EDSS220 - Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment in History Education 1

Year

Credit points

Campus offering

Prerequisites

Unit rationale, description and aim

This unit is designed to establish a knowledge base for pre-service teachers in the areas of curriculum, pedagogy and assessment in History Education for secondary students in the junior and middle years of schooling (Years 7-10). An understanding of the national curricula which is specific to Catholic, State and Independent schools will provide the focus of this unit. The unit is also designed to develop pre-service teachers’ understanding of contemporary theory, concepts and skills in History Education studies as applied in the junior secondary classroom context. A range of curriculum perspectives will be explored, including literacy, numeracy, ICT, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education, students with special needs and effective teaching. There is a focus on effective teaching and classroom management, including student engagement, participation and inclusion. 

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.

On successful completion of this unit, students should be able to:

LO1 - plan, implement and evaluate a range of History learning and teaching activities for junior students which involve a variety of pedagogical approaches and resources (including ICT) appropriate to these year levels and curriculum content (GA4, GA5, GA9, GA10)

LO2 - explain, develop and evaluate a variety of classroom strategies which cater for individual differences in student learning (e.g. cognitive, physical, social, cultural) and integrate general capabilities and cross curriculum priorities (including literacy, numeracy and ICT) in History Education (GA4, GA5, GA9)

LO3 - examine the relationships between student learning and expertise, higher order thinking, learning task design, assessment, feedback and reporting in History Education (GA4, GA5, GA9).

Graduate attributes

GA4 - think critically and reflectively 

GA5 - demonstrate values, knowledge, skills and attitudes appropriate to the discipline and/or profession 

GA9 - demonstrate effective communication in oral and written English language and visual media 

GA10 - utilise information and communication and other relevant technologies effectively.

Content

The topics will include:

•         factors in the educational context (international, national, state, territory and local levels) including curriculum policies and perspectives that shape the identity of History in Years 7-10.
•         specific professional practices related to teaching and learning in History (eg. working with al and historiography)
•         an understanding of how effective teaching, including curriculum rigour, engagement, participation and inclusion, is a key factor in effective classroom management
•         general capabilities and cross curriculum priorities including the integration of literacy, numeracy and ICT and local, state, territory and national perspectives in History Education
•         planning sequences of History learning activities relative to specific school context and identified factors impacting teaching and learning
•         the relationship between reflexive learning and effective concept formation to build higher order thinking in History Education
•         catering for a diverse range of learners in History, including second language learners
•         discipline specific teaching strategies and issues related to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in History Education
•         effective use of resources for teaching, including ICT’s and technologies specific to History
•         pedagogical strategies to promote problem solving and critical thinking in History including cooperative and inquiry-based learning
•         feedback, assessment and reporting in History with a focus on assessment for learning
•         extending and challenging learners in History Education.

Learning and teaching strategy and rationale

This unit applies a social constructivist approach to develop the pre-service teacher’s understanding of effective pedagogies through active engagement and collaborative learning. The pre-service teacher will build an understanding of teaching strategies through critical reading, lecturer modelling, discussion, and practice in tutorials. The pre-service teacher’s skills of professional communication and ability to work collaboratively will be practised through group work. The pre-service teacher’s teaching skills of planning and assessing, and his/her ability to locate and synthesise information, will be developed through designing curriculum appropriate for a History Education context. The pre-service teacher will continue to gather and reflect upon evidence of attainment of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers: Graduate.

Teaching and learning strategy described above will use an appropriate selection of approach, including, for example:

•         Weekly face-to-face lectures and / or online lectures (synchronous and asynchronous)
•         Hands-on tutorials and discussions that promote peer learning
•         Microteaching opportunities
•         Self-directed reading and research
•         Collaborative learning opportunities

Assessment strategy and rationale

The assessment tasks and their weightings are designed so that the pre-service teacher can progressively achieve the course learning outcomes and the professional standards. The Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment units in this course focus on pre-service teachers acquiring content knowledge and developing the skills to assimilate conceptual knowledge in order for that knowledge to inform skills that will be applied in practice.

The two assessment tasks are sequenced to allow feedback and progressive development. By completing Task 1 the pre-service teacher will apply knowledge of assessment strategies. In Task 2 pre-service teachers develop a program of work for senior students over a period of time.

Overview of assessments

Representative texts and references

Australian, state and territory curriculum documents.

Australian Curriculum History Documents

Buchanan. J. (2013). History, geography and civics. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Barton, K., & Levstik. L. (2004). Teaching history for the common good. New York: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Brady, L., & Kennedy, K. (2010). Curriculum construction (4th ed.). Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson Australia.

Drake, F., & Nelson, L. (2009). Engagement in teaching history: Theory and practices for middle and secondary teachers. Upper Saddle River, NY: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Hunt, M. (2007). A practical guide to teaching history in the secondary schools. London: Routledge.

MacIntyre, S., & Clark, A (2004). The history wars. Carlton, Vic: Melbourne University Press.

Taylor, T., Fahey, C., Kriewaldt, J., & Boon, D. (2012). Place and time: Explorations in teaching geography and history. Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson.

Timms, G., & Vernon, K. (2005). Teaching and learning history. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Tosh, J. (2010). The pursuit of history: Aims, methods and new directions in the study of modern history (5th ed.). New York: Longman.

Trinkle, D. A., & Merriman, S. A. (2006). The history highway: A 21ST century guide to internet resources. (4th ed.). Armonk, NY: M. E. Sharpe