Year
2023Credit points
10Campus offering
No unit offerings are currently available for this unitPrerequisites
Nil
Unit rationale, description and aim
In Catholic Schools, the learning area of Religious Education involves acquiring a knowledge and appreciation of the Catholic tradition. An understanding and evaluation of the nature and purpose of education in a Christian community is the foundation upon which strong partnerships can be developed between the school and the parish in the lifelong process of religious education.
This unit explores the relationship between the Catholic school, the parish and the family and investigates the role of Religious Education within the broader faith community. Students are required to evaluate the dynamic nature of evangelisation, catechesis and religious education in the context of active, ongoing and co-responsible collaborations between the Catholic school and the Parish community. Students will explore pedagogies, programs and processes to see how partnerships can be enhanced between school and parish.
The aim of the unit is to make concrete the relationship between school and parish and for students to generate programs which enhance partnerships between school and parish.
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 - Examine the nature and purpose of education in the Christian community from historical and contemporary perspectives (GA8; APST 1.1, 1.2 Lead)
LO2 - Appraise the relationship between catechesis, religious instruction, religious education and evangelisation to enhance the development of learning and teaching activities in religious education in school and parish contexts (GA4)
LO3 - Critique contemporary pedagogies and programs for facilitating religious education in partnership in the Christian community particularly in partnerships between the Catholic school and the parish community (GA4, GA8)
LO4 - Assess insights from educational and psychological theory and contemporary Church documents on Catholic education and catechesis that support the development of appropriate and responsive aims and processes of education in faith and worship at different stages of life including childhood, adolescence and adulthood (GA1, GA8)
LO5 - Generate programs and processes for partnerships in religious education between the Catholic school and the parish community that respond to the contemporary context (GA5, GA10; APST 7.1, 7.3 Lead, APST 7.4 HA)
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 - Lead
On successful completion of this unit, students should have gained evidence towards the following standards:
1.1 - Physical, social and intellectual development and characteristics of students Lead colleagues to select and develop teaching strategies to improve student learning using knowledge of the physical, social and intellectual development and characteristics of students. |
1.2 - Understand how students learn Lead processes to evaluate the effectiveness of teaching programs using research and workplace knowledge about how students learn. |
7.1 - Meet professional ethics and responsibilities Model exemplary ethical behaviour and exercise informed judgements in all professional dealings with students, colleagues and the community. |
7.3 - Engage with the parents/carers Identify, initiate and build on opportunities that engage parents/carers in both the progress of their children’s learning and in the educational priorities of the school. |
Australian Professional Standards for Teachers - Highly Accomplished
On successful completion of this unit, students should have gained evidence towards the following standards:
7.4 - Engage with professional teaching networks and broader communities Contribute to professional networks and associations and build productive links with the wider community to improve teaching and learning. |
Content
Topics will include:
- the nature and purpose of education in the Christian community from historical and contemporary perspectives
- the relationship between catechesis, religious instruction, religious education and evangelisation linked to teaching learning in school and parish contexts
- the roles and responsibilities of the school, parish and family as partners beyond the Religious Education classroom
- contemporary pedagogies and programs for facilitating lifelong religious education in partnership in the Christian community
- insights from educational and psychological theory and contemporary Church documents on Catholic education and catechesis linked to developmental theory and stages of life
- generation of programs and processes linked to the above topics which help develop partnerships in religious education between the Catholic school and parish community, all responding to the contemporary context.
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
The learning and teaching strategy in this unit is informed by various principles that are enunciated in the University’s Strategic Plan (2020 – 2023). In particular, the unit adopts a “student-centric approach that ensures every student has the opportunity and support they need to succeed and graduate at ACU” (Australian Catholic University, 2020, p. 7) (Priority 2.5).
EDRE639 is taught in numerous modes (i.e. face to face, intensive, online, mixed) and involves 150 hours of focused learning. This consists of lectures and tutorials in the face-to-face mode, and recorded lectures (for asynchronous use), videoconferencing and webinars in the online mode. The remaining hours are reserved for private research and cooperative learning through forums and reflective journals, leading to the completion of the required assessment tasks.
In the unit, students study the changing contexts in which education occurs in the Christian community. The unit proposes several partnership models that can be used to underpin parish–school relations and provides students with opportunities to consider suitable models that can lead to lifelong education in faith communities by drawing upon local contexts.
Assessment strategy and rationale
The assessment strategy used allows students to progressively develop their knowledge, understanding and analytical skills to the level of sophistication where they are able to evaluate ways to draw on foundational and contemporary expressions of Christian education in a community of faith and, with a focus on partnerships in religious education, to further develop this community.
To develop this level of creativity the first assessment task consolidates key theoretical and contextual understandings through synthesising this factual and conceptual knowledge in an extended written response. The second task requires students to apply their understanding through the design, development and justification of an original program for a partnership in religious education between the Catholic school and the parish community in the final assessment task.
Overview of assessments
| Brief Description of Kind and Purpose of Assessment Tasks | Weighting | Learning Outcomes | Graduate Attributes |
|---|---|---|---|
Assessment Task 1 Extended Written Response: Prepare a Discussion Paper to present to key groups in your local context as a religious educator that explores the nature and purpose of partnerships in religious education between the Catholic school and the parish community. | 50% | LO1, LO2, LO3 | GA4, GA8 |
Assessment Task 2 Designing an original program for a partnership in religious education between the Catholic school and the parish community: Drawing upon an appropriate pedagogy, developmental theory and population cohort, generate a ‘program’ that: · is relevant to the particular context; and, · aims to develop an effective partnership between Catholic school and parish in religious education | 50% | LO4, LO5 | GA1, GA5, GA8, GA10 |
Representative texts and references
Archdiocese of Brisbane. (2014). Collaborating for mission: The parish and the Catholic school. http://www.cec.qld.edu.au/publications/Documents/Collaborating%20for%20Mission%20Parish%20A5%20Booklet_WEB.pdf .
Bishops of NSW and the ACT. (2007). Pastoral Letter: Catholic schools at a crossroads. https://www.csnsw.catholic.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/catholic-schools-at-a-crossroads.pdf
Catholic Education SA and Office for Renewing Parishes. (2018). Being Church together: A theology, vision and guiding principles for the Parish - School Relationship. https://www.schoolboards.cesa.catholic.edu.au/working-together/working-with-the-parish.
East, T., Aguilera-Titus., Coll, C., RSM, Eckert, A M., Kehrwald L., Lansing., Sean., Martineau, M., Roberto, J., & Tholcke, C M. (2015). Leadership for Catholic youth ministry. Twenty Third Publications.
Engebretson, K (2014). Catholic schools and the future of the Church. Bloomsbury.
Mallon, J. (2014). Divine renovation: bringing your parish from maintenance to mission. Twenty-Third Publications.
Ryan, C., Fini, C., Hart, M., Hodge, J., Rhynehart, T., Koper, M., Hart, M., Sinclair, G., Salmon, P., Woods, P., Toohey, S., Gigacz, S., Pirola, T., Bennett, S., Hasham, S., & Woods, P., (2014). Australian Catholic youth ministry: Theological and pastoral foundations for faithful ministry. Garratt.
Rymarz, R. (2013). The new evangelisation: issues and challenges for Catholic schools. Connor Court.
Vatican Documents
Congregation for Catholic Education. (2007). Educating together in Catholic schools: A shared mission between consecrated persons and the lay faithful. http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccatheduc/documents/rc_con_ccatheduc_doc_20070908_educare-insieme_en.html.
Congregation for Catholic Education. (2014). Educating today and tomorrow: A renewing passion. http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccatheduc/documents/rc_con_ccatheduc_doc_20140407_educare-oggi-e-domani_en.html.
Congregation for Catholic Education. (2022). Instruction: The identity of a Catholic school for a culture of dialogue. https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccatheduc/documents/rc_con_ccatheduc_doc_20220125_istruzione-identita-scuola-cattolica_en.html
Congregation for the Clergy. (2020). Instruction: The pastoral conversion of the Parish community in the service of the evangelising mission of the Church. https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2020/07/20/200720a.html.
Pontifical Council for Promoting New Evangelization. (2020). Directory for Catechesis. St Pauls.
Pope Francis. (2013). Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium the joy of the gospel. http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/apost_exhortations/documents/papa-francesco_esortazione-ap_20131124_evangelii-gaudium.html.
Appropriate Journals and Websites
Journals
Australasian Catholic Record
Websites