Action Learning Case Study

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Action Learning Case Study

• Angurugu CEC
• Term 3, 2004
• Leanne Phillips

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Groote Eylandt

• Named by the Dutch meaning Big Island in the
  17th Century
• Third Largest Island in Australia, covering
  approximately 2,260 square kilometres
• Located on the western side of the Gulf of
  Carpentaria

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Groote Eylandt

• Home to the Anindilyakwa Aboriginal people
• Traditional owners assist in the management of
  the island
• Manganese has been mined since 1964
• Alcohol has been a problem since 1964

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Angurugu

• Missionaries established the town in 1943
• It is home to between 800 and 900 Aborigines,
  over half are children
• High cash economy as a result of mine royalty
  payments, government allowances and work for the
  dole scheme

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Angurugu

• It is considered one of the most violent
  communities in Australia (Massey 2004)
• Unemployment is high
• Alcohol and petrol sniffing abuse leads to many
  domestic violence cases

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Angurugu CEC

• Pre-school to Year 10
• 204 students enrolled
• 24 teaching staff, 50 are Aboriginal
• Only one member of staff has been at the school
  longer than 2 years

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Angurugu CEC

• Attendance levels low ranging between 36 and
  62 during 2004
• Many students attend only in the wet season when
  they are trapped in town
• In Year 2/3, it was not uncommon to have only 3
  students in the classroom

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Issues

• Teaching Style
• Relationships
• Classroom Behaviour Management

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Teaching Style

• English is a second language for all students,
  and their understanding varies a greatly amongst
  class members
• Attention spans are short and students are easily
  distracted
• Shame limits the progress of many students

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Teaching Style Strategies

• Visual and concrete modelling
• Relevance to student life skills
• Student centred focus
• Independent Education Programs
• Flexible, enthusiastic, encouragement and a sense
  of humour are paramount.

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Relationships

• Students are extremely shy, and easily shamed,
  school maybe their only contact with white people
• Support of the Indigenous staff is essential
• Understanding Indigenous culture and students
  backgrounds benefits classroom harmony and
  participation

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Relationship Strategies

• Build positive personal relationships with
  individual students and their families
• Discover their home life to assist understanding
  of childrens behaviour
• Program cultural experiences to appreciate their
  home knowledge

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Classroom Behaviour Management

• School environment is very foreign and
  restrictive to all indigenous students
• Students have minimal discipline at home
• Aboriginal Teacher Assistants often accept lower
  levels of behaviour than is the school-norm

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Behaviour Management Strategies

• Positive reinforcement, subtlety, consistency and
  fairness and an ability to be flexible and
  non-confrontational
• Reward systems
• Students taking responsibility for their actions

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Conclusion

• Teachers in remote indigenous communities require
  a genuine interest in their students, Aboriginal
  culture and an ability to develop a good rapport
  with the community
• A sense of humour, flexibility, consistency and a
  must

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References

• Cole, K., (1991) Groote Eylandt Aborigines and
  Mining, Rigby Publishers Limited.
• Fanshawe, J.P., (1976) Personal Characteristics
  of effective teachers of adolescent Aborigines.
  The Aboriginal Child at School 4(2) 3-23.
• Gutman, D., (1992) Aboriginal children want to
  learn good school work. The Aboriginal Child at
  School. 20(2) 12-21.
• Harslett, M., Harrison, B., Godfrey, J.,
  Partington, G., Richer, K., (2002) Teacher
  Perceptions of Characteristics of Effective
  Teachers of Aboriginal Middle School Students.,
  Department of Education and Training Western
  Australia.
• History of Groote Eylandt. www.walkabout.com.au/fa
  irfax/locations/NTGrooteEylandt.shtml (15.09.04)
• Munns, G (1998). They just cant hack that
  Aboriginal students, their teachers and responses
  to schools and classrooms in Partington (ed.),
  Perspectives on Aboriginal and Torres Straight
  Islander Education. Katoomba, NSW.

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References

• Partington, G., Richer, K., Godfrey, J.,
  Harslett, M., Harrison, B., (1999) Barriers to
  effective teaching of Indigenous students,
  Department of Education and Training Western
  Australia
• Partington, G., (1997) Reconstructing Aboriginal
  Education. Education Australia (35), 14-16.