Pre-requisites

ED621 Ecology and Management of Learning Environments: School Observation (5 days)
ED631 Curriculum, Assessment and Data: School Observation (5 days)
A combination of 8 units from the student’s Major and Minor

Co-requisites

None.

Learning Outcomes

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

• Investigate a range of factors that serve to shape adolescent identity, such as language, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds, and reflect on the implications for learning and teaching.

• Examine the impact of culture, cultural identity and linguistic background of adolescents on the education and educational needs of students from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds, demonstrating broad knowledge of, understanding of, and respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures and languages, and other cultural backgrounds

• Critically analyse the impact of the changing world on adolescent identity, learning and spiritual development, and the strategies available to support the safe, responsible and ethical use of ICT by adolescents.

• Investigate the ways in which schools support the diverse needs of adolescents, including well-being and safety and describe school-based and other systems that support these needs.

• Examine adolescent spiritual development and Christian identity formation.

• Explain adolescents’ physical, cognitive, psychological, social and spiritual development and their impact on adolescents learning

Unit Description

This unit explores significant aspects of adolescent development, behaviours and relationships within the context of teacher education. It builds your understanding of the psychological, emotional, social, cognitive, physical, socio-cultural, and spiritual perspectives of adolescent development and the possible implications for learning. The unit will develop your understanding why young people display different behaviours within a learning environment and how to approach and negotiate these behaviours. You will explore major perspectives of understanding and supporting behaviour and contemporary theories and how these relate to principles, policies and practices. You will inquire into strategies for learning and teaching adolescents based on contemporary knowledge of development and fostering positive behaviour interactions and relationships for diverse learners. You will also develop a broad range of strategies for involving parents/carers and other community service and health providers in the educative process.

Topics

• Adolescent physical and brain development and associated factors
• Psychological and social aspects of adolescent development
• Cognitive aspects of adolescent development
• Spiritual and moral adolescent development
• Non-Western cultural variations focusing on youth - Australian Indigenous, immigrants, refugees
• Environmental pressures on youth and their impact on adolescents development and needs
• Dealing with diversity - variations due to development delay, trauma
• Dealing with and understanding peer pressure, risk taking and particular issues of ICT
• Adolescents’ well-being
• Working with Support Services

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Unit offerings

Face to face: Semester 2, 2025 and Semester 2, 2026 (Every Year, Semester 2)

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.