Action research as a both-ways curriculum development approach: Supporting self-determination in the remote Indigenous child care workforce in the Northern Territory, Australia

This article gives a detailed example of how action research theory can inform an innovative approach to education and training through its use as a curriculum design device within the both-ways philosophy of Indigenous education. This work was undertaken through a VET training program at the Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education in the Northern Territory (NT) of Australia. The specific target group was Indigenous people currently working in early childhood services in remote Indigenous communities in the NT where few hold the necessary qualifications. The curriculum development methodology described in this article embeds an iterative and reflexive approach to learning that is intended to support the empowerment and self-determination of the Indigenous early childhood workers while delivering a nationally recognized 'mainstream' qualification.