Year
2024Credit points
10Campus offering
No unit offerings are currently available for this unitPrerequisites
NilIncompatible
EDAC225 Family Studies and Disability
Unit rationale, description and aim
This unit enables pre-service teachers to draw on broad and specific knowledge of early childhood and primary education to consider the form and nature of collaborative partnership within schools, early childhood education settings and the broader community. Strategies that support effective communication, conflict management, relationship building and pastoral care will be covered. Consideration of partnerships will include opportunities for pre-service teachers to investigate and critically reflect on the complex nature of teachers’ work to effectively support families and promote continuity of learning for children. Students will apply critical thinking and judgement to analyse issues related to ethical and professional responsibilities of teachers, including inclusive practice and advocacy for children and families. Diverse and dynamic contexts of family life will be examined. Appreciative framework approaches will be used to develop awareness of principles and concepts informing service provision, appropriate intervention, inclusion, partnerships with and support strategies for a diverse range of families.
This unit aims to provide pre-service teachers with the knowledge and skills to enable establishment and maintenance of collaborative partnerships with children, parents, families, colleagues, other professionals, medical specialists and community members, including skills associated with the development of Individualised Planning Documents [i.e. Individual Education Plans (IEPs) and Individual Learning Plans (ILPs)].
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.
| Learning Outcome Number | Learning Outcome Description | Relevant Graduate Capabilities |
|---|---|---|
| LO1 | Reflect on and critically analyse ethical, professional and complex responsibilities of teachers, including inclusive practice and advocacy for children and families, and the use of collaboration to enhance professional practice, including the development of Individualised Planning Documents (APST 1.6, 3.5, 4.4, 7.1; ACECQA A6, A7, C5, D1, D4, D5, E3, F4) | GC7 |
| LO2 | Examine the form and nature of collaborative partnerships within schools, ECE settings and the broader community, including safe and effective online collaboration, and apply this knowledge to the consideration of how partnerships are built and maintained in ways that support families and promote learning for all children (APST 3.5, 3.7, 7.3; ACECQA A6, A8, C5, D1, D4) | GC6 |
| LO3 | Identify the diverse and dynamic nature of family life, especially in relation to families experiencing diverse contexts and particular support needs (APST 7.3; ACECQA A5, A6, A7,C5, D1, D4) | GC4 |
| LO4 | Develop awareness of principles and concepts informing service provision, inclusion, early intervention, and support strategies for diverse range of families, with reference to application of legislative requirements (APST 4.1, 4.4, 7.4; ACECQA A5, A6, A7, C5, D1, D4, D5, F4) | GC1 |
| LO5 | Reflectively synthesise ideas and present work in ways that incorporates the relevant use of ICT and that meets required tertiary standards ( ACECQA E3) | GC10 |
AUSTRALIAN PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS FOR TEACHERS - GRADUATE LEVEL
On successful completion of this unit, pre-service teachers should be able to:
1.6 Demonstrate broad knowledge and understanding of legislative requirements and teaching strategies that support participation and learning of students with disability. |
3.5 Demonstrate a range of verbal and non-verbal communication strategies to support student engagement. |
3.7 Describe a broad range of strategies for involving parents/carers in the educative process. |
4.1 Identify strategies to support inclusive student participation and engagement in classroom activities. |
4.4 Describe strategies that support students’ well-being and safety working within school and/or system, curriculum and legislative requirements. |
7.1 Understand and apply the key principles described in codes of ethics and conduct for the teaching profession. |
7.3 Understand strategies for working effectively, sensitively and confidentially with parents/carers. |
7.4 Understand the role of external professionals and community representatives in broadening teachers’ professional knowledge and practice. |
ACECQA CRITERIA
On successful completion of this unit, pre-service teachers should have developed the following specific knowledge:
A. Psychology and child development A5. Wellbeing and safety early intervention A6. Diversity, difference and inclusivity A7. Learners with special needs A8. Transitions and continuity of learning (including transition to school) |
C. Early childhood pedagogies C5. Catering to children with diverse needs and backgrounds |
D. Families and community partnerships D1. Developing family and community partnerships D4. Socially inclusive practice D5. Culture, diversity and inclusion |
E. History and philosophy of early childhood E3. Ethics and professional practice |
F. Early childhood professional practice F4. Development advocacy |
Content
The content of this unit will include the following areas of investigation:
- the form and nature of collaborative partnership within schools, early childhood education settings and the broader community.
- Investigation of various opportunities for teachers in the early years to effectively support families and promote continuity of learning for children.
- Ethical and professional responsibilities of teachers
- Examples of inclusive practice and advocacy for children, families and the teaching profession.
- Experiences of collaboration with peers and participation in group-based tasks
- The diverse and dynamic nature of family life across the life cycle
- Particular attention will be given to families in which there is a member with diverse support requirements.
- principles and concepts informing service provision, inclusion, and support strategies for a diverse range of families
- application of legislative requirements for inclusion
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. Participants will be involved in a variety of teaching-learning strategies to support learning, including: online engagement, lectures, tutorials, seminar presentations and group discussions, both online and face-to-face, self-directed study activities and assessment tasks. Some participation in appropriate educational settings maybe required.
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
A range of assessment procedures will be used to meet the unit learning outcomes and develop graduate attributes consistent with University assessment requirements. Such procedures may include, but are not limited to, essays, reports, examinations, student presentations or case studies.
Minimum Achievement Standards
The assessment tasks for this unit are designed to demonstrate achievement of each learning outcome. Assessment tasks will amount to the equivalent of 5,000 words
Overview of assessments
| Brief Description of Kind and Purpose of Assessment Tasks | Weighting | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|
Assessment Task 1 Partnership artefact and reflection: Artefact This assessment task requires the development of a communication package that draws on a range of communication strategies and communicates to families an important aspect of their child’s education and care. The package is to be designed so that it can be used with parents in the infants and toddler program at an early childhood centre to encourage open two way communication between the parents and Early Childhood professionals. The aim of this package is that it could be used by an early childhood context to create partnerships with parents and provide key advice and information on their child’s education and care program with reference to how it applies to the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF). Reflection on the process of creating the communication package and what the expected outcomes of using such an artefact with the parents would be. Indicate ways in which this artefact could be adapted to be used within the early years of school. Equivalent to 1,500 words (600 word reflection and 900 words for artefact) | 30% | LO1, LO2, LO5 |
Assessment Task 2: Group task/presentation Folio: As a group, present a folio of resources that indicate the form and nature of inclusive community collaborative partnerships. Present an analysis of how these resources could:
OR Newsletter: As a group, prepare a parent newsletter for an advocacy support group. Articles and notices within the newsletter should demonstrate acknowledgment of the diverse and dynamic nature of family life, support strategies for a diverse range of families, awareness of principles and concepts informing service provision, early intervention, and inclusion. Equivalent to 1,500 words (300-word articles in the newsletter) | 30% | LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4 |
Assessment Task 3: Research-informed critical analysis paper Critical analysis of chosen issue or topic within the area of partnerships and family studies that support inclusive and diverse learning, drawing on the literature relevant to this unit. Give consideration to ethical and professional responsibilities of teachers and how these can be applied to practices of educators. The critical analysis should synthesis the importance of partnerships in the following elements of teaching: · Effective provision of learning opportunities · Inclusion and support strategies for families and individuals with disabilities and/or special support needs. · Use of a range of strategies to enhance communication. Equivalent to 2,000 words | 40% | LO1, LO3, LO4, LO5 |
Representative texts and references
Barbour, C., Barbour, N. & Scully, P. (2011). Families, schools and communities: Building partnerships for educating children (5th ed.). Boston, Mass: Pearson.
Bowes, J., Grace, R., & Hodge, K. (2012). Children, families and communities: Contexts and consequences (4th ed.). South Melbourne, Vic: Oxford University Press.
Berger, E. H., & Riojas-Cortez, M. (2012). Parents as partners in education: Families and schools working together (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Cologon, K. (in press). A good start: Inclusion in the early years. Melbourne, Vic: Oxford University Press.
Dempsey, I., & Nankervis, K. (Eds.). (2006). Community disability services: An evidence-based approach to practice. Sydney: University of New South Wales Press.
Gestwicki, C. (2012). Home, school and community relations (8th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.
Seligman, M. & Darling, R.B. (2007). Ordinary families, special children: A systems approach to childhood disability (3rd ed.). New York, NY: The Guilford Press.
Porter, L. (2008). Teacher-parent collaboration: Early childhood to adolescence. Camberwell, Vic: Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) Press (available as an electronic resource (e-book) via the ACU library)
Rockwell, R. E. Andre, L. C. & Hawley, M. K. (2010). Families and educators as partners (2nd ed.). Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning.
Stone J. (2001). Building classroom community: The early childhood teachers’ role. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children.