We are very pleased to bring you Volume 50 Issue 1 of The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues to cause significant disruptions to people's lives, and we acknowledge the ongoing efforts of authors and reviewers whose commitment has enabled the journal to continue to operate as close to normal as possible.
The first suite of articles in this volume focuses on the university context. Sullivan et al. provide us with insight into the lack of inclusion of queer and gender diverse Indigenous Australians in the university space, while the impact of a ‘whole-of-university’ approach to Indigenous student success is explored by Uink et al. Also focusing on student success, Hearn and Kenna suggest a multi-layered determinants model is a way to conceptualise the many factors that may impact on Indigenous student success. Mills and Creedy explore the transformative potential of using a ‘pedagogy of discomfort’ that requires non-Indigenous students to critically reflect on their assumptions about Indigenous people in a university health course. The use of videoed stories of local Indigenous people as an effective pedagogy to expose students to Indigenous knowledges, cultures and pedagogies is discussed by Grogan et al., while Rivera-Santana and Akhurst explore how creative writing and the visual arts provide a space for university students to meaningfully engage with Indigenous and decolonial philosophies. The challenging processes taken by the University of Newcastle with embodying Indigenous ontologies and epistemologies in all processes at the Wollotuka Institute is discussed by Gilbert.
The next suite of papers explores the use of Indigenous research methodologies in educational research contexts. Shay outlines the development of a methodology she calls Collaborative Yarning Methodology to address the issue of data collection and analysis in research focused on an alternative school settings. Weuffen and Pickford also explore storytelling/yarning, in addition to Lawrence-Lightfoot portraiture method, to discuss intercultural research processes, while Connor and Napan focus on storytelling by discussing campfire sessions as an Indigenous educational method in Aotearoa/New Zealand. The paper by Frazer and Yunkaporta explore the development of a Wik pedagogy, drawing on the language and culture of the remote community of Aurukun, Cape York.
The third suite of papers focuses on high school and primary school contexts. Redman-MacLaren et al. draw on a survey to explore Indigenous boarding student's levels of satisfaction with Queensland Department of Education's Transition Support Service (TSS) that provide assistance to remote-dwelling Indigenous students in the transition to boarding schools while Louth discusses findings from a longitudinal study that examined the impact of an educational aspirations programme. Using an Action Research approach and working with participants from one secondary high school in regional Queensland, Rioux et al. explores how teachers can support Aboriginal secondary school students' learning of science. Taeao and Averill explore dance as a culturally sustaining mathematics pedagogy for Pasifika learners, while Davis et al. focus on media reporting of Indigenous students' Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Gelderen and Guthadjaka draw on data from community research at Gäwa, a Warramiri homeland on Elcho Island, which demonstrates the ‘Bothways’ approach through negotiation around issues of bilingual pedagogy, cultural knowledge transmission, parental engagement and student−teacher relationships. Norman et al. examine educator's perspectives of a school-based oral language and early literacy programme based on Aboriginal stories, knowledges and cultures while Williamson and Boughton discuss the impacts of an Aboriginal-led adult literacy campaign in Brewarrina, New South Wales. The focus then shifts to the Canadian context with Kerpan et al. exploring Indigenous teachers and students perspectives on the use of a physical activity teaching method to ensure in the healthy growth and development of children.
The next two papers focus on findings from the Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children (ages 9–11) with Prehn et al. examining academic self-concepts of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, while Peacock and Prehn highlight the importance of Aboriginal Education Workers for decolonising and promoting culture in primary schools. The final paper in this volume, by Sinclair, draws on findings from a qualitative study that investigated early childhood educators' understandings and perspectives of cultural competence.
We hope you enjoy reading the papers in this volume and we hope that AJIE inspires ongoing discussions across Indigenous educational research and practice internationally.
