Reflection 2: Discuss how aspects of law, regulations and/or policy impact on teacher inquiry

The regulation ‘Our Code, our Standards’ (Education Council, 2017) is an elaboration of what teachers need to do to show evidence of quality teaching practice in the ‘professional learning’ standard.

This helps to guide and provide standards of what is needed to develop a professional inquiry.

By having these regulations, it provides a standard for teachers to be able to understand what to include in their inquiry, and what they need to back it up. 

By having these regulations, it helps to create continuity within education and helps teachers to recognise their inquiry purpose. It is understood that high-quality practices will generate naturally occurring evidence that can be used for discussion and analysis.

The standards from the regulation ‘Our Code, our Standards’ influence the way I inquire into my teaching practice by giving me a number of standards for which to follow to show sufficient evidence. 

This helps me to examine my practice, and helps me to create a point from which to reflect on so that I may develop my teaching practice. 

Teaching inquiry is evident in my school’s policy and practice, this helps the teachers to be held accountable for continuing to develop the best possible practice for our students and society. 

We use the inquiry cycle as a means of appraisal in our school, which again, holds us accountable with what we are teaching.  For the purposes of

appraisal, it is not expected that teachers would need to identify evidence of

individual elaborations; however, the evidence of the quality of their practice

would need to be sufficient to reflect the standard.

The standards from the regulation ‘Our Code, our Standards’ influence the way teachers inquire into their practice and use evidence to examine their practice by showing clear guidelines and outcomes for areas that are encountered throughout the inquiry process.

These guidelines are a good starting point to collect evidence for, and help to single out particular areas for improvement. 

Education Council (2017) aim to promote high-quality teaching and leadership for all learners across all education settings, this helps me to think that my inquiry will help to achieve or start the students to being able to achieve this standard. Through collaboration and critical thinking, the students will start to take ownership of their learning, and will start to lead others through the learning and discussion process.

Reference

Education Council (2017). Our Code, Our Standards. Retrieved from https://teachingcouncil.nz/sites/default/files/Our%20Code%20Our%20Standards%20web%20booklet%20FINAL.pdf

Reflection 1: Discuss how you are addressing the context of different audiences (local, national and/or international) and their perspectives for your inquiry

How am I addressing the audiences and their perspectives for my inquiry?

Through my inquiry, I am hoping to develop a more connected and critical thinking student base by providing the students with hands on learning and problems where they will have to come together to think, create, and reflect on ideas that will help to develop their ability.

By reflecting on the ideas of local school community, and how it relates to a wider audience of national and even international outcomes, I will be able to get a better idea of what is needed to be taught. 

The local school environment is showing gaps in social behaviours, the student have trouble working through conflict and confrontation in a social setting, which in turn, impairs the students ability to learn and think about ideas that are presented in a classroom setting. 

My inquiry is trying to develop these social skills at an early age so that they are able to work together, while simultaneously developing critical thinking and problem solving skills. 

These skills of critical thinking and problem solving are reflected throughout the New Zealand Curriculum document. The idea of creating strong, and independent future focused learners is also outlined in this document. By creating these learning experiences, the students will be able to build ideas so that as they grow, they will become stable and connected learners. 

The New Zealand Curriculum (2017) states that it would like to develop more confident, connected, and actively involved lifelong learners. By developing collaborative skills early on, it will help to engage the students, and allow them the decision making and problem solving skills needed to build these skills. As this is a national document, it will help to create continuity in education an a future society. 

This relates on a larger, international scale as it will help to encourage lifelong learners who are passionate about using interconnections to solve problems and thinking critically. This will help them to get a grasp of a larger perspective and help them in the long run to gain employment where they will help to make a difference in a positive way.

International issues in education contributes to social issues that are arising in a newer generation. As technology has become a focus around education, it would be a benefit that students are able to develop these social skills around issues so they are able to solve problems as a part of a team. 

Reference
New Zealand. Ministry of Education. (2017). The New Zealand curriculum framework: te anga marautanga o aotearoa.