Text choice: teaching Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Perspectives in English

The secondary subject of English offers a unique context to embed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives for the benefit of all students through the availability and variety of text choices. Currently, in New South Wales, teachers are mandated to select quality texts that are "widely defined Australian literature, including texts that give insights into Aboriginal experiences in Australia" (NESA, 2019a). There is currently limited understanding of what text choices English teachers make, and how they make these choices in order to teach about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives, cultures and histories. Without an understanding of the texts English teachers select and the nature of these choices, it is difficult to evaluate the inclusion of these perspectives. This study aims to address this gap through a qualitative study which will provide a glimpse into the current practice of NSW English teachers text selection choices and processes. This will be carried out through semi-structured interviews with NSW English teachers in Sydney secondary schools.