Nearly half of Australian teachers say they don't feel confident to teach First Nations history, according to research.
Historian and educator Associate Professor Al Fricker explains why so many teachers feel underprepared — and why it's not a personal failing. He offers some straightforward first steps, including where to find good resources and how to start building real connections with your local First Nations community.
How can you embed First Nations perspectives and knowledge in your curriculum?
And what are some ways to embed them across your whole school?
You'll also hear from teachers around Australia sharing what’s worked in their classrooms and schools: using the AIATSIS languages map, teaching the Frontier Wars through local history, trying the Eight Ways Pedagogy, and building a curriculum map so Aboriginal perspectives aren't left to chance.
Resources and tipsheet
Associate Professor Al Fricker’s recommended resources made by or with First Nations people
Ngarrngga: free, high-quality curriculum resources and professional development modules, spanning all subject areas from Foundation to 10. A collaboration between the Faculty of Education, Indigenous Studies Unit and Indigenous Knowledge Institute at the University of Melbourne.
Australians Together: free curriculum resources, covering key learning areas from Foundation to Year 10. A non-profit organisation developing resources with First Nations Educators.
Matilda Education: progressive, research-based, differentiated print and digital content for your classroom - content that matches the latest Australian curricula.
Indigenous Education in Australia Learning and Teaching for Deadly Futures: an essential, practical resource for pre- and in-service educators on creating contexts for success for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. Based on the latest research and practice, this book provides an in-depth understanding of the colonised context within which education in Australia is located, with an emphasis on effective strategies for the classroom.
Other resources and links
AIATIS Map of Indigenous Australia
AIATIS free teaching resources and learning sequences including First Fighters
AIATSIS Guide to evaluating and selecting education resources
Yabun Survival Day Sydney
Colonial Frontier Massacre Map: Colonial Frontier Massacres, Australia, 1788 to 1930 and Introduction to the map by the University of Newcastle, Australia
Yeddonba Aboriginal Cultural Site: features an Aboriginal red-ochre painting, which is believed to be of a Tasmanian tiger (thylacine), supporting the belief that the animal once inhabited the mainland. The site is 20 minutes from Beechworth, NSW.
8 Ways framework: a NSW Department of Education initiative
Tipsheet
Free professional development tipsheet for this episode (in Teacher Downloads)
Research
The Monash Australian Teachers Survey 2023 reported teachers’ views of how well their Initial Teacher Education program prepared them to teach the Australian Curriculum’s priority areas (referring to Student Diversity, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Culture) were relatively divided, with 54% feeling prepared, and 45% saying they are unprepared.
Burns, E.C., Plummer, L., Vass, G. et al. Which resources support teachers to embed Indigenous perspectives? A convergent mixed methods analysis. Aust. Educ. Res.53, 26 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13384-025-00944-z
Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody 1991: National Report Volume 5, Recommendations for Educating the Future
Voices
Educators: Associate Professor Al Fricker (Victoria), and from New South Wales: Sarah Kearney, Martin Douglas, Jade Carr, Nik Armstrong, Uncle Terry Lennis and Ruth Bradfield-Ling.
Host: Professor Anna Clark
Credits
Hey History Teacher! is supported by the History Teachers Association of NSW.
Executive Producer is Professor Anna Clark.
Producer is Jane Curtis at UTS Impact Studios.
Sound engineering by John Jacobs.
Made on Gadigal Country in Sydney Australia.
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