EUN120 Curriculum and Pedagogy: Foundations

Unit Outline: Semester 1 2024, Kelvin Grove, Internal

Overview

The curriculum and pedagogy suite of units prepares you with necessary knowledge and skills to design and teach engaging and meaningful learning experiences for your students. This unit develops introductory-level knowledge of curriculum theory, of the Australian Curriculum's intentions and organisation, principles that underpin pedagogical practices; and will develop skills in the planning of learning experiences aligned to the intentions and content of the Australian Curriculum. You will begin to translate important ideas, learnt into planned classroom practice and will learn with a group of peers from a variety of discipline backgrounds. You will develop an appreciation of the complexity and inter-relatedness of the different learning areas and of the potential for designing learning experiences to address broader imperatives. You will become familiar with curriculum documents relating to your chosen teaching areas, especially in Years 7-10.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:

1. Identify the key components of the Australian Curriculum documents, curriculum and pedagogical theories and practices (CLO1).
2. Apply and reflect on theories of curriculum, pedagogy and assessment to plan for practice (CLO2).
3. Select and recommend classroom organisation and management strategies to facilitate positive learning environments (CLO3).
4. Create innovative teaching activities progressing to the development of a lesson plan which includes various teaching and formative assessment strategies (CLO4).
5. Articulate learning goals in planning for practice (CLO8).

Content

Learning Approaches

This unit will provide you with opportunities to engage with both theory and practice. As an adult learner you will be expected to be an active agent in your own learning. There will be opportunities for both independent and collaborative learning.

Learning will include a range of the following activities:

• reading various academic, institutional and professional articles (provided via the QUT Readings system).
• synchronous learning activities (i.e. lectures and workshops).
• asynchronous learning activities (e.g., contribution to online discussion forums). These activities will contribute to on-campus and virtual workshops.
• modelling of evidence-based theories regarding secondary school curriculum and pedagogy in which you will have the opportunity to participate. These will allow you to experience and reflect upon effective teaching and learning in secondary school settings.
• self-directed learning (e.g., reading more broadly than the prescribed texts) to extend or deepen your understanding of the unit's content.
• reflecting on your developing professional knowledge of curriculum, pedagogy and assessment.

Feedback on Learning and Assessment

Feedback about your learning and your achievement of the unit's learning goals will be provided to you in a variety of ways:

• Discussions during learning activities (face-to-face or virtual) will provide opportunities for questioning and formative feedback.
• Summative assessment criteria sheets, aligned to the unit's learning outcomes, will be provided at the beginning of the semester. Also, additional guidance for interpreting these criteria sheets in relation to each of the summative assessment tasks will be provided throughout the semester.
• The assessment criteria sheets will be used as the basis for providing feedback about each of the summative assessment tasks. Additionally, qualitative comments/feedback may be directly attached to each of your summative assessment submissions.
• Generic comments/feedback provided to the entire cohort will be distributed via the Canvas system.

Assessment

Overview

Summative assessment in this unit is comprised of two items. The first item is a written task through which you will demonstrate your knowledge of the Australian Curriculum and your skill at applying your knowledge of curriculum and pedagogical theory to critically analyse one or more teaching and learning resources. The second is a workbook that will collectively represent your ability to plan a learning experience that is aligned to the Australian Curriculum in one of your teaching areas.
Literacy and numeracy standards as required by the profession are an inherent requirement of the unit.

Unit Grading Scheme

7- point scale

Assessment Tasks

Assessment: Writing Task

You will use resource material(s) to teach a particular part of the Australian Curriculum (AC). In the task you will be asked a variety of questions that you will need to relate to the resource material(s) in relation to the AC in terms of year group, content descriptor(s), concept(s) skills, general capabilities or cross curricular priorities. These questions will also refer to research on how students learn and relate to pedagogical models and practices that have been explored during the early part of the semester.

Relates to learning outcomes
Course learning outcomes: 1, 2, 4, 8
APST: 1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.6, 5.1

Assessment: Workbook

You will develop a selection of teaching activities, lesson plan and formative assessment in your discipline. Your workbook will reflect your knowledge of curriculum and pedagogy theory, the Australian curriculum, your ability to set learning goals for students of varying abilities and characteristics, and your skills of planning a lesson. The lesson plan will include literacy and numeracy teaching strategies, classroom organisation and management strategies and formative assessment suitable for use in a secondary school classroom.

Relates to learning outcomes
Course learning outcomes: 1, 2, 3, 4, 8
APST: 1.2, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.6, 5.1

Academic Integrity

Students are expected to engage in learning and assessment at QUT with honesty, transparency and fairness. Maintaining academic integrity means upholding these principles and demonstrating valuable professional capabilities based on ethical foundations.

Failure to maintain academic integrity can take many forms. It includes cheating in examinations, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, and submitting an assessment item completed by another person (e.g. contract cheating). It can also include providing your assessment to another entity, such as to a person or website.

You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.

Further details of QUT’s approach to academic integrity are outlined in the Academic integrity policy and the Student Code of Conduct. Breaching QUT’s Academic integrity policy is regarded as student misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.

Resources

Resource Materials

Prescribed text(s)

Clarke, M., Pittaway, S., & Marsh, C. (2014) Marsh's becoming a teacher (6th Ed.). Australia: Pearson Education - also available as an ebook

Other

Details of specific readings to be completed as a part of the structured learning activities will be provided via the QUT Readings system, accessible via Canvas or at readings.library.qut.edu.au.

You will regularly access the Australian Curriculum website.

the Queensland Curriculum, Assessment Authority (QCAA) website

Risk Assessment Statement

There is no out-of-the-ordinary risk associated with the general conduct of this unit. Workplace health and safety protocols in relation to computer and/or laboratory use will apply.

Standards/Competencies

This unit is designed to support your development of the following standards\competencies.

Australian Professional Standards for Teachers

1 Professional Knowledge: Know students and how they learn

1. Understand how students learn
   Relates to: Writing Task, Workbook
2. Students with diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds
   Relates to: Writing Task

2 Professional Knowledge: Know the content and how to teach it

1. Content and teaching strategies of the teaching area
   Relates to: Writing Task, Workbook
2. Content selection and organisation
   Relates to: Writing Task, Workbook
3. Curriculum, assessment and reporting
   Relates to: Writing Task, Workbook
4. Understand and respect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to promote reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians
   Relates to: Writing Task, Workbook
5. Literacy and numeracy strategies
   Relates to: Writing Task, Workbook
6. Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
   Relates to: Writing Task, Workbook

3 Professional Practice: Plan for and implement effective teaching and learning

1. Establish challenging learning goals
   Relates to: Writing Task, Workbook
2. Plan, structure and sequence learning programs
   Relates to: Writing Task, Workbook
3. Use teaching strategies
   Relates to: Writing Task, Workbook
4. Select and use resources
   Relates to: Writing Task, Workbook
5. Evaluate and improve teaching programs
   Relates to: Writing Task, Workbook

5 Professional Practice: Assess, provide feedback and report on student learning

1. Assess student learning
   Relates to: Writing Task, Workbook

Course Learning Outcomes

EU50 Master of Teaching (Secondary)

1. Knowledgeable: Demonstrate comprehensive professional knowledge of learning areas, learners and learning.
   Relates to: ULO1, Writing Task, Workbook
2. Scholarly: Reflect critically on the ways in which educational theory and research informs and impacts teaching practice.
   Relates to: ULO2, Writing Task, Workbook
3. Inclusive: Synthesise various knowledges to create safe, supportive, caring, inclusive and positive learning environments.
   Relates to: ULO3, Workbook
4. Innovative: Lead and create innovative future- focused learning.
   Relates to: ULO4, Writing Task, Workbook
5. Communicative: Engage and communicate effectively and professionally.
   Relates to: ULO5, Writing Task, Workbook