This workshop envisages an open discussion on current national trends in education. In particular, systems have been required to agree to a particular model of ‘evidence-based teaching’ and are passing this requirement on to schools. This means that any commitments to student voice and agency are being removed from models of teaching and learning. How do and can we respond?

Previously, while the National Curriculum had been focussed on the content of the curriculum, it had specifically said that teaching methods were school responsibilities. However, the current requirement on all states and territories who have now signed up for federal funding (to implement Gonski proposals), is that they adopt ‘evidence-based’ teaching practices. A particular form of this explicitly draws on the work of AERO – the Australian Education Research Organisation, and, in particular, their requirements for ‘explicit teaching’: see https://www.edresearch.edu.au/guides-resources/practice-resources/teaching-how-students-learn-model-learning-and-teaching .

There are several areas of concern here, including around the nature of what is regarded as ‘evidence’ and ‘research’, and views about the breadth or narrowness of purposes of education. The AERO view on these has been challenged; see for example, Dean Ashenden’s recent article: https://insidestory.org.au/the-trickle-down-theory-of-schooling/ but their work underpins system requirements of schools.

For example, in Victoria, the DET is updating the VTLM, the Victorian Teaching and Learning Model, and bases this on the work of AERO: https://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/teachers/teachingresources/practice/improve/Pages/Victorianteachingandlearningmodel.aspx
This means that the Practice Principles for excellence in teaching practice, where student voice and agency took centre stage, will be gone. There’s a brief overview poster of VTLM 2.0 here: https://content.sdp.education.vic.gov.au/media/victorian-teaching-and-learning-model-2-0-2816 and further details are being worked on at the moment.

What does this mean for our approaches to Student Voice, Agency and Participation/Partnerships? What are the implications for areas such as active citizenship, inquiry learning, creativity, engagement, differentiation, diversity in ways of learning, equity, recognition of student and community knowledge, 'consulting pupils about teaching and learning' and so on?

The workshop will enable participants to share experiences and perspectives, and start some planning for possible responses.

Roger Holdsworth

Roger is a semi-failed retiree; ex-secondary teacher; ex-youth sector policy worker; ex-University researcher; ex-consultant; ex-editor, Connect. Currently: presenter of the Global Village on PBS 106.7 FM