Influencing factors on planning and teachers’ decision making

“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” Benjamin Franklin.

This quote is true and applies to all aspects of life and to all professions including teaching.
Proper teaching is not a delivery system only. The outcome of teaching is learning. Without
learning, there is no education. Teachers are in the crux for the success of the education
system and to be a successful teacher, one has to plan appropriately, deliver (execute the
plan) and evaluate. A successful Planning involves a continuous evaluation and readjusting.
Planning for teaching involves the knowledge and the consideration of a number of
impacting factors. The main four factors to be consider when planning are; the syllabus, the
diverse student learning needs, the national professional standards for teachers and
information collected by the teacher about a student’s previous performance and skill
development. When these four factors are considered and together with teacher’s
creativity and knowledge of the subject matter, it provides a comprehensive framework for
a positive students learning and a successful educational system. In this essay I will briefly
discuss each of the four factors, their values in planning and the relevant theories and
researches that support their constructive benefits in leaning and education. I will also
demonstrate how each of the four factors was used in the lesson plan I prepared as part of
this assignment.

Syllabus:
The syllabus is the official blue print for a particular teaching subject at a particular teaching
level. It focuses on the what, how and when to teach the subject. It comprises a summary of
the content to be taught, the essential skills, the experience and the knowledge necessary
for each specific subject (Clarke & Pittaway, 2014). The syllabus is designed to correspond to
standards and assessment guidelines and it differentiate the learning outcome to particular
learners (O’Brian, Millis, & Cohen, 2009). Teachers has to familiarise themselves with the
“Australian Curriculum” which is the authorised guideline for teaching in Australia. Part of
the Australian Curriculum document is the Syllabus which teachers had to be conversant
with for their particular teaching area. In New South Wales the Board of Studies, Teaching
and Educational Standards (BOSTES) is responsible for the design and update of the syllabus
and it incorporate within it the agreed Australian curriculum content (BOSTES, 2012).

There has always been the question and the debate around the subject of government
mandated syllabi. Some argues that mandated syllabi are an unnecessary restriction and it
stifles creativity and innovation. Others argue that syllabus helps the teacher to focus and
ensure that all the essential learning contents are covered when teaching the subject while
given him the freedom to adopt for special learning needs and special circumstances
(Donnelly, 2007). My views is that a professional teacher should be able to apply a balanced

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approach of embodying the syllabus and its characteristic by adapting and adjusting the
curriculum, while at the same time, embracing a different metaphor for teaching and
reaching beyond curriculum to adopt a different teaching pedagogies (Education, 2013).

In my lesson plan I ensured that the heart rate activity I selected is fun and enjoyable while
at the same time it covered all the learning areas as outlined in year 6 mathematics syllabus.
Students learned how to measure and record HR (ACMSP169). They learned how to analysis
information presented (ACMSP169) by plotting graphs and looking for correlations through
the mean, median and mode (ACMSP170 & ACMSP171). Students are challenged to make
informed judgments based on what they see (ACMSP172). The activity reached beyond the
syllabus and helped the students learning some useful computer skills.

Assessment Data:
Systematic data collection and analysis is a common practice carried out by teachers in their
day to day work environment for the purpose of improving their teaching practice (Gall, Gall,
& Borg, 2015). Assessment data is important for the improvement of individuals, the
teaching practice and to provide a level of accountability of teachers and the school
(Wayman, 2009). It is vital that the assessment data is to be used primarily to contextualise
(through comparison and the use of statistical tools) the students’ performance and ability.
Unfortunately, the assessment data has been used, to the detriment of the teaching
practice, to scale students and schools and increasingly practice “teach for test”. An
example of that is what happens in the NAPLAN test. There are reported cases of school
teachers teaching for NAPLAN test and the headmasters asking the parents of certain
students to stay at home on the exam day (Cobbold, 2010). However, despite that negativity,
researches indicate that schools that uses analysis of assessment data are able to show,
alongside accountability, improvement of individual and teaching practice and the
development of strong professional culture (Timperley, 2009). Using data provides a real
tool to continuously evaluate the effect of development pedagogies (Timperley, 2009).

In my lesson plan I was aware that I have no prior assessment data and therefore, I had to
compensate for that in one way or another. The progressive scaffolding of the class activity
and the worksheets for the heart rate recording will help those students that are having
difficulty grasping the abstract concepts. The theorist Lev Vygotsky used the term “zone of
proximal development” to indicate the gap in knowledge between adults and children
(Clarke & Pittaway, 2014). To overcome this zone, he explains that “children require
assistance from adults who can deliver knowledge at a level that meets the child’s needs”
(Clarke & Pittaway, 2014). Thus, during the heart rate activity, I encouraged the students to
rove to assist those that need more help.

The diverse student learning needs:

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A successful teacher has to be aware of and recognize the diverse needs of students.
Classroom is made of a group of students with differing styles and needs. There are three
main contributor to the diverse needs of students:

1. Learning styles – it is recognise that students learn in three different styles: visual,
kinaesthetic and auditory (D'Amico & Gallaway, 2010). For an effective and all-inclusive
learning, teachers must accommodate for the different styles by including visual
materials like videos and PowerPoint presentation and for the kinaesthetic style to
include hands on activities.

2. Cognitive development - both Piaget and Vygotsky suggests that individuals construct
their own knowledge and understanding (Clarke & Pittaway, 2014). Vygotsky emphasise
the importance of social interaction and believes that children learn through interaction
and learning as social activity. Vygotsky also emphasises the role of the teacher as the
“more knowledgeable other” and his role as a scaffolder and challenge provider that
the child needs for achieving (Pritchard, 2014). Piaget, on the other hand, believes that
cognitive growth is based on biological development. He believes that children cannot
extend their cognitive understanding beyond their development stage (Pritchard, 2014).
Piaget too believes that children learn through interaction and teacher’s role is the
provider of the “artefacts” essential for children to work with and learn.

3. Social factors - racial, religious, linguistic, ethnic, sexuality and socio-economic status are
“background and experiences” which students bring to schools (Scanlan & Theoharis,
2015). Teachers must develop understanding of the various students’ needs and the
circumstance that affects their learning. Teachers must embrace and acknowledge that
diversity enriches the learning experience for all the students. Teachers also must put
aside their personal believes and prejudice and strive to bring an all-inclusive learning
opportunity for the students.

When constructing the lesson plan, the syllabus and the diversity factors were the two more
important factor in my planning. For diversity I ensured that I catered for all the three
learning style. I had a presentation, charts and worksheet for those with visual style. I had
the hands on heart rate activity for those with kinesthetic learning style and finally we had
the group discussion to cater for those with auditory learning style.

For the cognitive development factor I was aware that in year 7, some of the students will
still be in “concrete Operation” mode while others will have moved to “Formal Operations’
mode (Clarke & Pittaway, 2014). For that I allowed the students to work in groups and rove
to help other students.

Although the social factor is not very apparent in my lesson planning but I am hoping that
the discussion at the end of the activity will highlight the effect of different food on heart

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rate and that can lead to a broader discussion on various ethnic backgrounds, its traditional
food and how and why it effect the heart rate.

Australian National Professional Standards:

The Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) is the regulatory body
for teaching profession in Australia. AITSL developed the “Australian National Professional
Standards” and it is responsible for the accreditation of teachers. AITSL also develop the
necessary support and development materials necessary for teachers to achieve the
required accreditation.

The Australian National Professional Standard comprise of a total of seven standards

focused on three professional areas. “Knowledge” with two standards, “Practice” with three
standards and “Engagement” with two standards. Each of the seven standards has a number
of sub-standards or key performance indicators (KPI) for every level of professional
development. There are four levels of professional development depending on the length of
experience and the achievement of the teacher. The four levels are “graduate”, “proficient”,
“highly accomplished’ and “lead” (AITSL, 2011).

The standards has an impact on teachers, their planning and exclusion of lessons. The
standard requires that the lesson plan are structured in such a way to be able demonstrate
that it achieves a number of sub-standards in accordance with the specific level of teacher’s
professional development level. Since the introduction of the standards and the
accompanying accreditation process, teachers are divided on the issue of the effectiveness
of the standard. Some teachers see the standard as having a detrimental effect on
education. Those teachers’ feels threated and controlled. They consider the standard as a
pure compliance process and it limits the teacher’s freedom and innovation in the
classroom. Others feels that teaching, like any other important profession, has to have a
standards and accreditation. The standard for these teachers is an effective process to lift
the standard of education in Australia and to rid the system of “bad teachers”.

In 2013 AITSL conducted a Survey on the standards where more than 8000 educators
completed the survey. The result from an interim report 2 published in 2014 shows that an
82% of the educators are positive and 61% are engaged. Detail results shows that educators
with five years or less of service have a higher levels of “prior use”, “positive attitude” and
“intension to implement” the standards (AITSL, 2011).

In my lesson plan, five standards and two focus areas were achieved. The five standards
achieved are:

1.1.1 Physical, social and intellectual development and characteristics of students -

Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of physical, social and intellectual development
and characteristics of students and how they learn.

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1.2.1 Understand how students learn - demonstrate knowledge and understanding of
research into how students learn and the implication of teaching.
2.2.1 Content selection and organisation - Organise content into an effective learning and
teaching strategy.
3.2.1 Plan, structure and sequence learning programs – plan lesson sequences using
knowledge of student learning, content and effective teaching strategies.
4.1.1 Support student participation – identify strategies to support inclusive student
participation and engagement in classroom activities.
4.2.1 Manage classroom activities – demonstrate the capacity to organise classroom
activities and provide clear directions.

In the previous section of the essay where the diverse student learning needs were
discussed, I explained the different factors effecting learning. I also discussed the
development theories that address students learning. Subsequently, my lesson plan
incorporated and demonstrated a consideration for the diverse needs of student’s learning.
Therefore, Standards 1.1.1, 1.2.1 and 3.2.1 were successfully achieved.

Vygotsky, as explained in the previous section, emphasise the importance of social

interaction and believes that children learn through interaction and learning. The group
activity, the group discussion and the encouragement of students to rove and help each
other is a clear evidence that standard 4.1.1 was successfully achieved.

The lesson plan clearly shows that the entire lesson was focused around the heart rate
activity. The sequencing of the activity, the breakdown of content, the clear instructions and
the precise division between teacher and students task is a demonstration of the capacity to
organise class room activity and provide clear instructions as required in standard 4.2.1.

In conclusion, to be a successful teacher and to achieve the ultimate goal of education

which is learning, teachers has to be good in planning and lesson preparation. To be good in
planning, teachers has to consider and incorporate in their planning the four factors
impacting planning and decision making. In this essay I discussed the four factors that
impact the planning process. I explained the theory, the research and the arguments
supporting each of the four factors. For this essay I also created my own lesson plan and
discussed how each of the impacting factors was considered and demonstrated in the
lesson plan.

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 References

AITSL. (2011). Australian National Professional Standards. Retrieved from Australian Institute for
teaching and School Leadership: http://www.aitsl.edu.au/australian-professional-standards-
for-teachers

BOSTES. (2012). NSW Syllabuses for the Australian curriculum. Retrieved from Board of Studies,
Teaching and Educational Standards NSW: http://syllabus.bos.nsw.edu.au/about/

Clarke, M., & Pittaway, S. (2014). Marsh’s becoming a teacher (6th ed.). Sydney, NSW, Australia:
Pearson Australia.

Cobbold, T. (2010). Rorting and Cheating of School Results is the. SAVE OUR SCHOOLS.

D'Amico, J., & Gallaway, K. (2010). Differentiated Instruction for the Middle School Science Teacher:
Activities and Strategies for an Inclusive Classroom (1st ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass
Books.

Donnelly, K. (2007). Dumbing down: outcomes-based and politically correct - the impact of the
culture wars on our schools. Melbourne, Australia: Hardie and Grant.

Education, T. T. (2013, April). How to escape education's death valley. New York, USA.

Gall, M. D., Gall, J. P., & Borg, W. R. (2015). Applying Educational Research: How to read,do, and
useresearch to solve problems of practice (2nd ed.). (D. J. Ullman, Ed.) Sydney, NSW,
Australia: Person for University of Wesern Sydney.

O’Brian, J., Millis, B., & Cohen, M. (2009). The course syllabus: A learning-centred approach (2nd ed.).
San Francisco, Ca, USA: John Wiley & Sons.

Pritchard, A. (2014). Ways of Learning: Learning theories and learning styles in the classroom (3rd
ed.). Milton Park: Routledge.

Scanlan, M., & Theoharis, G. (2015). Leadership for Increasingly Diverse Schools (1st ed.). Milton park:
Routledge.

Timperley, H. (2009). Using assessment data for improving teaching practice. ACER Research
Conference series, 7.

Wayman, J. C. (2009). Involving teachers in data-driven decision making: Using computer data
systems to support teacher inquiry and reflection. Journal of Education for Students Placed
at Risk, 10(3), 295-308.