Background

Following feedback received from schools and the community in the 2018 SACE Stage 2 Review [PDF 172KB] the SACE Board began to redesign Stage 1 Personal Learning Plan (PLP), to be replaced with Exploring Identities and Futures (EIF).

We used the SACE Board’s promise to shape education so that students thrive to reconceptualise the subject, the pedagogy, the assessment, and quality assurance procedures.

EIF will meet the requirements for SACE completion currently satisfied by PLP.

Exploring Identities and Futures (EIF)

The intention behind EIF is to assist students to recognise their individual strengths and see that the purpose and value of learning is much more than knowledge and grades. Through EIF students will:

• explore identity and belonging
• develop agency
• pursue and develop an area of interest that matters to them

In EIF students will lead their own learning and use a self-directed approach to move away from the old ‘what do you want to do’ and towards ‘who do you want to be.’

Pilot 1

Pilot 1 in semester 1 2022, tested the first version of the new EIF subject outline and the shift in teacher practice in a live environment with 19 participating government, independent and catholic schools across South Australia.

Analysis and evaluation of the pilot provided valuable insights and recognised refinements that were adapted for the second pilot. Some key learnings included: 

• pilot teachers suggested that students thrived when growing and learning occurred in an area of personal value (passion) 
• students were able to transfer their learning of new skills and capabilities into their approach with other SACE subjects 
• as pilot teachers stepped back from providing instruction and scaffolds, students stepped in and were able to authentically engage in learning that was of personal value and interest 
• assessment processes emphasised the role of the teacher in using natural evidence of learning, agency, feedback and metacognition to progress student learning. 

Pilot 2

The second pilot for EIF finished at the end of semester 1 2023. As an education community, we can draw confidence from the diversity of schools and students who participated in the extensive testing in pilot 2.

Schools, teachers and students who experienced EIF during its creation across 2022 and 2023, have told us: 

• there were more opportunities for students to deeply explore the things that matter to them
• students’ learning shifted from passive to active
• relationships between students and teachers strengthened
• the learning was deeper, more authentic, and better reflected the volume of work required for a 10-credit subject
• they were able to transfer learning to other subjects
• they were challenged to take control of their learning

Insights from the second pilot led us to co-develop a modified version of EIF in partnership with schools. In the first instance, however, we strongly encourage schools to consider whether students may be able to access learning via the non-modified version, if individual reasonable adjustments are made, so that students can access their learning entitlement with their peers.

What’s next?

Pilot evaluation, learnings and insights have informed professional learning to prepare schools for implementation.

We are excited to support you and your students in implementing EIF in your sites in 2024. We encourage you to visit our website for further subject information, implementation timelines and relevant forms. We will continue to update our site and communicate with schools about professional learning activities and subject support materials.

Professional Learning

Please visit our Preparing for Exploring Identities and Futures page for details of upcoming events.

What is the project

Following feedback received from schools and the community in the 2018 SACE Stage 2 Review [PDF 172KB] the SACE Board began to redesign Stage 2 Research Project (RP), to be replaced with Activating Identities and Futures (AIF).

We used the SACE Board’s promise to shape education so that students thrive to reconceptualise the subject, the pedagogy, the assessment, and quality assurance procedures.

AIF will meet the requirements for SACE completion currently satisfied by RP.

Activating Identities and Futures (AIF)

The intention behind AIF is for students to explore ideas related to an area of personal interest through a process of self-directed inquiry. They draw on relevant knowledge, skills and capabilities applying these in new contexts and selecting relevant strategies to progress the learning to a resolution. 

In AIF students take greater ownership and agency over their learning ‘learning how to learn’ as they select relevant strategies ‘knowing what to do when you don’t know what to do’ to explore, create and/or plan to progress an area of personal interest.

Pilot 1

The pilot tested the first version of the new AIF subject outline and the shift in teacher practice in a live environment with 27 participating government, independent and catholic schools across South Australia.

Some key learnings from the initial pilot include: 

• understanding what professional learning is needed to support co-agency, metacognition, natural evidence of learning and feedback 
• involving school teaching and learning leaders in the implementation of professional learning for their school’s teachers 
• ensuring teacher practices support success for all students, including students who experience disadvantage
• pedagogical change required to successfully deliver the new subjects across a diversity of teachers 
• role of school leadership in sponsoring and resourcing the new subjects.

Pilot 2

The second pilot for AIF finished at the end of semester 1 2023, with the evaluation phase now in progress.

Pilot 2 focused on:

• Learning about the inclusivity of the subject for a range of students across a range of contexts
• Exploring the pedagogical approaches that underpin the new subjects, with a focus on:
• Agency: teachers and students designing learning together, with students having ownership over the learning experience
• Natural evidence of learning: students evidence their learning through authentic artefacts with an emphasis on the learning process rather than the final product.
• Providing opportunities for pilot teachers to come together as peers to discuss, review and provide each other with feedback.

Our pilot community confirm that AIF challenges students to take control of their learning and deeply explore the things that matter to them. The new subject support students to develop their capabilities and increasing levels of agency and self-awareness so they are best prepared for their future pathways. The subject fosters an environment that strengthens the relationship between teacher and student. 

What’s next?

The final activity for pilot 2 was a learning event with teachers and leaders on 21 August. Following evaluation, learnings and insights will be shared with the school community and inform next steps.

We will continue to explore aspects of AIF in 2024, with the intention that the first cohort of EIF students will continue into AIF in 2025.

Pilot 2 schools can continue to teach AIF in 2024. 

Stage 2 Research Project will continue to be available in 2024.