EDUC 4206 Professional Experience 4: Teacher as Inquirer

Professional Inquiry Project Proposal

Pre-service Teacher: Amber Kennedy ID no: 101144619

Context

This inquiry project will be undertaken in a reception year 1 class with 23 students. Of the 23 students there are 7
year 1 students and 16 Receptions. This class is one of 29 classes in a school of 700 students. Over the course of
this inquiry project the evidence collected may be done on an intermitted bases depending on the attendance of
students.

Plan

Focus: 2.1 Content and teaching strategies in the teaching area

The focus of this inquiry is AITSL Standard 2: Knowing the content and how to teach it, specifically, Standard 2.1:
Content and teaching strategies of the teaching area. I have chosen this area as my focus due to its importance. I
also believe that content is one of my biggest weaknesses however I know that it could be my greatest strength if I
put in time and effort, along with the support of a mentor and other colleagues. I came to this conclusion after
completing the ‘pre-service self-review’. In the self-review I placed myself in the ‘would like to spend more time
on this’ section due to my lack of opportunity to execute this standard in my previous practice. This area is one
which I believe I can achieve to a high standard with the appropriate support, therefore, I believe I will see the
most improvement above other areas.

Breaking this standard down and looking at the two different aspects of content and teaching strategies, really
supports the importance of this standard. Content is the basis in which we teach along with the recourses and the
foundational knowledge that we want our students to learn. Teaching is the ‘doing’, the pedagogies of all
teachers. How we teach is as important as the content itself.

It is vital that teachers know the content so that they can be the more knowledgeable other for students, teachers
should be able to answer most questions that students ask to the best of their ability (Woolfolk & Margetts 2013).
This does not mean that teachers need to know everything, however, teachers should have a clear understanding
of the content if they intend on teaching it effectively (AITSL 2016). The content specific to my Professional Inquiry
Project is Mathematics, specifically measurement and geometry. I have chosen this content area because I will be
teaching a unit on it while on my final placement. This inquiry will enable me to accurately determine where my
skills are and what improvements are needed.

According to Tucker (2010), children are captivated an curious and through mathematics this curiosity can be
encouraged in many ways. This includes open ended questions and resources and allowing students time to
explore and extend their enquiry.

I intend on learning the content by researching it and teaching myself before I teach the children. I will
demonstrate my growth in this area by reviewing the work produced by the students against the Australian
Curriculum. This will determine whether the content is appropriate and relevant for the children. I will reflect after
each lesson and from there I will be able to make an educated decision on where I believe my content knowledge
is growing and/or lacking, enabling me to continuously improve.

I will do my own lesson planning within the context of what my mentor has set out for that block. I will also use
resources, sourced on my own and with my mentor, to choose those that are effective and appropriate. This will
ensure that I am able to effectively teach, giving me a solid foundation to begin building on my knowledge within
standard 2.1.

Teaching and teaching strategies go hand in hand; teaching is the act of doing and the strategies are the way in
which a teacher delivers instruction. Teaching strategies are methods that teachers use to effectively teach. They
change based on the content and the individual child (Hyde et. al. 2014). Teaching strategies help to identify the
gaps within the knowledge of the students as well as their engagement (Lyons et. al. 2014). Because of the
practicality of teaching strategies, they are vital for both the learner and the teacher, therefore, they are used in
every curricular area. I plan to develop a wide range of teaching strategies throughout my placement and
implement them in a variety of ways to find what best suits the students in my class. I intend on using strategies
that my mentor already uses along with developing some of my own.

Action

Over the course of my placement, I will demonstrate knowledge and understanding of; how I interpret how
measurement and geometry is taught, what the content is, and a variety of different teaching strategies.

First, I will discuss with my mentor, how she teaches maths (i.e. what their routine is), this will provide me with an
example of how I may like to teach my measurement and geometry lessons as well as potential teaching
strategies to use. I will then learn the content and develop my own knowledge in the area of measurement and
geometry. I am to teach by undergoing personal research. I will also seek support from my mentor where
necessary if I am unsure about what path to take. I will also research, and discuss with my mentor, a number of
teaching strategies that are effective during science lessons and with overall behaviour management.

When I put all of this into practice to demonstrate what I have learnt and how I have developed, my mentor will
observe my measurement and geometry lesson/s and provide constructive feedback. I will reflect on this feedback
to gain an idea on how successful I was with my teaching intentions and strategies.

Observation

I will collect data using three different techniques, including; receiving feedback from my mentor teacher in both
written and verbal form. While I am teaching a measurement and geometry lesson, my mentor will observe my
practice and provide feedback. The written observations from my mentor will look at specific areas (see appendix
1). I will ask my mentor to comment on my content knowledge, teaching strategies and how well the lesson was
executed. This will allow me to reflect on my practice specific to my focus. I will also have my mentor write any
other areas I may need to reflect on that were noted during my lesson. This will ensure that I actively reflect on all
aspects of my practice while still focusing on one specific area.

The feedback from my mentor teacher will be done in a casual but professional manner at a time where I can ask
questions about the written observations taken. It will be a time for my mentor to give any suggestions and
constructive feedback or words of support. I will also ask my critical friend to look at the written observations
from my mentor to receive a second opinion as well as a different perspective on where I am and what I may need
to change or improve in my practice. As my critical friend will be from outside the placement setting, they will be
able to provide me with a non-bias opinion on the data, allowing me to rethink my views.

To collect data, I will also write in my reflection journal at the end of each day to reflect on how I think the lesson
went. I will ask myself questions such as ‘Did I know the content?’, ‘did I teach it well?’, and ‘why or why not?’ I
will then aim to link this back to where I would like to be at graduate level. I will also use my journal to reflect on
the strategies I used, what worked and what didn’t, and why I thought that might be. I will use this to inform and
improve my practice for the following lesson (See Appendix 2).
when collecting data, I will also receive Input and another perspective from a critical friend. This will involve my
written notes and the observations from my mentor being given to my critical friend to view and analyse. This will
enable them to make an educated assumption about my development and provide their opinion on the matter,
giving me another perspective to consider. I will provide any planning notes and other information that my critical
friend may require to make an educated judgement on my development.

I have chosen these techniques because they are intertwined, and together they will be able to show patterns that
will help me to reflect on my practice and make the necessary changes to improve. According to Grundy (1995,
p.5), ‘action research is a powerful form of professional development [and]... the possibility for real change is
allowed, as alternative interpretations of evidence are considered.’ This statement supports the use of alternative
interpretations, thus supporting the use of a critical friend to provide another perspective.

Reflection

As an early childhood teacher, one of the most relevant documents alongside the Australian Curriculum is the
Early Years Learning Framework. When looking at reflection as an educator, it is clear that in any area of
education reflection is an ongoing and continuous practice as ‘educators continually seek ways to build their
professional knowledge and develop learning’ (Department of Education, Employment and Work Place Relations
[DEEWER] 2009, p.14). In order to continually develop our practice as teachers, it is vital that we are engaging with
and questioning our own philosophy to always try improving our practice, as ‘critical reflection involves closely
examining all aspects of events and experiences from different perspectives’ (DEEWER 2009, p. 14).

When reflecting, I will be looking for clear indicators that support my development in this standard. Specifically, I
will be looking for feedback that is descriptive in relation to my content knowledge and delivery of the lessons I
teach. The feedback that will aid me in reaching my goals will be specific and delivered in a mutual and
professional manner that includes less constructive criticisms over a period of 4 weeks. This will ensure that I am
making progress.

The process will involve myself as the pre-service teacher, my mentor and a critical friend. This will ensure that my
own biased opinions of my performance are reframed. I will be able to openly reflect and see my progress from
my perspective, my mentor’s and my critical friend’s.

Through my analysis, I will be able to determine where I currently sit in relation to the AITSL standards and if I am
at a graduate level. I will be able to clearly demonstrate my ability to know the content and how to teach. Through
my analysis, I will have a clear understanding of what aspects of Standard 2.1 may still need more work and those
that I have a greater understanding of. This will enable me to make any necessary changes to my practice to
further develop my knowledge (DEEWER 2009).

References

AITSL 2016, Hughie the helicopter, video, YouTube, 17 April, viewed 28 July 2018,
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaW_-Nldgp0>.

Department of Education, Employment and Work Place Relations (DEEWR) 2009, Being, belonging and becoming,
early years learning framework, Viewed 25 August 2018, <http;//www.education.gov.au>early-years-learning-
framework>.

Grundy, S 1995, Action research as professional development, Innovative Links Project, Murdoch, WA

Hyde, M, Carpenter, L, & Conwa, R 2014, Diversity, inclusion & engagement, Oxford University Press, Australia.

Lyons, G, Ford, M, & Slee, J 2014, ‘Relationships and communication’, Classroom management: creating positive
learning environments, 4th edn, Cengage Learning, South Melbourne, Victoria, pp.42-60.

Tucker, K 2010, Mathematica through play in the early years, 3rd edn, SAGE publications Inc, New delhi

Woolfolk, A & Margetts, K 2013, Educational psychology, 3rd edn, Pearson Education, Frenchs Forest, NSW.
Appendix 1

Mentor Teacher Observation Proforma

Please use the space below to comment on each area.

Content knowledge
Was the content age appropriate?
Was the content engaging?
Was there too much or not enough going on?
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Teaching strategies
Were the used teaching strategies clear?
Were the used teaching strategies effective? Why/why not?
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Overall comment
Are there any concerns that need to be raised?
Are there any overall positives?
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Additional comments
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Appendix 2

Reflective journal questions.

 Did I know the content?

 Was the content engaging?
 Did I teach it well? Why/why not?
 Did I feel confident? Why/why not?
 What teaching strategies did I use?
 Did my strategies work? Why/why not?
 Were there any behavioural issues caused by disengagement?