Professional Learning Artefacts & Reflections
Showcasing professional growth, STAR model reflections, and classroom impact (2025)
Artefact 1
Positive Partnership
Autism Awareness Course
Artefact 2
Support Plan
for “Murray” Stage 5 student
Artefact 3
Extract from my critical literature review
(Wellbeing Course in Master of Education)
Artefact 3
Extract from my critical literature review
(Wellbeing Course in Master of Education)
Critical self-reflection on my pedagogical approaches within a diverse support class context-
During this literature review, I experienced a significant realisation: some pedagogical approaches I employed—intended to promote self-determination—may have inadvertently fostered student dependency. Rather than equipping students with skills to navigate transitions to elective classes independently, I reinforced reliance on staff support. Similarly, my strategies for emotional regulation may have emphasised distraction over skill development.
Furthermore, by avoiding opportunities for collaborative work due to students’ limited interpersonal skills and frequent conflicts, I may have restricted their growth rather than addressing the underlying need for guided social skill development. Additionally, I implemented several generic visual supports described in Webster et al. (2022).
Since teachers can enhance autonomy-supportive practices through training in Self-Determination Theory and strategies promoting student autonomy (Street, 2008), it is essential that I revise aspects of my daily practice and broader pedagogy to effectively support students’ development of self-determination skills.
This includes gradually reducing staff assistance during transitions to classes, encouraging greater independence. Redesigning lessons to incorporate opportunities for students to engage in small-group work with peers of their choice will foster collaboration and interpersonal growth. Additionally, embedding emotional regulation strategies into the Health curriculum will ensure these skills are explicitly taught and practised.
Furthermore, I have proposed introducing a new protocol within the Support department for planning and conducting IEP meetings—one that prioritises student voice and active participation, which is critical to the process and ultimately empowers students to lead these meetings themselves (Webster et al., 2022).
Seventy-two percent of my class have ASD, and all are transitioning into Year Eleven or post-school pathways at the end of the year. Therefore, actively incorporating a version of the Self-Directed IEP program—or a similar intervention—into my Term Four classes is essential to my ethical and professional responsibility.
Implementing personalised transition strategies fostering autonomy, relatedness, and competence can significantly enhance students’ capacity to adapt to and engage with new environments (Webster et al., 2022). Ensuring such outcomes is fundamental to their long-term educational and developmental success.
I teach a Stage 5 support class with a high proportion of students (72%) diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), all of whom are approaching major transitions into Year 11 or post-school pathways.
As part of a university wellbeing course, I conducted a literature review focused on how Self-Determination Theory (SDT) can inform effective pedagogical approaches that enhance transition outcomes for students with ASD.
The task was to critically evaluate my own teaching practice against contemporary, evidence-based strategies identified in the literature, specifically regarding the development of autonomy, competence, and relatedness.
The aim was to improve both my individual practice and contribute to departmental improvement initiatives aligned with inclusive education and student agency.
Through structured reflection and engagement with peer reviewed research (e.g., Street, 2008; Webster et al., 2022), I:
- Identified that some well intentioned supports were inadvertently fostering dependence rather than promoting autonomy.
- Recognised gaps in my emotional regulation teaching and collaborative learning design.
- Developed a plan to embed explicit emotional regulation into the Health curriculum, increase structured peer collaboration, and gradually reduce staff assistance during transitions.
- Proposed a protocol shift within the Support department to ensure student-led IEP meetings, drawing from Self-Directed IEP frameworks.
This critical self-reflection deepened my understanding of how inclusive, autonomy-supportive pedagogy can directly affect transition success for neurodiverse learners. I aligned my learning and actions with:
- AITSL Standard 1.5.2 – by identifying and planning differentiated strategies that move beyond generic supports (Webster et al., 2022).
- AITSL Standard 3.6.2 – by evaluating and modifying teaching programs based on recent research and student data.
- AITSL Standard 6.2.2 – through sustained engagement with professional learning and its direct application to classroom and system-level planning.
This reflection also exemplifies HIPL Element 5: I used research and classroom insight to recalibrate my strategies for developing autonomy, emotional literacy, and self-advocacy in alignment with student needs.
Additionally, it connects with HIPL Element 4, demonstrating a coherent and continuous approach to professional learning that informed both current practice and longer-term planning for transition support and inclusive program design.