Glossary

Find clear definitions of key terms used across AITSL’s resources, frameworks and Standards.

A
Accreditation	Endorsement that a program meets approved standards.
Advocate	Promote a view or position or provide support to others.
Assessment - formal	Evaluating student performance through a structured (often written) assessment.
Assessment - formative	Evaluating student learning to provide feedback to students and devise/change teaching and learning programs.
Assessment - informal	Evaluating student performance through techniques such as observation and anecdotal records.
Assessment - summative	Evaluating student achievement of learning goals at a point in time.
B
Broad	Ensuring variety, not narrow or limited; ie comprehensive in content, knowledge, experience, ability or application.
C
Career stage	Benchmarks that recognise the professional growth of teachers throughout their careers, represented by increasing levels of knowledge, practice and professional engagement.
Certification	Credential attained by teachers who have met specified requirements.
Classroom	Physical environment where learning takes place, including; classrooms in schools, rooms in early childhood education and care services, other areas where teaching and learning occurs.
Collaboration	Working with one or more colleagues to achieve a common goal.
Colleague	Other professionals and paraprofessionals (inside and outside the school), including but not limited to, teachers, principals, specialist teachers, pre-service teachers, industry partners, education assistants and teachers aides.
Context	The set of circumstances or facts that surround a particular event, situation or environment.
Curriculum context	What teachers are expected to teach and students are expected to learn. Curriculum content includes knowledge, skills and understanding that students are expected to learn and is usually described for a particular learning area at a particular year level.
D
Demonstrate	To show or make evident knowledge and/or understanding.
E
Effective teaching strategies	Strategies which research and workplace knowledge suggests contribute to successful learning outcomes for students.
Evidence	Data that is considered reliable and valid, and which can be used to support a particular idea, conclusion or decision.
Exemplary	A high standard of practice, serving as a model or example for students, colleagues and the community.
I
ICT	Information and Communication Technology; the generation and application of knowledge and processes to develop devices, methods and systems.
Illustration of practice	An annotated artefact (e.g. video, lesson plan or work sample) that shows what the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers look like in practice at a particular career stage.
L
Learning and teaching program	An organised and sequenced program of teaching activities and strategies; assessment strategies and resources.
Learning goals	The specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time-targeted (SMART) objectives set with, by and for students.
Lesson	Learning, including; lessons taught by a teacher in a school, learning opportunities taught by a teacher in an early childhood setting, lessons or learning opportunities taught by a teacher in other education settings.
M
Mentor	A more experienced person who supports and assists another person to grow and learn in their role.
N
Non-verbal communication	The use of unspoken cues generated by both the teacher and their environment that have potential message value to students. This could include but is not limited to eye contact, gestures, proximity and visual aids.
P
Pre-service teachers	Students in initial teacher education programs provided by higher education institutions.
R
Range	The set of available strategies or tools that can be used in different situations.
Registration	Regulatory processes for entry and continued employment in the teaching profession.
S
School	Education settings, including; schools, early childhood education and care services, other locations where teaching and learning occurs.
Stage of learning	Levels of learning aligned to the age or development of students.
Subject	Specific, recognised body of learning that is described in a curriculum document or is the focus of undergraduate studies.
T
Teaching area	The curriculum and learning area/s in which the teacher provides instruction.
W
Workplace knowledge	Knowledge of learning and teaching developed by practitioners within the context of their work environment.

Glossary

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