Building a Shared Contemporary Understanding of Learning Aligned to the AITSL Teacher and Principal Standards

In this article, it is argued that there are disparities in the views and understanding of how students learn by teachers and members of a school leadership team. This understanding is important in meeting Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL, 2015) Standard 1: Know students and how they learn, with specific reference to descriptor 1.2: Understand how students learn. Principals’ and teachers’ performance are assessed against these standards as part of the new appraisal arrangements for schools in Australia. An aspect of these standards is that there is sound knowledge and understanding of high-quality teaching, exemplified in pedagogical practice, and the need to encompass contemporary research on how students learn that will lead to improved student learning. Evidence for this case study was gathered through conducting a survey, semistructured interviews with the leadership team and a focus group interview with teachers from one Catholic primary school in Brisbane. Findings indicate that without a shared, socially constructed understanding and knowledge of how students learn, the foundation to establish a clear vision for learning and teaching in schools is lost. This shared vision within each school context would provide the scaffolding needed to meet the demands of AITSL teacher and principal standards and practices.