Unit rationale, description and aim
This unit focuses on fundamental concepts and theories of learning and development, using a critical reflective approach. It aims to deepen understanding of children and adolescents both as individuals and as participants in society. All pre-service teachers will consider and critique a range of theories concerning the physical, cognitive and psychosocial aspects of development and will examine ideas and debates about the contexts of development with specific reference to family, early childhood settings, school, peers, and diverse cultural and social contexts, including developmental diversity. The unit emphasises the importance of pre-service teachers developing an informed, theoretical perspective; one that acknowledges different ways of knowing about and participating in society from different worldviews that reflect on issues of the common good, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways of knowing.
The learning within this unit will be facilitated by ICT in order to assist pre-service teachers’ contemporary skills for learning.
This unit aims to allow pre-service teachers to begin to address critical questions about the influences on adolescent development and the role of schools in educating for a more just and equitable society.
Campus offering
No unit offerings are currently available for this unitLearning 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.
Explore and analyse concepts, theories, and resear...
Learning Outcome 01
Discuss and apply these concepts and theories to a...
Learning Outcome 02
Describe the influences on human development and l...
Learning Outcome 03
Consider theoretical frameworks in the observation...
Learning Outcome 04
Develop and use a range of ICT skills for learning...
Learning Outcome 05
Understand the impact of colonial and post-colonia...
Learning Outcome 06
Analyse contemporary issues and their impact on Ab...
Learning Outcome 07
Content
This unit is based on an understanding that learning and development is situated in complex diverse contexts. Topics may include:
- Introduction to relevant theories, and models addressing physical, cognitive and psychosocial development of the individual learner
- An overview of human development as a continuum, giving consideration to the influence of social and cultural contexts on development and learning
- Consideration of the influence of social and cultural contexts on children and adolescent development (e.g. identity, gender, culture and ethnicity) Influences on child and adolescent development and learning: individuals, families, peers, early childhood settings, schools, communities, cultural, global and contextual ethics and values
- Changes and challenges for children and adolescents and the impact and consequences of experience
- Key transitional periods of development: infancy/early childhood, middle childhood and adolescence highlighting differences in physical, cognitive and social/emotional development
- Socio-economic status and educational outcomes for Australian students
- Contemporary issues (e.g. rural/regional communities, mental health issues, changes to family structure and functioning, English as a Second Language students, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education and refugees) and their implications for learning and teaching
- An analysis of contemporary issues impacting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities with particular reference to education
- Government polices impacting on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education at local, state, national and international levels
- An understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander pedagogies and their use in teaching and learning
The following ICT understandings will be integrated across the unit:
- Understanding the scope of ICT for learning: processes, application and equipment
- Developing information skills for effective learning: defining, locating, selecting, organising, presenting and assessing information including ethical usage
- Developing ICT skills for learning and pedagogical practices.
Assessment strategy and rationale
The assessment tasks and their weightings are designed to allow pre-service teachers to progressively demonstrate achievement against the unit learning outcomes and demonstrate attainment of professional standards.
Minimum Achievement Standards
The assessment tasks for this unit are designed to demonstrate achievement of each learning outcome. Assessment tasks will amount to the equivalent of 4,000 words.
Overview of assessments
Assessment Task 1 Develop an issues paper that e...
Assessment Task 1
Develop an issues paper that explores the risk factors associated with particular contexts including those which address relevant issues associated with :
- safe, responsible and ethical use of ICT;
- understanding of and respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures and languages
Describe strategies and processes to ameliorate these risks and their impact on schooling.
30%
Assessment Task 2 Through one of the following: ...
Assessment Task 2
Through one of the following: power point presentation and online or paper journal group seminar presentation:
Demonstrate an understanding of concepts and theories underpinning child and adolescent development through educational inquiry
20%
Assessment Task 3 Demonstrate an understanding of...
Assessment Task 3
- Demonstrate an understanding of contextual relationships to explain influences on child and adolescent behaviour and development through a reflective essay and development of personal philosophy of teaching.
50%
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
Pre-service teachers will be involved in a variety of teaching-learning strategies to progress and demonstrate their understandings in this unit. Participants will be involved in a variety of teaching-learning strategies to support learning, including: online engagement, lectures, tutorials, seminar presentations and group discussions, both online and face-to-face, self-directed study activities and assessment tasks. Some participation in appropriate educational settings may be required.
Pre-service teachers should anticipate 150 hours in total with a normal expectation of 36 hours of directed study and the total contact hours should not exceed 36 hours. Directed study might include lectures, tutorials, webinars, podcasts etc. The balance of the hours then become private study.
AUSTRALIAN PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS FOR TEACHERS - GRADUATE LEVEL
On successful completion of this unit, pre-service teachers should be able to: