Silence is not an option: pre-service teachers embedding First Nation knowledge and practices in primary/middle mathematics and science

Abstract

Teachers, pre-service teachers and teacher educators in Australia are predominately European Australian with a small minority of First Nations people. Those with limited first-hand understanding of First Nations ways of knowing can find it difficult to embed these knowledges across learning areas. This is particularly complex for pre-service teachers. We argue that all teacher educators have a responsibility to engage First Nations ways of knowing across learning areas as an ethical and professional commitment to preparing pre-service teachers for negotiating the complexities of Australian histories and living cultures. This paper reports on interventions implemented with final year primary/middle pre-service teachers with an expertise in science and mathematics. Firstly, we discuss pre-service teachers’ confidence (self) ratings in integrating their understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures across the curriculum. Secondly, we present an in-depth exploration of two pre-service teachers’ transdisciplinary units of work which embed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledges and practices. This study challenges all science and mathematics teacher educators to consider ways a transdisciplinary, culturally responsive approach prepares students to transition into confident and competent early career teachers.