Student voice video transcripts
Student voice in professional inquiry – video transcript
[Alison]
Effective teaching and learning requires that students are actively involved in the learning process and so, at Pakuranga, we ask our teachers to engage and work with students in inquiry.
Students are helping teachers see where the problem is and they’re giving feedback as to what the teacher can do to make the learning better for students.
[Kylie]
It was the more they trusted, and they saw that I changed what I did based on what they responded with, the more honest answers they gave me. Initially I did get some very tokenistic moments of trying to give me answers they thought I wanted to hear or that would make me feel good, whereas now they’re very honest. Even if a lesson’s gone badly they’ll let me know that “This didn’t work Miss. We need to think again.”
They’re a year 9 class. It’s given me a real awareness that they’re really capable of directing their own learning and understanding not just what might be fun but what actually helps them learn the best.
[Alison]
Our school learning journey has been about supporting teachers to be open minded, to ask students the right questions in the right way, so open questions which allow students to give qualitative feedback on the teaching and learning process. And one of the key challenges that we’re starting to face is just supporting people to be open to feedback, supporting teachers to maintain a growth mindset and to actually put themselves out there, take a risk and be vulnerable.
[Kylie]
Probably the first thing that I really learned was about that idea of unpacking my assumptions to begin with and having a very clear idea of why I thought what I did.
And from there that idea that it might be my inquiry but actually it’s our inquiry as a class, and once you change that mindset and involve them in it, it makes a real difference in terms of their engagement and them understanding why you’re doing things.
It’s really fundamental to good learning relationships. There’s also aspects of it that make my job as a teacher easier, because it’s no longer me kind of fumbling around in the dark hoping to engage a class. I’m actually having that dialogue with them about what’s going to engage them, what sort of activities they like, what learning styles they are, and from there my lessons are less hit and miss and more targeted.
[Alison]
We see this collaborative inquiry and teachers working with students collaboratively really does invest students and teachers in each other's learning. We believe that through this process students are helping teachers to learn and teachers are helping students to learn and through this we are all learning how to be lifelong learners.
Year 10 science – video transcript
[Maree]
I found through the inquiry that I made more deliberate and focused communications with my students.
Usually, I would actually, as a result of feedback, student voice, from the students, I would communicate in the classroom what I had received from them and let them know what decisions I was able to change and also to ask them for their input into how they wanted to do things differently.
Generally speaking, it would be, the line of questions would be around what did they think of the strategies that were being used, was it helping, how was it helping their learning, what things they wanted me to change and also to give me feedback about me as a teacher.
[James]
That's something that has really helped us in class, that as soon as she got the feedback she just started doing it and then, I think, when she needed a bit more she’d ask us for more. I think that’s really important.
I think it was just Miss listening to what we wanted and seeing how each student learned and seeing how each student uses what she provides in class to help with their learning. I think that in a way she’s adapted some of the things in her learning to help [like] to help other students.
Since Miss has been doing the survey, she’s been asking us questions and we’ve made a bond, all the students have made a bond with Miss, and I think that has helped us become more engaged and more [like] learning focused.
[Maree]
It's really important to keep communications between, communication lines open between students and teachers – that it builds really positive working relationships. Over time as students become more confident, they will begin to trust that the things, sometimes the things that you might have to offer them, where're they're difficult, they’ll put your trust in you and accept and trial things, and also they’ll see that the teacher doesn’t always know that things are going to go, you know, as planned and that learning is a process of, you know, sometimes there’s a goal and we need to try a few different steps to get there.
[Luxitha]
I feel she's like created more of a bond with the students. Not to say we were bad but we were quite a rowdy class at the start of the year. But like as she got the students' opinion, you kind of realise that she actually does care about what you think, and you start to create a closer bond with the teacher.
I’m someone who always doubts myself, 100 percent, but I feel that she has reassured us. But the thing I didn't realise is that by asking us our student opinion you feel like more secure with yourself, [like] you don’t realise you feel that until you kind of think about it.
[James]
I think I’ve learned to trust my gut. I used to be one of the people who used to ask the teacher all the time, “Is this OK? Is this OK?” But I think since Miss has given us more options and let us do things that we’re interested in, it's kind of made me like trust myself and realise that I can, I can do it.
Year 12 statistics – video transcript
[Matthew]
At the beginning of the year our class was pretty divided. Everyone wouldn’t really talk to one another and everyone was very to themselves or into a small group and no one would really contribute to the board and what people were saying.
[Aron]
I was really trying to get the students to collaborate a lot in term one but I was dictating the groups and focusing more on the task versus how well the students were interacting. I admit, I got a bit frustrated because my expectations weren’t being met and the students’ expectations were a tad bit unclear, what they should be presenting to, I guess, make the teacher happy.
[Matthew]
We could sort of see that Mr Shao was frustrated because he wasn’t getting everyone to the spot where he wanted. So, one day we all sat down and had a big group discussion so we could figure out what his expectations were and what our own expectations were from him.
[Aron]
I sat down on the same level as the students and I opened up to them, saying that, "Well, we need to meet somewhere in the middle. I’ll change for you as long as you respond to that change.”
You have to have that openness about yourself, to accept criticism and actually listen.
So I, myself, really just sat and let the kids dictate the pace. I asked them, “Is it OK if I comment now?” Or “Is it OK if I interject a little bit?” Or “Can I give a bit of insight here now?” So, I asked the students' permission and that gave them more of that relaxed atmosphere that they were controlling the pace versus them normally receiving the teacher’s pace.
[Breanna]
Yeah, he like confronted the issue, so we can see where he’s coming from, like why he does stuff, and he can also see where we’re coming from. So we kind of met in the middle and created like a safe environment where we can both get what we want but not override one another.
I feel as if since we had the big talk, our class, also with Mr Shao, but our peers also like bonded, I guess, because we all had the same opinions on Mr Shao and we all had to meet in the middle – more available to talk to each other.
[Matthew]
Yeah, we all realised that we all had one collective goal and that we were all working towards that one goal. And instead of doing it individually, we saw that it would probably benefit not just myself but other people in the class if we did it together and we weren’t so separated.
[Aron]
Interestingly enough, I’ve learned that it’s OK to change something in yourself – and not be scared, I think is the main thing. It’s OK to take risks in your teaching and to try something new and as long as you have that open communication and the kids know it’s a safe environment where they can express their feelings and talk about their feelings. That right there is the biggest risk you need to take because everything else tends to fall in place. And with my teaching, opening up that group forum, just opened up the doorway to whatever we tried, and risking a new strategy or a new type of delivery of course material, the kids were very responsive for it and would give feedback on it because they felt that safeness to express their opinions without being ridiculed by the teacher or by other fellow students. It's like they – there’s safety, fun in learning.
[Matthew]
I think what surprised me the most was how much better I do when I’m in a place where I can ask people for help. Because maths has never been my strong point, like I said before, but with having, making sure that sir, Mr Shao, is there for me and that he can help me with my education, it’s made me realise that “Oh, I can actually do this. If I put enough effort in I will be able to achieve what I need to and what I feel like I can.”
[Breanna]
Yeah, same with me. It’s made me realise like the capabilities I have in the subject. So, it’s made me achieve more, I achieve better grades, like if I put my mind to it, I can get those high grades instead of thinking “Oh, I’m only an achieved student. I’m not going to put that much effort in because I’m only achieved.” So, I’ve put in more effort and then got excellences.
