One of the differences S1 sees between the majority of her other classes and her Aboriginal Studies class is that in most classes “[t]hey just tell you what you need to know to pass the test whereas the teacher L2 tells us ‘Oh this is where you should go to experience this Aboriginal festival’” (Interview with S1). She terms this “extending knowledge outside the classroom” (Interview with S1).

This knowledge can be divided into two groups. The first one contains advice that might be helpful for the students, such as tips for applying for a job (Class 1: Lecture 27/10/2015) and a traditional cure for a flu or cold (Class 1: Tutorial 27/08/2015). The other type of outside knowledge provided could be described as information which is of general interest or even as fun facts. L2, for example, tells her student about an Aboriginal newspaper (Class 1: Tutorial 27/08/2015), a football tournament (Interview with S3), different types of boomerangs (Class 1: Tutorial 03/09/2015) and a specific plant (Class 1: Tutorial 17/09/2015). This knowledge is clearly directed at the students’ interests and tries to bring the real life into the classroom.

Both L2 and L3 underline the importance of outside knowledge by stating that learning is not restricted to a classroom setting. Indeed, L3 “would love to do a lot more […] experiences outside the classroom” (Interview with L3) and according to L2, “[w]hat one can learn from everyday situations is incredible” (Class 1: Tutorial 29/10/2015).

For a full list of all quotes relating to outside knowledge, please click here.

To get an overview over all categories and further explanations, please click here.