Introduction - ankelawes.weebly.com viewGuide to the Inclusive Implementation of the General Capabilities of the Australian Curriculum: Literacy, Personal and Social Capability & Intercultural

Guide to the Inclusive Implementation of the General Capabilities of the Australian

Curriculum: Literacy, Personal and Social Capability & Intercultural Understanding

Hereford

State Primary School

2013

(York Region District School Board, 2012)

Contents

Introduction...........................................................................................................................................3

Aim........................................................................................................................................................4

Rationale...............................................................................................................................................4

General Implementation of the Australian Curriculum.........................................................................5

Implementation of General Capabilities................................................................................................6

Literacy..........................................................................................................................................8

Personal and Social Capability.....................................................................................................10

Intercultural Understanding........................................................................................................12

References:..........................................................................................................................................15

Lawes, A, s215652 (Group 2) Page 1

Introduction

Hereford school is an inclusive school with a current enrolment of 397 students. Hereford boasts a

strong community, supportive of the children within it. It offers all students access to its facilities and

places great importance on teaching strong values in order to prepare students for their roles in

society and to enrich their everyday lives.

The school’s curriculum, based on the Australian Curriculum and its application, puts an emphasis on

quality teaching. This allows teachers to help all students to achieve their potential by fostering their

academic, social, emotional and physical development. Due to the diverse nature of our students,

the school is focused on providing equal educational opportunities by taking into account the

students’ background, interests and needs as well as the desires of the community and the setting of

our school.

The quotes below embody the principles behind what Hereford State Primary School will apply in

this paper, and empower the thoughts and reasoning of the authors.

“An inclusive education includes one that assumes that all people should be included in society from

the outset, particularly in education” (Hyde, Carpenter & Conway, 2010).

“An inclusive curriculum addresses the child’s cognitive, emotional, social and creative development.

It is based on the four pillars of education for the twenty-first century – learning to know, to do, to

be and to live together”. (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, 2009)

It is important, therefore, that the curriculum be flexible enough to provide possibilities for

adjustment to individual needs and to stimulate teachers to seek solutions that can be matched with

the needs, abilities and learning styles of each and every pupil inclusive of gender, cultural identity

and language background (UNESCO, 2009). Hereford State School is dedicated to providing an

inclusive society for those who attend to learn, teach and assist.

The contributors to this policy document are varied to ensure reliability and validity is paramount.

The stakeholders of Hereford State Primary School including the Principal, teachers, parents, Special

Needs educators and education support workers have made valuable contributions and are

acknowledged here.


Aim

The introduction of the Australian Curriculum has brought about many changes to the school. This

paper aims to explain to all staff and stakeholders the specific efforts made by this school to provide

inclusivity for all students by implementing the three-dimensional design of the Australian

Curriculum, focusing in particular on the teaching of the General Capabilities of Literacy, Personal

and Social Capability and Intercultural Understanding within all Key Learning Areas (KLA).

Rationale

At Hereford we actively promote an inclusive environment, encouraging respect and awareness for

the diverse school community with regard to culture, ethnicity, language, gender, poverty, ability or

disability. To comply with the Disability Standards for Education 2005 (Department of Education,

Employment and Workplace Relations [DEEWR], 2005) derived from the Discrimination Act 1992 the

school is committed to designing and implementing school policies that make our school accessible

to all students with a view to enrolment, participation, curriculum development, student support

services and the elimination of harassment.

“An inclusive curriculum addresses the child’s cognitive, emotional, social and creative development.

It is based on the four pillars of education for the twenty-first century – learning to know, to do, to

be and to live together” (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation [UNESCO],

2009). An inclusive curriculum takes gender, cultural identity and language background into

consideration (UNESCO, 2009). This paper will also show stakeholders, that Hereford is keeping

abreast of new information and the new curriculum by implementing relevant policies and plans. A

major part of this policy is ensuring that all members of staff are well informed and supported,

ensuring that the educational team, rather than the individual teacher, should share the

responsibility for the education of special needs children as laid out in the Salamanca Statement

(UNESCO, 1994, pg.12). In line with Government policy Hereford acknowledges the learning

potential of all children by:

Giving all parents the opportunity to enrol school aged children in the school

Providing a safe learning environment at all times (Department of Education and Children’s

Services [DECS], 2008) in particular by making concise efforts to eliminate harassment of

students based on their disability

Supporting all students in their learning to achieve curriculum outcomes by

o Adjusting the course design to accommodate all student’s abilities

o Modifying curriculum to ensure access to all students


o Providing support services and making them accessible to all students

General Implementation of the Australian Curriculum

To ensure inclusion in such a diverse school setting, Hereford encourages discussion between

staff, students and parents in order to create a “community of learners” (Hyde, Carpenter & Conway,

2010, p. 110). We believe involving parents is essential in establishing an inclusive classroom as

parents are the most aware of their child’s strengths and weaknesses. Due to this, teachers will use

parents and carers as a valuable resource when determining outcomes for individual children and

ways in which to make the classroom inclusive for all. Involving them in the planning of learning

experiences can be highly beneficial as “over time they have developed valuable expertise and

insight into their child’s condition that will assist teachers to develop and achieve short- and long–

term learning goals” (Hyde, Carpenter & Conway, 2010, p. 287).

The Salamanca Statement (UNESCO, 1994, p.38) reinforces these thoughts, and states that parents

should be regarded as “active partners in decision making” and should be encouraged to assist their

students at home with educational activities also. Therefore, at Hereford State Primary School we

promote parent involvement and welcome parents attending classes to supervise and support their

child’s learning.

All teachers within the school have already implemented and/or are familiar with instructional and

environmental adjustments to suit their student body to provide inclusive classrooms as outlined in

the Australian Curriculum (ACARA1, 2013). UNESCO (2009) agrees with the demands of the

Australian Curriculum and states: everyone should benefit from a commonly accepted basic level of

quality education. This underlines the need for a common core curriculum that is relevant for the

learner while being taught according to flexible methods.

It is important, therefore, that the curriculum be flexible enough to provide possibilities for

adjustment to individual needs and to stimulate teachers to seek solutions that can be matched with

the needs, abilities and learning styles of each and every pupil (UNESCO, 2009).

This is shown below in the examples of instructional adjustments such as:

providing alternative representations of teaching and learning materials (for example, using

multimedia, Braille, illustrated texts, simplified texts or captioned video)

motivating students through engagement with personal interests

modelling and demonstrating skills, knowledge and cognitive strategies

explicit and systematic instruction

levels of prompting


modelling problem solving

providing opportunities for the student to think aloud (verbalisation)

scaffolding student learning through guided practice and support

providing feedback and correction

identifying key vocabulary for explicit instruction

organising and connecting knowledge, skills and values to promote generalisation

using cross-curricular and naturally occurring learning opportunities to enhance

individual learning goals

providing alternative opportunities for students to represent their learning (for example,

using technology and augmentative and alternative communication systems)

frequent cumulative review

providing opportunities for generalisation and maintenance.

Environmental adjustments which may include:

providing physical access to the teaching and learning environment

providing peer assistance (for example, using buddy systems, peer-assisted learning

and peer tutoring)

providing access to alternative equipment and furnishings

use of support personnel

scheduling (for example, a sequence of events)

use of technology and augmentative and alternative communication systems

changes to buildings and classrooms.

The Salamanca Statement (UNESCO, 1994) prescribes additional support, simple clear language,

formative assessment and relevant content to student’s own experiences, for students with special

needs in order that they may be included in class activities. Hereford is implanting these ideas, along

with the recommendation of the use of technology in order to assist with communication, mobility

and learning (UNESCO, 1994, p.23).

Implementation of General Capabilities

The Australian Curriculum acknowledges learning areas other than English, Mathematics, Science

and History. This extended curriculum includes General Capabilities and it is included to allow

students to perform using their knowledge and skills together, within the key learning areas to

confidently live and work in the 21st century (ACARA1, 2013).


Teachers are required to personalise the learning program for their class in order to take into

account the learning range of their students. Knowing student’s personal strengths, weaknesses,

goals and interests will ensure that teachers are able to adjust the curriculum and

learning experiences in order for every student to have an inclusive education.

This includes Talented and Gifted students, English as second language/dialect (ESL/D) students and

Special Needs students. Hyde, Carpenter and Conway (2010) explain giftedness as demonstrating

outstanding ability across a range of areas or showing exceptional achievement. It is also explained

that those that are ‘gifted’ are hard to describe because of the varied selection of definitions to

consider. The above definition may be accepted within the limits of this paper. ESL is a term used to

describe students who speak languages/dialects other than Standard Australia English (SAE) in their

home. Students have the right to be taught how to communicate effectively in Standard Australian

English (Northern Territory Curriculum Framework, 2013).

Special needs children are those who would, without additional support or environmental

adjustments, face restrictions in their ability to participate in in the school program due to an

underlying condition which is expected to last six months or longer (Ministerial Council on

Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs in Association cited in Northern Territory

Government, 2012). This includes but is not limited to disability including; intellectual, sensory,

physical, social/emotional, language/communication disability; a specific learning disability; or

multiple disabilities (DEEWR, 2005).

Hereford teachers can adjust the curriculum for all students, including students with disabilities, by:

taking learning content from different levels along the F-Yr10 sequence to ensure its

accessibility

using the general capabilities to adjust the learning focus of content

ensuring students have individual learning goals and aligning these with age-equivalent

learning area content.

The General capabilities are made up of Literacy, Numeracy, Information Communication and

Technology (ICT) capability, Critical and Creative thinking, Personal and Social capability, Ethical

Understanding and Intercultural Understanding. The implementation of the general capabilities will

be supported by providing “reasonable and effective adjustments” (Hyde, Carpenter & Conway,

2010) to foster the learning of all students. This paper will focus specifically on the implementation

of the following capabilities: Literacy, Personal and Social capability and Intercultural Understanding.


Literacy

Literacy encompasses the knowledge and skills students need to access, understand, analyse and

evaluate information, make meaning, express thoughts and emotions, present ideas and opinions,

interact with others and participate in activities at school and in their lives beyond school.

Becoming literate is not simply about knowledge and skills. Certain behaviours and dispositions

assist students to become effective learners who are confident and motivated to use their literacy

skills broadly. Many of these behaviours and dispositions are also identified and supported in other

general capabilities. They include students managing their own learning to be self-sufficient; working

harmoniously with others; being open to ideas, opinions and texts from and about diverse cultures;

returning to tasks to improve and enhance their work; and being prepared to question the meanings

and assumptions in texts (ACARA1, 2013).

While much of the explicit teaching of literacy occurs in the English learning area, it is strengthened,

made specific and extended in other learning areas as students engage in a range of learning

activities with significant literacy demands. These literacy-rich situations are a part of learning in all

curriculum areas. Paying attention to the literacy demands of each learning area ensures that

students’ literacy development is strengthened so that it supports subject-based learning (ACARA 1,

2013).

The Australian Curriculum gives clear indications on how to use and adjust the curriculum for all

students, especially those with diverse needs. Teachers will have to plan their delivery of the

curriculum to address the General Capabilities for all students. For the General Capability of Literacy

then, teachers have to ensure that their program works along a continuum developing two

overarching processes:

Comprehending texts through listening, reading and viewing

Composing texts through speaking, writing and creating

with the following areas of knowledge applying to both processes:

Text knowledge

Grammar knowledge

Word knowledge

Visual knowledge.


Example of Implementation for Literacy:

A year 4 class is studying the diversity and longevity of Australia’s first peoples and the ways

Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples are connected to Country and Place (land, sea,

waterways and skies) and the implications for their daily lives as part of their history learning area

(ACARA1, 2013).

They will be examining archaeological sites, mapping language groups, studying totems and

investigating ways of life. To achieve this, the teacher will provide resources including videos, books,

internet access, websites, artefacts and other texts.

The particular elements of literacy addressed by this content description are comprehending texts

through listening, reading and viewing. Students will:

Interpret and analyse learning area texts

Navigate, read and view learning area texts

Comprehend texts

Listen and respond to learning area texts

In addition they will also use/expand their word knowledge, by understanding the learning area

vocabulary.

In order to address students’ varying levels of competency teachers may have to provide texts which

are congruent with the different levels outlined in the Australian Curriculum (ACARA1, 2013):

Literacy

Navigate, read and view learning area textsLevel 2Typically by the end of Year 2, students:

Level 3Typically by the end of Year 4, students:


navigate, read and view texts with illustrations and simple graphics

navigate, read and view different types of texts with illustrations and more detailed graphics

navigate, read and view subject-specific texts with some challenging features and a range of graphic representations

For special needs children, whether physically or mentally impaired, the curriculum outcomes can be

chosen from the learning continuum of the instructed KLA or the General Capabilities. The classroom

and/or the access to it may need to be adapted. This could be changing seating arrangements or


using visual aids to assist hearing impairments, EAL/D and Autism Spectrum Disorder students (see

environmental adjustments above).

Additionally EAL/D students should be exposed to a range of opportunities to apply their language

skills within authentic context. Resource-based, exploratory approaches assist in the development of

Standard Australian English (SAE) within the classroom. Students’ lack of knowledge of SAE does not

reflect their learning capabilities. Therefore steps have to be taken to expose them to the curriculum

at their learning and age-appropriate level, whilst supporting their language development.

Gifted and talented students will also have to be catered for. Curriculum differentiation provides

ways to deliver the curriculum whilst taking into account the needs and abilities of groups of

students with particular educational needs. Curriculum differentiation can consist of modifications of

the curriculum, at the school or classroom level, through adjustments to content, processes,

products and learning environment. Curriculum differentiation for gifted and talented students will

include enrichment and extension activities. Matching the learning to the preferred learning style of

the student within a learning environment that sets high expectation will bring about better results.

Students should be able to demonstrate mastery and progress throughout a learning sequence to

achieve the curriculum outcomes.

Maker (as cited in New South Wales Department of Education, 2006) has made specific

modifications to the learning process to suit gifted and talented students. These changes include the

use of higher-order thinking skills, open-ended processing, an inquiry approach and real-world

problem solving.

Personal and Social Capability

Personal and social capability skills are addressed in all learning areas and at every stage of a

student’s schooling (ACARA1, 2013). They are addressed more explicitly in certain learning areas such

as Health and Physical Education but have an underlying presence in all other KLAs. The capability

involves students in a range of practices including recognising and regulating emotions, developing

empathy for others and understanding relationships, establishing and building positive relationships,

making responsible decisions, working effectively in teams, handling challenging situations

constructively and developing leadership skills (ACARA1, 2013). We believe the skills that are

developed through these practices allow students to become successful learners who are motivated

to reach their full potential. This is why we promote the four interrelated elements of personal and

social capability:

Self-awareness - involves students identifying and describing factors that influence their

emotional responses


Self-management- involves students regulating, managing and monitoring own emotional

responses, and persisting in task completion

Social awareness- involves students identifying other people’s feelings and knowing how and

when to assist them

Social management- involves students interacting effectively with a range of peers (ACARA1,

2013)

(ACARA2, 2013)

Hereford State Primary School will use the general capability of Personal and Social Capability to

include students with special needs and giftedness when promoting the four elements, by trying to

meet the individual needs of the students ensuring their personal and social development is

paramount.

Example of Implementation for Personal and Social Capabilities:

A year 2 class might be working on their science understanding of how an object moves or changes

shape by pushing or a pulling it. Students elaborate on this activity by exploring ways in which

objects move on land, through water and in the air. They will work on this in small groups and then

have to report their findings to the whole class. In doing so, they will be making predictions and

compare observations through discussion.

The particular element of personal and social capability addressed by this activity is social

management, specifically, effective communication, collaborative work and negotiation and

resolution of conflicts in groups. To ensure all students are working within reach of their own


personal ability/level of social management (see below) the activity has to be designed to cater for

different levels of students’ skills.

Social Management

Communicate EffectivelyLevel 1Typically by the end of Foundation Year, students:



identify positive ways to initiate, join and interrupt conversations with adults and peers

discuss the use of verbal and nonverbal communication skills to respond appropriately to adults and peers

identify communication skills that enhance relationships for particular groups and purposes

For this learning activity to work successfully the teacher has to be aware of each student’s working

level and has to adjust group work accordingly. Teachers may choose to have multi-ability groups

and assign specific roles within these groups or they may find it more effective to work with same

ability groups to avoid domination within the group. Teachers need to employ their knowledge of

the class to allow access to the curriculum for all.

Intercultural Understanding

Intercultural understanding combines personal, interpersonal and social knowledge and skills. It

involves students in learning to value and view critically their own cultural perspectives and practices

and those of others through their interactions with people, texts and contexts across the curriculum.

Intercultural understanding encourages students to make connections between their own worlds

and the worlds of others, to build on shared interests and commonalities, and to negotiate or

mediate difference. It develops students’ abilities to communicate and empathise with others and to

analyse intercultural experiences critically. It offers opportunities for them to consider their own

beliefs and attitudes in a new light, and so gain insight into themselves and others.

Intercultural understanding stimulates students’ interest in the lives of others. It cultivates values

and dispositions such as curiosity, care, empathy, reciprocity, respect and responsibility, open-

mindedness and critical awareness, and supports new and positive intercultural behaviours. Though

all are significant in learning to live together, three dispositions – expressing empathy,

demonstrating respect and taking responsibility – have been identified as critical to the development

of Intercultural understanding in the Australian Curriculum (ACARA1, 2013).


Example 1 of Implementation of Intercultural Understanding:

Students in Year 3 as part of a History unit of work are exploring the different days and weeks that

Australians and people from other cultures and countries celebrate and commemorate (ACARA 1,

2013). As part of this unit the students might be required to create an invitation detailing an event

celebrating a cultural occasion or holiday or make a type of presentation outlining the historical

origins of an important Australian celebration or commemoration.

This activity would fall under ‘developing respect for cultural diversity’ within the intercultural

understanding capability. In this instance the teacher can plan this activity in such a way to make this

aspect of the curriculum accessible to gifted, EAL/D and special needs students. The following will

outline some examples of how this can occur. Gifted students can be challenged during this task by

allowing them the option to choose another way of presenting the relevant information or by giving

them the option of designing their own task that meets the same criteria. Allowing students the

option to establish their own learning goals and construct their own tasks will allow for more

engagement and ensure they are participating in learning that is novel and therefore useful to them

(Hyde, Carpenter & Conway, 2010).

EAL/D students will be supported in the completion of this task by allowing the choice of task to

reflect the type of language skills they feel confident in using. The students could complete a written

or oral task, presented with the use of technology and visual aids if they prefer. This allows EAL/D

students to engage in the task by giving them options of how best to communicate the information.

Special needs students will have the option to access the task in a way that is meaningful to them

and relevant to their own experiences in allowing them to choose a cultural event or celebration

that relates to them personally (UNESCO, 1994). By setting tasks that are flexible and using teaching

strategies that are inclusive, students with differing needs in the classroom can all access the general

capability of intercultural understanding at an age appropriate level.


Develop respect for cultural diversityLevel 2:Typically by the end of Year 2, students:

Level 3:Typically by the end of Year 4, students:


describe ways that diversity presents opportunities for new experiences and understandings

identify and discuss the significance of a range of cultural events, artefacts or stories recognised in the school, community or nation

discuss opportunities that cultural diversity offers within Australia and the Asia-Pacific region


Example 2 of Implementation of Intercultural Understanding:

Students in Year 5, as part of the English curriculum (ACARA1, 2013), are working on recognising that

ideas in literary texts can be conveyed from different viewpoints, which can lead to different kinds of

interpretations and responses. As part of this unit they might examine the narrative voice in texts

from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander traditions, which include perspectives of animals and

spirits, about how we should care for the Earth, for example reflecting on how this affects

significance, interpretation and response.

In doing so, the students will be working in groups and discussing their own understandings of

culture as well as exploring different texts representing different views. Activities have to be suited

to students’ levels and discussions have to be led in the right directions to explore the students’

viewpoints and address any prejudice, discrimination or misconceptions and to advance their

current understanding.

The particular elements of intercultural understanding is reflecting on intercultural experiences and

taking responsibility, specifically reflecting on their own intercultural experiences. Teachers may

have to accommodate several levels of competency as shown below. Assessment of level is

paramount to ensure engagement and learning.


Reflecting on intercultural experiences and taking responsibilityLevel 3Typically by the end of Year 4, students:



identify and describe what they have learnt about themselves and others from real, virtual and vicarious intercultural experiences

explain what and how they have learnt from a wide range of intercultural interactions and experiences

reflect critically on the representation of various cultural groups in texts and the media and how they respond

Teachers at Hereford need to ensure that all students irrespective of race, religion, gender and

ability will enact the principles that adhere to being fair, considering others, and follow the guiding

interactions as outlined in the Australian Curriculum (ACARA1, 2013).This can be accomplished by

ensuring these principles are promoted and are part of common practice in every classroom.


References:

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority 1. (2013). Australian Curriculum.

Retrieved from http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/GeneralCapabilities/Overview/

General-capabilities-in-the-Australian-Curriculum

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority 2. (2013). [Chart depicting organising

elements for personal and social capabilities]. Retrieved from

http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/GeneralCapabilities/Pdf/Overview

Department of Education and Children’s Services. (2008). Keeping safe: child protection curriculum

preschool to year 12: draft support materials for educators working with learners from

culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds / South Australia, Department of Education

and Children’s Services. South Australia: Department of Education and Children’s Services.

Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations. (2005). Disability standards for

education 2005. Retrieved from http://deewr.gov.au/disability-standards-education

Hyde M., Carpenter, L., & Conway, R. (Eds.). (2010). Diversity and inclusion in Australian Schools.

Melbourne: Oxford University Press.

Association of Independent Schools of the Northern Territory. (2011) Special Education – Students

with Disabilities Funding Information. Retrieved from

http://www.aisnt.asn.au/documents/Special_Education_Funding_Information.pdf

New South Wales Department of Education. (2006). Gifted and talented education. Retrieved from

http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/policies/gats/assets/pdf/ust3elctr.pdf

Northern Territory Government of Australia. (2009). English as a second language. Retrieved from

http://www.education.nt.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0015/2391/ESL_introduction.pdf

Northern Territory Government of Australia. (2012). Special needs profiling instrument. Retrieved

from

http://www.education.nt.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/9799/SpecialNeedsProfilingInst

rumentInfo.pdf

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation. (2009). Policy guidelines on

inclusion in education. Retrieved from:

http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0017/001778/177849e.pdf


http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0017/001778/177849e.pdf

http://www.education.nt.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/9799/SpecialNeedsProfilingInstrumentInfo.pdf

http://www.education.nt.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/9799/SpecialNeedsProfilingInstrumentInfo.pdf

http://www.education.nt.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0015/2391/ESL_introduction.pdf

http://deewr.gov.au/disability-standards-education

http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/GeneralCapabilities/Pdf/Overview

http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/GeneralCapabilities/Overview/General-capabilities-in-the-Australian-Curriculum

http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/GeneralCapabilities/Overview/General-capabilities-in-the-Australian-Curriculum

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation. (1994). The Salamanca statement

and framework for action on special needs education. Retrieved from

http://www.unesco.org/education/pdf/SALAMA_E.PDF

York Region District School Board. (2012). [Equity and inclusivity globe]. Retrieved from

http://www.yrdsb.edu.on.ca/page.cfm?id=IRC000001


http://www.yrdsb.edu.on.ca/page.cfm?id=IRC000001

http://www.unesco.org/education/pdf/SALAMA_E.PDF

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Introduction - ankelawes.weebly.com viewGuide to the Inclusive Implementation of the General Capabilities of the Australian Curriculum: Literacy, Personal and Social Capability & Intercultural