ABSTRACT

Research-informed teacher learning has never been so important than now in Australia as pre-service teachers are challenged and encouraged to embed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures in their teaching and learning. Further to this, the Australian teacher workforce is predominantly non-Indigenous and, therefore, standalone courses in initial teacher education are searching for ways in which they can address the cultural gap evident in Australian society. This chapter will show how research-informed teacher learning is paramount for pre-service teachers to adapt as a professional practice to address the requirements of policy but also the needs of their Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. Using Philpott and Poultney’s book as a foundational conversation starter, this chapter demonstrates how one university course and lecturer is modelling and embedding culturally responsive practices into initial teacher education.