Practice Changing Practice Professional Development Program: Phase 2 Investigating Impact Final Report

The Practice Changing Practice (PCP) professional learning program began as a pilot professional learning program in 2018. The program was designed and delivered through the Education Knowledge Network within the School of Education at Western Sydney University. The program was developed in response to an identified need for leadership training that resulted in increased teacher capacity and sustained change in school culture, leading to improved student outcomes and experiences. The PCP pilot program involved a group of school leaders from a range of schools in Western Sydney. The program introduced action research as a method of professional learning, requiring participants to identify, research, and address a problem of leadership practice. In 2019 the program (Phase 1) was expanded and underwent a research evaluation (Attard, 2020). Findings from this evaluation confirmed the program was successful

(Re)-establishing children’s identities through critical place-based pedagogy and cosmopolitan learning

'Identity in place' by children has been explored by examining how underpinnings of place shape meaning making and identity construction, and how educational practices can allow for the re-construction of identities. Using a critical place-based pedagogy and cosmopolitan learning, children are given the skills and agency to question and ultimately reshape their position in relation to place and the global context. Developmentally appropriate critical thinking skills range from: encouraging the establishment of reflective practice, to the development of ethical understandings such as 'epistemic virtues', and an awareness and recognition of one's situatedness (and the situatedness of others) in the world. Perspective taking and skills of empowem1ent may be instilled by teachers who are able to deconstruct their own identities and assumptions within their places of work. Teacher training can be adapted to include critical inquiry and understandings of spatialized critical theory so that pedagogical practices may be situated in place. For teachers and students to be reflexive, place-based and cosmopolitan learners, they need to engage in experiences and discourse that enables them to develop new ways of seeing

Developing teacher identity through Service Learning

Teacher education is found to be enhanced by real world experiences in community agency settings. Service Learning (SL) provides unique experiences for pre service teachers to explore the subtleties and nuances of working with small groups of individuals. Through guided reflection and informal mentoring by agency staff, pre service teachers explore their developing teacher identity in relation to working with children from diverse backgrounds. Six themes emerged- ways of thinking about diversity, empathy and trust for supportive learning environments, social cohesion amongst students and the wider community, the importance of positive role modelling, teaching skills and knowledge, ongoing reflection for inclusive teaching and “ I see myself as being a teacher who...’ These themes highlight the value and importance of integrating relevant community based learning experience with teacher education as a way of reflecting on emerging teacher identity that caters for the needs of diverse learners

Asynchrony and the whole child : what school can learn

Most educators agree that a gifted and talented child has the potential for unusually high performance but that not all gifted and talented students are successful. It appears that personality and environment can help or hinder the translation of potential into performance. However, the definition of giftedness as asynchronous development does throw light on the strategies that can be used to address it. With this definition there is more focus on the quality of the whole learning environment in which the child’s self-concept is formed