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A systematic review of pedagogies that support, engage and improve the educational outcomes of Aboriginal students

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Abstract

This review analyses studies that identify pedagogies to support, engage and improve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander student outcomes. Some studies focus on pedagogies to support and engage, while others describe pedagogies that are designed to improve engagement, attendance and academic skills. The role of context emerges as a key theme, particularly in remote areas. In larger studies, Aboriginal students are often a subset of a larger student group, included because of socio-economic status and achievement levels. Key findings indicate a disconnect between practice and outcomes where links to improved outcomes are by implication rather than evidence. Further, definitions and detail about pedagogies are mostly absent, relying on ‘common understandings’ of what pedagogy means. This review highlights that most of the research identifies effective pedagogies to engage and support Aboriginal students rather than to improve their educational outcomes.

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Correspondence to Cathie Burgess.

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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students will be forthwith referred to as Aboriginal students acknowledging the historical socio-cultural and political significance of the term and the land upon which this review was conducted. The term Indigenous students will be used where it is used in a particular research study.

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Burgess, C., Tennent, C., Vass, G. et al. A systematic review of pedagogies that support, engage and improve the educational outcomes of Aboriginal students. Aust. Educ. Res. 46, 297–318 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13384-019-00315-5

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