EDPH271 - Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment in Physical 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 Physical 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 Physical 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 Physical Education learning and teaching activities for junior students which involve a variety of pedagogical approaches and resources appropriate to these year levels and curriculum content (GA4, GA5, GA9, GA10; APST 2.1, 2.2, 2.6, 3.2)

LO2 - Explain, develop and evaluate a variety of classroom strategies for differentiating teaching to meet the specific learning strengths and needs of students across the full range of abilities and from diverse backgrounds (e.g. cognitive, physical, social, cultural, explicitly including students from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds); and integrate general capabilities and cross curriculum priorities (including literacy, numeracy and ICT) in Physical Education (GA4, GA5, GA9; APST 1.1, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 2.5,, 2.6, 3.1 3.5, 4.1, 4.5)

LO3 - Examine the relationships between student learning and expertise, higher order thinking, learning task design, assessment, feedback and reporting in Physical Education (GA4, GA5, GA9; APST 2.3, 5.1, 5.5)

LO4 - Demonstrate the capacity to practically manage behaviour in indoor and outdoor activities including knowledge and understanding of the administrative principles and safety procedures in relation to Physical Education (GA4, GA5,GA9; APST 4.2, 4.4).

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.

AUSTRALIAN PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS FOR TEACHERS - GRADUATE LEVEL

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

Content

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 Physical Education in Years 7-10
• the concepts, substance and structure of the content and teaching strategies of Physical Education, in particular the Movement and Physical Activity Strand of the Australian Health and Physical Education Curriculum, including the sub-strands Moving our body, Understanding movement, and Learning though movement.
• specific professional practices related to teaching and learning in Physical Education (eg. risk management and safety policies and procedures)
• behaviour management in outdoor settings
• an understanding of how effective teaching, including curriculum rigour, engagement, participation and inclusion, is a key factor in effective classroom management
• students’ well-being and safety working within school and/or system, curriculum and legislative requirements
• the integration of Health and Physical Education content
• general capabilities and cross curriculum priorities including the integration of literacy, numeracy and ICT and local, state, territory and national perspectives in Physical Education.
• planning sequences of learning activities in Physical Education relative to specific school context and identified factors impacting teaching and learning
• inclusive student participation and engagement in classroom activities
• focus areas will include active play and minor games; challenge and adventure skills; fundamental movement skills; games and sports; lifelong physical activities; and rhythmic and expressive movement.
• the relationship between reflexive learning and effective concept formation to build higher order thinking in Physical Education
• teaching strategies that are responsive to the learning strengths and needs of students from diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds in Physical Education
• discipline specific teaching strategies and issues related to Indigenous students in Physical Education
• effective use of resources for teaching, including ICT’s and technologies specific to Physical Education
• pedagogical strategies to promote problem solving and critical thinking in Physical Education
• feedback, assessment strategies and reporting in Physical Education
• extending and challenging learners in Physical 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 Physical 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

Relevant national, state and territory curriculum documents

ASC. (2010). Give it a go! Including people with disabilities in sport and physical activity. Australian Sports Commission.

Catholic Education Commission, NSW, (2006). Towards wholeness: A Catholic perspective on personal development, health and physical education 7-10 Syllabus. Sydney South, NSW: Catholic Education Commission, New South Wales.

Darst, P. W., Pangrazi, R.P., Sariscsany, M. J. & Brusseau, T. (2012), Dynamic physical education for the secondary school students (7th ed.). Boston, MA: Benjamin Cummings.

Meldrum, K., & Peters, J. (2012). Learning to teach health and physical education: The student, the teacher and the curriculum. Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson.

Pangrazi, R.P., & Beighle A. (2012). Dynamic physical education for elementary school children (17th ed.). Glenview IL: Pearson Education, Inc.

Tinning, R., McCuaig, L., & Hunter, L. (2006). Teaching health and physical education in Australian schools. Frenchs Forest, NSW: Prentice Hall.