Walk beside Me, Learn Together: A Service-Learning Immersion to a Remote Aboriginal School and Community

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  • Additional Information
    • Availability:
      Society for the Provision of Education in Rural Australia. P.O. Box 659, Wembly, Western Australia 6913. Tel: +08-9285-0626; e-mail: [email protected]; Web site: http://www.spera.asn.au/
    • Peer Reviewed:
      Y
    • Source:
      16
    • Education Level:
      Higher Education
      Postsecondary Education
      Early Childhood Education
      Elementary Secondary Education
    • Subject Terms:
      Service Learning; Preservice Teachers; Preservice Teacher Education; Cultural Awareness; Experiential Learning; Indigenous Populations; Indigenous Knowledge; Rural Schools; Elementary Secondary Education; Early Childhood Education; Foreign Countries; Student Attitudes; Program Effectiveness; Teacher Competencies
    • Subject Terms:
      Australia
    • ISSN:
      1839-7387
    • Abstract:
      The aim of this study was to explore the potential of a service-learning immersion program to promote pre-service teachers' development of cultural competency in the area of Aboriginal education. That is, the research focused on ways the immersion program helped pre-service teachers (a) develop awareness of cultural implications in teaching in a remote school and (b) understand and respect Aboriginal people with a view to reconciliation. The program has operated since 2013 and occurs in a remote Aboriginal school and community in Western Australia. The duration of the immersion is eight days and is open to early childhood, primary and secondary pre-service teachers. The underlying epistemology of the research is constructivist, specifically interpretivist in nature, with a symbolic interactionist lens. That is, the research attempts to 'give voice' to the participants through their own language. Content analysis was the methodology used to explore the pre-service teachers' experiences and perceptions while undertaking their service-learning immersion. Data collection methods included focus group interviews, participant journals and a questionnaire. These data were collected over a four-year span from 2014 to 2017. The findings indicate that the service-learning immersion has enabled pre-service teachers to explore their interests and passion to teach Aboriginal students in both rural and remote locations.
    • Abstract:
      As Provided
    • Publication Date:
      2020
    • Accession Number:
      EJ1240391