The document outlines a model of the teaching/learning role, emphasizing its purposes, core capabilities, key tasks, and foundational skills. It identifies three main purposes of teaching, seven core capabilities, and seven key tasks necessary for effective teaching, along with additional capabilities required for extended tasks. The model also highlights generic foundational capabilities grouped into personal, interpersonal, and business/management categories to support professional development in teaching.

1. A Model of the
Teaching/Learning Role
GLENN MARTIN
JULY 2018

2. Introduction
The role of teacher, or the teaching/learning
role, is made up of a number of broadly
defined purposes. These purposes require the
teacher to have a core set of capabilities in
order to carry out the key tasks of the role.

3. Components of the Model
There are five components in this model of the teaching/learning role. The
components answer these questions:
 What are the purposes of the teaching/learning role?
 What are the core capabilities of the role?
 What are the key tasks of the role?
 What are the capabilities required for extended tasks of the
teaching/learning role?
 What are the foundational capabilities that underpin teaching and all other
professional roles?

4. Diagram of the Model
Purposes of
teaching/learning
Core capabilities Key tasks
Foundational capabilities
Personal skills Interpersonal skills Business/management skills
Capabilities for
extended tasks
This diagram shows how the components of the teaching/learning role are
related to each other.

5. Purposes of Teaching/Learning
There are three main purposes:
 To plan and conduct teaching/learning sessions that facilitate students’
learning
 To teach complete courses of study and enable students’ achievement of
the learning outcomes
 To carry out assessments of students’ learning.

6. Core Capabilities
There are seven core capabilities of teachers:
 Understand the principles of learning and be able to apply them to
teaching/learning practice
 Understand and be able to apply a wide range of teaching/learning strategies in a
variety of contexts
 Understand the characteristics of learning environments (classrooms, online,
other)
 Understand the characteristics and diversity of students
 Know the subject matter deeply, extensively and critically
 Know the principles of assessment and be able to carry out assessment processes
 Reflect on performance and be able to evaluate self and improve performance.

7. Key Tasks of Teaching/Learning
There are seven key tasks:
 Create an environment conducive to learning
 Build a learning community
 Present and explain subject matter to students
 Manage the group – behaviour, engagement
 Conduct discussions and other learning activities – facilitation
 Carry out administrative/management tasks
 Carry out assessment tasks to monitor student learning and assess
attainment of learning outcomes of the course.

8. Extended Tasks in Teaching/Learning
Some teachers engage in extended tasks (eg designing and writing
new courses) for which further capabilities are needed.
Purposes of
teaching/learning
Core capabilities Key tasks
Capabilities for
extended tasks

9. Capabilities for Extended Tasks
Capabilities for extended tasks in teaching/learning can be grouped into five
types:
 Plan, design and write: Develop new materials for learning
 Plan, design and write: Develop appropriate assessment processes and
materials
 Plan, design and write: Develop new courses
 Carry out and manage projects related to teaching/learning
 Review existing courses and implement improvements to teaching/learning
design and practice.

10. Foundational Capabilities – Generic
Underpinning the teaching/learning capabilities are generic foundational
capabilities. They are assumed and required to varying degrees in all professional
roles, not just teaching.
There are many of these foundational capabilities, which can be grouped into
three clusters:
 Personal
 Interpersonal
 Business/Management.

11. 1. Personal Capabilities
 Self-management and autonomy
 Problem-solving
 Initiative and enterprise
 Ability to achieve performance outcomes
 Self-awareness and self-evaluation
 Continuous learning and development
 Commitment to ethics and values
 Adaptability

12. 2. Interpersonal Capabilities
 Verbal communication
 Written communication
 Teamwork and collaboration
 Relationship-building
 Influencing skills
 Working with diversity and culture

13. 3. Business/Management Capabilities
 Knowledge of organisational and business context
 Knowledge of organisational policies and practices
 Planning, organising and implementation
 Analysing needs and proposing solutions
 Client focus
 Core skills of language, literacy and numeracy
 Technological competency
 Knowledge of environment, safety and sustainability

14. Conclusion
The teaching/learning model is intended to enable teachers to
evaluate their own strengths and weaknesses, as a guide to
their own further growth and development.
The model fits into a broader framework that describes the
paradigms that drive and shape the work of teachers, and
includes the idea of stages of development as a teacher.
For other slide sets on teaching and learning topics, search
“Glenn Martin” on Slideshare.
Contact: glenn@glennmartin.com.au