Graduate Teacher Performance Assessment (GTPA)
Implementation
INFORMATION LETTER for PRESERVICE TEACHERS
Research project team*
Research Director
Professor Claire Wyatt-Smith | Claire.Wyatt-Smith@acu.edu.au | 07 3623 7112
Research Team
A/Professor Lenore Adie
Dr Chantelle Day
Dr Andrew Smith
Professor Michele Haynes Mr Alex Chen
Ms Chantal Bailey
Professor Joce Nuttall
Dr Colette Alexander
Dr Melanie Spallek
*More information about researchers’ qualifications and experience is available at www.acu.edu.au/ilste
What is the GTPA research project about?
The GTPA is an authentic culminating summative assessment designed to demonstrate preservice teachers’
ability to meet the Graduate Teacher Standards (Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership ([AITSL],
2011). In completing the GTPA, preservice teachers demonstrate their competence in planning, teaching,
assessing and reflecting on the impact of their teaching on student learning. They also show how they appraise
their use of evidence of student learning during their final-year professional practice.
The GTPA will be implemented in a collective of higher education institutions (HEIs) in 2020 as part of a study of
the application of standards in teacher education. The research project is concerned with identification of
performance standards and cross-institutional moderation of judgements. The project is being undertaken by the
Institute for Learning Sciences and Teacher Education, Australian Catholic University (ACU). Funding contributing
to this research project is provided by ACU and the HEIs forming the GTPA Collective.
The project intends to generate evidence of graduate readiness for classroom practice and provide essential
evidence of the impact of initial teacher education (ITE) programs, assessed against mandated national program
standards. The GTPA Fact Sheet: Information for Preservice Teachers (www.graduatetpa.com) provides further
details about the implementation of the GTPA.
What is expected from preservice teachers involved in project?
As part of your institution’s involvement in GTPA implementation, a selection of completed GTPAs will be sent to
the project to inform cross-institutional moderation. The sample selected is fully de-identified prior to inclusion
in the data informing the project.
We would like you to consider use of your GTPA for identification of examples of practices for use in supporting
implementation during 2020 onwards and for dissemination through publications. You can indicate your support
for your fully de-identified GTPA to be used for these purposes by ticking the box at the bottom of your
Coversheet in your GTPA submission to your institution.
The project would also like to obtain information from you through (1) an online survey and/or (2) an interview.
The purpose of the survey and interview is to gather information about your experiences of undertaking the
GTPA in 2020. We are interested in the impacts of the GTPA in your use of data and evidence to address diversity
in the classroom and identify learning outcomes, resources you drew on, and your knowledge of the wider policy
environment. Depending on your responses, the survey could take up to 10-15 minutes to complete, and the
interview could take up to 30 minutes. Interviews will be digitally recorded or filmed. The invitation to participate
in either of these two aspects of the project is provided through an email from your University.
Are there any risks associated with participating in this project?
Participants across the whole project include final year preservice teachers, teacher educators from the
institutions that form part of the collective implementing the GTPA, supervising teachers in schools, and other
educational experts who will join teacher educators in activities around moderation.
The project is low risk for preservice teachers as the focus is on moderation of GTPA judgements across the
collective of institutions, identifying high-quality practices to inform the 2020 GTPA implementation, and impacts
of implementation.
What are the benefits of the research project?
For HEIs and teacher educators: The GTPA is designed primarily to satisfy the requirement of Program Standard
1.2 related to the implementation of a teaching performance assessment, and Program Standards 1.1 and 1.3
in which providers identify how their preservice teachers demonstrate a positive impact on student learning
in relation to the assessment requirements. The research project will further provide information to teacher
educators about how the specific academic program involved addresses Programs Standards 2.1 (program
development, design and delivery), 6.2 and 6.3 (program evaluation, reporting and improvement).
For preservice teachers and schools: The GTPA enables preservice teachers to engage with the full cycle of
teaching practice in their final-year professional experience placement in schools. It enables them to
demonstrate their pedagogic reasoning and impact of their teaching on students.
Can I withdraw from the study?
Participation in the research associated with the GTPA implementation in the project is voluntary so you are free
to withdraw at any time, without comment or penalty. As all data is confidential and de-identified, withdrawal of
data once submitted as part of the project is not possible. Please note, aggregated data and pseudonyms will be
applied in publications to ensure anonymity of participants.
Will anyone else know the results of the project?
Findings from the project will be shared with participating institutions and disseminated through publications
and related links on the GTPA website (www.graduatetpa.com)
All data will be de-identified and secured on ACU premises in line with ethical guidelines for safe use and storage
of data. All information collected is confidential with actions taken to assure the anonymity of participants, such
as aggregation of data in reporting or publishing. All scientific publications will be made available through the
GTPA website (www.graduatetpa.com).
Who do I contact if I have questions about the research?
Should you have any questions about the research, please contact: Dr Chantelle Day | Research Partnerships
Manager | Chantelle.Day@acu.edu.au | 07 3623 7812
What if I have a complaint or any concerns?
The project has been reviewed by the Human Research Ethics Committee at Australian Catholic University
(review number 2017-101H). If you have any complaints or concerns about the conduct of the project, you may
write to the Manager of the Human Research Ethics Committee care of the Office of the Deputy Vice Chancellor
(Research):
Manager, Research Ethics and Integrity / c/o Office of the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research) / Australian Catholic
University
North Sydney Campus / PO Box 968 / NORTH SYDNEY, NSW 2059
Ph.: 02 9739 2519 / Fax: 02 9739 2870 / Email: resethics.manager@acu.edu.au
Any complaint or concern will be treated in confidence and fully investigated. You will be informed of the
outcome.