Debate and Self-Reflection: Good Pedagogy in Australian Schools

This report presents a debate and self-reflection on the topic of 'good' pedagogy, specifically focusing on the impact of high-stakes testing on the educational and overall development of Australian students. The author takes the position that high-stakes testing narrows down educational experiences, leading to superficial responses, detrimental effects such as 'white flight' from lower socio-economic schools, and increased stress and anxiety in students. It discusses how excessive pressure can negatively impact students' educational futures, lower parental trust in teachers, and deteriorate the educational system. The author proposes implementing changes in exam regimes, providing importance to various subjects, incorporating motivational sessions, and educating parents about the negative effects of stress. The reflection highlights the debate among educators regarding the benefits of high-stakes testing, its potential to enhance student attrition, and dissatisfaction among educators. The report emphasizes the need for reforms in the testing regime and suggests eradicating policies that restrict students' subject choices, advocating for teacher autonomy in teaching methods. The author concludes that reforming high-stakes testing will positively impact their work as an educator, having gained a comprehensive understanding of its merits and demerits.

Debate and Self reflection
on “good” Pedagogy

Part 1: Debate
Debate topic: Is the
high-stake testing
regime imposing
positive impact on
the educational as
well as overall
development of the
Australian students
and thus can be
considered as a good
pedagogy method?

My Position in the debate
High stake testing is
narrowing down
the educational
experiences of the
Australian
students.

Justifications for my position
• The responses that are obtained from
high-stake testing are found to be
superficial majority of the times.
• High stake learning is found to have
detrimental effect of “white flight’ from
lower socio-economic schools in USA.

Justifications for my position
• Excessive pressure resulting from high-
stake testing give rise to stress and
anxiety in students.
• Stressed out students, who in spite of
having the potential to perform well, pay
lose the opportunity to receive federal
and state funding due to low score
• This in turn impose negative impact on
their educational future.

Justifications for my position
• reductionist perspectives regarding
education is lowering the trust of parent
towards the teachers
• High stake learning is severely
deteriorating the educational system of
USA.
• Students who are not being able to score
well in the test are subjected to repeat.
• This in turn, is resulting in decrement of
motivation and enhancing the attrition

Justifications for my position
• Pressure on teachers due to high stake
testing clamps down creativity and
innovation. This implement negative
impact on the overall development of the
student the students.
• The testing regimes results in extensive
pressures from parents to the students
that makes them counter-productive.

Good pedagogy that I want to adopt in my 1st school
• I will implement several changes in the
exam regime of the students of my school
• I will provide importance to all the
subjects like social science, arts and
music
• I will provide with a periodic motivational
session to my students
• incorporate a monthly parent teacher
meeting

Good pedagogy that I want to adopt in my 1st school
• I will educate the parents about the
negative effect of stress on the
educational development of any students
• In order to encourage the students to visit
school, I will incorporate various
recreational activities like sports and
musical concert.

Part 2: What I learned from the issue
disused in the article
• There exist a debate between educators
about whether High test testing is
beneficial or not among the educators of
Australia
• Some states that , the chief purpose of
high stake testing includes understanding
the specific interest and capability of each
student.

What I learned from the issue disused
in the article
• According to a good number of educators,
NAPLAN has enhanced the number of
student attrition in Australia due to
enhanced pressure
• Moreover, it has reduced the cope of
enhancing knowledge of the students
• Dissatisfaction regarding teaching is
taking place among educators

Significance of the issue to the current
educational system
• High stake testing is imposing negative
impact on the current educational system.
• However, high test testing has the
potential to become a good pedagogy
practice.
• test regime needs a few reforms
• students are losing their motivation to
score well in the exam due to excessive
pressure from both parents as well as
teachers

Significance of the issue to the current
educational system
• student attrition rate have got enhanced
by 8.3 percent after the implementation of
the test regime
• Teachers are not given the independency
to whichever subject they think will be
appropriate for the student

Impact of the learning as an educator
• government should eradicate the policy of
testing the students on specific subjects
so that they themselves can determine
which subject they want to proceed with
• Teachers should be given the freedom to
select their own method of teaching

Impact of the learning as an educator
• Reform of the high-stake testing will
impose a highly positive impact on my
work as an educator
• After going through the article I have
been able to understand the merits and
demerits of the High stake testing system.

Reference List
Grant, S.G., 2014. History lessons: Teaching, learning, and testing
in US high school classrooms. Routledge.
Minarechová, M., 2012. Negative impacts of high-stakes
testing. Journal of Pedagogy/Pedagogický Casopis, 3(1), pp.82-
100.
Niemi, H., Multisilta, J., Lipponen, L. and Vivitsou, M. eds.,
2014. Finnish innovations and technologies in Schools: A guide
towards new ecosystems of learning. Springer.
Polesel, J., Rice, S. and Dulfer, N., 2014. The impact of high-stakes
testing on curriculum and pedagogy: A teacher perspective from
Australia. Journal of Education Policy, 29(5), pp.640-657.
Stobart, G. and Eggen, T., 2012. High-stakes testing–value,
fairness and consequences. Assessment in education: principles,
policy & practice, 19(1), pp.1-6.