Making Learning an Effect of Schooling: Aligning curriculum, assessment and pedagogy

Abstract

Schooling interfaces are not very permeable. Despite sustained efforts by many on either side, they remain barriers that are crossed with difficulty. As a result, educators working within schools may feel isolated while those on the outside may feel at a loss how to intervene. This paper attempts to work at this interface and to speak to educators, policy makers and academics who are differently positioned on either side of it. The paper attempts to provide an account of schooling that makes learning one of its effects and that makes a difference for students from low-income families. This account of schooling is underpinned by a commitment to aligning curriculum, assessment and pedagogy and developing a common language and understanding of these message systems of schooling. Findings from the large-scale Queensland School Reform Longitudinal Study and descriptions of teachers' work are integral to this discussion that addresses the enduring concern for social justice in schools.