2.2 Underachievement: Causes and interventions
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Description
This is a new activity. The area of underachievement is an important element in the Catholic Education Office Strategic Plan in Gifted Education. As part of this strategy our aim is to 'catch' underachievers at the very origins of the disengagement and build their skills and resilience so that they will achieve at very high levels through the remainder of their K-12 years. The area of enquiry in this project will be the transition period between primary and secondary schools when many gifted students may be 'lost'.
This project will involve Stages 3 and 4 teachers from primary and secondary schools who share many of the same students. The curriculum focus will be science and maths and the student cohorts, boys and girls. The study aims to identify the factors that could positively and negatively impact upon gifted students' motivation in those middle school years and subjects, compare the performance of boys and girls, and design interventions that may help counteract any underachievement and disengagement.
The 2008 project will put strong emphasis on the resources provided by the Australian Government Quality Teacher Programme in both the areas of underachievement and curriculum.
As a result of this activity:
- teachers become reflective practitioners who seek to improve their understanding of underlying factors that lead to underachievement in gifted students
- teachers expand their pedagogical repertoire and those of their peers in developing classroom interventions for underachieving gifted students
- teachers develop skills as trainers in the delivery of the Australian Government Quality Teacher Programme Gifted Education Package: Module - Underachievement
- teachers develop skills in mentoring their peers in the knowledge and pedagogy associated with underachievement interventions
- teachers undertake further studies in gifted education
- teachers self esteem and professional status are enhanced.
The activity will be managed by a designated officer who will take responsibility for meeting the professional needs of teachers participating in the activity.
Involvement of Higher Education Institutions and Professional Associates will include:
- academic/s from the University of New South Wales' Gifted Education Research Resource and Information Centre
- consultants aligned with the Gifted Education Research Resource and Information Centre and Armidale University.
Contacts
| Lindsay Doonan email: lindsay.donnan@ceo.syd.catholic.edu.au Ph 02 9568 8254 Sector: CEC |
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Outcomes
Through participation in an AGQTP project, teachers will have strengthened the currency and depth of their pedagogical knowledge and skills.
Through participation in an AGQTP project, teachers will have gained new knowledge and skills that contribute to a planned professional learning pathway.
Access
Catholic Education Commission schools/teachers.
Design
The Archdiocese of Sydneys Australian Government Quality Teacher Programme project in gifted education will employ the following professional learning strategies:
- participation in workshops and courses to inservice the teachers in:
- the Core, Extension and Specialisation Units of the Australian Government Quality Teacher Programme Gifted Education Resource Package: Module - Underachievement
- advanced level gifted education programming in underachievement interventions
- flexible learning that includes self-paced learning, face-to-face workshops, as well as formal and online mentoring and discussion groups
- school-based action research projects to engage teachers in workplace learning that is based on a cycle of continuous improvement model
- workplace mentoring and coaching aligned to meet the NSW Institute of Teachers Professional Teaching Standards
- K-12 clusters of schools or those working in collegial networks
- archdiocesan and regional meetings and workshops that enable participants to have their work publicly celebrated and critiqued
- partnerships with higher education institutions and consultants to provide expertise in the development, design and/or implementation of professional development activities.
Implementation
The implementation of this activity will be supported by the following personnel: designated project officer, academic partners, Archdiocesan consultant, school-based professional learning team, external providers.
Delivery
Workplace learning; online learning, mentoring, action learning project, workshops/course, conference, resource development.
Timeline
By June 2008:
- one group of teachers will have:
- begun their inservicing in:
- with mentoring, developed underachievement interventions for their school-based action research projects
- undertaken a formative evaluation of the activity to assist the project manager with its improvement
- progress report submitted in June.
* advanced level gifted education pedagogy
Core, Extension and Specialisation modules - Underachievement
* advanced level gifted education programming in underachievement interventions
By December 2008
- teachers will have completed their:
- training and mentoring program
- school-based action research projects and presented them at workshops
- begun implementation of their 2008 professional development activity
- undertaken a summative evaluation of the activity
- annual report submitted in November.
Sectors
