The provision and evaluation of First Nations early childhood and youth initiatives is characterised by a lack of culturally appropriate, place-based assessment frameworks and outcome measures. While there is a growing understanding of the diverse settings in Aboriginal Australia (Robinson et al,. 2012; Bamblett et al., 2012) and the need for measures to be informed by local cultural perspectives (Harrison et al, 2012), in the main, child and adolescent screening and assessment tools currently in use reflect western epistemological and ontological frameworks (e.g. AEDC, PEDS, CPI, Brigance Screens, SDQ).
When work is undertaken to adapt existing assessment measures to remote Aboriginal contexts such as the internationally-developed Ages and Stages Questionnaire (D'Aprano et al., 2014), the ‘cultural logic’ and assumptions embedded in such tools can undermine their usefulness. Lowell et, al. (2018, p.4) argues that local strengths and priorities in early childhood development ‘may be overlooked or deemed irrelevant through the use of standardised assessment tools but [are] essential to address the continuing domination of Western values and practices in early childhood policy and practice in remote communities and to ensure “difference” is not confused with “deficit”.
This proposal responds to the need for First Nations perspectives in the conceptualisation and measurement of First Nations. It aligns with key government priorities related to the Indigenous Evaluation Strategy (Productivity Commission, 2020) and is an opportunity to understand how First Nations people can lead data collection to measure Closing the Gap targets. Central to this project is First Nations people designing, undertaking and analysing data collection for their own purposes and communities. Specifically, First Nations people will co-design and statistically validate two tools to collect statistically robust and comparable data within a framework of First Nations data sovereignty and cultural safety.
The tools are:
- Child learning and wellbeing survey: Work has been undertaken by First Nations leaders in Central Australian communities to adapt an existing child development assessment tool to include meaningful and appropriate cultural learning milestones for children aged 3-6 years. More work is needed to refine the tool, continue the pilot, adapt for local cultural relevance, and pilot in other communities.
- Young people’s wellbeing survey: Following desktop research on relevant literature and existing youth wellbeing measurement tools, community leaders and First Nations staff will work with families to identify a core group of young people (8-14 years old) who are interested in co-designing a new survey tracking young people's views and progress in social/emotional wellbeing, cultural and western education, health and life. Collaborating with their families, communities and CG staff, this cohort will be supported by cultural elders and educators and researchers to identify ways of mapping cultural wellbeing and other facets of life as young First Nations people that other measurement tools may fail to take account of.
Research partner Professor Sally Brinkman (and team), Telethon Kids Institute will work with First Nations researchers and leaders to statistically validate each survey using a three-stage process as the method and evidence of project support.
For more information visit: https://childrensground.org.au/