Professionalism means the way the professionals carry out the principles, laws, protocol, and

ethics of profession in a practice (Wilson & Powell, 2013).The school or any education sector depends

on the quality teaching of teachers. The Australian Professional standard for Teachers (APST) is

responsible for teacher standards by developing new skills in teaching and assessment. The main aim

of APST is to shape Australians to be active, confident, creative, successful learner and hence

responsible citizens. The APST outline standards in order to manifest Teacher professionalism. The

standards are categorized according to stages of professional carrier: Graduate, Proficient, Highly

accomplished and Lead. The Standards are classified into three domains of teaching: Professional

knowledge, Professional practice and professional Engagement.( The Australian Professional

standard for Teachers,2017).There are 7 standards: To carry out the professionalism the teacher should

have professional knowledge. Depending on students diverse backgrounds,interest,strength and

needs ,the teacher should develop strategy by applying knowledge of the content in to the activities

to engage all students, in order to achieve their success in learning. In Professional practice,there are

3 standards. It involves planning and implementing effective teaching and learning. For example,

engaging students in a group activity helps students to gain better understanding due to their

interaction with peers and teacher. The strategy should develop knowledge, skills, critical thinking

and problem solving. Using a range of sources like ICT and effective communication strategies,

promote classified into engagements in learning. Apart from this the teacher should also get feedback

from students about activities to improve their strategies. The teachers should maintain supportive

and safe environment for students which is essential for effective learning. Moreover, Teachers

engagement in professional course and also advise from experienced teachers will update their

knowledge and hence their practices. The most important responsible for a teacher is to provide

feedback on strength and weakness of students learning, to their parents is essential to achieve better

future outcomes. Moreover the teachers engaging professionally with colleagues, parent or carers,
students and the community is the way to achieve their standard .(The Australian Professional

standard for Teachers,2017).

The Australian Curriculum directs teachers to what is to be taught. It also makes clear students

learning and expectations of outcomes. The Australian Curriculum is designed in 3 dimensions which

consists of learning area, general capabilities and cross-curriculum priorities which provide teachers

various options to cater for diverse needs. The Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for

Young Australians (MCEETYA, 2008) provides the policy framework for the Australian Curriculum.

The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) is responsible for the

formation of high quality Australian curriculum which focused on excellence and equity in education.

( The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, 2013 ). Australian Curriculum

provide guide to teachers what to be taught for particular stage, which in turn helps them to develop

their lessons plan which consist of teaching and learning programs. These learning programs are

developed based on students interests, ability and needs of diverse students. Moreover Australian

curriculum helps teachers to address on cognitive, affective, physical and social needs of all students

of different backgrounds. Thus Teacher can able to provide activities with slight moderations

depending on student ability to cater the needs of disability, gifted and talented students and students

from non- English speaking background.

Pedagogy is the method and practice of teaching applied by teachers to students learning. Teachers

who adopt effective pedagogy, assimilate their own knowledge with student’s past knowledge to

develop lessons to account for students needs. teachers are proficient in dealing students problems,

assessing and reporting progress. Moreover, teachers respect, care and support students which creates

excellent learning environment for students. In Australia, the NSW Quality Teaching Framework

(QTF) aims to enhance student interest, motivation and active participation in learning without

undermining intellectual quality, thus, leading to better students learning outcomes (Wilson &
Powell,2013). The model of QTF have three dimensions which are interconnected to outline the

effective classroom practices that enhances student outcomes(NSW Department of Education and

Training, 2003).The three dimensions are Intellectual quality, Quality learning environment, and

significance. Intellectual quality refers to pedagogy focused on producing deep understanding of

knowledge about content, skills, and ideas. This pedagogy enables teachers to engage students in

higher order thinking and to communicate effectively about their learning. Quality learning

environment refers to pedagogy that build classrooms as a effective learning environment, where

learning takes place in group discussion among students and teacher which promote healthy

relationship between teacher and students and also among students. Such pedagogy sets high and

definite expectations. Significance refers to the pedagogy that helps teachers to make learning more

meaningful and important to students. Effective pedagogy is significant for teachers to enhance

students learning outcomes as well as it helps to know students background, cultural knowledge,

knowledge integration, connectedness, and communication.

Assessment is a tool for teachers to obtain information about students’ knowledge, skill, and their

attitudes. The main goal of Assessment is to provide information on student’s success, progress and

also to provide guidance to ongoing learning (NSW Department of School Education 1996). Teachers

will assess students every day in the classrooms, which may be formal and informal. The assessment

is diagnostic, formative and summative where teachers maintain the record of each stage of

assessment. Assessment gives clear idea to Teachers how much student has learned and also to

student, feedback of learning achievements. Moreover students achievements are compared by Norm-

referenced assessment like OECD, PISA,IQ TESTS,NAPLAN and Criterion-referenced assessments

like HSC self-examination tests consist of literacy and numeracy tests which is conducted for students

from year3 to year 9 in May monoplane is not a high stakes test. It is aim to provide information to

parents, teachers, and school about their children's development in literacy and numeracy skills. The

NAPLAN provides information not only on students but also on schools. The results are announced
publicly in MY SCHOOL website. In 2016, preliminary NAPLAN results shows that there is an

increase in reading scores across the country of 0.40 percent since 2013, a decrease in writing scores

of -0.20 percent and an increase in numeracy of 1.26 percent across all year levels. Over the same

period there has been a 23.7 per cent increase in federal school funding(Browne&Cook,2016).These

results clearly indicates school and teachers to take steps to support students improvement in learning

literacy and numeracy skills and measure their student ability against national minimum standards

and compare student performance across states and territory( The Australian Curriculum, Assessment

and Reporting Authority,2017).However exercising literacy and numeracy task will not improve the

Naplan result, instead the school and teachers should focus on enriching curriculum with

reading ,writing and mathematics is vital to build students skill for effective learning(McGaw,2012 ).

In Education system, Indigenous students have a unsatisfactory performance (Richards & Vining,

2004).Indigenous students are 1.5 times more likely to be diagnosed with a learning disability and

3.5 times more likely to be diagnosed with a behaviour problems than the non-indigenous

people(British Columbia Ministry of Education, 2012).The education system is build and maintained

by non-indigenous population according to their culture, systems, and values by ignoring that of

indigenous( Keddie,2013 ). As a consequence, Indigenous students find hard to get accommodate

themselves with mainstream of non-indigenous people education system resulting in drop out from

school or poor performance in outcomes. In 2015preliminary NAPLAN results, Year 9 reading

benchmark in the ACT is 94% but in the NT, only 66.3% of Year 9 students are meeting the same

benchmark(Riddle,2015 ).Result reveals that one in three Year 9 students in the NT cannot read at a

level suitable for their schooling. The difference in result is also due to the impacts of geolocation

and other socio-economic factors on learning outcomes. Apart from education set back, indigenous

community suffering from higher rates of poverty, drug and alcohol abuse, suicide, and poor health

conditions (Friesen & Krauth, 2010:Mykota &Schwean, 2006).There is a large gap in educational

outcomes between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students. For example, the graduation rate of
Indigenous students is 54%, as compared with 83% for non-Indigenous students(British Columbia

Ministry of Education, 2012).This gap is also due to lack of harmony between Indigenous cultures

and the dominant Western culture(Sirin, 2005).Hence addressing this issues are significant to provide

equity for indigenous student in western education system. Klingner and colleagues (as cited in

Micintosh,2014) suggested that every student is an successful learner when their culture, language,

heritage, and experiences are valued along with teachers and education system. There is a need for

teachers to adopt Indigenous learning to the classroom to engage indigenous students in activities.

Villegas & Lucas( as cited in Micintosh,2014) suggested that teachers can apply the indigenous

experience, behaviours, and traditions of their students to create a curriculum that is familiar to their

culture leads to active participation in the learning. Moreover, it is essential for teachers to respect

and communicate with indigenous parents that leads to students positive outcomes. Soodak &

Erwin(as cited in Micintosh,2014) suggested that to engage all students in effective learning it is

important for a teacher to apply management styles and lesson plans for the diverse needs and

behaviour problems. In Indigenous students as listening and observing skills are more than the non-

indigenous once suggested by Castagno & Brayboy ( as cited in Micintosh,2014).Teacher can apply

this skilled value to her pedagogy to engage effectively in activities. For example, in a case study of

a Yup’ik teacher, Lipka( as cited in Micintosh,2014) found that this teacher was less talkative than

western teacher,Students in the class were need to follow modelled behaviour and classroom

management strategies to support peer-group unity and respect for each other students. Students

showed active participation in the lesson, as it reflect student culture and their experiences

(Mcintosh,2014).

According to Australian Professional Standards for Teachers, teacher should develop pedagogy

and plan assessment based on curriculum for a student of range of abilities. Hence difference teaching

pedagogy is applied to cater for the student’s abilities. According to APST standard 1, Knowing

students and how they learn is a key point for a teacher to develop her pedagogy to meet student
needs. Teacher need to develop teaching strategies knowing the background of students’ physical,

social and intellectual development and characteristics to improve student learning. For example; In

the upper primary classes, the teacher found low student interest and participation in reading

programmes. As a result, the teacher developed and implemented the cooperative reading program.

This reading program stimulate student interest towards reading, develop confidence in group

discussions about literature ineffective learning environment and also provide choice for students to

select their readings for active participation. In reading programs teacher can use visual aid to

stimulate oral language for different students ability. According to APST standard 2, teacher should

know the content and how to teach it. The teacher should develop engaging teaching activities by

applying knowledge of the content and strategies of teaching area. The science teacher can facilitate

a lesson by engaging students in science-based activities like in biology,if the topic is on animals its

better to arrange activity for students to visit those animals that gives students natural experience to

understand about those animals. According to APST standard 3; Teacher need to develop and

implement lesson plan which involves effective teaching and learning programs. The goals need to

be clear, challenging and achievable that engage all students and thus enhance learning. The strategies

should be problem solving and critical and creative thinking. Using a resources like ICT in teaching,

engages students in their learning. Furthermore, Teacher can make use of verbal and non-verbal

communication strategies to support student understanding, participation, engagement and

achievement and also to maintain classroom expectations. In addition, assessing personal teaching

and learning programs from students feedback and student assessment data to inform planning is

significant. In order to involve parent or carers in their children’s learning, plan an activity based on

content. According to APST standard 4: For effective students learning, teacher need to construct and

maintain safe and supportive environments. According to Standard 5, Teachers need to maintain

report by assessing students in formal and informal diagnostic, formative and summative assessment

strategies to provide feedback on student learning. Teachers combine a range of assessment methods

to assess student learning and provide multiple opportunities for students to demonstrate
understanding. According to APST standard 6, Teachers need to engage in professional learning for

ongoing development. Teachers use the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers and take

advice from colleagues to develop professional learning needs.

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