Aims of Education

The Australian Curriculum Assessment and Report Authority has proposed a set of aims for English education. ACARA recognises that English is central to the learning of students as it helps create confident communicators, imaginative thinkers and informed citizens (ACARA).

Although there are no ACARA aims of Religious education, drawing from the Humanities and Social Sciences, and the Arts aims, I believe that Religious education should strive to acknowledge the ways in which religions enrich and influence the global community.

Education should be accessible to all, and barriers which may prevent students from a valuable educational experience should be reduced and removed. As explored in the Disability Standards (2005), all students have the right to an education, regardless of their learning needs, and teachers have the responsibility to differentiate their classroom and activities to suit their students.

In addition, the Alice Springs (Mparntwe) Education Declaration (2019) outlines an Australian education system that is equitable and excellent, and supports all to become confident and lifelong learners who contribute to the community.

Bloom’s taxonomy and Maslow’s Hierarchy

Bloom’s taxonomy (1956) identifies the different levels of learning, ranging from remembering to creating, which students work towards achieving. This taxonomy has been used as a basis for many teaching practices. The need for students to progress through the different levels of learning is reliant on the education provided having the ability to achieve higher order thinking (Ghanizadeh et al., 2020).

Bloom’s taxonomy resembles the pyramid used in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (1943). Similarly, Maslow (1943) identifies the needs that must be met for students to achieve self-actualisation. At the bottom of this hierarchy are basic needs – food, shelter, clothing. This moves up towards safety needs and esteem. While there are many factors which contribute to each of the needs, such as cultural and social views, socioeconomic status, and geographical location, education can play a key role in ensuring that students are welcomed in a safe and nurturing environment (Lacoe, 2020). Ensuring the safety of students through a sound classroom environment, and providing opportunities for students to eat and drink, especially if they are unable to do so before school, are ways in which schools can promote student achievement. If these needs are met, students can begin to focus on achieving other goals.

Maslow (1943) and Bloom (1956) provide a commentary on the different levels of achievement in different domains related to education. They can be connected in the ways in which they explore the external and internal influences on education – when the needs of a student are met, the higher their cognitive abilities in processing and creating information (Mutch, 2021). You must Maslow before you can Bloom!

Social Behaviour and Bandura

Social behaviour theory explores the need for people to be social beings, as researched by Bandura (1977). This translated into an educational context calls for an inclusion of social-based activities. Students must be encouraged to develop their communicative and social skills through group environments which then promote learning behaviours (Forslund Frykedal & Hammar Chiriac, 2018). Project based learning provides students with the setting to heighten their leadership skills, work to solve real world problems (Laur, 2013), and identify the key components needed to work with peers to achieve maximum learning. While this definitely is not an ideal environment for all students, there are elements of project based learning which enrich the learning of all in some shape.

How and why I teach

Teaching is an ever changing approach to the developing classroom environment. While it is important to be advised by academic readings when considering the teaching strategies needed in each classroom, it can be far more superior to develop an understanding of the individual learning needs which exist in the classroom. A social approach to learning may work for one student, but fail for the next. Music in the classroom might encourage positive learning behaviours for a group of students, but using visual aides might better suit another group. A vital part of teaching is knowing each student and how they learn best, and equipping the skills needed to address their learning behaviours (Beninghof, 2020). Good teachers adapt to their students’ learning, heightening the importance of differentiation in the classroom.

Although my experience is fairly limited, I have found my personal style of teaching to involve a range of activities that encourage individual and group work, Information Communication Technology (ICT) use in the classroom, and creative thinking. ICT is extremely useful in presenting lessons in a creative and updated mode, as there are heaps of resources that are accessible to students and teachers. There are many online education providers, such as Student Wellbeing Hub (2020), which administer courses and other modes of training for teachers, ensuring that schools employ staff that meet the high educational standards and that students receive an education that reflects the Australian Institute for Teaching (2017) standards. Confidence in using online resources in the classroom is related to teachers’ views of its role in education (Coban & Atasoy, 2019). Identifying when to best use these approaches assists in the planning of lessons to address individual learning needs in the classroom environment.

Finally, a safe classroom is the perfect environment for student learning. Teachers who support their students’ progress understand the importance of creating a space safe for mistakes, and view these as learning moments. Activities which promote student confidence include storytelling (OECD Publishing, 2005), which is also one of the 8 Ways of Aboriginal Learning. My personal teaching philosophy aims to promote student confidence through creating a safe environment where students learn from their mistakes.

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8 Ways. (2009). 8 Aboriginal Ways of Learning. Accessed from https://www.8ways.online on 21 July 2022.

Alioon, Y., & Delialioğlu, Ö. (2019). The effect of authentic m-learning activities on student engagement and motivation: Authentic m-learning activities. British Journal of Educational Technology, 50(2), 655–668. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.12559

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA). Australian Curriculum. Accessed from https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/ on 21 July 2022.

Australian Government. (2005). Disability Standards for Education 2005.

Australian Government. (2019). The Alice Springs (Mparntwe) Education Declaration.

Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL). The Standards. Accessed from https://www.aitsl.edu.au/ on 19 July 2022.

Bandura, Albert. (1971). Social Learning Theory.

Beninghof, A. M. (2020). Co-teaching that works: Structures and strategies for maximizing student learning (Second edition). Jossey-Bass.

Berry, R. (2008). Assessment for learning. Hong Kong University Press ; Eurospan [distributor. http://site.ebrary.com/id/10358929

Black, P. J., Harrison, C., Lee, Clare S., Marshall, B., & Wiliam, D. (2007). Assessment for learning: Putting it into practice. McGraw-Hill International (UK) Ltd. https://public.ebookcentral.proquest.com/choice/publicfullrecord.aspx?p=287789

Boud, & Molloy, E. (2013). Feedback in higher and professional education : understanding it and doing it well. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203074336 

Coban, O., & Atasoy, R. (2019). An examination of relationship between teachers’ self-efficacy perception on ICT and their attitude towards ICT usage in the classroom. Cypriot Journal of Educational Sciences, 14(1), 136–145. https://doi.org/10.18844/cjes.v14i1.3636

Formative Assessment Improving Learning in Secondary Classrooms. (2005). OECD Publishing.

Forslund Frykedal, K., & Hammar Chiriac, E. (2018). Student Collaboration in Group Work: Inclusion as Participation. International Journal of Disability, Development and Education, 65(2), 183–198. https://doi.org/10.1080/1034912X.2017.1363381

Ghanizadeh, A., Al-Hoorie, A. H., & Jahedizadeh, S. (2020). Higher Order Thinking Skills. In A. Ghanizadeh, A. H. Al-Hoorie, & S. Jahedizadeh, Higher Order Thinking Skills in the Language Classroom: A Concise Guide (pp. 1–51). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-56711-8_1

Helle, L., Tynjälä, P., & Olkinuora, E. (2006). Project-Based Learning in Post-Secondary Education – Theory, Practice and Rubber Sling Shots. Higher Education, 51(2), 287–314. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-004-6386-5

Heritage, M. (2010). Assessment With and for Students. In Formative Assessment: Making it Happen in the Classroom (pp. 7–20). Corwin Press. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781452219493

Images sourced from https://unsplash.com/ 

Jin, Tigelaar, D., van der Want, A., & Admiraal, W. (2022). Novice teachers’ appraisal of expert feedback in a teacher professional development programme in Chinese vocational education. Teaching and Teacher Education, 112, 103652–. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2022.103652

Lacoe, J. (2020). Too Scared to Learn? The Academic Consequences of Feeling Unsafe in the Classroom. Urban Education, 55(10), 1385–1418. https://doi.org/10.1177/0042085916674059

Laur, D. (2013). Authentic Learning Experiences: A Real-World Approach to Project-Based Learning. Taylor and Francis.

Mutch, C. (2021). ‘Maslow before Bloom’: Implementing a caring pedagogy during Covid-19. Teachers’ Work, 18(2), 69–90. https://doi.org/10.24135/teacherswork.v18i2.334

Pultorak, E. G., & Association of Teacher Educators (Eds.). (2010). The purposes, practices, and professionalism of teacher reflectivity: Insights for twenty-first-century teachers and students. Rowman & Littlefield Education.

Salisu, A., & Ransom, E. N. (2014). The Role of Modeling towards Impacting Quality Education. International Letters of Social and Humanistic Sciences, 32, 54–61. https://doi.org/10.18052/www.scipress.com/ILSHS.32.54

Smith, T. W., & Bradbury, L. U. (2019). Wiser Together: Sustaining Teaching Excellence With a Self-Study/Critical Friend. To Improve the Academy, 38(1), 18–32. https://doi.org/10.1002/tia2.20091

Student Wellbeing Hub. (2020). Professional learning courses. Accessed from https://studentwellbeinghub.edu.au/educators/professional-learning-courses/?courseType=pre-service on 21 July 2022.

The Australian Curriculum. (n.d.). Retrieved June 22, 2022, from https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/

Tuttle. (2013). Formative assessment : responding to your students. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315856247

Lesson plan

Formative assessment is assessment for learning, found in the activities that students partake in, and assessed on a casual basis by the teacher (Tuttle, 2013). Purposely incorporating and reflecting on formative assessment results helps teachers to identify their students’ progress and areas for improvement (Black et al., 2007). Teachers also provide students with feedback on their progress on a lesson to lesson basis, rather than at the conclusion of the topic.

The lesson plan proposed was used as part of a series of lessons looking at Images of God, and this lesson was made to introduce and provide a deeper connection between icons and images of God. It began with a projected presentation on what icons are and how to identify icons. This led into an interactive activity where students noted characteristics of icons through a gallery walk and then decided which images were icons, ensuring the learning was directly applied to the lesson. Forming this lesson aligned with AITSL Standard 2.2 (2017) as I had to demonstrate understanding of the content to be able to organise and select effective strategies that proved learning. The use of the final activity encouraged students to move around the classroom and verbally agree on what presented images were icons. This created opportunities for immediate feedback and justification on the feedback. Students were engaged as observed in their reaction to each image and discussions amongst each other.

Although this lesson was dependent on feedback to effectively assess student learning, there were limited provisions for teacher feedback. The content that was being assessed was the culmination of the previous lessons and the new information provided in that lesson. It lacked individual assessment and therefore was not an accurate measure of learning, or useful to creating differentiated activities for the next lesson (Heritage, 2010). Standard 2.2 could have been implemented to ensure that there were a wider selection of individual activities that addressed the diverse structure of the classroom.

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Worksheet for Year 9 English

Image from lesson, modelling worksheet on the board (2020)

The above screenshot is from a recorded lesson I taught within the Stage 4 English curriculum. Students were given the booklet which I had created and then projected onto the board to allow me to model note taking and response writing. Modelling is an effective way to ensure students are following along with the classwork and understanding the processes behind the response that is given (Salisu & Ransom, 2014). I had chosen to present this lesson through the projected worksheet in order to better support student participation (4.1, AITSL 2017). Taking into consideration that many of the students were accustomed to using their devices to type, and therefore lacked in their writing skills, I chose to model the worksheet to encourage student involvement and to ease students into independent writing. The responses given were provided by the students through a class discussion, and I took notes on their responses. The instruction given to the class was to base their answer on what had been written on the board, but to interpret and write it in their own words.

Unfortunately, while the idea was thought out, many students remained disengaged throughout the lesson, and I found it difficult to get a response to some questions. When I paused the discussion to allow the students to create their own responses, some did not engage in the task and had to be reminded to complete it. The worksheet was also not visually appealing and lacked creativity.

The worksheet can be modified to include more visual elements and tasks which expect varied response types, such as a PEEL paragraph. Opposed to modelling the majority of the worksheet, it would have benefited the students to work in groups to answer certain parts of the worksheet, and possibly employing a think, pair, share, or jigsaw method where students share their responses and provide feedback to each other. This would also allow me to visit each group and assess their understanding of the content (Tuttle, 2013).

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AITSL Standard 6.4 (2017) requires graduate teachers to demonstrate understanding of the link between professional learning and improved student learning. The above feedback details the different strategies that I employed to maintain student engagement. The effectiveness of the teaching approaches is expressed in the final lines through the achieved enhancement of the learning outcomes. When I had started this placement, I was not confident in my ability to teach using a range of strategies to maintain engagement, however at the conclusion of my placement, I was teaching classes under the supervision of a casual in between intensive classes that were co-taught. Studies have shown that preservice teachers find ‘expert feedback’ useful to their professional learning and growth (Jin, et. al., 2022) It was through the constant feedback of my colleagues that I refined my practice, and was able to gain a strong response from the students when assessed, which then reiterates the required professional training to achieve positive learning behaviours (Boud & Molloy, 2017).

It was through my professional development that I was able to align my activities with the learning goals for each class. The strategies were carefully selected, ensuring that they met the learning outcomes. Activities that require students to interpret and respond to information presented in discussions, videos, feedback and workshops could be considered authentic and are engaging forms of learning (Alioon & Delialioğlu, 2019). Including authentic activities pushed the students to become independent learners in a collaborative setting, enhancing their higher order thinking, and communication and writing skills.

This feedback succinctly demonstrates the impact of professional engagement on student learning, and how I was able to meet Standard 6.4 through the reflection on my teaching practice and the consideration of the constructive feedback (Smith & Bradbury, 2019). It covers the processes of professional development, including planning, implementing and delivering strategies. Although it was not mentioned in this feedback, it is important to acknowledge that professional development requires teachers to trial strategies and modify their approaches to address learning in the classroom (Black et al., 2007).

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The activities proposed in the lesson are general enough that they can be modified to include a range of strategies that address cultural and learner diversity in the classroom. The nature of the gallery walk activity allows students to view different icons, that are not all necessarily religious, and identify the characteristics of an icon. In doing so, images from different cultural and religious backgrounds can be included as acknowledgement of the diverse society that exists within and outside the school gates.

The lesson included a range of teaching strategies that address different learning styles, including some of the 8 Ways of Learning (2009). In addition to the non-verbal communication (depicted by the students walking to either side of the room when deciding whether or not the artwork is an icon) and interpreting images, storytelling could have been implemented to highlight the significance of the icon to its community. A focus could have been placed on Aboriginal icons, symbols, and images to emphasise the land and community links that present themselves in Aboriginal art and culture. The 8 Ways (2009) would also promote the inclusion of students from ATSI backgrounds, and the value of Aboriginal ways of learning in Australian curriculum and classrooms.

Another change that could be made to improve the lesson would be to have students work in small groups rather than a whole class activity. Students can then discuss their ideas on the characteristics of icons and justify why they believe each image is or isn’t an icon. This also provides the teacher with a chance to speak to students in small groups rather than addressing the class, thus allowing for an accurate assessment of student achievement. The teacher could also identify what outcomes have not been met and differentiate strategies to help address learning needs (Black et al., 2007). This also provides multiple assessment opportunities as students can correct themselves during a conversation guided by inquiry based questions (Berry, 2008) (Pultorak & Association of Teacher Educators, 2010).

The proposed annotations also align with the learning intentions on the first page of the plan. Productive and small group work is beneficial to students as it encourages learners to be shaped through social interactions  (Vygotsky, 1978). As mentioned, the teacher will have better insights to provide feedback and meet learning needs in future lessons. This will then positively impact the teacher-student relation as the teacher could take an active role in the formation of individual learning plans.

Literacy skills are targeted through the communicative and critical thinking nature of the activities, and numeracy can be incorporated through the study of symbols (such as patterns), therefore addressing the cross curriculum priorities (ACARA, 2008).

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Image sourced from Sharon McCutcheon at unsplash.com

I am a fourth year education student who is interested in the areas of Studies of Religion and English. My previous placements were at a co-ed school and a girls school where I taught both curriculums respectively to cohorts from year 8 to year 12. My most interesting experience was when I co-taught an accelerated class which began the year 11 Studies of Religion syllabus, totaling close to 5 intensive days.

I am looking forward to improving my practice and understanding of the curriculums, professional learning and trialing new teaching strategies. Although I recognise that I have a long way to go in my practice, and I also believe that as a preservice teacher I bring in a unique perspective on teaching. I aim to learn lots about teaching while on my professional experience placement, and hope to observe and practice a range of teaching strategies to address all learning needs. I find that a good education is the integration of positive and thoughtful teaching.

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Classroom Management

Classroom management begins with the setting of a fair, consistent, and ethical environment. The teacher has the responsibility to ensure that the classroom is a safe and welcoming place for all students to share their learning. Students who do not feel safe in the classroom may feel isolated and have low morale. Building positive relations between peers and the teacher in the classroom ensures students are given the chance to be successful in their learning. While it is not always possible to achieve a perfectly managed classroom due to other external factors which may affect student behaviours, the teacher has a major role in student achievement. By setting clear goals, creating engaging activities, and having a focused yet relaxed approach, teachers are able to prepare learning activities in a meaningful manner. A key element to setting classroom expectations is to be an influence, and not controlling. Modelling the correct behaviour and reiterating the importance of doing so assists in building a classroom that is set upon integrity and respect. Rather than preventing misbehaviour all together, having a plan to divert it when it arises can better prepare teachers to respond to the behaviour, and to correct it/prevent it occurring. Teachers need to be self reflective of their role in the classroom and identify how they would like to manage the lesson. Identifying what is and isn’t working helps build effective classroom management strategies.

Online Learning, Deep Learning, and Questioning

Deep learning is when students move beyond memorization and towards an applicable method of using information in new contexts. While not all learning acquires this depth, it is for the personal use of the student for future enquiries. It is considered meaningful learning as the student learns concepts to apply to future contexts. To achieve deep learning, classroom dialogue needs to shift from the basic (i.e. ‘who, what where’ questions) to an extension style of inquiry (‘how and why’ questions). Asking meaningful questions with a pause afterwards results in extended and analytical responses. Rather than teacher led, students interact with each other and share and compare their ideas. Deep learning results in the growth in higher order thinking skills. The Department of Education has a list of strategies which are useful in differentiating questioning strategies. One of my favourite ideas is ‘turn and talk’, where students are given a question, discuss their responses with a partner, and then share with the class. Some students may feel more reassured in their answers if they share their thinking with a friend, hence proving the value of such a task. The Q-Matrix provides a guide for how to create inquiry-based learning opportunities for students individually and in groups. Ultimately, the inclusion of deep learning questions encourages students to move beyond memorisation and towards the application and analysis of their content.

Pedagogy

Pedagogy is the individual approaches that a teacher may have towards their profession. It is their method and style of teaching. A mix of all approaches is always best, as learning should be engaging and a unique experience. While it sometimes is hard, it is great to build a classroom which encourages students to learn in a range of methods.

The different styles of teaching are:

1. Command – Teacher-controlled and students spend time watching/listening.
2. Task oriented – ‘Stations’ with different activities for students to rotate. Involves project based learning to ensure students develop interpersonal skills. Teacher is ready to assist if needed. Inclusive of special needs as it involves images and visual learning as well.
3. Practice– The teacher uses past experiences of learning to direct the activity. Students make decisions during the task.
4. Reciprocal – In pairs, one student is a ‘doer’ – completes the action – and the other an ‘observer’ – provides feedback – and once they have completed the task, they switch roles. Requires the teacher modelling the behaviours required.
5. Inquiry – Teacher encourages student learning through a series of questions and problems. Students are free to make mistakes and build resilience.
6. Guided discovery – Students are presented with a learning opportunity which all must arrive at the single best way to approach the technique.
7. Problem-solving – Dependent on student input, reflection and response. Teacher evaluates and discusses with the class their solution and how they came to it
8. Free exploration – New ideas and concepts are introduced for students to explore.