Aboriginal Cultural Narratives and Ecology as Co-Teachers: Understanding Climate Change in the Sensory Classroom on Country
This paper describes how four rural schools on the mid-north coast of NSW pushed back against the current indoor classroom education model, instead prioritising the importance of ecologising learning beyond the school gate. While there has been considerable attention paid to Aboriginal and/or Torres...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Cambridge University Press
2025-05-01
|
| Series: | Australian Journal of Environmental Education |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0814062625000254/type/journal_article |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849770015012683776 |
|---|---|
| author | Judith Wilks Angela Turner Mark Werner |
| author_facet | Judith Wilks Angela Turner Mark Werner |
| author_sort | Judith Wilks |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This paper describes how four rural schools on the mid-north coast of NSW pushed back against the current indoor classroom education model, instead prioritising the importance of ecologising learning beyond the school gate. While there has been considerable attention paid to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander practices associated with food systems and geographical domains in Australian school curricula, less attention has been paid to the natural Lore of the land and the underlying knowledge and practices shaping and maintaining sustainable land management. Here the authors recount the crucial role of the Gumbaynggirr people’s historical and contemporary cultural knowledge systems that acted as a cornerstone for school students to build their learning about Climate Change authentically with/within nature. Aboriginal knowledge systems derive from a deep relationship between plants and animals, entwined with spiritual practices. However, despite the potential significance of their contributions, Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people have not been adequately represented in the national discussions about Climate Change (HEAL Network & CRE-STRIDE (2021). Discussion Paper, Lowitja Institute, Melbourne, doi:10.48455/bthg-aj15.). This research found that when representatives from the local Aboriginal community lead teachers in Climate Change education, overwhelmingly student learning is enriched when it occurs in settings enabling a deep relationality with nature and Culture. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-fe96dd5ccee847a28bf7cc62b5fac81c |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 0814-0626 2049-775X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Australian Journal of Environmental Education |
| spelling | doaj-art-fe96dd5ccee847a28bf7cc62b5fac81c2025-08-20T03:03:11ZengCambridge University PressAustralian Journal of Environmental Education0814-06262049-775X2025-05-014138339610.1017/aee.2025.25Aboriginal Cultural Narratives and Ecology as Co-Teachers: Understanding Climate Change in the Sensory Classroom on CountryJudith Wilks0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4725-8741Angela Turner1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7817-4612Mark Werner2Southern Cross University, Lismore, Australia Nulungu Research Institute, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, AustraliaSouthern Cross University, Lismore, AustraliaMacksville High School, Macksville, AustraliaThis paper describes how four rural schools on the mid-north coast of NSW pushed back against the current indoor classroom education model, instead prioritising the importance of ecologising learning beyond the school gate. While there has been considerable attention paid to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander practices associated with food systems and geographical domains in Australian school curricula, less attention has been paid to the natural Lore of the land and the underlying knowledge and practices shaping and maintaining sustainable land management. Here the authors recount the crucial role of the Gumbaynggirr people’s historical and contemporary cultural knowledge systems that acted as a cornerstone for school students to build their learning about Climate Change authentically with/within nature. Aboriginal knowledge systems derive from a deep relationship between plants and animals, entwined with spiritual practices. However, despite the potential significance of their contributions, Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people have not been adequately represented in the national discussions about Climate Change (HEAL Network & CRE-STRIDE (2021). Discussion Paper, Lowitja Institute, Melbourne, doi:10.48455/bthg-aj15.). This research found that when representatives from the local Aboriginal community lead teachers in Climate Change education, overwhelmingly student learning is enriched when it occurs in settings enabling a deep relationality with nature and Culture.https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0814062625000254/type/journal_articleClimate changeecologising educationenvironmental agencypedagogy on country |
| spellingShingle | Judith Wilks Angela Turner Mark Werner Aboriginal Cultural Narratives and Ecology as Co-Teachers: Understanding Climate Change in the Sensory Classroom on Country Australian Journal of Environmental Education Climate change ecologising education environmental agency pedagogy on country |
| title | Aboriginal Cultural Narratives and Ecology as Co-Teachers: Understanding Climate Change in the Sensory Classroom on Country |
| title_full | Aboriginal Cultural Narratives and Ecology as Co-Teachers: Understanding Climate Change in the Sensory Classroom on Country |
| title_fullStr | Aboriginal Cultural Narratives and Ecology as Co-Teachers: Understanding Climate Change in the Sensory Classroom on Country |
| title_full_unstemmed | Aboriginal Cultural Narratives and Ecology as Co-Teachers: Understanding Climate Change in the Sensory Classroom on Country |
| title_short | Aboriginal Cultural Narratives and Ecology as Co-Teachers: Understanding Climate Change in the Sensory Classroom on Country |
| title_sort | aboriginal cultural narratives and ecology as co teachers understanding climate change in the sensory classroom on country |
| topic | Climate change ecologising education environmental agency pedagogy on country |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0814062625000254/type/journal_article |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT judithwilks aboriginalculturalnarrativesandecologyascoteachersunderstandingclimatechangeinthesensoryclassroomoncountry AT angelaturner aboriginalculturalnarrativesandecologyascoteachersunderstandingclimatechangeinthesensoryclassroomoncountry AT markwerner aboriginalculturalnarrativesandecologyascoteachersunderstandingclimatechangeinthesensoryclassroomoncountry |