Year
2023Credit points
10Campus offering
No unit offerings are currently available for this unitPrerequisites
EDFX271 Creating Inclusive, Safe and Supportive Learning Environment
Unit rationale, description and aim
In the course of this unit theoretical perspectives of teaching practice will inform and provide contexts for creating and developing learning in the classroom. The unit includes 15 days of professional experience with a minimum of a 10 day block. Pre-service teachers will develop a critical approach to teaching and learning through engaging with research, scholarship and school-based professional experience. Pre-service teachers will critically reflect on the complexities of teacher performance, classroom management strategies, planning processes, teaching strategies and social contexts that inform learning environments. The implementation of communication and interpersonal skills and information and communication technology (ICT) will be addressed within various school, classroom and community contexts. Through knowledge and implementation of various teaching strategies pre-service teachers will develop an understanding of productive pedagogy with particular reference to the importance of creating quality learning environments. During the extended professional experience placement pre-service teachers will critically engage in reflective practice to ensure that diverse learners are engaged in quality teaching.
This unit aims to provide pre-service teachers with a comprehensive understanding of theories and practices that underpin teaching and learning environments.
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 - Understand the role of the teacher in the classroom and implement effective communication and interpersonal skills during teaching and learning (GA4, GA5, GA10; APST 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 3.4, 3.5, 4.3, 4.5)
LO2 - Apply theories and practices of curriculum planning and curriculum structures (GA4, GA5, GA10; 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 2.1, 3.4, 3.5, 4.3, 4.5, 6.1, 6.3)
LO3 - Analyse, develop and implement appropriate teaching strategies for learning, including the setting of appropriate and differentiated goals for students (GA5, GA8, GA10; APST 1.2, 1.3, 1.5, 2.1, 3.1, 4.2, 4.3, 6.1, 6.3)
LO4 - Examine and apply a range of classroom management strategies, including practical strategies for responding to challenging behaviours throughout the professional experience placement (GA4, GA5, GA8; APST 1.2, 3.1, 3.4, 3.5, 4.2, 4.3)
LO5 - Plan, develop and implement a variety of learning activities using a range of resources, including ICT that engage students in their learning recognising the collaborative and student led nature of effective ICT-mediated learning. (GA5, GA8, GA10; APST 1.2, 1.3, 3.1, 3.4, 3.5)
LO6 - Communicate effectively in cross-cultural situations, particularly those between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people (GA5; APST 1.4, 1.5, 4.2)
LO7 - Implement deliberate teaching and professional practices and critically examine specific educational contexts, including the professional experience placement, through reflective practice (GA4, GA5; APST 1.2, 1.3, 1.5, 2.1, 4.2, 4.3, 6.1, 6.3).
Graduate attributes
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:
1.2 Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of research into how students learn and the implications for teaching. |
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. |
3.1 Set learning goals that provide achievable challenges for students of varying abilities and characteristics. |
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. |
4.2 Demonstrate the capacity to organise classroom activities and provide clear directions. |
4.3 Demonstrate knowledge of practical approaches to manage challenging behaviour. |
4.5 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. |
6.1 Demonstrate an understanding of the role of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers in identifying professional learning needs. |
6.3 Seek and apply constructive feedback from supervisors and teachers to improve teaching practices. |
Content
Topics will include:
- Communication and interpersonal skills in the classroom, school, and other community contexts
- Theories and practices of lesson planning procedures and teacher performance, and how this impacts on classroom teaching and learning
- Models of curriculum and curriculum practice
- Evaluative processes to teaching and learning and how this impacts on reflective practice
- A range of pedagogical strategies, that may include direct instruction, questioning and discussion processes, explanations and demonstrations, cooperative and collaborative learning, inquiry-based learning, inductive thinking, differentiated instruction, problem solving, role play, ICT integrated learning
- Theories and practices of classroom management, with particular emphasis on preventing disruptive behaviours and maintaining classroom behaviour for quality teaching and learning
- An understanding and analysis of developing and implementing the addition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives across the curriculum
- An understanding of story in the teaching of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives including implications for curriculum and curriculum practice
- An overview of assessment strategies, including the need for timely feedback on student learning
- Introduction to the main areas of law relevant to the teacher-student relationship such as the duty of care, discipline and physical contact
- Development of ICT skills and the application of ICT for learning and teaching
- Current research into ICT and pedagogy.
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.
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 with a normal expectation of 36 hours of directed study and the total contact hours should not exceed 36 hours. Directed study might include lectures, tutorials, webinars, podcasts etc. The balance of the hours then become private study.
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.
Minimum Achievement Standards
There will be three assessment tasks equivalent to a total of 4,000 words. Pre-service teachers are required to pass the professional experience requirements in Assessment Task 3 in order to pass the unit.
Overview of assessments
| Brief Description of Kind and Purpose of Assessment Tasks | Weighting | Learning Outcomes | Graduate Attributes |
|---|---|---|---|
Assessment Task 1 Reflective blog: Pre-service teachers will create a professional profile which will include:
Across the blog posts reference must be made to the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers with a focus on Standard 2: Focus 2.6 Implement teaching strategies for using ICT to expand curriculum learning opportunities for students. The blog will need to demonstrate the following ICT capabilities:
| 50% | LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4, LO5, LO6, LO7 | GA4, GA5, GA8, GA10 |
Assessment Task 2 (this task must address the relevant LOs 2, 3, 5, & 7) Reflective practice in context: A critical exploration of a teaching episode, event, issue, experience or situation from your professional experience placement. Reflect critically on the teaching and learning episode in order to identify ways to improve quality teaching outcomes. Reflections should include responses to constructive feedback or data to improve and refine pedagogical practices from various sources, e.g. university supervisor, colleague teacher, student work, etc. | 50% | LO2, LO3, LO5, LO7 | GA4, GA5, GA8 |
Assessment Task 3 Successful completion of the professional experience requirements for third year of the course including compilation of evidence as required and preparation and presentation of a sequence of lesson plans, that incorporate an ICT focus with a variety of associated learning resources that will engage students in their learning. | NIL Pre-service teachers must pass the practicum in order to pass the unit | LO1, LO2, LO3, LO5 |
Representative texts and references
Brady, L., & Kennedy, K. (2010). Curriculum construction (4th ed.). Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson Prentice Hall.
Burden, P. (2010). Classroom management: Creating a successful K-12 learning community (4th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley Publishers.
Clarke, M., & Pittaway, S. (2014) Marsh’s becoming a teacher (6th ed.). Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson Australia.
Groundwater-Smith, S., Ewing, R., & Le Cornu, R. (2011). Teaching: Challenges and dilemmas (4th ed.) South Melbourne, Vic: Thomson Social Science Press.
Killen, R. (2013). Teaching strategies for outcomes-based education. Claremont: Juta and Company Ltd.
Parker, J. (2010). Teaching tech-savvy kids: Bringing digital media into the classroom, grades 5 – 12. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Phillips, J., & Lampert, J. (2012). Introductory Indigenous studies in education: Reflection and the importance of knowing (2nd ed.). Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson Australia.
Rogers, B. (2013). Cracking the hard class: Strategies for managing the harder than average class (2nd ed.) London: Paul Chapman Publishing.
Thompson, S., & Thompson, N. (2008). The critically reflective practitioner. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Whitton, D., Barker, K., Nosworthy, M., Sinclair, C., & Nanlohy, P. (2010). Learning for teaching: Teaching for learning (2nd ed.). South Melbourne, Vic: Cengage Learning Australia.