The Australian Curriculum’s cross-curriculum priorities have been designed to allow learners to engage with contemporary issues, which not only benefits each individual learner but the community and society as a whole. They allow regular curriculum content across key learning areas to be enriched, allowing students to think deeply and critically about the priority areas and gain the tools to consider issues which underpin their learning in other school subjects.
The first priority area, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures, outlines two key needs in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education; namely, that First Nations student are enabled to participate fully in the curriculum, which should reflect their own culture and sense of self; and secondly, it advocates for the building and fostering of ‘reconciliation, respect and recognition’ of indigenous culture, community and history (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), n.d). It focuses on building respect and understanding of Aboriginal relationship with and connection to country, and an appreciation for the diversity of cultural practices, including languages. It allows students to gain insight into the experiences and contributions of Aboriginal people through history, and gain a deep understanding of the ongoing impacts of historical events. Most importantly, it enables students to recognise that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history and culture is an integral part of not only Australian history, but also the future development of the nation, as schools become culturally-aware and culturally-responsive places (Jackson-Barrett & Lee-Hammond, 2018).
A close consideration of the needs of learners and the school context will inform the nature of the resources required. Resources should be drawn from a range of formats (print and digital) and include both fiction and non-fiction and be dependent on both student and faculty needs.
In order to be determined a worthwhile resource, the texts are judged against the following selection criteria (Hughes-Hassel & Mancel, 2005):
- Accessible to a broad range of learners;
- Suitable and appropriate for the age and ability of learners;
- Relevant links with the curriculum;
- Recent and up to date;
- Engaging and well-presented;
- Authoritative – author is respected or renowned in their field;
- Uses appropriate terminology;
- Encourages tolerance, respect and cultural diversity.
When developing a collection, it is important for Teacher Librarians to first examine the resources they already have in their collection. A ‘needs assessment’ should be utilised to reveal gaps in areas that are not adequately resourced, as this informs the implementation of a plan to overcome these gaps through acquisition (Kimmel, 2014, p.24). They should then undertake the process of ‘curriculum mapping’ in close consultation with teachers and faculties to ensure resources align with curriculum needs (Saponaro & Evans, 2019; Chadwick, 2016). They should also consider the needs of the learners and ascertain what types of resources are going to best support their learning. This information should be acquired through an analysis of data (relating to assessments and demographics), interviews and surveying of the school community, and classroom observations ( Hughes-Hassel & Mancel, 2005). Teacher-Librarians should also analyse Sentral Welling data to consider the social and emotional needs of students, as well as ascertaining particular learning preferences of the cohort. For this priority area, it would also be essential to consult with the school Aboriginal Education officer and the local Aboriginal Education Consultative Group to ensure resources are culturally appropriate and either authored by or developed in consultation with the Aboriginal community. Once this has been done, Teacher-Librarians are then in a position to consider a range of selection aids and start to choose resources based on the selection criteria in their collection development policy.