Unit rationale, description and aim
In order to plan and deliver lessons that promote learner engagement and enhance student learning, intending secondary teachers need knowledge and understanding of the senior secondary curriculum, along with theoretical frameworks and pedagogical approaches that are emblematic of teaching in their chosen teaching areas, including teaching/learning that responds to the high-stakes assessment that is a usual feature of senior secondary schooling.
In this unit, pre-service teachers will consider the place of Chemistry education in contemporary Australian society, and the senior secondary curriculum, in particular. They will explore a range of evidence-based approaches for curriculum development and alignment and to plan for effective teaching and learning, including formative and summative assessment. Pre-service teachers will learn approaches for building knowledge of Chemistry and how to provide constructive feedback and reporting. They will learn approaches for engaging senior secondary learners and to meet the learning needs of diverse students in the senior secondary years. They will further develop skills to shape the dialogic talk of the classroom. Pre-service teachers will formulate unit and assessment plans in order to demonstrate a knowledge of curriculum, learning and assessment theory. They will assemble a resource folio to demonstrate the capacity to collect, create and critique resources for effective teaching and learning and to link with curriculum. They will investigate issues and considerations of curriculum implementation as found in the practical reality of schools.
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 Chemistry 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.
Describe and explain the senior secondary Chemistr...
Learning Outcome 01
Analyse the relationships between curriculum desig...
Learning Outcome 02
Apply and evaluate the use of linguistic resources...
Learning Outcome 03
Research, critically analyse, develop and implemen...
Learning Outcome 04
Synthesise and apply a range of approaches to asse...
Learning Outcome 05
Content
Topics will include:
- Chemistry in the Australian curriculum context: historical context and current frameworks and documentation
- The Australian senior secondary Chemistry curriculum
- Planning for effective teaching in Chemistry
- Effective senior Chemistry teaching and learning
- Differentiated teaching in Chemistry
- Needs of learners from diverse cognitive, physical, social, cultural backgrounds
- Digital resources and approaches for senior Chemistry education
- Engaging all learners in senior Chemistry education studies
- Conversational, questioning and scaffolding techniques to shape dialogic classroom talk in Chemistry education
- Assessing student learning and reporting achievement in senior Chemistry education
- High-stakes assessment in senior secondary Chemistry education, including the specific moderation process and student data interpretation
- Composing assessment items in Chemistry education
- An introduction to data-informed teaching in Chemistry
- Professional responsibilities and relationships
- Professional associations and continued professional learning
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 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 to inform skills that will be applied in practice.
The assessment tasks are sequenced to allow feedback and progressive development. These tasks reflect ‘real world’ school contexts and teaching responsibilities, thereby preparing the pre-service teacher for professional experience placement and their role as a teacher.
Minimum Achievement Standards
The assessment tasks for this unit are designed to demonstrate the achievement of each learning outcome. In order to pass this unit, pre-service teachers are required to demonstrate achievement of all learning outcomes by submitting all assessment tasks and obtaining a combined score of at least 50% and meet the requirements of the Critical Tasks which are core to the demonstration of a number of Australian Professional Teacher Standards:
- Assessment Task 2: Resource folio and critical analysis
A Critical Task is synonymous with a Graded Hurdle Task as defined in Section 3 of the Assessment Policy. As such, failure to pass the Critical Task will mean you are not eligible for a supplementary assessment in this unit (in accordance with Section 1d of the Supplementary Assessment Policy). A student who is otherwise on track to pass the unit but has a result in the range of 45-49% for the Critical Task, may be offered a ‘revisit’ of the Critical Task by the Lecturer in Charge. The revisit is treated as an ungraded hurdle task (pass/fail). The revisit would be an opportunity for the student to address the feedback provided by the marker and make additions or minor alterations to their submission to bring it to a passing standard.
Overview of assessments
Assessment Task 1: Design of a program/unit of wo...
Assessment Task 1: Design of a program/unit of work
Design a senior program/unit of work that supports student learning towards a selected summative assessment. Justify choices made with supporting evidence.
50%
Assessment Task 2: Resource Folio and Critical An...
Assessment Task 2:
Resource Folio and Critical Analysis
Critical Task
Create a folio of 8 learning activities across a range of topics and skills relevant to senior secondary education. Critically analyse each folio item to consider supporting 1. diverse learners, 2. classroom organisation, 3. student safety, and 4. the development of literacy, numeracy and ICT demands. Justify choices with supporting evidence.
50%
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 designed to consolidate the learning of content, apply knowledge to problem-solving tasks and develop analytical and evaluating skills. 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 Chemistry 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 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 is hosted on a Learning Management System (LMS) site with resources and online links, announcements, and a discussion board to post questions and reflections that promote connection between content and educational experiences.
Mode of delivery: This unit may be offered in different modes to cater to the learning needs and preferences of a range of participants.
Multi-mode
Learning activities are delivered through a planned mix of online and in-person classes, which may include full-day sessions and/or placements, to enable interaction. Activities that require attendance will appear in a student’s timetable.
Online unscheduled
Learning activities are accessible anytime, anywhere. These units are normally delivered fully online and will not appear in a student’s timetable.
ACU Online
In ACU Online mode, this unit is delivered asynchronously, fully online using an active, guided learning approach. Pre-service teachers are encouraged to contribute to asynchronous weekly discussions and receive regular and timely feedback on their learning.
Australian Professional Standards for Teachers - Graduate Level
In connection to the learning outcomes, on successful completion of this unit, pre-service teachers should have developed the following industry specific knowledge based on the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers - Graduate Level standards:
Relating toDemonstrate knowledge and understanding of physical, social and intellectual development and characteristics of students and how these may affect learning.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO2
Relating toDemonstrate knowledge and understanding of research into how students learn and the implications for teaching.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO2, LO3, LO5
Relating toDemonstrate knowledge of teaching strategies that are responsive to the learning strengths and needs of students from diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1, LO2, LO3, LO5
Relating toDemonstrate knowledge and understanding of strategies for differentiating teaching to meet the specific learning needs of students across the full range of abilities.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1, LO2, LO3, LO5
Relating toDemonstrate knowledge and understanding of the concepts, substance and structure of the content and teaching strategies of the teaching area.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1, LO2, LO3, LO4
Relating toOrganise content into an effective learning and teaching sequence.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1, LO3
Relating toUse curriculum, assessment and reporting knowledge to design learning sequences and lesson plans.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1, LO4
Relating toKnow and understand literacy and numeracy teaching strategies and their application in teaching areas.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO2, LO3
Relating toImplement teaching strategies for using ICT to expand curriculum learning opportunities for students.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO2, LO3
Relating toSet learning goals that provide achievable challenges for students of varying abilities and characteristics.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1, LO3, LO4
Relating toPlan lesson sequences using knowledge of student learning, content and effective teaching strategies.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1
Relating toInclude a range of teaching strategies.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1, LO2, LO3
Relating toDemonstrate knowledge of a range of resources, including ICT, that engage students in their learning.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1, LO3
Relating toDemonstrate a range of verbal and non-verbal communication strategies to support student engagement.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1
Relating toDemonstrate broad knowledge of strategies that can be used to evaluate teaching programs to improve student learning.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1, LO3, LO4
Relating toIdentify strategies to support inclusive student participation and engagement in classroom activities.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO2
Relating toDemonstrate the capacity to organise classroom activities and provide clear directions.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO2
Relating toDescribe strategies that support students’ wellbeing and safety working within school and/or system, curriculum and legislative requirements.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO5
Relating toDemonstrate an understanding of the relevant issues and the strategies available to support the safe, responsible and ethical use of ICT in learning and teaching.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO5
Relating toDemonstrate understanding of assessment strategies, including informal and formal, diagnostic, formative and summative approaches to assess student learning.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1, LO3, LO4
Relating toDemonstrate an understanding of the purpose of providing timely and appropriate feedback to students about their learning.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO3, LO4
Relating toUnderstand the relevant and appropriate sources of professional learning for teachers.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO2, LO5
Relating toUnderstand and apply the key principles described in codes of ethics and conduct for the teaching profession.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO5