Pre-requisites

ED141.406 Educational Contexts and Professional Engagement 1

Co-requisites

None.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, the student will be able to:

Unit Description

In this unit pre-service teachers will develop skills and understandings to design and manage effective learning environments. The practicum will provide the opportunities to apply these, linking theory to practice. In addition, the practicum will give a rich background to reflect on the theories presented. Pre-service teachers will examine human life stage development. They will examine key characteristics of students learning at each stage and how these inform educational practices. They will examine the range of diversities and contexts that students bring to the classroom such as disabilities; giftedness; cultural and linguistic diversities (CALD); indigenous and poverty evaluating the impact of diversities on learning environments generally, and individual students in particular. They will review strategies that enable all students to participate fully in relevant, engaging and progressive learning.
Pre-service teachers will view the works of learning and developmental theorists such as Dewey; Rogers; Skinner; Gardner; Senge; Piaget; Rousseau; Montessori; Collins and others. They will also consider theories of learning including connectivism; constructivism; cognitivism; behaviourism as well as social learning and kinaesthetic learning. They will explore how neurological factors affect learning. They will discuss their relevance to contemporary learning environments. They will consider the interaction of these with the philosophies underpinning transformational, holistic Christian education. In addition, they will critically examine complex factors in effective learning environments including relationships within and beyond the classroom; school organisation and available resources. They will be introduced to issues which influence education such as inclusive practices; sociological perspectives and indigenous education. They will defend how classroom and curriculum design, pedagogies and interpersonal relationships impact students learning opportunities including critiquing available digital technologies in relation to these.

In conjunction with the practicum, pre-service teachers will plan for and manage students behaviour and reflect on their experiences. They will develop aspects of professional practice including observation, planning, reflection and professional documentation.

Pre-service teachers will engage with multiple intelligences; learning styles; frameworks; social learning and their implications for learning and teaching. They will examine different approaches to learning and teaching such as individual and group learning; metacognition; constructivism; scaffolding; reflective engagement and cognitive coaching. They will develop strategies in teaching and learning that will enable children to develop literacy and numeracy skills in all curriculum areas. They will use appropriate subject specific vocabulary, genres and mathematical tools. They will develop skills in planning for and managing individual, small group and sequential learning sessions.

Pre-service teachers will engage in professional understandings and attitudes that include ethical thinking; legal compliance with industrial and regulatory requirements; issues surround disabilities; working in teams; duty of care; mandatory reporting; reflective practices for learning and teaching; collegiate relationships; on-going learning and engaging in leadership. They will examine the Victorian Teaching Profession Code of Conduct and Code of Ethics. They will identify key ethical and legal issues relating to the teacher-student relationships, including communication, self-esteem, role modelling and the issue of teacher as friend.

Pre-service teachers will practice personal resilience through, for example, appropriate self-care; mentor relationships; spiritually formative practices. They will discuss conflict resolution and time management issues and strategies, and health issues for teachers.

Pre-service teachers will examine Christian perspectives of managing effective learning environments and reflect on their personal strengths and challenges as Christian teachers.

Teaching Strategies

Pre-service teachers learning in this course will involve a variety of approaches including: lectures; practicum; observations; responding to educational scenarios; critical reflections; discussions; tutorials; workshops; assessment tasks; assessment feedback; guest speakers; classroom observations; practical teaching assignments; reflective journals; contact with professional associations; oral presentations; and online activities.


Unit offerings

Face to face: (Every Year, Semester 1)

Please note

The Unit Offerings listed above are a guide only and the timetable for any year is the final authority. The College may vary offerings based on demand, regulatory requirements, continual improvement processes or other conditions.

This unit may be available in different modes of delivery i.e. online and face-to-face as listed above. The unit content will not differ between these modes of delivery. There will possibly be a difference in the schedule and/or the prescribed assessment tasks, however both will cover and assess the same content.