Unit rationale, description and aim
Understanding education in the 21st century demands knowledge of educational philosophies and theories, including the important question of beliefs and values of education. This unit introduces pre-service teachers to foundational ideas in the discipline of education and examines how philosophical schools of thought continue to be relevant. It explores the meaning and history of education, particularly in Australia, including the aims of Catholic education. The relationship between philosophy, theory and educational practice will be explored through educational theories and philosophies and engaging with conceptual tools for thinking about contemporary issues in educational approaches. Analysis of key issues will include the nature of educational aims and goals, the history of schooling in Australia, contemporary approaches to education as well as current educational debates. The unit will also introduce the necessary values, attitudes and professional responsibilities of educators and explore the legal, social and ethical responsibilities associated with being a teacher, including child protection requirements, Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APST), Catholic Social Teaching and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Perspectives.
The aim of this unit is to support pre-service teachers in developing their knowledge of influential philosophical and theoretical thought that informs and influences contemporary education.
Learning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
Identify central questions and figures in the phil...
Learning Outcome 01
Explain the legal, social and ethical responsibili...
Learning Outcome 02
Analyse the historical, philosophical and sociocul...
Learning Outcome 03
Evaluate the relationship between philosophy, theo...
Learning Outcome 04
Content
Topics may include:
- The philosophy of education
- The aims of education
- Studies in educational thought
- The Catholic Intellectual Tradition and Catholic Social Thought in relation to education
- The history of schooling in Australia, including state and Catholic education.
- The moral, legal and ethical dimensions of teaching, including in relation to Catholic social teaching.
- Conceptualising the child and family
- Contemporary debates in education
- Becoming a teacher: education as vocation and conceptualising professional identity.
- Contemporary Standards Frameworks: Australian Professional Standards for Teachers, National Quality Framework
Assessment strategy and rationale
In order to pass this unit, students are required to achieve an overall minimum grade of pass (50%).
A range of assessment procedures are used to meet the unit learning outcomes and develop graduate capacities and professional standards.
The assessment tasks for this unit employ a range of approaches which cater for different learning preferences of pre-service teachers. The tasks are designed to enable achievement of each learning outcome.
The assessment tasks are designed in sequence, enabling feedback and progressive development. The first assessment task enables pre-service teachers to develop a philosophical stance and demonstrate their knowledge of content. It is an early low-weighted assessment task which provides feedback to pre-service teachers within the first six weeks of the standard semester.
The second assessment enables the pre-service teacher to build upon, analyse and apply their knowledge of education philosophies. It enables achievement of Learning Outcomes 2, 3, and 4.
The final task is an application task which quantifies the breadth of learning and understanding of the educational philosophies and issues in education, enabling achievement of all Learning Outcomes.
Overview of assessments
Assessment Task 1: Introductory task Requires st...
Assessment Task 1: Introductory task
Requires students to development a personal teaching statement to demonstrate reflection and understanding of key concepts of the unit.
20%
Assessment Task 2: Critical Written analysis Req...
Assessment Task 2: Critical Written analysis
Requires students to analyse contemporary philosophical theories in education.
40%
Assessment Task 3: Extended Reflection and applic...
Assessment Task 3: Extended Reflection and application task
Requires students to reflect on their professional identity through an examination of an educational controversy and its relationship to foundational concerns in contemporary education.
40%
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
This unit requires approximately 150 hours of learning in total across the teaching period. It positions pre-service teachers as adult learners with responsibility for their own learning and who are capable of problem solving. The learning in this unit is inquiry-based and learner-focused.
A variety of teaching and learning approaches will be used to meet the learning outcomes, utilising combinations of face-to-face and/or online learning. This includes learning activities such as reading, reflection, discussion, formative writing tasks, and engagement with webinars, podcasts, recorded lecture materials and video resources. Asynchronous communications via the unit’s Learning Management System site also contribute to the overall learning environment.
Lectures and/or online modules will interactively explain and explore key problems and ideas addressed in the unit. Tutorials involve discussion, analysis and shared application of this material with the aid of education-based case studies. Active learning and engagement is thereby encouraged, in the process of consolidating key content, applying knowledge to problem-solving tasks, and developing skills in analysis and evaluation. In this way, students also gain an understanding of the diverse points of view of their peers.
AUSTRALIAN PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS FOR TEACHERS - GRADUATE LEVEL
On successful completion of this unit, pre-service teachers should be able to:
ACECQA Curriculum Specifications
On successful completion of this unit, pre-service teachers should have developed the following specific knowledge: