Community is much more than belonging to something; it's about doing something together that makes belonging matter. Unknown
Introduction
In the following article I discuss the barriers of students with a disability through the lens of the social model of disability in the education setting. I describe how these external barriers to the student can be removed utilising Universal Design Learning approaches to best support the learning outcomes of all students. I outline the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with a Disability (NCCD), Queensland Department of Education Inclusive Education policy, Queensland Government (2021) Disability Standards for Education 2005 (DSE; Australian Government [Department of Education, Skills & Employment], 2012), and other relevant
legislation. Furthermore, I discuss the key role of consulting and positive collaborations with students, parents, teacher aides and other professionals to further develop and foster universal design learning practices.
The Social Model of Disability views that disabilities are not within the person but are barriers that are created externally to the person. These barriers cause inequity and discrimination with people with disabilities (The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with a Disability, (CRPD, 2008).
Historically, society has viewed disability through the lens of the medical model, where it is the person who has the disability, and not their environment that needs adjustments.
The barriers in the Social Model of Disability include attitudinal, unconscious bias, physical, social, and communication in the person’s environment. Students with disabilities are often marginalised, and as educators, we need to continue to be more critical, ethical, and challenge these old views and introduce more inclusive practices to the curriculum and create a universal education design for all students (Starrett, 2012). We need to continue to foster inclusive language practices in all our communication with our colleagues, students, and their families.
The National Consistent Collective of Data on School students with Disability (NCCD) is a data collection process that informs the funding model for students with disability in Australian schools. This funding is based on the students' assessed needs and adjustments required for them to participate in education on the same basis as their peers, which is the right of every student under the Disability Discrimination
Act (DDA, 1992) and National Disability Standards for Education 2005 (DSE; Australian Government [Department of Education, Skills & Employment], 2012).
The NCCD has four categories: Physical, Cognitive, Sensory, and Social/Emotional. The NCCD has an annual census period with distinct phases throughout the calendar year. These are the planning, implementation, validation, and reflection phases, ensuring reasonable adjustments are made for the student, and the school is accountable for recording the evidence of these phases in conjunction with Article 24 (United Nations, 2008).
The student, carer/parent (and other professionals if needed) are consulted, with the student and their family to have a voice in making choices for reasonable adjustments in their curriculum, pedagogy, and assessments. This evidence is collected outlining the student’s individual data and learning plan and reviewed annually. The student, carer/parent and their families have the right to equitable treatment, consultation, reasonable adjustments and prevention of victimisation and harassment (NDSE, 2005).
Using the NCCD model, every child has access to multitiers of adjustments guided by co-planning of their teachers, teacher aides, academic learning enhancement and other allied health professionals. Every school needs to provide evidence to the NCCD by assessing the needs of the students with a disability with ongoing monitoring, reviewing adjustments, and continuous consultation and review with the students, carers, and other professionals (Graham, 2019).
Universal approaches are: ‘A set of principles for designing curriculum that provides all individuals with equal opportunities to learn. Teachers plan for the needs of all learners by creating tasks in which all students can participate and demonstrate learning. Then, if a new student joins the class, the teacher does not need to go back and “retrofit” the lesson to accommodate that student’s needs’ (Ashman, 2015, p.406).
Quality Differentiated Teaching Practice (QDTP) involves the teacher(s) and teacher aides to take a whole class approach when teaching, which involves planning, teaching in different modalities, different ways for a student to undertake assessments, reporting, adapting the learning environment, and adding on assisted technologies and/or resources to best support positive learning environments (Disability Discrimination Act, 1992). In addition to the QDTP, there are three levels of adjustments: Supplementary, Substantial, and Extensive. This provides students with a voice in their learning and engages them in learning activities they find meaningful and interesting. The DSE (2005) requires educators to be accountable by providing reasonable adjustments to all students needing support.
Government, 2021)
1. The policy takes a system-wide approach in removing barriers from the education setting and continues to improve practices and policies promoting inclusive education in the community.
2. Leaders at all levels of the education department commit to fostering the values of inclusion and eliminate barriers to people with disabilities.
3. The whole school is committed to providing inclusive education including teachers, student aides, volunteers, support staff and their families. The curriculum is delivered in an age-appropriate manner to students with diverse learning needs.
4. Students, families, and the community collaborate with each other. Students and their families have a voice for the supports they need and are actively involved in the collaboration process.
5. All people feel respected and valued for their diversity in all state schools.
6. The workforce employed at state schools are skilled, capable, and confident in providing learning on evidencebased inclusive teaching methods.
7. Learning environments are accessible to ensure all students can participate in classroom activities, extracurricular activities, and events.
8. The schools plan for effective transitions when the child transitions through early childhood, primary, secondary, and tertiary to provide successful planning and support during the student’s learning journey.
9. All students will have on-going monitoring and evaluation which will occur at all levels in the school, regionally and in the system for the department to continue to improve on building inclusive education environments.
Professional collaboration is a process where two or more people come together with an attitude of respect, responsibility, and commitment for the best interest of a shared student (D’Amour et al., 2005; Friend & Cook, 2010). The effectiveness of the classroom is greatly improved when teachers, teacher aides, curriculum leaders, educational psychologists, and other allied health professionals consult and plan together to make effective inclusive learning environments (Murawski & Hughes, 2009). It is critical during the consultation process the teacher have a democratic approach and the student and parent have a voice in their support, adjustments, and educational goals (Gillett-Swan & Sargeant, 2018).
In Australia, all students with a disability must be consulted on the adjustments made to participate in their education (General Comment No. 4 on Article 24 of the Convention on the Rights of Person with Disabilities [United Nations, 2016]). Consultation gives students and their parents/carers a sense of agency when the student and parents can make their own choices and decisions regarding their education (Sen, 1992).
The consultation has to be accessible to the student to ensure the student understands what is asked of them and is able to give feedback which reflects their needs (Gillett-Swan et al., 2020). For example, some barriers to the consultation process may be how the questions are worded, the requirement for the student to reflect on the question, the student being cognitively overloaded by the interviewer, and having accessibility to the language to respond to the interviewer (Tancredi, 2020). In this instance, students are encouraged to have their voice heard by utilising visuals, other communication aides, and/or through the support of an educator, professional, case manager and/or carer to communicate their learning needs and future adjustments to their curriculum (Lyons et al., 2022).
It is important to plan ahead for who will be in the consultation room and gain written consent by the parent and student for the consultation to be audio recorded if needed. I have found it helpful to have pictures, art materials, mind mapping, and fidgets available to best support the student during consultation. It is best if you are seated side-by-side, and the room is at a comfortable room temperature and there is privacy (Tancredi, 2020). While consulting students and parents, it is important to use positive body language, be strength focused, and use inclusive language. Where appropriate, you may engage in developing rapport with the family by discussing similar interests as these exchanges make the interviewee more approachable. The following first four possible consult questions are from Tancredi (2020), and the others are my own.
1. What helps you learn?
2. How can teachers help you understand instructions?
3. Is there anything you would like your teachers to know about you?
4. What could all your teachers do that would help you learn?
5. How do you feel when you attend another classroom to participate in a subject?
6. How do you feel having a one-on-one teacher aide with you? How does it make you feel?
7. Do you feel safe at school?
It is vital in the consultation process to build rapport with the student, parent/carer, and possibly another professional and/ or case manager. The interviewer would ask the student about their interests both inside and out of school, asking about their friendship group, and spending time in their classroom(s). A parent may often come to a consultation feeling apprehensive because they have been advocating for their child. As professionals, we can reassure and give confidence to parents and students that we are capable and have the resources to deliver quality and best practice education pedagogy, including universal design learning for all students.
Discuss with parents the information gained from the consultation via email or phone regarding the learning plan formulated. The interviewer has a formal written record and audio recording in the student’s notes if applicable. The educator takes steps to communicate and implement the plan
with carers, teachers, teacher aides, teacher leaders and other professionals. At minimum, review the plan annually and continue to follow-up with the student, carers, teachers, and other professionals Tancredi (2020).
Conclusion
It is key to facilitate consultation and collaboration with students, carers, parents, teachers, teacher aides, learning enhancement and other allied health professional to continue to foster positive relationships and strengthen successful and inclusive student outcomes. The student and their family alongside educators and other educational professionals consult and collaborate with providing strength and evidence-based reasonable adjustments free from victimization and harassment (Australian Government, 2005). As professional and supportive educators, we are cognisant each student has different strengths and challenges, and in today’s world, we need to look at putting all children at the centre of learning and adjust teaching curriculum and pedagogical teaching methods to reflect this shift in inclusive education culture (Gillett-Swan et al., 2023). By providing individualised curriculum and pedagogy to all children, we are improving outcomes for all students, and we are continually improving our service delivery of quality education practices (Gonski et al., 2018).
References
Ashman, A. F. (2015). Education for inclusion and diversity (5th ed.). Pearson Australia.
D’Amour, D., Ferrada-Videla, M., San Martin Rodriquez, L., & Beaulieu, M.D. (2005). The conceptual basis for interprofessional collaboration: Core concepts and theoretical frameworks. Journal of Interprofessional Care, 19(S1), 116-131. https://doi.org./a0.1080/13561820500082529
Australian Government. (1992). Disability Discrimination Act 1992 https://www.legislation.gov.au/C2004A04426/2018-04-12/ text
Australian Government. (2005). Disability Standards for Education 2005 https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2005L00767/latest/text
Friend, M., & Cook, L. (2010). Interactions: Collaboration skills for school professionals (6th ed.). Pearson.
Gillett-Swan, J., & Sargeant, J. (2018). Assuring children’s right to freedom of opinion and expression in education. International Journal of Speech Language Pathology, 20(1), 120-127. https://doi.org/10.1080/17549507.2018.1385852
Gonski, D., Arcus, T., Boston, K., Gould, V., Johnston, W., O’Brien, L., & Roberts, M. (2018). Through Growth to achievement: Report of the review to achieve educational excellence in Australian Schools. Australian Government Department of Education and Training. https://www.education.gov.au/recurrentfunding-schools/resources/through-growth-achievementreport-review-achieve-educational-excellence-australianschools
Graham, L. (Ed.). (2019). Inclusive education for the 21st century: Theory, policy and practice. Taylor & Francis Group.
Lyon, R., Carroll, C., Gallagher, A., Merrick, R., & Tancredi, H. (2022). Understanding the perspectives of children and young people with speech, language, and communication needs: How qualitative research can inform. practice. International Journal of Speech Language Pathology, 24(5), 547-557. https// doi.org/10.1080/17549507.2022.203386669
Murawski, W. W., & Hughes, C. E. (2009). Response to Intervention, collaboration, and co-teaching: A logical combination for successful systemic change. Preventing School Failure: Alternative Education for Children and Youth, 53(4), 267-277. https://doi.org/10.3200/PSFL.53.4.267-277
Scruggs, T. E., Mastropieri, M. A., & McDuffie, K. A. (2007). Co-Teaching in Inclusive Classrooms: A Metasynthesis of Qualitative Research. Exceptional Children, 73(4), 392-416. https://doi.org/10.1177/001440290707300401
Queensland Government. (2021). Inclusive Education Policy: Version 1.3. https://ppr.qed.qld.gov.au/pp/inclusive-education-policy
Sen, A. (1992). Inequality Reexamined. Harvard University Press.
Starratt, R. J. (2012). A Multidimensional ethical framework. In R. Starratt (Ed.), Cultivating an Ethical School (pp. 35-54). Routledge.
Starratt, R. J. (2014). The purpose of education. In C.M. Branson & S.J. Gross (Eds.), Handbook of Ethical Educational Leadership, (pp.43-69). Routledge.
Tancredi, H. A. (2020). Consulting students with disability: A practical guide for educators and other professionals [PDF]. The Centre for Inclusive Education QUT. https://research.qut.edu. au/c4ie/wp-content/uploads/sites/281/2020/08/PracticeGuide-Student-Consultation.pdf
United Nations. (1989). Convention on the Rights of the Child. https:// www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/ convention-rights-child
United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, September 2, 2016, General comment No. 4 on Article 24: Right to inclusive education (CRPD/C/GC/4). https:// tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/15/treatybodyexternal/ Download.aspx?symbolno=CRPD/C/GC/4&Lang=enLinks to an external site.
Lisa Foster Executive Assistant to the Deputy Principal/ Global Exchange Coordinator
Lisa Beeney Executive Assistant to the Principal
Working as an Executive Assistant in an educational environment can, at times, be quite isolating, largely due to the nature of the role and the sensitive information handled. That is, if you let it.
Best practice groups and networking play a pivotal role in an administrative professional’s career development. Networking provides opportunities to build connections, exchange ideas, and gain insights from peers. By participating in these groups, Executive Assistants (EAs) can contribute to their profession, make a difference, and demonstrate a commitment to professional growth and continuous learning.
The value of connecting with a network of EAs in similar roles cannot be understated. Finding a group that supports and encourages both personal and professional growth can be transformative. Lisa Foster and I are fortunate to have been a part of a ‘Best Practice’ group of principals’ EAs from several schools across South East Queensland for the past eight years. This group of women have been a consistent source of support, empowerment, and shared wisdom, both in our careers and personal lives.
Be the change you want to see in the world
The incredible value we’ve gained from our ‘Best Practice’ group formed a bigger idea. We realised that there are very few professional development opportunities specifically tailored for Executive Assistants in the education sector here in Queensland. Imagine how impactful it would be to create something designed just for us – a space to connect, grow, and share best practices on a broader scale.
What if we could expand this concept and bring more EAs together to support and empower one another and to establish their own ‘Best Practice’ group? With this question in mind, it sparked the initial conversations and led to the concept of ‘EA Connect’ during our regular termly catch-ups.
Lisa and I had an outline in mind which envisioned inviting guest speakers; however, a critical question remained: How would we finance the project? Moreover, what if attendance was low? What if no one else saw the value? Why had no one offered this before? What were we missing? These questions fed our imposter syndrome and made us doubt the value of the project and ourselves! It was clear we required external support.
As our schools are members of Independent Schools Queensland (ISQ), we were familiar with the valuable professional development opportunities and support they offer for teaching and leadership staff. Perhaps they would be interested in becoming involved in this project, providing the necessary support to move forward? We enlisted the help of Annette Butterworth, Executive Assistant to the Chief Executive Officer of ISQ. Fortunately, ISQ had funds available for professional development, and they saw the value of providing relevant and targeted professional development for administration professionals, and ‘ISQ EA Connect’ was on its way to becoming a reality.
We landed on the idea of offering two professional development days per year – the first one to be held in March and the second to be in August. While both events serve as valuable platforms for professional networking, each is designed with a distinct purpose. The day set aside in March focuses on the development of practical, day-to-day skills, whereas the August session is dedicated more towards enhancing the attendee’s mental and emotional wellbeing, along with fostering soft skills.
The inaugural ISQ EA Connect day launched on Friday 17 March 2023 to a sold-out audience, capped at 70. The day centred around networking and building those meaningful connections. We opened the day with a ‘Getting to Know You’ session, which has become a staple at every event due to its enthusiastic reception. Part of the reason for the success of this
session is that from the outset we let participants know that there is no (dreaded) feedback – just meaningful small group sharing, offering an opportunity to build networks.
We decided that the inaugural event would be a wonderful opportunity to hear from ISQ’s CEO, Chris Mountford, and his valuable insights on the art of networking. From the start of this journey, we have been very fortunate to have Pure Source Recruitment CEO Tracey Montgomery on board as our sponsor and presenter. Tracey’s topic of conversation for the day was ‘Finding Your Work Tribe’. We believe that both topics were very apt for our first event and have set the tone for future gatherings. To round off the day, Elizabeth Clarke, a fashion stylist and beauty editor, gave us tips on ‘Personal Style and Professional Presentation’. Her tips were a hit, making her session one of the most talked about highlights of the day.
Fast forward three years and ISQ EA Connect is a constant source of joy to Lisa and me. Our old friend imposter syndrome still occasionally rears its ugly head, but we are getting better at pushing it aside. We proudly offer a consistently sold-out professional development opportunity, which is attracting world class presenters and thought leaders, such as Petris Lapis, Donna McGeorge and Steve Baggi.
We are so excited about the direction that ISQ EA Connect is heading and, equally, the quality networks we are inspiring in our peers. We very much look forward to future opportunities to grow personally and professionally, together with our growing network.
Annette Box
Assistant Head of Primary –Wellbeing and Operations
It is hard to imagine a time when the words ‘wellbeing’ or ‘wellness’ were not in our lexicon. While it appears that teacher wellbeing and associated models have been proposed for up to 50 years (Walker, 2025), it seems to have gained its most significant momentum because of the impact of COVID-19. It is evident that student wellbeing has been a priority at St Margaret’s since at least 2005 when the school was awarded a National Safe Schools Framework Grant, which led to the research, development, and publication of the Student Wellbeing Framework in 2018. During this time, St Margaret’s initiated a Staff Wellbeing Committee and developed a ‘menu’ outlining a range of activities and offerings geared at creating safe and supported environments in which staff could flourish and achieve. However, 2020 brought unprecedented circumstances and pivoting became the act ‘du jour’. Despite the turbulence of these times, the benefits to be reaped from this challenging time in the educational sector were also not to be ignored.
Learnings from the pandemic included, but were not limited to, the discovery that staff induction processes suffered because of the lack of face-to-face gatherings and the inevitable inculturation that occurs through school events. Staff wellbeing became more important than ever but significantly harder to gauge and, even harder, was finding out what ‘wellbeing’ in a time of crisis meant and how it could be measured. A selection of St Margaret’s Senior Leadership Team (SLT) members engaged in an Independent Schools Queensland (ISQ) Project with the goal of exploring how to create induction programs designed at enhancing wellbeing, improving staff culture, and increasing staff retention. During this time, the research we encountered was skewed towards poor mental
health over fostering wellbeing. Approaches to wellbeing such as Organisational Compassion hoped to address ‘workplace suffering’ (Simpson et al., 2024, p. 5), while other texts seem to focus on the ‘stress and burnout’ teachers experienced (Green, 2022, p. 9). Not only was it hard to find publications that explored the shared responsibility of wellbeing or that looked at positive and proactive school-based approaches, but it was also equally hard to find a definition of what this elusive term ‘wellbeing’ meant, or at least one that St Margaret’s, as a school, felt was a fit.
As the school and society at large emerged from the cloud of the pandemic, it became evident that the Staff Wellbeing Committee and the Staff Wellbeing Menu required an overhaul and a revamp to align with the worldwide momentum that mental health and wellbeing had garnered. Additionally, the introduction of psychosocial safety legislation forced schools to look more critically at the environment, design and management of work environments and processes. Fortunately for St Margaret’s, the interest in being part of this process was positive and widespread, with staff from all facets of the school in both teaching and non-teaching roles volunteering to join the Staff Wellbeing Committee, a sign of their dedication to establishing meaningful programs and offerings that respected the fine balance between the trivial versus the transformative nature of this arena.
Additionally, a review of the Staff Wellbeing Menu allowed the school to look introspectively at what was already on offer and to present the existing platforms and options through which the school supported and celebrated staff wellbeing. By examining other schools’ models along with those adopted in the tertiary and corporate spheres in comparison to St Margaret’s, the
committee was able to create an extensive and dynamic list of the many ways in which our organisation was already committed to the growth and stability of its staff. These initiatives were grouped under the following headings: respecting time, enhancing the work environment, fostering community, acknowledging and appreciating others, supporting career and other benefits. This alone resulted in a sevenpage document, a significant expansion on its previous iteration. However, it was evident that this was not the end point or the peak of the journey. After all, there still existed some opaqueness as to what ‘wellbeing’ even meant.
VALUES
Spirit
Inclusivity
Integrity
Courage
Respect
Passion
Through meeting with the SLT and a working committee, it became evident that the destination for the journey towards wellbeing was to create a framework to sit alongside the Student Wellbeing, Professional Learning, and Quality Teaching and Learning frameworks, signifying the value the school placed on this aspect of its fundamental operations, while ensuring its place in the very fabric of the school. Despite the relatively limited research, publications and writing on the matter, a definition of ‘wellbeing’ was determined with the help of the World Health Organisation (WHO), who define wellbeing as a state in which ‘an individual realises their own abilities, can work productively and make a contribution to their community … it is fundamental to our collective and individual ability as humans to think, emote, interact with each other, earn a living and enjoy life’ (WHO, 2022b). This definition embraced the responsibility of the individual and their engagement with the collective or community, which closely aligned with the school’s values and the St Margaret’s Way. Where the Student Wellbeing Framework spoke to six aspects – vocational, intellectual, social, emotional, physical and spiritual – through consultation with our Principal, Ros Curtis AM, the working party settled on four areas for the Staff Wellbeing Framework: develop, contribute, play, and restore. To quote directly from the published framework, ‘through these four areas, we adopt a transformative approach to fostering community, working in partnership and sharing responsibility for wellbeing at the school to create clarity surrounding why we do what we do. These areas are underpinned by the school
values and ethos, which further contribute to our holistic and inclusive approach to fostering wellbeing for all staff’ (St Margaret’s, 2025, p. 2).
The energy which was directed towards the committee, the document detailing the school’s offering, the framework and the rebranded Wellbeing Hub on The POD served to have a ripple effect or a contagion of sorts, in which the value the school placed on staff wellbeing was highly evident for all staff. Staff were engaged throughout all aspects of the process to ensure that staff voice remained present, while ensuring the project was steered by relevant leadership and stakeholders. At networking and professional sharing opportunities with colleagues from like schools, it has become evident that St Margaret’s was a leader in this field, with schools from interstate and even internationally seeking to engage with the processes that were undertaken to arrive at the publication of the Staff Wellbeing Framework, but also the impact it has had on the staff. The school’s rating as a ‘5-Star Employer of Choice’ (The Educator) for the fifth consective year is testament to how valued the staff feel, and the buy-in to the programs and benefits on offer supports this, along with the outstanding results we achieve in this area in the biennial staff surveys. Ultimately, the framework exists to serve The St Margaret’s Way and its associated questions; ‘How do I want to feel every day when I come to school? What am I doing to ensure others can feel this way?’ When each member of the community is held to account for their own and a collective wellbeing, everyone can flourish and soar upwards.
References
Green, A. (2022). Teacher Wellbeing: A Real Conversation for Teachers and Leaders. Amba Press.
Simpson, A.V., Cunha, M.P.E., Clegg, S., Rego, A., & Berti, M. (2024). Organizational Compassion: A Relational Approach (1st Ed.). Routledge.
St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School. (2025). Staff Wellbeing Framework.
Walker, M. (2025). Teacher wellbeing through organisational compassion. Independence, 50(1), 26-28.
World Health Organisation. (2022b). Health and Well-being. https://www.who.int/data/gho/major-themes/health-andwell-being
Stroll through any thriving school and you will immediately sense a lively energy with students chatting in hallways, greeting teachers by name, and an atmosphere where everyone, even the quietest of students, truly feel they belong.
School connectedness and belonging are foundational for student wellbeing, resilience, and academic success. It is a key factor contributing to the resolute engagement of students in school; however, for many learners, developing a sense of belonging can be challenging and may present as school refusal. When students feel a disconnect from their school community, they are more likely to avoid school and experience exacerbated feelings of isolation. School refusal stems from a variety of reasons like anxiety, peer conflict, family issues, school environment, health problems and neurodevelopment conditions (Headspace, 2025). Schools can support students by adopting a proactive approach to creating inclusive rich learning environments that foster respect for diversity, equity, and connection.
There are various definitions for the term school connectedness, but most centre around the belief by which students feel that they belong, the degree to which they feel they are accepted by their peers and teachers, and the feeling that they are supported in their learning environment (Goodenow, 1993; Bowles, 2018). Additionally, school connectedness is a protective factor characterised by belonging, attending, engaging, and being involved in various aspects of school life. The Wingspread Declaration on School Connection offers a similar definition whereby students believe that their peers and adults within their school environment care about them, their welfare, and their learning (CDC, 2018). How connected a student feels to their school is a direct reflection of how strongly they feel like they belong there. To better grasp the concept of school connectedness, it is helpful to define it through four main elements: relationships, belonging, inclusion and active participation (Lezar, 2018).
Relationships: based on warmth, empathy, and respect.
Belonging: connection for both students and staff socially and academically.
Inclusion: based on acceptance and valuing diversity. Active participation: contributing meaningfully and positively to the school community.
When schools combine all four elements, they cultivate an inclusive, engaging, and equitable environment that benefits both students and staff.
When students feel connected, they are more likely to thrive academically, develop positive social relationships and build resilience. Feeling like you belong to a school community is important for all students, but especially for those who are atypical learners and at risk of feeling isolated, disconnected, and alienated (APA, 2014). There is a strong link between risky behaviours, delinquency, mental health, wellbeing, academic success, and school connectedness (Saggers, 2016). All play a major role in lifelong learning (APA, 2014), so it is vital for teachers and schools to adopt a whole school community approach to foster belonging, promoting an inclusive environment that values all members with respect for diversity (Lezar, 2018). A welcoming school community with strong pastoral care and clear school values is key to supporting acceptance, inclusiveness, warm relationships, equity, and good practice (Shochet et al., 2016). Therefore, empowering students to connect can help create an environment where they discover a sense of belonging, connection, and purpose.
How can schools make a difference?
A sense of belonging is foundational to student attendance, engagement, and wellbeing. Creating this is not accidental. It develops as the result of intentional and inclusive practices. In the recent Raising Her Voice study (IGGS, 2024), it was identified that a school’s intentional policies and practices can foster meaningful relationships and a sense of community for students. Schools that prioritised connection witnessed gains in both engagement and resilience. Research indicates that it is the dedication and actions of school staff that lay the crucial foundation for cultivating trust and meaningful connections with their students (CESE, 2024). Through consistent care, empathy, and support, staff can help each learner feel seen, respected, and genuinely valued, fostering a sense of self-worth and belonging that can significantly impact both academic success and personal growth. Schools play a vital role in nurturing a culture of belonging by upholding strong core values and promoting classrooms that are respectful, inclusive, and reflective of diverse backgrounds (CESE, 2024). Each school operates within its own unique context and employs tailored wellbeing strategies to empower belonging. An increasing body of research (CDC, 2018) indicates that schools can strengthen protective factors to support student attendance and reduce engagement in risky behaviours by:
• creating inclusive and respectful classrooms – ensuring students feel safe and valued
• building positive teacher-student relationships –intentionally create supportive spaces where students feel safe and more engaged
• encouraging peer relationships – embedding principles and practices into pastoral care that nurture social skills and peer mentoring to build connections
• integrating social-emotional learning (SEL) into the curriculum – teaching essential skills like self-awareness, emotional regulation, and relationship-building, the key ingredients for school connectedness (CASEL, 2017)
• maintaining mentally healthy school communities – the Be You initiative (2018) found that schools who prioritise inclusion, social-emotional learning, and mental health awareness see improvements in student wellbeing. Schools that strive to make every student feel like they matter are not just growing great learners, they are growing happier, healthier, and more resilient people for life. Embedding inclusive practices within high-quality teaching is a powerful recipe for lasting, positive change.
To fully understand the importance of school connectedness, teachers must first recognise that schools have a responsibility to nurture student wellbeing. Additionally, teachers are instrumental in building positive relationships, which are crucial for the social development and competence of all learners (Marshall, 2004). Inclusion is not merely about creating opportunities for students to connect; it is also about valuing and celebrating the unique differences each learner brings to the community. For students to feel connected and experience a sense of belonging, teachers need to employ strategies that foster connectedness throughout both primary and secondary education, while also embedding innovative ways to mitigate life’s daily challenges and support students’ social emotional development. By building our capacity to understand potential impact, we can then explicitly promote valued relationships, establish beneficial routines, and offer enriching school experiences.
It is important for learning communities to explore ways of promoting school connections and a sense of belonging for all learners, particularly atypical learners or those experiencing school refusal. This requires educators to deepen their understanding of how school connectedness is conceptualised for these students, as well as how to foster social competencies, resilience, and positive mental health. It is equally important to recognise that the ‘secret ingredient’ of belonging does not end in Year 12. Students who feel connected during their time at school often carry those experiences and benefits with them into their adult life. In a world where disconnection is increasingly common, fostering a sense of school belonging may be one of the most powerful tools we have.
References
American Psychological Association. (2014). School connectedness https://www.apa.org/pi/lgbt/programs/safe-supportive/ school-connectedness
Bowles, T., Scull, J., & Russo, D. (2018, December 19). Why is school connectedness so important? The University of Melbourne. https://pursuit.unimelb.edu.au/articles/why-is-schoolconnectedness-so-important
Bowles, T., & Scull, J. (2019). The Centrality of Connectedness: A Conceptual Synthesis of Attending, Belonging, Engaging and Flowing. Journal of Psychologists and Counsellors in Schools, 29(1), 3-21. https://doi.org/10.1017/jgc.2018.13
CASEL. (2018, December 14). What is social and emotional learning (SEL) [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=4YxyAcV9QXc
Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. (2018). School Connectedness. https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/ protective/school_connectedness.htm
CESE (Centre for Education Statistics and Evaluation). (2024). Macarthur Girls High School: Sense of belonging research series. NSW Department of Education. International Coalition of Girls’ School (ICGS). (2024). Raising Her Voice. https://girlsschools.org/research/icgs-studies/ Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning. (2017). Social and emotional learning (SEL) competencies. https://casel. org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/CASEL-Competencies.pdf
Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL). (2020). What is SEL? https://casel.org/what-is-sel/ Department of Health and Human Services USA. (2009). School connectedness: Strategies for increasing protective factors among youth. https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/protective/pdf/ connectedness.pdf
Goodenow, C. (1993). The Psychological Sense of School Membership among adolescents: Scale development and educational correlates. Psychology in the Schools, 30(1), 79–90. https:// doi.org/10.1002/1520-6807(199301)30:1<79::AIDPITS2310300113>3.0.CO;2-X
Headspace. (2025). Understanding school can’t https://headspace.org.au/ explore-topics/supporting-a-young-person/school-cant/ Lezar, C. (2018). School connectedness. https://autismteenwellbeing.com. au/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/School_Connectedness_ Infographic.pdf
Marshall, S. (2004). Strengthening learning through a focus on wellbeing. Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER). Supporting Student Wellbeing: What Does the Research Tell Us About the Social and Emotional Development of Young People? (Conference Proceedings). https://research. acer.edu.au/research_conference_2004/2
Saggers, B., Macartney, B., & Geurin, A. (2016). Developing relationships that support learning and participation. In S. Carrington & J. MacArthur (Eds.), Teaching in inclusive school communities (pp. 209-236). John Wiley & Sons Australia.
Shochet, I. M., Saggers, B. R., Carrington, S. B., Orr, J. A., Wurfl, A. M., Duncan, B. M., & Smith, C. L. (2016). The Cooperative Research Centre for Living with Autism (Autism CRC) Conceptual Model to Promote Mental Health for Adolescents with ASD. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 19(2), 94–116. https://doi.org/10.1007/ s10567-016-0203-4
Louise Brown Head of Faculty – Sociocultural Studies
How do we know students are learning? When I started teaching almost thirty years ago, this question would have been more about intuition than evidence. It was heuristics that proved our impact as teachers: busy students, animated group work, not-too-noisy? All must be well.
To be fair to my early-career self, this was a time when the evidence about how learning happens just did not exist, or if it did, it certainly hadn’t made its way to the classroom. It is only within the last decade, with dense academic papers clearly communicated in books, blogs, and podcasts, usually by educators themselves, that teaching has been able to truly call itself ‘evidence-based’. Cognitive science gives us models of working and long-term memory, and we know novices learn differently to experts, and forgetting is essential to learning. Robust evidence suggests instructional practices most likely to secure students’ success.
Knowing what learning looks like is one thing, but collecting the evidence and making use of it is another. Expert in Responsive Teaching and Instructional Coach Bronwyn Ryrie Jones spoke at a recent Science of Learning Conference about the frequency with which we assess students’ understanding. She described ‘long cycle’ assessments, typically an end of unit test, and the ‘medium cycle’ assessments, such as a draft paragraph submitted mid-term. These are important measures of whether or not the previous learning has ‘stuck’. But Ryrie Jones also encouraged us to think about ‘short cycle’ assessments: the multiple opportunities we have within a single lesson to check whether students are on track.
We must still tread carefully when looking for evidence of learning. Learning is a change in long term memory (Kirschner et al., 2006), distinct from the ‘performance’ of a single moment, inferred rather than directly observed. What we do have is the capacity, many times within each lesson, to check our students’ current level of understanding. From this, we can create the optimal conditions for long term learning, close gaps and misconceptions before they develop, and build student engagement and motivation as a result.
Checks for understanding (CFUs) can take many forms; they might be whole class mini-whiteboard responses, a ‘turn and talk’, cold calling, ‘everybody writes’ or hinge questions. All can be effective, efficient, and inclusive. Students benefit as much as teachers because CFUs build in practice and rehearsal time. When we learn anything new, we need to practise. Learning to play tennis requires multiple repetitions of the serve; when learning to drive we isolate and repeat each manoeuvre.
This also applies to academic subjects. ‘Expert blindness’ means we often underestimate the importance of this practice; when our own understanding is secure, we forget that for novices, these practice drills are crucial. Teach Like a Champion author Doug Lemov (2015) uses a sports analogy to describe ‘at-bat’ opportunities – multiple mini-whiteboard responses are the equivalent of practising a new baseball swing over and over again. Repeating and trialling what has just been taught builds the foundations of learning.
Observing these rehearsals is a rich source of data for teachers. From here, we can adapt and modify our teaching in the moment. Ploughing on without asking ‘what have you learnt so far?’ would potentially waste the next part of the lesson. Without solid foundations, the subsequent learning is error prone. It can be hard to hear that your students don’t understand, but in asking the questions, we become better teachers. Having to pull something else out of our teachertoolkit sharpens our pedagogical practice. If the preceding explanation didn’t work, we need to adapt: How else can I present this knowledge or explain this procedure? Which other examples might work? Paying close attention to what students have and haven’t grasped leads to better instructional decisions and makes us more effective teachers in the long term.
Feedback is also a significant benefit of CFUs. Here, again, it is the timing that makes all the difference. UK educator Daisy Christodoulou has written extensively about assessment and asks us to imagine ourselves taking a driving lesson and clipping the curb as we attempt a three-point turn. Would we prefer to wait two weeks for a letter describing what went wrong or be told in the moment how to alter our steering? Teaching a whole class is different from one-to-one instruction and longer answers certainly require time outside of the classroom to assess. But the longer students go without feedback, the greater the potential for gaps to emerge.
This can particularly disadvantage lower-achieving students who are less able to articulate, in the moment, why they are struggling. As the Dunning Kruger effect tells us, all novice learners struggle to accurately judge their own level of competence – we don’t know what we don’t know (Dunning, 2011).
Live marking is a powerful CFU technique here. Scanning responses as students are working, nudging in the right direction, or re-directing when we see answers going off-course provide immediate opportunities to move one step closer to success. Succinct verbal feedback also means improvements don’t seem overwhelming; writing becomes an iterative process open to revision.
Sharing our current thinking with other people also builds our sense of belonging. When teachers only ask volunteers what they have understood, taking ‘hands-up’ answers, the evidence for ‘whole class understanding’ is weak. Other students not required to participate may feel that this class discussion is too advanced for them or that their ideas are less valued.
The Teach Like a Champion technique ‘everybody writes’, where all students have two minutes to jot down a response before being asked to share, communicates both accountability and inclusivity. Everyone is expected to participate, and everyone is able to participate. Students may never contribute if they have never experienced the glow of achievement that comes from having done so. Each time teachers check for everyone’s understanding, we build students self-identity as active, successful learners.
Ryrie Jones asked us to consider the barriers teachers face in using CFUs. She acknowledged that we often plan for content but not questioning. Scripting questions can feel unnatural when we want to be responsive and allow the lesson to ‘flow.’ But having well-crafted questions, intentionally placed and worded to elicit deep thinking, can still be adapted in the moment. It is the certainty of the script that allows a flexibility in the moment.
Another barrier is allowing too much choice in how students present their CFU answers, leaving teachers with a bewildering array of formats that are difficult to scan for errors. Author, podcaster, and Cognitive Load expert Ollie Lovell talks about ‘standardising the format’ – clear data for teachers provides rapid feedback for students (Lovell, 2022).
In the Sociocultural Faculty at St Margaret’s, we are working hard to leverage the benefits of CFUs. Our student booklets provide carefully worded questions at key junctures. Centrally planned, these questions can be adapted by class teachers in response to their CFU data. In faculty meetings, we discuss 100% student participation, share best practice, and isolate specific teaching techniques. Our goal is one which Ryrie-Jones emphasised as the ‘gold’ of professional development: seeing multiple models of excellence. Whether that is watching videos of teachers in real classrooms from providers like StepLab and Teach Like a Champion, or peer observations giving each other feedback as we trial evidence-based techniques, we are developing our mental models of effective practice.
Like students, teachers need to see what success looks like when we learn something new. Both teachers and students reap the rewards of this professional growth.
References
Christodoulou, D. (2017). Making Good Progress?: The Future of Assessment for Learning. Oxford University Press.
Dunning, D. (2011). The Dunning–Kruger Effect: On Being Ignorant of One’s Own Ignorance (J. M. Olson & M. P. Zanna, Eds.). ScienceDirect; Academic Press. https://www.sciencedirect. com/science/article/abs/pii/B9780123855220000056
Kirschner, P. A., Sweller, J., & Clark, R. E. (2006). Why Minimal Guidance During Instruction Does Not Work: An Analysis of the Failure of Constructivist, Discovery, Problem-Based, Experiential, and Inquiry-Based Teaching. Educational Psychologist, 41(2), 75–86. https://doi.org/10.1207/ s15326985ep4102_1
Lemov, D. (2015). Teach like a champion 2.0: 62 techniques that put students on the path to college (2nd ed.). Jossey-Bass.
Lovell, O. (2022). Tools for Teachers How to Teach, Lead, and Learn Like the World’s Best Educators. John Catt Educational.
Ryrie Jones, B. (2024). Responsive Teaching. Bronwyn Ryrie Jones. https://bronwynryriejones.com/responsive-teaching/
Erin Buckingham Secondary Teacher
Kamala Harris, the former Vice-President of the United States, sagely advised: ‘What I want young women and girls to know is: You are powerful and your voice matters.’ For those of us working in schools day-to-day, this advice from Harris emphasises how crucial our role is as educators in helping students to recognise their potential, as well as provide avenues where they can demonstrate and grow their leadership. For this reason, it is important that we understand and acknowledge those factors that can influence girls’ leadership development.
The students – perceptions of leadership and leadership opportunities
Understanding the factors that impact upon adolescent leadership development is crucial for supporting students’ leadership identity formation. Wright et al. (2023) highlight that providing opportunities for student leadership in schools is important for developing the future’s leaders, with extracurricular activities being an important place for students to learn and practise leadership skills. However, the authors also establish that a significant impediment to fostering student leadership is a lack of understanding about students’ conceptualisation of leadership. This includes a greater understanding of who students view as effective leaders (and why), the skills and attributes that are advantageous for effective leadership, and what students view as the purpose of leadership (Dempster & Lizzio, 2007).
Additionally, Neumann et al. (2009) explore the effects of being appointed to a key leadership role, such as school captain, and how this responsibility is likely to alter students’ relationships with others (peers and adults), as well as impact upon their personal wellbeing. To support students’ leadership development, greater acknowledgment of these changes can help prepare students for their appointed roles. Leadership, however, need not be confined to senior leadership roles – students’ understanding of informal leadership can also be relevant to their leadership development. Coffey and Lavery (2018) emphasise the importance of experiences and opportunities in the middle years of schooling to help prepare students for formal leadership roles in their senior years. The authors argue that scaffolded leadership opportunities need to be provided in schools to develop students’ skills for the future.
Fostering student voice is another way in which students’ sense of leadership can be developed. For example, a review of the literature on student voice by Lyons and Brasof (2020) focusing on student leadership and the organisational mechanisms that support the success of student voice initiatives reveals five features that support student leadership: research to guide decision-making; consistency with regard to meetings; governance structures, or a formalised system of decisionmaking; recognition and acknowledgment of students’ contributions; and small group size with an even ratio of students to adults. Additionally, a review of empirical studies by Cook-Sather (2020) offers three suggestions for authentic leadership that prepare students to contribute to civic life: analysis of school practices; research; and authorship.
When considering students’ leadership development, due thought must also be given to the specific needs of adolescent girls. Nicole Archard (currently the Principal at Loreto College, Kirribilli) has published extensively on the topic of girls’ leadership (Archard, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013a, 2013b), including the creation of the Female Leadership Framework (Archard, 2013c), which was informed by several qualitative studies involving varied methods of data collection. The framework is intended to prepare girls for leadership and the challenges they may encounter as future leaders and considers the cultural, school, familial/social and personal constructs of leadership. To support girls’ leadership, the following strategies are recommended for schools: provide authentic leadership experiences; facilitate exposure to female role models; inform about gender and gender issues; provide opportunities to practise leadership and the development of skills; teach about leadership as a concept and the variety of leadership styles; and provide equal access to leadership positions.
To support students’ leadership development, it is also important to acknowledge how school culture influences leadership and the implicit messages students encounter. Research by Lizzio et al. (2011) on students’ formal and informal leadership indicates that student leadership is dependent upon a ‘psychological contract’ of mutually respectful relationships between teachers and their peers, meaning that a school culture that promotes positive
interactions and school citizenship is more likely to support and encourage effective student leadership. Although this study examined only a single public school in Queensland (it acknowledges multiple limitations relative to the results), the authors suggest that the leadership styles of school administrators and teachers are likely to impact upon students’ perceptions of leadership.
A case study by Kirk et al. (2017), this time from the United States, proposes that both school-wide features (strong traditions, student leadership, cultural diversity, staff empowerment, sense of community, and sufficient resourcing) and classroom characteristics (teacher belief in students, sense of community, engaging practice, equitable roles, and shared decision-making) have implications for student empowerment. While this study was focused on supporting students from marginalised groups to succeed, its premise of improving school climate highlights features that should be considered when reflecting upon how school culture influences student leadership. This is supported by Hine’s (2014) longitudinal study of a student leadership program in Western Australia, which attests to the ‘importance of leadership development at a personal, school and community level’, and the significance of student leadership to the ‘positive cultivation of school culture’
(p. 104). As such, a failure to consider the impact of school culture on student leadership development is likely to hinder any efforts to improve existing practices.
For adolescent girls, the impact of school culture on their perceptions of self and leadership is particularly formative and, therefore, critical for consideration. McNae’s (2011) case study of one New Zealand girls’ school found that many of the girls held beliefs about leadership that incorporated traditional hierarchical structures. For example, they believed that attaining a formal leadership role in the senior years of schooling was a rite of passage, achieved only after progressing through the junior years. However, when given the opportunity to dismantle those structures and enable more leadership opportunities, senior students elected to maintain the status quo, suggesting that younger students should undergo a similar journey to theirs in reaching a formal leadership position. This highlights the complexities schools face in challenging existing beliefs and practices around leadership within the school environment. Another factor for schools to consider is what Haber‐Curran and Sulpizio (2017) describe as ‘gender socialisation’, where girls’ beliefs about leadership are influenced by their social environments, affecting how they perceive both themselves and other girls. Further research by McNae
(2010, 2015) emphasises the value in recognising girls’ lived experiences, their leadership strengths, and drawing attention to the challenges they may face as women both within and beyond school, which can be facilitated by girls co-constructing their leadership development. While challenging to execute, this approach allows student support and development that is unique to each school context, while also reinforcing a school’s commitment to girls’ leadership. Although influencing school culture is a complex task, understanding how it impacts upon girls’ perceptions of leadership is an initial step to creating an environment that can positively influence their leadership development.
While Kamala Harris was not successful in securing her place in the White House, we must ensure that there are more girls who see leadership as something that is within their reach. There are numerous factors influencing girls’ leadership development that warrant schools and educators considering the formal opportunities and implicit messages that are provided to young women. This means that girls’ leadership identity and self-efficacy can be fostered meaningfully within schools, supporting the next generation of female leaders.
References
Archard, N. (2009). Leadership understanding and practice in girls’ schools: A review of web based public documents. Leading & Managing, 15(2), 16-30.
Archard, N. (2011). Peer influence on female student leadership attainment, capacity and development: A staff and student perspective within a girls’ school context. Leading & Managing, 17(1), 1-15.
Archard, N. (2012). Student leadership development in Australian and New Zealand secondary girls’ schools: A staff perspective. International Journal of Leadership in Education, 15(1), 23-47. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603124.2011.605472
Archard, N. (2013a). Adolescent leadership: The female voice. Educational Management, Administration & Leadership, 41(3), 336-351. https://doi.org/10.1177/1741143212474804
Archard, N. (2013b). Women’s participation as leaders in society: An adolescent girls’ perspective. Journal of Youth Studies, 16(6), 759-775. https://doi.org/10.1080/13676261.2012.756974
Archard, N. (2013c). Female leadership framework: Developing adolescent girls as future women leaders through the formation of a female leadership identity. Leading & Managing, 19(1), 51-71.
Coffey, A., & Lavery, S. (2018). Student leadership in the middle years: A matter of concern. Improving Schools, 21(2), 187-200. https://doi.org/10.1177/1365480217732223
Cook-Sather, A. (2020). Student voice across contexts: Fostering student agency in today’s schools. Theory into Practice, 59(2), 182-191.
Dempster, N., & Lizzio, A. (2007). Student leadership: Necessary research. The Australian Journal of Education, 51(3), 276-285. https://doi.org/10.1177/000494410705100305
Haber‐Curran, P., & Sulpizio, L. (2017). Student leadership development for girls and young women. New Directions for Student Leadership, 2017(154), 33-46. https://doi.org/10.1002/ yd.20238
Hine, G. (2014). Student leadership development: A functional framework. Journal of Catholic Education, 18(1), 79-110. https:// doi.org/10.15365/joce.1801052014
Kirk, C. M., Lewis, R. K., Brown, K., Karibo, B., Scott, A., & Park, E. (2017). The empowering schools project: Identifying the classroom and school characteristics that lead to student empowerment. Youth & Society, 49(6), 827-847. https://doi. org/10.1177/0044118X14566118
Lizzio, A., Dempster, N., & Neumann, R. (2011). Pathways to formal and informal student leadership: The influence of peer and teacher-student relationships and level of school identification on students’ motivations. International Journal of Leadership in Education, 14(1), 85-102. https://doi.org/10.1080/1 3603124.2010.482674
Lyons, L., & Brasof, M. (2020). Building the capacity for student leadership in high school: A review of organizational mechanisms from the field of student voice. Journal of Educational Administration, 58(3), 357-372. https://doi. org/10.1108/JEA-05-2019-0077
McNae, R. (2010). Young women and the co-construction of leadership. Journal of Educational Administration, 48(6), 677-688. https://doi.org/10.1108/09578231011079548
McNae, R. (2011). Student leadership in secondary schools: The influence of school context on young women’s leadership perceptions. Leading & Managing, 17(2), 36-51.
McNae, R. (2015). Appreciating young women and their leadership: A strength-based approach to leadership development with high school student leaders. Planning & Changing, 46(3-4), 469-485.
Neumann, R., Dempster, N., & Skinner, J. (2009). The impact of positional leadership on secondary school captains. Leading & Managing, 15(2), 1-15.
Wright, E., Lee, M., Walker, A., Bryant, D., Choi, S., & Hassan, K. (2023). Developing the next generation of leaders: A global study of student leadership. Educational Studies, ahead-of-print, 1-21. https://doi.org/10.1080/03055698.2023.2216331
Georgia Button Primary Teacher
Introduction
When asked to think about what makes a great classroom, we often picture passionate teachers, dynamic lessons, and bright minds eager to learn. However, what happens when students are eager to learn, yet cannot access the teaching in front of them?
This is the reality for many children with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD), a hidden yet common condition affecting 1 in 14 children (Language Disorder Australia, 2022). For these students, the classroom can unintentionally become a barrier rather than a bridge to learning.
Dr Haley Tancredi, a lecturer at Queensland University of Technology and certified speech pathologist, explores this challenge in her recent presentation Is Accessibility the ‘Missing Piece’ in the Pedagogy Pie? Her research calls for a broader understanding of accessibility, one that moves beyond physical support to include the way we communicate and teach every learner in every classroom (Tancredi et al., 2024).
A broader understanding of accessibility is crucial, not only for fostering equitable learning environments. but for shaping the way schools and educators support students with DLD. The implications reach beyond individual teaching practices, influencing students’ ability to manage cognitive load, engage
meaningfully in learning, and experience long-term academic success. Additionally, effective school partnerships can assist in accessibility strategies, ensuring every learner has the opportunity to thrive.
DLD is a neurodevelopmental condition that impairs a student’s ability to understand and use language. This impacts both expressive and receptive communication and, by extension, learning across all subject areas (Language Disorder Australia, 2022). Students with DLD often struggle to follow instructions, organise their thoughts or engage in classroom discussions due to difficulties with vocabulary, working memory, and language processing (Snow & Powell, 2014). Despite average intelligence, these challenges may lead to hindered academic success, emotional frustration, and difficulties in forming social connections. Despite its prevalence, DLD remains under recognised, making it essential for educators and families to understand both its impacts and the practical teaching responses that can make a real difference.
Understanding the difference between the impact of DLD and its implications for practice is critical for responsive teaching. The following table offers a synthesis of how DLD affects
students and the pedagogical responses required to address these barriers.
• Difficultly understanding and using spoken language
• Inability to follow multi-step instructions
• Challenges with vocabulary and expression
• Reduced participation in oral discussions
• Misunderstood as inattentive, shy, or disinterested
• Use simplified, structured language with visuals to support comprehension
• Break tasks into manageable steps and provide written and visual reminders
• Pre-teach key terms, offer word banks, and model expressive language
• Provide alternative methods for engagement (e.g. drawings, written responses, group work)
• Provide alternative ways to contribute (e.g. visuals, written response, small group sharing)
Dr Tancredi’s research (2024) positions Accessible Pedagogies as essential rather than optional. Her work argues that even high-quality teaching is insufficient if it is inaccessible to students with language processing differences. Tancredi (2024) advocates for strategies that reduce cognitive load, such as using visual supports, minimising teacher talk, and providing consistent routines and multimodal representations of content. These strategies not only support students with DLD but benefit all learners, aligning with Universal Design for Learning Principles (CAST, 2024).
Accessible classrooms are environments where expectations are predictable, instructions are scaffolded, and students have multiple means to access content and demonstrate understanding. As Tancredi notes, accessibility is not a ‘bolt-on’ modification but a foundational aspect of inclusive practice (Tancredi et al., 2024). This aligns with broader inclusive education literature that frames access as both a human right and a pedagogical necessity (Foreman & Arthur-Kelly, 2017).
Australian research into classroom cognitive load (Sweller, 2011) supports Dr Tancredi’s position by recognising that students with Developmental Language Disorder often have reduced working memory capacity, which makes it more difficult for them to process complex verbal instructions or retain multi-step directions. These students benefit when teachers reduce the cognitive demand placed on verbal processing by using strategies such visual supports, consistent routines, and chunked information. By lowering the language load through Accessible Pedagogies, students with DLD are
better able to engage meaningfully in classroom learning alongside their peers (Snow & Powell, 2014).
A school community partnership
At schools such as St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School, professional learning opportunities led by researchers like Dr Tancredi’s bridge the gap between policy and everyday practice. By inviting both staff and families into conversations about accessibility, schools can build a shared language around inclusive education. When schools adopt accessible pedagogies, and parents are informed and involved, students with DLD are far more likely to feel understood, included, and empowered to succeed (NCCD, 2022).
Conclusion
Although DLD is often invisible, its effects on a student’s learning, social connection, and wellbeing are profound. Without linguistically accessible teaching, students with DLD face significant barriers to participation and achievement. However, as research emphasises, the adoption of accessible, evidence-based teaching strategies provides a clear and achievable path toward inclusion. By recognising the challenges of DLD and embedding responsive pedagogies into everyday practice, teachers can honour their commitment to equity and excellence for all learners. As Dr Tancredi powerfully reminds us, accessibility isn’t an optional extra, it is essential. It is the ‘missing piece’ that ensures every child, regardless of how they learn, has the opportunity to thrive and belong.
References
CAST. (2024). The UDL guidelines. CAST. https://udlguidelines.cast. org/
Foreman, P., & Arthur-Kelly, M. (2017). Inclusion in action (6th ed.). Cengage Learning.
Language Disorder Australia. (2022, April 6). DLD – Developmental Language Disorder https://languagedisorder.org.au/what-islanguage-disorder/dld/ Nationally Consistent Collection of Data (NCCD). (2022). Classroom adjustments: https://www.nccd.edu.au/professional-learning/ classroom-adjustments-developmental-language-disorder
Snow, P. C., & Powell, M. B. (2011). Oral language competence in incarcerated young offenders: links with offending severity. International journal of speech-language pathology, 13(6), 480-489. https://doi.org/10.3109/17549507 .2011.578661
Sweller, J. (2011). Cognitive load theory. In J. P. Mestre & B. H. Ross (Eds.), The psychology of learning and motivation: Cognition in education (pp. 37–76). Elsevier Academic Press. https://doi. org/10.1016/B978-0-12-387691-1.00002-8
Tancredi, H., Graham, L. J., Callula Killingly, & Sweller, N. (2024).
Investigating the impact of Accessible Pedagogies on the experiences and engagement of students with language and/ or attentional difficulties. Learning Environments Research https://doi.org/10.1007/s10984-024-09514-z
Brooke Calcutt Primary Teacher
In 2024, I was fortunate to receive an interstate teacher exchange scholarship, providing me with the opportunity to travel to Melbourne and spend a week at St Catherine’s School.
Located in the inner-city suburb of Toorak, St Catherine’s is one of Victoria’s leading schools for girls. Established in 1896, the school enrols boys and girls in the Early Learning Centre and girls in the Junior and Senior schools. Its mission closely aligns with that of St Margaret’s, to keep with the founder’s original aim to prepare young girls for life.
From the moment I stepped through the historic Heyington Gates, I was struck by the vibrant atmosphere of the school. Senior students welcomed those entering the main gates,
creating a sense of community. On arrival, I was met with the remarkable main building, Sherren House, which sits at the heart of the school. I was warmly welcomed by the St Catherine’s staff and students, all of whom were excited to share their school.
Over the course of the week, I engaged with staff, students, and parents across both the upper primary and lower secondary areas. I observed daily routines and learnt about the structures in place that support student development.
St Catherine’s Junior School, referred to as ‘Barbreck’, is housed in a purpose-built, two-storey facility comprising general classrooms, specialist learning spaces, and a central open-plan Continues over
library. The building opens onto the ‘Village Green’, an outdoor multipurpose space thoughtfully designed for younger students.
Throughout the week, I often heard both staff and students refer to ‘Barbreck girls’, referencing those who attend the Junior School at St Catherine’s. Upon entering Year 7, the girls move to the other side of the campus into the Senior School.
The transition from primary to secondary school
One of my interests during the exchange was understanding how St Catherine’s supports the transition from Junior to Senior School, particularly relevant to my role as a Year 6 teacher.
I attended one of three Year 7 Orientation Days, where St Catherine’s students connected with Year 11 mentors and met their Head of Year.
St Catherine’s adopts a rotating Head of Year model, where the same Head of Year supports a cohort from Years 7 to 9, before another takes over from Years 10 to 12. Staff explained how this structure enables them to specialise in common developmental needs of specific year levels, allowing for more targeted support for students and families.
Like St Margaret’s, the transition to secondary begins long before Year 7 officially starts. At St Catherine’s, Year 6 students progressively receive more nightly homework to mimic a senior workload. They also attend senior assemblies and begin interacting with potential teachers in specialist subjects.
St Margaret’s similarly place emphasis on preparing girls for Secondary School and beyond from the outset of Year 6. Our students become leaders of the primary school, deepening their connection to our values and refining their understanding of The St Margaret’s Way. Their independence and organisational skills are fostered through managing lockers and transitioning between classes more frequently. St Margaret’s girls also establish relationships with secondary staff through specialist subjects such as STEM, Art, Music and Drama. The academic curriculum in Year 6 is intentionally designed to bridge primary and secondary styles of learning. Students also become familiar with Continuous Reporting, which operates at St Margaret’s from Years 5 to 12, ensuring consistency in assessment feedback. In addition, St Margaret’s provides three transition days, providing students with multiple opportunities to experience aspects of secondary school before their formal start.
The transition from primary to secondary is a significant milestone in an adolescent’s educational journey. One of the advantages offered by both St Margaret’s and St Catherine’s is the ability for girls to experience this transition within a familiar school environment.
At St Margaret’s, students are supported by consistent values and expectations (the ‘Non-Negotiables’), which span from Pre-Prep through to Year 12. This alignment between primary
and secondary fosters a sense of continuity. When staff from St Catherine’s visited St Margaret’s as part of the teacher exchange program, they were impressed by the shared language and consistent expectations that underpin the St Margaret’s experience across all year levels.
Having previously taught in Melbourne during the 2020 lockdowns, I connected with St Catherine’s staff over our shared experiences of teaching during COVID-19. I gained insight into the long-term impacts that extended lockdowns had on schools in Victoria, particularly in terms of student and staff wellbeing. Since that time, St Catherine’s has made wellbeing an area of focus. In 2021, staff designed and implemented a health program targeting physical and mental health skills. Initiatives such as the ‘Barbreck Wellbeing Festival’ and weekly pastoral care check-ins reflected a proactive approach to student wellbeing.
Staff wellbeing is also prioritised, with flexible timetables that allow teachers to schedule blocks of time for either professional or personal pursuits off campus. Staff members spoke positively about how this system has improved workflow. I also observed strong staff camaraderie, with team members gathering daily in the staffroom during breaks, another small but powerful wellbeing practice.
The teacher exchange was an enriching experience. It allowed me to deepen my understanding of how another leading girls’ school operates and helped me to build connections with educators. When visiting another school, comparisons naturally arise, offering both inspiration and affirmation. I left St Catherine’s feeling inspired and incredibly proud of the work we do at St Margaret’s
When I became a part of St Margaret’s, I remember being struck by the students’ passion for learning, the professionalism of staff, and the structures in place to support learning and wellbeing. Over time, these become familiar; however, stepping away for a short moment reminds you how extraordinary St Margaret’s is. I witnessed this again when St Catherine’s and Methodist Ladies’ College staff visited St Margaret’s as part of the exchange program. They were deeply impressed by our rigorous curriculum, the systems that guide and support our students, and the people who make up our community.
Above all, this experience reaffirmed the shared commitment across Australian schools to the power and promise of girls’ education. Girls’ schools are united in their mission to prepare young women for the challenges and opportunities of the modern world.
Thea Cowdroy-Ling Primary Teacher
Co-teaching is an effective strategy for fostering professional growth, improving student outcomes, and ensuring teachers and students have a sense of community and connection in primary education. This collaborative approach provides teachers with opportunities to learn from one another, refine instructional strategies, and create a supportive teaching environment. The benefits of co-teaching are welldocumented in educational research, particularly regarding teacher capacity building, retention, and shared professional development. This approach has been working well in the primary school at St Margaret’s through year level co-teaching teams. Incorporating co-teaching methods into the classroom demonstrates the commitment to enhancing community and connection within the school.
Building teacher capacity through co-teaching
Teacher capacity refers to an educator’s ability to effectively deliver instruction, manage classrooms, and adapt to diverse student needs. Co-teaching significantly enhances teacher capacity by fostering skill development, encouraging reflective practice, and providing continuous professional support through mentoring. Co-teaching, defined as two or more teachers collaboratively delivering instruction to a diverse group of students, allows educators to share expertise and model best practices. According to Friend and Cook (2016), co-teaching enables teachers to learn from their colleagues, leading to the development of new instructional strategies and differentiated teaching methods. This collaborative model enhances teaching effectiveness by providing immediate feedback and promoting adaptive teaching practices that address varied learning needs (Scruggs et al., 2007).
Professional development is a cornerstone of effective teaching, and co-teaching provides meaningful opportunities for ongoing professional learning. Shared professional development enhances teacher expertise, fosters a culture of continuous improvement, and ensures the implementation of best practices in the classroom.
Shared professional development is essential for continuous improvement in teaching practices. Co-teaching provides a platform for such collaborative learning in primary schools. The Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) emphasises that collaborative teaching practices, including co-teaching methods, facilitate the sharing of best practices and evidence-based strategies among educators, leading to improved teaching effectiveness (AITSL, 2021).
Co-teaching serves as an embedded professional development model, allowing teachers to engage in real-time learning
through collaboration and reflection. As teachers work together to plan, deliver, assess, and evaluate lessons, they develop new instructional techniques and strategies that improve student outcomes (Friend et al., 2010). This form of professional development is particularly effective because it occurs in an authentic classroom setting rather than through traditional workshops or seminars, making the learning experience more relevant and applicable (Villa et al., 2013).
Co-teaching in action
This year, Year 1 has embraced the co-teaching methodology. Two experienced classroom teachers (myself and Chloe Sellick) have been collaborating closely with support staff to build a sense of community and connection among their students. Our focus has been on fostering strong relationships and providing high-quality teaching and learning experiences. We have been learning from one another’s strengths to build our capacity to plan for the teaching and learning environment and our students’ needs. We are open to each other’s ideas, receiving feedback, and delegate jobs based on our identified strengths. Together we can make on-the-spot decisions that are responsive to the students’ needs to improve the lesson. Working with Chloe has provided me with valuable, real-time feedback in a safe and supportive environment. This in turn has built a deep trusting relationship making the teaching environment positive and enjoyable.
Last year, as Year 1 and Year 5 teachers, we were paired through the St Margaret’s Buddy Program, which aims to build mentorship and connections among staff. This prior mentor/mentee relationship proved invaluable in enhancing the effectiveness of our co-teaching collaboration (Ingersoll & Smith, 2004).
Cook and Friend (1995) proposed three co-teaching methods that co-teachers can use when delivering teaching and learning in the classroom. All these methods are used in the Year 1 classroom.
Method 1
Method 2
Method 3
One teacher leading while the other assists, observes and supports classroom behaviour.
Both teachers share the planning and delivering of instruction by each leading instruction (team teaching).
The two teachers dividing students in half (parallel or alternative teaching) and dividing students in stations (station teaching). This model allows for attending to authentic differentiation.
Here is an example of a typical morning in Year 1.
Morning session:
English co-teaching: Every morning the students start the day together by joining on the carpet in our shared classroom space. The teachers take turns in facilitating parts of the lesson. While one teacher is providing instructional teaching the other is monitoring and observing student engagement, learning and behaviour. The teachers connect with the students engaging in:
• singing our morning song and greeting (Method 2)
• fine motor finger gymnastics (Method 2)
• Heggerty’s literacy phonics instruction (Method 3)
• core-literacy teaching, word work, and reading practice (Method 3).
After a short transition and brain break, we continue with:
• introduction of the English mentor text (Method 1)
• explicit teaching of text type for writing, using the gradual release of responsibility teaching method (Method 2)
• students engaging in the English learning activity (Method 3).
Year 1 students also participate in co-teaching sessions for other subjects such as Pastoral Care, Religious Values Education (RVE), Science and Mathematics sessions each week using a variety of co-teaching methods which has proved highly successful.
Building community and connection through co-teaching
Extensive research has demonstrated that co-teaching provides significant benefits for teachers, fostering a sense of belonging and mutual support. However, emerging studies are now shedding light on the perspectives of students within coteaching environments. According to Strogilos et al. (2024), students in co-taught classrooms reported overwhelmingly positive experiences. They highlighted the advantages of having two teachers with whom to connect, emphasising how this dynamic created an engaging and enjoyable classroom atmosphere.
Moreover, students expressed a strong sense of belonging and self-efficacy in co-taught settings, which positively influenced their academic performance and social development. For instance, in Year 1, the morning routine serves as a vital opportunity for students to come together as a community of learners. This routine not only helps them connect with one another but also fosters meaningful relationships with their two teachers, strengthening the overall sense of community (Strogilos et al., 2024).
Considering this research, the Year 1 students were asked about their experiences in their co-taught classroom to gauge how their sentiments compared with the research. The overwhelming responses from the students were positive and aligned with the research findings. Here are some of the student responses:
– I think Mrs Sellick and Mrs Cowdroy-Ling are a good team because they work together and make our learning fun.
Mila – I enjoy it when Mrs Cowdroy-Ling and Mrs Sellick teach us because it is nice to be with the other class.
Arianna – When people are not doing the right thing, we have two teachers to tell them what to do.
Posey – You are a great team. I like having two teachers. It would be hard with just one teacher. If one is busy with someone else, I can go to the other teacher for help.
Lucy – I like being with all my friends.
Araminta – You make up fun lessons for all of us.
Valentina – Having two teachers means we can learn more and get to have more fun.
Savannah – I like having two teachers because you teach us together and we can make new friends from the other class.
Conclusion
Co-teaching is an invaluable strategy in primary education, offering significant benefits for both teachers and students. Benefits of this approach include fostering supportive relationships, building teacher capacity, improved instructional effectiveness, providing opportunities for professional development and ultimately promoting community and connection. By adopting co-teaching methods into the Year 1 classroom, teachers are supporting each other while students can connect more fully with their fellow cohort of learners and have two teachers to support their academic, social, and behavioural needs.
References
Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (aitsl). (May 2021). Collaborative teaching: Sharing best practice https:// www.aitsl.edu.au/research/collaborate/collaborativeteaching-sharing-best-practice Cook, L., & Friend, M. (1995). Co-Teaching: Guidelines for creating effective practices. Focus on exceptional children, 28(3). 1-16. https://journals.ku.edu/focusXchild/article/view/6852/6204
Friend, M., & Cook, L. (2016). Interactions: Collaboration skills for school professionals. Pearson.
Friend, M., Reising, M., & Cook, L. (2010). Co-Teaching: An overview of the past, a glimpse at the present, and considerations for the future. Preventing School Failure: Alternative Education for Children and Youth, 55(1), 6-13.
Ingersoll, R. M., & Smith, T. M. (2004). Do teacher induction and mentoring matter? NASSP Bulletin, 88(638), 28-40.
Scruggs, T. E., Mastropieri, M. A., & McDuffie, K. A. (2007). CoTeaching in inclusive classrooms: A metasynthesis of qualitative research. Exceptional Children, 73(4), 392-416.
Strogilos, V., King-Sears, M., Tragoulia, E., & Toulia, A. (2024, August 27 - 30). Students’ experiences and views on CoTeaching: a systematic review [Conference Presentation Abstract]. European Conference in Educational Research, Nicosia, Cyprus. https://eera-ecer.de/ecer-programmes/ conference/29/contribution/58700
Villa, R. A., Thousand, J. S., & Nevin, A. I. (2013). A guide to CoTeaching: New lessons and strategies to facilitate student learning. Corwin.
Ros Curtis AM Principal
Former US President Harry S. Truman once said, ‘Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers.’ It is no coincidence that the most effective leaders are readers.
In fact, a study published in the Journal of Leadership and Organisational Studies discovered a positive correlation between reading and leadership effectiveness. The research indicated that reading was linked to higher levels of transformational leadership (Paatsch, 2023).
When conducting leadership training, I am often asked about my personal recommendations for reading, as many people want to know where to start. It is not that they are not readers, as they enjoy fiction, but once they have finished any formal study in leadership, they have never considered continuing to read books (rather than the occasional article) about leadership and management skill development.
When I do recommend a book to read, it comes with a disclaimer. I believe books talk to you in different ways. If you are absolutely ready to hear the content, the book you read will have a huge impact. If it is not your time for learning the information, then you are unlikely to take on board the key messages. Reading is a very efficient way to acquire information, but the reader needs to be able to digest the content and apply it to their context.
It is for this reason that I recommend books that are parables. As the content is delivered through story, it is often a more memorable and palatable way to receive key messages. Patrick Lencioni writes in this way, and our leadership team members have enjoyed reading a selection of his books: The Motive, The Ideal Team Player, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team. The Motive is a particularly good book for those early in leadership.
There are other parable leadership books that we have read, including the iconic Ubuntu (Lundin and Nelson) and Who Moved My Cheese (Spencer Johnson), not to mention Leman and Pentak’s The Way of the Shepherd, which provides seven principles for leading people and teams.
There are many reasons why reading is important, particularly early in leadership development. Of course, reading is an easy and enjoyable way to help demonstrate to others that the reader is a learner.
As is the case for both fiction and non-fiction, books open people up to different perspectives, new knowledge, ideas, and approaches.
In busy schools, there is the temptation to avoid reading; however, it is a very effective way to inspire and elevate us out of the everyday routine. As Dave Olsen (2016) states: ‘It can give us new ideas. It allows us to step back and view the forest while day-to-day we only see a few trees.’
Most importantly, reading can be the stimulus for selfreflection as a leader. The ideas in any book can challenge our current practices, provide us with a better framework for analysis and judgement, and in doing so assist in developing our problem-solving skills.
Another reason for reading books on the topic of leadership is that it gives us the opportunity to spend time with smart people, multiplying our exposure to the experiences of several leaders (Olsen, 2016).
For this purpose, I recommend particularly the works of John C Maxwell. John Maxwell began life as a pastor, but is now a speaker, coach, and prolific author on topics relating to leading self and others. All his books focus on values and integrity in leadership and management. Over the 2024/2025 holiday period, the senior leadership team read The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth, a book that falls into his category of equipping people to reach and exceed their potential. He has published many books in three other categories – leadership, attitude, and relationships. Several of his other books have been read by our leadership team, including:
Attitude
How Successful People Think Thinking for a Change Equipping
The 17 Indisputable Laws of Teamwork Leadership
How Successful People Lead
The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership Developing the Leader Within You
There is no doubt that reading influences leadership development, specifically enhancing self-awareness, communication skills, and critical thinking abilities. Our leadership team remains committed to the habit of reading because of this impact on their personal and professional growth.
The purpose of this article is to encourage you to read relevant books if your interest is in school leadership. While studying, perhaps your master’s in educational leadership, your choice of reading is often set or influenced by others. Once you have completed formal study, it is important to continue to read. At this time, your choice of book is now a very personal one. Choose wisely for your stage of leadership learning, as the advice, ideas, and messages contained in a well-researched book can be life changing.
References
Paatsch, K. (2023, May 23). Leaders are Readers. Kylie Paatsch. https:// kyliepaatsch.com.au/leadersarereaders/ Olson, D. (2016, July 24). 5 Reasons Why All Leaders are Readers. StartUs Magazine. https://magazine.startus.cc/all-leaders-arereaders/
Nicole Devlin Deputy Principal
Each year, the Grattan Institute releases an ‘Orange Book’ that summarises the policy priorities for the federal government. In 2025, the following quote led the education summary:
Improving the quality of school education should be a national priority. Better academic results would improve student lives, lift workforce productivity and support Australian prosperity. (Sathanapally et al., 2025)
The report goes on to say that Australia’s performance in national and international assessments suggests that schools and the education system has significant work to do.
When I read statements like this, it seems like we as educators are fighting a battle that seems like it can never be won. All the competing needs of academic performance, literacy and numeracy development, social and emotional learning, mental health, teacher shortages and the digital landscape that all need ‘fixing’ crowd an education system that is being asked to ‘improve student lives, lift workforce productivity and support Australian prosperity’. However, the infliction of this deficit approach onto our young people is contributing to the increase in anxiety and diminishing engagement of our students.
Earlier this year, I had the pleasure of attending a one-day masterclass with Andy Hargreaves to discuss the future of education. Andy Hargreaves is a speaker, author, advisor, and researcher, who advocates for equitable and inclusive education, a strong teaching profession, and positive educational change worldwide. The overarching theme for this day was that for our school systems to be successful and sustainable, education needs to pertain to life and assist with the trappings of modern life. He challenged us as educators to look at our schools, practices and outcomes and wonder if the curriculum set by our governments is dynamic enough to serve all students to be what they need to be in the future?
There is no shortage of research, books and workshops on offer to educators on how to improve teaching to increase student engagement. As an educator, I know that engagement of students in the learning process lies at the heart of quality learning. However, there is much research about the decline of student engagement with formal schooling and an increase in the numbers of students who are refusing to go to school.
Currently if a student is not engaged with learning, it is distilled down to two reasons:
1. There is something wrong with the instruction
2. There is something wrong with the student
However, the real issue I see is governments are not looking in the mirror to see what they might be doing to contribute to the perceived crisis of the lowering engagement for our students. Their answer is to over prescribe and crowd curriculums, measure schools by student outcomes, and increase accountability for teachers, which takes them away from their core role. The focus on ‘better academic results’ is creating obstacles by not allowing teachers to do what they do best: engage and guide students to become the best version of themselves.
In fact, in his book, co-authored with Dennis Shirley, Five Paths to Pupil Engagement, Andy Hargreaves (2021) notes there are five enemies of student engagement. These are:
1. Disenchantment
2. Disconnection
3. Disassociation
4. Disempowerment
5. Distraction
However, on the flipside, Shirley and Hargreaves’ research has also provided five paths to student engagement to counteract the enemies. These are:
1. Magic and Wonder – activities that inspire awe and wonder
2. Meaning and Purpose – teaching about the here and now
3. Association and Belonging – understanding difference and belonging
4. Empowerment and Voice – craft purpose and influence
5. Mastery and Focus – hard work, sacrifice and achieving own success
Over that past five years, St Margaret’s has been guided by a strategic plan titled A local school with a global outlook (2020). Included in this plan is this statement – our ‘Envisioned Future’:
By the end of 2025, St Margaret’s will be known as an innovative school which has a global outlook and encourages aspiration and resilience in its students. St Margaret’s will continue to promote academic excellence, provide a wide range of extracurricular activities and offer relevant and inspirational student wellbeing programs focused on developing the skills and strengths students need to meet the challenges and opportunities for post-school life.
This statement is what has driven St Margaret’s over the past five years and acknowledges the challenges of our complex educational landscape alongside the importance of the student in the journey. The statement focuses on ensuring the education afforded to the students at St Margaret’s is ‘relevant and inspirational’ and develops the skills needed for them to ‘meet the challenges and opportunities for post-school life’.
Below is a snapshot of the reflection I completed at the masterclass earlier this year with Andy Hargreaves, where he asked us to look for where we embed student engagement pathways.
Path At St Margaret’s we
It is exciting as we look to the next five years of planning for St Margaret’s that we can be certain we will continue to provide an education that is dynamic enough to serve all students to be what they need to be in their futures.
References
Hargreaves, A and Shirley, D. (2021). Five Paths of Student Engagement: Blazing the Trail to Learning and Success (Your Guide to Promoting Active Engagement in the Classroom and Improving Student Learning) Solution Tree Press.
Sathanapally, A., Bennett, S., Breadon, P., Coates, B., Hunter, J., Wood, T., & Griffiths, K. (2025, March). Orange Book 2025: Policy priorities for the federal government. Grattan Institute. https:// grattan.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Orange_ Book_2025.pdf
St Margaret’s Anglican Girl School. (2020). Strategic Priorities 2020 – 2025: A local school with a global outlook. https://www. stmargarets.qld.edu.au/ArticleDocuments/313/Strat%20 Plan%202020-2025%20Final%20Final.pdf.aspx?Embed=Y
• The Teaching and Learning Framework guides staff to plan with purpose to ensure student engagement.
• Learning Intentions are used by all classes, so students are aware of what they are doing and why.
Magic and Wonder - activities that inspire awe and wonder
Meaning and Purposeteaching about the here and now
Association and Belonging - understanding difference and belonging
• Wide selection of subjects on offer.
• OBH – On Being Human created to allow students to ask the ‘big’ questions.
• The learning community celebrates creative ideas, active engagement and critical thinking, through extension activities and co-curricular programs.
• Provision of programs such as camp programs, extension activities, global exchange and tours.
• Programs have been developed that allow students to flourish and achieve success through developing skills to participate, thrive and lead in a global context. This is evidenced by the St Margaret’s Plus profile and curriculum activities such as ‘Shark Tank’ business opportunities.
• Student Wellbeing Framework has been written to guide all staff to nurture a safe and inclusive culture of care and support.
• Each year level has an intention program to enhance student wellbeing and connection.
• Students are encouraged to participate in the extracurricular life of the school through the promotion of sporting, service and performance opportunities.
Empowerment and Voice - craft purpose and influence
Mastery and Focus - hard work, sacrifice and achieving own success
• With the vision of the school’s founders at the forefront of what we do, the philanthropic focus of the school in relation to giving to others is very evident and is student led.
• Students also develop leadership skills with purposeful training and leadership opportunities.
• Student programs and support are in place such as Academic Advising to ensure students own their own learning and understand that effort is required to learn well.
• Students can choose electives and pathways that suit their interests.
• Varied programs for student achievement.
• Celebrate the achievement of students, emphasising St Margaret’s as a school of choice for girls due to its focus on the holistic wellbeing of students.
Rev’d Jazz Dow Chaplain
In February 2025, the Atlantic published an article titled, ‘The Antisocial Century’, in which Derek Thomson argued that American (and arguably Australian) society has moved from an era of loneliness into the ‘anti-social century’, where people are opting to stay at home, rather than go out to socialise. All arenas of life are facilitated by mobile phones. The article flags that as generative AI advances, the trend may snowball to the point that people could choose to socialise solely with ‘friends’ generated by AI rather than real human beings. In this scenario, a person would find instant validation and never have to face critique or correction, building an echo chamber of confirmation bias.
Home-based, phone-based culture has arguably solidified our closest and most distant connections, the inner ring of family and best friends (bound by blood and intimacy) and the outer ring of tribe (linked by shared affinities). But it’s wreaking havoc on the middle ring of ‘familiar but not intimate’ relationships with the people who live around us, which Dunkelman calls the village … Families teach us love, and tribes teach us loyalty. The village teaches us tolerance. (Thompson, 2025).
While Thompson calls it the ‘anti-social century’, author David Brooks names the present time as ‘the age of creeping dehumanization’ (Brooks, 2023, p. 9). Are we at risk of losing our humanity? Societal obsession with the freedom of the individual and individualism leads us to a dilemma of disconnection and loneliness. Hugh Mackay argues that ‘in the 2020s… the core challenge for Australian society [is] rebuilding our eroded sense of community by restoring our sense of the common humanity’ (Mackay, 2024, pp. 256-257).
Leadership is inherently communal. However, there are plenty of models of leadership that are driven by individualism, not least the construct of the heroic leader: the ‘strong’, emotionless, saviour figure (Zheng, et al, 2021, p. 1181). This individualist approach to leadership is at risk of disconnecting the leader from those she leads and further exacerbating the societal disposition toward fragmentation.
To reignite creativity, innovation, and learning, leaders must rehumanize education and work. This means understanding how scarcity is affecting the way we lead and work, learning how to engage with vulnerability, and recognizing and combating shame. Make no mistake: honest conversations about vulnerability and shame are disruptive. …We all want to dare greatly. If you give us a glimpse into that possibility, we’ll hold on to it as our vision. It can’t be taken away. (Brown, 2012, p. 182).
Brene Brown offered this exhortation for the rehumanising of leadership in 2012; however, it bears a new profundity in the face of the ‘age of dehumanisation’. As generative AI advances, with its gifts and challenges, leaders need to embrace the unique gifts that being human offers their leadership practice. Humans are born with everything we need to lead
with kindness and collaboration. Humans have an inherited disposition toward interdependence and connection (Mackay, 2024, p. 257). Emotionality and relationality are powerful human gifts for leadership and human leadership is inherently communal.
The leadership culture at St Margaret's is shaped by empowerment. Our students and staff are continually encouraged to take on leadership roles, both formal and informal. We have a strong ‘leadership ecosystem’ (Mularczyk in Netolicky, 2022, p.176). In both Year 6 and Year 12, all students are considered leaders of the primary and whole school (respectively). Staff are given the opportunity for extensive professional development and the opportunity to lead colleagues through formal knowledge sharing channels, like tutorials. They are given opportunities to access their professional goals and test out their leadership in a nurturing environment (Sun, 2016, p.591). This culture of leadership is scaffolded by robust Student and Staff Wellbeing frameworks.
A vital component of leading within an ecosystem, as opposed to silo leadership, is the role of culture. Leaders play a significant role in shaping culture. Given this power, emotional intelligence is integral. ‘Self-awareness’, ‘self-management’, and ‘empathy’ are key components of leading well, and are uniquely human characteristics. Emotional intelligence fosters strong relationships and builds trust (Gómez-Leal, et al, 2022, pp.14-15). Leaders need to know themselves and continually reflect on their practice and identity as leaders. Otherwise, our unprocessed emotions, fears, and triggers will wreak havoc on culture and disempower others, instead of transforming culture so that everyone recognises their innate capacity for leadership (Gómez-Leal, et al, 2022, p. 12).
Effective leaders are influencers; they have social influence. This influence is inextricably linked to building and nurturing relationships. Through their social influence, the leader achieves tasks, shapes culture, and works to resolve conflict (Feser, 2016, p. 19).
[i]t is the role of leadership to turn an organisation into an institution by infusing the organisation with values and creating a distinct organisation identity and sense of purpose that is in fact internalised by organisational members as meaningful (Podolny, et al. in Rennison, 2018, p. 189).
The influence that a leader has is not generated in a silo, nor is it a given. It exists within an ecosystem. It is collaborative and communal and depends on there being an embedded culture of connection, trust and collective identity. This collective identity is built through having a common story, shared values and ethos. This year, St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School celebrates its 130-year anniversary. Because there has been a culture of safeguarding values and ethos, and ensuring leadership remains aligned with these values and accountable to this ethos, our school has a strong culture and identity. Students, staff and the broader community feel as though they are part of something bigger than themselves. This is evidenced in the responses
received at enrolment interviews or speaking to staff about the culture of our school, where we often get comments regarding the ‘vibe’ or ‘feeling’ of the community. Our school is a community, and our values drive everything we do. Our school’s ethos and values provide a constant amid the volatility and unknowns of contemporary society (Rennison, 2018, p. 190).
Who are we, if not measured by our impact on others? That’s who we are! We’re not who we say we are, we’re not who we want to be – we are the sum of the influence and impact that we have, in our lives, on others. Carl Sagan
To lead like a human is to recognise oneself as a part of a collective. It is to lead with vulnerability and emotional intelligence, to nurture relationships and empower the leadership of those with whom we lead, recognising the importance of our collective identity, shared values, and foundational story and ethos.
References
Brooks, D. (2023). How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen. Allen Lane. Brown, B. (2012). Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead. Penguin Books Limited.
Feser, C. (2016). When Execution Isn’t Enough: Decoding Inspirational Leadership. John Wiley & Sons.
Gomez-Leal, R., Holzerb, A.A., Bradley, C., Fernandez-Berrocal, P., & Patti, J. (2022). The relationship between emotional intelligence and leadership in school leaders: a systematic review. Cambridge Journal of Education, 52 (1), 1-21. https:// doi.org/10.1080/0305764X.2021.1927987
Mackay, H. (2024). The Way We Are: Lessons from a lifetime of listening Allen & Unwin.
Mularczyk, L. (2022). Schools as Ecosystems of Leadership: Leading by All and for All. In D. M. Netolicky (Ed.), Future Alternatives for Educational Leadership: Diversity, Inclusion, Equity and Democracy. Routledge.
Thompson, D. (2025, February 25). The Antisocial Century. The Atlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2025/02/ american-loneliness-personality-politics/681091/
Rennison, B. W. (2018). Theories of Leadership. Journal of Leadership and Management, 3(13), 185-199.
Sun, P. (2016). Discourse and Identity: Leader Identity at Work. In J. Story, J. Hartley, JL. Denis, P. Hart, D. Ulrich (Eds.), The Routledge Companion to Leadership. Routledge. https://doi. org/10.4324/9781315739854
Zheng, W., Meister, A., & Barker Caza, B. (2021). The Stories That Make Us: Leaders’ Origin Stories and Temporal Identity Work. Human Relations, 74 (8), 1178-1210.
Angela Drysdale Head of Primary
I was honoured to be the recipient of the IPSHA Professional Learning Grant in 2024. As part of a two-week professional development program, I had the opportunity to travel to Oxford, England, where I was invited to attend and present, alongside educators from across the globe, at the International Round Table at the University of Oxford.
My participation in this conference was made possible after the submission and acceptance of an abstract of my presentation on the evolution of our school wellbeing program. I presented alongside Australian educators and others from across the globe, including Japan, New Zealand, and Qatar, in addition to university professors from various universities across the United States. The presentations focused on two main themes: global perspectives and wellness in education.
Through this opportunity, I participated in enriching discussions, observed insightful presentations, and networked with global scholars, experts and thought leaders, delving into topics shaping the future of education and society. Each presenter enriched my understanding and reinforced my commitment to lifelong learning.
The symposium began with an insightful keynote speech by Betty Liebovich (2024), who emphasised the importance of promoting a positive school culture through mental health support, safe and inclusive environments, anti-bullying initiatives, and the wellbeing of teachers and staff. She also stressed the significance of balancing physical and holistic education with academic goals – elements that are integral to our own programs. The global emphasis on wellbeing is mirrored in Australian research, which shows a significant increase in schools prioritising children’s wellnesss – from 31% in 2018 to 48% in 2023 (Schools Plus, 2024).
A recurring theme in many of the wellbeing presentations was reference to the Eight Dimensions of Wellness, originally developed by Dr Peggy Swarbrick in the early 1990s, and subsequently evolving as a framework for the pursuit of wellness. The framework emphasises that wellness is not merely the absence of illness but a holistic integration of these
dimensions, each interrelated and contributing to overall wellbeing. Swarbrick defines wellness as ‘a conscious, deliberate process that requires a person to become aware of and make choices for a more satisfying lifestyle’ (Swarbrick, 2012).
Peggy Swarbrick’s Wellness Model is a holistic, strengthbased framework that identifies eight dimensions of wellness (Swarbrick & Yudof, 2012). Her model is widely used in the mental health, education, and recovery fields and defines factors that contribute to overall wellbeing and illustrates how each dimension can be reliant and connected with one another.
The Eight Dimensions of Wellness are as follows:
1. Emotional Wellness - The ability to cope effectively with life and build satisfying relationships.
2. Environmental Wellness - Living in harmony with your surroundings and creating a safe, supportive environment.
3. Financial Wellness - Satisfaction with current and future financial situations.
4. Intellectual Wellness - Recognising creative abilities and finding ways to expand knowledge and skills.
5. Occupational Wellness - Personal satisfaction and enrichment from one’s work.
6. Physical Wellness - Maintaining a healthy body through exercise, nutrition, sleep, and healthcare.
7. Social Wellness - Developing a sense of connection and a strong support system.
8. Spiritual Wellness - Expanding a sense of purpose and meaning in life
Swarbrick’s ‘8 Dimensions’ model has been used to craft an effective framework for the pursuit of wellness. The model features adjacent dimensions overlapping as a visual representation that are all dimensions are connected and dependent on each other. Many presenters shared their programs which were based on these dimensions and the adaptions they made to fit their specific contexts but with the common goal of its implementation being for users to take tangible steps towards improving and having responsibility for their own wellness.
Dimension Definition
Emotional Understanding, expressing, and managing feelings effectively
Environmental Living in clean, safe, and supportive surroundings
Financial Stability and satisfaction with financial resources
Intellectual Engaging in learning, creativity, and critical thinking
Occupational Finding purpose and fulfillment in work or daily activities
Physical Caring for one’s body through healthy habits
Social Building positive relationships and support systems
Spiritual Finding purpose, meaning, and connection to values or beliefs
I presented on the evolution of St Margaret’s wellbeing program since its inception in 2006: Body, Heart, Mind, and Soul. Over time, this evolved into our whole-school flower framework (Drysdale, 2022). It is interesting that we, too, have always based our program on our own set of dimensions, our 6-petal framework. Our framework includes dimensions that align with that of Swarbrick’s: Spiritual, Intellectual, Social, Emotional, Vocational, and Physical. My newfound awareness of Swarbrick’s dimensions provided a basis for reviewing our program. This review includes ensuring our model is a strengths-focused approach, building on daily habits and routines and ensuring wellness ownership.
Swarbrick’s wellness model and its intended aim would be particularly useful in supporting child wellbeing because it emphasises balanced development across all areas of life. It encourages a whole-child approach, recognising that healthy development is not just physical or academic, but spans emotional, social, spiritual, and environmental domains. The relevance for our wellbeing program is outlined in the chart above.
Our program will be enriched by integrating and adapting Swarbrick’s model, enabling us to better support children in becoming resilient, healthy, and well-rounded individuals. Through the development of an enhanced program, students will develop the skills, such as goal setting, breathing, neuroscience, mindfulness and mindset. Empowering students with these skills will help them manage and take ownership of their own wellbeing, fostering greater agency and lifelong habits of wellness.
Another presentation of relevance for our school focused on effective strategies that could be used for self-development and included aspects that will be useful as we review our framework. The program HEART (Health Education and Art for Resiliency Teaching) was designed to enhance wellbeing and academic success among Indigenous students. This program uses creative self-expression as a tool to foster
Child Wellbeing Relevance
Helps children build resilience, self-regulation, and confidence; reduces anxiety or distress
Safe, nurturing spaces (home/classroom) support learning, security, and healthy development
Affects access to food, healthcare, housing, and learning materials that support wellbeing
Promotes curiosity, problem-solving, academic success, and love of learning
Engaging in meaningful roles like student, helper, or team member boosts identity and purpose
Supports energy, immunity, growth, and emotional balance through diet, activity, and sleep
Encourages belonging, empathy, friendship, and social skill development
Supports identity, hope, inner strength, and moral development
emotional development and resilience. The approach is grounded in trauma-informed education and is built around three key pillars: relationships matter, student voice and choice, and mindful practices. These core themes support the creation of safe, empowering learning environments that prioritise connection, autonomy, and emotional regulation.
The symposium offered valuable opportunities for personal growth and deepened my commitment to lifelong learning. A consistent and thought-provoking feature of each session came from the closing reflections of one of the professors, Dr Stephen Katsinas, Professor of Higher Education and Political Science. At the end of many presentations (International Round Table, 2024), he emphasised the importance of data collection as a foundation for meaningful progress and posed the powerful question: ‘Where do you want to be in three to five years?’ This challenge encouraged participants to think strategically about long-term goals and the evidence needed to guide continuous improvement.
Thank you also to Menzies School Leadership Incubator Program for the grant to contribute to my leadership grant.
References
Drysdale, A. (2022). The Evolution of Student Wellbeing at St Margaret’s. Sunata, 13, 20-25. https://www.stmargarets. qld.edu.au/discover-st-margarets/publications/sunata
International Round Table. (2024, July 15–18). University of Oxford, Oxford, England.
Liebovich, B. (2024, July 15–18). Early childhood education trends. In International Round Table, University of Oxford, Oxford, England.
Schools Plus. (2024). Every Child, Every Opportunity. https://www. flipsnack.com/757CBFBBDC9/schools-plus_-every-childreport_digital/full-view.html
Swarbrick, M., & Yudof, J. (2012). Wellness in Eight Dimensions Collaborative Support Programs of New Jersey, Inc.
Chris Dunn Dean of Studies
Each summer, the St Margaret’s Senior Leadership Team is assigned a book to read by our Principal, Ros Curtis AM. The chosen text becomes the catalyst for rich and thought-provoking discussion at our first planning meeting upon returning in January. In 2024, the selected book was The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader by John Maxwell. Concise and accessible, Maxwell’s book presents these leadership qualities in digestible chapters, each pairing clear definitions with engaging anecdotes and insightful quotations that underscore their importance in effective leadership.
The 21 qualities include character, charisma, commitment, communication, competence, courage, discernment, focus, generosity, initiative, listening, passion, positive attitude, problem solving, relationships, responsibility, security, selfdiscipline, servanthood, teachability, and vision.
Notably, Maxwell refrains from ranking these traits in order of importance, instead inviting readers to reflect and decide for themselves. Personally, I found this task both challenging and enlightening. After considerable reflection, I arrived at my own top five. This article explores the justification for why I believe these qualities are essential for any successful leader.
5. Responsibility
Former U.S. President Harry Truman famously kept a sign on his desk that read, ‘The Buck Stops Here’, a symbolic gesture underscoring the critical importance of leaders taking full accountability for their actionss – whether positive, negative, or neutral. This commitment to responsibility has a profound ripple effect throughout an organisation. Leaders who consistently demonstrate ownership of both successes and failures foster significant trust among their colleagues (Bligh, 2017). When employees observe their leaders accepting responsibility rather than deflecting blame during challenging situations, it reinforces their confidence in the leader’s integrity and dedication to collective success.
In educational settings, school leaders who embody authentic accountability often exhibit intrinsic motivation toward excellences – whether in teaching programs, extracurricular offerings, or academic outcomes. As Maxwell (2002) suggests, responsible leaders operate with the mindset of small business owners; they recognise that sustained success is vital to their organisation’s viability and, as such, lead by example through a strong work ethic and collegial mindset (Batool et al., 2024).
4. Vision
Schools face an abundance of immediate operational demands that frequently consume administrative attention and resources. Publishing examination schedules, addressing student and staff matters, and managing emails represent a fraction of these daily responsibilities. While these operational tasks are essential, educational leaders who become overly absorbed in such immediate concerns risk losing sight of their organisation’s strategic objectives and transformational potential (Kotter, 1996).
Visionary leaders effectively navigate this challenge by providing clear directional guidance to colleagues and themselves regarding long-term ‘North Star’ goals. This orientation fundamentally distinguishes leaders from managerss – separating those who merely preserve existing structures from those who envision and pursue innovative possibilities (Farhan, 2024). As Maxwell (2002) puts it, ‘vision leads the leader’ (p. 150). Rather than simply reacting to external pressures and changes, visionary leaders proactively anticipate emerging trends and position their organisations to capitalise on future opportunities (Westley & Mintzberg, 1989). In today’s educational landscape, large-scale disruption from AI and other technological advances means that educational leaders can ill-afford to lack vision or fail to regularly evaluate their strategic objectives.
Servanthood in leadership is best understood not as a singular trait but as an ideological mindset. It reflects the belief that leadership is fundamentally a vocation of service. That is, individuals in leadership roles should approach their responsibilities with the understanding that their primary function is to serve otherss – whether colleagues, students, parents, or members of the broader community. A ‘servicefirst’ mindset fosters empathy and humility, enabling leaders to connect meaningfully with those they lead (Greenleaf, 1977). In educational contexts, this orientation is particularly vital. School leaders who embody servant leadership are more likely to earn the trust and respect of teachers, students, and parents. Moreover, they are also less likely to exercise hubris in strategic decision-making (Van Dierendonck, 2011).
Servant leadership cultivates loyalty, engagement, and commitment among staff who feel genuinely valued and supported (Maxwell, 2002). It also models the collaborative ethos essential for the modern educational environment, where complex challenges demand collective, innovative solutions. Contrary to perceptions of passivity, servant leadership is characterised by a strong sense of conviction and integrity. Leaders who adopt this approach tend to make decisions that are both carefully considered and firmly upheld (Waterman, 2011). By exemplifying servanthood, educational leaders help build cultures of mutual support and distributed responsibility, which can profoundly benefit the school community.
In today’s educational landscape, discernment has become an essential quality for effective leadership. The role of school leaders increasingly involves navigating a high volume of complex decisions under significant time pressure. Over the past 15 years, these demands have grown substantially, with rising expectations and diminishing time and resources to meet them. In such a demanding environment, the ability to exercise good judgements – quickly identifying issues, assessing them accurately, and making informed decisionss – is critical.
Discernment, often associated with good judgement, enables leaders to integrate rational thought and intuitive insight, particularly when decisions must be made with incomplete or ambiguous information (Maxwell, 2002). This quality is especially vital when addressing sensitive matters involving staff or students, where nuance and wisdom are required.
As Hermans (2021) argues, discernment is not innate; it develops over time through experience and reflection. Leaders who don’t engage in deep reflection on their decision-making, or who lack a structured approach to making and evaluating their decisions, run the risk of making damaging and illinformed choices in their organisations (Day, 2000). As artificial intelligence and digital misinformation increasingly blur the lines between reality and fantasy, the capacity for discernment will become even more crucial. Discerning educational leaders will play a pivotal role in ensuring their institutions remain grounded in truth and guided by principled, well-informed decision-making.
1. Character
Character forms the ethical foundation upon which effective leadership is built. It is often perceived as a reflection of the core values inherent in a leader, such as trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, compassion, and integrity (Thompson et al., 2010). Specifically, it demonstrates ethical alignment between a leader’s words and actions. As Maxwell (2002) asserts, character is a choice rather than a gift. Indeed, every decision made gradually reveals a leader’s character, especially those made in adverse or controversial circumstances. In educational settings, leaders who exhibit strong character in
their conduct model this quality not only to their colleagues but also to students, parents, and the broader community. Strong character undoubtedly enhances a leader’s ability to influence others.
Maxwell (2002) further contends that leaders cannot rise above the limitations of their own character. Therefore, the ability to be visionary, demonstrate discernment in decision-making, accept responsibility, and lead with a service-first mindset are all constrained by a leader’s capacity to show character. General Norman Schwarzkopf, former US Army General, captured this sentiment perfectly when he proclaimed, ‘Leadership is a potent combination of strategy and character. But if you must be without one, be without the strategy.’
References
Batool, S., Ibrahim, H. I., & Adeel, A. (2024). How responsible leadership pays off: Role of organizational identification and organizational culture for creative idea sharing. Sustainable Technology and Entrepreneurship, 3(2), 100057. https://doi. org/10.1016/j.stae.2023.100057
Bligh, M. C. (2017). Leadership and trust. In J. Marques & S. Dhiman (Eds.), Leadership today (pp. 21-42). Springer. https://doi. org/10.1007/978-3-319-31036-7_2
Day, C. (2000). Effective leadership and reflective practice. Reflective Practice, 1(1), 113-127. https://doi.org/10.1080/713693134
Farhan, B. Y. (2024). Visionary leadership and innovative mindset for sustainable business development: Case studies and practical applications. Research in Globalization, 8, 100219. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resglo.2024.100219
Greenleaf, R. K. (1977). Servant leadership: A journey into the nature of legitimate power and greatness. Paulist Press.
Hermans, C. A. M. (2021). Discernment as predictor for transformational leadership: A study of school leaders in Catholic schools in India. Journal of Beliefs & Values, 42(2), 244-261. https://doi.org/10.1080/13617672.2020.1852815
Kotter, J. P. (1996). Leading change. Harvard Business Review Press. Maxwell, J. C. (2002). The 21 indispensable qualities of a leader. Thomas Nelson.
Thompson, A. D., Grahek, M. S., Phillips, R. E., & Fay, C. L. (2010). The character to lead: A closer look at character in leadership. Consulting Psychology Journal, 62(4), 270-290. https://doi. org/10.1037/a0022385
Van Dierendonck, D. (2011). Servant leadership: A review and synthesis. Journal of Management, 37(4), 1228-1261. https:// doi.org/10.1177/0149206310380462
Waterman, H. (2011). Principles of ‘servant leadership’ and how they enhance practice. Nursing Management, 17(9), 24-26. https:// doi.org/10.7748/nm2011.02.17.9.24.c8299
Lesa Fowler Head of Boarding
Today, St Margaret’s is the largest Yalari school in Australia, with 26 Yalari students. Our partnership began in 2009 with our first two Yalari students, Shaquille Close-Knight (’14) and Taneale Lawton (’14). Since then, this partnership has grown to encompass many students who are now alumnae of both St Margaret’s and Yalari. From our first two students, each year now, our Boarding Year 7 cohort welcomes six Yalari students. We are committed to supporting these girls throughout their entire secondary schooling as we did with our very first Yalari student graduates.
St Margaret’s and Yalari share a common goal: to provide Indigenous children from regional and remote areas of Australia with an education that will break generational cycles and provide a brighter future for Indigenous Australians and Australia as a whole (Yalari, 2023). Yalari’s CORRIE Values form part of the wellbeing framework of the boarding house and tie into The St Margaret’s Way. These include:
• Compassion
• Openness
• Respect
• Resilience
• Inclusiveness
• Excellence The partnership between our school and Yalari is paramount in providing equitable learning opportunities for Indigenous girls across Australia. Within our school, we foster an environment of cultural awareness, respect and continuous learning that enables our Indigenous students to share their culture with others and honours their stories, backgrounds and history.
It is imperative that we work towards cultivating an accepting educational and pastoral environment where each student, regardless of their cultural background, prior education, or aspirations in life, feel values, seen and heard, as well as respected and understood.
St Margaret’s and cultural awareness
Since the start of our partnership with Yalari, both the boarding community and wider school have been actively learning about the cultures and traditions of our Yalari students to create a community of understanding. In the boarding house, we host our annual two-day event, the See My Difference, See My Worth Festival, a celebration rich in cultural celebrations and traditions. This includes the cooking and tasing of traditional foods through cooking classes led by students, learning and teaching dances, and overall celebrations of the vast cultures in the boarding house. While this weekend of celebration is one of the favourite events in our boarding calendar, it speaks to the everyday work that is done in our community to foster a deep cultural appreciation and understanding within our boarders, boarding staff, and the wider St Margaret’s community.
In 2019, St Margaret’s established our Reconciliation Action Plan Committee (RAP), building on the work established by the boarding house and embedding our cultural responsiveness into everyday operations of St Margaret’s. Yalari students have been integral to the foundation and development of our RAP, initiating conversations around reconciliation and what we can do as a school to continue our journey of reconciliation.
Our alumni
• Our Boarding/Yalari alumnae have left St Margaret’s to embark on many different pathways. Some of these include:
• Working in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health
• Working for Koori Youth Council
• Working in the Department of Children, Youth Justice and Multicultural Affairs
• Serving in the Australian Army
• Successful acting career
• Communication Officer at the Department of Women, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships and Multiculturalism
• Aboriginal health workers
• Working in the Indigenous Education & Research Centre, James Cook University
• Completing a Doctor of Medicine
• Attending Rice University, Texas, to study psychology.
Our Yalari graduates have embarked on careers in wonderful and diverse fields.
It is incredible to see the achievements of all our Yalari students, and the lasting impact that their time at St Margaret’s has left on them. Many of them go onto further studies or work in many different fields that exemplify their individual interests and passions. The graph above demonstrates the split of Yalari graduates between tertiary studies, working, and home duties.
Taneale Lawton (’14), Service Manager Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health at South West Hospital and Health Service, Charleville, attests to the lasting impact of her studies at St Margaret’s through the Yalari Program:
‘I am deeply grateful to Yalari for opening the door to St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School in 2010. Just as much as my family, Yalari has played a pivotal role in shaping the person I am today for which I will be forever thankful. St Margaret’s provided me with the opportunity to learn, grow, and develop, equipping me with invaluable tools that I carry with me throughout my journey. The influence of both Yalari and St Margaret’s has gone far beyond education. Their support has empowered me to navigate challenges beyond school life with confidence and resilience. I have had the privilege of meeting extraordinary people and building lifelong friendships along the way – these are the connections I treasure the most in my journey.
‘St Margaret’s will always hold a special place in my heart; I am immensely proud to be an Old Girl of St Margaret’s and a member of the Yalari Alumni group.’
Kealey Griffiths (’18) is currently completing her Doctor of Medicine and credits the opportunities provided by St Margaret’s and Yalari in shaping her educational pursuits and trajectory:
‘Receiving a Yalari scholarship to attend St Margaret’s was a pivotal opportunity that shaped both my education and personal growth. As an all-girls' school, St Margaret’s fostered an incredibly supportive learning environment where I could bring my most authentic and ever-evolving adolescent self to the classroom each day. Surrounded by inspiring educators and peers, I was encouraged to explore my interest, challenge myself, and embrace new experiences.
‘While I initially had a strong interest in STEM, my time at St Margaret’s allowed me to explore subjects and opportunities I may not have otherwise pursued. I fondly remember learning robotics in Year 9 and conducting a quadrant survey of marine life during a senior biology field trip to Hastings Point. Though I didn’t go on to become an electrical engineer or marine biologist, these experiences – and countless others – helped shape my academic journey beyond school.
‘Since graduating, I have completed a Bachelor of Science (Psychology), earned certificates in Ausland and Public Health, and commenced medical school. Now in my penultimate year of the MD program, I look forward to beginning my career as a doctor – a path that will allow me to give back to the communities I am a part of, just as Yalari and St Margaret’s have given to me.
‘Being a Yalari student also meant connecting with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students from across Australia through camps and other events. Like me, they had received a Yalari scholarship and were attending boarding school away from home. Many of us formed lifelong friendships –some of whom I still see regularly today. Through Yalari and St Margaret’s, I was also able to deepen my connection to culture and Country, shaping the person I am today. As a proud Yuggera woman, I cannot reflect on my achievements without recognising my family, my community, and the life-changing opportunity that was receiving a Yalari scholarship to attend St Margaret’s.’
Elyne Tighe (’22), a medical student at the University of New South Wales, is grateful to the support of St Margaret’s and Yalari in pushing her beyond her comfort zone and for believing in her:
‘Boarding at St Margaret’s, with Yalari’s support, shaped me in ways that I never expected. It taught me independence while also showing me the strength in asking for help. The boarding house was a place where we were encouraged to do our best in every aspect of school life, with unwavering support at every step.
‘Yalari pushed me to step out of my comfort zone, try new things, and embrace every opportunity. The staff and fellow Yalari students became a second family, guiding each other through the challenges of boarding life.
‘Even now, in my tertiary studies, their support remains constant. Though boarding meant being far from family, culture, and community, I was always reminded of my purpose – to give back to my people. The opportunities St Margaret’s and Yalari have given me are truly life changing.’
Taneale, Kealey and Elyne are just some of our remarkable graduates who continue to do amazing work in their lives beyond the gates of St Margaret’s. Their words demonstrate the impact the St Margaret’s and Yalari partnership have had on their lives, empowering each of them to find their purpose.
The work we do in providing students with a well-rounded, holistic education allows them the opportunity to pursue a multitude of pathways when leaving St Margaret’s. By fostering a positive environment of inclusivity, we equip our Yalari students with the confidence, conviction and preparedness to step into their futures with a certainty that they can achieve what they set out to do.
St Margaret’s has a strong and enduring connection with Yalari, and together, we have been able to provide Indigenous students with educational opportunities that may not have previously been available. We continue to work together to provide every girl with every opportunity to learn, grow and thrive at St Margaret’s, as well as enriching our school culture with students from diverse backgrounds. The alumni mentioned here are a testament to the important work we continue to do in this space.
References
Yalari. (2023). About Us: About Yalari https://www.yalari.org/ about-yalari/#:~:text=About%20Yalari&text=Since%20 2005%2C%20Yalari%20has%20been,for%20their%20 entire%20secondary%20education
Lizzie Fowler Relationships and Mentoring Manager
The three Fates are a renown trio from Greek mythology, potentially known to most courtesy of Disney’s 1997 classic Hercules. Children’s movies aside, the Fates – Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos – are believed to be divine entities personifying the birth, life, and death of each person (Williams, n.d.).
Clotho (Klotho), the ‘Spinner’, wove together the threads of life at birth, with each thread representing an element of the soul and the pathway that individuals would take in life: their decisions, their future, and the consequences of these actions. Lachesis, the ‘Allotter’, would measure the thread of life, dictating the mortal lifetime of each person and how many trials and tribulations they would have to endure. Atropos, the ‘Un-turnable’, or ‘she who cannot be turned’, was the one who ultimately cut each thread, determining the time of death (Williams, n.d.).
Taken together, the Fates symbolise the inevitability of fate and the journeys of everyone’s life. They fundamentally determined one’s destiny, a topic of great focus in Greek mythology (Tikkanen, 2025). If we adopt an existentialist approach to the idea of fate, it is argued that individuals have both the freedom and the autonomy to work towards their potential and their destiny, even though there may be things – controlled by Fates or not – beyond their control or choice (Bargdill, 2006).
The goal, according to Bargdill (2006), ‘is to acknowledge the givens of one’s life and make choices and adopt the attitudes that would allow [an] individual to live a life that is as fruitful as possible’ (p. 213-214).
We tell students each day to be autonomous and take every opportunity afforded to them in school and beyond. Yet with increased opportunity comes increased expectations, and deciding one’s path – what their fate or destiny may be, what
they should or should not study – is becoming increasingly more confounding for students. Liang et al. (2016) articulate this notion clearly, stating that girls today are facing increasing expectations from parents, peers, and most critically, from within themselves, to ‘be more ambitious, smart, caring, fit, and accomplished than their peers – in effect, to become “super girls”’ (p. 849). Girls feel the need to be everything for everyone – academically gifted, sporty, artistic, intelligent, and so on –yet often, they lose track of what they want for themselves, and within this confusion, feel lost as to what their own destiny or fate is.
Mentoring teenage girls can provide the ultimate support network for helping students clearly define and understand their individual trajectories, and what their own individualised Fates may look like – not in the literal sense of their birth, trials, and death, but in an academic and future-facing focus. Helping students shape and forge their future identities is of utmost importance if they are to map for themselves an autonomous future pathway.
I recently spoke with Lucy Dunning (’24) about her experiences within the St Margaret’s Plus Mentoring Program. Her words speak to the importance of this mentoring process in preparing students for their next phase of life:
The St Margaret’s Mentoring Program has been one of the most valuable experiences in shaping my career direction. From the start, the application process was quick and easy, and I was promptly paired with a mentor who was not only in the exact field I wanted to go into—finance—but also just five years ahead of me in her career. This made her insights incredibly relevant, especially as the finance industry has evolved so much for women in the past decade.
Over the course of four thoughtfully structured sessions, I was able to send her questions in advance, and she also came prepared with her own advice and resources, ensuring each meeting was meaningful and personalised. After every session, I left glowing with inspiration and excitement for the future. This program truly helped me gain clarity and confidence, confirming that finance is the right path for me. I’m so grateful to have been part of a program that not only supported my goals but helped me define them.
Lucy’s mentoring experience is demonstrative of just how important mentoring relationships between students and adult mentors are. By helping students gain the clarity and confidence necessary to embark upon the next stage of their life with conviction and certainty, the mentoring process can help break down the expectations of academic validation (the ‘Spinner’ of the three Fates), the fear of failure (the ‘Allotter’), and replace the dread of graduation (the ‘Un-turnable’) with excitement for the future.
‘Spinner’
What can be regarded as the metaphorical ‘Spinner’ in this framework is academic validation and the importance placed on high achievement as a determinant of future success. For students, the threads that seem to currently tie their sense of
self and identity together include academic success and reward, proven studiousness, and being perceived as an intelligent person. It is no secret that for senior students, the goal for their final years of schooling is to succeed in all areas of school life, demonstrate high academic achievement, and gain entry to their first preference of degree and university. These goals necessitate a commitment to study and excellence during a period of key individuating changes, and a student’s motivation can be derived from not only how they conceptualise their current selves, but also who they may become in the future (Destin & Williams, 2020). Mentors can provide pivotal and necessary support to students during this complex time and bridge the gap between their current identity and their emerging future self.
Students who are intrinsically motivated by goals centred on defining their purpose, and pursing this purpose over performance or validation, do not fall as easily to the external pressures of peers or society, and, rather, thrive due to their self-assuredness (Liang et al., 2016). There is a strong body of psychological research that demonstrates that there is an undeniable connection between how adolescents think about themselves, their capabilities and their futures, and the actions they take in school to achieve their goals (Destin & Williams, 2020). When students believe in their ability to achieve highly and consistently, and that their mentor is there to support them unequivocally, there is a marked increase in their persistence and results.
Different identities and conceptualisations of the self are constructed and informed by the contexts that adolescents find themselves in; the way that students ‘think about themselves, feel connections to groups, and imagine their futures are all determined by every day, moment-to-moment social influences’ (Destin & Williams, 2020, p. 439). When adolescents feel that one identity is made salient or aligns with their current contexts – for example, as a high achiever – they enter a ‘state of action readiness where [they] become more prepared and likely to engage with behaviours that are linked to that identity’ (Destin & Williams, 2020, p. 439).
Of course, there is a balance that these perceptions of the self and persistence need to negate, lest the student becomes burnt out or overwhelmed from the pressure they put on themselves. As mentioned prior, there is an increasing pressure on students to be everything for everyone – achieve highly, be involved in extra-curricular activities, hold and execute leadership positions, as well as balance their social and academic requirements, and have a strong sense of what they want to accomplish both in school and beyond. These all constitute competing and often confusing identities or ideas of who or what one should be – which threads Clotho has picked out for them, and which of these are most important to their current identity. They feel that they must align with and uphold this high achiever identity but become overwhelmed with all that this entails.
A mentor, especially an adult mentor who themselves has navigated the trials and tribulations of being a senior student, can therefore provide a supportive guidepost for students to work through these competing threads or identities, and realise that academic success is only part of the whole of their personhood. Mentors encourage students to explore different conceptualisations of who they are, what they might achieve, or who they want to become – not just the high academic achiever, but perhaps the artist, the creative, the writer. When students are competing against the expectations of themselves and others, and feeling that it is their academic achievement that best defines them, a mentor can provide ‘one of the most powerful and healthy sources of student motivation to persist in pursing long-term goals,’ both within an academic sense, but also beyond grades and ATARs (Destin & Williams, 2020, p. 438).
Failure is a given in adolescence – failed friendships, failed hobbies, failed assessment, or, of course, failed ideas of what career they want. A student may go through various career ideas throughout Years 10 to 12 as they start to really think about what they want and do not want to do. They will naturally consider various options, assessing if they believe this is their dream job, and change their minds. With each change, they may feel disappointed or even confused; they had begun to visualise themselves as one thing before moving onto the next when they realised that it was not quite right. With age, they will come to realise that this is a very normal – and necessary –part of growing up. But for students who are in the thick of this tumultuous journey, these alleged failures seem all consuming and defining.
This part of the journey, Lachesis’ ‘allotment’ of the trials and tribulations of figuring out one’s career and pathway, is one of the most challenging, stressful, and confusing periods of adolescence. Some students have been set on what they want to be from a very young age, and others have no certainty around their future career decisions. Especially towards senior years, students begin to explore their current and future identities – who they are now, who they want to be, what job they would like to work in, and what role they would like to play in wider society (Branje et al., 2021). During this time, they become aware of their uniqueness, and as they try to establish their identity and what they want in their future, they have to consider the various possibilities of who they may be, and understand that with trying to figure this out, will come inevitable failure, or being wrong – and that this may be unforeseeable.
If a student is not equipped with the resilience, positivity, and self-assuredness to bounce back from these failures or changes, their future identity can become uncertain, as they are unsure how to respond to this unforeseen challenge or trial. One’s identity directly influences how people can interpret and react to unexpected challenges in the face of pursing their goals; if
their identity feels connected to the challenge, they can see this as an important task or obstacle rather than a failure (Destin & Williams, 2020). If they are not prepared to combat this, they may feel overwhelmed and ill-equipped for their future.
For example, if a student is dedicated to becoming a doctor and has demonstrable academic success and a strong sense of purpose or alignment with this end goal, underperforming on the UCAT will, of course, be disappointing; yet she is equipped with the resilience and self-belief to know that perhaps taking the postgraduate pathway and sitting the GAMSAT would be a better option for her. A student that is not as self-assured or resilient in the face of a disappointing result will not be able to reframe her thinking in this same way and will instead take this presumed failure as the termination of that future identity, rather than as one obstacle on the journey.
If we pair this student with a mentor who perhaps had a similar experience, or did not get the required ATAR to commence medicine at an undergraduate level, having this mentor will validate her experiences and allow her to talk to someone who has been through the same process. This validation makes this obstacle seem like a learning opportunity instead, with the mentor presenting an end-goal actualisation that proves that despite the pathway being non-linear, the desired outcome is still achievable.
To help students gain this flexible thinking and become confident in their decisions regarding their futures, it is key that they are involved in mentoring relationships characterised by mutual trust, proactive engagement, authenticity, and empowerment (Liang et al., 2016). Engaging in the mentoring process can improve one’s relationship with others, but particularly important for students, it can boost their selfesteem and conviction to face these challenges.
The ‘Un-turnable’ – What comes next?
The most daunting element about being in Year 12 is the dreaded question everyone is asked: ‘What do you want to do when you leave school?’ It is a question asked often without consideration for the gravity behind it and how scary this decision is for students. This is the stage of Atropos, where the thread between their current identity – a Year 12 student – is cut in alignment with their emerging self. One identity ends as they move closer towards the transition to their next stage of life and learning.
In Year 12, students are working within the salient identity domains of education and vocation: what level of qualification they hope to achieve, and with this, what career they hope to pursue (Branje et al., 2021). Within this context, they begin to consider their various possible selves, who they could be, and who they should be, providing ‘a rich collection of thoughts about the self and provid[ing] an inherent connection between the self, goals, and actions’ (Destin & Williams, 2020, p. 441).
There are many different factors at play during this time; the expectations of friends, family, peers, and teachers become
ever more prominent, but students also begin to question themselves, and what they really are passionate about or want to do with their next steps. Are their QTAC preferences correct? Do they really want to pursue one thing over the other? For students who may not feel that this path is clearly defined or clear about where they want to go, this can be an incredibly isolating experience. Thus, they need a mentor who they can turn to for genuine advice and guidance, and who can make the end of this thread – their one as a school student – an exciting rather than scary time.
When students do not have a mentor who has been in their shoes before or who can relate to them emotionally, it makes their ability to conceptualise their future identity much harder. If they do not have someone who they can see themselves reflected in, their own journey can seem implausible and that life after Year 12 is full of too many unknowns. This can leave students feeling that the thread of their time as a student is coming at too abrupt an end, finishing before they can finalise the next. When students can work with a mentor in a space where they can ‘articulate possible selves that are plausible, cognitively accessible, and linked concrete strategies,’ they are much more likely to feel prepared and motivated to make their next step (Destin & Williams, 2020, p. 441). They see their mentor as a possible self and can turn to them for guidance about their own experiences, challenges, and how they overcame these.
By providing students with a mentor, students can feel more connected to their future selves and see that their goals are indeed achievable. Future identity formation can be supported in a school context by providing strong mentor-mentee relationships between adults and students, whether that be with teachers, coaches, or alumni mentors. By encouraging intrinsic motivation, mentors motivate students to persist in achieving their goals despite challenges and obstacles, serving as an actualisation of a possible future self that helps students see that their goals are achievable.
Taking Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos as framework for understanding the stages of adolescent identity formation, particularly regarding the formation of future identities and preparing students to leave school, it is evident that a mentoring relationship is pivotal in helping students navigate these challenges and uncertain times.
A mentor can help dismantle the ‘Spinner,’ or the need for academic validation to create a meaningful current identity. Mentors help students move towards intrinsic motivation as opposed to performative achievement for others and help them define their own goals and aspirations beyond academic confines. Additionally, mentors help deal with the ‘Allotter’ of failure and disappointment by helping students change the narrative; mentors can help students reframe their perceived shortcomings as lessons of resilience and learning instead. Finally, and most importantly, mentors help students navigate the ‘Un-turnable,’ the decision making around their next steps. Mentors allow students to freely explore and consider all their
options in a safe, supportive environment that makes the end of one thread – their days a school student – less daunting. Instead, mentors can help students consider their future selves and articulate their ideas for the future in meaningful discussions. Mentors act as mirrors for students, helping them see a future version of themselves.
Mentors, therefore, help break down the Fates’ supposed inevitability or the certainty of everyone’s journey, and instead help students foster genuine, complex, and individualised future identities imperative for a thriving, happy future in which they are autonomous and confident.
References
Bargdill, R. W. (2006). Fate and destiny: Some historical distinctions between the concepts. Journal of Theoretical and Philosophical Psychology, 26(1-2), 205-220. https://doi.org/10.1037/ h0091275
Branje, S., de Moor, E. L., Spitzer, J., & Becht, A. I. (2021). Dynamics of Identity Development in Adolescence: A Decade in Review. Journal of research on adolescence: the official journal of the Society for Research on Adolescence, 31(4): 908-927. https://doi. org/10.1111/jora.12678
Destin, M., & Williams, J. L. (2020). The Connection Between Student Identities and Outcomes Related to Academic Persistence. Annual Review of Developmental Psychology, 2, 437-460. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-devpsych-040920-042107
Liang, B., Lund, T., Mosseau, A., & Spencer R. (2016). The Mediating Role of Engagement in Mentoring Relationships and SelfEsteem Among Affluent Adolescent Girls. Psychology in the Schools, 53(8), 848-860. https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.21949
Tikkanen, A. (2025, April 17). Fate | Destiny, Predestination, Free Will. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Fate-Greekand-Roman-mythology
Williams, B. (n.d.). The Fates in Greek Mythology: Hanging by a Thread. The Collector. https://www.thecollector.com/fates-greekmythology/.
Kate Frewin Assistant Head of Primary – Curriculum
Understanding how students process information is fundamental to effective teaching. At the core of learning is the brain’s ability to receive, store, and manipulate information, a process shaped by the limitations of working memory. Cognitive Load Theory (CLT), developed by John Sweller in the 1980s, focuses on the limitations of working memory and emphasises the importance of instructional design that supports rather than overwhelms learners. In a widely shared tweet, educational researcher Dylan Wiliam (2017) remarked, ‘I’ve come to the conclusion Sweller’s Cognitive Load Theory is the single most important thing for teachers to know.’ His perspective highlights the growing recognition of CLT’s relevance in everyday classroom practice and the value of strategies that help manage cognitive load to support deeper learning.
Neuroscientific research supports this theory, revealing that working memory can only hold a limited number of elements at one time (Cowan, 2001). This means instruction must be carefully designed to avoid overwhelming cognitive capacity. If too much information is presented simultaneously, especially in unfamiliar formats, students are more likely to experience cognitive overload, hindering comprehension and long-term retention. Understanding how to manage cognitive load is crucial in classrooms, where students are often required to engage with complex content under time constraints.
In Cognitive Load Theory, intrinsic and extraneous load are two key types that significantly influence the learning process. Intrinsic cognitive load stems from the complexity of the material, which varies based on the learner’s prior knowledge. In contrast, extraneous cognitive load results from how information is presented. Poorly organised or unclear materials increase unnecessary mental effort, distracting students from actual learning. While intrinsic load must be managed through appropriate scaffolding, extraneous load should be minimised to maximise learning efficiency.
Instructional strategies for managing cognitive load
One of the most important pedagogical takeaways from Cognitive Load Theory is the effectiveness of explicit, guided teaching. Research shows that direct instruction, especially when introducing new content, supports learning more efficiently than unguided methods. This isn’t about
oversimplifying; it’s about structuring lessons to reduce unhelpful cognitive demands and free up mental capacity for meaningful learning. Educators can apply these principles by designing lessons that balance content difficulty with support, and by removing distractions that interfere with understanding. The following strategies have been widely adopted in classrooms to implement these ideas in practice.
The Worked Example: Why showing beats solving
The Worked Example is a fully solved problem provided to students as a model, which has been shown to help novice learners perform better than those who attempt to solve problems unaided (Carroll, 1994). This is because unguided problem solving places a significant burden on working memory, leaving fewer resources for understanding the underlying principles. In the classroom, teachers should use worked examples, particularly when introducing new concepts. By showing a fully solved problem and explaining each step, students can focus on grasping the method instead of being overwhelmed by solving the problem on their own. This helps establish a strong foundation for the learner, enabling them to apply the method effectively in future tasks.
The Expertise Reversal Effect: Knowing when to step back
The Expertise Reversal Effect suggests that as learners gain more knowledge, worked examples become less effective, and independent problem solving becomes more beneficial (Kalyuga et al., 2003). Novices benefit greatly from explicit guidance, but as students advance, they require opportunities to practise and apply their knowledge independently to deepen their understanding. In the classroom, educators should adjust their instructional approach as students gain expertise. As learners become more proficient, gradually reduce the amount of direct guidance and introduce more opportunities for students to solve problems independently. This helps foster greater autonomy, engagement, and problem-solving skills.
The Redundancy Effect: Cut the clutter
The Redundancy Effect occurs when unnecessary or repetitive information overloads working memory. For example, when the same information is presented both in text and diagram form, or when slides repeat the same points verbally, it can
divert cognitive resources from core learning (Torcasio & Sweller, 2009). In the classroom, teachers should avoid overloading students with redundant information. Focus on presenting material clearly and succinctly, such as using diagrams with concise labels rather than repeating the same information in multiple formats. Streamlining instructional materials helps prevent cognitive overload and keeps students focused on the key concepts.
The Split Attention Effect: Simplify information for smarter learning
The Split Attention Effect arises when learners must mentally integrate multiple sources of information, such as a diagram and an accompanying text. This division of attention places strain on working memory, reducing learning efficiency (Chandler & Sweller, 1996). In the classroom, to minimise split attention, teachers should aim to integrate information within a single resource. For example, instead of requiring students to switch between a diagram and a separate text, place the relevant explanations directly on the diagram.
The Modality Effect: Double the impact – use visual and auditory learning
The Modality Effect is based on the idea that working memory has separate channels for processing visual and auditory information. By using both visual and auditory channels to present material, the overall cognitive load is reduced, making it easier for learners to process and retain information (Baddeley, 2002). In the classroom, teachers can leverage this effect by presenting information using both visual and auditory modes. For instance, when showing a diagram, the teacher could explain its details aloud while students observe. This combination of visual and auditory input allows students to use both channels, increasing their cognitive capacity and improving learning efficiency. Teachers can also incorporate multimedia, such as videos or interactive tools, which blend these modes to keep students engaged and enhance learning.
Cognitive Load Theory gives us valuable tools for designing lessons that support how students learn best. But it also reminds us that we shouldn’t assume students are learning just because they are busy, engaged, or getting the ‘right’ answers. In 2014, Professor Robert Coe et al., introduced the idea of poor proxies for learning, suggesting that things we often take as signs of learning – like quiet classrooms, completed tasks, or active participation – can be misleading. These are proxies for learning, not proof of it. From a Cognitive Load perspective, this is especially important. If students are overwhelmed by too much information, copying down notes without really thinking, or doing a task that looks productive but does not stretch their
understanding, they may not be learning at all. CLT reminds us that learning occurs when working memory is effectively used to process and organise new information – not when students are simply occupied. By combining Coe’s insights with CLT, teachers are reminded to focus on designing instruction that supports deep thinking, rather than merely creating the illusion of learning.
References
Baddeley, A. D. (2001). Is working memory still working? American Psychologist, 56(11), 851–864. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003066x.56.11.851
Carroll, W. M. (1994). Using worked examples as instructional support in the algebra classroom. Journal of Educational Psychology, 86(3), 360–367. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.86.3.360
Chandler, P., & Sweller, J. (1996). Cognitive Load While Learning to Use a Computer Program. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 10(2), 151–170. https://doi.org/10.1002/(sici)10990720(199604)10:2%3C151::aid-acp380%3E3.0.co;2-u
Coe, R., Aloisi, C., Higgins, S., & Major, L. E. (2014). What makes great teaching? Review of the underpinning research. Sutton Trust. https://www.suttontrust.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/ What-Makes-Great-Teaching-REPORT.pdf
Cowan, N. (2011). The focus of attention as observed in visual working memory tasks: Making sense of competing claims. Neuropsychologia, 49(6), 1401–1406. https://doi. org/10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2011.01.035
Kalyuga, S., Ayres, P., Chandler, P., & Sweller, J. (2003). The Expertise Reversal Effect. Educational Psychologist, 38(1), 23–31. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15326985ep3801_4
Torcasio, S., & Sweller, J. (2009). The use of illustrations when learning to read: A cognitive load theory approach. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 24(5), 659–672. https://doi.org/10.1002/acp.1577
William, D. [@dylanwiliam]. (2017, January 26). I’ve come to the conclusion Sweller’s Cognitive Load Theory is the single most important thing for teachers to know [Tweet]. Twitter. https://x. com/dylanwiliam/status/824682504602943489?lang=en
Emma Greensill School Psychologist
The relationship between adolescent mental health and social media is complex and multifaceted, with both positive and negative aspects. The average Australian teenager spends approximately 14.4 hours a week online, accessing an average of four different social media services (eSafety Commissioner, 2021). Research has demonstrated that teenagers who access social media have an increased risk of exposure to harm, social isolation, depression, anxiety, and cyber bullying; however, they are also provided the opportunity for self-expression and connectedness (Morawska, 2021).
There is an abundance of research into the impacts of social media and adolescent mental health; however, it is difficult to differentiate between correlation and causation. Since adolescent brains are still developing, they are more vulnerable to struggle with emotional regulation and managing screen time. According to the World Health Organisation (2024), one in seven children aged 10 to 19 experience a mental health disorder whereby depression, anxiety and behavioural disorders are the most prevalent. Research suggests that increased social media use can intensify symptoms of anxiety and depression due to exposure to idealised images, withdrawing from reality, and the pressure to curate the ‘perfect’ online persona and quickly respond to their peers (Office of the Surgeon General (OSG), 2023). For example, users of Instagram post content and wait to receive judgement or validation from others, which is typically anxiety provoking and opens opportunity for negative criticism. Platforms like these can also exacerbate any existing challenges with low self-esteem due to young people comparing themselves and their bodies to celebrities and influencers online (Morawska, 2021).
Social media continues to play a significant role in adolescents’ and adults’ lives despite several groups such as news reporters, parents and politicians demonising it with worrying headlines. Due to its cultural significance and presence, it is important to explore both the positive and negative consequences and offer insights into how we can foster a healthier digital environment for the next generation.
An article by The Daily Aus (2025) caught my eye, headlining ‘Aussie teens on TikTok and Discord have the lowest life satisfaction levels of young social media users’. This came to light after researchers at the Australian National University (ANU) reviewed data that explored the impact of regular use of certain social media platforms on life satisfaction levels for 26,000 Years 10 and 11 students across Australia. The data revealed that TikTok, Reddit and Twitch users who identified as male and female reported lower life satisfaction than those who did not access the platforms. Among young female users, TikTok was associated with the poorest life satisfaction.
Due to the high proportion of young people accessing Snapchat and Instagram, no significant variations in life satisfaction were reported. Although TikTok, Reddit and Twitch platforms were associated with poorer life satisfaction among those who identified as male and female, young users of Twitter who identified as non-binary reported greater life satisfaction, suggesting social inclusion and a sense of belonging (Edwards et al., 2023).
Drawing on the increased use of technology throughout childhood, The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt (2024) highlights how the rise of social media, increased focus on safety and risk aversion, and the decline of in-person social interactions have led to a generation that is more anxious and less resilient than previous ones. Haidt (2024) emphasised that the changes in environment and increase in digital socialisation have increased young people’s susceptibility to mental health issues. Throughout his book, Haidt (2024) highlighted the importance of fostering resilience, processing uncomfortable emotions, and returning to real-world interactions to mitigate the risk of rising youth mental health issues. However, as social media remains a major part of daily life, it is important that adolescents develop digital savviness and awareness. While encouraging real-world connectedness, this could look like reducing social media use to 30 minutes daily, which has shown significant improvements in young people’s depression severity (Hunt et al., 2018).
Despite the negative impacts social media can have on adolescents, Haidt (2024) highlighted some advantages to social media use when used mindfully and in moderation, such as finding supportive communities and connecting with others who have similar identities, skills, and interests. This supports the opportunity for self-expression, positive interactions with more diverse peer groups, and the development of social connections. Similarly, The University of Queensland’s Alina Morawska highlighted that ‘social media allows teens to create online identities, find entertainment, distraction, humour, education, and information about social movements and human rights issues’.
Looking at social media use from the perspective of adolescents, Haidt (2024) and Hunt et al. (2018) found that social media helps adolescents feel accepted, supported during difficult times, and provides them with the ability to express their personality and connect with their peers’ lives (Haidt, 2024; Hunt et al., 2018). Social media is also a space where young people can access support services such as Kids helpline or My Circle, supported by Kids helpline, which is a free private and confidential social platform for 12- to 25-year-olds across Australia.
Overall, the findings suggest that there are both positive and negative outcomes of adolescents accessing social media and that proactive measures are necessary to mitigate the negative effects of social media on adolescent mental health. Parents play a crucial role in this process by actively monitoring their children’s social media use (Morawska, 2021). To assist parents and protect young Australians, the Online Safety Amendment Bill 2024 introduced a mandatory minimum age of 16 for accounts of social media platforms with an aim to create safer digital spaces for everyone (Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications, 2025). Although the onus is put on social media platforms, it is important that parents actively monitor their child’s social media use, encourage open communication, and set clear boundaries to ensure their children learn to navigate the online world safely.
References
Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications. (2025). Social media minimum age and age assurance trial: Fact sheet. Queensland Government. https:// www.infrastructure.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/ social-media-minimum-age-and-age-assurance-trial-factsheet.pdf
Edwards, B., Doery, K., Arnup, J., Chowdhury, I., Edwards, D., & Hillman, K. (2023). Generation Survey: Young people, Release 2 (Wave 1-2). ADA Dataverse V5. https://doi.org/10.26193/ YMMO4L
eSafety Commissioner. (2021). The digital lives of Aussie teens. Australian Government. https://www.esafety.gov.au/sites/default/ files/2021-02/The%20digital%20lives%20of%20Aussie%20 teens.pdf
Haidt, J. (2024). The anxious generation: How the great rewiring of childhood is causing an epidemic of mental illness. Penguin Random House.
Hunt, M. G., Marx, R., Lipson, C., & Young, J. (2018). No more Fomo: Limiting social media decreases loneliness and depression. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 37(10), 751–768. https://doi.org/10.1521/jscp.2018.37.10.751 Morawska, A. (2021). How does social media affect teenagers’ mental health? The University of Queensland. https:// study.uq.edu.au/stories/how-social-media-affectsteenagers#:~:text=How%20does%20social%20media%20 affect%20teenagers%27%20mental%20health%3F,on%20 teenagers%20can%20be%20significant
Office of the Surgeon General. (2023). Social media and youth mental health: The U.S. Surgeon General’s advisory. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih. gov/books/NBK594763/
The Daily Aus. (2025). Australia’s largest survey of young people has linked poorer life satisfaction among high school students to regular social media use. The Daily Aus. https://thedailyaus.com. au/culture/australias-largest-survey-of-young-peoplehas-linked-poorer-life-satisfaction-among-high-schoolstudents-to-regular-social-media-use
World Health Organization. (2024). Adolescent mental health. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/news-room/factsheets/detail/adolescent-mental-health
George Higgins Head of Faculty – Mathematics
When Albert Einstein published his General Theory of Relativity, it was hailed as one of the most significant scientific breakthroughs in history. Its complexity of ideas intertwined with robust mathematical descriptions redefined how scientists studied and understood the nature of reality. It is a theory so complex, that to this day, it is taught only at a post-graduate level at a handful of universities worldwide, although, few people realise that its foundations rest upon a mathematical formula so fundamental we teach it to Year 8 students: the humble Pythagorean Theorem.
When developing his ideas about General Relativity, Einstein was looking for a way to measure distances in curved space. After years of deep thought on the subject, it turned out that all he needed to do was introduce some coefficients to the same formula he had used since he was a boy to measure distance: the Pythagorean Theorem. Einstein demonstrated that taking the time to think deeply about a concept so simple it is often overlooked or taken for granted led him down a path to some of the most significant thinking a human being has ever done. In the modern classroom where curriculum timelines are tight and content coverage is broad, the simple ideas often get overlooked. Yet, as Einstein demonstrated, it is precisely in deeply considering these foundational concepts that appear deceptively straightforward, where the most significant
learning occurs. Deep thinking about simple ideas is not just a pedagogical preference; it is a cognitive necessity. Engaging students in thoughtful exploration of core principles leads to robust understanding, adaptive expertise, and a more equitable classroom culture.
When students spend time exploring the why and how behind basic concepts, they develop a flexible and durable understanding (Hattie, 2023). This is particularly important in subjects like mathematics and science, where misconceptions can accumulate and calcify if foundational ideas are glossed over. Take, for example, the mathematical concept of zero. While often introduced early in schooling, its implications for place value, inverse operations, algebraic reasoning and even calculus are profound. A shallow grasp of zero can lead to longterm difficulties in secondary mathematics. Yet, when students are given time and space to interrogate its meaning with questions such as Why do we need zero? and What happens when we divide by zero?, they begin to build a relational understanding that supports future learning (Sullivan, 2020).
Another example, but one that demonstrates a consequence of not taking the time to understand it, is the ability to read an analogue clock. Many students, even into their teenage years,
cannot read an analogue clock because of the advent of digital ones. However, this overlooked piece of understanding we take for granted can in fact have significant implications for students in Mathematics when studying angles, fractions, circles, and bearings. The spatial reasoning necessary to read an analogue clock is precisely the same reasoning needed to determine a direction from North on a map. As such, it is important that teachers ensure students take the time to dwell on simple concepts such as this, because without properly understanding them, they develop gaps in their knowledge.
Cognitive science provides a compelling framework for thinking deeply about simple ideas. As Daniel Willingham (2021) explains, students remember what they think about and dwell on. If classroom time is dominated by rote procedures or rapid content delivery, students may fail to internalise underlying principles. Deep thinking demands cognitive effort, but this very struggle fosters long-term retention and schema development. In the hustle and bustle of everyday school, sometimes teachers are pressed for time to get through content, but whenever possible, dwelling on core principles should be prioritised given its importance to cognitive development. Moreover, metacognitive engagement is central to deep learning. Recent studies show that students who reflect on their reasoning, justify their answers, and evaluate alternative strategies outperform peers who focus solely on getting the ‘right answer’ (EEF, 2021). Teachers can support this by using visible thinking routines, modelling their own reasoning processes aloud, and building a classroom culture that celebrates curiosity over speed.
Deep thinking about simple ideas also supports inclusion. When students are encouraged to explore foundational concepts through multiple representations, they access learning through their individual strengths. This aligns with Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles, which advocate for flexible pathways to understanding (CAST, 2018). Furthermore, research by Boaler et al. (2022) emphasises that when teachers slow down the pace and focus on reasoning, students previously disengaged or labelled as low attaining begin to thrive.
Importantly, this approach also changes the notion of ‘ability’ as being a fixed trait. It opens the door for every student to engage in meaningful learning, regardless of prior achievement. When students are invited to think deeply about ideas they assume they already understand, they often surprise themselves and their teachers with the insights they generate.
Based on the wider literature and the cases above, the following five strategies provide teachers with some practical strategies for the classroom that will help promote deep thinking.
1. Prioritise core concepts: Identify the key ideas in the curriculum and devote time to explore them thoroughly with students.
2. Use rich, low-floor, high-ceiling tasks and questioning: These invite all students into the learning while providing scope for deeper exploration. For example, posing questions like Why do we write the units for velocity as? and Where does that come from?
3. Encourage dialogue and reasoning: Implement questioning techniques that also keep the thinking process going. Questions such as What makes you say that? and Can you think of another way?
4. Model deep thinking: Share your own cognitive processes aloud, especially when confronting errors or uncertainty. For example, working an example on the board, pausing, and asking the class What did I do there? or Why is that wrong?
5. Make thinking visible: Use visual aids, concept maps, and journals to help students externalise and reflect on their thinking. This is incredibly useful for Year 12 students at the end of Units 3 and 4 as they can see what content they will be examined on and how it all connects.
Conclusion
In a world increasingly driven by speed and surface-level information, schools must offer a counterbalance where slow, thoughtful engagement is both expected and valued. Deep thinking about simple ideas cultivates the learners who are curious, critical, and capable of grappling with complexity. As educators, we must remember our role is to teach students how to think, rather than what to think, and by emphasising the importance of thinking deeply about the basics, we empower them to build understanding that endures.
References
Boaler, J., Munson, J., & Williams, C. (2022). Mathematical mindsets in action: Strategies and resources for teaching growth mindset mathematics. Jossey-Bass.
CAST. (2018). Universal design for learning guidelines version 2.2. http:// udlguidelines.cast.org
Education Endowment Foundation. (2021). Metacognition and self-regulated learning guidance report https:// educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk
Hattie, J. (2023). Visible learning: The sequel. Routledge.
Sullivan, P. (2020). Teaching mathematics: Using research-informed strategies. Australian Council for Educational Research. Willingham, D. T. (2021). Why don’t students like school? (2nd ed.). Jossey-Bass.
Mary Komselis
Primary School Teacher
It was a privilege to have been selected for the Amanda Minotti Teaching Fellowship, which allowed me to visit a partner school – Girls Preparatory School (GPS) – in Chattanooga, Tennessee. GPS is a private day school in Chattanooga for girls in grades 6 to 12, divided into middle school (grades 6-8) and upper school (grades 9-12). Its stated mission is to inspire ‘each girl to lead a life of integrity and purpose by engaging her mind, cultivating her strengths, and nurturing her self-confidence and respect for others’.
This exchange provided me with invaluable professional experience and contributed significantly to my personal growth. Having the opportunity to observe how different teachers deliver curriculum to and interact with students who are in older cohorts than those I usually teach was particularly interesting.
The values at St Margaret’s (STM) and GPS are quite similar, with a common value addressed – Respect. I witnessed respect among the students, among the staff, and mutual respect between staff and students, particularly evident during lunchtime, where all staff and students eat lunch together in the cafeteria (yes, like the American movies!).
This exchange gave me time to reflect on pedagogy and teaching strategies; how they are the same and different to STM. Across the various subjects and curriculum, GPS is moving to a more discovery-based model, ensuring students are at the centre of all learning, providing time to discuss and articulate their thoughts and ideas. While this is something GPS is striving towards, teachers have autonomy to deliver their content based on their professional judgement. This approach aligns to inquiry-based instruction, used in the St Margaret’s primary school’s HASS and Science teaching instruction. During 2022-2023, primary teachers attended professional development sessions with Bronwyn MacLeod that challenged staff to make the ‘skills’ the hero of the subject not the context.
GPS also use the Experience First, Formalise Later (EFFL) teaching approach that empowers students to build strong conceptual understanding of concepts (Stecher, Wilcox, & Gallas, 2023). EFFL has been developed for student-centred classrooms, where students work in small groups to experience the learning before the teacher formalises the learning with definitions (Global Math Department, 2022). This aligns with GPS’s focus on student engagement in the classroom. This differs to how we approach teaching in the primary school,
focusing on explicit instruction and the Gradual Release Model of Responsibility (I Do, We Do, You Do). However, some of the characteristics do align to our pedagogical thinking behind our teaching approach, such as the use of hands-on activities (Maths), posing questions (M-Spired), less memorisation (Core Literacy in Prep to Year 2), and having a focus on problem solving (Maths).
As part of GPS’s institutional goals, the curriculum and programs have been examined to ensure they start and conclude with what is best for each student. The hope for the learner-centred approach is that students create lifelong interests and passions in a culture of acceptance and belonging to build versatile skills. The learner-centred element ensured that learning is personalised for each student, competencybased, authentic, and equitable and inclusive.
GPS also believes in a cross-curricular approach with the subjects they offer to their students. For example, I was observing a sixth-grade class, where they were choreographing a dance in small groups from the book ‘Other Words for Home’. The students also read this novel for English and completed assignments associated to the story. The dance teacher connected her curriculum to the topics and concepts from English, Maths and History. I found this to be vital to the students for a full picture understanding of concepts from class and assists the girls with their working memory on new knowledge and skills. Students in sixth-grade class have learnt about the various African nations in Global Cultures and then revisited this knowledge in English through a class novel and creating their own African Folktale.
GPS teachers, within their teaching departments, go on ‘instructional rounds’ with their chair (head) of department. This enables teachers to explore what their colleagues do in their classroom and check in on students. They encourage teachers to complete three to four rounds throughout their year. During the humanities instructional rounds I participated in, I witnessed the cross-curricular approach in the upperschool. Students in grade 10 languages (Spanish and French) were exploring poetry. In English, they were in their world poetry unit, creating a presentation selecting an original poem and then creating their own.
GPS were kind enough to arrange visits to two elementary (primary) schools: The Bright School and St Peter’s Episcopal School. These are just two of the several schools that students attend before going to GPS. During my Bright School visit, I observed various grade classes, met with the teaching teams of grade 4 and 5 classes, and had lunch with the Head of School. In my second week, I spent a few hours at St Peter’s Episcopal School observing different year levels. This school allows students to complete their classes in English or in Spanish immersion. Both these schools have similarly aligned English curriculum to our English program at STM. It was great to see that, worldwide, students are being taught how to read and write in similar ways.
I was able to shadow both a sixth-grade student and a junior (11th grade) student. This experience allowed me to build connections with the girls and their peers while also gaining insight into their perspectives and the challenges they face at school. During my time in the upper school, I observed that students must sign the school’s honour pledge at the bottom of their assessments, committing to upholding the school values of academic honesty by not cheating or discussing their work with others. GPS also offers advanced placement (AP) classes, allowing students to take college-like classes in their final two years of upper school.
All students and staff at GPS were friendly and warm, welcoming me with open arms to any classrooms, meetings, clubs, and activities. This experience has highlighted the crucial role of relationships in education and has further strengthened my commitment to fostering these connections in my teaching career. I am incredibly thankful to GPS and STM for this wonderful opportunity to explore education on a global scale.
References
Global Math Department. (2022, May 3). What is Experience First, Formalize Later (EFFL)? https://globalmathdepartment. org/2022/05/what-is-experience-first-formalize-later-effl/ Stecher, S., Wilcox, L., & Gallas, L. (2023). Experience First, Formalize Later. Mathematics Teacher: Learning and Teaching PK-12, 9. https://eric. ed.gov/?q=empower&ff1=subTeacher+Role&id=EJ1394818
Caitlin McCluskey Dean of Academics
Teaching is inherently cyclical. Educators continuously engage in a process of researching, reading, and learning about effective pedagogical strategies. These strategies are then implemented and become integral parts of our daily teaching routines. However, over time, we can lose some of the intentionality behind our implementation, leading to their gradual decline in use or effectiveness. Despite the initial research and practice, strategies can fall by the wayside or become box-ticking activities, resulting in a loss of their intended impact (University of Manitoba, 2025).
Learning Intentions and Success Criteria are examples of highly effective teaching strategies that can lose their impact when they become part of the routine rather than the core of our learning. Hattie (2018) asserts that implementation of effective Learning Intentions has an effect size of 0.68, indicating that embedding this into pedagogical approach can have more impact than popular approaches such as direct instruction and explicitly teaching meta-cognitive strategies.
Learning Intentions clearly articulate what students are expected to learn during a lesson or unit. They provide a focus for both teaching and learning, ensuring that all activities and assessments are aligned with the desired outcomes. This clarity helps students understand the purpose of their learning and what they need to achieve, fostering a sense of direction and motivation (Grafwallner, 2019).
Effective Learning Intentions are specific, measurable, and achievable. They should be written in student-friendly language and be visible throughout the lesson. Learning Intentions should contain active verbs that can be externally observed throughout the lesson. The level of complexity of verbs should also give an indication to both teachers and students of where in the taxonomy of learning the lesson is targeted. When planning lessons, starting with the development of Learning Intentions helps us as teachers to focus on the function of our lesson (what do we want to gain?) rather than the form (what do we want to do?).
Success Criteria complement Learning Intentions by outlining the specific steps or indicators that demonstrate successful learning. They provide students with a clear understanding of what success looks like and how they can achieve it. This transparency helps students take ownership of their learning, as they can self-assess their progress and identify areas for improvement (Fisher & Frey, 2022). Effective Success Criteria are closely aligned with the Learning Intentions and are specific, observable, and measurable. They should be coconstructed with students whenever possible, as this increases student engagement and ownership. By involving students in the creation of Success Criteria, teachers can ensure that the criteria are meaningful and relevant to the learners (Fisher & Frey, 2022).
To maximise the effectiveness of Learning Intentions and Success Criteria, teachers should integrate them into their daily teaching practices. This involves explicitly stating the Learning Intentions at the beginning of the lesson and discussing the Success Criteria with students. Throughout the lesson, teachers should refer back to these tools, using them to guide instruction and provide feedback (Grafwallner, 2019).
Moreover, teachers should encourage students to use the Learning Intentions and Success Criteria as self-assessment and reflection tools. By regularly reflecting on their progress and identifying areas for improvement, students can develop a deeper understanding of their learning and become more independent learners (AITSL, 2017).
Learning Intentions and Success Criteria are powerful tools that can significantly enhance the teaching and learning process. However, their effectiveness depends on their effective design, proper implementation, and ongoing use. By clearly articulating what students are expected to learn and how they can achieve success, these tools provide a focus for both teaching and learning. This clarity helps students understand the purpose of their learning, fostering motivation and ownership. To ensure that Learning Intentions and Success Criteria do not become merely compliance to a teaching and learning framework, teachers must continually reflect on their use and adapt their practices to meet the needs of their students (AITSL, 2017).
References
Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL). (2017). Learning intentions and success criteria. AITSL. https:// www.aitsl.edu.au/docs/default-source/feedback/ aitsl-learning-intentions-and-success-criteria-strategy. pdf?sfvrsn=382dec3c_2
Fisher, D., & Frey, N. (2022, May 21). Show and tell: A video column / Co-constructing success criteria [Review of the video column Show and tell: A video column / Co-constructing success criteria]. ASCD https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/coconstructing-success-criteria
Grafwallner, P. (2019, April 18). A framework for lesson planning. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/article/frameworklesson-planning/
Hattie, J. (2018). Hattie effect size list - 256 Influences Related to Achievement. Visible Learning. https://visible-learning. org/hattie-ranking-influences-effect-sizes-learningachievement/
The Education Hub. (n.d.). The learning trajectory: Key insights from Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath’s webinar. The Education Hub. https:// theeducationhub.org.nz/the-learning-trajectory-keyinsights-from-dr-jared-cooney-horvaths-webinar/ University of Manitoba. (2025). Reflective teaching | The Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning | University of Manitoba. Umanitoba.ca. https://umanitoba.ca/centreadvancement-teaching-learning/support/reflective-teaching
Instead of asking teachers to do more, Universal Design for Learning (UDL) provides smarter approaches that deliver better outcomes for students and more sustainable practices for educators while meeting the needs of all students.
Truly inclusive classrooms minimise the concept of special learning needs because every child has a special learning need (Ashman, 2018).
An impossible concept and a ‘perfect storm’ summary of the unprecedented challenge facing the teaching profession: how to meet increasingly diverse student needs without burning out from endless individual accommodations. While many educators assume that supporting diverse learners means more work, UDL provides a solution. UDL principles, when properly implemented, actually reduce teacher cognitive load while delivering better outcomes for all students.
The traditional approach to student diversity – creating individual modifications after problems arise – places enormous demands on teachers’ time and cognitive load. While some of our students face individual barriers to
learning and require adjustments to access learning, UDL works as a solution to act harmoniously with these individual adjustments. The UDL model is designing learning experiences that work for the widest range of students from the start. This proactive approach recognises that smart initial design and proactive pedagogy reduces the need for most individual accommodations. The key lies in understanding how strategic UDL implementation can transform common classroom barriers into opportunities for streamlined, effective teaching.
We’ve all done it: meeting with the same student during lunch, feeling like you are constantly playing catch up and you are always ‘one step behind’ helping this student understand. Vocabulary gaps traditionally force teachers into exhausting cycles of individual sessions and differentiated materials. UDL principles offer a smarter approach that addresses diverse vocabulary needs through universal strategies that benefit everyone, allowing students to access learning from the get-go.
Instead of creating separate vocabulary lists for different students, UDL-aligned classrooms use multi-modal vocabulary walls featuring words, definitions, images, and contextual examples. This single classroom resource supports visual learners, EALD students with reading difficulties, and advanced/gifted students simultaneously. Teachers invest time once in creating comprehensive visual displays rather than repeatedly explaining terms to individual students.
Another practical application is to implement systematic vocabulary games that engage all learners. Research by Beck, McKeown and Kucan (2013) demonstrates that activities connecting new terms with familiar words – such as matching ‘thief’ with ‘bandit’ – work effectively across ability levels. One well-designed vocabulary game serves the entire class rather than requiring teachers to prepare multiple versions for different groups. Another UDL win-win is personal vocabulary journals using index cards. While each student maintains their own collection, the system is identical for everyone. Teachers provide one set of instructions, one format, and one expectation that flexibly accommodates different learning paces and styles without additional teacher preparation.
Creating classroom belonging traditionally demands extensive individual relationship-building and constant social mediation, leading to teacher exhaustion and over-use of reactive strategies. UDL principles suggest that explicit, universal social skills instruction reduces these demands while creating stronger classroom communities.
Implementing Positive Behaviour Interventions and Supports (PBIS) exemplifies UDL’s efficiency advantage. Rather than addressing social challenges reactively with individual interventions, PBIS establishes clear expectations and teaches social competencies to all students simultaneously. Teachers invest upfront time in establishing systems that prevent problems rather than spending ongoing energy managing social conflicts. This is something we know better as the St Margaret’s ‘non-negotiables’; proactive, firm expectations that maintain predictability in the classroom and reduce the need for ‘reactive’ interventions.
Building further, strategic grouping and seating plans based on student interests and strengths represents another UDL approach that reduces teacher workload. When teachers systematically track student preferences and social dynamics, they can create collaborative arrangements that naturally support positive interactions. This proactive social architecture prevents many behavioural issues while building genuine peer relationships.
The cognitive load reduction is significant: instead of constantly monitoring and adjusting social dynamics, teachers create structures that support positive interactions automatically.
The path to sustainable excellence: Working smarter, not harder
The evidence demonstrates that UDL implementation reduces teacher cognitive load while improving student outcomes. When learning experiences are designed from the start to accommodate diverse needs, teachers spend less time creating individual adjustments and more time on high-impact instruction. Rather than asking teachers to do more with less, UDL provides frameworks for accomplishing more through strategic design.
The implications for teacher wellbeing are profound. Instead of feeling overwhelmed, UDL removes barriers systematically rather than addressing them individually, creating sustainable teaching practices that prevent teacher burnout while supporting every student. This shifts the professional focus from crisis management to proactive design.
UDL isn’t just about supporting diverse learners – it’s about creating teaching practices that are both effective and sustainable. When educators implement UDL principles strategically, they reduce their own workload while improving outcomes for every student.
The strategies outlined here represent efficiency gains that accumulate over time. Universal vocabulary systems, proactive social architecture, and multiple modes of conveying information utilised by all require initial investment but reduce ongoing demands significantly. Teachers who embrace UDL principles often report feeling more energised and effective rather than overwhelmed by student diversity.
When teachers have frameworks that make diverse learner support manageable and effective, they are more likely to thrive in the profession, and subsequently, their students thrive in response.
References
Ashman, A. (Ed.). (2018). Education for inclusion and diversity (6th ed.). Pearson Australia.
Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership. (2011). Australian professional standards for teachers. https://www. aitsl.edu.au/teach/standards
Beck, I., McKeown, M., & Kucan, L. (2013). Bringing words to life: Robust vocabulary instruction (2nd ed.). Guilford Press.
Cologon, K. (2019). Inclusion in education: A necessary process of transformation. Children and Young People with Disability Australia. https://www.cyda.org.au/inclusion-in-education
MCEETYA. (2008). Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians. http://www.curriculum.edu.au/verve/ resources/National_Declaration_on_the_Educational_ Goals_for_Young_Australians.pdf
Rose, D., & Meyer, R. (2005). The future is in the margins: The role of technology and disability in educational reform. In D. Rose, A. Meyer, & C. Hitchcock (Eds.), The universally designed classroom: Accessible curriculum and digital technologies (pp. 12–35). Harvard Education Press.
Secondary Teacher
In university, I completed an assessment titled ‘Reengaging Students in Physical Education’. Although I did not continue my teaching education in the field of physical education and have now become a science and mathematics teacher, I have recently revisited this article as I face students who are disengaged with my current teaching areas. This article focused on selfdetermination theory and constraints-based approach. In this Sunata article, I explore how these frameworks can be applied to mathematics education.
Self-determination theory can be used as a framework to assess student motivation (Moy et al., 2015). The theory is based on meeting the psychological needs of autonomy, relatedness, and competence. Researchers have found traditional classes do not meet these psychological needs (Renshaw, Oldham, & Bawden, 2012). Traditional physical education classes focus on skill acquisition through teacher instruction, drills, and sport-based activities. Mathematics is not dissimilar, as we often follow the same process of teacher instruction followed by practising the skill and then applying it to harder problem-solving activities. The lack of choice with which this structure provides students has the potential to disengage both the skilled and low-skilled performers. Classes without choice do not create a meaningful environment in which students want to be involved, therefore leading to students becoming disengaged (Ryan & Deci, 2000).
To address this disengagement, the constraints-led approach can be used to facilitate the development of intrinsic motivation (Renshaw et al., 2012). A constraints-based approach is traditionally a coaching method that focuses on manipulating the learner’s environment to help them develop skills and problem-solving abilities. Instead of directly instructing individuals, the teacher enforces constraints, rules, or boundaries that force the learner to use a particular skill or explore a new solution, meaning they cannot use previously learnt strategies/skills. This approach helps satisfy the needs of self-determination as students can relate to the skills more, feel competent when they are able to work within the constraints, and have autonomy on how to work within the boundaries.
An application in physical education is an activity where a team must get a ball to the end zone, but each player can only take three steps. This activity encourages students to develop connectedness and social skills to solve this problem. Using this method can improve relationships with the teacher, as the teacher must release control, allowing students to find their own way and thus increasing their autonomy.
To use a constraints-based approach in mathematics sounds difficult but can be a great way to structure problem-solving activities to boost students’ motivation. Some examples could be as follows:
1. A measurement lesson where students need to answer all questions in the same units.
2. Pose a problem-solving task where students can only communicate their answers using diagrams, not numbers.
3. A cost price lesson where students must find the cheapest versions of a shopping list but are constrained to one shop, to only paying in cents, or only buying prepackaged items.
4. A task where students create as many different algebraic expressions as they can that simplify to the same result. The constraints could be that they must use exactly three variables, at least one set of brackets, or can only use addition and multiplication.
This approach to teaching also allows for differentiation as you can provide different students with different constraints. For example, in the above, some students could be provided with a conversion chart, while others would be required to recall this knowledge. These activities would meet the self-determination theory as they would allow students autonomy, as the students have not been told how to complete the task, and relatedness, as the contexts can be related to their lives. Applying appropriate differentiation will allow students to experience competency, the last aspect of self-determination theory.
Based on this theory, I will be thinking more deeply about how I can give students the chance to experience autonomy, competence, and relatedness in my classes, and I encourage other teachers to do the same so that we can begin to develop students’ intrinsic motivation.
References
Moy, B., Renshaw, I., & Davids, K. (2015). The impact of nonlinear pedagogy on physical education teacher education students’ intrinsic motivation. Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy, 21(5), 517-538. doi:10.1080/17408989.2015.1072506
Renshaw, I., Oldham, A. R., & Bawden, M. (2012). Nonlinear Pedagogy Underpins Intrinsic Motivation in Sports Coaching. The Open Sports Science Journal, 5, 88-99, doi:10.2174/1875399X01205010088
Ryan, R., & Deci, E. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist, 55(1), 68-79. doi:10.1037/0003-066X.55.1.68
Anxiety disorders among young people, particularly schoolaged children, is becoming one of the most pressing mental health concerns within education, highlighting the urgent need for early intervention and mental health support within the education system (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2021). A survey by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2020) found that close to seven per cent of children aged 4 to11 had diagnosed anxiety disorders, with girls showing higher rates than boys. This figure did not include those students not formally diagnosed with anxiety, but who experience frequent anxious feelings. Unfortunately, the nature of typical school environments can often contribute to and
exacerbate feelings of anxiety. For example, children with separation anxiety may struggle with being away from their parents, while those who find social situations overwhelming may experience challenges and anxiety around engaging with peers, participating in class, or interacting with teachers (Green et al., 2016; Hofmann et al., 1999; Langley et al., 2004, as cited in Pikulski et al., 2020).
At its core, anxiety is the brain’s response to danger, which it will actively attempt to avoid (Beesdo, Knappe, & Pine, 2009). In an educational context, these perceived ‘dangers’ may include such activities as participating in play at break times, delivering a presentation in front of peers, engaging in potentially
overwhelming events like a sports carnival, or attending an excursion or school camp. Childhood and adolescence are key developmental stages during which anxiety symptoms are most likely to first appear, which can range from mild and temporary to severe, diagnosable anxiety disorder (Beesdo et al., 2009). Unlike behavioural disorders such as ADHD, anxiety disorders often go undetected by teachers and parents because clinically anxious students tend to be those who are well-behaved and avoid drawing attention to themselves (Herzig-Anderson et al., 2012). Consequently, many of these young individuals conceal their symptoms and tolerate challenging educational experiences while silently masking their learning difficulties.
Schools are an important resource and promising avenue for influencing the mental health of young people. The impact schools have on mental health goes beyond teaching about mental health and providing counselling and psychology services, but also includes equipping students with a toolbox of social-emotional skills, creating safe and inclusive environments that ensure learning is accessible to all students, and offering a sense of community and support for students, parents, and families (Raniti, Rakesh, Patton, & Sawyer, 2022). Outside of family relationships, the most significant connections in young peoples’ lives are often those formed in schools, particularly the relationships built between students and teachers (Salter, Neelakandan, & Wuthrich, 2024).
A learning environment that promotes student independence and empowerment is strongly associated with students’ mental and social wellbeing (Wilkins, Verlenden, Szucs, & Johns, 2023). When students enter their Zone of Proximal Development, or ‘The Learning Pit’ as termed by Nottingham (2017), they need to feel trust and reassurance that they will be encouraged, supported, and guided by their teachers through these challenging learning moments, not shamed by their lack of understanding (Nottingham, 2017).
It is imperative that educators and schools implement appropriate modifications to foster supportive and inclusive learning environments that accommodate the needs of all students, including not only those with formal diagnoses of anxiety disorders but also those who exhibit anxiety-related symptoms (Carter, Andersen, & Abawi, 2023). Supporting students in the classroom with anxiety or frequent anxious feelings is crucial for their academic success and emotional wellbeing. Balfanz et al. (2024) provide several evidencebased recommendations for teachers and schools to better support students’ needs and foster inclusive, positive learning environments (Balfanz et al., 2024). These include:
• creating a welcoming and inclusive classroom by incorporating orderly and uncluttered spaces and using calming colour schemes
• building strong, positive relationships with students
• supporting the development of healthy peer relationships
• promoting a classroom culture that fosters a growth mindset
• engaging parents and families in students’ learning journeys
• maintaining a safe and supportive school environment for all students, where learning is accessible to all. This may involve incorporating visual supports, such as posters with clear, legible fonts and complementary imagery.
• celebrating student successes and learning milestones together
• provide a predictable learning environment including visual schedules, social stories, clear routines and giving notice when plans and routines change.
Along with supportive and inclusive learning environments, a strong sense of school connectedness and feeling safe, supported, and valued within the school community has also been shown to play a crucial role in reducing anxiety in children (Pikulski et al., 2020). This finding strongly resonates with the St Margaret’s 2025 theme of Community and Connection, emphasising the value and importance of creating inclusive, supportive school environments where all students feel a sense of belonging.
School connectedness
Over the past two decades, research has highlighted four key factors that influence students’ sense of school connectedness. Students tend to feel more connected when they (Balfanz, Jerabek, Payne, & Scala, 2024):
• believe that school staff recognise and care about them as individuals
• feel as though they belong to a supportive peer group
• participate in prosocial school activities that promote positive, helpful, and supportive interactions among students and encourage the wellbeing of others
• experience acceptance within the school community for their individual differences.
School connectedness describes how much students feel valued, included, and supported within their school community. A strong sense of connection is closely associated with improved mental health and emotional wellbeing (Balfanz, Jerabek, Payne, & Scala, 2024).
The importance of play
Play provides more than a fun experience for children. Research indicates that engaging in age-appropriate play with peers works to build positive connections among students. Play provides valuable opportunities that develop social-emotional, cognitive, language and self-regulation skills, all of which help to support children with anxiety by enhancing executive functioning and promoting prosocial brain development (Yogman et al., 2018).
Yogman et al. (2018) highlight the significance of a wellbalanced early childhood curriculum that incorporates structured, play-based learning experiences as a foundational
approach to contributing to optimal child development. This is especially significant in the current society, where there has been an increase in the strong emphasis on academic preparedness. This has resulted, in some cases, in a diminished focus on play-based learning and the critical importance of social-emotional development, problem solving and conversational skills as well as imaginative play (Yogman et al., 2018).
Play is widely recognised for its capacity to enhance academic outcomes, including language development and mathematical understanding. Moreover, age-appropriate play fosters nurturing and supportive relationships that help reduce stress and help promote emotional resilience and the social emotional skills necessary to navigate and succeed in an increasingly complex and collaborative world (Yogman et al., 2018).
Conclusion
Working closely with young people, whether as teachers or support staff, is a privilege and a role that can offer a unique opportunity to make positive impacts on the mental health of our young people. With the prevalence of anxiety disorders increasing in our schools, it is now more important than ever that we, as professional educators, provide inclusive classrooms, develop supportive teacher-student relationships, maintain effective classroom management, and consistently implement school-based policies and values to support all students (Pikulski et al., 2020).
When schools put connection, inclusivity, and emotional wellbeing first, they transform into more than just centres of education; they become communities where every student can truly thrive and flourish.
References
Balfanz, R., Jerabek, A., Payne, K., & Scala, J. (2024). Strengthening school connectedness to increase student success. EdResearch for Action. https://edresearchforaction.org/research-briefs/ strengthening-school-connectedness-to-increase-studentsuccess/ERIC+4EdResearch for Action+4LinkedIn+4
Beesdo, K., Knappe, S., & Pine, D. S. (2009). Anxiety and anxiety disorders in children and adolescents: Developmental issues and implications for DSM-V. Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 32(3), 483–524. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. psc.2009.06.002
Carter, S., Andersen, C., & Abawi, L.-A. (2023). In sync: Inclusive school communities supporting students with anxiety. Heliyon, 9(6), e16447. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023. e16447
Herzig-Anderson, K., Colognori, D., Fox, J. K., Stewart, C. E., & Masia Warner, C. (2012). School-based anxiety treatments for children and adolescents. Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 21(3), 655–668. https://doi. org/10.1016/j.chc.2012.05.006
Hodges, A., Cordier, R., Joosten, A., Bourke-Taylor, H., & Speyer, R. (2018). Evaluating the psychometric quality of school connectedness measures: A systematic review. Journal Name, 13 (9). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0203373
Nottingham, J. (2017). The Learning Challenge: How to Guide Your Students Through the Learning Pit to Achieve Deeper Understanding. Corwin.
Pikulski, P. J., Pella, J. E., Casline, E. P., Hale, A. E., Drake, K., & Ginsburg, G. S. (2020). School connectedness and child anxiety. Journal of Psychologists and Counsellors in Schools, 30(1), 13–24. https://doi.org/10.1017/ jgc.2020.3​:contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}
Raniti, M., Rakesh, D., Patton, G. C., & Sawyer, S. M. (2022). The role of school connectedness in the prevention of youth depression and anxiety: A systematic review with youth consultation. BMC Public Health, 22(1), 2152. https://doi.org/10.1186/ s12889-022-14364-6
Salter, D., Neelakandan, A., & Wuthrich, V. M. (2024). Anxiety and teacher-student relationships in secondary school: A systematic literature review. Child Psychiatry & Human Development. Advance online publication. https://doi. org/10.1007/s10578-024-01665-7
Wilkins, N. J., Verlenden, J. M. V., Szucs, L. E., & Johns, M. M. (2023). Classroom management and facilitation approaches that promote school connectedness. Journal of School Health, 93(7), 582–593. https://doi.org/10.1111/josh.13279
Yogman, M., Garner, A., Hutchinson, J., Hirsh-Pasek, K., Golinkoff, R. M., Committee on Psychosocial Aspects of Child and Family Health, & Council on Communications and Media. (2018). The power of play: A pediatric role in enhancing development in young children. Pediatrics, 142(3), e20182058. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2018-2058
Nikki Townsend Dean of Students
In today’s fast-paced world, the importance of mental health and overall wellbeing cannot be overstated, especially in educational institutions where students face increasing pressures (Patel et al., 2022). St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School, renowned for its commitment to pastoral care, academic excellence, and the holistic development of its students, is benefitting immensely from the establishment of a dedicated wellbeing centre. The centre serves as a sanctuary, promoting mental, emotional, and physical health, thereby ensuring that students are not only academically successful but also resilient, balanced, and well-prepared for life’s challenges (Kern et al., 2021).
Community House, once home to the Sisters of the Society of the Sacred Advent at St Margaret’s, has been thoughtfully transformed into a Wellbeing Centre. The renovation and repurposing of Community House has preserved its rich history while creating a space dedicated to supporting student wellbeing. This transformation honours the legacy of the Sisters by embracing their values of service, care, and holistic education. The centre provides a dedicated space where students can access resources and support to nurture their mental, physical, and emotional wellbeing (Bailey & Baines, 2023).
Built on the philosophy of the Sisters, the Wellbeing Centre fosters a sense of belonging and community, ensuring that every student feels supported in their personal growth. It offers programs and initiatives that encourage resilience, self-care, and balance, equipping students with lifelong skills for maintaining their wellbeing. This evolution of Community House reflects St Margaret’s ongoing commitment to nurturing the whole person, just as the Sisters envisioned (Konu & Rimpälä, 2021).
The creation of the Wellbeing Centre at St Margaret's was a collaborative effort that united the expertise and dedication of the Principal, Dean of Students, Chaplain, Psychologists, Heads of Year, and students. This diverse team brought together a wealth of knowledge and experience, ensuring the centre addressed the multifaceted needs of the student body (Durlak et al., 2022).
Fostering holistic development in teenagers at school is essential as it nurtures their intellectual, emotional, social, and physical growth, preparing them for well-rounded adulthood (World Health Organization [WHO], 2023). By providing a balanced curriculum that integrates academic learning with life skills, the school assists students develop critical thinking, emotional intelligence, and resilience for their future careers and life (Zins et al., 2022). Encouraging participation in extracurricular activities allows teenagers to explore their interests and talents, fostering creativity and self-confidence. Additionally, a supportive school environment promotes a sense of belonging and community, which is crucial for teenagers’ mental and emotional wellbeing (Allen et al., 2022).
Mental health is a critical aspect of a student’s overall wellbeing. Adolescence can be a tumultuous period, marked by significant emotional and psychological changes (Patton et al., 2023). The Wellbeing Centre provides essential support services, including counselling, workshops, and relaxation spaces, to help students navigate these changes. By offering professional mental health support on campus, St Margaret’s proactively addresses issues such as anxiety, depression, and stress, fostering a supportive environment where students feel safe to seek help (Rickwood et al., 2023).
Career advising is crucial for students as it helps them make informed decisions about their future, aligning their academic pursuits with their interests and strengths (Gore et al., 2023). It provides guidance on exploring various career paths, helping students understand the skills and qualifications needed for different professions. By offering personalised advice, career advisors empower students to set realistic goals and create actionable plans to achieve them. Additionally, effective career advising boosts students’ confidence, ensuring they are well-prepared to navigate the challenges of the job market (Lent et al., 2023).
The Wellbeing Centre also serves as a place for building and nurturing social connections. In a world where digital interactions often replace face-to-face communication, creating spaces for meaningful, in-person interactions is crucial (Twenge, 2023). The centre hosts various group activities, from yoga and mindfulness sessions to peer support groups and leadership meetings, encouraging students to connect with one another on a deeper level. These activities help build a sense of community and belonging, which are vital for emotional health and academic success (Wentzel, 2023).
The yoga space was a welcome addition to the building. Physical health is intrinsically linked to mental and emotional wellbeing (Santomauro et al., 2023). The Wellbeing Centre provides facilities and programs aimed at promoting physical health, such as fitness classes, nutritional counselling, and stress management workshops. By educating students about the importance of a balanced lifestyle and providing them with the tools to maintain it, the centre helps instil lifelong healthy habits (Lubans et al., 2023).
At the heart of the Wellbeing Centre is the Harkness table, a symbol of St Margaret’s commitment to collaborative learning and open dialogue (Peterson, 2023). The Harkness table, originally designed for academic discussions, represents a pedagogical shift towards student-centered learning.
Its presence in the Wellbeing Centre signifies the school’s dedication to fostering a culture of open communication and mutual respect (Barkley, 2023).
Conclusion
The establishment of a Wellbeing Centre at St Margaret’s is a forward-thinking initiative that aligns with the institution’s commitment to holistic education. By addressing mental, emotional, and physical health, the centre plays a pivotal role in preparing students for the complexities of modern life. At the heart of this centre, the Harkness table serves as a powerful symbol and tool for fostering open dialogue, collaborative problem solving, and a supportive community. In essence, the Wellbeing Centre, with the Harkness table at its core, becomes a beacon of holistic development, guiding students toward a balanced and fulfilling life.
References
Allen, K., et al. (2022). The role of school environment in adolescent wellbeing. Journal of Adolescent Research, 37(2), 145–162.
Bailey, R., & Baines, E. (2023). Wellbeing and education: Creating supportive learning environments. Routledge.
Barkley, E. (2023). Collaborative learning and student engagement. Cambridge University Press.
Durlak, J. A., et al. (2022). The impact of collaborative approaches on student wellbeing. Child Development, 93(1), 84–102.
Gore, J., et al. (2023). Career advising and student outcomes. Australian Journal of Career Development, 32(1), 23–35.
Kern, M. L., et al. (2021). Student wellbeing: A comprehensive approach. Psychology in the Schools, 58(3), 234–249.
Konu, A., & Rimpälä, M. (2021). School wellbeing: An integrated perspective. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 65(5), 674–689.
Lent, R. W., et al. (2023). Career development in schools: Best practices. Journal of Career Development, 50(2), 189–207.
Lubans, D. R., et al. (2023). Physical activity programs for mental health promotion. Health Psychology Review, 17(1), 56–75.
Patel, V., et al. (2022). Promoting mental health in schools. The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health, 6(1), 2–3.
Patton, G. C., et al. (2023). Mental health in adolescence. The Lancet Psychiatry, 10(1), 1–11.
Peterson, C. (2023). The Harkness method and dialogue-based learning. Journal of Experiential Education, 46(2), 101–115.
Rickwood, D., et al. (2023). Youth mental health services in schools. Australian Psychologist, 58(3), 200–212.
Santomauro, D. F., et al. (2023). The global burden of mental health disorders. The Lancet Global Health, 11(2), e136–e145.
Twenge, J. M. (2023). Generations: The real differences between Gen Z, millennials, Gen X, boomers, and silents. Atria Books.
Wentzel, K. R. (2023). Peer relationships and school adjustment. Educational Psychologist, 58(1), 1–15.
World Health Organization. (2023). Adolescent health https://www. who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/adolescent-health
Zins, J. E., et al. (2022). Building academic success on social and emotional learning: What does the research say? Teachers College Press.
Nicole Walker Head of Year 7
At the start of each year, a tangible sense of excitement and anticipation fills the air as new Year 7 students commence their secondary journey. To support this transition process and bring social and emotional learning concepts to life, the ‘Supporting the Journey’ action research project has commenced with the intent to equip and inspire the Year 7 students to engage in their learning even more and to understand themselves better in the process.
Guided by the question, ‘What is the impact of using cognitive neuroscience principles on the wellbeing of students as they transition from primary to high school?’, a volunteer group of Year 7 students and their Year 11 mentors have begun to use neuroscience-informed strategies to use in and out of the classroom to enhance their wellbeing. The aim is to deepen their understanding of topics, including those discussed during pastoral care sessions and form time.
Using the acronym ACTION, the following snapshot highlights the positive impact this project is having as the Year 7s display increased self-confidence, self-awareness, and self-efficacy.
The students are learning about Daniel Siegal’s hand model to understand the power of their emotions, using the box breathing technique to remain calm, and have been accessing
their senses to support deep learning. Such strategies connect to the twelve principles developed by the Australian Science of Learning Research Centre that combine psychology, education and neuroscience: the ‘PEN’ Principles. These include a combination of visual images and words, the power of stories, and learning from mistakes. PEN Principle #10 states that ‘First impressions colour future judgement’ (2014). Exploring this through the eyes of the students highlights the importance of mindfulness; it invites the girls to be active participants. As emotions have been activated in positive ways, they willingly trial new study habits and are benefitting from increased organisation and use of mindfulness strategies.
Our weekly meetings enable the students to actively learn together and increase their self-efficacy. They are learning that they can use their subconscious brain to enhance their conscious thinking, actions, and responses; sleep is vital to learning! Professor Tokahama-Espinosa believes that as students are actively participating in their learning, they are motivated and pay attention (Tokahama-Espinosa, 2018). They gain confidence as they use scaffolds, routines, emphasise the big picture, and as Professor Cozolino states, ‘neural circuitry’ is stimulated by such caring relationships that exist with their teachers. He affirms that ‘secure relationships not only trigger
brain growth but also serve emotional regulation that enhances learning’ (Cozolino, 2014). This highlights the power of the ‘social brain’ (Cozolino, 2013), the value of mentoring, and the benefit of a caring context that is present in this project.
In addition to the Year 7s feeling more confident in their approach to and engagement in secondary school, their reflections are providing valuable insights into how we can support and enhance their learning through variety, consolidation, and connection. When asked what aspects of the project they have found helpful, responses include the different ways to cope when frustrated, learning about different emotions and how we can help people, learning how to manage my emotions, and knowing my brain can change pathways. These statements demonstrate the importance of the ‘student voice’ and reflect the value of a holistic approach that is both collaborative and iterative. They also affirm author John Maxwell’s belief that reflection ‘turns experience into insight’ (Maxwell, 2019).
The girls are exploring mindfulness activities to support emotional regulation, positive growth activities to celebrate strengths and enhance self-efficacy, and reflective activities to build self-awareness. Their workbook encourages discussion, suggests routines, and expands their vocabulary. Weekly focus questions support how brains learn and retain information, and the wellbeing focus highlights the importance of sleep, nutrition, and exercise. Weekly meetings and survey reflections are facilitating many peer-mentoring opportunities. These are deepening the connections between the girls as they share ideas, ask questions, and feel a sense of belonging. They have reported an increased use of strategies such as mind maps, lists, articulating priorities, using positive self-talk, regular reflection, and showing gratitude. They are actively using breathing techniques to regulate their emotions and report that they are consistently grateful for their extra-curricular activities, friends, family, and teachers.
The concept of neuroplasticity is being explored as the girls develop organisational skills and effective study habits. Our focus on spaced retrieval, interleaving, and preparedness for learning has seen Carol Dweck’s growth mindset in action. This mirrors psychologist Andrew Fuller’s belief that presenting students with factual information about their brain increases their self-confidence (2024) and supports Edutopia author Merrill’s belief that as students are provided with factual information, they not only understand themselves better, but can ‘exert control over their emotional and academic lives’ (2019). This is also empowering the girls to be aware of not only how they are feeling and why, but what they can do to self-regulate their emotions and thrive. In addition to dopamine helping the girls to be 'energised, goal-directed and motivated' (Fuller, 2014, p.53), it is assisting them to view learning
holistically and increasing their 'focus, memory and executive function' (Willis, 2012, p.6). They are more curious, and stronger connections are being established.
The girls are experiencing neuroplasticity through fun, handson activities. Neuropsychologist Rick Hanson believes that ‘as your mind changes, your brain changes’ (Hanson, 2011, 2:14) and Professor Ken Purnell explains that optimal neuroplasticity includes calm, enjoyable environments. As brains are ‘experience-dependent organs’ (Burns, 2019), neuroscientist Martha Burns’ acronym, ‘ReNEW’, is a fitting summation of an optimal learning environment as it contains Reinforcement, Novelty, Enhanced attention and Wellbeing. The girls involved in this project are experiencing these with greater awareness, and it is pleasing to hear this being echoed by their parents.
As embarking on the secondary school journey is accompanied by establishing new routines, embracing new experiences, and cultivating new friendships, it is exciting to witness the girls being empowered with additional strategies for the road ahead and doing so together as part of a supportive community!
References
Burns, M. (2019, February 19). I’m a Neuroscientist. Here’s How Teachers Can Change Kids’ Brains. EdSurge. https://www.edsurge. com/news/2019-02-19-i-m-a-neuroscientist-here-s-howteachers-change-kids-brains
Cozolino, L. (2013, March 19). Nine Things Educators Need to Know About the Brain. Greater Good Magazine. https:// greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/nine_things_ educators_need_to_know_about_the_brain
Cozolino, L. (2014). Excerpt: The Social Neuroscience of Learning. Learning for Justice Magazine. https://www. learningforjustice.org/magazine/spring-2014/excerpt-thesocial-neuroscience-of-education
Fuller, A. (2024). Guerrilla Tactics for Teachers. Amba Press Hanson, R. (2011, September 20). Understanding Neuroplasticity. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=CRvMCIpGdE8&t=146s
Maxwell, J. (2019, December 19). What will you remember about 2019? https://www.maxwellleadership.com/blog/what-are-youreflecting-on/
Merrill, S. (2019, January 31). Decoding the Teenage brain (in 3 Charts): New technologies are shedding light on what really makes adolescents tick- and providing clues on how we might reach them better. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/article/ decoding-teenage-brain-3-charts
Purnell, K. (2018, July 26). Interview with Prof. Ken Purnell: Brain Based Education. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=run6-DlvbPE
Science of Learning Research Centre. (ca 2014). PEN Principles https:// www.slrc.org.au/resources/pen-principles/ Tokahama-Espinosa, T. (2018, April 13). The Elephant in the Room. Necessary changes for Education? [Video]. YouTube. https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=89S2Gy9OapA&t=2083s
Willis, J. (2012). Powerful Classroom Strategies from Neuroscience Research. Microsoft Word - Willis Handout.docx
Alison Ward Head of Faculty – Global Studies
The Alice Springs (Mparntwe) Education Declaration affirmed the 2008 Melbourne Declaration on Education Goals for Young Australians (MCEETYA) providing the policy framework for the Australian Curriculum and the goal for Australian schooling to promote equity and excellence (Department of Education, 2019, para. 3). In relation to gifted and talented students, the Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) states that ‘all students are entitled to rigorous, relevant and engaging learning opportunities drawn from challenging curriculum that addresses their individual learning needs’ (ACARA, 2015, para. 1). Australian schools are expected to implement inclusive practices to ensure that no child is disadvantaged because of social and cultural background, gender, learning need, disability, or where they live’ (Phillipson & Ziegler, 2021).
Conceptions of giftedness have evolved significantly from narrow IQ-based identification toward recognising diverse learning profiles requiring different nurturing approaches (Dai, 2020; Sternberg et al., 2010). This shift promotes more equitable educational access while supporting the growth of all students’ unique capabilities (Dai, 2020). This article will examine how gifted students may be recognised in the regular classroom and how they transform their potential into talent. By analysing diverse gifted learning profiles and comparing three influential theoretical frameworks on how gifts may be transformed into talent, this essay identifies a range of conditions for converting giftedness to talented outcomes in Australian classrooms.
The thinking and knowing that comprise a gifted knowing and learning profile
While Australian policy mandates provisions for gifted students, many educators lack the professional expertise to recognise gifted responses to instruction (ACARA, 2015, para. 7; (VanTassel-Baska & Stambaugh, 2005; Reis & Renzulli, 2010). Therefore, developing teachers’ capacity to identify how gifted learners interpret teaching differently from peers is essential for effective differentiation that ‘scaffolds higher level outcomes’ (Munro, 2017, p.13; Hertberg-Davis, 2009; Reis & Renzulli, 2010; Sternberg et al., 2010).
Evidence of gifted learning in the classroom can be seen in a student’s response to the teaching provided (Munro, 2024). An indicator of a student’s gifted learning capability is their talented outcomes and performance that are qualitatively different from the outcomes of ‘regular’ students in the classroom (Munro, 2024). Gifted students can formulate advanced interpretations, deeper understandings and are able to apply them in broader contexts (Phillipson et al., 2009; Munro, 2013).
Gifted students demonstrate superior information processing abilities that form the foundation of their exceptional learning (Munro, 2013). They efficiently chunk information allowing them to process larger amounts of material in their working memory simultaneously (Kornmann et al., 2015). This enhanced capacity enables them to manage multiple ideas concurrently and facilitates more advanced conceptual understanding (Carr et al., 1996). Unlike their non-gifted peers who may process information sequentially, gifted learners can manipulate multiple concepts at once, enabling them to make connections that might not be apparent to others.
A defining characteristic of gifted cognition is the ability to extend beyond explicitly taught material (Munro, 2024). Gifted students develop intuitive theories about the instructional content they learn (Munro, 2021). Gifted learners create qualitatively different and more comprehensive meaning networks in response to instruction (Ericsson et al., 2007; Munro, 2013). They spontaneously make deeper and more numerous connections between the learning and prior knowledge, allowing for richer understanding and elaboration beyond what is explicitly taught (Munro, 2021). Their fluid analogistic reasoning enables innovative and unconventional thinking across diverse domains (Geake, 2008). While typical students often remain within the boundaries of presented information, gifted learners instinctively expand these boundaries through inferential leaps (Munro, 2021).
Metacognitive awareness can be pronounced in gifted students. They can excel at planning their learning by setting goals, monitoring their progress, and efficiently adapting thinking and learning strategies as needed (Carr et al., 1996). This heightened self-regulation supports their ability to direct their own learning, distinguishing them from peers who
may require more external guidance. Their capacity for deep, reflective thought contributes to exceptional intellectual autonomy, enabling them to navigate complex learning tasks independently (Munro, 2021).
Most significantly, gifted learners function as ‘intuitive philosophers’, spontaneously constructing personal theories about the content they encounter (Kornmann et al., 2015). They organise concepts into complex propositions that cross topic boundaries, creating semantically rich relationships that are often structured around inferred ‘big ideas’ (Geake, 2008; Munro, 2021). These intuitive theories of action may initially contain inaccuracies, but gifted students are intrinsically motivated to test and refine them through ongoing evaluation (Munro, 2021). This theory-building capacity represents a sophisticated form of intellectual playfulness and imagination that differentiates their learning approach (Smith & Mathur, 2009). According to Munro (2021), these theories are central to how gifted learners transform their potential into demonstrated talent, creating a bridge between natural ability and exceptional performance. The quality and adaptability of these intuitive theories significantly influence how effectively students develop their gifts.
The distinctive cognitive learning profile outlined above provides educators with observable indicators for identifying gifted learners in the classroom. Importantly, these characteristics manifest differently across various gifted learning profiles, influencing how students develop and express their exceptional abilities across academic, creative, and practical domains. By recognising these patterns of thinking and learning, teachers can differentiate instruction to support the development of students’ natural abilities into demonstrable talents.
Educators can recognise diverse manifestations of exceptional ability in classroom settings without having a full understanding of the theoretical frameworks that have been developed to understand giftedness. The following four case studies illustrate distinct gifted learning profiles that teachers might encounter, each demonstrating how gifted students respond to instruction in qualitatively different ways. These examples showcase how gifted cognition appears across academic, creative, practical, and twice-exception contexts, providing concrete instances of how intuitive theories develop and how natural abilities might be transformed into talents under appropriate conditions. By examining these real-world examples, educators can develop greater perceptual awareness of the sometimes-subtle indicators of giftedness that might otherwise be overlooked in typical classroom environments.
After studying narrative techniques, Isabella intuitively recognised connections between fictional unreliable narrators and media bias. While peers focused on identifying basic narrative elements, she synthesised literacy with media studies concepts. Without teacher direction, she collected opinion pieces and news reports, developing a sophisticated classification system that identified linguistic patterns explaining how media shapes public perception.
This student demonstrates analytical skills well beyond grade level expectations. She utilises a methodical approach to knowledge acquisition and sophisticated critical thinking skills. She was intrinsically motivated to conduct independent research, analyse her existing knowledge, and apply logical reasoning and pattern recognition to infer knowledge that went beyond what was taught in the classroom.
During a surrealism unit, while classmates created standard paintings, Helen explored the philosophical relationship between dreams and reality. Fascinated by how art could physically transform based on external stimuli, she studied cymatics (visual sound wave patterns) and combined sculpture, physics and interactive design to create an innovative sand sculpture that formed complex patterns responding to musical frequencies.
Helen demonstrates exceptional creative boundary crossing not typical of Year 8 students. Driven by intrinsic curiosity, she was able to pursue an exploration of her original idea to produce a novel expression of art that transcended the typical artistic boundaries followed by her regular classroom peers.
Julie observed peers struggling with organisation and time management during their transition to high school. Using self-taught coding skills, she created a digital planner app specifically designed for her school’s scheduling structure. After gathering user feedback, she implemented improvements including study tools and mental wellness features. Teachers reported improved assignment completion and reduced student stress after students’ use of the app.
Julie demonstrates exceptional problem-identification and practical solution implementation skills. She identified a real-world problem, showed leadership in her peer group, and applied her technical knowledge to implement a practical solution. She was able to translate an abstract issue her peers were experiencing into a functional solution.
Betty, a First Nations student, struggled with spelling and writing, leading teachers to misinterpret her ‘daydreaming’ and body-drawing as disengagement. However, one teacher noticed her asking insightful questions that demonstrated an advanced conceptual understanding. When playing a memory game, Betty revealed extraordinary memory capabilities recalling 56 sequential items – and reproducing the list days later.
This student demonstrates a stark contrast between literacy difficulties and exceptional cognitive strengths. Betty’s giftedness in conceptual thinking and memory is likely to have been masked by a specific cognitive learning disability. Additionally, Betty’s culturally distinct body drawing as a First Nations student of body drawing was misinterpreted by her teachers as disengagement and inattention rather than a different learning style, further concealing her cognitive strengths.
Gifted students develop intuitive theories of action in a range of ways. Research has identified various types of high ability knowing and learning and distinct gifted learning profiles in the classroom (Renzulli, 2005; Sternberg et al., 2010). Students may excel in verbal learning, creative, non-verbal imagery-spatial learning, or practical, performance or action-based learning (Sternberg et al., 2010). Each of these gifted learning profiles shapes the way students develop intuitive theories, with unique characteristics that influence their understanding and problemsolving approaches.
Some gifted students thrive in structured school environments where learning is delivered verbally and through text (Munro, 2025). This type of gifted profile reflects their characterisation as a ‘school-house gifted’ student (Renzulli, 2012) and is also known in the research as ‘consumers of knowledge’ (Tannenbaum, 1998), ‘analytically intelligent’ (Sternberg, 2005), or ‘academic activists’ (Callahan & Miller, 2005). These gifted learners process information more efficiently and rapidly than their peers, internalising new concepts with ease and intuitively drawing deeper interpretations (Munro, 2013). They have the ability to handle larger chunks of information presented. They are able to anticipate the direction of the teaching and can elaborate upon concepts in more abstract ways making complex connections (Munro, 2013). These students’ gifted learning capacities allow them to intuit the direction of learning and spontaneously and independently progress beyond what is taught (Munro, 2024). Case study 1 is an example of an academically gifted learner. Isabella’s ability to extend classroom learning into a different genre of writing with a real-world context was well beyond what was taught. Students with this type of gifted learning profile are often identified in their achievement test scores and their teachers’ observations of their ability to learn from the teaching in particular domains (Renzulli, 2012).
Creatively gifted students are producers rather than consumers of knowledge. Researchers have described these students as creatively gifted (Renzulli, 2012; Sternberg et al., 2010) or ‘producers of knowledge’ (Tannenbaum, 1998). They demonstrate divergent thinking, grasping concepts beyond what is explicitly taught (Munro, 2025). They are able to make original and unconventional connections between ideas that teachers may not have anticipated (Munro, 2017). Their lateral thinking leads to unique interpretations and innovative outcomes that can be used for problem solving (Munro, 2025). These students use ‘far transfer thinking’, allowing them to apply and elaborate upon their knowledge across seemingly unrelated domains (Carr et al., 1996, p. 212). They manipulate images in their mind across contexts transferring their knowledge, visually creating and linking images together in ways that are unexpected (Munro, 2025). Students who demonstrate the
characteristics of this profile may be missed when identification methods involve traditional academic test score methods. It is likely that Helen, in case study 2, has a gifted learning profile; however, this may not be recognised by her teacher if they were not looking for divergent thinking in an open-ended task.
Some students show practical and innovative giftedness that is associated with applying and implementing what they know in novel ways to solve problems through actions (Munro, 2021; Sternberg et al. 2010). They show their gifted profile by producing and demonstrating their knowledge in innovative ways. Their thinking leads to original productions of action sequences that may lead to the solving of problems (Munro, 2025). Students with this profile have more elaborated procedural knowledge than their peers and possess a superior knowledge of action sequences that they can use in creative ways (Munro, 2025). These types of gifted learners have become known in research as the ‘problem-solving innovators’ (Callahan & Miller, 2005) and as possessing ‘successful intelligence’ (Sternberg et al., 2010). Julie, in case study 3, exemplifies a practically gifted student.
Twice exceptional students
Some gifted students have co-occurring learning issues that mask their gifted learning capacity – the ‘twice exceptional’ or ‘dual exceptional’ learners (Munro, 2002). The co-occurring issues can be cognitive, social, emotional, or cultural and often lead to academic underachievement, social and behavioural problems, and disengagement from regular classroom participation (Munro, 2024).
Betty, in case study 4, demonstrates a stark contrast between her superior verbal reasoning and extraordinary memory alongside her literacy difficulties, suggesting a twice-exceptional profile. Betty has the learning characteristics that indicate a superior intellectual ability that is fluctuating due to a learning disability that impacts the display of her gifted knowledge and its transformation to demonstrated talent in the classroom (Munro, 2002).
The multiple ways of being gifted for all learning profiles are characterised by a learner forming intuitive theories of the teaching. However, the qualities of their interpretations and the climate under which they learn best differ. Many teachers recognise the academically gifted student in their classroom and can neglect the other gifted learning profiles (Munro, 2025). Additionally, some students can be gifted in more than one way. Teachers and schools need identification tools that take into account the multiple ways of being gifted and implement classroom cultures that support them (Munro, 2017).
The conditions necessary for a gifted learning profile to be converted to talented outcomes
The conceptualisation of giftedness has evolved substantially over time, moving from a presumption that it is a static state objectively measured using psychometric approaches to more comprehensive models that account for dynamic developmental processes, environmental influences, and systemic interactions (Dai, 2020). Today, there is a recognition that having a gifted learning profile (untrained natural ability) is insufficient to guarantee an individual’s transformation of their learning to the demonstration of a talent (systematically developed skills). Therefore, it is very important that educators understand the conditions necessary to support students to convert their gifted potential into talented outcomes.
Three influential models that describe how giftedness can translate into a talent include Gagné’s Differentiated Model of Giftedness and Talent (DMGT), Heller and Perleth’s Munich model (Munich Model), and Ziegler’s Actiotope Model of Giftedness (Actiotope Model) (Gagné, 2010; Heller et al., 2005; Ziegler et al. 2017). Each model offers distinct insights into the mechanisms through which natural abilities develop into exceptional talent, with important implications for classroom practice.
Gagné’s Differentiated Model of Giftedness and Talent (GMGT)
The DMGT model distinguishes between natural abilities (giftedness) and developed skills (talent). It recognises exceptional natural abilities in four domains: intellectual, creative, social, and physical (Gagné, 2010). These natural abilities require appropriate developmental supports to be transformed into systematic skills. Environmental catalysts (such as culture, people and resources) and intrapersonal catalysts (such as motivation and personality) either facilitate or hinder this development (Gagné, 2010). Chance also influences these components and the likelihood of giftedness converting to talent (Phillipson & Ziegler, 2021). The model provides a clear developmental pathway for an individual from having potential to exceptional performance or achievement in specific domains through deliberate practice and supportive conditions.
The Munich Model conceptualises giftedness as a network of predictors, moderators, and performance domains. Heller and Perleth proposed that multiple ability factors interact with noncognitive personality traits (such as motivation and learning strategies) and environmental conditions (such as family and instruction quality) to produce excellence in specific domains (Heller et al., 2005). This multifactorial approach emphasises that high performance emerges from complex interactions between cognitive abilities, personality characteristics, and contextual factors rather than from isolated traits (Heller et al., 2005).
Ziegler’s Actiotope Model of Giftedness rejects a trait-based approach, instead viewing giftedness as a property of the entire system (actiotope) comprising the dynamic interaction between the individual and their environment (Ziegler et al., 2017). It focuses on actions in an environment including an individual’s abilities and the resources in their environment that influence their development and performance (Phillipson & Ziegler, 2021). Excellence emerges through co-adaptive development where both individual and environment evolve together. Learning occurs through expanding action possibilities and optimising the system for exceptional performance, with emphasis on resources, adaption, and sociocultural context.
These models represent an evolution in our understanding of giftedness and talent development – from trait-based conceptions to developmental processes to systemic interactions. While they differ in their theoretical foundations, components, and emphasis, they share a recognition that exceptional performance emerges from complex interactions between individual characteristics and environmental conditions over time. The DMGT model provides a clear developmental framework, the Muchin Model offers a detailed network of interacting variables, and the Actiotope Model challenges educators to think systemically about the co-evolution of individual and environment. Together, they provide complementary perspectives that can inform more nuanced and effective approaches to identifying and supporting gifted learners.
Integration of Munro’s concept of intuitive theories of action (with established frameworks) enhances our understanding of gifted knowledge construction. Educators facilitate talent development by creating environments where gifted students can explore, think critically and solve problems – activities that develop adaptive intuitive theories are more likely to transform gifted ability into talented outcomes (Munro, 2021). Effective learning environments also foster essential intrapersonal skills like perseverance, intrinsic motivation and a growth mindset, encouraging students to question and refine their intuitive theories as they convert their natural gifts into demonstrable talents.
For Australian educators working within a policy context that emphasises both equity and excellence, these models also offer complementary insights into creating learning environments that support diverse manifestations of giftedness. By recognising the multiple pathways through which gifts can be transformed into talents, teachers can fulfill their responsibility to provide ‘rigorous, relevant and engaging learning opportunities’ that enable all gifted students to realise their potential (ACARA, 2015, para. 1; Munro, 2024).
Conclusion
The evolution of gifted education from static identification to dynamic developmental support reflects a deeper understanding of how exceptional potential transforms into demonstrated talent. The complementary perspectives of Gagne’s DMGT, the Munich Model and Ziegler’s Actiotope Model – when integrated with the concept of intuitive theories – provide a comprehensive framework for creating conditions that support this transformation.
The diverse manifestations of giftedness illustrated through the case studies of Isabella, Helen, Julie and Betty demonstrate that talent development requires differentiated approaches, responsive to unique cognitive profiles. What unites these approaches is the need for educational environments that scaffold metacognitive awareness, developmental challenges, and the nurturing of students’ intuitive theories while honouring their distinct pathways to excellence.
For Australian educators working within a policy context emphasising both equity and excellence, these integrated insights offer practical guidance for fulfilling their responsibility to provide rigorous and engaging learning opportunities that enable all gifted students to realise their potential. Through this nuanced understanding, schools can better support the transformation of diverse cognitive gifts into exceptional performance across academic, creative, and practical domains – ultimately cultivating talents that benefit both individual students and society.
References
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Carr, M., Alexander, J., & Schwanenflugel, P. (1996). Where gifted children do and do not excel on metacognitive tasks. Roeper Review, 18(3), 212–217. https://doi. org/10.1080/02783199609553740
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Hertberg-Davis, H. (2009). Myth 7: Differentiation in the regular classroom is equivalent to gifted programs and is sufficient: Classroom teachers have the time, the skill, and the will to differentiate adequately. Gifted Child Quarterly, 53, 251–253. https://doi.org/10.1177/0016986209346927
Kornmann, J., Zettler, I., Kammerer, Y., Gerjets, P., & Trautwein, U. (2015). What characterizes children nominated as gifted by teachers? A closer consideration of working memory and intelligence. High Ability Studies, 26(1), 75–92. https://doi.org /10.1080/13598139.2015.1033513
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