Teachers must draw on a broad range of professional knowledge to respond to the needs of their students and ensure positive educational outcomes are achieved (AITSL, 2017). This professional knowledge encompasses knowledge about the students including their background, strengths, needs and interests, as well as knowledge of the curriculum, subject matter, pedagogical approaches, and the educational context (Shulman, 1987). This specialised body of knowledge is informed by current research and includes validated principles and theories.
There are seven interrelated domains of professional knowledge that teachers must understand in order to create an environment where students are actively engaged in learning (Shulman, 1987). These seven domains can be summarised by the AITSL Professional Standards for Teachers Standards 1 and 2. These standards require teachers to: Know their students and how they learn; and Know the content and how to teach it (AITSL, 2017).
The following pages will demonstrate my personal Professional Knowledge and my competencies towards the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers: Graduate Standards 1 and 2.
