Skip to main content

Power and Authority in School and Community: Interactions Between Non-Indigenous Teachers and Indigenous Teacher Assistants in Remote Australian Schools

  • Chapter
  • First Online:

Part of the book series: Globalisation, Comparative Education and Policy Research ((GCEP,volume 9))

Abstract

Traditionally, education for Indigenous peoples within the Australian context has had a highly Eurocentric flavour (Matthews et al. 2005; Rothbaum et al. 2000). As such, many Indigenous people who form part of this education system have found themselves in positions where communication has lacked cultural understandings and clarity, leaving them with undefined roles of minimal cultural significance. This has contributed to a sense of disempowerment for those Indigenous people who otherwise hold positions of power, respect and value within their own communities (Zajda et al. 2008b).

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Buying options

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD   109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

References

  • Ardler, S. (1993). We’re under this great stress and we need to speak out: reflections on the Shoalhaven Aboriginal Education Research Project. Australia: New South Wales.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bachrach, P., & Baratz, M.S. (1970). Power and poverty: theory and practice. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clayton, T. (2006). Rethinking hegemony. Melbourne, Australia: James Nicholas.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cooper, E., Baturo, A., & Warren, T. (2005). Indigenous and non-Indigenous teaching relationships in three mathematics classrooms in remote Queensland. In H. Chick, J. Vincent (Eds.), Proceedings of the 29th conference of the international group for the psychology of mathematics education, 4 (pp. 305-312). Melbourne: University of Melbourne.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cooper, T., Baturo, A., Doig, S., & Warren, E. (2004). Young white teachers’ perceptions of mathematics learning of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal students in remote communities. Paper presented at the Proceedings of the 28th conference of the international group for the psychology of mathematics education, Bergen, Norway.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cooper, T., Baturo, A., Warren, E., & Grant, E.J. (2006). Aim high - beat yourself: effective mathematics teaching in a remote indigenous community. Paper presented at the Proceedings of the 30th conference of the international group for the psychology of mathematics education, Prague, Czech Republic.

    Google Scholar 

  • Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs (2001). Future options program. Murgon State High school Queensland (pp. 60-64). Canberra, ACT: Author.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eckermann, A.-K. (1994). One classroom, many cultures: teaching strategies for culturally different children. St. Leonards, NSW: Allen & Unwin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fitzgerald, A. (2001). Cape York Justice Study Report. Queensland Government, Department of the Premier and Cabinet, Brisbane.

    Google Scholar 

  • Foucault, M. (1991). Discipline and punishment: the birth of the prison. Harmondsworth: Penguin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gramsci, A. (1971). Selections from the prison notebooks. London: Lawrence & Wishart.

    Google Scholar 

  • Haralambos, M., Holborn, M., & Heald, R. (2004). Sociology: themes and perspectives. London: Collins.

    Google Scholar 

  • Howard, P.T. (2001). Beliefs about the nature and learning of mathematics in years 5 and 6: the voices of Aboriginal children, parents, Aboriginal educators and teachers. Unpublished thesis, University of Western Sydney, Australia.

    Google Scholar 

  • King, R. (1980). Weberian perspectives and the study of education. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 1(1), 7-23.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Logan, E., & Feiler, A. (2006). Forging links between parents and schools: a new role for teaching assistants. Support for Learning, 21(3), 115-120.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Luke, S. (1974). Power: a radical view. London: Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Matthews, C., Watego, L., Cooper, T.J., & Baturo, A.R. (2005). Does mathematics education in Australia devalue Indigenous culture? Indigenous perspectives and non-Indigenous reflections. Paper presented at the 28th annual conference of the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia (MERGA28), Melbourne, Victoria.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs (2005). Australian directions in Indigenous education 2005-2008. Australian Federal Government.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reaburn, S. (1993). Aboriginal students get lost. Executive summary and recommendations of the impact of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students on school and the impact of schools on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in Darwin, Parmerston and rural centres. NTDE. Unpublished research report.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rothbaum, F., Weisz, J., Pott, M., Miyake, K., & Morelli, G. (2000). Attachment and culture. American Psychologist, 55(10), 1093-1104.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sarra, C. (2003). Young and black and deadly: strategies for improving outcomes for Indigenous students: quality teaching series. Practitioner Perspectives, 1, 11-16.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, R. A. (2002). Race, gender, and authority in the workplace: theory and research. Annual Review of Sociology, 28, 509-542.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Warren, E., Baturo, A., & Cooper, T. (2005). Queensland Indigenous students in rural and remote classrooms: pedagogical practices and numeracy learning. In J. Zajda, & P. Ninnes (Eds.), Proceedings of the 23rd annual conference of the Australian and New Zealand comparative and international education society, vol 17(1) (pp. 58-72). Armidale: Centre for Research in Education Context.

    Google Scholar 

  • Warren, E., Cooper, T., & Baturo, A. (2004). Indigenous students and mathematics: teachers’ perceptions of the role of teacher aides. Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, 33, 37-46.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zajda, J., Majhanovich, S., & Rust, V. (2006) (Eds.). Education and social justice. Dordrecht: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zajda, J., Biraimah, B., & Gaudelli, W. (2008a) (Eds.). Education and social inequality in the global culture. Dordrecht: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zajda, J., Davies, L., & Majhanovich, S. (2008b) (Eds.). Comparative and global pedagogies: equity, access and democracy in education. Dordrecht: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Elizabeth Warren .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2010 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Warren, E., Baturo, A.R., Cooper, T.J. (2010). Power and Authority in School and Community: Interactions Between Non-Indigenous Teachers and Indigenous Teacher Assistants in Remote Australian Schools. In: Zajda, J., Geo-JaJa, M. (eds) The Politics of Education Reforms. Globalisation, Comparative Education and Policy Research, vol 9. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-3218-8_11

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics