In the past decade through its Indigenous Australian Content in Courses and Subjects Policy, Charles Sturt has committed to ensuring staff and graduates embrace the ‘Yindyamarra Winhanganha’ ethos – the wisdom of respectfully knowing how to live well in a world worth living in. This involves aligning content with the Indigenous Cultural Competence Pedagogical Framework as well as the use of a range of culturally appropriate and responsive teaching, learning and assessment methods. This paper presents our experiences of co-teaching with Aboriginal Elders, an Indigenous pedagogical approach we trialed at the August 2024 Intensive School in the Bachelor of Health Sciences degree.
Indigenous pedagogy refers to teaching methods that incorporate Indigenous knowledge, perspectives, and cultural practices. It emphasizes holistic, experiential, and relational learning, often involving nature-based education, storytelling, and community engagement (Funk & Woodroffe, 2024). The literature highlights several advantages of Indigenous pedagogy. It aligns with the cultural backgrounds and experiences of Indigenous students, thereby making learning more meaningful and engaging. This approach addresses the unique learning styles of Indigenous students, potentially improving their academic outcomes and retention rates. Additionally, it incorporates Indigenous knowledge, helping to preserve and promote Indigenous cultures and languages. By recognizing and valuing diverse ways of knowing and learning, it fosters a more inclusive and equitable educational environment. (Krakouer, 2015).
The aim of this presentation is to provide an overview of the interconnected nature of Indigenous pedagogy (teaching), ontology (being), epistemology (knowledge) and axiology (values), and describe the process undertaken to work within an Indigenous framework to implement co-teaching in an intensive, analyse the experiences of academics as well as the Elders involved, identify positive outcomes and challenges, and discuss recommendations.
The implementation of traditional Indigenous protocols and ethics, yarning circles, storytelling, and nature-based pedagogies, as “integral parts of the learning process, allow[ed] for spirit-connecting processes to enable the gifts, visions, and spirits to emerge in each person” (Battiste & Henderson, 2009, p. 5). By doing this we created a platform for Indigenous voices and enhanced learners’ experiential, lived understanding of decoloniality (Fellner, 2018) in a way that was overwhelmingly positive for everyone involved.
Students were prompted to critically reflect on internalised colonial ideologies, such as stereotypes and condescending attitudes, while practicing honesty and self-compassion. This approach allowed difficult emotions to surface and be processed, serving as catalysts for information, growth, transformation, and healing within the decolonial learning process (Lavallee, 2009) and making the classroom a therapeutic as well as a learning place.
For non-Indigenous academic staff, the experience was also positive. The yarning and story-telling approach facilitated teacher/students dyads that promoted two way learning, with staff also deepening their knowledge of the ongoing impacts of colonialism and cultural wisdom from Elders.
As a result of this experience, the discipline will continue to reflect, refine and expand the process of co-teaching with Elders to catalyse positive changes to teaching practice and student learning.
Battiste, M., & Henderson, J. Y. (2018). Compulsory schooling and cognitive imperialism: A case for cognitive justice and reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples. The Palgrave handbook of education law for schools, 567-583.
Fellner, K. D. (2018). Embodying decoloniality: Indigenizing curriculum and pedagogy. American journal of community psychology, 62(3-4), 283-293.
Funk, J., & Woodroffe, T. (2024). A differentiated approach to indigenous pedagogies: addressing gaps in teachers’ knowledge. The
