Identifying pedagogical factors enabling success in elite level team sport for Indigenous Australians: Lessons for Closing the Gap. Despite significant social disadvantage and alarming underachievement in educational outcomes, Indigenous Australians achieve remarkable success across a range of high profile sports. Indigenous Australians' achievement in sport is often explained as a result of inherited racial characteristics but, when seen as the result of a process of learning, it demands inquir ....Identifying pedagogical factors enabling success in elite level team sport for Indigenous Australians: Lessons for Closing the Gap. Despite significant social disadvantage and alarming underachievement in educational outcomes, Indigenous Australians achieve remarkable success across a range of high profile sports. Indigenous Australians' achievement in sport is often explained as a result of inherited racial characteristics but, when seen as the result of a process of learning, it demands inquiry into how this learning occurs and what socio-cultural factors facilitate this. This project will identify the socio-cultural and pedagogical factors that encourage and enhance achieving excellence at the highest levels of sport as a process of learning. Read moreRead less
Characteristics of successful schools for Indigenous students' achievement. This project seeks to identify the characteristics of schools that are helping Indigenous students’ to achieve their potential. Achieving good educational outcomes for Indigenous students is important for Australia’s future prosperity. While the success of a school is largely driven by principals and teachers, there are other characteristics (eg school ethos, curriculum, policy, community engagement, and physical enviro ....Characteristics of successful schools for Indigenous students' achievement. This project seeks to identify the characteristics of schools that are helping Indigenous students’ to achieve their potential. Achieving good educational outcomes for Indigenous students is important for Australia’s future prosperity. While the success of a school is largely driven by principals and teachers, there are other characteristics (eg school ethos, curriculum, policy, community engagement, and physical environment) that contribute to student educational success and also their active citizenship, life-long learning, and creative community participation. The project plans to use a mixed-methods study to identify and explore these characteristics. The outcomes of the project may inform school policies and practices to support Indigenous students.Read moreRead less
Barriers and pathways to development of Indigenous traditional medicines. This project aims to explore how Australian regulatory systems can better support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Traditional Knowledge (TK) holders to commercialise their traditional medicines. Focusing on the mudjala plant and working with the Kimberley’s Nyikina people, the project should generate new anthropological methods for documenting TK related to traditional medicine, new models for regulating traditional ....Barriers and pathways to development of Indigenous traditional medicines. This project aims to explore how Australian regulatory systems can better support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Traditional Knowledge (TK) holders to commercialise their traditional medicines. Focusing on the mudjala plant and working with the Kimberley’s Nyikina people, the project should generate new anthropological methods for documenting TK related to traditional medicine, new models for regulating traditional medicinal products, and pharmacological insights into traditional methods of activating the plant. Additional expected outcomes include unlocking the significant, untapped potential for Indigenous Australians to benefit from the development of traditional medicine products regulated by the Therapeutic Goods Administration.Read moreRead less
Aboriginal identity and community online: a sociological exploration of Aboriginal peoples’ use of online social media. This project explores Aboriginal peoples’ activity on social media, to provide a better understanding of how Aboriginal people make use of online network sites, as social media sites are popular for social and cultural interaction. The project will also explore whether there is a link between online and offline social and cultural engagements.
Developing Indigenous Australian early career researchers. This project aims to use institutional theory to examine the professional experiences of Indigenous Australian early career researchers. The project will identify key barriers and enablers, both individual and institutional, associated with advancing the research careers of Indigenous Australians who have recently completed their doctoral degree. Emphasising the importance of building research capacity amongst Indigenous scholars, this p ....Developing Indigenous Australian early career researchers. This project aims to use institutional theory to examine the professional experiences of Indigenous Australian early career researchers. The project will identify key barriers and enablers, both individual and institutional, associated with advancing the research careers of Indigenous Australians who have recently completed their doctoral degree. Emphasising the importance of building research capacity amongst Indigenous scholars, this project will establish a model of best practice to nurture and support the emerging careers of Indigenous early career researchers.Read moreRead less
Aboriginal Help-Seeking behaviours on Social Media. This project is designed to contribute to knowledge of formal and informal help-seeking behaviours among Indigenous Australians. Given the rapid uptake of social media by Indigenous people, this project particularly aims to investigate help-seeking behaviours online. It is anticipated that the outcome of this research may influence the development of formal help sources in the services and programs relevant to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islan ....Aboriginal Help-Seeking behaviours on Social Media. This project is designed to contribute to knowledge of formal and informal help-seeking behaviours among Indigenous Australians. Given the rapid uptake of social media by Indigenous people, this project particularly aims to investigate help-seeking behaviours online. It is anticipated that the outcome of this research may influence the development of formal help sources in the services and programs relevant to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, including health (eg suicide prevention), employment, housing, economic opportunities and legal services. Another intended outcome of the project is to better understand informal help-seeking and the way in which Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people respond to help.Read moreRead less
Indigenous peoples’ experiences of cyberbullying: An assemblage approach. The proposed project aims to explore Indigenous peoples’ experiences of cyberbullying. Little is known about how Indigenous people understand, experience and respond to cyberbullying. This project expects to generate new knowledge on what has been described as a ‘national crisis’, with documented correlation with self-harm and suicide. Expected outcomes of this project include the development of detailed site-based ethnogr ....Indigenous peoples’ experiences of cyberbullying: An assemblage approach. The proposed project aims to explore Indigenous peoples’ experiences of cyberbullying. Little is known about how Indigenous people understand, experience and respond to cyberbullying. This project expects to generate new knowledge on what has been described as a ‘national crisis’, with documented correlation with self-harm and suicide. Expected outcomes of this project include the development of detailed site-based ethnographies focusing on Indigenous students, parents, Elders and LGBTQI community members. This should provide significant benefits, including advancing academic scholarship and public understanding of cyberbullying, informing policy and program development, and generating Indigenous-specific educational resources.Read moreRead less
Deficit Discourse and Indigenous Education. This project investigates the prevalence of ‘deficit discourse’ and its influence on Indigenous education. Deficit discourse frames Indigenous identity in a narrative of negativity and deficiency. Recent work indicates that deficit discourse is active in policy, public debate, pedagogy and practice, and its prevalence in Indigenous education influences student performance. By mapping the discursive environment and analysing education programs that reje ....Deficit Discourse and Indigenous Education. This project investigates the prevalence of ‘deficit discourse’ and its influence on Indigenous education. Deficit discourse frames Indigenous identity in a narrative of negativity and deficiency. Recent work indicates that deficit discourse is active in policy, public debate, pedagogy and practice, and its prevalence in Indigenous education influences student performance. By mapping the discursive environment and analysing education programs that reject the deficit model, this project assesses whether its removal improves outcomes for Indigenous students. This project provides an original approach to challenge entrenched perceptions, resulting in tangible benefits for the Australian education system and the communities that it serves.Read moreRead less
Walan Mayiny: Indigenous leadership in higher education. This project aims to explore the way universities currently ‘do business’ with Indigenous Australians through focusing on Indigenous leadership in higher education. It will identify the essential components of Indigenous leadership and will establish a model of best practice for the inclusivity of Indigenous leadership within higher education governance structures. Particular focus will be placed on the roles and values of senior Indigen ....Walan Mayiny: Indigenous leadership in higher education. This project aims to explore the way universities currently ‘do business’ with Indigenous Australians through focusing on Indigenous leadership in higher education. It will identify the essential components of Indigenous leadership and will establish a model of best practice for the inclusivity of Indigenous leadership within higher education governance structures. Particular focus will be placed on the roles and values of senior Indigenous appointments as well as factors effecting institutional fit and contribution to Indigenous outcomes. In addition the project will develop new tools and methods to explore this under-theorised area.Read moreRead less
Analysis of sport, education, health & wellbeing in Indigenous communities. This project aims to explore the significance of participation in sport and its links to education attainment and health and wellbeing outcomes. Recent research suggests that that there is a significant positive relationship between physical activity and cognitive functioning in children, and also a positive relationship between self-reported participation in sport and general health and wellbeing. However, there has bee ....Analysis of sport, education, health & wellbeing in Indigenous communities. This project aims to explore the significance of participation in sport and its links to education attainment and health and wellbeing outcomes. Recent research suggests that that there is a significant positive relationship between physical activity and cognitive functioning in children, and also a positive relationship between self-reported participation in sport and general health and wellbeing. However, there has been no research to date that examines sport, education, health and wellbeing in Indigenous communities. This study aims to address this lack. Project outcomes may inform polices and community programs targeting sport, educational attainment, and health and wellbeing outcomes among Indigenous youth in Australia. They may also contribute to frameworks for evaluating future programs.Read moreRead less