Educator perceptions on teaching Indigenous health: Racism, privilege and self-reflexivity

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Indigenous Health
• Anti-Racist Pedagogy

Background:

• General practitioners (GPs) and family medicine clinicians are expected to address Indigenous peoples' health needs.
• Medical graduates often feel unprepared to provide culturally safe care for Indigenous peoples.
• Key concepts like racism, white privilege, and cultural self-reflexivity are inadequately addressed in general practice medical education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore Australian General Practice (GP) educators' perceptions and experiences in teaching critical Indigenous health content.
• To understand challenges and pedagogical approaches in educating future GPs on racism, white privilege, and cultural self-reflexivity.
• To assess the preparedness of GP educators to deliver essential elements of Indigenous health education.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study involving semi-structured interviews with 12 GP educators in Victoria, Australia.
• Interview questions were guided by the Reflection learning domain of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Curriculum Framework.
• Data analysis employed constructivist and Critical Indigenous Theory paradigms to identify key themes.

Main Results:

• GP educators reported challenges in teaching 'Reflection' content, including racism and cultural self-reflexivity.
• Educators expressed feeling unqualified and preferred delegating this teaching to Indigenous peoples.
• Perceptions of student engagement with these topics varied, with some seen as disinterested or incapable, while others were perceived as highly engaged.

Conclusions:

• The study raises concerns about the preparedness of GP educators to teach crucial Indigenous health topics.
• Inadequate educator skills can perpetuate colonialism within medical curricula, potentially minimizing essential content.
• There is an urgent need for stronger anti-racist pedagogy, research on educator preparedness, evidence-based teaching models, and accountable curriculum accreditation in medical education.