The Australian Curriculum is one of the best in the world. It heavily focuses on excellence in learning areas like literacy and numeracy while also emphasising communication and critical thinking. But what makes it stand out from others is its focus on an exciting learning area that other curriculums don’t tackle: personal and social capability.
Personal and social capability is necessary in the real world—arguably more than mastering advanced math skills. It involves students recognising their emotions and developing empathy to understand themselves and the people around them. This skill also helps students build positive relationships and make responsible decisions while working with others.
Four key ideas that come with personal and social capability: (1) self-awareness, (2) self-management, (3) social awareness, and (4) social management. Here’s a quick guide to each element:
1.Self-awareness focuses on developing a student’s ability to recognise emotions, personal qualities, and achievements. This element helps them become more reflective, assessing their own strengths and weaknesses.
2.Self-management involves a student’s ability to regulate emotions and acting them out appropriately. Students are also encouraged to develop self-discipline and set goals independently.
3.Social awareness helps students become more aware of their surroundings. It focuses on recognising others’ feelings and appreciating different perspectives to forge positive relationships.
4.Social management emphasises effective communication between students and their peers. With this, they learn to become more collaborative, contributing ideas to help make decisions and resolve conflict.
Are you looking for ways to develop a student’s personal and social capabilities? Some educational providers have specially designed programs that you can implement as soon as possible. These programs don’t just help young children develop self-awareness, competence, and confidence—they’re also very beneficial for teachers and schools.
With specially designed social capability programs, teachers will gain more outcomes in less time, allowing them to focus on other learning areas in the Australian Curriculum. Teachers can also use these programs to establish an effective student leadership framework and evaluate each student’s progress.
Meanwhile, educational institutions can use these programs to develop and embrace student agency. Not only will this encourage students to become more proactive but it will also help them grow into better and more successful individuals.
About the Author:
Author: Richard Sharp
“Nothing ever becomes real till it is experienced” John Keats
This quote continues to inspire my pursuit of delivering authentic, long-term online learning opportunities for K-12 students and educators. As a former classroom teacher, senior faculty member and current district school board member, I take great pride in sharing my education insights towards technology – enhanced learning in the student leadership and future skills of the workforce curricular areas
