EDLX510 - Effective Teaching and Learning in Professional Practice

Year

Credit points

Campus offering

Prerequisites

Nil

Incompatible

EDFD548 Effective Teaching and Professional Practice

Unit rationale, description and aim

In order to be effective classroom practitioners, teachers need a comprehensive understanding of theories and practices that underpin effective teaching and learning environments, coupled with the opportunity to develop and apply knowledge and skills in practical teaching contexts which are authentic and professionally supportive environments. In this unit, pre-service teachers will engage with research, scholarship and school-based professional experience that links theory with practice. They will critically address the complexities of teachers’ roles and practices, communication and interpersonal skills, planning processes and diverse teaching and assessment strategies to support the needs of diverse learners. Pre-service teachers will engage with research-derived ‘core practices’ as high-leverage strategies for creating effective learning environments. They will develop strong pedagogical judgment by describing, analysing and reflecting upon current pedagogical approaches and will engage in critical reflection upon their developing professional selves as confident and effective teachers, aligned with the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers.

This unit combines lectures, tutorials, and self-paced independent study, with a professional experience component that comprises a minimum of 16 days placement and supervised teaching in a school context, which will include the opportunity throughout the placement for targeted professional experience teaching within the specialisation area.  Through this unit, pre-service teachers engage in professional learning experiences that provide opportunities for the development of knowledge and skills, deeper cultural awareness, and professional identity. This unit enables pre-service teachers to employ a range of teaching approaches which cater for different learning needs and fosters both independent and collaborative learning. Pre-service teachers will develop their understanding of codes of ethics and conduct and will be required to complete online modules in legal and professional requirements, including Duty of Care, Child Protection and Mandatory Reporting.

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 - Articulate a comprehensive understanding of the complexities of the teacher’s role and the implications for practice, including: Professional Standards; policies and processes; codes of ethics and conduct; legal and professional responsibilities; and the broader contexts of schooling (GA1, GA3, GA5, GA10; APST 4.4, 4.5, 6.1, 7.1, 7.2, 7.4)

LO2 - Identify, explain, and apply a range of effective verbal and non-verbal communication and interpersonal skills and strategies to support learner engagement and achievement, including classroom organisation, to be employed during teaching episodes (GA5; APST 3.5, 4.1, 4.2)

LO3 - Critically examine the nexus between theories and models of human development, learning and classroom management and effective classroom practices. critically examine the nexus between theories and models of human development, learning and classroom management and effective classroom practices including the ‘core practices’ literature. (GA4, GA5; APST 1.1, 1.2, 6.1, 6.4)

LO4 - Critically analyse and develop appropriate teaching strategies for differentiating curriculum and teaching (including the use of digital technologies) to identify the strengths and meet the needs of diverse learners and to support inclusive student engagement in learning (GA1, GA4, GA5; APST 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 2.2, 2.3, 2.6, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 4.5)

LO5 - Plan for, implement, and evaluate learning, teaching, assessment and feedback strategies, with reference to multiple sources of evidence (GA5, GA8; APST 1.1, 1.2, 2.2, 2.3, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.6, 5.1, 5.2, 5.4, 6.3)

Graduate attributes

GA1 - demonstrate respect for the dignity of each individual and for human diversity

GA3 - apply ethical perspectives in informed decision making

GA4 - think critically and reflectively 

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

GA8 - locate, organise, analyse, synthesise and evaluate information 

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

AUSTRALIAN PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS FOR TEACHERS - GRADUATE LEVEL

On successful completion of this unit, pre-service teachers should be able to:

Content

Topics will include:

• The complexities of the teacher’s role and the implications for practice, including: Australian Professional Standards for teachers; organisational policies and processes; principles and codes of ethics and conduct; legal and professional responsibilities including Duty of Care, Child Protection and Mandatory reporting; diverse contexts of teacher supervision of students within school.
• An overview curriculum theory and in particular the national and state curriculum and key learning areas
• Communication and interpersonal skills in the classroom, school, community and other education contexts, including - including effective teacher stance and presence, and directing students and activities in the classroom.
• Theories and practices of lesson planning and evaluation procedures and how these impact on classroom teaching and learning 
• Interpreting the syllabus: linkages between outcomes, teaching/learning strategies and key assessment tasks
• Assessment and Evaluative processes to enhance teaching and learning in order to build reflective practice based on a range of sources of evidence
• Approaches to assessment, a range of assessment strategies and the role of feedback in learning and assessment
• A range of teaching strategies that support inclusive student participation and engagement in learning, including insights from Grossman’s ‘Core Practices’
• Differentiation of content, teaching and assessment strategies to engage diverse learners, including:
• Routines and Strategies for organising classroom activities and maintaining smooth transitions
• Basic ICT applications and ICT-based resources to enhance teaching and learning
• The Australian Professional Standards for Teachers: Graduate - their purpose, structure and role in identifying professional learning needs
• Effective communication and classroom management skills appropriate for creating and maintaining positive, safe and challenging learning environments
• Strategies to foster reflective and self-auditing practices to improve learning and teaching
• Analysing and responding to feedback from mentors, TFAs, colleagues, supervisors and students

Learning and teaching strategy and rationale

The course of which this unit is a part is an employment-based pathway (pre-service teachers in this unit will be working as employed first-year teachers) and therefore multiple modes of delivery enable pre-service teachers to learn concurrently with their professional responsibilities. In this context, the continuous spiral of teaching, practice, and assessment within the authentic context of their teaching role is paramount. A social constructivist and practice-based approach to develop the participant’s understanding of effective pedagogies through active engagement and collaborative learning. It is designed to build the participant’s understanding of teaching approaches through critical reading, lecturer modelling, discussion, practice in on-campus or simulated tutorials, and professional experience.

Praxis is the central organising principle for teaching and learning within the unit, such that pre-service teachers are provided with regular and consistent opportunities to apply the content within this unit to the context of professional experience. This approach aims to develop pedagogical judgment alongside essential skills, or core practices, that are critical in an employment-based pathway. The participant’s skills of planning and assessing, and his/her ability to locate and synthesise information, and other skills aligned to the unit learning outcomes will be progressively developed through learning opportunities and professional experience that will culminate in successful achievement of the unit learning outcomes. 

The teaching and learning strategy described above will use an appropriate selection of approaches, including, for example:

• Online lectures (synchronous and asynchronous)
• Face-to-face tutorials (including hands-on tutorials, discussions, peer learning and microteaching opportunities)
• Self-directed reading and research
• Collaborative learning opportunities;
• Online tutorials
• Individual in-workplace support

Further to this, the specific elements of professional experience will involve:

• Assisted immersion in school and class contexts to begin to experience aspects of the -primary school teacher’s role and responsibilities
• Participation and engagement, as a community of learners with peers, supervising teachers and university staff, in observation opportunities, team and small group teaching, and whole class teaching, observations and analysis of high-quality teaching episodes.
• Observation and analysis of high-quality teaching episodes. 

Refer to Professional Experience Handbook for detailed guidelines regarding teaching and other requirements. (Uploaded as accreditation attachment)

Assessment strategy and rationale

The assessment tasks and their weightings are designed so that the pre-service teachers can progressively achieve the Course Learning Outcomes and the Professional Standards and is consistent with University assessment requirements (https://policies.acu.edu.au/student_policies/assessment_policy_and_assessment_procedures). This unit focusses on acquiring pedagogical knowledge and developing the skills to assimilate conceptual knowledge in order for that knowledge to inform skills that will be applied in practice.

The first task, a hurdle requirement, ensures that pre-service teachers initially meet the minimum requirements for entry into a school context. As pre-service teachers undertake learning opportunities and commence professional experience within the unit, they will begin compiling an evidence base that demonstrates their growing progression towards the unit learning outcomes (and their correspondingly relevant Australian Professional Standards for Teachers. By the culmination of the unit, this assessed professional experience will provide a clear and defensible portfolio of authentic artefacts to indicate that pre-service teachers have met the unit learning outcomes and made satisfactory progress towards the identified focus areas within the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers as they complete their professional experience. The unit then culminates with the participant drawing upon all sources of learning throughout the unit, including but not limited to professional experience, to synthesise a profile of effective teaching and personal development plan to guide their ongoing professional experience. This critical task highlights the significant development of professional knowledge, practice, and engagement and refocuses the participant to continue to invest in continued personal development in areas addressed in future units, including professional experience units. 

Pre-service teachers, the University, TFA and schools collaborate in co-ordinating the school-based experiences of the pre-service teachers as they develop further their appreciation and understanding of the role of teacher. The report completed at the end of this unit covers the following themes:

• Professionalism – in conduct, in the execution of teaching and learning and in relationships with all parties
• Detailed, clearly expressed, thoroughly prepared and well-presented lessons
• Organisation and implementation of a range of learning activities and assessment strategies
• Diversity of teaching approaches
• Development of knowledge, skills and effective classroom strategies, including ICT, to promote engaging learning environments
• Engagement in a range of activities around the teacher’s role, including assisting the class teacher, structured observation and critical reflection, as appropriate to the setting.
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 The University will award the final grade based on reports from relevant staff. All assessments must be passed in order to pass this unit. Consistent with University regulations, pre-service teachers who fail this unit may be asked to ‘show cause’, and this may in turn lead to termination from the course.

Overview of assessments

Representative texts and references

Relevant national, state and territory curriculum documents and study designs.

Archer, A. L., & Hughes, C. A. (2010). Explicit instruction: Effective and efficient teaching. Guilford Press.

Groundwater-Smith, S., Ewing, R., & Le Cornu, R. (2020). Teaching: Challenges and dilemmas (6th ed.). South Melbourne, Vic: Cengage Learning Australia.

Grossman, P. L. (2018). Teaching Core Practices in Teacher Education. Harvard Education Press

Hattie, J. (2012). Visible learning for teachers: Maximizing impact on learning. Routledge.

Killen, R. (2016). Effective teaching strategies: Lessons from research and practice (7th ed.). South Melbourne, Vic: Cengage Learning Australia.

Marzano, R. J., Pickering, D., & Pollock, J. E. (2012). Classroom instruction that works: Research-based strategies for increasing student achievement (2nd ed.). ASCD.

Marsh, C. (2014). Becoming a teacher: Knowledge, skills and issues (6th ed.). Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson.

Price, K. (Ed.) (2019). Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education: An introduction for the teaching profession. Port Melbourne, Vic: Cambridge University Press.

Roblyer, M. D., & Doering, A. D. (2018). Integrating educational technology into teaching (8th ed.). Boston, MA; Sydney, NSW: Pearson Education Inc.

Rosenshine, B. (2012). Principles of Instruction: Research-Based Strategies That All Teachers Should Know. American educator, 36(1), 12.