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.

2025 10

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  • Semester 1Multi-mode
  • Term Mode
  • Professional Term 1Online Unscheduled
  • Professional Term 8Online Unscheduled
  • ACU Term 1Online Unscheduled
  • Term Mode
  • Semester 1Multi-mode Indigenous, Multi-mode

Prerequisites

Nil

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

Identify central questions and figures in the philosophy of education.
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC1, GC2, GC7, GC9

Explain the legal, social and ethical responsibili...

Learning Outcome 02

Explain the legal, social and ethical responsibilities of being a member of the teaching profession, including with reference to Catholic social thought (APST 6.1, 7.1, 7.2; ACECQA E3, F3).
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC6, GC10, GC11

Analyse the historical, philosophical and sociocul...

Learning Outcome 03

Analyse the historical, philosophical and sociocultural contexts of education (APST 1.1, 1.2; ACECQA A3, E3)
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC5, GC8, GC9, GC11

Evaluate the relationship between philosophy, theo...

Learning Outcome 04

Evaluate the relationship between philosophy, theory and educational practice (APST 6.1, 7.1, 7.2; ACECQA C7, E2, E3, F3).
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC1, GC2, GC3, GC11

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.

Weighting

20%

Learning Outcomes LO1, LO2
Graduate Capabilities GC1, GC2, GC6, GC7, GC9, GC10, GC11

Assessment Task 2: Critical Written analysis Req...

Assessment Task 2: Critical Written analysis

Requires students to analyse contemporary philosophical theories in education.

Weighting

40%

Learning Outcomes LO2, LO3, LO4
Graduate Capabilities GC1, GC2, GC3, GC5, GC6, GC8, GC9, GC10, GC11

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.

Weighting

40%

Learning Outcomes LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4
Graduate Capabilities GC1, GC2, GC3, GC5, GC6, GC7, GC8, GC9, GC10, GC11

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:

AUSTRALIAN PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS FOR TEACHERS - GRADUATE LEVEL

1.1 Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of physical, social and intellectual development and characteristics of students and how these may affect learning.

1.2 Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of research into how students learn and the implications for teaching.

6.1 Demonstrate an understanding of the role of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers in identifying professional learning needs.

7.1 Understand and apply the key principles described in codes of ethics and conduct for the teaching profession.

7.2 Understand the relevant legislative, administrative and organisational policies and processes required for teachers according to school stage.

ACECQA Curriculum Specifications

On successful completion of this unit, pre-service teachers should have developed the following specific knowledge:

Standards/Attributes/Criteria

A Child development and Care

A3 social and emotional development

C Teaching pedagogies

C7 contemporary society and pedagogy

E History and philosophy of early childhood

E2 contemporary theories and practice

E3 ethics and professional practice

F Early childhood professional practice

F3 professional identity and development

Representative texts and references

Representative texts and references

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA). (2022, November). Australian Curriculum https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/.

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA). (2022, November). www.acara.edu.au.

Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL). Australian Professional Standards for Teachers. (2017). https://www.aitsl.edu.au/teach/standards

Relevant State and Territory curriculum documents. A Research Paper to inform the development of an Early Years Learning Framework for Australia (2022, May 25). https://www.education.gov.au/child-care-package/resources/research-paper-inform-development-early-years-learning-framework-australia

Biesta, G.J.J. (2019). Should teaching be re(dis)covered? Introduction [LD1] to a symposium. Studies in Philosophy and Education, 38, 549-553.

Biesta, G.J.J. (2019). What kind of society does the school need? Redefining the democratic work of education in impatient times. Studies in Philosophy and Education., 38, 657-668.

Blair, N. (2015). Aboriginal Education: More than adding perspectives. In Noelene L. Weatherby- Fell (Ed). Learning to Teach in the Secondary School. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp.189-208.

Bryon, W. (1999). Framing the Principles of Catholic Social Thought. Catholic Education: A Journal of Inquiry and Practice. 3, 1, Article 4.

Campbell, C., & Proctor, H. (2014). A history of Australian schooling. Melbourne, Vic: Allen & Unwin.

Campbell, E. (2008). The ethical teacher. Berkshire and New York: Open University Press.

Congregation for Catholic Education. (2017). Educating to fraternal humanism: Building a civilisation of love http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccatheduc/documents/rc_con_ccatheduc_doc_20170416_educare-umanesimo-solidale_en.html

Smeyers, P. (2018). International Handbook of Philosophy of Education (1st ed.), Springer International Handbooks of Education. Cham: Springer International Publishing.

Tait, G. (2019). Making sense of mass education (3rd ed.), Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Welch, A., & Connell, R. (2018). Education, change and society (4th ed.). South Melbourne, Vic: Oxford University Press.


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