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FELIKS in Queensland

The work of Rosalind Berry, Joyce Hudson in developing a resource book for teachers of Aboriginal students, was the inspiration for our professional development program for school personnel working in Catholic and Independent schools in Central and North Queensland.

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100 children turn 10
http://www.dest.gov.au/schools/Publications/2002/100childturn10/100childturn10.htm

A longitudinal study of literacy development
from the year prior to school to the first four years of school

This project is a continuation of work published in the report 100 Children Go To School (1998). The report will provide information on longitudinal literacy outcomes of a sample group of children's school experiences from preschool to the first four years of school. The school sites selected were chosen to bring in a range of Australian contexts including family, financial resources, home language, gender, ethnicity and geographic location. Research data was compiled from classroom observations and activities, including behavioural observations in relation to literacy exercises in the classrooms, interviews with parents and teachers, institutional documents and the children's work samples in relation to their literacy development. The site reports also outline the children's community and home life and how it reflects their school life and literacy development.

Desert Schools
http://www.gu.edu.au/school/cls/clearinghouse/content_1996_desert.html

An Investigation of English Language and Literacy
Among Young Aboriginal People in Seven Communities

The project researched patterns and levels in the use of English and aspects of Aboriginal languages in a range of contexts in seven communities in the central desert region. The study identifies recently implemented educational strategies designed to improve outcomes in literacy and language education and addresses issues in curriculum development and teacher professional development for these teaching contexts. The three volume report also provides considerable resource material pertaining to teaching in this region of Australia and on language and literacy issues in Aboriginal education more generally.

Aboriginal students can succeed: Case studies of ten successful Aboriginal students
http://www.pipalya.com/rlt/ascs/toc.htm

This exploratory study was designed to extend the literature about factors that have been important in the retention and attainment of a few individual Aboriginal students who have made a successful transition to senior secondary schooling, and to explore how these factors might be related to their Aboriginal identity.

Ten Aboriginal students participated in the research. All lived in regional or rural centres of South Australia, had stayed at school into their post-compulsory years and were achieving a significant degree of success in their studies, despite the failure of the majority of their Aboriginal peers to do likewise. In more specific terms, the study sought to answer the following questions about these 'successful' Aboriginal students:

  • What factors influenced their decision to stay at school?
  • What factors have been important in their succeeding at school?
  • How are these various factors interrelated?
  • To what extent have various factors in the lives of individual students fostered their Aboriginal identities?
  • How do these students express their Aboriginality and how do others see them expressing it?
  • What is the relationship between the Aboriginal identity of the students and their retention and attainment at school?

    Katu Kalpa Report on the inquiry into the effectiveness of education and training programs for indigenous Australians (March 2000)
    http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/committee/eet_ctte/indiged/report/contents.htm

    Imagining themselves, imagining their futures
    http://www.ssabsa.sa.edu.au/aes/futures.htm

    In 1999, forty-six Indigenous Australian students completed the SACE, and sixteen of these students agreed to speak to us about their Year 12 experiences, feelings about their success in completing the SACE, current studies and work, ideas about their identity, aspirations.

    This figure coming at the end of a the twentieth century, reflects a social, political, and economic legacy that has resulted in only a handful of Indigenous students completing secondary school education. This study analyses the experiences of those students who succeeded. It asks whether their experiences can help other Indigenous students to complete the SACE.

    ACER: Supporting English Literacy and Numeracy for Indigenous Students in the Early Years (PDF)
    http://www.acer.edu.au/research/documents/ResearchMonograph.pdf

    Aboriginal Ways of Learning: Paul Hughes, Arthur J. More, Mark Williams
    http://www.unisa.edu.au/icer/Aboriginal-ways.asp

    Improving Understanding of Aboriginal Literacy:Factors in Text Comprehension.
    http://www.eddept.wa.edu.au/esl/esd1.htm

    A project of the ABC of Two-Way Literacy and Learning.

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