Quality Teaching Practices as Reported by Aboriginal Parents, Students and their Teachers - Comparisons and Contrasts

Oct 15, 2026

This paper summarizes findings from the first phase of a three-part project exploring what Aboriginal students perceive as the qualities and actions of effective teachers, and how enacting those qualities may affect educational outcomes. Data were gathered through phenomenologically aligned interviews with students, parents, and their teachers. Similarities and differences across these groups are compared to reveal potential mismatch in perceptions of “quality” teaching, followed by implications in view of Australian professional standards.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages19

Reading Time48 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Culturally Responsive Pedagogy

Australian Journal of Teacher Education | Volume 42 | Issue 12 | Article 5 | | --- | --- | 2017 Quality Teaching Practices as Reported by Aboriginal Parents, Students and their Teachers: Comparisons and Contrasts Brian Ellis Lewthwaite James Cook University, [brian.lewthwaite@jcu.edu.au](brian.lewthwaite@jcu.edu.au) Helen Boon Tammi Webber Gail Laffin Recommended Citation Lewthwaite, B. E., Boon, H., Webber, T., & Laffin, G. (2017). Quality Teaching Practices as Reported by Aboriginal Parents, Students and their Teachers: Comparisons and Contrasts. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 42 (12). Retrieved from [http://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol42/iss12/5](http://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol42/iss12/5) This Journal Article is posted at Research Online. [http://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol42/iss12/5](http://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol42/iss12/5) Australian Journal of Teacher Education Quality Teaching Practices as Reported by Aboriginal Parents, Students and Their Teachers: Comparisons and Contrasts Brian Ellis Lewthwaite Helen Boon James Cook University Tammi Webber Gail Laffin Diocese of Townsville Catholic Education Abstract: This paper summarizes the findings from the first phase of a three-part project which, overall, investigates what Aboriginal1 students perceive as the qualities and actions of effective teachers and subsequently seeks to determine the impact of the enactment of these identified qualities on educational outcomes. This first phase of the research was centered on gathering accounts of quality teachers and teaching practice from students, parents and their teachers from phenomenologically aligned interviews. Similar and contrasting themes among these three groups arepresented, with the intention of exposing potential mismatch in perception of the construct of ‘quality’ teaching. Finally, we present implications of this research in light of the more recent development of professional standards for Australian teachers that seek to define and evaluate high quality teaching. Introduction Similar to many countries internationally, more recent educational policy developments in Australia draw attention to overt requirements within teacher education to prepare teachers as agents for removing exclusionary practices in their classrooms (Snee, 2011) . These actions have been fuelled by data over the last decade from international evaluation assessments such as the Program for International Student Assessment (OECD, 2006, 2010, 2012) that draw attention to growing achievement disparity among and within the nation’s states and territories (McGaw, 2006), especially between Indigenous and nonIndigenous students (Lingard & Keddie, 2013) . In response, all state, territorial and national governments in Australia have more recently agreed to a set of educational priorities and reform directions to reduce Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander disadvantage (COAG, 2009). As endorsed by The Melbourne Declaration (2008) this agreement is committed to ensuring learning outcomes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students improve to match those of other students through a variety of actions. In response to the Melbourne Declaration, the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APSTs), legislated by the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL), is one action that draws specific attention to this imperative for inclusive practice. As stated by AITSL: the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers are a public statement of what constitutes teacher quality (italics authors). Through the articulation of the APSTs, AITSL has “defined the work of teachers and make explicit elements Vol 42, 12, December 2017 80 Australian Journal of Teacher Education of high-quality, effective teaching in 21st century schools that will improve educational outcomes for all students”(2014, p. 2). The seven APSTs address attributes deemed essential to inclusive teaching as a

FAQs

What is the purpose of the three-part project described in the paper?

The project investigates what Aboriginal students perceive as the qualities and actions of effective teachers, and then examines the impact of enacting those qualities on educational outcomes.

How was data collected in the first phase of the research?

Accounts of quality teachers and teaching practice were gathered from students, parents, and their teachers using phenomenologically aligned interviews.

What do the comparisons among stakeholder groups aim to show?

The comparisons seek to expose potential mismatches in how the three groups perceive the construct of “quality” teaching.

Oct 15, 2026

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