Year
2023Credit points
10Campus offering
No unit offerings are currently available for this unitPrerequisites
Nil
Unit rationale, description and aim
In order to plan and deliver lessons that promote learner engagement and enhance student learning, intending secondary teachers need a knowledge and understanding of the junior secondary curriculum, along with theoretical frameworks and pedagogical approaches that are emblematic of teaching in their chosen teaching areas.
Pre-service teachers will study the senior secondary Engineering Systems curriculum, including general capabilities, cross-curriculum priorities, and other allied materials. They will critique their prior knowledge and experience in the field and how these connect with the scope of the curriculum, identifying opportunities, challenges, and responsibilities of Engineering Systems teaching. Pre-service teachers will explore theoretical frameworks associated with teaching and learning in Engineering Systems education. They will learn evidence-based approaches to plan for effective teaching and learning, including embedded literacy and numeracy, and the use of digital technologies. They will learn approaches for engaging learners and to meet the learning needs of diverse students. They will learn to compose good questions, to assemble productive assessment tasks and develop skills to shape the dialogic talk of the classroom. Focussing on the detailed planning of a short series of lessons, pre-service teachers will learn to structure lesson sequences within units of work to demonstrate a knowledge of curriculum and learning theory. They will engage in microteaching to practice engaging students and guiding the classroom discourse.
The aim of this unit is for the pre-service teacher to develop their pedagogical content knowledge through becoming familiar with the knowledge, understanding and skills necessary for teaching Engineering Systems at a senior secondary level.
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 and devise a structured learning program in senior secondary Engineering Systems, showing a mastery of the concepts, substance and structure of the junior secondary Engineering Systems curriculum and assessment principles (GA4, GA5, GA8; APST 2.1, 2.3, 3.6, 5.1, 5.2)
LO2 - Critically analyse and develop a range of approaches to planning and delivering engaging and purposeful teaching/learning sequences for senior secondary Engineering Systems and including the selection of appropriate resources, informed by and understanding of how students learn in Engineering Systems (GA4, GA5, GA8, GA9, GA10; APST 1.2, 1.4, 2.1, 2.2, 2.5, 2.6, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 4.1, 4.2, 4.5)
LO3 - Describe, design, implement, and evaluate a variety of pedagogical approaches in senior secondary Engineering Systems which allow the specific learning strengths and needs of students to be met (GA4, GA5, GA7, GA8, GA9; APST 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 2.4, 3.1, 3.3, 4.1, 4.3)
LO4 - Identify and explain the use of linguistic resources to provide directions, explanations and support student learning (GA4, GA5, GA7, GA8, GA9, GA10; APST 1.3, 2.1, 2.4, 3.3, 3.5, 4.1, 5.2)
LO5 - Synthesise and critically reflect upon the professional responsibilities of the Engineering Systems teacher, including the provision of a safe and supportive learning environment (GA4, GA5, GA8, GA9, GA10; APST 1.3, 1.5, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.6, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 4.3, 4.4, 4.5, 5.1, 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4, 7.1, 7.2, 7.4)
Graduate attributes
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
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:
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. |
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. |
2.4 Demonstrate broad knowledge of, understanding of, and respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures and languages. |
2.5 Know and understand literacy and numeracy teaching strategies and their application in teaching areas. |
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. |
6.2 Understand the relevant and appropriate sources of professional learning for teachers. |
6.3 Seek and apply constructive feedback from supervisors and teachers to improve teaching practices. |
6.4 Demonstrate an understanding of the rationale for continued professional learning and the implications for improved student learnings. |
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. |
7.4 Understand the role of external professionals and community representatives in broadening teachers’ professional knowledge and practice. |
Content
Topics will include:
- The pre-service teachers’ prior experience of, and engagement with, Engineering Systems education
- The Australian senior secondary Engineering Systems curriculum, including general capabilities and cross curriculum priorities, focussing on appropriate state/jurisdictional expectations, syllabi and guidelines
- Theoretical frameworks associated with Engineering Systems teaching and learning
- Pedagogical approaches emblematic of Engineering Systems teaching and learning
- Planning and curriculum alignment
- Planning for effective teaching and learning in senior secondary Engineering Systems education
- Differentiated teaching in Engineering Systems
- Needs of learners from diverse cognitive, physical, social, cultural backgrounds
- Needs of learners from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds
- Incorporating literacy and numeracy in Engineering Systems teaching
- Digital technologies for teaching/learning in Engineering Systems education
- Conversational, questioning, and scaffolding techniques to shape dialogic classroom talk in Engineering Systems education
- Teacher-presented explanations
- Assessment in senior secondary Engineering Systems education
- Learning beyond the classroom
- Student welfare and safety in Engineering Systems education classrooms and typical Engineering Systems teaching/learning environments
- Professional responsibilities and relationships
- Professional associations and continued professional learning
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. It is designed to build the pre-service teacher’s 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 activities and culminating in micro-teaching opportunities. Her/his teaching skills of planning and assessing, and his/her ability to locate and synthesise information, will be developed through designing Engineering Systems lessons. The pre-service teacher will continue to gather and reflect upon evidence of attainment of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers: Graduate.
The teaching and learning strategy described above will use an appropriate selection of approaches, 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
The unit includes a Learning Management System site with resources and online links, announcements, and a discussion board to post questions and reflections that promote connection between content and educational experiences
Assessment strategy and rationale
The assessment tasks and their weightings are designed so that students can progressively achieve the course learning outcomes and the professional standards. The Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment units in this course focus on acquiring content knowledge and developing the skills to assimilate conceptual knowledge for that knowledge to inform skills that will be applied in practice.
The three assessment tasks are sequenced to allow feedback and progressive development. By completing Task 1 students will apply knowledge of curriculum planning and teaching and assessment strategies in the development of a unit of work for use in a specific classroom context. In Task 2 students will develop assessment tasks and marking guides. Lastly, in Task 3 students will carry out a critical analysis of suitable strategies and resources to develop a resource folio. These tasks reflect ‘real world’ school contexts and teaching responsibilities, thereby preparing students for professional experience placement and their role as a teacher.
Minimum Achievement Standard
To pass this unit, students are required to demonstrate achievement of learning outcomes by submitting all assessment tasks, obtaining a combined score of at least 50 per cent.
Overview of assessments
| Brief Description of Kind and Purpose of Assessment Tasks | Weighting | Learning Outcomes | Graduate Attributes |
|---|---|---|---|
Assessment Task 1: Design a Teaching Program The design of a program/unit of work for senior Engineering Systems students over a nominated period. | 40% | LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4 | GA4, GA5, GA8, GA9, GA10 |
Assessment Task 2: Critical analysis of curriculum implementation (GROUP TASK) Working as a group of 3-4 pre-service teachers, each will interview a teacher from a different secondary school. The focus of the conversation is the implementation of the senior secondary Engineering Systems curriculum in the specific school context. Explore with the teacher themes such as frequency of curriculum revisions, extent of revision expected, particular challenges and opportunities of new courses of study in the particular school context and student clientele, and pedagogical challenges of curriculum revisions. As a group, prepare a report which compares and contrasts the differences between schools. | 30% | LO4, LO5 | GA4, GA5, GA7, GA8, GA9, GA10 |
Assessment Task 3: Resource Folio and Critical Analysis. Create a folio of 6 – 10 learning activities across a range of curriculum topics and skills relevant to senior secondary Engineering Systems education, including strategies and resources to support the development of literacy and numeracy for and through Engineering Systems education. | 30% | LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4 | GA4, GA5, GA7, GA8, GA9, GA10 |
Representative texts and references
Required text(s)
Australian Curriculum https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/
Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) www.acara.edu.au
Australian Capital Territory Senior Secondary http://www.bsss.act.edu.au/asset_lists/atmcv_courses
New South Wales K – 10 Syllabuses https://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/k-10/understanding-the-curriculum/syllabuses-a-z
New South Wales Stage 6 Syllabuses https://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/11-12/Understanding-the-curriculum/syllabuses-a-z
Relevant jurisdictional curriculum documents
Queensland Senior subjects https://www.qcaa.qld.edu.au/senior/senior-subjects
The Victorian Curriculum F-10 https://victoriancurriculum.vcaa.vic.edu.au/
Victoria Senior Curriculum: VCE Study Designs https://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/curriculum/vce/vce-study-designs/Pages/vce-study-designs.aspx
Relevant State and Territory Curriculum Authority
ACT Education Directorate: https://www.education.act.gov.au/public-school-life/Our-Curriculum
New South Wales Education Standards Authority (NESA): https://www.educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/home
Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (CAA): https://www.qcaa.qld.edu.au/
Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA): https://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/Pages/HomePage.aspx
Extended Reading
Rochford, J. (2017). Engineering studies – A student’s workbook. KJS Publications.
Resources
Engineers Australia VIMEO video modules Stage 6 Engineering Studies: https://vimeo.com/516917212
I Teach STEM (The Institute of Technology Education): https://iteachstem.com.au/resources/900-engineering-studies-multi-topic-resources/
NSW Department of Education HSC HUB – Engineering Studies https://www.hschub.nsw.edu.au/tas-courses/engineering-studies-hsc