RDEP ASSIGNMENT 1: REFLECTIVE ESSAY HAYLEY FIRTH: 18608638

RESEARCHING & DEVELOPING ENGAGING PEDAGOGIES

ASSIGNMENT 1: REFLECTIVE ESSAY

SPECIALISATION: MATHEMATICS

HAYLEY FIRTH: 18608638

THE MeE FRAMEWORK, 21ST CENTURY EDUCATION &

DIALOGIC CLASSROOMS

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THE MeE FRAMEWORK

The MeE Framework imparts pedagogical guidance through investigating how psychosocial

factors significantly correlate with students’ ‘M’otivation, ‘e’ngagement and devotion to education

(‘E’ngagement) (Munns & Martin, 2005; Department of Education & Training [DET], 2006).

Validated by theory and extensive research, educators who implemented the Framework within low

socio-economic contexts recognised increased student motivation for learning engagement which

simultaneously fostered long-term educational persistence (Munns, Martin & Craven, 2006).

Therefore, establishing my perception of the MeE Framework evolved my understanding of student

engagement and elicited an insightful critique of my pedagogy.

Initially, adapting pedagogical practice to student needs evokes ‘M’otivation towards learning.

Accordingly, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (Margetts & Woolfolk, 2019) emphasises the

importance of supporting a child’s basic and psychological requirements in order to fulfil self-

actualisation. This aligns with the MeE Framework, as adapting pedagogical practice to embrace

students’ psychosocial needs enhances their confidence and self-efficacy (Munns, Martin & Craven,

2006). Moreover, during my first practicum I realised the importance of attending to students’

psychosocial needs in order to motivate them to learn. Specifically, I found students’ external

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experiences and perceptions of education highly impacted their motivation to engage in activities.

Although building rapports assisted in adapting my lessons, disclosing their negative perceptions

regarding education will provide advanced implications for positive change (Munns, Martin &

Craven, 2006).

Consequently, students actively contribute to their education through substantive ‘e'ngagement.

According to Callcot et al. (2015), minimising traditional teacher-directed approaches enables

opportunities for students to develop independence as critical inquirers of their learning. Such

student-centred approaches are crucial for engagement, as allowing students to “take responsibility

for their own learning, and have the confidence to express themselves” (DET, 2006, p.74) promotes

their roles as ‘insiders’ of the classroom (Munns & Woodward, 2006). For instance, during

practicum, students used the application ‘Clips’ to document static electricity and elaborate upon

how it occurs through their understanding. This proved highly beneficial, as students enjoyed

collaboratively sharing their knowledge and stimulated higher-order cognition that aided future

engagement. Accordingly, this affective, operative and cognitive engagement is a vital component

of the MeE Framework when accomplishing ‘e’ngagement (DET, 2006). However, my practice

lacked this during other key learning areas (KLA) due to novice professional development and

limited teaching opportunities.

Simultaneously, ‘M’otivation for ‘e’ngagement facilitates an endured value for education “now and

in the future” (DET, 2006, p.79). Overtime, motivated and engaged students will form a meaningful

connection and understanding for how education is a relevant asset (Munns, Martin & Craven,

2006). As a pre-service teacher, I aim to adopt the MeE Framework beyond pedagogical practices

that promote students’ sense of belonging within their classroom. I aspire to encourage fellow

educators to consider embracing these MeE Framework principles for widespread ‘E’ngagement

across school communities.

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21ST CENTURY PEDAGOGIES

Educational transformation is imperative for sustaining new competencies and skills relevant

to our increasingly complex world (Scott, 2015). Between 2003 and 2010, my primary experiences

of 21st-education involve ‘computer lab-time’ once a week whilst classroom activities were

predominately teacher-directed. However, practicum indicated how quickly technology and

teaching practices must evolve to persist relevant, modern education. Thus, adapting 21st-century

pedagogies promotes holistic educational transformation through constructivist, student-centred

approaches of dialogic classrooms, creativity, active/ project-based learning (PBL), purposeful

technology integration, and personalised learning (Vass, 2020). Stauffer (2020) deemed this

phenomenon crucial for adopting 21st-century learning, literacy, and life skills that empowers

students to “take advantage of opportunity and to face the challenges of this era with confidence”

(Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training & Youth Affairs [MCEETYA], 2008,

p.4).

Educational pedagogies must offer meaningful, inquiry-based engagement to nurture 21st-century

learning skills (Scott, 2015). According to Reynolds (2019), inquiry- and project-based approaches

elicit higher-order cognition as critical and creative thinking is engaged when actively solving

problems. Simultaneously, this caters for personalised learning through an innate differentiation that

utilises individual thinking and creativity for the meaningful construction of knowledge (Margetts

& Woolfolk, 2019). Furthermore, incorporating collaborative environments enhances genuine

learning opportunities as knowledge is shared and co-constructed (Vygotsky, 1978; Margetts &

Woolfolk, 2019). This enables dialogic communication amongst students, whereby the 4C’s of

21st-century learning skills are combined (Stauffer, 2020) for deeper understandings of different yet

relevant perceptions of knowledge (Teo, 2019). Although my primary-schooling experience lacked

this, I aspire to utilise these concepts in future pedagogical practices in alignment with my

theoretical beliefs of social constructivism and general passion for hands-on learning.

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Additionally, purposeful technology integration must be relevant and innovative for digital literacy

skills to develop (Hunter, 2015). Evident in practicum and research, many educators misconceive

purposeful technology integration for low-cognitive tasks, such as watching videos and using

interactive whiteboards (Hunter, 2015). Although using ICT, this is inadequate for attaining

educational outcomes as it lacks key affordances of technological interaction and thus limits

meaningful learning (Orlando, 2013). However, incorporating technology into supplemental

learning opportunities enables innovative student interaction with affordances of technology

relevant to their present and future learning (Orlando, 2013; Australian Institute for Teaching &

School Leadership [AITSL], 2011). Furthermore, purposeful interaction removes stigmatisation

surrounding new technologies and produces imperative skills for adapting with existing and future

technologies (Stauffer, 2020).

Subsequently, 21st-century education promotes resilience for confronting current and future

challenges in life. According to Woolfolk (2020), active learning implicitly builds resilience as

students practice decision-making and critical thinking skills through problem-based inquiries. This

encourages growth mindsets as utilising failure as guidance and motivation to succeed will

strengthen resilience when seeking future improvement (Dweck, 2006). Additionally, these

attributes transfer into real-world contexts as flexibility, leadership, initiative, productivity and

social skills are developed over ample time and consistent active learning (Yeager & Dweck, 2012;

Stauffer, 2020). These are vital skills I aim to foster within students to strengthen resiliency when

overcoming inevitable life challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic.

ENGAGEMENT, 21ST-CENTURY EDUCATION & DIALOGIC CLASSROOMS

From my primary teachers’ perspectives, silent classrooms were an indicator of productivity

and engagement . However, this oppressed my educational curiosity and exploration as I sat there

quiet and discouraged to speak. Hence, I believe silence indicates hopelessness whilst dialogue

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inspires educational persistence. Dialogic ‘insider’ classrooms nurtures students’ educational

independence through the various oral strategies imperative for cognitive, affective and operative

engagement (Vass, 2017; DET, 2006). Supported by theory and extensive research, this 21st-

century pedagogy imparts numerous implications for future pedagogical practice within

Mathematics (Mercer & Sams, 2006) whilst enhancing essential ‘4C’ learning skills (Stauffer,

2020).

Dialogic communication between teacher and student(s) ‘m’otivates substantive, affective

‘e’ngagement. According to Vass (2017), teacher inclusive conversations authorises students to

become ‘insiders’ of their student-centred classroom, as power and learning becomes shared.

Specifically, implementing this pedagogy throughout mathematical lessons allows students to

combine various strategies that facilitate their thinking and understanding (Attard, Edwards-Groves,

& Grootenboer, 2018). Additionally, producing constructive teacher feedback influences students’

self-concept by enhancing motivation, attention, and confidence towards the task (Vass, 2017). This

high-affective engagement is pivotal for reducing stigma associated with mathematics, as

stimulating enthusiasm within classrooms reduces negative discourse and promotes long-term

‘E’ngagement (FGP; Munns, Martin & Craven, 2006). However, dialogic classrooms may limit

inclusive education for students with hearing impairments. In consideration of my future

pedagogical practices but not limited to, Swanwick (2018) suggests appropriate scaffolding and

controlled volume of the classroom assists including students with hearing impairments.

Furthermore, dialogic ‘insider’ classrooms induce higher-order cognition through self-reflective

practices. Piaget’s theory of constructivism emphasises individual meaning-making through the

organisation and adaption of existing knowledge (Margetts & Woolfolk, 2019). Dialogic ‘insider’

classrooms incorporate this through promoting opportunities for deeper critical and creative

reflection as students evaluate their learning (Vass, 2017). Consequently, student self-assessment

encourages high-order cognition through the accomodation and assimilation of new knowledge
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(Margetts & Woolfolk, 2019). Crucial for mathematics, oral rehearsal of knowledge enables

students to meaningfully express and assess their knowledge whilst strengthening their working

memory (Margetts & Woolfolk, 2019). However, frustration and unproductive dialogue may occur

when students lack growth-mindsets (Dweck, 2006). Promoting growth-mindsets is a vital aspect of

my pedagogy, as encouraging resilience when facing challenges is important for cognitive

development, especially when exploring and understanding Mathematics (Attard, Edwards-Grove

& Grootenboer, 2018).

Subsequently, dialogic classrooms promote a community of reflection through operative

engagement. According to Vygotsky (1978), collaboration promotes deeper and meaningful

understandings through co-constructing knowledge. As dialogic pedagogies “seek to facilitate

students construction of knowledge” (Teo, 2019, p.170), constructivism further emphasises why

operative engagement is imperative. Evidently, grouping students for Mathematic tasks provides a

‘zone of proximal development’ (ZPD) that encourages students to interrogate other’s ideas for

deeper understandings (Margetts & Woolfolk, 2019). However, dialogue must be on-task for

effective operative engagement (Vass, 2018). Initiating discussion and explicit instruction avoids

this by scaffolding student learning for confident engagement (Mercer & Sams, 2006). Moreover,

collaboratively learning Mathematics promotes ‘E’ngagement as students apprehend its relevance

and asset in real-world contexts (Munns, Martin & Craven 2006).

REVISED TEACHING PHILOSOPHY

Reflective practice has evolved my pedagogical outlook upon 21st-century education.

Resonating with my theoretical and personal beliefs, investigating the MeE Framework has

reformed my philosophy through understanding how motivation impacts substantive engagement

and enduring educational values. Moreover, collaboration and resilience are imperative elements of

my philosophy, to motivate students to thrive within school and beyond. Thus, my philosophical

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term ‘steacher’ remains relevant to my revision; “someone who is dedicated to both being a student

and a teacher” (Students of 4R, 2019). 

As a steacher, I am passionate about student-centred classrooms for constructing positive

relationships with education as students become both the student and teacher. Student-centred

classrooms harness individual strengths and utilises them for meaningful teaching and learning,

rather than traditional teacher-directions (Woolfolk, 2020). Aligning with Vygotsky’s

constructivism (1978), this encourages students to become teachers as knowledge is shared and co-

constructed within collaborative classrooms. Thus, adapting the MeE Framework into this

pedagogy produces

authentic and meaningful interactions that lead to student ownership of learning (Margetts &

Woolfolk, 2019).

Specifically, ‘insider’ classrooms resonate with my philosophy for establishing substantive

engagement. Student-centred, collaborative environments produce student ownership of learning

through active involvement with “meaningful roles within…conversations and practices of the

classroom community” (DET, 2006, p.17). Thus, adopting a dialogic pedagogy for 21st century

education further enhances my philosophical approach to substantive engagement. Researching how

dialogic practices nurtures affective, operative and cognitive engagement provided insightful

implications I now prioritise within my philosophical pedagogy.

Developing these 21st-century skills empowers resilience and persistence for ‘E’ngagement.

Incorporating dialogic ‘insider’ classrooms into my revised philosophy will engage students in

collaborative, communicative, critical and creative thinking skills essential for 21st-century learning

(Stauffer, 2020). Consequently, students will foster 21st-century literacy and life skills as a

foundation for resilience (Stauffer, 2020; Yeager & Dweck, 2012) and thus, endure meaningful

‘E’ngagement with education.

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REFLECTION: MY ENGAGEMENT WITH MATHEMATICS

Although I have limited experience with teaching Mathematics, there is still plenty to reflect

upon for improving future practice. With negative discourse associated with Mathematics impacting

students’ learning outcomes (reference), it is crucial implications for change are recognised and

accomplished. Embedding reflective practice has evolved my pedagogical approaches by realising

strengths and need for modification.

While teaching Year 4, Stage 2 consisting of 30 students, stigma surrounding Numeracy evidently

impacted their motivation to engage with Mathematical learning. Students seemingly gave-up

understanding the Mathematical content before beginning the class. Frustrated and confused by

prior challenges encountered in mathematics, students entered the lessons lacking enthusiasm and

with fixed-mindsets.

However, I aim to change this by inspiring growth-mindsets to elevate motivation. As dialogic

classrooms promote student self-reflection (Vass, 2017), incorporating personal goal-setting will

encourage growth-mindset development (Travers, Morisano & Locke, 2015). This will shift self-

perceptions of competency as students are praised for their ability, rather than compared to a fixed

expectation (Haimovitz & Dweck, 2017). Consequently, students overcome challenges associated

with personal goals and thus, view failure as a motive for success (Margetts & Woolfolk, 2019).

Additionally, this correlates with ‘M’otivation for Mathematical ‘e’ngagement within dialogic

classrooms. As growth-mindsets motivates students to succeed (Yeager & dweck, 2012),

enthusiasm increases for high-affective engagement. This is vital for supporting students’

psychosocial needs and promotes productive operative engagement in dialogic environments

(Munns & Martin, 2005). By working collaboratively, students express ideas and co-construct

knowledge through meaningful interactions (Vygotsky, 1978). Thus, these interconnected

engagements reduce frustration and clarify Mathematical understandings through dialogic

classrooms (Attard, Edwards-Groves & Grootenboer, 2018).

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Therefore, I aspire to implement these pedagogical changes to reduce stigma associated with

Numeracy and endure enthusiastic ‘E’ngagement. I intend to strengthen my Mathematics

pedagogical practices to ensure students enter lessons with enthusiasm and confidence when

encountering challenges.

FUTURE PRACTICE IN MATHEMATICS

Insightful literature and research upon the MeE Framework has transformed my perception

towards substantive student engagement. It guided my understanding of 21st-century education and

evolved my competence for adopting dialogic pedagogies. Most importantly, revising my teaching

philosophy has emphasised the significance of reflective practice and why it is imperative to utilise

throughout my career.

Specifically, reflective practice has emphasised many implications for future pedagogical practice,

especially in Mathematics. I strive to incorporate Vass’ (2017) dialogic strategies for engaging 21st-

century education, involving student self-assessment, inclusive teacher conversations, constructive

teacher feedback and promoting a student community of reflection. Supported by the MeE

Framework and 21st-century education literature, I believe this approach will strengthen my future

pedagogical practices for inspiring students to accomplish their full potential within and beyond the

classroom. As discussed previously, it beholds many benefits for my future students and my

development towards Australian Professional Standards for Teaching (AITSL, 2011).

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REFERENCES

Attard, C., Edwards-Groves, C. & Grootenboer, P. (2018). Dialogic Practices in the Mathematics

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Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership [AITSL]. (2011). Australian Professional

Standards for Teachers. Education Services Australia, Melbourne: New South Wales.

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framework/australian-professional-standards-for-teachers.pdf

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Callcot, D., Miller, J., & Wilson-Gahan, S. (2015). Health and Physical Education: preparing

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Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. New York, NY: Random House.

Haimovitz, K. & Dweck, C.S. (2017) The Origins of Children’s Growth and Fixed Mindsets: New

Research and a New Proposal, Child Development, 88, p.1849-1859. Sage Publications.

Hunter, J. (2015). High Possibility Classrooms: A new model of technology integration for schools.

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Margetts, K. & Woolfolk, A. (2019). Educational Psychology, 5th Ed. Pearson, Australia.

Mercer, N., & Sams, C. (2006). Teaching children how to use language to solve maths problems.

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Engagement.pdf

Orlando, J. (2013). Engaging teaching practices with ICT in low SES schools. In  G. Munns, W.

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Swanwick, R. (2017). Dialogic Teaching and Translanguaging in Deaf Education. Evidence-Based

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Teo, P. (2019). Teaching for the 21st century: A case for dialogic pedagogy. Learning, Culture and

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