Creating the ideal classroom environment to ensure success for Indigenous students

This paper presents an educational paradigm, which focuses attention on academic achievement for Indigenous students. The paradigm is the result of an educator’s Indigenous perspective, curiosity as a PhD student, and over 20 years of practical experience, spanning all of the sectors: Early Childhood; Primary; Secondary and Tertiary. Educational corner stones, (Feedback, Subject Content Knowledge, and Relationship Building), are used in conjunction with Hattie’s (2003) expert teacher traits to reconsider best practice as it applies to improving Indigenous educational outcomes. Although dated, further analysis of Hattie’s expert teacher characteristics, and practical application within the framework of the outlined ‘corner stones’, can be used to connect Indigenous Knowledge (IK) with the westernised Australian education system. This reimagining highlights the importance of IK for effectively engaging Indigenous students in education. Karen Martin’s (2003) definition of IK is a foundation publication, and provides the definition of IK for the purposes of this paper.