Assessment Task – Essay Topic – Embedding Australian Indigenous knowledges and pedagogies in early childhood education Length/Duration – 1500 words excluding end reference list Assessment Purpose Teaching and learning for young Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children has been outlined in various learning frameworks throughout Australia. These emphasise the importance of inclusive practices such as embedding Australian Indigenous peoples’ knowledge and perspectives across the learning curriculum. Early childhood teachers can use these frameworks to work with Australian Indigenous knowledges and perspectives children as they can benefit all children in the early childhood setting. It is important that early childhood teachers can understand why, how and which Indigenous knowledge and pedagogies should be interwoven throughout daily practice to involve and benefit all children; and how to promote respect, relationships and recognition. This task will help you gain understanding of this topic and come to identify the themes arising from the work of Australian and international Indigenous researchers on education. It should also help you build further skill in researching and critiquing what you find in the literature. This task also aligns with the subject principle ‘to imagine something new’. Based on your critique and evaluation, the task requires you to imagine an equitable and inclusive curriculum for all children. This will be presented as a statement of intent. Assessment Details This essay requires you to examine Australian Indigenous learning frameworks and reports relevant to the early years (focusing on early childhood) to identify culturally responsive practices that respond to various ways of learning and understanding. You will also review critical literature and research on various Indigenous Australian pedagogies and advice from peak First Nations’ organisations such as (for example) the Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care (SNAICC) and the Victorian Aboriginal Education Association (VAEAI), and others introduced in your lectures. It is an expectation that Australian Indigenous researchers will form the bulk of your critical research literature. • What does reading ‘critically’ mean? This means you will need to review any research literature with a critical eye- not ‘negative’ but ‘analytical’, asking questions of what you read. Some of the literature is already given through a critical view, but not all. We need to be mindful of the type of knowledge produced by research and how it positions ‘indigenous people’ and ‘indigenous education’. (For example, if frameworks are focused on high quality, we might ask, what is quality teaching and care? What do various Indigenous researchers say about quality teaching and learning?) In this essay you are asked to: Research culturally responsive practice for Australian First Nations’ communities and why it is significant. The importance for contemporary education lies intrinsically with histories of colonialism and British settlement in Australia. • Identify two features of quality culturally responsive practice in early childhood education and care for Indigenous children and families. Ensure you acknowledge the organisation and region this comes from. You must also identify the framework and/or report that you have found this in. • Justify your choice in terms of how these features promote quality indigenous education in the Australian context. This section requires your research of Australian and international Indigenous researchers- what are they writing about this? Australian First Nations’ research should be your priority. International Indigenous and First Nations researchers’ work can support the discussion. • Investigate how these practices can also benefit all children in early childhood settings. • Imagine something new by reflecting on the significance of what you have found. You will create a statement of intent for an imagined curriculum that will benefit all children and reconciliation. Assessment Criteria • Analyses elements/features of quality practice in early childhood settings and their significance for Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families. • Identifies the impact and importance of culture, identity and language context on successful learning. • Demonstrates knowledge of how colonial histories and education informs contemporary experience of Australian education. • Evaluates how research-informed culturally responsive practices can support all children’s learning. • Incorporates a broad evidence base and knowledge of current research in the provision of early childhood education and care, *including Indigenous Australian perspectives (this is essential). • Integrates research literature throughout • Use of clear written structure and expression. • Consistent application of APA academic referencing conventions. Related Graduate Standards and evidence of students’ attainment of the standard and how it is or will be collected: 1.4 Demonstrate broad knowledge and understanding of the impact of culture, cultural identity and linguistic background on the education of students from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds: Requires Teacher Candidates to identify contemporary, high quality research, pedagogical and inclusive practices that include Australian Indigenous perspectives. 2.4 Demonstrate broad knowledge of, understanding of and respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures and languages: Requires Teacher Candidates to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of Indigenous histories and cultural perspectives and respectful use of knowledge. You will note the diverse nature of identity, knowledge and perspectives among different Australian First Nations, recognising there is no single group of Aboriginal identity. This will mean critically reading your literature. For example, if you have found a learning framework from an Australian Aboriginal organisation or researcher, where is the knowledge from? Which community owns that knowledge, language and/or practice?