Unit rationale, description and aim
This unit includes 20 days of professional experience placement.
Pre-service teachers will explore the complexities of the teaching profession, gaining knowledge and skills to meet the challenges of diverse and inclusive learning environments. They will critically engage with lesson planning, pedagogy, and assessment strategies, including differentiated learning goals to address the needs of all learners. The unit also builds capacity to communicate professionally with parents/carers and involve them in the educational process.
Pre-service teachers will analyse key theories, current research, and educational policies to develop approaches for creating positive learning environments, promoting wellbeing, and managing challenging behaviours. Informed by Catholic Social Teaching, they will integrate policy, models, and practice to guide learner engagement and behaviour holistically.
Through placement, pre-service teachers will observe and work with experienced practitioners, applying their learning in real classroom contexts. Reflection on these experiences will support the integration of theory and practice and alignment with the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers at the Graduate level.
The aim of this unit is to foster pre-service teachers’ development as confident, reflective, and effective educators, equipped to facilitate meaningful learning and shape their emerging professional identities.
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.
Describe the complexities of the teacher’s role an...
Learning Outcome 01
Employ a range of explicit communication, modellin...
Learning Outcome 02
Synthesise contemporary assessment theories, pract...
Learning Outcome 03
Research and integrate major theories, policies an...
Learning Outcome 04
Apply professional communication skills, scaffolde...
Learning Outcome 05
Content
Topics will include:
The complexities of the teacher’s role and the implications for practice, including:
- Australian Professional Standards for Teachers
- Organisational policies and processes; principles and codes of ethics and conduct
- Legal and professional responsibilities including Duty of Care, Child Protection and Mandatory reporting.
Communication skills to facilitate teaching and learning:
- Principles and practice of effective verbal and non-verbal communication in facilitating teaching and learning
- Building positive relationships and rapport with students
- A range of communication strategies to engage sensitively and confidentially with parents/ carers and involve them in the educative process.
A range of teaching strategies that may include:
- Direct instruction: Explanations and demonstrations
- Questioning, feedback and discussion skills to facilitate higher order thinking
- Group work and co-operative learning
- Problem solving
Planning for teaching:
- Purposes and elements of planning
- Structuring and implementing learning sequences
- Interpreting curriculum documents to select content and set learning goals
Differentiation of content and teaching strategies to cater for diverse learners including:
- learners from diverse cultural, linguistic and SES backgrounds
- learners across a full range of abilities
- learners from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds
Introduction to fundamentals of assessment including:
- The role of assessment in the planning, teaching, learning and evaluation cycle and improvement of teaching and learning
- Purposes and forms of assessment, (formal, informal, diagnostic, formative, summative)
- Differentiating assessment tasks to meet the specific needs of diverse learners
- Approaches for providing timely, focused and constructive feedback to learners
- Processes for gathering, organising and interpreting evidence of learning
- Maintaining accurate records and reporting student progress to learners and parents/carers
Promoting learner engagement and behaviour management:
- Contemporary research and theories relating to effective behaviour management:
- Cognitive and Behaviorist models
- Psychological or needs-based models: Dreikurs
- Glasser’s Choice Theory; Bill Rogers’ Decisive Discipline; Canter and Canter’s Assertive Discipline; Ford’s Responsible Thinking
- Developing proactive engagement and management plans.
- Strategies for creating safe and positive learning environments and promoting physical, psychological and social well-being:
- Establishing positive teacher-learner relationships
- Promoting class cohesion
- Engaging learners in setting expectations to develop ownership of their behaviour
- Practical strategies for promoting learner self-motivation and self-direction
- Behaviour management strategies applicable to diverse learners.
- Application of the principles of Catholic Social Teaching.
- Factors contributing to undesired behaviours:
- Learner related factors
- Home and social group factors
- Classroom and teacher factors
- The impact of changing technologies and social media.
- A range of practical strategies for responding to low-level undesired behaviours:
- Positive reinforcement
- Unobtrusive, non-punitive interventions
- Re-engaging disengaged learners
- A range of practical strategies for managing challenging behaviour:
- Re-building relationships: Student-teacher conferences; Learning and behaviour contracts
- Cracking the challenging class
- Engaging with professional colleagues and other education professionals
- Engaging sensitively and confidentially with parents/carers
- Policy, curriculum and legislative requirements that underpin learner wellbeing and safety.
- Maintaining safe online environments: anti-bullying and cyber-bullying.
- Strategies for protecting teacher safety and well-being: building resilience and self-care.
Critical Reflective Practice:
- Strategies and lenses for critiquing the implementation of learning activities
- Seeking and responding to feedback from supervisors and teachers to improve practice
- Approaches to developing a personal Philosophy of Teaching
Assessment strategy and rationale
The assessment load and weighting in this unit have been designed to accommodate the professional experience component, with the written assessment load adjusted accordingly.
A range of assessment procedures enables pre-service teachers to progressively demonstrate achievement of the unit learning outcomes and develop graduate attributes in line with University and APST Graduate-level expectations. This unit supports the development of professional knowledge, practice, and engagement.
There are four assessment tasks, including two hurdle requirements, all of which must be passed. Tasks are sequenced to allow feedback and progressive skill development. In Hurdle Requirement 1, pre-service teachers demonstrate understanding of legal and ethical responsibilities. Task 1 focuses on applying pedagogical knowledge to design engaging teaching strategies. Task 2 develops knowledge of theoretical models of classroom management and addresses challenging behaviour through a learner engagement and behaviour management plan. The final hurdle is the successful completion of a 20-day professional experience placement, connecting theory to real-world teaching.
Overview of assessments
Assessment Task 1: Analysis and Application of Te...
Assessment Task 1: Analysis and Application of Teaching Strategies
In small groups, research and analyse an evidence-based teaching strategy.
Present / teach a short activity to the whole class using your selected teaching strategy, modelling explicit teaching and learner engagement.
Include the following:
- A succinct and specific rationale supported by research literature, summarising evidence of the strategy’s effectiveness.
- An explanation of the strategy’s relevance to a particular learning context and learner characteristics.
- Recommendations for appropriate classroom applications of the strategy.
- A description of the teaching content and how it aligns to specific curriculum outcomes and sequences.
- Inclusion of a range of resources, including ICT, to support learner engagement.
- Evidence of safe and ethical use of ICT to expand curriculum opportunities.
- Differentiation of learning goals, success criteria, and activities for diverse learners.
- Informal formative assessment of your “learners”
- Timely and constructive feedback to students to improve their learning
- Clear methods and purpose for recording “learner” achievement.
- Evidence of effective verbal, non-verbal, and multimodal communication strategies.
At the conclusion of your presentation, engage your audience in a review and discussion of the strategy’s practical applications and its potential to improve student learning.
Individual Task:
Each group member must submit a short individual reflection (approx. 300–500 words) on the teaching strategy and their evaluation of the group’s implementation.
40%
Assessment Task 2: Task 2a: Rationale and Plan ...
Assessment Task 2:
Task 2a: Rationale and Plan for Engaging Learners, Fostering Positive Behaviour and Managing Challenging Behaviour.
Critical Task
Describe a specific learning setting, such as your placement class. Include the physical, social, and intellectual development of students, along with their linguistic, cultural, religious, and socio-economic backgrounds.
Develop a comprehensive rationale and behaviour support plan that:
- Outlines a multi-tiered approach to supporting behaviour and engagement, ensuring targeted supports are in place for all students.
- Incorporates consistent classroom routines and behavioural expectations, practised through rehearsed protocols in your professional placement.
- Describes how high expectations and positive relationships promote motivation, engagement, and a sense of safety for all learners.
- Identifies how to set achievable yet ambitious goals with learners, including differentiation and support strategies tailored to individual strengths and needs.
- Justifies selected strategies using contemporary theories, Catholic Social Teaching principles, and relevant school-based policies and frameworks.
Refer to authentic examples of challenging learner behaviour (individual, group, or class) to demonstrate how your plan would be applied in practice.
Task 2b: Parent/Carer Communication Strategy
Create three artefacts for communicating with parents/carers, using sensitive and confidential approaches that support ongoing partnership in student wellbeing and learning. Your artefacts must demonstrate:
- A response to a learner whose engagement and behaviour are generally positive, with occasional lapses.
- A response to a learner whose conduct raises significant or consistent concerns.
Your artefacts (e.g., report, letter, or transcript of a discussion) must:
- Model collaborative, respectful communication strategies, informed by knowledge of school policies, ethical responsibilities, and student needs.
- Include proactive strategies for sustaining engagement and maintaining behaviour through shared expectations and family involvement.
- Show understanding of diverse learner contexts, including how to navigate cultural, linguistic, or socio-economic sensitivities during communication.
60%
Hurdle Requirement: Preparation for the Professio...
Hurdle Requirement: Preparation for the Professional Experience Placement
Prior to commencing the Professional Experience placement, pre-service teachers must complete a series of compulsory online preparation modules, attaining a score of 95% or above in each module. The modules provide foundational preparation for maintaining classroom environments that are safe, predictable, and well-structured by reinforcing:
- Professional expectations and teacher conduct,
- Familiarisation with school-wide safety routines and legal responsibilities,
- Awareness of consistent expectations and procedures required of all educators.
Modules include:
- Australian Professional Standards for Teachers and codes of conduct;
- Duty of Care, Child Protection, and Mandatory Reporting;
- Workplace Health & Safety requirements;
- Guidelines for building and maintaining professional relationships with students, colleagues, and families.
Pre-service teachers must also upload evidence of:
- A current Working with Children Check or Police Check, as per jurisdictional requirements.
- Completion of all state/territory-mandated training..
Notes: Completion of this hurdle task is compulsory. Multiple attempts are permitted.
Pass/Fail
Hurdle Task: Professional Experience Assessment ...
Hurdle Task: Professional Experience Assessment
Pre-service teachers must demonstrate attainment of the relevant Australian Professional Standards for Teachers: Graduate within a primary school setting. Refer to the Professional Experience Handbook and Report for requirements.
A pass grade for this task will be awarded as follows:
- The successful completion of 20 professional experience days, and,
- Submission of a satisfactory Professional Experience Assessment Report
During placement, pre-service teachers will be expected to:
- Model teaching strategies using worked examples and progressively reduce scaffolds as students demonstrate increasing proficiency.
- Apply clear rules, routines, and learning habits to minimise time off-task and maximise learning engagement.
- Use structured protocols for transitions, small-group activities, and lesson closures to maintain clarity and consistency.
- Build positive teacher-student relationships to support student engagement and classroom cohesion.
- Establish a predictable and safe classroom environment by maintaining consistency in physical layout, visual prompts, and instructional routines.
Notes: Multiple attempts at this hurdle task are not permitted. Professional Experience is a mandated component of Initial Teacher Education. Failure to pass this task will result in a failing grade for the unit overall, and the pre-service teacher must re-enrol in a future offering of the unit.
Pass/Fail
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
This 10-credit point unit requires approximately 150 hours of learning across the semester, including lectures, self-directed study, assessments, and a 20-day professional experience placement in a primary school setting.
Adopting a social constructivist approach, the unit supports pre-service teachers in developing knowledge of planning, communication, and teaching strategies. Learning activities include lectures, readings, collaborative tutorials, and micro-teaching presentations to build confidence in group management and classroom delivery. The Learning Management System provides access to recorded lectures, tutorial guides, readings, announcements, and forums.
Professional experience is central to the unit. Pre-service teachers will observe, assist, and progressively plan and deliver small-group and whole-class lessons. Under the guidance of supervising teachers, they will apply theory in real-world settings, critically reflect on their practice, and assess their development against teaching standards.
The placement consists of up to 5 preliminary days followed by a 15-day block. Expectations increase from observation to teaching half a full-time load. Activities include planning and implementing lessons, managing transitions and routines, and assessing student learning.
Completion of all required professional preparation and legal compliance modules is mandatory before placement.
Australian Professional Standards for Teachers - Graduate Level
In connection to the learning outcomes, on successful completion of this unit, pre-service teachers should have developed the following industry specific knowledge based on the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers - Graduate Level standards:
Relating toDemonstrate knowledge of teaching strategies that are responsive to the learning strengths and needs of students from diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO2, LO3, LO4
Relating toDemonstrate broad knowledge and understanding of the impact of culture, cultural identity and linguistic background on the education of students from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO2, LO4
Relating toDemonstrate knowledge and understanding of strategies for differentiating teaching to meet the specific learning needs of students across the full range of abilities.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO2, LO3, LO4
Relating toDemonstrate broad knowledge and understanding of legislative requirements and teaching strategies that support participation and learning of students with disability.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1, LO2, LO3
Relating toDemonstrate knowledge and understanding of the concepts, substance and structure of the content and teaching strategies of the teaching area.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO2, LO3, LO5
Relating toOrganise content into an effective learning and teaching sequence.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO2, LO5
Relating toUse curriculum, assessment and reporting knowledge to design learning sequences and lesson plans.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO2, LO3, LO5
Relating toDemonstrate broad knowledge of, understanding of, and respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures and languages.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO2, LO4, LO5
Relating toKnow and understand literacy and numeracy teaching strategies and their application in teaching areas.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO2, LO5
Relating toImplement teaching strategies for using ICT to expand curriculum learning opportunities for students.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO2, LO5
Relating toSet learning goals that provide achievable challenges for students of varying abilities and characteristics.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO2, LO3, LO5
Relating toPlan lesson sequences using knowledge of student learning, content and effective teaching strategies.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO2, LO3, LO5
Relating toInclude a range of teaching strategies.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO2, LO3, LO5
Relating toDemonstrate knowledge of a range of resources, including ICT, that engage students in their learning.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO2, LO5
Relating toDemonstrate a range of verbal and non-verbal communication strategies to support student engagement.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO2, LO4, LO5
Relating toDemonstrate broad knowledge of strategies that can be used to evaluate teaching programs to improve student learning.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO5
Relating toDescribe a broad range of strategies for involving parents/carers in the educative process.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO4, LO5
Relating toIdentify strategies to support inclusive student participation and engagement in classroom activities.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO2, LO4, LO5
Relating toDemonstrate the capacity to organise classroom activities and provide clear directions.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO4, LO5
Relating toDemonstrate knowledge of practical approaches to manage challenging behaviour.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO4, LO5
Relating toDescribe strategies that support students’ wellbeing and safety working within school and/or system, curriculum and legislative requirements.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1, LO4, LO5
Relating toDemonstrate an understanding of the relevant issues and the strategies available to support the safe, responsible and ethical use of ICT in learning and teaching.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1, LO4, LO5
Relating toDemonstrate understanding of assessment strategies, including informal and formal, diagnostic, formative and summative approaches to assess student learning.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO3, LO5
Relating toDemonstrate an understanding of the purpose of providing timely and appropriate feedback to students about their learning.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO2, LO3, LO5
Relating toDemonstrate understanding of assessment moderation and its application to support consistent and comparable judgements of student learning.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO3
Relating toDemonstrate understanding of a range of strategies for reporting to students and parents/carers and the purpose of keeping accurate and reliable records of student achievement.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO2
Relating toDemonstrate an understanding of the role of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers in identifying professional learning needs.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO5
Relating toSeek and apply constructive feedback from supervisors and teachers to improve teaching practices.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO2, LO5
Relating toUnderstand and apply the key principles described in codes of ethics and conduct for the teaching profession.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1, LO4, LO5
Relating toUnderstand the relevant legislative, administrative and organisational policies and processes required for teachers according to school stage.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1, LO4, LO5
Relating toUnderstand strategies for working effectively, sensitively and confidentially with parents/carers.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO4
Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) Core Content
On successful completion of this unit, pre-service teachers should have developed the following industry specific knowledge based on the AITSL Core Content:
Relating toHow the brain applies attained knowledge to solve problems by accessing memory or combining and re-combining memory to generate possible solutions.
Relevant learningLO2
Relating toWhy teaching practices must adapt as a student’s familiarity with the knowledge of a subject increases, including when to move from scaffolded practice to independent practice, and why this is important.
Relevant learningLO2
Relating toThe key features of coherent and deliberate planning and sequencing of tasks and lessons including curriculum-aligned learning objectives, clear descriptions of how students will show evidence of mastery, the common progression of learning in a subject area and the critical curriculum knowledge needed for students to progress.
Relevant learningLO2
Relating toHow to plan a sequence of lessons that incorporate spacing and retrieval practice, build upon each other, meet students where they are in their learning and help students retrieve past learning and consolidate it in long-term memory.
Relevant learningLO2
Relating toHow to sequence tasks within a lesson that build upon each other, meet students where they are in their learning and help them understand the progression of skills needed to attain mastery.
Relevant learningLO2
Relating toThe research base that shows explicit teaching, modelling and scaffolding practices are highly effective and attend best to how a student’s brain learns.
Relevant learningLO2
Relating toHow to effectively begin instruction of a task through using a clear explanation of what students are expected to learn, chunked into small, manageable tasks with well-defined goals.
Relevant learningLO2
Relating toThe importance of presenting all information required to complete these chunked tasks in one place and at one time, excluding information not directly related to the task, to reduce cognitive overload.
Relevant learningLO2
Relating toHow to explicitly model new skills and content through ‘worked examples’ that clearly demonstrate how to complete the task, followed by a progressive removal of scaffolding as students become more proficient.
Relevant learningLO5
Relating toHow to pitch an introductory lesson at an appropriate level, before starting a new unit of work, by identifying where a student is in their learning through assessing what they know, or think they know.
Relevant learningLO3
Relating toHow to use formative assessment practices to gather and interpret information about student learning as learning is taking place – for example, use of simple, low-key assessments such as exit slips, quick quizzes or targeted oral questioning to prompt students to articulate their reasoning and identify common student misconceptions.
Relevant learningLO3
Relating toThe fundamental elements and underpinning theory of a multi-tiered system of support and why it is effective.
Relevant learningLO1
Relating toHow to develop and use effective rules and routines, or cues that are focused on creating learning habits that encourage students to respond quickly to instructions to reduce wasted learning time.
Relevant learningLO5
Relating toWhen and how pre-service teachers can practise using rules and routines in a professional experience setting so that they are best supported to transition to the classroom.
Relevant learningLO4
Relating toThe research evidence that shows the positive impacts clear and high expectations have on student behaviour and achievement and why it results in improved motivation, better self-accountability and understanding of consequences.
Relevant learningLO4
Relating toHow to effectively set ambitious and achievable student goals including how to collaborate with students to set goals, and what consistent and persistent reinforcement looks like in the classroom so that those goals can be realised.
Relevant learningLO4
Relating toThe research evidence that shows the positive impact of building positive relationships on classroom behaviour and student outcomes.
Relevant learningLO5
Relating toHow to plan and implement practices that create a predictable and safe environment for students by reducing variance in classroom environment – for example, classroom arrangement, consistent location of prompts, consistent use of space, visible rules, and routines.
Relevant learningLO1
Relating toPractices schools may employ, including two-way positive communication, light-touch learning updates and collaborative planning and problem solving, and understanding the role and responsibility of an individual teacher in these practices.
Relevant learningLO1
Representative texts and references
Required text(s)
Australian Curriculum: https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/Australian Curriculum and Reporting Authority (ACARA): https://www.acara.edu.au
Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership: https://www.aitsl.edu.au/
Relevant State and Territory curriculum documents
Recommended references
Brady, L., & Kennedy, K. (2018). Curriculum construction (6th ed.). Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson Australia.
Churchill, R., Keddie, A., Moss, J. Nagel, M., Shaw, K., Mackay, J., Letts, W., McGill, M., Batt, J., Beckman, K., Apps, T., & Grainger, P. (2022). Teaching: Making a difference (5th ed.). John Wiley & Sons Australia.
Cleak, H., & Wilson, J. (2019). Making the most of field placement (4th ed.). Cengage Learning Australia.
De Nobile, J., Lyons, G., & Arthur-Kelly, M. (2017). Positive learning environments: Creating and maintaining productive classrooms. Cengage Learning Australia.
Ewing, R., Kervin, L., Glass, C., Gobby, B., le Cornu, R., & Groundwater-Smith, S. (2019). Teaching: Dilemmas, challenges and opportunities (6th ed.). Cengage Learning Australia.
Lyons, G., Ford, M., & Slee, J. (2014). Classroom management: Creating positive learning environments (4th ed.). Cengage Learning Australia.
Killen, R. (2016). Effective teaching strategies: Lessons from research and practice (7th ed.). Cengage Learning Australia.
Morrison, G., Ross, S., Morrison, J., & Kalman, H. (2019). Designing effective instruction (8th ed.). John Wiley and Sons
Welch, A., & Connell, R. (Eds.). (2018). Education, change and society (4th ed.). Oxford University Press.
Whitton, D., Barker, K., Nosworthy, M., Humphries, J., & Sinclair, C. (2016). Learning for teaching, Teaching for learning (3rd ed.). Cengage Learning Australia.