SACE Stage 2 Activating Identities and Futures key terms

A Stage 1 subject in which students set goals, plan their senior secondary pathway, and gather evidence of developing capabilities; it prepares students for the Stage 2 Activating Identities and Futures course.

A Stage 2 subject where students design and carry out a self-directed inquiry or project, drawing on their capabilities, interests, and aspirations to plan for life beyond school.

A combination of knowledge, skills, and dispositions that a person develops and can draw on to act effectively in familiar and unfamiliar situations, such as collaboration, creativity, or problem solving.

The deliberate process of identifying a capability, practising it in real tasks, gathering evidence of growth, and reflecting on how and why improvement occurred over time.

A learning process in which the student, rather than the teacher, frames the question, chooses methods, manages time, and judges when the investigation has been sufficiently answered.

A focused, researchable question that guides a student's investigation; it should be narrow enough to answer within available time and open enough to require genuine investigation rather than recall.

The capacity of students to make meaningful choices, take initiative, and accept responsibility for their own learning directions, actions, and outcomes rather than waiting to be directed.

A stance in which the student treats the task as genuinely theirs, setting purposes, monitoring progress, and making adjustments, rather than completing requirements only to satisfy a teacher.

The evolving sense a person has of who they are, shaped by experiences, relationships, culture, values, and choices, and by how they see themselves and how others see them.

The ongoing process through which a person explores, tests, and consolidates a sense of self, including during adolescence when new roles, responsibilities, and future options are tried out.

A hope or ambition about a desired future, such as a career, study path, or personal achievement, which motivates present choices and can be tested and refined through experience.

The range of possible routes a student might take after school, including further study, training, apprenticeships, employment, or gap experiences, each with entry requirements and trade-offs.

The process of preparing for movement from school into further study, work, or other adult roles, involving realistic steps, timelines, contingency options, and identification of support needed.

The practice of defining desired outcomes clearly enough to guide action, ideally specifying what will be achieved, by when, and how progress will be recognised and measured.

A goal framed to be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound, so that progress can be tracked and completion judged objectively rather than vaguely.

A sequenced list of concrete steps, responsibilities, resources, and deadlines that turns an intention or goal into scheduled activity, allowing progress to be monitored and revised.

A significant checkpoint within a longer project or plan, marking completion of a defined stage and providing a natural point to review progress and adjust the plan.

A document setting out the purpose, scope, methods, timeline, resources, and intended evidence of a student's project, used to guide work and to communicate intentions to others.

The boundaries of what a project will and will not cover; realistic scoping keeps a task achievable within the available time and resources and prevents unmanageable expansion.

An assessment of whether a proposed project or pathway can realistically be completed, given time, cost, skills, access to people or equipment, and any safety or legal constraints.

The planned approach used to gather and interpret information, including choice of sources, methods such as interview or survey, sampling, and how findings will be analysed and validated.

Information gathered directly by the student for the specific purpose of the inquiry, such as interviews, surveys, observations, or first-hand testing, giving original and current data.

Information collected by someone else and used by the student, such as published reports, articles, statistics, or websites, which must be evaluated for relevance and reliability.

The degree to which a source can be trusted for a particular purpose, judged by its author's expertise, evidence, currency, purpose, and independence from interested parties.

A systematic slant in information or in one's own thinking that favours a particular view, arising from interests, sampling, wording, or selective attention to evidence.

Formal permission obtained before involving people or sensitive data in research, confirming informed consent, confidentiality, voluntary participation, and minimal risk to participants.

Agreement given by participants after they understand the purpose, procedures, risks, and how their information will be used, and know they may withdraw without penalty.

The ethical obligation to protect participants' identifying information, storing it securely and reporting findings in ways that prevent individuals from being recognised without permission.

Material that supports a claim or demonstrates learning, such as artefacts, records, data, feedback, or observation notes, which must be relevant and explained rather than merely collected.

The planned collection of proof of learning and progress throughout a project, chosen in advance so that it can show development over time rather than being assembled at the end.

A short written explanation attached to a piece of evidence stating what it shows, why it matters, and how it demonstrates progress toward a goal or capability.

Purposeful thinking about an experience that examines what happened, why, and what it means, leading to changed understanding or revised action rather than simple description.

Reflection that questions assumptions, considers alternative explanations, weighs evidence, and examines the influence of one's own perspective and context on judgements made.

Information about performance or a product, given by teachers, peers, mentors, or users, which can guide improvement when it is sought deliberately and acted upon.

The ability to seek, interpret, evaluate, and use feedback productively, including deciding which suggestions to act on and how to respond when advice conflicts.

A repeated cycle of trying, reviewing, and improving a product or process, in which each version responds to evidence and feedback rather than being a single final attempt.

An early, simplified version of a product or solution built to test ideas quickly and cheaply, so that problems can be found before significant time or resources are committed.

The process of planning, monitoring, and adjusting one's own learning, including managing attention, effort, and emotions, and changing strategy when progress stalls.

The practical organisation of available time through scheduling, prioritising, and estimating task duration, so that commitments are met and deadlines are not compressed at the end.

Identifying what could go wrong in a project, judging likelihood and impact, and planning proportionate responses such as avoidance, contingency, or backup options.

A prepared alternative course of action to be used if a key assumption fails or a risk occurs, keeping the overall goal achievable despite disruption.

Any person or group affected by or interested in a project, such as clients, participants, teachers, or community members, whose needs and expectations should be considered.

The intended recipients of a product, performance, or presentation, whose knowledge, expectations, and context should shape how information is selected, structured, and expressed.

Working with others toward a shared purpose, involving negotiation of roles, sharing of ideas, managing disagreement, and joint accountability for the outcome.

An experienced person outside the usual teacher role who offers guidance, industry insight, and feedback on a student's project or pathway, usually within agreed boundaries.

Building and maintaining relationships with people who can offer information, advice, or opportunities, done purposefully and respectfully rather than as a one-off request.

Systematic investigation of occupations and study routes, covering entry requirements, duties, conditions, demand, and progression, using current and credible sources.

Abilities developed in one context, such as part-time work or sport, that can be applied and articulated in another, such as study or employment, when their relevance is explained.

The set of skills, experiences, qualifications, and personal attributes that make a person attractive to employers and able to obtain and sustain relevant work.

Deeply held beliefs about what matters and how people should act, which shape priorities, decisions, and the kinds of work and relationships a person finds worthwhile.

Choosing between options by weighing principles such as fairness, honesty, harm, and respect for others, and being able to justify the choice made to those affected.

Judging the quality or success of a process or product against stated criteria and evidence, distinguishing what worked, what did not, and why.

Agreed statements describing what a successful outcome will look like, set before work begins so that progress and final quality can be judged consistently and fairly.

A structured delivery of findings or a product to an audience, using appropriate format, evidence, and clarity, and responding to questions about the work.

Conveying information and ideas clearly and appropriately for purpose and audience, through chosen modes such as speech, writing, visuals, or digital media.

Descriptions of the quality of student work at different levels, used to judge evidence against criteria such as investigation, application, analysis, and evaluation.

The specific materials a student submits for judgement, which must allow assessors to verify claimed learning and meet the required conditions of the course.

Acting honestly in assessed work by acknowledging sources, submitting one's own work, and not fabricating evidence or allowing others to do the work.

Recording the sources used in a consistent format so that readers can locate them and so that the contribution of others is properly acknowledged.

A habitual tendency to think or act in a certain way, such as persistence, curiosity, or openness to feedback, which influences how capabilities are used in practice.