Unit rationale, description and aim
This is the first unit in a Religious Education Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment sequence. The pre-service teacher will critically reflect on their approach to teaching and learning with a focus on specific professional practices related to teaching and learning in the specific discipline area.
This unit is designed to establish a knowledge base for pre-service teachers in the areas of curriculum, pedagogy and assessment in Catholic religious education for students in the junior years of secondary schooling (Years 7-10). The unit is also designed to develop pre-service teachers’ understanding of contemporary theory, concepts and skills in religious education as applied in the classroom context. Theoretical concepts, pedagogical principles and curriculum structures within religious education are examined and applied in the evaluation, design and implementation of learning experiences that are responsive to the needs of diverse learners.
The aim of EDRE299 is to introduce students to the discipline of religious education for the junior secondary school context and to develop their knowledge and skills for planning related curriculum, pedagogy and assessment.
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.
Plan, implement and evaluate a range of Religious ...
Learning Outcome 01
Explain, develop and evaluate a variety of classro...
Learning Outcome 02
Examine the relationships between student learning...
Learning Outcome 03
Content
Topics will include:
- factors in the religious educational context (diocesan, international, national, state levels) including curriculum policies and religious education guidelines and perspectives that shape the identity of religious education in Years 7-10.
- specific professional practices related to teaching and learning in religious education (eg. interpreting the role of the religious education teacher within and beyond the classroom.
- an understanding of how effective teaching, including curriculum rigour, engagement, participation and inclusion, is a key factor in effective classroom management.
- planning sequences of learning activities in religious education relative to the Catholic school context and identified factors impacting on teaching and learning.
- catering for a diverse range of learners in religious education.
- discipline specific teaching strategies and issues related to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in religious education.
- effective use of resources for teaching, including ICT’s and technologies specific to religious education.
- feedback, assessment and reporting in religious education.
- extending and challenging learners in religious education.
- contemporary issues in religious education.
Assessment strategy and rationale
The assessment tasks for this unit are designed for students to progressively demonstrate their achievement of each learning outcome. For this reason, 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. In order to pass this unit, students are required to submit all assessment tasks and achieve an aggregate mark of at least 50/100.
By drawing on religious education and general educational theory, task 1 requires students to plan, implement and evaluate a range of Religious Education learning and teaching activities for junior secondary students which involve a variety of pedagogical approaches and resources appropriate to these year levels and curriculum content (LO1). In doing this, students are also required to explain, develop and evaluate a variety of classroom strategies which cater for individual differences in student learning in Religious Education (LO2).
Task 2 requires students to examine the relationships between student learning and expertise, higher order thinking, learning task design, assessment, feedback and reporting in Religious Education (LO3).
There will be two assessment tasks equivalent to a total of 4,000 words.
Overview of assessments
Assessment Task 1: Lesson planning for junior se...
Assessment Task 1:
Lesson planning for junior secondary religious education including consideration of curriculum, pedagogy and assessment.
50%
Assessment Task 2: Examination of a contemporary...
Assessment Task 2:
Examination of a contemporary issue in religious education.
50%
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
This unit involves 150 hours of focused learning. The total includes formally structured learning activities such as lectures, tutorials, and online learning. The remaining hours typically involve reading, research, and the preparation and submission of tasks for assessment.
The unit is normally offered in face-to-face or online modes. Students learn through formally structured and sequenced learning activities that support the achievement of the learning outcomes. Students are asked to critically reflect, analyse, and integrate new information with existing knowledge, draw meaningful new connections, and then apply what they have learned to school and other professional contexts. Learning activities take a social constructivist approach which recognises the particular relevance, value and need for peer to peer engagement in learning within this discipline.
Teaching religious education in school settings requires specific knowledge and skill sets unique to the Catholic and church-sponsored school. Students in this unit acquire knowledge about curriculum, pedagogy and assessment and apply that to junior secondary school religious education contexts. Religious education theory, church documents and curricula inform students about the role of the religious educator in the local diocesan school. This background information provides a foundation for teachers to construct pedagogically appropriate classroom teaching and learning strategies for religious education, including previously acquired theological understandings of the essential precepts of Church teaching.
The unit is constructed with consideration of students’ prior knowledge, their experience, and the requirements for teaching religious education in the junior years of schooling. The unit is constructively aligned to build knowledge and integrate skills from general principles to specific outcomes that apply to classroom and school-wide settings of religious education.
AUSTRALIAN PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS FOR TEACHERS - GRADUATE LEVEL
On successful completion of this unit, pre-service teachers should be able to: