Abstract
This paper presents (i) a purpose-built conceptual model for professional learning and (ii) a leadership framework designed to support a large-scale project involving diverse sites across the state of Queensland, Australia. The project had as its focus teacher-capacity building and ways to improve literacy and numeracy outcomes for students at educational disadvantage. It involved 15 intersectoral clusters and brought together Middle School teachers, principals, curriculum leaders and management personnel from Education Queensland, the Association of Independent Schools Inc., and the Catholic Education Commission. In the paper we discuss how the project worked at the interface of research and practice. Further, we discuss how professional learning was facilitated by a multi-layered approach that acknowledged the importance of research-based learning, curriculum and pedagogic leadership by principals, and strong opportunities for teacher agency through cross-cluster and intersectoral collaboration. In conclusion, we invite readers to consider how the approach represents a radical new way to think about what could count as valued professional learning interactions.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
American Association of State Colleges and Universities, & National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges (AASCU & NASULGC). (2004).Crossing boundaries: The urban education imperative: A report from the joint task force for urban/metropolitan schools. Retrieved March 2006, from http://www.aascu.org/pdf/crossing_boundaries.pdf
Cumming, J., & Wyatt-Smith, C. (Eds.) (2001).Literacy and the curriculum: success in senior secondary schooling. Melbourne: ACER.
Cumming, J., Wyatt-Smith, C., Ryan, J., & Doig, S. M. (1998).The literacy-curriculum interface: The literacy demands of the curriculum in post-compulsory schooling. Final Report. Brisbane: Centre for Literacy Education Research, Griffith University, and Department of Employment, Education, Training and Youth Affairs.
Darling-Hammond, L., & McLaughlin, M. W. (1995). Policies that support professional development in an era of reform.Phi Delta Kappan, 76(8), 597–604.
Downes, T., Fluck, A., Gibbons, P., Leonard, R., Matthews, C., Oliver, R., et al. (2001).Making better connections: Models of teacher professional development for the integration of information and communication technology into classroom practice. Retrieved July 2004, from the DEST Web site: http://www.dest.gov.au/NR/ rdonlyres/3A88BB29-9798-49A1-90DB-0E46590E96BF/1593/MBC.pdf
Hayes, D., Mills, M., Christie, P., & Lingard, B. (2006).Teachers and schooling making the difference. Crows Nest: Allen and Unwin.
Lingard, B., Hayes, D., Mills, M., & Christie, P. (2003).Leading learning. Maidenhead, UK: Open University Press.
Lingard, B., Ladwig, J., Luke, A., Mills, M., Hayes, D., & Gore, J. (2001).Queensland school reform longitudinal study: Final report. Brisbane: Education Queensland.
Lingard, B., Mills, M., & Hayes, D. (2000). Teachers, school reform and social justice: Challenging research and practice.The Australian Educational Researcher, 27 (3), 99–116.
Luke, A., Elkins, J., Weir, K., Land R., Carrington, V., Dole, S., et al (2003).Beyond the Middle: A report about Literacy and Numeracy development of target group students in the Middle Years of Schooling (Vol. 1). Retrieved July 2004, from the DEST Web site: http://www.dest.gov.au/NR/rdonlyres/E06AD41C-5FC9-4F59-A45D-0DF1A7806D4C/1597/BeyondtheMiddleMainReport.pdf
Ministerial Council on Employment, Education, Training and Youth Affairs (MCEETYA) (1999).The Adelaide Declaration on National Goals for schooling in the Twenty-First Century. Adelaide: MCEETYA.
Silcox, S., Cavanagh, R., & NacNeill, N. (2004, December).Conceptualising principal leadership of school renewal. Paper presented at the Annual conference for the Australian Association for Research in Education, Melbourne.
Wyatt-Smith, C. M., & Bridges, S. M. (2006, May).Assessment for learning: An Australian study in middle schooling. Paper presented at the 32nd Annual Conference, International Association for Educational Assessment, Singapore.
Wyatt-Smith, C. M., & Bridges, S. M. (2007).Evaluation Study. In Literacy and Numeracy in the Middle Years of Schooling — Queensland Project Report: Meeting in the middle — assessment, pedagogy, learning and educational disadvantage (Appendix 1). Retrieved May 18, 2008, from http://education.qld.gov.au/literacy/docs/deewr-mypfinal-report.pdf
Wyatt-Smith, C. M., & Cumming, J. J. (2001). Examining the literacy-curriculum relationship.Linguistics and Education, 11(4), 295–312.
Wyatt-Smith, C. M., & Cumming, J. J. (2003). Curriculum literacies: Expanding domains of assessment.Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy and Practice, 10(1), 47–60.
Yeager, B. & Elder, P. J. (2005).Traveling the digital highway: Making complex connections visible. Retrieved May 30, 2006, from http://www.digitaldivide.net/articles/view.php?ArticleID=19
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Wyatt-Smith, C., Bridges, S., Hedemann, M. et al. Designing professional learning for effecting change: Partnerships for local and system networks. Aust. Educ. Res. 35, 1–20 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03246287
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03246287