Unit rationale, description and aim
In order to plan and deliver lessons that promote learner engagement and enhance student learning, intending secondary teachers need a 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.
Pre-service teachers will study the senior secondary Food Technology curriculum, including general capabilities, cross-curriculum priorities, and other allied materials. They will critique their prior knowledge and experience in the field and how these connect with the scope of the curriculum, identifying opportunities, challenges, and responsibilities of Food Technology teaching. Pre-service teachers will explore theoretical frameworks associated with teaching and learning in Food Technology education. They will learn evidence-based approaches to plan for effective teaching and learning, including embedded literacy and numeracy, and the use of digital technologies. They will learn approaches for engaging learners and to meet the learning needs of diverse students. They will learn to compose good questions, to assemble productive assessment tasks and develop skills to shape the dialogic talk of the classroom. Focussing on the detailed planning of a short series of lessons, pre-service teachers will learn to structure lesson sequences within units of work to demonstrate a knowledge of curriculum and learning theory. They will engage in microteaching to practice engaging students and guiding the classroom discourse.
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 Food Technology 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.
Plan and devise a structured learning program in s...
Learning Outcome 01
Critically analyse and develop a range of approach...
Learning Outcome 02
Describe, design, implement, and evaluate a variet...
Learning Outcome 03
Identify and explain the use of linguistic resourc...
Learning Outcome 04
Synthesise and critically reflect upon the profess...
Learning Outcome 05
Content
Topics will include:
- The pre-service teachers’ prior experience of, and engagement with, Food Technology education
- The Australian senior secondary Food Technology curriculum, including general capabilities and cross curriculum priorities, focussing on appropriate state/jurisdictional expectations, syllabi and guidelines
- Theoretical frameworks associated with Food Technology teaching and learning
- Pedagogical approaches emblematic of Food Technology teaching and learning
- Planning and curriculum alignment
- Planning for effective teaching and learning in senior secondary Food Technology education
- Differentiated teaching in Food Technology
- Needs of learners from diverse cognitive, physical, social, cultural backgrounds
- Needs of learners from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds
- Incorporating literacy and numeracy in Food Technology teaching
- Digital technologies for teaching/learning in Food Technology education
- Conversational, questioning, and scaffolding techniques to shape dialogic classroom talk in Food Technology education
- Teacher-presented explanations
- Assessment in senior secondary Food Technology education
- Learning beyond the classroom
- Student welfare and safety in Food Technology education classrooms and typical Food Technology teaching/learning environments
- Professional responsibilities and relationships
- Professional associations and continued professional learning
Assessment strategy and rationale
The assessment tasks and their weightings are designed so that students can progressively achieve the course learning outcomes and the professional standards. The Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment units in this course focus on acquiring content knowledge and developing the skills to assimilate conceptual knowledge for that knowledge to inform skills that will be applied in practice.
The three assessment tasks are sequenced to allow feedback and progressive development. By completing Task 1 students will apply knowledge of curriculum planning and teaching and assessment strategies in the development of a unit of work for use in a specific classroom context. In Task 2 students will develop assessment tasks and marking guides. Lastly, in Task 3 students will carry out a critical analysis of suitable strategies and resources to develop a resource folio. These tasks reflect ‘real world’ school contexts and teaching responsibilities, thereby preparing students for professional experience placement and their role as a teacher.
Minimum Assessment Standard
To pass this unit, students are required to demonstrate achievement of learning outcomes by submitting all assessment tasks, obtaining a combined score of at least 50 per cent.
Overview of assessments
Assessment Task 1: Design a Teaching Program Th...
Assessment Task 1: Design a Teaching Program
The design of a program/unit of work for senior Food Technology students over a nominated period.
40%
Assessment Task 2: Critical analysis of curriculu...
Assessment Task 2: Critical analysis of curriculum implementation (GROUP TASK)
Working as a group of 3-4 pre-service teachers, each will interview a teacher from a different secondary school. The focus of the conversation is the implementation of the senior secondary Food Technology curriculum in the specific school context. Explore with the teacher themes such as frequency of curriculum revisions, extent of revision expected, particular challenges and opportunities of new courses of study in the particular school context and student clientele, and pedagogical challenges of curriculum revisions.
As a group, prepare a report which compares and contrasts the differences between schools.
30%
Assessment Task 3: Resource Folio and Critical An...
Assessment Task 3: Resource Folio and Critical Analysis.
Create a folio of 6 – 10 learning activities across a range of curriculum topics and skills relevant to senior secondary Food Technology education, including strategies and resources to support the development of literacy and numeracy for and through Food Technology education.
30%
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. It is designed to build the pre-service teacher’s understanding of teaching strategies through critical reading, lecturer modelling, discussion, and practice in tutorials. The pre-service teacher’s skills of professional communication and ability to work collaboratively will be practised through group activities and culminating in micro-teaching opportunities. Her/his teaching skills of planning and assessing, and his/her ability to locate and synthesise information, will be developed through designing Food Technology lessons. The pre-service teacher will continue to gather and reflect upon evidence of attainment of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers: Graduate.
The teaching and learning strategy described above will use an appropriate selection of approaches, including, for example:
- Weekly face-to-face lectures and / or online 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 includes a Learning Management System site with resources and online links, announcements, and a discussion board to post questions and reflections that promote connection between content and educational experiences
AUSTRALIAN PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS FOR TEACHERS - GRADUATE LEVEL
On successful completion of this unit, pre-service teachers should be able to:
Representative texts and references
Required text(s)
Australian Curriculum https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/
Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) www.acara.edu.au
Relevant jurisdictional curriculum documents
Queensland Senior subjects https://www.qcaa.qld.edu.au/senior/senior-subjects
The Victorian Curriculum F-10 https://victoriancurriculum.vcaa.vic.edu.au/
Victoria Senior Curriculum: VCE Study Designs https://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/curriculum/vce/vce-study-designs/Pages/vce-study-designs.aspx
Relevant State and Territory Curriculum Authority
ACT Education Directorate: https://www.education.act.gov.au/public-school-life/Our-Curriculum
New South Wales Education Standards Authority (NESA): https://www.educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/home
Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (CAA): https://www.qcaa.qld.edu.au/
Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA): https://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/Pages/HomePage.aspx
Extended Reading
Burnett-Fell, B., Ferrie, S., Wootton, M., Dengate, H., Kelly, E., & Baines S. (2011) Food technology in action: Preliminary and HSC courses (4th ed.). John Wiley & Sons.
Collins, C., & Lasslett (2010). Food for VCE units 3 & 4. Five Sense Education.
Downie, M., Gualtieri. R., Malone, P., & Mayo, F. (2017) Food Tech Focus Stage 6 Cengage Learning.
Wahlqvist, M.L., & Gallegos, D. (2020). Food and Nutrition, Taylor and Francis.
Resources
NSW Department of Education HSC HUB – Food Technology https://www.hschub.nsw.edu.au/tas-courses/food-technology-hsc
Associations
Home Economics Institute of Australia: https://heia.com.au/