Unit rationale, description and aim

Adopting the role and responsibilities of a teacher comes with many rewards but also many challenges. This unit explores the transition into the role of teacher in the context of a teaching internship and assists new teachers undertaking their first sustained/extended teaching experience. This unit is the first in a sequence of two units that intersect with an extended teaching internship in a school environment

This unit will equip new teachers with skills and dispositions to undertake regular self-appraisal through reflective evaluative practices to examine the influence of their internship experiences on their developing knowledges, practices and identity as a teacher. A narrative ethnographic approach will be used to explore concepts such as resilience, well-being, agency, advocacy, mentoring, managing expectations, critical conversations and self-care. This unit will also assist new teachers to find the balance between maximizing the opportunities of the internship and managing personal and professional well-being. The aim of this unit is to provide a supporting evaluative framework to assist new teachers undertaking their first sustained/extended teaching experience in the context of a school-based internship.

2025 10

Campus offering

No unit offerings are currently available for this unit.

Prerequisites

LNTE100 LANTITE - Literacy Test for Initial Teacher Education Students AND LNTE101 LANTITE - Numeracy Test for Initial Teacher Education Students

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.

Demonstrate understanding of the roles and respons...

Learning Outcome 01

Demonstrate understanding of the roles and responsibilities of beginning teachers and how these relate to required professional and ethical standards and codes of practice
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC1, GC2, GC3, GC7, GC8

Identify key influences that impact on beginning t...

Learning Outcome 02

Identify key influences that impact on beginning teachers’ professionalism and practice
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC1, GC2, GC3, GC7, GC8

Examine factors that will influence the transition...

Learning Outcome 03

Examine factors that will influence the transition from student to beginning teacher
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC1, GC2, GC3, GC7, GC8

Critically evaluate the influence of the internshi...

Learning Outcome 04

Critically evaluate the influence of the internship experience on the development of knowledges, practices and identity as a teacher through regular self-appraisal and reflection
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC1, GC2, GC3, GC7, GC8

Content

Topics will include:

Topics will include:

  • The transition into the role of teacher in the context of an extended teaching internship
  • The roles and responsibilities of teachers including duty of care and ethical behaviour
  • Accountability and quality standards for practice, with particular reference to codes of conduct and professional standards relevant to local contexts.
  • Student protection, cyber-safety and cyberbullying, ethical use of online media and resources
  • Self-appraisal strategies and benefits
  • The transition from novice to expert and the development of expertise
  • Resilience, well-being, agency, advocacy, mentoring, managing expectations, critical conversations and self-care.
  • Finding the balance between maximizing the opportunities of the internship and managing personal and professional well-being.
  • Strategies to successfully manage parent and carer expectations and relationships
  • Australian Professional Standards for Teachers

Assessment strategy and rationale

This unit will equip new teachers with skills and dispositions to undertake regular self-appraisal through reflective evaluative practices to examine the influence of their internship experiences on their developing knowledges, practices and identity as a teacher.  

Regular self-appraisal through reflective evaluations form the core of the assessment tasks in this unit.  

Assessment Task 1 provides a scaffold for the engagement with regular reflection on the development of skills related to teaching during the internship. The collation of these reflections forms the submission for this task which is assessed on the basis of pass/fail (ie., complete/incomplete). 

Assessment Task 2 provides an opportunity for beginning teachers to identify and reflect on the influences that drive their developing professionalism and practices, and the factors that influence their transition from student to beginning teacher.

Assessment Task 3 extends on Tasks 1 and 2 and requires students to critically reflect on the emergent themes identified in their regular reflections. The purpose of this task is to assess changes in their developing knowledges, practices and identity as a teacher over time. 

Overview of assessments

Task 1: Hurdle Task - Self-reflections Students w...

Task 1: Hurdle Task - Self-reflections

Students will engage in regular reflections (i.e., weekly) that involve self-appraisal of their internship experiences and their development as a teacher, including:

  • evolving goals, roles, expectations and responsibilities
  • classroom practices and pedagogical approaches
  • professional and ethical standards and codes of practice
  • the transition from student to beginning teacher
  • successes and challenges


Self-reflections will be collated and submitted as evidence of engagement with this task.

Weighting

Pass/Fail

20%

Learning Outcomes LO1
Graduate Capabilities GC1, GC2, GC3, GC7, GC8
Standards APST(GA)4.4, APST(GA)6.1, APST(GA)6.2, APST(GA)6.4, APST(GA)7.1, APST(GA)7.2

Task 2: Internship reflection Students produce a ...

Task 2: Internship reflection

Students produce a reflective summary of their internship experiences over the first school term of the year with a focus on:

  • identification of the key influences on their developing professionalism and practices
  • factors influencing their transition from student to beginning teacher 
Weighting

30%

Learning Outcomes LO2, LO3
Graduate Capabilities GC1, GC2, GC3, GC7, GC8
Standards APST(GA)6.1, APST(GA)6.2, APST(GA)6.3, APST(GA)6.4, APST(GA)7.1, APST(GA)7.2, APST(GA)7.3, APST(GA)7.4

Task 3: Analysis of reflective practices Stu...

Task 3: Analysis of reflective practices

Students will submit the reflections created in Tasks 1 and 2 to AI for thematic analysis. 

 A meta-level of self-appraisal is then conducted on the emergent themes with a critically reflective summary produced and submitted as evidence of engagement with this task.

Weighting

50%

Learning Outcomes LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4
Graduate Capabilities GC1, GC2, GC3, GC7, GC8
Standards APST(GA)4.4, APST(GA)6.1, APST(GA)6.2, APST(GA)6.3, APST(GA)6.4, APST(GA)7.1, APST(GA)7.2, APST(GA)7.3, APST(GA)7.4

Learning and teaching strategy and rationale

The learning and teaching strategy for this unit combines theoretical knowledge with practical application and reflective practices and aims to equip new teachers with the skills and dispositions necessary for their successful professional development in the context of an extended internship. The focus on narrative ethnographic approaches and well-being ensures that students not only develop their teaching practices but also maintain their personal and professional well-being. This holistic approach will help new teachers navigate the complexities of their first teaching experiences and build a strong foundation for their future careers.

Teaching and learning strategies in this unit may include:

  • Online resources that provide foundational knowledge and theoretical perspectives. These resources will be designed to be relevant and engaging
  • Regular reflections on their internship experiences, challenges faced, and lessons learned. Reflective journals encourage students to engage in regular self-appraisal and reflection, which is crucial for their professional growth and development.
  • Narrative ethnographic projects will allow students to explore and document their experiences, fostering a deeper understanding of their professional identity and practice.
  • Well-being and self-care workshops will address the importance of well-being and self-care, helping students manage stress and maintain a healthy work-life balance.

Representative texts and references

Representative texts and references

Churchill, R., et al., (2021). Teaching: Making a difference (5th ed).  John Wiley & Sons.

Ewing, R., et al., (2020). Teaching: Dilemmas, Challenges and Opportunities (6th ed). Cengage Learning.

Clark, M., & Pittaway, S. (2014). Marsh’s becoming a Teacher (6th ed). Pearson Australia.

Allison, S., & Tharby, A. (2015). Making every lesson count: Six principles to support great teaching and learning. Carmarthen, Wales: Crown House Publishing

Jones, R. (2014). Don't change the light bulbs: A compendium of expertise from the UK's most switched-on educators. Crown House Publishing

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