Positive learning environments for Indigenous children and young people

What works

• There is limited Australian evaluation evidence on the school-based factors that increase student engagement and contribute to an effective learning environment. There are however, some common themes that emerge on processes and strategies that contribute to a positive learning environment.
• The common characteristics of schools that are more effective for Indigenous students include:
  • strong and effective school leadership
  • a positive school culture that encourages care and safety among students and staff, as well as a positive sense of Indigenous student identity
  • teachers with the skills and knowledge to effectively engage and develop relationships with Indigenous students
  • high levels of community involvement in the planning and delivery of school processes, priorities and curricula.

What doesn’t work

• A school culture that is unwelcoming, fails to support Indigenous students, and does not value Indigenous culture.
• Inadequate teacher training for teaching in a cross-cultural, bilingual situation.
• Low performance expectations of Indigenous students.
• Limited or no Indigenous parent and community involvement in schooling processes.

What we don’t know

• In what ways a school’s leadership can foster an effective learning environment for Indigenous students at school.
• The number of high-quality teachers working in Indigenous schools and which characteristics of quality teachers are most effective for improving student outcomes.
• Which aspects of school engagement matter most in learning outcomes.