Investigating Pre-service Teachers’ Inquiry into Indigenous Perspectives

Abstract

Within Australia and in many other nations, there is a mandate for teachers to embed Indigenous perspectives in the teaching of all curriculum areas. Indigenous populations have deep, rich and diverse traditional knowledge and ways of working linked to their identities and communities. In the past, the Queensland curriculum required Indigenous perspectives to be embedded in teaching and learning to increase the awareness by both students and teachers of Indigenous perspectives and to improve the learning outcomes of Indigenous students. The new Australian Curriculum includes Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island histories and cultures as a cross-curriculum priority. In particular, it focuses on identity ‘through the interconnected aspects of country/place, people and culture. Embracing these elements enhances all areas of the curriculum’ (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, n.d.).