Pedagogy, Assessment and Contesting Curriculum

This article discusses the relationship between knowledge representation in Australian curriculum and enacted curriculum. It also explores assessment modes and negotiated curriculum in Australian education. The challenges faced by teachers in meeting the needs of all students in a classroom are also discussed.

Running head: pedagogy, assessment and Contesting curriculum. 1.
PEDAGOGY, ASSESSMENT AND CONTESTING CURRICULUM.
Student’s name
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Pedagogy, assessment and Contesting curriculum.
3.1 What do you think is the relationship between the representations of knowledge
in Australian curriculum and the enacted curriculum?
In what way do their analyses matter to you and your teaching of curriculum
According to Harrison and Greenfield (2011), Aboriginal is a tribe in Australia. The Aboriginal
knowledge is different from the culture of Aboriginal. This is because of lack of correct context
and environment. Many teachers in Australia complain that they don’t have the knowledge to
teach about Aboriginal. Therefore, school principles’ are taking their teachers for TAFE classes
to make sure they are equipped and competent culturally, to teach Aboriginal. The student
enrolment in Aboriginal range 0% to 25%. This is for schools found in a wider variety of socio-
economics regions. Other institutions in the research call upon Aboriginal parents in their
schools to explain more about their relationships and to work with students on projects of art and
ceremonies of smoking. Involvement of aboriginal parents has also helped to make sure parents
and elders are given work as teachers in the program. Institutions that have taken a step to
engage in Aboriginal education, more so observing of aboriginal activities and requesting elders
to work with children and narrate stories and engaging the students in NAIDOC week activities.
According to Johnston and Hayes (2008), pedagogical reform has been focused on as a concern
in NSW education policy. The pedagogical framework has adapted ideas on asseessment and
teaching which were originally explained by researchers at Wisconsin university (Marks,
Newmann, & Gamoran, 1996) which was further develop by Australian researchers who were
working in Queensland school in 2001. NSW focuses the teacher’s attention on quality learning
environment, intellectual quality, and significance as the three dimensions of quality teaching.
This framework quality teaching passes in a long process of transitions as they get into the
education field and at last being introduced to schools and classrooms.

Pedagogy, assessment and Contesting curriculum.
From the readings, good lack of understanding knowledge is a challenge in teaching. In this case
the teachers don’t have proper understanding of the culture’s knowledge and therefore the
children cannot feel the real knowledge of the culture rather just the written knowledge on books.
3.2Write reflections on your experiences of field teaching and schooling:
What is it like to teach students not from your culture?
What knowledge should be privileged in the curriculum?
Teaching children from a different culture from yours is very challenging. You get into a
classroom where you have no information of the children you are teaching and don’t know how
to handle them. In mind I have a lot of worries about the behavior of these children; I don’t know
how to approach them in teaching and could be possible I would dislike their behavior too.
It is knowledge that is well understood by teachers that should be given a priority. The
knowledge of the culture that children would relate with well. The knowledge that would bring
development and not divisions.
4.a What are your ideas involving the ways of assessment mode in curriculum?
Assessment defines the shape of learning. In the middle of 20th century assessment was
used to determine one’s entry into the next school. This was through examinations. The
assessment was mainly summative. Around 1970s and 1980s the reason for assessment in
a classroom expanded. There was now need to sue formative assessment too rather than
summative only. Use of assessment in a classroom promotes students achievements
(William, 1998). Short term assessment in classrooms could guide further learning
activities and instructions, give to students opportunities to exercise skills and merge

Pedagogy, assessment and Contesting curriculum.
learning. It also could help focus on important view of the subject. For the long and
medium term it holds the possibility of influencing students’ as scholars and their view of
their potential, influencing students’ choice and development of strategies of learning,
skills and patterns of study,and assisting in choosing courses and careers.
4.b justify Asian approach on assessment as in article 4.3?
According to Chan ( 1999), Assessment in Asian schools mainly done through written
examinations. These do not help how best the students can work with others but rather how best
they can work individually. Therefore students do not have a say in a classroom and do not share
their ideas in public. Also schools are ranked according to rate of employment they produce as
opposed to western states that ranked according to level of research.
4.c In what way can you approach assessment in a new school according to your
orientation? Justify why.
The best assessment approach to use for your first new school is using the formative assessment.
This is because as the course takes place assessment takes place. Along the way you are able to
make changes and do adjustments to the learning process so as to give the best at the end of the
day. There could be danger if you choose to use summative assessment. It could bring
frustrations at the end of the day since you don’t know where you mess particularly along the
way. Formative helps you learn and improve your skills.
5.1 According to readings 5.1 and 5.2, in which way do you think the concept of negotiated
curriculum meaningful to the today’s Australian educational context?
Negotiated curriculum aims at involving students in contribute and participate in the
modification of an education program. This ensures that they will actually invest in the journey

Pedagogy, assessment and Contesting curriculum.
of learning and to the outcomes. This gives a room for children to participate in the planning of
learning and teachers teach only when need be. In the Australian education, negotiations in
learning will help increase the performance of the students. Moreover, students’ contribution will
mean that teachers will teach what is worthwhile and needed by students. This will see to it that
whether the curriculum is progressive or traditional, students enjoy and relate to what they learn.
It is helpful too in enabling tutors establish and understand cultures of their students and avoid
tackling subjects that not all students comprehend. Negotiating means creating explicit then
tackling constrains of learning context and non-negotiable essentials applying.
5.2 According to lecture and reading 5.3 as a beginner teacher where can you exercise
choice and judgments in a planned curricular framework which has been talked about by 2
pre-service teachers? Which stakeholders do you think will influence your curriculum
decision making and planning the most?
As a beginner teacher, the exercise of making choices and judgments in a planned curricular,
could best happen in a classroom by planning for students to contribute towards learning
program. Planning and making decisions on a curriculum can be influenced by students and
teachers. Because the curriculum is all about them, what the teacher ought to teach and what the
students need to learn. This would help come up with a curriculum that has standard goals that
can be meet efficiently and effectively.
6. What has challenged your assumption about students coming from low socio-economic
backgrounds? In which ways as an Australian teacher handle the challenges in future to
tackle the challenge question of equity?
Outcomes of educational equity do not mean that all children are required to score same results.
Students are having different needs in order achieve their level best in performance. In an

Pedagogy, assessment and Contesting curriculum.
example of two categories of students with a given input level, one category may perform lower
because they have special education needs. It could also be that they emanate from a
disadvantaged social environment. And since students have different necessities, educational
equity may require unequal resources for different children in order to get achievements.
Education equity results should incorporate both social equity and individual objectives. The aim
of educational equity is for all students to receive a minimum education needed to figure out
ways on their own as adults in the society and to bring contribution to their society.
In the Gonski report, unequivocal data is provided, pointing out the way in which social
disadvantage, social advantage, educational failure and success are connected to the Australian
school system. Social advantages are directly proportional to education success and social
disadvantages are directly proportional educational failure. Limitations of Gonski analysis are
that the focus on education sectors and advantage and disadvantage of bands are limited.
As a teacher in Australia with the fact in mind the society has a responsibility to contribute to the
success of children at school, I would focus get a better outcome for every individual student. i
would do this knowing that they all have different needs.
7.1 What are the aspects of power that Lisa has communicated that can best assist in
knowing your position of power? Which rules of power can you teach in class?
Lisa, explains 5 aspects of power and the kinds of power found in them. She first explains says
the issues of power are enacted in classroom, which includes publishers’ of textbooks power and
those involved in developing the curriculum, power of a teachers over their students, power
possessed by a country to enforce compulsory attendance of school and learning. Power of a
group or individuals to determine another’s intelligence, lastly the power related of economic
status that one gets into through their jobs after school. The second issue is codes of participation

Pedagogy, assessment and Contesting curriculum.
in power. These codes relate to linguistic forms, presentation of oneself and communication
strategies. The third aspect is that odes of culture having power reflect the codes of the culture
of them with power”, this explains that success in institutions, is established upon habits of
culture of people in power. Number four issue explains that suppose one is not participating in
the culture of power, having to be explained to the guidlines of that society makes getting power
simple. This means that power can be transmitted. Finally all those having power, are least aware
of its there being, and those with less power are mostly aware of its there being. For example
suppose you are a member of a radical group, acknowledging your power and confessing your
participation in the culture of power appears intolerable.
7.2 According to Barbara Comber’s work, what are the biggest challenges when meeting
the needs of all students in a classroom?
Poverty is the greatest challenge one can face in fullfilling all student’s needs in a class. Poverty
in some areas of Australia while others are well up brings the issues of inequality for the students
when they meet in one class. You can teach students are they can all receive education fairly;
however there are issues of lack of school fees, inadequate stationaries and other learning
materials and also hunger may hinder some students from concentration (comber, 2016).

Pedagogy, assessment and Contesting curriculum.
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