In this presentation I will explore how it is possible to decolonise pedagogy and the key principles that underpin this. Firstly, I will examine how the curriculum and its content can be transformed, moving away from tokenistic measures and instead including a diversity of contextually relevant resources, whilst at the same time contesting what can be included. Next, I will examine how pedagogy can be inclusive and student-centred (e.g., by granting students agency in what and how teaching and learning occurs), moving away from traditional teacher roles and privileging student voice. I will also describe how this involves contextually relevant and localised material and approaches that are strongly guided by local community. However, I will also describe how such decolonisation requires teacher self-reflexivity – a challenging, but worthwhile educational step. Finally, I will highlight how pedagogy can be made linguistically and culturally responsive through the use of translanguaging pedagogy and ‘both-ways’ learning. To illustrate these principles, I will draw on examples from the extensive body of research I have engaged in with remote Australian Aboriginal students. I will describe some of the projects I have undertaken at various schools and how these align with the principles as reported above. I will also exemplify how such approaches demonstrate respect for Australian Aboriginal peoples’ ways of ‘knowing, being and doing’ (Martin & Mirraboopa, 2003). I will also outline how this possible because the pedagogy enables the students to draw on their full linguistic repertories through translanguaging – or what in Aboriginal contexts has been referred to as ‘slipping and sliding’ (Ober, 2022) (i.e., moving fluidly between traditional languages, Aboriginal English and/ or creoles), and how this can be used to support students in their learning of Standard Australian English.

References
Martin, K., & Mirraboopa, B. (2003). Ways of knowing, being and doing: A theoretical framework and methods
for indigenous and indigenist re‐search. Journal of Australian Studies, 27(76), 203–214.
https://doi.org/10.1080/14443050309387838

Ober, R. (2022). Slipping and sliding – moving in and out of social, cultural and linguistic spaces from an
Indigenous educational perspective. Ngoonjook: Australian First Nations’ Journal, (36), 28–35.
https://search.informit.org/doi/10.3316/informit.