The Foundation of Teaching and Learning and why it is important in an Educational

Context. Jasmine Breeze - 18036116

A teacher is a life-long learner that provides knowledge, and understanding of a specific

subject content at a proficient educational standard. Teachers are always understanding the

new diverse ways to approach knowledge and disperse these skills into the educational

community. As a pre-service teacher, we must understand the foundations to what is required

and why this has importance within the schooling system. Therefore, this essay will further

elaborate on the Foundation Concepts consisting of profession, curriculum, assessment and

pedagogy; and how this interplays with teachers’ effective design of differentiated instruction

in relation to Gifted and Talented Students.

A teacher is a guide that provides support to the young generation, in accordance to

preceding advance educational learning that consists of “research, education and training”.

They must be adequate in performing to the requirements of the teaching profession, in which

must be performable in “adhering to ethnical standards”. Whilst “possessing the special

knowledge and skills”, and being able to “apply this knowledge and exercise these skills in

the interest of others”. (“What is a profession?”, 2016) It is an understanding that the teacher

is always learning and applying their knowledge forward to the students. This makes a

teacher a professional role model or mentor for students to share knowledge and subject

matter with. In relation to daily work, teachers must be competent in the knowledge they

provide to the students. This is why systems like curriculum and national standards are

implemented among a teacher’s expectation. These ‘contexts’ stand in place as guidance

figures in education. A teacher’s representation of presenting this in a formative and

formalize way can be complex and diverse in suiting the needs and abilities of each

individual student. Furthermore, ‘NSW Great Teaching, Inspired Learning’ program engages
with the conceptuality of teachers gaining accreditation by completing the requirements of a

more advance standard for educators. The idea of this is stated within the blueprint for action,

“Great teaching doesn’t just happen..., Teachers need to be proficient in many teaching

practices and, more importantly, be able to assess their impact on students and adapt their

teaching practices to assist students if they are not responding or engaged.” (Board of Studies

Teaching and Education Standards NSW, 2013)

To be fluent in providing and assisting students we must have a guide that educators

can follow. A ‘Curriculum’ sets the standards and expectation of our educational intake not

only for ourselves but for the future generation. The Australian National Curriculum holds

the hierarchal position for standardized educational perspectives and is under inspection by

ACARA [Australian Curriculum, Assessments, Reporting Authority]. ACARA provide the

implementation of educational standards and undertakes research from the voice of young

Australians. The Curriculum for NSW can be found within NESA [NSW Education

Standards Authority] formerly known as BOSTES [Board of Studies Education and Training

NSW], which implement their own system and curriculums that are based off the Australian

Standards set by ACARA. By abiding the legislation and curriculum created by NESA,

educators are satisfying the National requirements. In reflection of daily work relevance, the

curriculum acts as a guideline for teachers to educate onwards. The information and sources

provided among the syllabus and curriculum are essential to the students’ development and

therefore can be taught in multiple ways to implement understanding of the context. In a

professional context the Curriculum “accounts for the needs of every student,” and allows

“options and adjustments” that “reflect the learning and support needs of students whose

learning is impacted by disability.” (“Curriculum planning and programming, assessing and

reporting to parents K-12: Policy Library”, 2016) Through various subject syllabus students

are able to engage with multiple areas of learning and understand the complex options and
branches that education has to offer in terms of understanding, knowledge and future

opportunities.

So far it is understood that as a teacher we must be equipped to being life-long learners

that provide knowledge and understanding through curriculum and syllabus support. But

what methods and approaches do we undertake in promoting the information forward?

Pedagogy is the method and practice in the way of how we teach. This can be translated

through the way individuals perceive and reflect on the ideas of teaching. It is considered that

teachers convey the information the same way as they were taught. This can create

differentiation of understanding in students among the classroom as boredom and dreariness

counteracts effectiveness. In relation to daily work, teachers must be able to apply effective

pedagogy for students to engage with the learning materials and reach the learning outcomes.

Creating gratification in learning allows students to engage within opportunities from

selected options. This provides a flexible learning environment that can be joyful for students

by making school spaces more inviting. In terms of effective pedagogy, there are principles in

place for the learning and teaching expectations. This aligns and interplays with the

curriculum set by state governments, and the ability as a teacher to instruct the syllabus to the

needs and abilities of the students. With reference to the ‘Victorian State Government:

Education and Training’, these principles allow “a clear picture of effective learning and

teaching”, “a set of strategies and action guidelines for teachers” and “a basis for auditing

teacher practice.” (“Effective pedagogy: Principles of Teaching and Learning P-12”, 2004) It

is also understood that an emphasis in the understanding of pedagogy allows clear

understanding towards ‘quality teaching’ and ‘student engagement’ as stated by Monash

University. (Monash University: Education, 2008)

 Are teachers creating successful environments for students and how is this being

implemented? Teachers are promoters of assessments and are defined by the teaching

standards. As a teacher you must be able to reflect from the success of your students to

implement strategies for further education. This is expressed by not only undertaking

assessment tasks for the students that focus on their understanding but by reporting and

assessing your own influence and the students understanding from your teaching practice.

The teacher needs to undertake assessment in order of understanding the needs and abilities

required by each individual student, and work towards providing a more efficient class

through differentiation of pedagogies within teaching. Although a teacher is restricted to the

curriculum requirements, it is important that they convey their life-long learning in

application to improvement of engaging students to empowering knowledge and

understanding. From informal to formal assessment students and teachers are consistently

exchanging ideas in comparison to syllabus and curriculum. This exchange determines there

standing against standards and their fellow peers. In ‘re-assessing assessment’ shown by

NESA (NSW Education Standards Authority, 2015), they are determining direction in terms

of standardized testing and the equity within assessment. ‘Fairness’ is derived in the

perspective of validity and reliable measures. The focus of equity becomes drawn to

disadvantage or discouragement of particular population groups within standardized tests.

From this focus the issue of ‘equity in assessment’ is reflected from the outcomes of low SES

backgrounds, in which creates unfair assessment due to the non-expectancy of skills and

knowledge. This indicates and promotes a change of assessment to focus on “fair measures of

learning”, “accessibility” and “separation of socio-economic backgrounds”. (NSW

Government Education, 2015) This creates improvement among standardized tests as there

must be change to suit ‘equity’ instead of ‘equality’. ‘Equity and equality’ are both important

values that a teacher must understand and convey within the classroom and schooling
environment. Students are all different and for that reason it is necessary to accept each

student and fulfill their needs as discussed in the following.

To be gifted is to be different through social differentiation. To be talented is to be

recognized in terms of efforts in an area stronger than the other. Nevertheless, a student that is

gifted and talented may be impaired culturally and socially, but enhanced academically.

Therefore, in order for recognizing those that are gifted and talented there must be

acknowledgement to the students’ learning needs and abilities. An example of

acknowledgement to these needs and abilities is through ‘formative’ and ‘summative’

assessment. These aspects of assessment work towards attaining information for teachers to

develop with and feedback for students to understand what needs to be worked upon.

“Formative assessment is classed for learning”, whilst “summative assessment is deemed to

assessment of learning.” (“What works best: Evidence-based practices to help improve NSW

student performance”, 2015) These methods of assessment can be used to withdraw data in

terms of finding those that are gifted and talented, and allow a new perspective of work that

results in change among teaching practice. Due to “shift of children with special needs being

included within mainstream classrooms”. (NSW Government, 2014) The extra support that

these students may need is being void, and makes the process of assessment an unfair

foundation to work within relevance of acquiring data on the status of the students’ outcomes.

Some solutions to improving these outcomes of the gifted and talented involve “providing

visual context for the student to work from”, “student participants working within Learning

Support Teams” and “teacher/parent interviews on classroom strategies”. (NSW Government,

2014) This therefore falls upon the teachers’ pedagogy in creating understanding for those

slightly impaired.
The gifted and talented policy, instigates that “teachers have a responsibility to select and

implement a variety of teaching strategies for inclusion in programs for the range of gifted

and talented students in their classes”. (NSW Department of Education and Training, 2004)

Although teachers are confined in balancing time to implement the curriculum content to all

students, and provide support for those that are gifted and talented students that require the

extra help to understand the syllabus. Assessment does have its benefits among gifted and

talented students once assistance and guidance can be provided to show the progress of the

students’ capabilities and understandings. Therefore, it is important that the school and

teacher acknowledge these individuals and promote an engaging classroom environment by

incorporating programs and systems from the outer schooling community. For instance, the

Australian Gifted Support Centre Services provides one day programs that enable the gifted

and talented to work creatively together to get the extra support they may need. This is done

by create engaging workshops that incorporate fun games and pay focus to assessments from

a different perspective. (“Australian Gifted Support Centre Services”, 2014)

A teacher can guide any student to success regardless of the ‘classification’ that is stated upon

the student. Overall I would instate that teachers are patience leaders that search for the best

in the future generation of students. A teachers understanding of their position within

education consists of these fundamental concepts that allow a teacher to understand their role,

what they must teach, how they can teach, and the reflection process of understanding and

knowledge taken from curriculum and pedagogy. Pedagogy is important in designing the

engaging methods that incorporate understanding and creativity. There are many methods that

allow teachers to engage with students and incorporate relevance of curriculum through

assessment. In the report “What works best Reflection Guide” (NSW Government Education,

2016), we are introduced to seven aspects that incorporate a high value among teaching
practice. These are shown through teaching methods and place an effect on the outcomes of

students’ academic output. Themes like ‘explicit teaching’, ‘effective feedback’, ‘wellbeing’

and ‘collaboration’ provides a firm understanding and knowledge to succeeding outcomes,

but creates limitation to creativity.

In accordance to a teachers’ role, they must be able to provide a balance of

creativity, understanding and knowledge with relevance to a syllabus outcome. It is up to a

teacher to ensure that their teaching methods allow access to equity and engagement from

adequate choices. The assessments must convey summative and formative methods so the

teacher can gather data on the students understanding and update teaching methods in

accordance to information that wasn’t corresponded. Not only is it important that a teacher

understands their position as a teacher, but it is important to reflect on why you are a teacher.

That the information you teach is relevant to curriculum and that the teaching methods are

engaging the audience being the students. There must always be reflection on the way we

teach and learn as research is forever changing.

 References

Australian Gifted Support Centre Services. (2014). Australian Gifted Support Centre.
Retrieved 24 March 2017, from http://australiangiftedsupport.com/
Board of Studies Teaching and Education Standards NSW. (2013). Great Teaching, Inspired
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action/resources/
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Effective pedagogy: Principles of Teaching and Learning P - 12. (2004). Victoria State
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