Professional Context

Contemporary issues or trends in New Zealand or Internationally

National Standards

Since the introduction of National Standards in New Zealand in 2010 by the National Government there has been increased focus on the the teaching of Reading, Writing and Maths. The standards have clear national guidelines detailing the expected achievement levels of all students in the three core subjects of Reading, Writing and Maths after 1-3 years in school and at the end of each school year level thereafter to Year 8. While this introduction details the levels children need to attain as they progress through school, I question whether the introduction has been to the detriment of non-core subjects and students.

The National Government argued that the introduction of National Standards would lift the achievement of all students in Literacy and Maths and "address the widening gap between the highest and lowest performing children" (Hartevelt, 2009), however there are a number of issues that have arisen since their introduction.

• Lack of cross moderation across schools and the interpretation of OTJs

Massey University (2010) suggest "labeling students 'below', 'at' or 'above' a fixed point raises questions about how a teacher arrives at this label, what evidence would they need to collect and collate and how reliable and valid the assessment is". The question of moderation and assessment is clear, with so many types of assessment being completed by schools how can we ensure that every school is accurately assessing students. It was originally suggested that inter-school moderation would take place. From personal experience moderation within school occurs to some extent but across school moderation is rare. Research presented in the National Standards School Sample Monitoring & Evaluation Project 2010-2013 by Ward and Thomas (2015) suggest that there is considerable variability in the accuracy of teachers ratings, particularly in Writing and Maths. "Only 58% of teacher judgements were accurate in the 2012 scenarios" Ward & Thomas (2015). There was substantial variation between the OTJs from 2011 - 2013 suggesting the the data provided and used to mark against National Standards were not consistently reliable. From these results it is evident that OTJs lack dependability which is problematic when National Standards rely on OTJs. With these clear disparities in marking and OTJs, it is difficult to ensure that National Standards are providing accurate data. One way to address these issues is to complete national standardised tests as seen in the UK with the implementation of SATs, testing at specific year levels, however these do not always present an accurate example of a child's ability and is based solely on the performance in one test. The alternative option (and more preferred option) would be to develop more cross-school moderation opportunities. This could be addressed through the implementation of COS (Community of Schools), where teams of schools forge relationships to ensure there is continuity and accuracy in moderation and OTJs.

• Teacher Pressures

There is a view that with the implementation of National Standards the pressure on teachers to ensure their students are making progress and are achieving 'at' or 'above' may lead to a greater focus on teaching Reading, Writing and Maths, impacting negatively on the broader New Zealand National Curriculum. If this was to occur it could lead to students attending "secondary schools with serious learning deficits in areas such as the sciences, social sciences, arts and technology" PPTA (2010).  With BOTs and Senior Management Teams expecting teachers to support their students to meet National Standards it is possible that a sole focus on these subjects will occur, especially in schools with poorer results. With the use of league tables, again teachers may feel additional pressure to ensure National Standards results reflect positively on the school and the education it provides. League tables also increase pressure from parents who make comparisons between schools, often with little to no understanding of how National Standards work. They do not take into account the wider curriculum and opportunities provided by a school or the variants in intake and generally provide only a 'snap shot' of achievement. There needs to be greater focus placed on inquiry learning and developing a holistic approach to education to ensure that teachers do not feel the focus needs to be on the '3 Rs' and that it is recognised that students achieve greater results when engaged and learning across the wider curriculum.

• 'Labeling' of students

Finally, I question whether labeling students 'below', 'at' or 'above' has a positive impact on student agency and learning. To be labeled 'below', although Hekia Parata suggests this is not labeling a child a failure, must impact on self-esteem and could be demotivating, while being labeled 'above' could also be demotivating and provides its own challenges to student engagement. Carol Dweck talks about the power of the term 'yet' or 'not yet' as it leads children to understand the skill can be learnt through hard work, it is just they have not yet achieved it, resulting in a more growth mindset. Ideally we need to develop a way to ensure children have a strong understanding of their progress and their next learning goals without the use of negative terms such as 'well below' or 'below'. Rather than comparing against a fixed standard, we need to celebrate the child with a holistic view, sharing their achievements to date and exploring their future learning. 

In conclusion, National Standards were implemented in a short time frame and I believe it is important that the issues arising from this implementation should be addressed quickly and effectively to ensure students are supported to become life long learners who are prepared for the ever changing world and workplace. 

Collaborative Learning 

With the move towards Modern Learning Environments and a focus on collaborative learning an overall shift in pedagogy is required. MLEs provide greater flexibility for students to learn with a wider range of peers across groups and classes. The openness of the classroom allows students the opportunity to learn in areas that suit the task and their preferred approach while utilising a wide range of resources. The concept suggests students will have a greater level of student agency. By providing flexible learning opportunities, greater opportunities to work collaboratively occur. 

Collaborative learning links closely to the Key Competencies represented in the New Zealand National curriculum, which are essential to ensure students are prepared for the future. Ramey & Ramey (2004) state that when a student is provided with the opportunity to initiate learning and explore, they learn more while Johnson (1981) suggests socially constructed learning through collaboration, peer tutoring and reciprocal teaching leads to a deeper understanding. Through MLEs it is possible to provide greater opportunities for children to collaborate with a wider range of peers, thus increasing and developing the understanding of a concept. The collaborative approach towards learning fits well with current MLE approaches, however there are a number of issues that arise from collaborative learning.

Firstly, the approach requires students to have the skills required to communicate and take on different roles within a learning group. The holistic teaching of the Key Competencies is integral to ensuring students have the basic skills to successfully work collaboratively. As a teacher it is important to ensure that clear and specific links are made to the Key Competencies during all learning opportunities. As a teacher I use SOLO rubrics and continuums to allow students to recognise the skills they have achieved and how they can further develop. This approach allows students to self identify areas for development and can provide greater student agency and motivation.

Another issue, which links to the above topic of National Standards, is that students are graded individually and group grades are not common in the current school system. Teachers find it difficult to mark students work when part of a collective project. The challenge for myself is how to assess students learning when part of collaborative approach. One strategy would be for students to self assess their contribution to the task or through peer assessment. The use of rubrics to self and peer assess could be used effectively in this case. Assessment would need to be based on the entire project, not just the final outcome. Individual and group discussion could also support a greater understanding of the roles each student played in the project and in turn support marking.

Although there are some issues with the collaborative learning approach I believe the benefits outweigh the problems. As commented on earlier, it is through this approach that students develop a deeper understanding of a concept. They are also able to develop the skills required for successful relationships and learning as outlined in the Key Competencies, preparing students for future learning and careers.  

BYOD

Todays's generation of students is like no other, technology is constantly evolving at a pace not seen before which, affects and influences education provision. Technology is becoming common place in the classroom from Smartboards, chrome books and computers to a wide range of mobile devices. Students are now seen as "digital natives" (Wainwright) who use digital devices on a daily basis. The move towards BYOD for many is highly likely and has many benefits for both students and teachers

Teaching using digital devices prepares students for the future workplace and allows students the opportunity to learn how to use devices appropriate and respectfully. As mentioned previously, collaboration is a key element to effective learning and the use of devices allows for students to work on tasks and projects in a collaborative manner. Devices also take learning outside the four walls of the classroom and allow students the opportunity to access information from a wide range of sources while sharing their learning with others across the globe, receiving feedback and gaining greater insight. The use of devices also allows for more personalised learning, students can work at their own pace with support from the teacher online and face to face, while the teacher can present a wider range of material specific to each students needs. While it may seem BYOD may be an expensive tool, it is in fact the opposite, with resources being accessible online worksheets, textbooks and books become redundant. The use of devices is also known to increase levels of student engagement and focus.

The current issue the school faces is the BOT, Senior Management Team and parent community do not support BYOD or a one-to-one device programme. Many believe that working one-to-one with a device reduces creativity and does not support a collaborative learning approach. However, we are as a school well resourced with mobile and other technological devices allowing for teachers to engage in new teaching pedagogies, utalising the ideas of MLEs and collaborative learning opportunities. As teachers further engage in adapting their teaching practice and use devices successfully, I suspect there will be a shift in view point and we will continue to further resource each classroom eventually resulting in a near one-to-one device programme. It is with time, the wider school community will recognise the positive effects such programmes have on achievement and engagement.

References

Hartevelt, J (2009). Retrieved from Clark, J (2010) National Standards: The Public Debate - what was it all about? New Zealand Journal of Teachers' Work, Vol 7, Iss 2, 106-124

Johnson, David W., et al. "Effects of cooperative, competitive, and individualistic goal structures on achievement: A meta-analysis." Psychological Bulletin; Psychological Bulletin 89.1 (1981): 47. Retrieved from http://www.core-ed.org/sites/core-ed.org/files/Modern-Learning-Environments-v.1.pdf

Massey University (2010). Retrieved from Clark, J (2010) National Standards: The Public Debate - what was it all about? New Zealand Journal of Teachers' Work, Vol 7, Iss 2, 106-124

Ramey, C, & Ramey, S. “How Children Learn And How Parents Can Help”. Retrieved from http://www.core-ed.org/sites/core-ed.org/files/Modern-Learning-Environments-v.1.pdf

Wainwright, A (n.d). Retrieved from http://www.securedgenetworks.com/blog/Top-10-Benefits-of-BYOD-in-School-Wireless-Networks

Ward, J & Thomas, G (2015) National Standards School Sample Monitoring & Evaluation Project 2010-2013. Retrieved from https://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/_data/assets/pdf_file/0018/161433/NSSSME-2010-2013.pdf


Online source: http://ppta.org.nz/issues/national-standards/897-national-standards-ppta