Academic Care : Building Futures
Introduction
Several schools in the New South Wales Independent sector have created learning teams to develop the
pastoral capacity of schools. The focus of the work in schools, through the Community Change Project, has
been on learning and psycho-social development as the domain of all teachers, in all classrooms. The
project has led to the development of the notion of Academic Care and its significance in enhancing
learning and well being through teaching and learning in secondary school subject class classrooms. Strong
emphases of the project include the role of data in action research and the importance of learning teams in
creating change.
Background and Context
At the end of 2001, a group of pastoral leaders in NSW schools conducted a survey of 25 schools to
ascertain priorities for pastoral care in the sector. The survey results established the need for all teachers to
understand their role and impact on the well being of students, as a priority. Concern about the incidence of
drug use in the community, depression, self harm, suicide and other maladaptive behaviours, had
established a need for pastoral leaders to evaluate and develop the pastoral capacity of schools, in
particular, the classroom.
The 2001 survey results gave impetus to the need to explore the developmental and situational mechanisms
involved in protective processes, particularly in regard to learning and psycho-social development as the
domain of all teachers. Given that beliefs about self and learning are shaped by classroom contexts,
processes and relationships, and that Pastoral Care and academic progress are inextricably linked, the
challenge in schools was to evaluate teachers’ understanding of these links and to determine the extent to
which teaching and learning experiences reflect this understanding.
Rationale : Pastoral and Academic Care
Pastoral Care and academic progress are inextricably linked. Academic Care involves promoting wellbeing through academic structures and processes which are sympathetic to adolescent needs. It is linked to
Pastoral Care in its attention to positive learning and developmental outcomes including knowledge of self,
self-efficacy, healthy risk taking, goal setting, negotiation, reflection and empowerment. Academic Care
has the capacity to strengthen the pastoral work of schools by enhancing protective processes, particularly
resilience. Thus, Academic Care is care delivered through the academic domain, most significantly through
learning experiences which become protective processes.
Characteristics compiled by youth on what they prefer in a teacher (Conger, 1991) include being
firm, impartial, and fair ; enthusiastic, warm and positive; adaptive, sympathetic, and sensitive ;
using clear communication and being innovative. Whilst not all teachers have training in counselling or
care, all teachers, through their relationships, interventions and through the learning experiences which they
construct, have the power to enhance or compromise the well-being of students through attention to
protective factors. Cheers (2003) claims that, in practice, enhancing protective processes and resilience
through Academic Care involves consideration of questions such as




What do students need from the curriculum ?
What do students need from their teachers ?
What do students need from their learning experiences?
What do students need from the School community?
Academic Care means to assist adolescents to develop positive self-esteem and feelings of well-being and
self-efficacy through the School’s academic and organisational structures, and through adults’ relationships
with students.
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Ainscow (1998) reminds us that “ teaching methods are neither devised nor implemented in a vacuum.
Design, selection and use of particular teaching approaches and strategies arise from perceptions about
learning and learners.” Whilst classroom practitioners are not always active and explicit in teaching and
modelling the skills required to develop resilience, these skills lead to an enhancement of classroom climate
and are necessary protective processes. More significantly, though, teachers involved have demonstrated
that, once their awareness is raised and the elements and indicators of resilient behaviour are made explicit
they are able to identify and develop teaching and learning experiences which constitute protectvie
processes.
Academic Care has the capacity to strengthen the pastoral work of schools, leading to positive outcomes
and health protection for students. Academic Care is the process of enhancing (student) learning and well
being through attention to developmental, situational and organisational mechanisms in and beyond the
classroom. It involves positive interactions/relationships with students and promoting students’ well-being
by ensuring that academic structures and interactions are sympathetic to adolescent needs. Thus, by
assisting teachers in linking research to their own practice and by providing opportunities for them to
create new professional knowledge, teachers are in a position to develop positive psycho-social and
learning outcomes through
 protective processes
 dialogue with students
 shaping beliefs about learning
 teaching and learning processes
 authentic assessment
Each of the four schools shared the aim of enhancing (student) learning and well-being through attention to
developmental, situational and organisational mechanisms in and beyond the classroom. By making
explicit the elements and processes of what constitutes Academic Care , and , in particular, the
development of resilience, teachers are in a position to enhance the self efficacy and well being of the
students in their care. Existing school practices and programmes are also being evaluated to explore their
role in assisting adolescents to develop positive self-esteem and feelings of well-being particularly through
adults’ relationships with them.
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