EDF 5177 Semester one, 2022: Assessment task 2
Exploring the ‘Practice principles for excellence in teaching and learning’ and ‘student voice, agency and leadership’.
Details of task: Introduction
In assessment task 2, you have the opportunity to learn and think about effective teaching
and learning through consideration of some of the ‘Practice Principles for excellence in
teaching and learning’ and the Amplify ‘student voice, agency and leadership’ policy
developed by the Department of Education and Training (DET), Victoria. Both these
resources are used to guide teaching and learning in government schools.
You should download and read the PDF copy of the Practice Principles available in your
assessment section on Moodle. There are also further resources on this link at:
http//www.education.vic.gov.au/school/teachers/teachingresources/practice/improve
/Pages/principlesexcellence.aspx
You can click on this link to find further information about these principles and actions that
teachers can take to achieve them in classes.
Note: we are not asking you to explore and discuss all nine of the principles, just the first
five listed below:
Principle 1: High expectations for every student promote intellectual engagement and selfawareness
Principle 2: A supportive and productive learning environment promotes inclusion and
collaboration
Principle 3: Student voice, agency and leadership empowers students and builds school
pride
Principle 4: Curriculum planning and implementation engages and challenges all students
Principle 5: Deep learning challenges students to construct and apply new knowledge
There are two tasks:
Part A: An essay, where you will show evidence of exploring practice Principles 1,2,4 and
5. (approx 1,200 words)
Part B: An essay, where you will show evidence of exploring and understanding Principle
3: Student voice, agency and leadership empowers students and builds school pride
in practice (approx. 800 words)
Details:
Part A: Essay - Exploring Principles 1,2, 4 and 5:
Questions:
Discuss why the DET is expecting schools to implement these principles (1, 2, 4 and 5), and
what approaches teachers will need to develop in order to achieve them and how? If
possible, link your ideas to learning in the field of Social Education and draw on observations
and examples of these principles you have observed during your practicum.
How can purposeful engagement with the Practice Principles 1, 2, 4 and 5 help teachers to
develop new skills and strategies, and build student motivation and commitment to improve
their own learning?
How do you organise the essay?
You should have an introduction, at least one paragraph on each principle, and a conclusion
to your discussion. The percentage weighting on the criteria sheet gives you an indication of
how long your answers should be.
Details:
Part B: Essay - Exploring Principle 3:
Question: Why and how should schools develop student voice, agency and leadership? (If
possible, link your ideas to learning in EDF 5177).
To answer this question, you are asked to read and focus on these resources:
1. Ideas and links discussed on pages 18 and 19 of the Practice Principles.
2. Watch this Youtube clip which shows an example of how primary and secondary
schools are working together to achieve the principle of student voice, agency and
leadership. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GPnfLe3j6c
Note: In the Youtube clip, Bella, the year 3 student talks about having a ‘growth mindset’
(see link and infographic at the end of this document). This idea is based on the Dweck’s
work- see Dweck, Carol S. Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. New York:
Random House, 2006.https://fs.blog/2015/03/carol-dweck-mindset/
Georgia, a year 10 student, talks about how a ‘professional learning community’ has been
developed to activate youth voice and agency.
3. You should read ‘Amplify’, a student voice, agency and leadership practice guide,
which provides further discussion of this Victorian DET priority. A PDF of this is also
in your assessment section on Moodle or you can click on the link here.
Amplify (docx - 1.02mb)
Amplify (pdf - 986.45kb)
How do you organise the essay?
You are asked to provide an introduction, discussion of voice, agency and leadership, and a
conclusion to your essay.
References
You are not required to add references beyond those included in the task instructions.