Fertile questions, multi-age groupings, campfires and master classes for specialist skill building: Innovative learning environments and supporting professional learning for teacher engagers within South Australian and international contexts

There is increasing recognition that traditional schooling models are failing many students throughout the world. Results from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) testing regarding 15 year olds in over 60 countries indicate that school systems are not very successful in preparing students for lifelong learning and the knowledge economy (OECD/CERI, 2008)  Poor student engagement (Dunleavy & Milton, 2012) and insufficient focus on emotional and social development are also concerns (Slavin, 2010).  The objectives of the study are to investigate some of South Australia's innovative schools in regard to the changing teacher role and professional learning approaches, within the broader context of the international Innovative Learning Environment research.