveryandthecohortdesignwerewaysof

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facilitatingdialoguebetweenthestudents,theschools,theuniversitystaffandthelocal

communities.Dialogueinvitesamultiplicityofideas,makesspacefordifferencesin

understandingandenablesaparticularsortofmetaphysicalengagementwherethegaps

betweencategoriesopenupthepossibilitiesoftheemergenceofnewwaysofgoingon

togetherthatmayhavebeenpreviouslyunimagined.Sadlytheexperienceoftheteacher

participantsshowsthatmanyoftheopportunitiesfordialoguewithinremoteeducation

havebeenshutdownbythesystemicinsistenceupon‘sameness’.

ThepointofPost-ColonialKnowledgeworkistofindgenerativewaysofdoingdifference.

Withthisinmind,basedaroundourmomentsofepistemicpanicanddisconcertmentwe

needtocommittoaprocessof‘mutualinterrogation,whichcanreveal‘our’traditionsto

ourselves,asmuchastotheother’(Verran2013,p.154).Weneedtousemechanismsfor

‘findingawaytogoonbystayinginthefeelingofdisconcertment…stayingwiththat

momentofexistentialpanicratherthantryingtocategorizeandlabelthingsaccordingto

ourownepistemologicalunderstandingsandknowledge’(Verran2013,p.157).

BothRose(2004),Martin(2008)andBuker(2014)allproposedialogueassucha

mechanism.Dialoguegivesusopportunitiestodeepenour‘knowingabout’and‘being

known’byothers(Martin2008).Itprovidespeoplewithachancetotalkbackontheirown

terms(Rose2004)andrequiresanon-judgementalspace(Martin2008).Rose(2004)

proposesthatdialogueisanethicalalternativetothemonologuethattoooftendominates

ourwaysofbeinganddoing.Sheproposesaparticularkindofdialogue

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Itisspecificallyaformofdialoguethatrequiresdifference.Itseeksrelationships

acrossothernesswithoutseekingtoerasedifference…dialoguebeginswhereoneis,

isalwayssituated…dialogueisopen…(the)outcomeisnotknowninadvance(Rose

2004,p.21)

RoseandFord(1995)alsoremindusthatethicaldialoguerequiresthatweacknowledge

andunderstandourparticularandharshlysituatedpresence.Thisisparticularlyimportant

giventheviolencethatmonologuehaswroughtonIndigenouspeopleinthepast,and

continuestodoso.Itisforthisreasonthatwemustfindnewwaysofcomingtogetherin

‘goodfaith’andtoolssuchasdialoguethatcanworkacrosschasmsofradicalharm.Thisis

thepurposeofcommittingtoaspaceofPost-ColonialKnowledgeWork.

9.5ImplicationsofPost-ColonialKnowledgeworkforteachereducation

Ifwewishtocreateeffectiveandmeaningfulpathwaysforpeoplefromremote

communitiesintoteachereducationthenwemustfindwaystodosothatdonotcontinue

thedoubledviolenceofcolonialismandneo-colonialism.Wehavetofindwaysof

identifyingandcallingouttheassimilationistpracticesstillembeddedinourpolicies,

curriculaandinstitutionalbehaviours,throughlisteningtothestoriesofthosewho

experiencetheimpactofthisassimilatoryintentfirsthand.Weneedtobehonestabout

thefactthatoureducationalsystems,includingschoolsandthecoursesthatprepare

peopletoworkinschools,operatewithinstructuresofculturalandsocialreproduction

thathaveembeddedinthemdeeplevelsofhegemonicideology.Wealsoneedto

understandthatmanyofthepeoplewhoworkinschoolsdonotcritiquethehegemonic

ideologythatundergirdsthestructureofoureducationalsystems(QuiochoandRios2000).

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AsSantoroandReid(2006)pointout,itisnotenoughtofocusonjusttheteacher

educationofIndigenousteachers.Thereisalsoaneedfornon-Indigenousteacherstobe

betterpreparedtoworkalongsideIndigenousteachersandwithinIndigenous

communities.

TorespondtothisrealityweneedtointentionallymoveallteachereducationintoaPost-

ColonialKnowledgespacewheretherecanbegenuinedialogueandnewknowledge

buildingbetweenpeoplefromdiverseknowledgetraditionswithaviewtofinding

generativewaysofdoingdifference-worktogether.Thisisanoptimisticandaspirational

stancethatassumesthatviolenceanddamagearenottheonlythingswearecapableof

(Rose2004).Itrequiresofusthecommitmenttofindingnewwaysofcomingtogetherin

‘goodfaith’basedonacommitmenttobuildingrelationships,allowingtime,groundingour

workinthelocalandexperientialandwelcomingdifference.Thiswillbechallengingfora

teachereducationsystemthatissostronglyentrenchedinnotionsoflineartimeand

segregatedknowledgewherestudentsarerequiredtometaphorically‘run’thecourseof

studyfromstarttofinishaccordingtoapre-determinedsetofstagesbasedaround

separate‘units’ofwork.Theseproposednewwaysofworkingwillalsoneedtocomeinto

beingcognizantofthefactthathighstatusWesternknowledgetraditionsare

extraordinarilywellentrenched(LawandLin2010,p.137)andresourced.Forthisreasonit

isnotenoughsimplytofocusonteachereducationforIndigenouspeoplebutonthe

intersectionsofraceandeducation(Leonardo2009)thatexistthroughouttheeducational

systemsoftheWest.ReflectingontheCanadianrealityBuker(2014)callsonFacultiesof

Educationtomakeboldcurriculumandpedagogicalchangethatacknowledgesthat

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Indigenousepistemologies,culturalworldviewsandcommunitypartnershipshaveaplace

atthetableoflearning.ThesameistrueofteachereducationinAustralia.

Toeffectsuchashiftchangeneedstohappenattheleveloftheinterpersonalthatis

experiencedinschools,atthelevelofschoolleadership,attheDepartmentallevel,atthe

interpersonalwithinteachereducationcoursesandinthedevelopmentofuniversity

coursesanddeliverymodels.ItisnotsufficienttoonlyfocusonTeacherEducation.Change

throughacommitmenttoPost-ColonialKnowledgeWorkmustbeeffectedthroughoutthe

interfacebetweeneducationandlocalIndigenouscommunities.Thelegacyofwhatexisted

beforecontinuestohappeninsmalloutofthewayplaces,inasporadicfashion,with

peopleattemptingtoworkcollaborativelyandgenerativelyin‘goodfaith’throughgenuine

dialogueandknowledgebuilding.However,thissortofworkcanandshouldbe

undertakenatalllevelsandsitesstartingwithsmalllocalinitiativestoreintegrate

traditionalauthorityintotheschoolandbuildthatinmanydifferentdirections–working

withteachers,workingwithdepartmentalofficials,workingwithparentsandElders,

workingwithcurriculumandworkingwithpolicyandpractices.Additionallythiswayof

workingneedstobothinformandbeinformedbyteachereducationinasymbiotic

relationship.BringingthoseworkinginremoteeducationintoaPost-Colonialknowledge

spaceholdsthepossibilitygeneratingnewwaysofworkingtogetherinandwithdifference

andensuringthatmoreIndigenousteacherscanbecomethekindofteachersthat

Indigenousstudentsneedthemtobe.

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Chapter10–Conclusionsandcontributiontonewknowledge

10.1Answeringtheresearchquestions

Thisdoctoralresearchsoughttoexplorefourkeyinterconnectedquestionsnamely,

1. WhathavebeentheexperiencesofIndigenousteachersfromremote

communitiesinCentralAustraliawhohavecompletedteachereducation?

2. Whataresomeoftheelementsthatsupportedthemandwhataresomeofthe

barrierstheseteachersencountered?

3. WhatarethebenefitsofhavingqualifiedIndigenousteachersinremote

schools?

4. Howcanmeaningfulandeffectivepathwaysbecreatedtosupportteacher

educationforfuturegenerationsofIndigenousteachersfromremote

communities?

Explorationofthesequestionswasdesignedtoprovidecluesastowhysofewyoung

IndigenouspeoplefromremotecommunitiesinCentralAustraliaarepursuingateacher

educationpathway.

10.1.1Researchquestion1

WhathavebeentheexperiencesofIndigenousteachersfromremotecommunitiesin

CentralAustraliawhohavecompletedteachereducation?

Wewantedtobeginwiththeideaofsuccess.Indigenousteachersfromremote

communitiesinCentralAustraliahavebeensuccessfulincompletingtheirteacher

educationinthepast.Bylisteningtothestoriesoftheseteachersitwaspossibletoget

accountsofrichnessanddepthabouttheinsiderexperienceofbecomingateacherinthis

context.Seventeachernarrativeswerecollectedandanalysedandtheexperiencesof

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theseteachersweregroupedintoseventhemes:‘feelingforfamily’,‘learningwithmarlpa’,

‘mentoring,supportandencouragement’,‘teamteaching’,‘leadership’,‘exclusionand

power’,‘lookingatuslevel’.Throughthesethematicgroupingstheteachers’voicesclearly

articulateboththeelementsthatsupportedthemintheirsuccessandtheelementsthat

presentedbarriers.

10.1.2Researchquestion2

Whataresomeoftheelementsthatsupportedthemandwhataresomeofthebarriers

theseteachersencountered?

Inordertobetterunderstandthesupportsandbarriersthatunderpinnedthecareerand

learningjourneysoftheteacherparticipantsinthisdoctoralresearchitwasnecessaryto

exploretheseventhemesthroughsometheoreticalandphilosophicallenses.Thebarriers

andchallengesthatemergedfromthenarrativesoftheteacherswereexaminedagainst

thebackdropofcolonisationinAustralia.

ThespecifictheoriesofWhitenessTheory,CriticalRaceTheoryandthetheoryofcolonial

mimicrywereusedtopeelbackthelayersofbarriersexperienced,asarticulatedinthe

narratives,toshowtheunderlyingideologiesatplayinthecontextofremoteIndigenous

teachereducation.Thisanalysisshowedthatinequalityplayedoutatathreelevelswithin

thesystem.Firstly,duetothecolonialdefaultpositionwithintheAustralianeducation

system,Indigenousteacherswereconsistentlytreatedaslessequalthantheirnon-

Indigenouscounterparts.Despitemeetingalloftherequirementsforbecoming‘qualified’

teachers,theteacherparticipantsconsistentlyfeltthemselvesheldatarm’slength,and

weretreatedas‘whitebutnotquite’asexplainedbyBhabha’s(1984)theoryofcolonial

360

mimicry.Secondly,educationalsystemshavedevelopedwaysofattributinghigherstatus

toWhite/WesternknowledgethanitdoestoIndigenousknowledgesystems.The

Indigenousteachers,asholdersofIndigenousknowledge,weresubsequentlyalso

relegatedtoalowerstatuswithintheirschools.Finally,theteachernarrativesrevealed

manyexamplesofmechanismsofsystemicWhitenessatworkintheexperienceofthe

teachers.These‘toolsofwhiteness’wereexperiencedinvariousformsthroughleadership

styles,culturallybiaseddiscoursesaroundconceptionsof‘quality’andthrough

interpersonaldysconsciousracism.

Theteachernarrativesalsorevealedsignificantinsightsintothoseprofessionalbehaviours

andprogramsthatsupportedsuccessinbecomingaqualifiedteacher.Whatbecameclear

wasthecentralimportanceofIndigenousteachereducationbeingengagedandembedded

inthelocalcontextoftheteachers’respectivecommunities.Theeraofcommunitybased

teachereducationprovidedimportantmechanismsforthelocalcommunityandfamiliesto

engageinwhattheteachereducationprogramsweredoing.Thecohortmodelofthis

approachprovidedcrucialsupportamongstudentsandafeelingofculturalsafety.These

deliverymodelsalsoprovidedflexibilityandinvitedopportunitiesfortwowaylearning.

Thesemodelsweregenerativeinnatureandco-createdknowledgegrewoutofthem,

ratherthanthecurrentmodelofteachereducationwhichoffersaone-sizefitsall

standardizedandimposedapproach.

10.1.3Researchquestion3

WhatarethebenefitsofhavingqualifiedIndigenousteachersinremoteschools?

361

Indigenousteachersfromwithinremotecommunitiesareuniquelyplacedtounderstand

children’searlyexperiencesandprovidecontinuityintheireducationbecausetheyshare

ontologicalandepistemologicalknowledgeandunderstandingswiththechildrenfrom

theircommunitiesandcanthereforeundertaketheworkofateacher‘withoutengagingin

imposition’(Dewey1938).TheimpositionDeweyisreferringtoistheimpositionofone

wayofknowingattheexpenseofanother.Thedeepontologicaldifferencesthatthese

teachershaveexperiencedintheirownnavigationoftheeducationalsystemalsoexistfor

thechildrenintheirhomecommunities.Thesharedontologicalidentitybetweenthese

teachersandtheirstudentsandthesharedlanguage,cultureandpracticesthatembody

thatidentityprovidestheseteacherswithuniqueinsightsabouthowbesttoteach

studentsfromtheirhomecommunities

10.1.4Researchquestion4

Howcanmeaningfulandeffectivepathwaysbecreatedtosupportteachereducationfor

futuregenerationsofIndigenousteachersfromremotecommunities?

Astheteachereducationsystemcurrentlystandsitwouldbeanactofirresponsibilityto

encourageyoungpeoplefromremotecommunitiestopursueateachereducation

pathway.Todosowouldbetoexposethemtoaformofdoubledviolence,suchistheneo-

colonialimperativeofthecurrentstandardizedsystem.Itallowsnoroomfordifference.

However,thisthesisproposesaframeworkforPost-ColonialKnowledgeworkwiththe

beliefthatsupportingthecreationofthiskindofknowledgespaceatalllevelsofremote

education,includingteachereducation,wouldprovidethefoundationforanew

362

generationofyoungIndigenousteachersfromremotecommunitiestosuccessfully,

effectivelyandmeaningfullyengageinteachereducationpathways.

10.2Contributiontonewknowledge

Thisthesishasmadeacontributiontonewknowledgeintwoways.Firstofall,by

embodyingaPost-ColonialKnowledgeworkapproachtoresearchitoffersthreeinsights

intohowtodoresearchintheinterculturalspace.Secondly,throughtheexaminationof

theteachernarrativesandthesubsequentanalysisthroughtheoreticalandphilosophical

lenses,thethesisoffersaframeworkfordoingPost-ColonialKnowledgework,whichwould

beconstructiveforIndigenousteachereducation.

10.2.1InsightsintodoingresearchusingaPost-ColonialKnowledgeapproach

AsdiscussedinChapter5the‘participatorynarrative’methoddevelopedinthisthesis

cameaboutasaresultofintentionallyinhabitingaPost-ColonialKnowledgeresearch

space.Whiletheframeworkforsuchanapproachevolvedovertimeasaproductofthe

workwedid,wewereabletofocusonimportantgenerativeknowledgethatemerged

fromourprocessesofworkingtogether.Thethreekeyinsightsthatwelearnedfrom

workingtogetherin‘goodfaith’wereasfollows;

• Welearnedthat‘anma’wasimportantforhowweworkedtogether.Thisrelatesto

ournotionsoftimeandallowingenoughtimeandflexibilitytoensurethatthings

aredoneatthe‘righttime’andinthe‘rightway’foreveryoneinvolved.Thishad

significancewhenitcametoaspectsofresearchsuchasethicallyinformed

consent.

363

• Welearnedthat‘marlpa’wasimportantforhowweworkedtogether.Thisrelates

toideasaboutconnectednessandrelationality.Allowing‘marlpa’toinformthe

waythatweworkedmeantthatnoonewasleftbythemselvesandeveryonefelt

included,involvedandvalued.Thisexperienceofproviding‘company’forone

anotherandbasingdecisionsabouttheresearcharoundrelationalvaluesprovided

astrongcompassforthedirectiontheresearchtook.

• Welearnedthat‘ngapartjingapartji’,‘reciprocity’or‘mutualgenerosity’,informed

howweworkedtogether.Thismeantseekingwaysformultipleneedsbeingmetby

theresearchprocessfromwithintheresourcesofthegroup.Thisrequired

negotiation,patienceandflexibility.Itprovidedawayforeveryone’sknowledgeto

bevaluedandincludedintheresearch.

ThesethreeinsightsareanexampleofthegenerativepossibilitiesofPost-Colonial

Knowledgework.Theyarethenewandemergentunderstandingsthattheteacher

participantsandItakewithusfromtheprocessofdoingthisworktogetherin‘goodfaith’.

Theinsightsarenotofferedasaprescriptiveguideforhowto‘doresearch’.Thatwouldgo

againsttheideaofPost-ColonialKnowledgeworkneedingtobecontextualisedandco-

created.However,bybetterunderstandingthenewknowledgethatwelearnedthrough

thisresearchcollaboration,othersmaydiscoverthepossibilitiesaffordedbyworkingina

Post-ColonialKnowledgeworkspace.

10.2.3Post-Colonialknowledgework–apossibleframework

Thesecondcontributiontonewknowledgemadebythisthesis,asdetailedinChapter9,is

thedevelopmentofaframeworkforPost-ColonialKnowledgework.Thisframeworkis

364

developedwiththeviewthatitneedstobeinhabitedandusedatmanylevelsofthe

educationalsystems–interpersonal,classroom,leadership,community,departmentaland

faculty.Itconsistsofthefollowingwaysofcomingtogetherin‘goodfaith’andtoolsfor

Post-ColonialKnowledgework.

FourWaysofcomingtogetherin‘goodfaith’:

• Post-ColonialKnowledgeworkisrelations;

• Post-ColonialKnowledgeworkallowstime;

• Post-ColonialKnowledgeworkisengagedinthelocalcontextandembeddedin

experience;

• Post-ColonialKnowledgeworkwelcomesdifference.

ThreeToolsforPost-ColonialKnowledgework:

• Story;

• Cultivatingdisconcertment;

• Dialogue.

Thethesis’smainassertionisthatlocatingremoteeducationefforts,includingteacher

education,intoaPost-ColonialKnowledgespacethatisguidedbythisframeworkisthe

mostresponsiblewaytoensurethatcollaborativeandgenerativepartnershipscan

(re)emerge.ItisinthiskindofknowledgespacethatyoungIndigenouspeoplefromremote

communitiescaneffectively,safelyandmeaningfullyengageinateachereducation

pathway.

365

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