Increasing the Numbers of Aboriginal Teachers in the NT
2024 ACSES First Nations Fellowship Increasing the Number of Aboriginal Teachers in the NT: Planning for the Future
The low number of Aboriginal school teachers is a critical issue in the Northern Territory (NT), which has the highest percentage of Aboriginal students in Australia. Many Aboriginal students are reported to achieve below expected standards, yet evidence suggests increasing the number of Aboriginal teachers may improve educational success for these students. This 12-month project will take a two-part approach to investigate teaching as a career of choice for Aboriginal people in the NT; first, by understanding the aspirations of Aboriginal senior secondary students to become teachers, and second, by utilising the recommendations of current Aboriginal teachers about how to promote teaching to other Aboriginal Territorians. This aligns with the Federal Government’s ‘Be That Teacher’ campaign, which showcases the value and importance of teachers and encourages Australians to consider a teaching career. This research can assist providers in empowering Australian First Nations people to become teachers and improve educational outcomes for First Nations students, changing Australian deficit discourse about Indigenous education.
Research focus: First Nations teachers, Initial teacher education, First Nations students, access and enrolment, Senior Secondary aspirations.
Educational issues to be addressed: First Nations engagement, First Nations teacher shortage, deficit thinking, First Nations academic underachievement, First Nations success
The project aligns closely with the aims and objectives of the ACSES First Nations Fellowship Program. The Fellowship project will be led by an Indigenous researcher, include other Indigenous researchers and stakeholders, and strengthen the quality, capability, scale, and capacity of Australia’s First Nations researchers and practitioners. The project will assist Charles Darwin University (CDU) and other teacher education providers in understanding Indigenous engagement with teacher education; resulting in a targeted approach to increase First Nations enrolments in teacher education at CDU and strengthening Australia’s capacity in higher education practice and implementation in relation to equity issues. The research will produce peer-reviewed evidence impacting program development and implementation, with recommendations for the NT Department of Education and CDU practice and policy. The stakeholder collaboration will ensure a comprehensive approach to the complex issue of Indigenous engagement with education.
Teacher Education and the effective engagement of Indigenous students in education is a national issue. Improvements to teacher education that potentially increase the number of Indigenous teachers is of importance to universities and teacher education providers across Australia. It also aligns with the current Federal Government’s ‘Be That Teacher’ campaign. Project outcomes will be relevant and potentially portable across institutions and settings and scalable across Australian higher education.
THIS SURVEY IS CLOSING ON 8 AUGUST 2024
Are you a fully qualified Aboriginal Teacher? We want to hear from you.
Help us understand how to encourage other Aboriginal people to become teachers and support improved educational outcomes for Aboriginal students.
We are hoping to interview teachers but are also offering the online survey option instead.
Click here or scan the QR code on your phone to begin the survey.
THIS SURVEY IS NOW CLOSED
Are you an Aboriginal Senior Secondary Student? We want to hear from you.
We are trying to find out how to encourage more Aboriginal people to become teachers. Some Aboriginal students can have problems with learning at school. The NAPLAN results show this every year. It is thought that having more Aboriginal teachers improves student learning.
Through an online survey we are asking about the experiences and knowledge of senior secondary school students in the NT.
By participating, you’ll help CDU and governments better understand what could help Aboriginal students to become teachers. The survey answers will be collected to make recommendations and resources (such as posters or videos) to inspire more Aboriginal people to become teachers. There will be questions asking about your school, community and what you think about teaching. The survey is completely anonymous, confidential and aims to:
- Understand what Aboriginal students think about teaching as a future career.
- Identify barriers to becoming a teacher in the Northern Territory.
- Increase numbers of Aboriginal teachers and improve educational outcomes for Aboriginal people.
Students over 16: Before you take the survey please read the Participant Information Sheet for Students.
Students under 16: Please read and give your parents the Parent and Student Information Sheet and Consent Form.
Click here or scan the QR code on your phone to start the survey.
Project updates will be available soon
Researcher
Dr Tracy Woodroffe
Dr Tracy Woodroffe is a local Warumungu Luritja educator with extensive teaching experience and an Early Career Researcher with a growing track record. Dr Woodroffe is the lead researcher for this 12-month project. Her research experience and focus are educational pedagogy, identity, Indigenous perspectives, and the use of Indigenous Knowledges in educational contexts. Dr Woodroffe has been both a team member and the lead on numerous successful research projects, which can be seen on her CDU profile. Past research has included research with and within the NT Department of Education.
T: 08 8946 6624 E: Tracy.Woodroffe@cdu.edu.au
Funding
This project is funded through the Curtin University Australian Centre for Student Equity and Success (ACSES)'s First Nations Fellowship Program.