teaching & learning
Learning at Rosebud Secondary College reflects our College Purpose, which is:
- To learn together in a safe and respectful environment.
- To encourage self awareness, resilience and personal best.
- To prepare each individual for their future pathway.
Our curriculum across all learning areas is delivered using the Gradual Release of Responsibility learning model.
This means that, in our classrooms, teachers lead and guide students through four distinct inter-related learning phases, with the end goal of developing confident learners who take responsibility for their own learning. How teachers’ and students’ responsibilities vary during the four phases of the Gradual Release of Responsibility learning model is briefly explained in the table below:
Phase | Teacher’s responsibilities | Students’ responsibilities |
Focused instruction | Establishes learning goals and purpose Provides direct instruction Models Thinks aloud | Actively listens Takes notes Asks questions |
Guided instruction | Works with students Interactive instruction Provides additional modelling Checks, prompts, cues Meets with needs-based groups | Works with teacher and classmates Completes process alongside others Asks and responds to questions |
Collaborative learning | Moves among groups Clarifies confusion Provides support | Collaborates on authentic tasks Works with classmates Completes process in small group Looks to peers for clarification Consolidates learning |
Independent learning | Determines level of understanding Evaluates Provides feedback | Works alone Relies on notes, activities and classroom learning to complete task Takes full responsibility for outcome |
Using the Gradual Release of Responsibility learning model enables our teachers to design learning sequences that naturally engage a range of high impact teaching strategies central to the Victorian Government’s Framework for Improving Student Outcomes. By structuring lessons with a clear learning purpose, where skills are explicitly taught then scaffolded through worked examples and collaborative peer-supported practice, our teachers utilise evidence-based instructional practices that optimise learning for our students.