EDFX522 - Social and Cultural Contexts of Development and Learning and Graduate Professional Experience Primary 2

Year

Credit points

Campus offering

Prerequisites

EDFX521 Effective Teaching and Graduate Professional Experience Primary 1

Unit rationale, description and aim

This unit includes a minimum of 20 days professional experience placement

This unit explores the role of schooling in society, including the aims of Education and the social, cultural, ethnic and religious factors that impact upon the contexts of schooling. Pre-service teachers will explore the way in which these factors affect learning and shape the identity of schools, with reference to National, State, Catholic and other non-government education systems. The unit examines theories of learning and teaching in the contexts of questioning the role of education to assist pre-service teachers to understand human development and the impact of students’ characteristics and frames of reference. Particular emphasis is placed on the learner, the teacher, families and their inter-relationships. A primary goal is for pre-service teachers to reflect and revise their own theories of learning in order to enhance pedagogy.

The aim of this unit is to enhance pre-service teachers' understanding of the teacher’s role in creating flexible class and school learning environments for learning and teaching in the 21st Century by exploring ways technology can contribute and engage students in lifelong learning. A minimum of 20 days of professional experience is embedded in the unit, enabling the development of closer links between theoretical considerations and the teaching and learning experiences encountered in schools.

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 - Develop and apply understandings of student characteristics and learning needs using child and adolescent developmental stages and learning theories to determine how these may affect learning of primary school students, with a particular focus on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and multicultural students (GA4, GA5; APST 1.1, 1.2, 1.4, 2.4) 

LO2 - Critically analyse basic assumptions, concepts and principles of major learning theories and child and adolescent developmental stages to determine implications for instructional settings (GA4, GA5, GA8; APST 1.1, 1.2, 1.4, 1.5) 

LO3 - Analyse and critique a range of teaching strategies, curriculum materials and resources that respond to learning strengths and needs of students from diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socio-economic backgrounds, including students from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds. (GA2, GA4; APST 1.3, 1.4, 2.4)

LO4 - Critically examine the means by which the mission and identity in schools and systems of education in Australia have historically responded to broader social and cultural influences and changing values (GA2, GA5, GA8; APST 6.2)

LO5 - Demonstrate variability in the use of verbal and non-verbal classroom communication and effective interpersonal skills during teaching episodes that support student engagement in learning (GA5, GA10; APST 3.5, 4.1, 4.2)

LO6 - Critique, contrast and synthesise a range of strategies to manage behaviour within classrooms and whole school contexts to ensure students’ wellbeing and safety, including involving parents/carers in the educative process (GA8; APST 3.7, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4)

LO7 - Plan, construct and implement appropriate and effective learning and teaching activities, sequences and resources, including ICT, that engage learners of varied abilities (GA8, GA10; APST 2.1, 2.2, 2.6, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 4.1)

LO8 - Critique current principles and practices of assessment and the purpose and impact of timely and focused feedback to students , parents/carers and other stakeholders in order evaluate student learning and modify teaching practice (GA5, GA8, GA10; APST 5.1, 5.2, 5.4, 5.5)

LO9 - Reflect critically upon teaching processes and classroom management strategies used in the context of various learning environments through Professional Experience as a means to develop and refine professional practice(GA5, GA7, GA8; APST 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 3.7, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 4.5, 5.1, 5.2, 5.4, 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 7.1, 7.4).

Graduate attributes

GA2 - recognise their responsibility to the common good, the environment and society 

GA4 - think critically and reflectively 

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

GA7 - work both autonomously and collaboratively 

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

This unit is based on an understanding that learning and development is situated in complex diverse contexts. The content will cover the following four modules:

Learner characteristics and development:

• Child and adolescent developmental stages.
• Concepts of culture, identity and cultural diversity and the impact on student performance and educational outcomes, including a focus on students from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds
• Addressing cultural and socioeconomic diversity within families and schools.

Philosophical and sociological reality of education and schooling:

• Historical development of education in Australia, with a focus upon the development of  Catholic and other non-government schools and systems.
• The response of education systems to contemporary social and cultural change.
• Analysis of the impact of education systems, school philosophies, system, State, national and international policy developments and school structures on quality learning and teaching practices

Learning theories and applications for instruction:

• Behavioural and social cognitive theories
• Information-processing theory and cognitive models of learning
• Constructivist approaches to learning
• Understanding student differences: intelligence and achievement

Creating effective class and school learning environments:

• How students are motivated and implications for teaching and learning
• Pedagogy and technology as a tool for learning
• The role and impact of assessment and feedback for improved student learning outcomes and modification of teaching practices
• The importance of parents/carers as partners in the educative process
• The ability to work collaboratively with colleagues.

Learning and teaching strategy and rationale

Lecture, workshop and tutorial formats will be used. This unit will consist of three contact hours or equivalent each week and a minimum of 20 days in a mainstream school setting during the first semester. The unit will integrate understandings and skills developed and practiced in ‘on campus’ and ‘in school’ experiences, discussions, readings, individual study and critical reflections. A variety of learning-teaching strategies will be used including:

• face-to-face lectures, supported through some online delivery of content
• workshop/tutorials where teaching strategies are analysed

This unit will take a blended approach familiarising pre-service teachers with the many ways technology can contribute to learning and instruction.

Integral to the unit will be the undertaking of a minimum of 20 days in a mainstream primary school setting for each pre-service teacher. A suggested five single days will be taken in the first half of the 12 week semester followed by a 15 day block in the final part of the semester.

This experience will involve:

• Taking on aspects of the primary school teacher role and responsibilities, as appropriate.
• Developing lesson plans/activities and implementing these with the professional experience class (see table)
• Understanding the role and purpose of assessment, feedback and reporting
• Collaborating with parents/carers as partners in the educative process
• Guided reflective practice with structured feedback of the skills and strategies explored within this unit for teaching concerned with promoting respectful and supportive learning environments with individual students and whole class
• Learning to work collaboratively with other colleagues, specialists teachers and teacher aides especially in relation to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander,  ESL and EAL/D students
• Being actively engaged in professional reflective conversations with peers, mentor/associate teacher and university colleagues
• Collecting appropriate artefacts and annotating these for the maintenance of self-auditing of professional learning needs within the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers: Graduate framework and digital portfolio of professional practice commenced in EDFX521 Effective Teaching and Graduate Professional Experience Primary 1.

Professional Experience: Teaching Requirements

Through school-based experiences, pre-service teachers will examine the nexus between theory and practice in a coherent manner as they research, analyse and reflect upon current practices, develop communication, planning and organisational skills and relate their observations to the theoretical foundations introduced through lectures and tutorials at university and then actioned through experience in the field. The professional experience components of this unit are designed to allow pre-service teachers to become immersed in the life of the school community through participation in a minimum of 5 days during the semester and a block practicum of 15 days. Pre-service teachers remain in the same classroom for a minimum of 20 days. The professional experience component, in partnership with the teachers and school communities, will develop the content and skills explicitly addressed within lectures and tutorials to develop an understanding of productive pedagogies and the importance of creating quality learning environments

This experience will involve:

• Taking on aspects of the primary school teacher role and responsibilities, as appropriate.
• Developing lesson plans/activities and implementing these with the professional experience class (see table)
• Guided reflective practice with structured feedback of the skills and strategies explored within this unit for teaching concerned with promoting respectful and supportive learning environments with individual students and whole class
• Learning to work collaboratively with other colleagues, specialists teachers and teacher aides, parents/carers especially in relation to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, ESL and EAL/D students
• Being actively engaged in professional reflective conversations with peers, mentor/associate teacher and university colleagues
• Collecting appropriate artefacts and annotating these for the maintenance of self-auditing of professional learning needs within the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers: Graduate framework and digital portfolio of professional practice commenced in EDFX521 Effective Teaching and Graduate Professional Experience Primary 1.

The professional experience components of this unit are designed to allow pre-service teachers to become immersed in the life of the school community. Pre-service teachers remain in the same classroom for a minimum of 20 days. The professional experience component, in partnership with the teachers and school communities, will develop the content and skills explicitly addressed within lectures and tutorials to develop an understanding of productive pedagogies and the importance of creating quality learning environments.

Suggested arrangement of the Professional Experience - 5 Single Days - Proposed Teaching Expectation

Day 1: Observation and small group teaching

Days 2 - 3: One – two lessons/learning experience per day

Days 3 - 5: Two – three lessons/learning experiences per day

Block Practicum: 15 days - Proposed Teaching Expectation

Days 6: Preparation and small group teaching

Days 7 - 8: Two- three lessons/learning experiences per day and taking responsibility for class routines

Days 9 - 10: Three or more lessons/learning experiences per day teaching including management of class routines and transitions.

Days 11 - 15: Half day continuous teaching with management and responsibility for beginning or closure of class/school day and associated routines. Management of literacy/maths block

Days 16 – 20: Full week

• Full day teaching with reflection, self-auditing and evaluation.
• Working collaboratively with colleagues and teacher aides

Assessment strategy and rationale

The assessment will relate directly to the achievement of the learning outcomes. A variety of assessment modes may be used.

Minimum Achievement Standards

All assessment tasks must be completed. Pre-service teachers must achieve a pass in the professional experience component of the unit in order to satisfactorily complete this unit. If a fail grade is determined in professional experience, regardless of the marks achieved in the other assessment tasks, this will result in a fail for the entire unit. The student will also fail the unit if the grade for the combination of the other assessment tasks is a fail. Pre-service teachers who fail this unit will be asked to ‘show cause’ and their enrolment in the course will be terminated if the unit is failed twice.

Overview of assessments

Representative texts and references

Apple, M., Ball, S., & Gandin, L. (2010). The Routledge international handbook of the sociology of education. New York, NY: Routledge.

Brady, L., & Kennedy, K. (2013). Curriculum construction (5th ed.). Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson.

Gould, J. (2013). Learning theory and classroom practice in the lifelong learning sector (2nd ed.). Moorabbin, Vic: Hawker Brownlow Education.

Keeffe, M., & Carrington, S. (2007). Schools and diversity (2nd ed.). Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson.

Kemmis, S., & Smith, T. (2008). Enabling praxis: Challenges for education. Rotterdam: Sense Publications.

McInerney, D., & McInerney, V. (2010). Educational psychology: Constructing learning (5th ed.). Sydney, NSW: Pearson.

Peterson, C. (2013). Looking forward through the lifespan: Developmental psychology (5th ed.). Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson.

Schiro, M. (2013). Curriculum theory: Conflicting visions and enduring concerns (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Snowman, J., McCown, R., & Biehler, R. (2012). Psychology applied to teaching (13th ed.).Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing.

Woolfolk, A., & Margetts, K. (2012). Educational psychology (3rd ed.). Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson.

Zajda, J. (2011). Learning and teaching (2nd ed.). Albert Park, Vic: James Nicholas Publishers.