Issues for teacher preparation in Indigenous Australian Studies

To examine the complex issues prevailing for preservice and inservice teacher training in Indigenous Australian Studies, this paper draws on two recent national studies and a local study by an Indigenous Educator. Quantitative and qualitative research prime us for the cross-cultural case study. The national studies include, the census style study of Teachers in Australian Schools (Dempster, Sim, Beere and Logan, 2000), and the qualitative National Inquiry into School History (Taylor, 2000a). First, the paper written across these boundaries examines the data from the national studies, bringing to light the limited experience of teachers to professional development in Indigenous Australian Studies. The quantitative and qualitative analysis provides an opening for considering a recent research case study conducted by Barry Malezer. The case study explores the dynamics of teaching Indigenous Australian Studies (cross-culturally) to non-Indigenous preservice teachers by an Indigenous teaching team at Griffith University in Brisbane, Australia. Throughout the discussion, we ask readers to consider the extent to which the findings about professional development in Indigenous Australian Studies resonate with their individual experiences crucially at system and local levels.