Contemporary Teacher Leadership – Project Proposal

Team: 07B
Title: Project based learning: Moving Towards a Sustainable Future
Strand: Sustainability

Background
Airds High School is a comprehensive, co-educational high school in the Campbelltown District
and is committed to personal and academic achievement. The school caters to 426 students, 22%
of which are Indigenous and 48% are from a language background other than English (LBOTE)
(Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA], 2018). The NAPLAN
results achieved by students attending Airds High School were below the Australian averages
across all aspects- reading, writing, spelling grammar and numeracy (ACARA, 2018). The
students are mainly (73%) in the bottom quarter of the Index of Community Socio-Educational
Advantage (ICSEA), with only ~1% being in the top quarter (ACARA, 2018). Average attendance
rates at Airds High School are low (80%) and Indigenous attendance is even lower (74%)
(ACARA, 2018).

According to the school’s annual report (2017), a priority of collaborative practice has been
adopted at Airds High School. However, there has not been a focus on sustainability at the school
so far.

Scenario
We are proposing to introduce a project-based, collaborative learning approach to teach Year 9
students about renewable energy. The main project will focus on students working in groups to
construct the most efficient solar powered car. This project will link Science, Mathematics,
Technology and will include English, through reporting. The project aims to encourage students to
investigate sustainability in an engaging and interactive way.

We chose to focus on sustainability as it was identified by ACARA (2018) as a cross-curriculum

priority that needs to be addressed in Australian secondary schools. The NSW Department of
Education also recognised this issue and implemented the Environmental Education Policy for
Schools, which encourages government schools to begin addressing global environmental issues,
such as sustainability. This project has been proposed to trigger students’ interests in addressing
environmental issues, such as sustainability. Proposing this specifically as a project-based
learning (PBL) activity is to increase student engagement and attendance (Creghan & Adair-
Creghan, 2015).

Science
Throughout the solar powered car project, students will be exploring both Working Scientifically
and Knowledge & Understanding aspects of the syllabus. The Working Scientifically aspects will
mainly focus on processing and analysing data concerning sustainability as well as using problem-
solving skills to generate solutions to reduce our environmental footprint as a society. The
Knowledge & Understanding components of the Year 9 Science syllabus will be addressed
through investigating conservation of energy, energy transfers/ transformations, increasing
efficiency of electricity and the use on non-renewable energy resources.
Processing and analysing data and information
Processes, analyses and evaluates data from first-hand investigations and secondary sources to
develop evidence-based arguments and conclusions SC5-7WS

Problem solving
Applies scientific understanding and critical thinking skills to suggest possible solutions to
identified problems SC5-8WS

PW4 Energy conservation in a system can be explained by describing energy transfers and
transformations
a. Apply the law of conservation of energy to account for the total energy involved in energy
transfers and transformations
b. Describe how, in energy transfers and transformations, a variety of processes can occur so
that usable energy is reduced and the system is not 100% efficient
c. Discuss, using examples, how the values and needs of contemporary society can influence
the focus of scientific research in the area of increasing efficiency of the use of electricity by
individuals and society
d. Discuss viewpoints and choices that need to be considered in making decisions about the
use of non-renewable energy resources

Mathematics
Within the Mathematics curriculum, students will be collecting and analysing data on
electric/hybrid cars and regular petrol cars. Students will see the negative long-term environmental
effects of petrol run cars and the need to shift towards renewable energy sources. Students will
learn to gather data and graph results of different variables to determine the best features and
conditions of their solar car.

MA4-19SP Collects, represents and interprets single sets of data, using appropriate statistical
displays

Technology
The solar powered car project will be implemented within the Year 9 Design and Technology
curriculum through exploring the design process, developing solutions and evaluating the impact
of technologies on society and the environment. These elements of design will be undertaken in
concept sketching, modelling, research and experimentation activities.

Core: Design processes

5.1.2 Applies and justifies an appropriate process of design when developing design ideas and
solutions
5.4.1 Develops and evaluates innovative, enterprising and creative design ideas and solutions

Core: Activity of designers

5.2.1 Evaluates and explains the impact of past, current and emerging technologies on the
individual, society and environments
5.3.2 Evaluates designed solutions that consider preferred futures, the principles of appropriate
technology and ethical and responsible design
English
Within the English curriculum context, students will be conducting a report to go along with the
solar powered car project. This report will be an in-class assessment task that will require students
to outline the characteristics of their task as they discuss the background information surrounding
sustainability, reasons for solar powered cars and the benefits of the implementation of solar
powered cars in contemporary society.

EN4-5C Thinks imaginatively, creatively, interpretively and critically about information, ideas and
arguments to respond to and compose texts

Project Plan
(A) Goals of the action research project to be undertaken outside of the faculty
 To increase student engagement and attendance through implementing a PBL activity
 To link concepts within STEM and English in order to create a fun and innovative projects
for students to enjoy

(B) Type of intervention that you intend to undertake

Our intervention will be a PBL activity focused on constructing an energy efficient solar powered
car that addresses the cross-curriculum priority of sustainability

(C) How you intend to measure the improvement? Measure outcomes

 Performance of the solar powered car
 Supporting material that explains how they decided on the specifications of the car
 Completion of complimentary content throughout the term

(D) Outline the timeline for the project

1 term
Weeks 1-4 Planning, designing and developing
Weeks 5-8 Building and constructing
Weeks 9-10 Reflecting and evaluating

(E) How does this lead to a cycle of continuous improvement?

This program sets a standard of challenging students’ everyday ideas and thought processes,
through the cross-curriculum priority of sustainability. Each key learning area will develop
concluding tasks through a mixture of formal and informal tasks that require students to design,
developing, construct and evaluate their work. The program sets out to teach students to
challenge their everyday perceptions and establish how their own actions and understandings can
lead to changes within the world.

Throughout the program, educators will ensure they are allowing the students to self-reflect in
order to make modifications to improve their project. The program will be continuously evaluated
throughout implementation and upon completion. When the program is implemented in future
years, educators will make modifications to improve the implementation and final outcome of the
solar powered car PBL activity.