Integrating the Cross-Curriculum Content Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures into Learning Areas: The Secondary Pre-Service Teacher Perspective

Abstract

The Australian Curriculum sets national standards aimed to improve learning outcomes for all young Australians. The implementation of the Australian Curriculum, to be applied to all learning areas, commenced in January 2013. Chosen for their significance in meeting the learning outcomes of the Australian Curriculum, three content areas are listed as cross-curriculum priorities, and must be integrated into all learning areas. The planned integration of the cross-curriculum priority: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures, from the perspective of final year secondary pre-service teachers at Avondale College of Higher Education, was the focus of this study. The perception of relevance, the role of the school and students, and the influence of knowledge and skills learned during undergraduate studies in regard to planning was also explored. The findings of the study show that the instruction on the content, and how to integrate it into their learning areas were perceived by pre-service teachers to have been largely overlooked in their undergraduate studies. Further the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander student population, at the school, was perceived by pre-service teachers to be the key influence when planning to integrate the content. An emphasis on Indigenous education and not Indigenous studies during their teacher education may provide a credible reason for this perception.