End the lesson lottery with MAPPEN
It’s no secret that our education system is in crisis. The quality of primary education in Australia has been challenged for decades by lack of time, lack of quality resources, lack of a whole-school approach or consistent leadership, and insufficient professional development.
It’s exactly the reason our founders, Amanda McCallum, Karen Green and her sons created MAPPEN back in 2015 – experienced and esteemed educators responding to a clear need to provide access to their proven learning sequences and curated materials, at scale. This resource is not only for teachers with a desperate need for reliable materials, but for leaders needing to implement a whole-school approach – proven to deliver superior student outcomes – whilst also providing their teachers with professional development in context.
Many of you may have read the latest (October 2022) Grattan Institute report: Ending the lesson lottery: How to improve curriculum planning in schools (Hunter et al), and noticed yourselves that sadly, not much has changed.
The survey of 2,243 teachers and school leaders across Australia, conducted for their report, found that:
98% of primary teachers cited ‘lack of time’ as a barrier to improving access to and use of a comprehensive bank of ready-to-use, high-quality instructional materials in their school.
76% of primary teachers cited ‘lack of professional learning’.
Only 18% of teachers think that individual teachers should be responsible for creating their own instructional materials.
And yet, when asked which types of instructional materials teachers use regularly (once a fortnight or more, on average) to plan lessons, assessments, or other classroom activities:
94% indicated that they create their own materials, and 86% adapt materials they find online themselves.
“And the methods teachers use for planning only exacerbate the problem. …they wind up scouring the internet to try to find materials. …By far the most popular sites are social media platforms, such as YouTube, Teachers Pay Teachers, and Twinkl, which do not have robust vetting processes to ensure the materials are high-quality.”
Hunter et al (2022), p.31
Hunter et al (2022), Survey Results, p.14
Only 40% indicated that they use materials provided by their school, and only 38% use materials that governments make available.
Of these few teachers using government-provided materials, only 30%* believe they are of a high quality (*average: 34% Government school teachers, 32% Catholic school teachers, 24% Independent school teachers).
Even fewer believe they are easy to find, easy to adapt, provide the right level of challenge for students, or address the particular learning challenges of students.
“High-quality curriculum materials and whole-school approaches boost student learning. Research shows that when teachers use carefully sequenced, high- quality curriculum materials – even if developed by others – they can boost student learning by about one-to-two months each year, possibly more.”
Hunter et al (2022), p.7
So what do ‘high quality’ curriculum materials look like?
The Grattan Institute report cites a number of key features all ‘high-quality’ curriculum materials should have.
While not all curriculum materials are equally effective, and teachers need training in how to use particular materials in their classrooms, the research shows that when teachers are supported to use high-quality curriculum materials well, student learning improves. And the positive impact on student learning tends to increase over time. (Hunter et al 2022, p.7)
We completely agree, and believe MAPPEN contains all the hallmarks of the high quality content our primary educators need access to - learn how below.
Hunter et al (2022), p.9
Key features of high-quality curriculum materials
Content and standards-aligned
Curriculum materials should be aligned to year-level (or stage-level) appropriate national or state curriculum content and achievement standards. To achieve at year-level, students need access to year-level content.
How MAPPEN aligns
All MAPPEN sequences, resources and activities include links to the mandated VIC, NESA and AUSTRALIAN curricula for students in F/K/P-6.
Curriculum maps are provided for teachers to identify which learning areas are addressed in each learning sequence and across every level.
Coherent and knowledge-rich
Curriculum materials should be carefully sequenced to ensure students gradually accumulate knowledge and develop more complex skills.
Materials need to be specific about what knowledge students are expected to learn. For instance, in a Year 5 Science unit on animal adaptations, materials should define key concepts (e.g., the theory of evolution, fossil records), vocabulary (e.g., population), and specific animals and their adaptive features (e.g., a platypus’s duckbill).
Having learnt this disciplinary knowledge, students can then complete more complex tasks that require critical thinking (e.g., analysing fossil records to see how an animal has adapted to a changing habitat over time).
Over years of learning, students can then accumulate deep disciplinary knowledge and tackle increasingly challenging topics and tasks.
How MAPPEN aligns
MAPPEN consists of three different types of learning sequences for primary aged students from F/K/P to Year 6.
When engaged in MAPPEN’s Concept-based learning sequences, students explore content and develop skills by looking at ‘real-world’ scenarios. An eight-week learning sequence is delivered over the course of a term, designed around one of the following concepts: Community, Sustainability, Social Justice, Creativity, Identity, Change, Discovery, Connections.
Question-based Investigations (QBIs) were launched in 2021 as a new model for inquiry-based curriculum and product creation for primary-aged students. Each QBI is designed for a single year level to provide teachers with maximum flexibility to develop a scope-and-sequence to meet the needs of their composite, straight year, or cross-stage classroom. Teachers can implement a QBI across a few weeks, a term or a semester depending on the depth of the investigation they want their students to conduct. Students are engaged in an investigation through the lens of a single big question. Teachers have room to modify the investigation to suit the needs of their students, by selecting appropriate resources, tools and activities. Teachers can assess their students’ inquiry skills throughout the investigation using a MAPPEN Assessment tool.
Subject-based sequences provide a deep dive into a specific learning area. To date there are 20 Science sequences. Each of these sequences includes between five to seven activities designed to specifically address a learning area in single year levels (F/K/P to Year 6). These learning opportunities are sandwiched between pretesting and familiarisation activities designed for students to demonstrate their understanding.
Evidence-based
Curriculum materials should reflect the growing evidence base for effective teaching practices.
For example, research has demonstrated the efficacy of a range of practices, including explicit instruction, mastery learning, spaced and retrieval practice, and formative assessment.
How MAPPEN aligns
MAPPEN learning sequences have been written by curriculum experts with a background in ‘best-practise’ teaching methods.
Where explicit instruction is required, teachers are provided with the tools and resources to facilitate learning.
There are numerous opportunities for students to achieve mastery when they are collaborating in teams of peers as well as when completing work independently. Students are provided with many opportunities to revise their learning as they rehearse for their ‘end of sequence’ presentations.
Students have regular meetings with their teacher when they participate in student / teacher conferences to discuss their progress.
Guided reflections that are completed by students at the end of each task provide opportunities for teachers to assess student progress throughout each learning sequence.
Comprehensive
Curriculum materials should be comprehensive and detailed, encompassing the key materials teachers need to prepare for and teach each subject or learning area over the year.
This includes a curriculum map that sequences subject content across years of learning, unit plans for each topic, and classroom materials that are ready-to-use and adapt (e.g., lesson plans, textbooks, and background materials and guidance for teachers).
How MAPPEN aligns
MAPPEN learning sequences are comprehensive and include the following:
An overview of each sequence that includes: a rationale, what students will investigate, essential questions that students will answer upon completion and future action that may be undertaken by students
Learning Intentions and Success Criteria are outlined for each task
Ideas for differentiation for each activity
Materials to be used by students such as reflective journals, worksheets
Videos
Recommended literature/additional reading
Each of the concept-based sequences includes a specific, age-appropriate lesson about the concept being studied.
Embedded assessment
Curriculum materials should include targeted assessments that enable teachers to accurately assess students’ grasp of the particular concepts, content, and skills taught.
Formative assessments (e.g., pre-tests, quizzes, exit tickets) provide evidence of students’ current achievement and misconceptions, allowing teachers to adapt instruction as needed.
Summative assessments (e.g., unit tests, written responses, submitted portfolios) allow teachers to evaluate student learning at the end of a unit.
How MAPPEN aligns
Every learning sequence and product includes student-friendly rubrics designed to support visible learning.
End of sequence projects are accompanied with rubrics. A variety of rubrics are provided to assess a range of different assessment tasks. Examples include; narrative, report, artwork, film, slide show, poster or brochure, advertisement, construction, article, exhibit, podcast, role-play.
Each activity also includes learning intentions and success criteria that inform teachers and students of the goals and intended outcomes of each activity. Using the assessment tool, teachers can record student achievement against success criteria and print reports to monitor student progress.
Easy to use
Curriculum materials will have greater uptake and impact if teachers find them easy to use and adapt where necessary.
Materials should be accompanied by professional development and provide teachers with explanations of key concepts and background information, guidance on lesson pacing, advice on common student misunderstandings, and scaffolds to meet different students’ needs.
How MAPPEN aligns
MAPPEN learning sequences are easy to use. All material is arranged under the headings of ‘teacher will…’ and ‘student will …’
Professional learning resources and videos are provided within the context of our learning sequences. These provide teachers with theoretical underpinnings of specific strategies, thereby providing ‘professional development’ while they teach’.
Teachers can keep track of their professional learning within MAPPEN and print a report for their registration.
A whole-school approach, as well as high-quality curriculum materials, are required to boost student learning
While the report also provides some clear recommendations for the government to improve the quality and availability of curriculum materials, easing the pressure ultimately requires a cultural shift and commitment from leaders to a whole school approach.
“School leaders need a clear vision, strong leadership skills, and sustained effort. Moving to a whole-school curriculum approach is a long-term change-management process..[but] without a coordinated, whole-school approach to planning – which carefully sequences learning of key knowledge and skills across subjects and year levels – even the hardest-working teachers will struggle to give their students the best education.”
(Hunter et al, 2022)
MAPPEN encourages a whole-school approach. Our scope and sequence outlines how all concepts can be explored over the course of 8 terms (2 years), recommending that all years/stages investigate the same concept simultaneously, creating common themes and language across the school and at home - promoting rich conversations at the dinner table and encouraging students to ask meaningful questions about their world.
Grattan Institute, Hunter et al, 2022: Ending the lesson lottery, p.8
New to MAPPEN?
We’d love to chat with you about your needs and show you how it works. If you’d like a demo or free access to an Exploration Account, don’t hesitate to get in touch.
