Designing Teaching & Learning Jasroop Kaur Aneja (18918928)

THE FOUNDATIONS OF TEACHING AND LEARNING

Teachers are the key custodians of education and form the bedrock of society. They are not

only responsible for imparting knowledge and enlightening the minds, but are also capable of

bringing life-changing transformations. Described as one of the oldest known professions of

the world, teaching follows a set of moral principles and adheres to ethical guidelines of

integrity, equity, accountability, respect, care and recognition of others (Smith, 2013). It is

built on the core essence of professionalism and fundamental concepts of curriculum,

pedagogy, and assessment which interrelate to address the learning needs of every student

irrespective of their abilities. This essay assesses the significance of these key foundation

concepts of teaching and learning in developing quality teaching in Australia. It outlines the

standards set by The Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) for

enhancing teaching and learning quality, the importance of Australian National Curriculum

and the NSW Quality Teaching (QT) model as an effective tool for critical pedagogy and

assessment. The essay also argues the impact of National Assessment Program - Literacy and

Numeracy (NAPLAN) on teaching and learning outcome of students. Finally, the essay

emphasizes on the interrelationship of the foundation concepts to fulfil the needs of gifted

and talented students.

Professionalism forms the key framework for teaching and defines the efficacy of a

teacher. As professionals, teachers undergo rigorous training, uphold the principles of ethical

conduct and abide by distinct standards in their daily practice. On one hand, where teacher

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training demonstrates the fine amalgamation of subject matter knowledge and pedagogy

(Connell, 2013), teaching standards define the application of this knowledge and provide a

framework for reflective pedagogy to enhance teaching quality and efficiency (Johnston,

2015).

Acknowledging the crucial role played by quality teaching and its impact on learning

outcomes of a student, AITSL established Australian Professional Standards for Teachers

(APST) in 2011, with an aim of achieving excellence in teaching and learning. These

standards provide a frame of reference for teachers to improvise their professional knowledge

by emphasizing on student learning needs, intellectual understanding of the subject and

critical pedagogical and assessment approach. They focus on a teacher’s professional practice

of providing a secure learning environment to students, effective designing and planning of

lessons, assessment, and feedback of student learning to enhance education outcomes. They

also emphasize on progressive learning among teachers and engagement with the community

(Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership, 2011). These standards interrelate

and interconnect to regulate the profession (Gannon, 2012), and are therefore essential to

bring about high-quality reflective teaching to meet the diverse needs of students so that they

get an equitable chance to achieve their aspirations. In close conjunction with high-quality

curriculum, pedagogy, and assessment, APST provides an opportunity for teachers to attain

equity in education.

Curriculum forms the foremost foundation of teaching and learning. It embodies the

purpose of education by setting up the groundwork for what needs to be taught and what are

students expected to learn from it. A high-quality curriculum not only focusses on subject

knowledge, skills, and understanding, but also emphasizes on the implicit, hidden and

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excluded aspects of education (Department of Education and Training [DET], 2014) to cater

the needs of a diverse student population.

Taking into consideration the huge cultural diversity of the country, Australian curriculum

was established by The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority

(ACARA) to fulfil the goals of equity and high-quality education in Australia (Henderson &

Jarvis, 2016). The curriculum stresses on the development of deep knowledge and

understanding of the disciplines, enhancement of capabilities in literacy and numeracy,

intercultural understanding and engagement, sustainability, and implementation of the

developed skills by students to meet the global challenges (ACARA, 2013). It thus serves the

dual purpose of bringing equity in education throughout the nation and raising education

quality to ensure economic competitiveness. By leaving the power of pedagogy in the hands

of teachers, Australian curriculum allows teachers to address the differential learning needs

of students.

High-quality education can be realized when a strong curriculum is put into action with a

meaningful teaching practice. Pedagogy is the lifeblood of quality teaching practice and

forms the most powerful means to achieve positive learning outcomes (Entz, 2007). Effective

pedagogy results in the generation of in-depth knowledge and intellectual understanding in

teachers and students by creating an inclusive learning environment in classrooms. However,

it has been documented that the lack of clear instructions on how to achieve good teaching

practice, implement and reflect on effective pedagogy is an issue for teachers (Laframboise &

Shia, 2009).

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In order to address these issues, QT model was adopted by NSW schools as a self-reflection

tool to guide teachers towards high-quality pedagogy. It lays an explicit three-dimensional

structure which enables teachers to focus on intellectual development of students by

providing in-depth knowledge and understanding of the subject that enables social

construction, high-order thinking and communication. It emphasizes on enhancing the quality

of learning environment by supporting students with precise information and expectations,

encouraging interest, engagement, self-regulation and control in learning. Finally, the model

accentuates on increasing the significance of learning in students by utilizing cultural and

background knowledge, integrating different forms of learning, and generating inclusivity

and connectedness (Gore, 2007). Coding of different elements across these three dimensions

allow teachers to review and reflect on their own teaching practice and improvise it for

generation of high-quality learning outcomes in students. Considering the pivotal role played

by pedagogy in improving education standards, implementation of QT model is essential to

provide teachers with a systematic pathway for enhancing the quality of teaching.

The efficacy of curriculum and pedagogical approach can be judged by assessing the student

learning outcomes. Assessment forms the key component that defines the complexity in

teaching and learning process and is integral to the education quality. An integrated high-

quality assessment approach involves assessing students at every level of their learning by

gathering information on what students know (diagnostic assessment), how they are learning

(formative) and what have they learnt (summative) (Van der Kleij, et al., 2015). Utilization of

this assessment metadata not only aids in improvising lesson plans and teaching practice

(Timperley, 2009), but also allows students to reflect on their learning practice and in turn

drive their own learning (Wormald et al., 2013). Based on the principles of quality teaching

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model discussed above, NSW schools have adopted QT assessment guide that enables

teachers to analyze the existing assessment tasks, review and redesign them to maximize

learning outcomes (DET, 2006) and therefore bring about holistic learning.

At the national level, ACARA recognizes literacy and numeracy as the foundations for

effective learning and therefore runs the NAPLAN to assess their development in students.

Introduced as a formative approach to assess the formation of student learning, identify

strengths, support the weaknesses at an early stage, improve teaching quality and generate

equity in education, NAPLAN is a great tool for informed teaching and has potential to

improve student learning to face global competition (Education and Employment Reference

Committees [EERC], 2014). However, the listing of NAPLAN results on My School website

has resulted in misuse of data (EERC, 2014) and shifted the focus of schools and parents

from holistic development to targeted, test-oriented teaching in students (NSW Teachers

Federation, 2016), thus defying its main objective. Therefore, this necessitates the

development of regulations for representation of NAPLAN results and restricting their

utilization solely for catering to the needs of a diverse student population.

The diverse set of students’ population in Australia has differential learning needs. The

gifted and talented students are recognized by ACARA (2016) as a diverse group.

Though, many scholars have explored giftedness and talent (Tannenbaum, 2003; Renzulli,

2003), Gagne’s model (2008) is the most accepted one. It states that gifted students are born

with exceptional natural abilities but they need special guidance to flourish. Whereas,

talented students are born with performance potential and when guided systematically, they

develop mastery in one or more fields through experience and practice. Failure in identifying

and catering these needs may lead to under achievement, disengagement, causing

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psychological harm, and thus impeding their educational success; resulting in inequity in

teaching practice (Henderson & Jarvis, 2016). Therefore, addressing these needs with quality

teaching is crucial to bring about quality learning outcomes, so that all students can achieve

their potential.

Studies report, that gifted and talented students not only exhibit more intensity and sensitivity

than their peers, but also have highly developed motor, sensual, intellectual and emotional

skills (Novak, 2013). This implies that they are comparatively more active and energetic than

their peers, and require this energy to be channelled in the right direction. Inability to do so

may impact their potential and result in boredom and disengagement. Their highly

intellectual behaviour is marked by deep thinking and a desire to analyze and synthesize

knowledge, and thus require exposures to challenging tasks to fulfil this urge. Lack of such

tasks may cripple their self-reflection, weaken their intellectual ability and leave them feeling

isolated from others. This genre of students show high passion and talent in subjects of

interest and therefore show higher achievement levels when they are supported and

acknowledged for their performance. Inadequate acknowledgment of giftedness and talent by

teachers and peers may result in disinterest and low confidence levels. Finally, as these

students tend to be emotionally more intense, if unattended they may take competition in

education too seriously, resulting in stress and anxiety (Goodhew, 2009).

Illustration – Tony is a highly energetic, year 4 student who shows disinterest in all

academic subjects in school, often misbehaves, disturbs the class and constantly moves

around in the classroom. His attitude towards learning is impacting his studies and his

academic scores are declining with every year. His teachers report that Tony may have

ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) or does not want to study at all. However,

Tony’s mother, being a psychologist, reports that he does exceptionally well in building

complex robotic toy cars with his father which requires him to sit quietly and patiently for

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hours. His mother believes that Tony’s potential is not recognized in school and his teachers

are not providing him enough opportunities with challenging and engaging tasks. This

explains that differences in attitudes and learning needs of gifted and talented students

demands for adequate support and supervision of teachers (Reis & Coach, 2002). Consistent

guidance and encouragement by teachers enable these students to realize their potential for

achieving excellence in learning outcomes resulting in educational success.

Gifted and talented students require teachers to exhibit quality teaching by differentiating the

standard concepts of teaching to meet their precise needs in conjunction with their abilities.

APST sets up a framework for teachers to address these needs by identifying them and

designing effective blend of high-quality curriculum, pedagogical approach and assessment

tasks (Henderson & Jarvis, 2016). Assessment of a student’s needs and abilities form the

prerequisite for a quality teacher to generate quality learning outcomes (AITSL, 2016

standard 1). Teachers who know their students well can not only address their needs, but also

generate interest, engagement and enhance learning outcomes by forming a strong student-

teacher relationship. Knowledge of a child’s learning ability and pace allows teachers to

structure the lesson plans in curriculum and set their complexity to match the student’s

ability. As emphasized in APST standard 2, incorporation of increased level of complexity

within a lesson plan demands teachers to have expertise in the subject being taught.

Utilization of vast resources to impart advanced, in-depth knowledge to students not only

enable teachers to adopt a critical approach in pedagogy, but also allows them to reflect upon

their own professional learning (AITSL, 2016 standard 2 & 6). Assessment of students while

they are learning, allow teachers to constantly improvise and restructure the lesson plans in

accordance with the level of student understanding (AITSL, 2016 standard 3 & 5). Studies

suggest that incorporation of differential teaching, challenging tasks and elimination of

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redundant elements from the curriculum is effective in educating gifted and talented students

(Munro, 2012). Also, the feedback provided by teachers to parents not only opens up more

opportunities for extended learning in such students, but also raises their achievement level

(Henderson & Jarvis, 2016). Differential learning may leave these students feeling different

from their peers, however, a teacher’s support with provision of safe and inclusive learning

environment allows gifted and talented students to engage with their peers and develop

intellectually (AITSL, 2016 standard 4).

The art of nurturing minds, shaping the perceptions and developing holistic individuals’

ready to face the challenges of the dynamic global society, defines teaching. Excellence in

learning outcomes across students from diverse backgrounds requires high-quality teaching

practice which in itself is an amalgamation of the core foundation concepts of curriculum,

pedagogy and assessment. APST explicitly describes a teacher’s role in designing these

concepts to generate equity in education, enabling every child to have access to quality

education. Introduction of Australian curriculum and its implication using quality teaching

models of pedagogy and assessment has potential to enhance the learning outcomes and raise

the quality of Australian education system, making it at par with the global standards.

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