Year
2024Credit points
10Campus offering
No unit offerings are currently available for this unitPrerequisites
NilUnit rationale, description and aim
In this unit pre-service teachers will address the complexities of teachers’ roles and responsibilities, classroom management strategies, curriculum planning, assessment and reporting processes, teaching strategies and social contexts that inform learning environments. The unit will build upon and investigate theoretical perspectives of teaching practice and implementation to establish and maintain effective learning environments. They will identify and evaluate issues relating to the safe and ethical use and development of web-based learning resources and ICTs to support and expand students’ learning. The implementation of communication and interpersonal skills will be addressed within various early childhood settings, school, classroom and community contexts. Through the integrated experience of five individual days of teaching practice, pre-service teachers will develop an understanding of pedagogy with particular reference to the importance of creating quality learning environments and the complexity of implementing and managing assessment practices.
This unit aims to assist pre-service teachers to develop a critical understanding of approaches to teaching and learning through engaging with research, scholarship and school and centre-based professional experience.
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 | Identify the characteristics of the roles of teachers in the classroom and their responsibilities at the broader school/centre and system level (APST 7.2; ACECQA E3, F3) | GC1 |
| LO2 | Demonstrate effective communication and interpersonal skills during teaching episodes, including communication with students about their learning including feedback in relation to literacy and numeracy development (APST 3.5, 4.2, 5.2; ACECQA E3, F3) | GC12 |
| LO3 | Identify and describe theories and practices of classroom teaching and learning, including professional responsibilities associated with assessment and moderation practices (APST 3.6, 5.2, 5.3; ACECQA C4) | GC1 |
| LO4 | Develop and implement appropriate teaching strategies for learning, including the use of ICT resources (APST 2.2, 2.6, 3.3; ACECQA C4) | GC10 |
| LO5 | Plan, implement and evaluate sequenced lessons (APST 2.3, 3.2, 3.3, 3.6; ACECQA C4) | GC2 |
| LO6 | Demonstrate an understanding of and apply a range of classroom management strategies, including strategies to minimise bullying (APST 4.2, 4.3; ACECQA C4) | GC2 |
| LO7 | Plan, develop and implement instructional design knowledge and skills to maintain and evaluate online student-centred learning resources (APST 3.4, 4.5). | GC1 |
AUSTRALIAN PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS FOR TEACHERS - GRADUATE LEVEL
On successful completion of this unit, pre-service teachers should be able to:
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. |
2.6 Implement teaching strategies for using ICT to expand curriculum learning opportunities for students. |
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. |
4.2 Demonstrate the capacity to organise classroom activities and provide clear directions. |
4.3 Demonstrate knowledge of practical approaches to manage challenging behaviour. |
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. |
5.2 Demonstrate an understanding of the purpose of providing timely and appropriate feedback to students about their learning. |
5.3 Demonstrate understanding of assessment moderation and its application to support consistent and comparable judgements of student learning. |
7.2 Understand the relevant legislative, administrative and organisational policies and processes required for teachers according to school stage. |
ACECQA CRITERIA
On successful completion of this unit, pre-service teachers should have developed the following specific knowledge:
C. Early childhood pedagogies C4. Teaching methods and strategies |
E. History and philosophy of early childhood E3. Ethics and professional practice |
F. Early childhood professional practice F3. Identity |
Content
Topics will include:
- Communication and interpersonal skills for effective interactions in the classroom, school and other learning contexts
- Theories and practices of the complexities of teacher performance in the classroom, school and other learning contexts
- Sequenced lesson planning procedures
- Processes for evaluating teaching and assessing learning and how these impact on practice
- Teaching pedagogy, in particular creating quality learning environments
- A range of teaching strategies that enhance quality teaching, such as direct instruction, explanations and demonstrations, questioning and discussion, and group work and co-operative learning
- Theories and practices of classroom management
- Instructional design for using and developing online student-centred learning.
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
A variety of teaching and learning strategies will be used, including:
- Pre-service teachers in this second unit of Professional Experience will work with the University and schools to undertake at least 5 days of professional experience relevant to the work of the teacher.
- Seminars, tutorials, or workshops, in the Education Studies sequence and curriculum studies units in the course, which include pre-service teacher-led discussions and group work, will provide opportunities for pre-service teachers to reflect on and build on their experiences in the field.
- Use of the information and communication technologies, including online discussion, will be utilised to facilitate the formation of a network of pre-service teachers who remain connected to each other, with the University representatives/mentors, and the PEC Office while participating in their professional experiences.
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
Assessment of the Professional Experience program is based on the pre-service educator’s performance across the unit learning outcomes. Candidates must achieve a minimum satisfactory standard in all domains and attendance for the required professional experience placement days in order to achieve a pass for the unit.
Overview of assessments
| Brief Description of Kind and Purpose of Assessment Tasks | Weighting | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|
Assessment Task 1 A sequence of 3-4 lesson plans and reflection on the theories supporting these plans. Part A: Group Task 35% In groups of 3-4 students are to construct 3-4 sequenced lesson plans for an intended class showing linkages between outcomes, teaching /learning strategies and key assessment pieces, including the use of online resources. The plans must demonstrate the pre-service teacher’s theoretical and practical knowledge and understanding of the following elements of effective teaching and learning:
Part B Individual reflection: 15% The reflection must demonstrate an understanding of the theories supporting the lesson plans (500 words) | 50% (Part A 35% Part B 15%) | LO3, LO4, LO5, LO6, LO7 |
Assessment Task 2: Teaching episode, reflective report and evaluation. Part A Implementation of one lesson in classroom setting. During the five individual days of teaching practice within an upper primary classroom, and in consultation with supervising teacher, pre-service teacher plans and implements one lesson that involves elements related to literacy and numeracy, and an opportunity to provide feedback to students on their learning. Pre-service teacher develops a reflective report on this teaching episode, including a response from the supervising teacher. Part B: Evaluation of the implementation of lesson plan Following the teaching episode the pre-service teacher develops a reflection outlining key roles and responsibilities of classroom teachers and responding to key elements of the relevant learning outcomes assessed in this task. | 50% (Part A 30% Part B 20%) | LO1, LO2, LO4, LO6 |
Assessment Task 3 Hurdle Task: Completion of professional experience component of this unit. | Pass/Fail | LO5 |
Representative texts and references
Relevant national, state and territory curriculum documents and study designs.
Bitter, G., & Pierson, M. (2008). Using technology in the classroom (7th ed.). Boston/London: Pearson/Allyn and Bacon Publishers.
Edwards, C.H., & Watts, V. (2008). Classroom discipline and management: An Australasian perspective (2nd ed.). Milton, Qld: John Wiley & Sons.
Emmer, E. T., & Everston, C. M. (2013). Classroom management for middle and high school teachers (9th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.
Joyce, B., Weil, M., & Calhoun, E. (2009). Models of teaching (8th ed.) Boston/London: Pearson
Kause, K., Bochner, Duchesne, S., & McMaugh, A. (2013). Educational psychology for learning and teaching (4th ed.). South Melbourne, Vic.: Cengage Learning.
Killen, R. (2013). Effective teaching strategies: Lessons from research and practice (6th ed.). South Melbourne: Cengage Learning.
Levin, J., & Nolan, J. F. (2013). Principles of classroom management: A professional decision-making model (7th ed.). Boston, Mass.: Pearson.
Marsh, C. (2010). Becoming a teacher: Knowledge, skills and issues (5th ed.). Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson Education Australia.
McDonald, T. (2013). Classroom management: Engaging students in learning (2nd ed.). South Melbourne, Vic.: Oxford University Press.
Whitton, D., Barker, K., Nosworthy, M., Sinclair, C., & Nanlohy, P. (2010). Learning for teaching, teaching for learning (2nd ed.). South Melbourne, Vic: Cengage Learning Australia.