The Implications of Educational Change on Teaching and Learning Practice - Essay Example

? Australian Qualification Framework al affiliation Australian Qualification Framework In Australia, the education system is the responsibility of the territories and the state (Tiffen & Gittins, 2004). The Australian government, the Australian territories and states finance and have the responsibility of administering the schools. The legislative responsibilities and the education sector determine the nature of the arrangement. The education system is seamless considering the consultations that occur through the Ministerial Council of Education. The policies that help in the administration of the education in Australia focus on implementing the learning outcomes; thus, improving the outcomes of learning, increasing the retention rates of schools and providing more funds used for research and education. Schooling in Australia starts with a kindergarten going for one year, primary and secondary education follows for 12 years. The government endorses a certificate for candidates in their last year of secondary school, which gets back up from the vocational training institutions including the universities in Australia. Australia has a curriculum framework that aims at ensuring high academic standards in all learning institutions. On the other hand, all the institutions provide subjects in the key learning areas. Apart from the major subjects, there are other lessons in technology, health, personal development and Physical Education. In Australia, the international students have English language programs so as to support their studies. The education system of Australia as seen in the research work of Moodie (2008) provides a choice and diversity in secondary schools since the schools can provide a wide range of subjects, which are delivered by teachers who have undergone training and have the right experience. The Australian education system ensures that there is technological awareness within the learning institutions by providing internet, laboratories and multimedia equipments. On another view point, the Australian education system ensures that all senior secondary students gain qualifications for entry in the university. According to Marginson and Naidoo (2011), the education system provides for vocational education programs apart from the normal school curriculum. In terms of the academic years, the education system gets organized such that the school year gets divided into four short terms running from late January until December. In December and January, there is a long summer holiday while the short holidays are between the terms. School attendance is from Monday to Friday where the learning hours are from nine o’clock in the morning until four o’clock in the evening. Apart from the normal learning curriculum, the Australian education system caters for other student interest and skills including drama, art, debating and public speaking skills. Other activities in the curriculum include some interschool sporting activities, which receives enhancement through collaborations. These activities range from competitions to collaborations. The education system gets organized into private tuitions allow for elite programs for talented and international students. In regard to the research work of Marginson (2003), the education system in Australia provides for purpose-built learning centre and sporting facilities that offer an ideal environment for personal and academic development. The education system is in such a way that there is an international Baccalaureate, where there are 24 non-governmental and governmental schools offering the international Baccalaureate organization for students of age between 16 and 19 years. Adult education is availed by the Australian education system, and aims at empowerment, raising consciousness, provide Praxis and useful knowledge. Policy analysis The policy under consideration is the introduction of the Australian qualification framework. This policy creates a qualification framework which supports credit transfer and articulation between qualifications within the education sectors, and which attempts to increase the flexibility learning and online learning. The Australian qualification framework, which is the only of its kind in the education system of Australia, has 10 levels which links schools, university education qualification and vocational training into one national system (Australian Qualifications Framework Advisory Board, 2007). The framework gets set to allow a person to move easily from one level in education to the next level of study, and move from one institution to another ensuring that the student’s visa requirements get satisfied. The framework is supreme since it allows for flexibility and choice in planning ones carrier since all qualifications in the framework helps to prepare for further study elsewhere and life while in the workforce. All the institutions that provide for the Australian qualification framework have the authority from the government and have national accreditation such that the qualification received will be genuine. The Australian qualification framework makes the overseas governments recognize the qualification of a person. The framework works provide for a world-class education in a democratic, modern and technologically advanced society. The Australian qualification framework has recognition of prior learning which simply means that if a person has the knowledge or skills that are necessary to receive credit or receive a certain qualification and there are no papers to prove, the person can undertake a personal assessment. Galligan, Roberts and Trifiletti (2001) explain that the framework provides that if a person is successful, the person receives credit for the qualification. Though institutions recognize the Australian qualification framework, every institution has its own policy regarding the recognition for prior learning. In a nutshell, the framework levels include level one where the graduates have the skills and knowledge for worked in a defined context. Level two ensures that graduates have knowledge and skills to work for a context which is under definition. Level three of the framework hierarchy ensures that graduates have practical and theoretical knowledge and skills for work. The fourth level makes sure that graduates have theoretical and practical skills and knowledge for skilled work. At the topmost level is level five of the framework which ensures that graduates have specialized knowledge and skills for professionalism. The sixth level aims at ensuring that graduates have broad knowledge and skills which are necessary for skilled, professional work. Graduates in level seven receive broad, articulate knowledge and an academic milieu for proficient work. Level eight of the hierarchy ensures that graduates at this level have advanced knowledge and research skills, while the level nine of the frameworks ensures that graduates have specialized knowledge and skills for research and professional work. The final level in the framework hierarchy ensures that graduates have critical and systematic understanding of a learning field which has enormous complexity and provides for research skills for the advancement of specialized learning and practice which as seen in the study work of Bergan, & Council of Europe (2007). The Australian qualification framework provides for foundation studies where most courses undertaken by students who join Australia on a student visa get covered. Some Australian courses registered by the government for international student are not part of the Australian qualification framework. The courses supported by the government and not availed by the framework are foundation courses, which are helpful to students to meet the entry requirements so as to undertake further studies. Some among the many courses offered include English training courses which help students improve their proficiency in English language and meet the standards for further studies. The vocational graduate certificate ensures that there are self-directed development and achievements in specialized areas of skills and knowledge so as to build on preceding knowledge and skills. Social, Economic and Political Environment Currently, globalization is taking place in Australia. Globalization is the continuous process by which nations grow to be increasingly integrated. In Australia, globalization has been through a number of factors including the expansion and rise in corporations which are multinational and which have interests in business and employees from all over the world. This factor, according to Coles, Werquin, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development & Source OECD (2007), has played a vital role in opening up Australia. Some of the companies have been able to chip in the Australian qualification framework, whereby the corporations taking root in Australia provide internships for graduates as provided in level five and six of the framework hierarchy, and thus producing qualified alumnae who are capable of working in the industries. Globalization, which has led to opening up and expansion of leading companies in Australia, has played a supreme role in ensuring that the graduates complete the hierarchy by providing them with job opportunities in the companies. This has helped the government to reduce the level of unemployed graduates in the nation. The emergence of global financial markets in various parts of Australia as a result of globalization helps to reduce the burden given to the government of funding students who want to further their studies. This is for the reason that students who want to further their studies are able to access financial help from the financial providers, who are streaming into Australia since they want to remain competitive and gain support from the government. As a result of the financial market increasing, graduates are able to further their study for no extra cost and be able to become more specialized and experienced. As a result of globalization, there have been greater immigration levels, cultural and religious compositions changes and changes in ethnic According to Moodie (2008), the aim of the government has been to establish multicultural societies to improve the level of knowledge sharing globalization has made this real since learners are able to exchange knowledge as stipulated in the Australian qualification framework level one and two. Erosion of trade barrier between nations, which comes through globalization, has been helpful to ensure that the students who have undergone through the framework are able to further their studies outside the nation and be able to seek employment outside. There have been changes in the nature of work, whereby, many people who graduate in various course stipulated under the Australian qualification framework start doing the job for which they did not study for in school. Some graduates who have high proficiency in engineering will find it difficult to find work in engineering firms, and when an opportunity arises in the banking or industry sector, they will go for the opportunity since they do not have any other option. The nature of work does not have support in the Australian qualification framework. This is because the framework stipulates what is to be done by learners and graduates in terms of the ten levels of the framework. Currently in Australia, there are technological developments. This indicates that most people are doing their work using a machine rather than manual work force. This implies that most work done has drastically changed to as to be line with the changes in technology. The government policies are in jeopardy since if the jobs provided require manual labour, it is difficult for graduates to undertake in the jobs especially if at level five and six of the Australian qualification framework where expertise gets inculcated did not give much emphasis on manual work. According to King, Marginson and Naidoo (2011), the learning society and lifelong learning are in line considering the current social, economic and political situation in the country. The learning society is turning to other ways ensuring that at the end of the levels stipulated, they will not need to seek employment rather; they will seek to become self-employed. Since the economy is sluggishly growing, there will be a need to revise the framework to cater for lifelong learning, where people will be able to gather knowledge, not just for seeking employment, but also for their daily activities implying that the changes in the environment play a supreme role in the framework. Impact of Australian Qualification Framework Since the introduction of the Australian qualification framework in 1995, there have been impacts on learning and the teaching fraternity. The framework has been able to accommodate miscellany of purposes of education in Australia and current and future training. This is because, through the various levels provided in the framework graduates are able to rise and become experts in various fields. As a result of the changes in the economic, political and social environment, the framework has impacted positively to the teachers and learners by accommodating the changes in the environment. The changes in the framework as seen in the research work of Dill & Beerkens (2010) contribute to the national economic performance since it supports relevant and contemporary outcomes in qualification; thus, building confidence in qualification. This has further impacted on the education since education relies on the economy to thrive, while the teaching practice has become more appealing since teachers are able to inculcate formal qualification standards. As a result of the economic performance, they receive considerable income. The performance of the national economy impacts directly on learners and teachers. When the economy performs poorly, the teacher’s income goes down and the learners have to pay an extra fee for their training. The Australian qualification framework contributes directly to the economy and hence affects the learners and teachers directly. The Australian qualification framework, since its incorporation, has given support for the growth and maintenance of pathways and hence provides admission to qualifications. In addition the framework helps learners and the teaching fraternity to move seamlessly and readily between training and education sectors, the training sectors, the education sector and the labour market. This has led to many people being able to go into many carriers through open training provided in the framework, since the learners undertake training in many fields while the teachers can train learners in many fields concurrently. The framework has had significant impacts on the learners and teachers as a result of the changes in the framework. This is because the framework supports the learner’s lifelong learning goals through the provision of the basis for learners to advance through education and training thus gaining credit for their prior learning and the experiences of the learners. This impact is observable in teachers too who also gain experience in the field of teaching and become more competitive in the job market. This helps the teachers to seek employment in any other nation and receive employment as soon as the nation learns of the Australian qualification framework. The Australian Qualifications Framework Advisory Board (2007) stipulates that the Australian qualification framework has worked to underpin quality assurance and national regulatory arrangement for training and education; this has been by promoting quality training leading to better pay for teachers. Quality assurance has led to improvement in the quality of education given to learners and thus helping the learners to be competitive in the job market which has much competition. The national regulatory ensures that the teachers do not face oppression from their employers. This has worked to ensure that the student's needs and teacher's needs are first hand as stipulated in the framework. There has been a significant impact in supporting and enhancing the international and national mobility of graduates and teachers by increasing their recognition in the values and comparability of the Australian qualification. This has consequently promoted the demand for Australian teacher in the outside market. Many nations would wish to hire Australian graduates since they have undergone through the right qualifications stipulated in the Australian qualification framework. Since one is in the teaching carrier, it is easy to see that the Australian qualification framework is supreme and has had any impact on the teachers and students. This is because the framework enables the alignment of the framework with international qualification frameworks as seen in the study work of Shin and Toutkoushian (2011). This implies that Australian teacher can seek jobs elsewhere, and be able to get positions easily since their credentials are on the basis of the Australian qualification framework which aligns with the international qualification frameworks. This applies to students as well since the graduates can seek employment elsewhere and get it easily. Conclusion The reading begins by stipulating the education system in Australia by clearly highlighting the various stages that a student goes through starting from kindergarten until the student becomes a graduate. The Australian qualification framework receives much emphasis since it is the guideline for the education system in Australia. According to the Australian Qualifications Framework Advisory Board (2007), the framework has had a significant impact on graduates and teachers who wish to expand their carrier. The reading is progressive and systematic on the various issues in the Australian education system. This renders it relevant. References Australian Qualifications Framework Advisory Board. (2007). Australian qualifications framework: Implementation handbook. Carlton South, Vic: Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) Advisory Board. Bergan, S., & Council of Europe. (2007). Qualifications: Introduction to a concept. Strasbourg. Coles, M., Werquin, P. (2007). Organisation for economic co-operation and development & Source OECD. Qualification systems: Bridges to lifelong learning. Paris: OECD. Dill, D. D., & Beerkens, M. (2010). Public policy for academic quality: Analyses of innovative policy instruments. Dordrecht: Springer. Galligan, B., Roberts, W., & Trifiletti, G. (2001). Australians and globalisation: The experience of two centuries. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. King, R., Marginson, S., & Naidoo, R. (2011). Handbook on globalization and higher education. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar. Marginson, S., (2003). Education and public policy in Australia. Cambridge [u.a]: Cambridge Univ. Press. Moodie, G. (2008). From vocational to higher education: An international perspective. Berkshire, England: Open University Press. Shin, J. C., & Toutkoushian, R. K. (2011). University rankings: Theoretical basis, methodology and impacts on global higher education. Dordrecht [etc.]: Springer. Tiffen, R., & Gittins, R. (2004). How Australia compares. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Read More