Year
2023Credit points
10Campus offering
No unit offerings are currently available for this unitPrerequisites
NilUnit rationale, description and aim
Teachers require a comprehensive understanding of theories and practices that underpin teaching and learning environments.
In this unit, pre-service teachers will critically address the complexities of teachers' roles and practice, communication and interpersonal skills, classroom management strategies, planning processes and diverse teaching and assessment strategies to support the needs of diverse learners. They will describe, analyse and reflect upon current pedagogical approaches through engagement in web enhanced environments, tutorials and assessment activities.
Pre-service teachers will engage in critical reflection upon their developing professional selves as confident and effective teachers, aligned with the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers at Graduate level.
This unit aims to assist pre-service teachers to develop a critical approach to teaching and learning through engaging with research, scholarship and school- based professional experience that links theory and practice.
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 (GA5, GA10; APST 6.1, 7.1, 7.2)
LO2 - Demonstrate a critical understanding of a range of effective verbal and non-verbal communication and interpersonal skills and strategies to support learner engagement, including classroom organisation, to be employed during teaching episodes (GA5; APST 3.5, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3)
LO3 - Critically examine the nexus between theories and practices of classroom teaching and learning (GA4, GA5)
LO4 - Critically analyse and develop appropriate teaching strategies for differentiating curriculum and teaching, 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, APST 1.4, APST 1.5, 2.2, 2.3, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3)
LO5 - Plan and evaluate learning, teaching, assessment and feedback strategies, with reference to multiple sources of evidence (GA5, GA8; APST 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.6, 5.1, 5.2)
LO6 - Critically analyse and responsibly create ICT based learning activities and resources, taking into account safety and ethics (GA10; APST 2.6, 3.4, 4.5)
LO7 - Critically analyse, synthesise and develop a range of classroom management strategies to be applied during teaching that are responsive to student well-being and safety (GA1, GA5, GA8; APST 4.3, 4.4)
Graduate attributes
GA1 - demonstrate respect for the dignity of each individual and for human diversity
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:
1.3 Demonstrate knowledge of teaching strategies that are responsive to the learning strengths and needs of students from diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds. |
1.4 Demonstrate broad knowledge and understanding of the impact of culture, cultural identity and linguistic background on the education of students from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds. |
1.5 Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of strategies for differentiating teaching to meet the specific learning needs of students across the full range of abilities. |
2.1 Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the concepts, substance and structure of the content and teaching strategies of the teaching area. |
2.2 Organise content into an effective learning and teaching sequence. |
2.3 Use curriculum, assessment and reporting knowledge to design learning sequences and lesson plans. |
2.6 Implement teaching strategies for using ICT to expand curriculum learning opportunities for students. |
3.1 Set learning goals that provide achievable challenges for students of varying abilities and characteristics. |
3.2 Plan lesson sequences using knowledge of student learning, content and effective teaching strategies. |
3.3 Include a range of teaching strategies. |
3.4 Demonstrate knowledge of a range of resources, including ICT, that engage students in their learning. |
3.5 Demonstrate a range of verbal and non-verbal communication strategies to support student engagement. |
3.6 Demonstrate broad knowledge of strategies that can be used to evaluate teaching programs to improve student learning. |
4.1 Identify strategies to support inclusive student participation and engagement in classroom activities. |
4.2 Demonstrate the capacity to organise classroom activities and provide clear directions. |
4.3 Demonstrate knowledge of practical approaches to manage challenging behaviour. |
4.4 Describe strategies that support students’ well-being and safety working within school and/or system, curriculum and legislative requirements. |
4.5 Demonstrate an understanding of the relevant issues and the strategies available to support the safe, responsible and ethical use of ICT in learning and teaching. |
5.1 Demonstrate understanding of assessment strategies, including informal and formal, diagnostic, formative and summative approaches to assess student learning. |
5.2 Demonstrate an understanding of the purpose of providing timely and appropriate feedback to students about their learning. |
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. |
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
- An overview of the National and State curriculum and key learning areas
- Examination of the theories and practices underpinning the complexities of teacher performance in the classroom, school and other social contexts
- Communication and interpersonal skills in the classroom, school, and other education contexts, including providing clear directions
- Theories and practices of lesson planning procedures and how these impact on classroom teaching and learning
- Interpreting the syllabus: linkages between outcomes, teaching/learning strategies and key assessment tasks
- 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:
- Questioning and discussion processes
- Direct Instruction
- Explanations and Demonstrations
- Group investigations
- Structured inquiry
- Inductive Thinking
- Concept-attainment
- Problem solving
- Role play
- Advanced organisers
- Differentiation of content, teaching and assessment strategies to engage diverse learners, including:
- learners from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds
- learners across the full range of abilities
- EAL/D learners and
- learners from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds
- Strategies for organising classroom activities
- Theories and practices of classroom management, with particular emphasis on preventative measures and maintaining positive classroom environments for teaching and learning
- 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
- Creating a Digital Portfolio of Professional Practice – for evidence of self-auditing to identify strengths and areas for development.
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
Pre-service teachers will be involved in a variety of teaching-learning strategies to progress and demonstrate their understandings in this unit Delivery may be on-campus, online, or blended mode. Teaching strategies may include lectures, workshops, group tasks, videos, close reading and discussion of journal articles, seminars, online and class discussion.
This is a 10-credit point unit and has been designed to ensure that the time needed to complete the required volume of learning to the requisite standard is approximately 150 hours in total across the semester. To achieve a passing standard in this unit, students will find it helpful to engage in the full range of learning activities and assessments utilised in this unit, as described in the learning and teaching strategy and the assessment strategy. The learning and teaching and assessment strategies include a range of approaches to support your learning such as reading, reflection, discussion, webinars, podcasts, video, workshops, and assignments etc.
Assessment strategy and rationale
The assessment tasks and their weightings are designed to allow pre-service teachers to progressively demonstrate achievement against the unit learning outcomes and demonstrate attainment of professional standards.
In order to pass this unit, students are required to achieve a minimum of 50% in all assessment tasks. All assessments will be conducted in accordance with ACU guidelines relating to student conduct and ethics in this area.
Overview of assessments
| Brief Description of Kind and Purpose of Assessment Tasks | Weighting | Learning Outcomes | Graduate Attributes |
|---|---|---|---|
Assessment Task 1 A sequence of learning activities in the pre-service teacher’s subject area. (2 – 3 lessons). Construct a sequence of learning activities for an intended class showing linkages between outcomes, teaching/learning strategies and assessment tasks. Must include:
| 30% | LO2, LO4, LO5, LO6 | GA1, GA4, GA5, GA8, GA10 |
Assessment Task 2: Reflective Journal and ePortfolio: Part A: A critically reflective evaluation of learning throughout the unit, including teaching and assessment strategies, communication and interpersonal skills, approaches to engaging learners. Link to current literature to determine the effectiveness of teaching practice and identify own professional development needs. Part B: Plan and create the format for a Digital Portfolio of Professional Practice (ePortfolio) using the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers: Graduate as a framework. Include a selection of evidence/artefacts, linked to 6 - 10 Professional Standards, supported by annotations justifying their inclusion. | 40% | LO1, LO3, LO7 | GA4, GA5, GA8, GA10 |
Assessment Task 3: Examination Must demonstrate in-depth, critical understanding of:
| 30% | LO1, LO3, LO4, LO7 | GA1, GA4, GA5, GA8 |
Representative texts and references
Relevant national, state and territory curriculum documents and study designs.
Groundwater-Smith, S., Ewing, R., & Le Cornu, R. (2015). Teaching: Challenges and dilemmas (5th ed.). South Melbourne, Vic: Cengage Learning Australia.
Joyce, B., Weil, M., & Calhoun, E. (2015). Models of teaching (9th ed.). Boston/London: Pearson.
Keeffe, M., & Carrington, S. (2007). Schools and diversity (2nd ed.). Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson Education Australia.
Killen, R. (2016). Effective teaching strategies: Lessons from research and practice (7th ed.). South Melbourne, Vic: Cengage Learning Australia.
Levin, J., & Nolan, J. (2014). Principles of classroom management: A professional decision-making model (7th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.
Lyons, G., Ford, M., & Arthur-Kelly, M. (2011). Classroom management: Creating positive learning environments (3rd ed.). South Melbourne, Vic: Cengage Learning.
Marsh, C. (2010). Becoming a teacher: Knowledge, skills and issues (5th ed.). Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson.
McDonald, T. (2019). Classroom management: Engaging students in learning (3rd ed.). Docklands, Vic: Oxford University Press.
Poore, M. (2016). Using social media in the classroom: A best practice guide (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Price, K. (Ed.) (2012). Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education: An introduction for the teaching profession. Port Melbourne, Vic: Cambridge University Press.
Queensland Government. (2011). Embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives in schools: A guide for school learning communities. Accessed 12 August, 2014, from: http://deta.qld.gov.au/indigenous/pdfs/eatsips_2011.pdf
Roblyer, M. D. (2016). Integrating educational technology into teaching (7th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.
Whitton, D., Barker, K., Nosworthy, M., Humphries, J., & Sinclair, C. (2016). Learning for teaching, teaching for learning (3rd ed.). South Melbourne, Vic: Cengage Learning Australia.