The Indigenous Tutorial Assistance Scheme from a tutor’s point of view: Groundwork for a critical pedagogy

The Indigenous Tutorial Assistance Scheme (ITAS) provides one-on-one tutoring for Indigenous students at Australian universities. Qualitative and quantitative research has consistently identified ITAS as a vital means of supporting Indigenous participation in tertiary education, while also lamenting a lack of clear guidelines for conducting the tutoring relationship. Clear guidelines are important for students to know what to expect from tutors and for tutors to understand their purpose. There has been little, if any, research conducted from the perspective of a tutor reflecting on the pedagogies employed as part of their involvement in ITAS. This article fills that gap by laying the groundwork for a critical pedagogy of ITAS tutoring. Drawing on the anti-hierarchical concepts of Jacques Rancière and an autoethnographic methodology, I suggest that tutors should adopt an abolitionist approach that empowers students and discourages dependency. I show how this method can be put into practice through a strategy I call Returning the Question. The aim of this article is to stimulate reflection among ITAS tutors on their pedagogical practice with the hope of improving the quality and efficacy of ITAS as a support service for Indigenous students at university.