This article examines how the ‘teacher quality’ agenda, evident in globalised discourse on education policy, constructs changes to teachers’ work and teacher education. We undertake a critical policy analysis of two reportsfrom Organisation for Economic Cooperation Development (OECD), addressing three issues. First, we discuss global national context which policies have emerged. examine implications enactment Australia analyse OECD documents construct understandings quality. link our recent...

This article presents findings of a pilot project for study investigating the language preschool-aged peers, with particular attention to differences in genre that were evident dyadic play children who self-identified as being ‘very best friends’ opposed ‘just little bit’ friends. Participants three 5-year-old boys preparatory class regional Queensland, Australia. Friendship nominations derived from friendship circle activity during which nominated whether their classmates best’, ‘good’ or...

In Australia, the Teaching Performance Assessment (TPA) is a relatively new, mandatory hurdle which must be completed just prior to graduation stage of initial teacher education (ITE) programmes. This high-stakes task one growing number requirements come out standards and accountability regime as outlined in Australian Institute for School Leadership (AITSL) document accreditation ITE We delve into public commentary about broader commission preservice graduate quality general TPA particular....

Play gives young children opportunities to develop language and relationships. Friendships the topics choose for play can influence nature of that play, but little is known about how friendship topic choice impinge on maintenance. Topic maintenance an important conversational skill, without which struggle build relationships access type extended talk facilitates their concept development. In this study, we use a systemic-functional theory as framework investigating in children's play. We...

Friendships and play provide children with opportunities for mutual engagement, which both require facilitate children's language use. Modality is a semantic system in the associated learning. One way modality realised through linguistic expressions allow speakers to moderate degree of certainty about truth propositions (expressions possibility) necessity respect proposals obligation). No research has explored relationship between friendship use modality. This paper reports on types modal...

Children’s first years at school are critical for their language development, academic progress, and social learning. Hopefully, children make friends when they start because friendships support children’s learning well-being. Friendships need to be developed maintained, interpersonal resources like evaluative provide linguistic tools that contribute this relationship work. Appraisal theory (Martin & White, 2005) provides a comprehensive framework analyzing language. This research applies...

In this article, we overview the research literature exploring teaching of evaluative language in written and/or visual texts elementary years schooling. We then review recently redrafted Australian Curriculum: English to identify emphasis given and grammar design across schooling Australia. Also featured is importance persuasive genre, multimodal texts. The focus our work on one Year 4 school teacher who scaffolds her students bring all knowledge together read/view write/create ways that...

This paper explores the introduction of new Teacher Performance Assessment (TPA) for graduate teachers in Australia. We investigate how broader discussion around TPAs has been understood by multiple agents during an eight-month period from January 2019 to August 2019. Data includes legacy media, social media tweets and a survey school leaders. The analysis draws on Bernsteinian (1975) theory about way particular relations produce differing sentiments unity. While eschewing strict binary, was...