Northern Institute, College of Indigenous Futures, Education and the Arts, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia.
Yalu Marŋgithinyaraw Indigenous Corporation, Galiwin'ku, Elcho Island, Northern Territory, Australia.
PLoS One. 2022 Aug 18;17(8):e0272455. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0272455. eCollection 2022.
Indigenous families have culturally-specific strengths, priorities, and methods for assessing their children's development. Recognition and support of children's and families' strengths are important for identity, health and wellbeing. However, strengths can be missed in assessment processes developed in non-Indigenous contexts. Yolŋu are First Nations Australian peoples from North-East Arnhem Land. This study was conducted to explore Yolŋu early childhood development, assessment and support in response to concerns that Yolŋu strengths and priorities are often not recognised. The cultural and linguistic expertise of Yolŋu researchers was central in this qualitative study. Rich empirical data were collected through a form of video reflexive ethnography with six children and their extended families over seven years and through in-depth interviews with 38 other community members. An iterative process of data collection and analysis engaged Yolŋu families and researchers in a collaborative, culturally responsive research process which drew on constructivist grounded theory methods. Findings illustrate how Yolŋu children are immersed in complex layers of intertwined and continuous testing and teaching processes integrating holistic frameworks of cultural identity and connection, knowledge and practices. Yolŋu families monitor and recognise a child's development through both direct and explicit testing and through observing children closely so that children can be supported to keep learning and growing into their knowledge, strengths and identity. Yolŋu expressed concern that such learning is invisible when the child is viewed through non-Yolŋu lenses and assessed with processes and tools from outside the community. Indigenous peoples have a right to culturally congruent assessment of their children. Those who share the child's culture and language have the expertise to ensure that cultural strengths and priorities are recognised and understood.
原住民家庭在评估儿童发展方面具有文化特定的优势、优先事项和方法。承认和支持儿童和家庭的优势对于身份认同、健康和幸福至关重要。然而，在非原住民背景下开发的评估过程中，可能会忽略这些优势。Yolŋu 是来自澳大利亚东北部阿纳姆地的原住民。这项研究旨在探讨 Yolŋu 幼儿发展、评估和支持，以回应人们对 Yolŋu 优势和优先事项经常得不到认可的担忧。Yolŋu 研究人员的文化和语言专业知识是这项定性研究的核心。通过对六年期间六个孩子及其大家庭的视频反思民族志的形式和对 38 名其他社区成员的深入访谈，收集了丰富的实证数据。数据收集和分析的迭代过程使 Yolŋu 家庭和研究人员参与到一个协作的、文化响应的研究过程中，该过程借鉴了建构主义扎根理论方法。研究结果说明了 Yolŋu 儿童如何沉浸在复杂的相互交织和连续的测试和教学过程中，这些过程整合了文化认同和联系、知识和实践的整体框架。Yolŋu 家庭通过直接和明确的测试以及通过密切观察孩子来监测和识别孩子的发展，以便为孩子提供支持，使其能够继续学习和成长，发展其知识、优势和身份。Yolŋu 表示担心，当孩子通过非 Yolŋu 视角观察并使用社区外的流程和工具进行评估时，这种学习是看不见的。原住民有权对其儿童进行文化上一致的评估。那些与孩子共享文化和语言的人具有专业知识，可以确保识别和理解文化优势和优先事项。
