An analysis of education academics’ attitudes and preconceptions about Indigenous Knowledges in initial teacher education - critical conversations

Oct 15, 2026

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An analysis examines education academics’ attitudes and preconceptions regarding the inclusion of Indigenous Knowledges within initial teacher education (ITE) in institutional and professional contexts. A small pilot study at a Queensland university explores how academics perceive this inclusion. Findings vary, but overall results suggest limited institutional and individual responsibility to embed Indigenous Knowledges in ITE. The study calls for urgent change and critical conversations.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages18

Reading Time45 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Establishing the cultural gap

An analysis of education academics’ attitudesand preconceptions about Indigenous Knowledges in initial teacher education Melitta Hogarth Melbourne Graduate School of Education, University of Melbourne, Level 7, 100 Leicester Street, Parkville, Melbourne, Victoria, 3010, Australia, [email: melitta.hogarth@unimelb.edu.au](email: melitta.hogarth@unimelb.edu.au) For more than 20 years, there has been effort made within primary and secondary classrooms and curricula to include Indigenous peoples’ perspectives. This has been met with mixed reactions from classroom teachers. Initial teacher education academics and providers have also been slow to implement and transform their teaching and learning despite the shift in policy rhetoric. This paper reports on a small pilot study conducted at a Queensland university exploring how academics perceive the inclusion of Indigenous Knowledges within both institutional and professional contextsand initial teacher education programs. Findings varied, however, they generally indicate a lack of institutional and individual responsibility to embed Indigenous Knowledges in initial teacher education. The paper argues for the urgency for change and the need for non-Indigenous academicsand initial teacher education providers to begin critical conversations about how Indigenous Knowledges are being silenced within their current practices, and ways in which they can do better. Keywords: Indigenous Knowledges, initial teacher education, academic attitudes Introduction The Australian education system was never developed with the First Nations student in mind (Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL), 2020), and, therefore, it is not surprising that it has only been in the last 20 years that initial teacher education (ITE) has shifted its view to advocate for the inclusion of Indigenous Knowledges within its teaching and learning (see, for example, Universities Australia, 2017) . School curricula have also seen to include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures within classroom teaching and learning, making it even more important for ITE academics to include Indigenous Knowledges to aptly prepare and guide future classroom teachers (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), 2015b; Ma Rhea et al., 2012) . In this paper, the term of reference “Indigenous Knowledges” is used to encompass Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures and languages. In the last decade, Australian Professional Teacher Standards have included a focus on teachers demonstrating their increasing knowledge and understanding about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, histories and cultures, as well as the need for classroom teachers to incorporate a reflexive practice that seeks to identify and get to know the student (AITSL, 2014) . There has been the inclusion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures as a cross-curriculum priority within the Australian Curriculum (ACARA, 2015b). In other words, recent policy calls for the privileging of Indigenous Knowledges in education and positions it as a quintessential component of the teaching profession. Calls for the inclusion of Indigenous Knowledges within the education system is not new. Indigenousspecific education policy has been calling for the inclusion of Indigenous Knowledges and equitable access to education since the mid-1970s (Schools Commission, 1975) . Some 50 years later, we are now starting to see the changes. But, with change, there is resistance in many forms by teachers, educatorsand institutions who have become comfortable in the way things have always been and, therefore, thereis the need to investigate and explore the implementation of Indigenous peoples’ knowledges in ITE. This paper explores the experiences of education academics teaching into ITE within an Australian university and the assumptions and beliefs identified when embedding

FAQs

What does the paper focus on regarding Indigenous Knowledges in ITE?

It examines how education academics perceive and approach embedding Indigenous Knowledges within institutional and professional contexts in initial teacher education.

What was the study design and where was it conducted?

The paper reports a small pilot study conducted at a Queensland university, drawing on participants who identified as education academics.

What do the findings suggest about responsibility for embedding Indigenous Knowledges?

Findings indicate a lack of institutional and individual responsibility to embed Indigenous Knowledges in initial teacher education.

Oct 15, 2026

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