Teacher Inquiry: Laws, Regulations, & Policies

Figure 1: Spiral of Inquiry (2014, April).
A framework for transforming learning in schools:
Innovation and the spiral of inquiry.
Every three years I have to re-apply for a practising certificate and prove that I am fit to teach in a New Zealand classroom. One of the ways I do this is through 'teacher inquiry'.  Teacher inquiry is a requirement for teaching staff at my school, and there are many hoops to jump through, evidence to collect, boxes to tick, and time involved, but in spite of this, I feel that teacher inquiry is a valuable reflective process that helps to keep me at the top of my game.

Teachers are expected to be professionals that live by the laws, regulations, and policies that govern the education system in NZ. As teachers, we are responsible for the success and well-being of our students, and we make a commitment to maintain high standards and to make ethical decisions. The Education Act 1989, the Education Act 1964, and the Our Code, Our Standards - Code of Professional Responsibility and Standards for the Teaching Profession (Education Council, 2017) apply to every teacher and teaching context in education. As well as this, each school has its own policies that must be followed. There are consequences for not adhering to the rules. "As teachers, we respect our trusted position in society and recognise the influence we have on learners, their understanding of the world and the future wellbeing of our society." (Education Council, 2017)

There are six standards for the teaching profession that all practitioners must apply to the teaching context they are working in.  Teachers are expected to identify and develop high-quality practices meeting these standards every year. One of the six standards focuses on professional learning, specifically, the use of inquiry and how this impacts our students' learning and achievement.  (See Fig. 2)


The spiral of inquiry allows me to reflect on areas of my practice that I have identified for improvement.  This particular inquiry 'To what extent does Trello impact on work completion in Pasifika and Māori students in Junior secondary school?’ is helping me to reflect on my own assumptions, beliefs and cultural practices in my classroom, and the impact these reflections can have on Māori and Pasifika student achievement.

"The basic premise of the [Teaching as Inquiry] model is to improve the outcomes of all students through the provision of a framework for teachers to gain greater knowledge about the impact of their teaching on students and to subsequently be used to improve their practice" (Woods, 2015, p.3)  Many schools, like mine, have attached mandatory teaching inquiries with required timelines to school appraisal systems.  I agree with Wood's ideas about the importance of balancing the true intention of teaching inquiry with the demands of meeting appraisal expectations.  Also that an adequate investment of time is needed.  When schools allocate time and have a learning-based model of teacher inquiry, real impact can be seen in the learning and achievement of students.  I am fortunate enough to be in a school that values this.  Staff are divided into Professional Learning Groups, of 5-6 people.  Each Thursday we finish school an hour early and spend the afternoon together collaborating on either a group or individual inquiry.  We also have a school-wide 'open door policy' to do 4-Minute-Walk-Thru's in colleagues' classrooms and have the opportunity of a 'Big Day Out' (full day of relief) to visit other schools to contribute our inquiries.   

Genuine teacher inquiries can be totally transformational, for both teachers and students.  I feel blessed to be working in a school that supports me, as a New Zealand registered teacher, to uphold the professional standards of teaching.




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