Semester 2 2023

The Journal of Professional Learning is produced on the lands of the Gadigal people who we acknowledge as the Traditional Custodians of this Country. We pay respects to Elders past and present, and celebrate the histories, traditions and living cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on this land. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Elders have been educators for more than 65000 years. As teachers, we walk in their footsteps.

This edition of the Journal of Professional Learning (JPL) introduces a new section for professional reflection, For Your Research, expanding the suite of professional learning opportunities for the teaching profession. This section has been designed to highlight contemporary educational research that is of interest and relevance to the teaching profession. The Centre for Professional Learning (CPL) is committed to disseminating educational research for the benefit of teachers and the public education community.   

The Semester 2, 2023 edition of the JPL contains the following articles:

For Your Classroom

How we move through our (digital) classrooms - developing an engaging digital pedagogy.

Marnie Etheridge shares the possibilities of digital pedagogies for teaching English to senior students.

Teaching PE in primary schools

Margaret Gordon writes on the importance of quality PE programs in primary schools and offers practical suggestions for classroom teachers.

For Your Staffroom

New K – 6 Maths Syllabus

Catherine Myson-Foehner provides a guide to the new Mathematics Syllabus K-6.

Supported students means supported teachers.

Emma Bruce provides a special education teacher’s insight on working with students with a disability.

For Your Future

The Three Cs of TAFE – Collegiality, compassion, and collaboration

Melissa Preston highlights the role of collegiality, compassion and collaboration within the context of teaching in TAFE.

Growing a culture of assessment for learning in the secondary context

Lisa Edwards explores how we can shift school-wide assessment practice and create a culture focussed on learning for both teachers and students.

For Your Research

Teachers Work and Working Conditions

Susan McGrath-Champ et al. introduce a series of articles on teachers’ work and working conditions. Their work provides an update to ‘Understanding work in schools, The Foundation for teaching and learning, 2018 report to the NSW Teachers Federation. The report examined the administrative demands that encroach on the work of teachers and impede their capacity to focus on tasks directly related to their teaching and to students’ learning. 

Teacher workload and intensifying demands

Rachel Wilson et al. provide insights into teachers’ work through research, including interviews, workshops and questionnaires.

The impact of devolutionary reform on teachers and principals

Scott Fitzgerald et al. reflect on the shift from centralised decision-making to increased school autonomy and the resultant impact on teachers and principals.

Temporary teachers and precarious work

Meghan Stacey et al. provide a historical context to the introduction of the temporary teacher category and its implications of precariousness of work and the impact on workload and career expectations.

Teachers’ voices and their unions

Mihajla Gavin et al. address the importance of teacher unions as the collective voice of teachers to counter policies that worsen teacher working conditions and student learning environments. 

The JPL could not be published without the contributions of the authors who generously share their expertise to write these articles. The Centre for Professional Learning sincerely thanks them for their time and dedication; and acknowledges their commitment to the teaching profession and public education.