Level 6
In the Victorian Essential Learning Standards Level 6 is broadly associated with Years 9 and 10 of schooling.
Learners begin to see themselves as young adults. They are independent thinkers able to use formal methods of inquiry. They seek to apply learning to the world outside school, ‘discriminate in the way they use a variety of sources (and) generate questions that explore perspectives’ (Thinking Processes: Reasoning, processing and inquiry). They set personal health and fitness goals and undertake activities to achieve them including being aware of ‘identify and explain the rights and responsibilities associated with developing greater independence (and) mental health issues relevant to young people’ (Health and Physical Education: Health knowledge and promotion).
Key characteristics of students at this level include:
- looking towards adulthood
- making choices about the future
- having a career orientation
- employing a range of coping skills
- increasing differentiation and specialisation across domains
- building expertise through formal methods of inquiry
- participating as a community member both within and beyond the school.
Students become independent of family by acquiring a personal point of view in relation to civics, ethics, beliefs and values. They ‘articulate and defend their own opinions (and they) contest where appropriate, the opinions of others’ (Civics and Citizenship: Community engagement). Peers become an increasing source of support and influence. Making connections with pro-social peer groups, and having the corresponding social and emotional skills to make these connections, has a significant bearing on the nature of choices students make in terms of school and career, responsibilities and social aspirations.
Students develop effective organising skills for life and school. They ‘identify their interests, strengths and weaknesses and use these to determine future learning needs, especially in relation to the post-compulsory school pathways’ (Personal Learning: The individual learner). They exhibit respect for others, possess self-esteem, have developed an internal locus of control, and have established trusting relationships with others. They ‘evaluate their own behaviour in relationships, identify potential conflict and employ strategies to avoid and/or resolve it’ (Interpersonal Development: Building social relationships). Motivation and effort is linked to a sense of identity, purpose, and beliefs about self.
Competent learners begin to use more sophisticated cognitive strategies than in earlier years. For instance, they are aware of, and capable of reflecting on, the differences between mathematic, scientific, literary, historical and artistic methods. They begin to build expertise and develop coherent structures of knowledge, methodologies, language, skills and behaviours associated with discrete domains. They express preferences for particular styles of thinking and learning, and these preferences tend to inform motivation and competence. They develop beliefs about their personal strengths and weaknesses, whether they are physical, emotional or cognitive. These beliefs are reinforced by the development of strategies and habits that support learning.
Previously flexible approaches such as collecting relevant information, researching, questioning, using creativity and analysis, rehearsing, elaborating, organising, judging and applying all develop into formal methods of inquiry. These include qualitative and quantitative research and action research. More formal skills facilitate deep learning where students exhibit the capacity to maintain focus over an extended period, build evaluation and reflection into processes, use a variety of strategies to explore diverse perspectives and possibilities, as well as create and analyse, organise and judge information, make predictions and estimations, and apply, test and transfer knowledge and skills. This includes a capacity to ‘use evaluation criteria they have previously developed, and critically analyse processes, materials/ingredients, systems components and equipment used’ (Design, Creativity and Technology: Analysing and evaluating). They also use more complex information and communications technology tools and techniques to represent, reframe and refine their ideas as they develop new understanding and products that ‘demonstrate a clear sense of purpose and respect for the audience’ (Information and Communications Technology: ICT for creating).
Students develop the knowledge, skills and behaviours to effectively participate in their communities and workplaces. They participate in work place learning and civic projects developing social competence, resilience and confidence in the setting. They are cooperative team members capable of problem solving and self-direction and motivation. They reflect on the nature of work and community in the context of its moral and ethical dimensions and are aware of rights and responsibilities, and health and safety issues. They have the self-efficacy, assertiveness, negotiation and communication skills to ‘consider alternative views, recognise multiple possible interpretations and respond with insight’ (Communication: Listening, viewing and responding). They take increased responsibility for their own physical wellbeing as well as their own intellectual growth, values and beliefs.
Students’ growing focus on their intended pathways in the post-compulsory years sees their study across the five broad discipline areas (that is, English and Languages Other Than English, Mathematics, Science, the Humanities and the Arts) complemented by the choice of specialised programs and the standards associated with the relevant domains.
Accompanying increased specialisation is the development of routine study, organisational, note taking and examination preparation habits. These gradually increase in complexity, manifesting in cognitive skills such as the use of deliberate memory and concentration techniques, and the adaptable use of graphic representations for ideas, thinking processes and frameworks.
