Angus Coates Student ID:11685869

The Proper Application of

Proper Literacy
Pedagogies and Teaching
in the Primary Classroom

ELN402: Literacy Strategies for Learning

Assessment item 1 – Report: Analyse literacy and numeracy instruction
Student name: Angus Coates
Student number: 11658569
Subject coordinator: Ms Christina Davidson
Session number: 202290
Due date: 22/12/22
Submission date: 22/12/22
Word Count: 2271 (including references)

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Angus Coates Student ID:11685869

Contents
Introduction...........................................................................................................................................2
Diverse Classrooms for Business Studies..............................................................................................3
Code breaking.......................................................................................................................................4
Text Participation..................................................................................................................................5
Text user................................................................................................................................................7
Text analysis..........................................................................................................................................9
ICT improvements...............................................................................................................................10
Conclusion...........................................................................................................................................11
References...........................................................................................................................................12
Marking Rubric....................................................................................................................................14

Introduction

This report will focus on the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) HSC Business
Studies Operation unit, and its ability to utilise effective literary strategies to help students
with diverse backgrounds and experiences, based on Freebody and Luke’s Four Resources
model (Freebody & Luke, 1990; Freebody & Luke, 1999). This unit involves students
understanding how goods and services are produced along a supply chain, how resources are
managed and utilised to produce a profit, as well as utilising real-world examples of how
businesses are constantly adapting and evolving to change around them (NESA; 2010). This
unit has the end goal of developing students understanding of how the businesses they
commonly utilise and interact with function, as well as providing them with detailed
knowledge of how to make a business profitable if they choose to create their own once they
leave school (NESA,2010).

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Diverse Classrooms for Business Studies

Being able to differentiate and diversify learning based on students’ needs is a crucial aspect
of teaching, as the needs of the students on a physical and mental level can heavily impact
how they are able to engage with the content, as well as what additional support they require
(Henderson, 2019; Gibbons, 2002). This needs to be considered in both the context of
students physical, emotional, and intellectual needs, but also their personal interests within
and outside of the classroom, such as interest areas and types of tasks that students do or do
not synergise well with, as utilising literacy and numeracy tasks that students can resonate
with allows them to be continually engaged in their learning (Taylor et al., 2019; Freebody &
Luke, 1999). In my case study class, there are 12 students within a public high school, with
two English as an Additional Language (EAL/D) students, one student with dyslexia, who
utilises blue paper to counteract it while writing, as well as one student with Oppositional
Defiance Disorder. These students tend to get along well, and often enjoy working together to
help each other learn.

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Code breaking
In a business studies context, Code breaking involves understanding various interconnecting
aspects of communication and literacy, such as language and visual imagery to understand
how businesses communicate internally and externally (Freebody & Luke, 1990; Luke and
Freebody, 1999). Within the Business Studies Operations unit, code breaking is used to a
thorough level, with students utilising their literacy and numeracy skills to do the following
(NESA, 2010):

1. The creation and investigation of various Gantt charts and Critical path analysis documents
surrounding the production of businesses goods and services, interpreting the length of time
that the good/service takes to produce with graphs.

2. The creation of a table that compares different Australian businesses based on their size,
sector and unique factors, and how they impact operations, comparing various statistics
involved in businesses and their success.

Although this unit utilises code breaking effectively, it has minimal inclusion of analysing
different terminology used within businesses, preventing students from understanding key
terms, their definition and etymology. This denies students the opportunity to intrinsically
understand what terms they are learning about in business and ways of connecting different
key business concepts to each other (Derewianka, 1992; Gibbons, 2002). Numeracy is used in
an effective manner regarding code breaking, with the creation of various graphs and tables
based on key business concepts allowing students to visualise key numerical concepts (Goos
et al., 2019; Luke & Freebody 1999). A potential activity that would develop students’
understanding of code breaking would be the construction of a word bank created together as
a class throughout the unit to define key operations terms, with images and examples of how
each term is used by businesses. This continual growth and development of the word bank
allows students to continually work together to succeed, allowing the dyslexic and EAL/D
students to build their knowledge from their peers, utilising various types of language and
understanding to explain various concepts (Edward-Groves & Davidson, 2017; Taylor et al.,
2019). Numeracy can be utilized within this task through the drawing of graphs, images, and
diagrams to explain concepts such as Gantt charts and target market graphs (Johnson &
Johnson, 1990; Killen, 2016).

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Text Participation

In a business studies context, text participation involves the creation and deconstruction of
various print, oral and multimodal text types, as well as understanding the different uses for
each text type based on its intent, audience, and type of information (Freebody & Luke, 1990;
Luke and Freebody, 1999). Within the Business Studies Operations unit, Text participation is
used to a thorough level, with students utilising their literacy and numeracy skills to do the
following (NESA, 2010):

1. Class discussions about the various reasons a business may resist change.

2. The answering of a sample HSC essay question surrounding the relationship between
operations and the other key business functions (Finance, Human Resources and Marketing)
analysed within the HSC syllabus.

However, one of the downsides of this unit is its highly clinical perspectives towards teaching
business, with minimal use of self-expression and development of student’s identity. This can
heavily create a level of disconnect between students from their learning, preventing them
from developing a personalised connection to their understanding of how businesses operate
(Taylor et al., 2019; Gibbons, 2002). By integrating activities that connect to students’
personal interests, students can develop their understanding of how businesses operate on a
fundamental level, being able to express it orally and in written forms and understanding why
and how we communicate in different manners (Edward-Groves & Davidson, 2017).
Numeracy is also extremely neglected regarding text participation, with students not being
exposed to how and why businesses utilise different types of numbers and terminology
surrounding them (Goos et al., 2019).

A potential activity that involves text participation in this unit be involve students Viewing
YouTube videos surrounding the creation of how different products, such as videos from the
“HowItsMadeVids” YouTube channel and analyse how different people in the video \
describes the creation of the goods and services, understanding how different people interact
with texts based on their experience in business. This allows the EAL/D students and the
child with dyslexia to utilise non-writing methods to express their ideas, as well as utilising
ICT to ensure that students are engaged with the content (Mills, 2010; Gibbons, 2002).
Students can develop their numeracy skills by understanding the different numerical

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terminology surrounding the production of goods and/or services, why different terms such as
units, costs, and profit to understand how mathematics terms are used in businesses, and what
their equivalent may be in common society (Killen et al., 2016; Johnson & Johnson, 1990).

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Text user

In a business studies context, text user involves understanding how and why different oral,
print, and multimodal texts are used, and how the different aspects of each text type influence
how it is read and interpreted (Freebody & Luke, 1990; Luke and Freebody, 1999). Within
the Business Studies Operations unit, Text use is used to a basic level, with students utilising
their literary and numeracy skills to do the following (NESA, 2010):

1.The small group creation of a new product and/or service to be sold during the next
Olympic Games, with the writing of a process diary of its creation.

2.The investigation and identification of different legal documents and how they impact
businesses on a local, regional, national, and international level.

However, one of the downsides of this unit is its lack of analysis of why these text types are
used to communicate the aspects of the operations in a business, and instead purely looks at
how businesses communicate. This prevents students from understanding the different text
types and their purposes within business, allowing students to be easily confused regarding
the text types they are reading, as well as how they differ from other text types, based on tone
and intent (Henderson, 2019) By analysing the reasoning behind different text types and their
uses by businesses, students can identify and justify the various methods of communication
that businesses use (Taylor et al., 2019; Derewianka, 1992). Numeracy is also minimally
used, with students being denied the opportunity to analyse how numbers and statistics
influence how businesses decide the most effective method of operation (Goos et al., 2019).

A potential activity that involves text user in this unit would be a small group task involving
writing a business email on a business’s stock management, the different types of the
business could use and their pros/cons. This would allow students with low EAL/D abilities
to interact with other students, building their interpersonal communications and writing skills,
whilst allowing the ODD student to practice working with other students who they may
disagree with (Johnson & Johnson, 1990; Freebody & Luke, 1990). This activity also builds
on their text analysis ability by utilising a less formal format that is used in businesses,
developing a holistic understanding of how the communication style in businesses may vary,
and the various factors that determine it. Numeracy can be further developed in this activity
through understanding how numbers can be utilised within businesses to compare how

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successful different aspects of the business are, and proving pros and cons of different
options (Goos et al., 2019)

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Angus Coates Student ID:11685869

Text analysis

Text analysis involves students investigating and analysing various text types who their
intended readers are and understanding how different people express their biases (Luke &
Freebody, 1999). From this, students can understand the social aspects of how businesses
need to communicate with consumers and employees (Freebody & Luke, 1990). Within the
Business Studies Operations unit, Text analysis is used to a minimal level, with students
utilising their literary and numeracy skills to do the following (NESA, 2010):

1.Students research an international businesses production, creating develop a flowchart and

explanation that illustrates the processes of operations for the business.

2.Using current media articles that include issues relating to customer service to address
questions such as ‘Is the customer always right?’ & ‘Does good customer service build value
for business?' & ‘does this website have any biases towards the business or consumer?’

However, this unit heavily focuses on report-style writing within businesses, creating a very
stagnant view of businesses and how they communicate, not taking into consideration how
businesses may interact based on the context or recipient (Luke & Freebody, 1999). This can
be improved by integrating various text types within a business operations context,
developing a more holistic perspective surrounding how businesses communicate based on
their intentions and the type of business they operate (Taylor et al., 2019; Killen, 2016). This
unit also has minimal use of developing students’ numeracy skills, preventing students from
understanding how businesses present numbers to consumers to help them utilise their
products (Johnson & Johnson, 1990). A potential activity that involves text analysis in this
unit would involve having students creating a cake recipe and identifying which parts of the
recipe are the inputs, transformation, and outputs.

This would allow students to connect the different types of writing that businesses must
create through their operations and how they differ between businesses, whilst building on
the EAL/D students literary ability and understanding of different language use based on
contextual information, as well as building their understanding of how businesses may
communicate differently if they talking to consumers, then if they are communicating
internally (Edwards-Groves & Davidson, 2017; Gibbons, 2002). Students can also develop
their understanding of how businesses utilise numbers through the different types of

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measurements for ingredients (grams, ml, units, etc), understanding how and why businesses
may communicate numbers in different ways based on the intent of the product (Goos et al.,
2019; Henderson, 2019).

ICT improvements

One of the many ways to improve the literacy and numeracy learning of students is with
Information and Communications Technology (ICT), as students can interact with their
learning in an engaging manner, whilst building both their literacy and numeracy skills, as
well as their technological usage (Henderson, 2019; Honan, 2019). The first way of
improving this learning sequence is through the usage of digital videos on YouTube and
movies surrounding business, such as clips from The Founder, The Social Network and
Moneyball, presented on an Interactive Whiteboard. By utilising videos from movies based
on real businesses, it ensures students engagement by connecting their learning to aspects of
society they can connect to. This can be used to build students ability to decode various texts
and the method, syntax, and style of communication through engaging videos, whilst
analysing the language and reasoning behind different characters’ decisions within a business
context (Honan, 2019; Dalley-Trim, 2019).

Another method of utilizing ICT for this unit of learning is the use of digital communication
services, such as Skype, Zoom and Discord to conduct class-wide interviews with local and
regional business managers to understand how their businesses operate. This would allow
students to communicate with business experts across Australia to participate in their own
learning, developing their verbal communication and literacy skills and understanding key
business concepts (Taylor et al., 2019; Mills, 2010). This investigation into real-world
businesses also allows students to understand and compare key statistics, such as profit
margins, theft rates and gross annual profits between businesses, understanding which factors
of the business influence the production and monetary factors of the business (Gilbert et al.,
2018; Derewianka, 1992).

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Angus Coates Student ID:11685869

Conclusion

Overall, this HSC business studies unit on operations utilises of Freebody and Luke’s four
resources model to a sound degree, with minimal inclusion of numeracy, text analysis and
text use, which can be improved through the above revisions. From these strategies and
revisions, students from various backgrounds, skills, and abilities can understand key
business concepts, while developing their literacy and numeracy skills (Freebody & Luke,
1990).

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References

Derewianka, B. (1992). Language assessment in primary classrooms. Harcourt Brace

Jovanovich.

Edwards-Groves, C., & Davidson, C. (2017). Becoming meaning-makers. Primary English

Teaching Association.

Freebody, P., & Luke, A.(1990). Literacies programs: Debates and demands in cultural
context. Prospect: An Australian Journal of TESOL, 5(3), 7-16.

Gibbons, P. (2002). Scaffolding language, scaffolding learning: Teaching second language

learners in the mainstream classroom. Heinemann.
Goos, M., Geiger, V., Dole, S., Forgasz, H., & Bennison, A. (2019). Numeracy across the
curriculum: Research-Based Strategies for Enhancing Teaching and Learning (1st
ed.). Allen & Unwin.

Henderson, R. (2019). Teaching literacies: Pedagogies and diversity  Oxford University

Press.

Johnson, D. W., & Johnson, R. T. (1990). Using cooperative learning in math. In N.

Davidson (Ed.), Cooperative Learning in Mathematics (pp. 103-
125). Menlo Park, CA: Addison-Wesley Publishing Company. 

Luke, A., & Freebody, P. (1999). A map of possible practices: Further notes on the Four
Resources Model. Practically Primary, 4(2), 5-8.
https://search.informit.org/doi/10.3316/aeipt.96162

Killen, R. (2016). Effective teaching strategies: Lessons from research and practice (7th ed.).
South Melbourne, Australia: Cengage Learning.

Mills, K. (2010). Shrek meets Vygotsky: Rethinking adolescents’ multimodal literacy

practices in schools. Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, 54(1), 35-45.
https://eprints.qut.edu.au/32981/

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NESA. (2010). Sample Unit – Business Studies Year 12: Operations.

https://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/wcm/connect/728f5a71-c015-40b6-b9d4-
953ccef928b5/business-studies-year-12-sample-unit-operations.docx?
MOD=AJPERES&CACHEID=ROOTWORKSPACE-728f5a71-c015-40b6-b9d4-
953ccef928b5-m1cNwbH

Taylor, T., Fahey, C., Kriewaldt, J., & Boon, D. (2019). Place and Time: Teaching History,
Geography and Social Sciences. (2nd ed.). Pearson.

Marking Rubric

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Name:
Mark: /40
Grade:
HD=34+ DI=30+ CR=26+ PS=20+ FL=19 or less
NB: Each criterion is weighted equally with the others
Overall comments:

Criteria HD DI CR PS FL
Identifies an Identifies pre- Identifies pre- Identifies pre- Identifies pre- The teaching
appropriate existing existing existing existing unit is not
teaching unit from teaching unit. teaching unit. teaching unit. teaching unit. identified.
subject area; Provides Clear, concise Provides an Briefly Description of
provides summary. clear, concise and efficiently overview describes the classroom does
Provides a and fluently organised of the unit. unit. not include a
description of a organised summary of the Describes Describes a diversity of
classroom where summary of unit. Provides a with some classroom students.
the unit can be unit. Richly vivid description detail a with a Inadequate
taught; a diversity describes a of a classroom classroom diversity of reasoning used
of students are classroom with a diversity with a students. to connect
appropriately with a of students. diversity of An adequate theory to
included. diversity of A students. A understandin practice. There
Connections are students. A comprehensive good g of relevant are no
made with theory to deep and understanding of understanding theory connections to
practice in the comprehensive relevant theory of relevant implicitly theory. This
classroom understanding is clearly theory connected criterion is not
regarding of relevant connected to adequately to valuing of addressed.
how diversity of theory is valuing of connected to diversity
students is valued. explicitly diversity of valuing of of students.
connected to students. diversity of
valuing of students.
diversity of
students.
Identifies Identifies Identifies Identifies Identifies Identification
Resources explicitly explicitly the explicitly explicitly of Resources is
using the Four the literacy literacy and the literacy the literacy implicit or
Resources Model to and numeracy numeracy and numeracy and missing.
evaluate literacy Resources Resources Resources numeracy Examples
and numeracy taught in the taught in the taught in the Resources are incorrect or
opportunities and unit using the unit using the unit using the taught in the poorly
identifies Four Four Resources Four unit using the selected. No
appropriate Resources Model and Resources Four evaluation.
Resources and Model and comprehensive Model and Resources Resources
teaching strategies thorough provision of illustrative Model and and/or
to be used in the provision examples of provision provides teaching
classroom of examples of each from the of examples examples of strategies
described to each from the unit to support of each each from the identified do
enhance literacy/ unit to support evaluation; from the unit unit to not connect to
numeracy learning evaluation; selects to support indication the Four
of the diversity of selects Resources evaluation; evaluation. Resources
students. Resources and teaching identifies Resources Model or
from the strategies that Resources and teaching are
model and COULD be and useful strategies inappropriate
strategies that effective with teaching suggested for the students
COULD the students in strategies that that COULD in the
insightfully the classroom COULD be used classroom
connect with described. be relevant to in the described.
the students in the students classroom
the classroom in the described.
described. classroom

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Angus Coates Student ID:11685869

described.
Discussion of at Discussion Discussion Presents an Discussion Discussion
least two digital demonstrates a demonstrates a informed describes does not
technologies that deep and deep discussion of at least two address the
could be used comprehensive understanding of using digital digital diversity
during the teaching understanding using digital technologies technologies of students in
of the unit for of using technologies for for that could be the
development of effective development of development used during classroom
literacy or digital literacy OR of literacy or the teaching described.
numeracy. technologies numeracy numeracy of the unit to Discussion
for Resources with development promote does not
development the students in Resources development address literacy
of literacy OR the classroom with students of literacy or or numeracy
numeracy described. in the numeracy Resources.
Resources classroom Resources. Discussion
with students described. does not
in the address digital
classroom technologies.
described.
Professional writing Writing is Writing is Writing is Writing may Writing
and use of APA 7th structured structured structured contain some contains
referencing style. and meaning is and meaning is and meaning grammatical many
clear to the clear to the is apparent to and/or grammatical
reader. No reader. Minor the reader. typographical and/or
grammatical grammatical or Minor errors but typographical
or typographical grammatical these do errors that
typographical errors. and/or not impact on impact
errors. Referencing typographical meaning. significantly on
Referencing demonstrates errors. Referencing meaning.
demonstrates academic Referencing demonstrates Referencing
academic integrity, and demonstrates academic does not
integrity mostly conforms academic integrity, demonstrate
and conforms to APA 7th style integrity, and generally academic
exactly to conventions. and generally uses of APA integrity,
APA 7th style uses of APA 7th style and does not
conventions. 7th style conventions use APA 7th
conventions appropriately. style
appropriately. conventions
appropriately.

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