Unit rationale, description and aim
Secondary HPE/PDHPE teachers require a strong understanding of curricular, pedagogical and assessment practices to plan and deliver effective learning in Years 7–10. Junior secondary learners bring diverse backgrounds, experiences, and levels of health understanding and physical development and teachers need knowledge and skills to design learning that is responsive to varied learner needs. This unit provides foundational disciplinary understanding and introduces key principles that underpin pedagogies in health, physical education and personal development.
In this unit preservice teachers build knowledge of curriculum structures, concepts, and terminology for HPE/PDHPE, while engaging with evidence-based approaches to learning and teaching. Through modelling, practice, and collaborative activities, preservice teachers explore HPE-specific pedagogies, including addressing sensitive issues, strengths-based education, developing health and physical literacy, critical enquiry, valuing movement, and inclusive strategies. They design sequenced learning and assessment experiences, engage in microteaching, and use diagnostic, formative and summative approaches to evaluate learning. These experiences support development as a reflective, informed, and capable beginning teacher.
The aim of this unit is to develop preservice teachers’ disciplinary and pedagogical content knowledge to plan, teach and assess HPE/PDPHE in junior secondary contexts, and make informed decisions that promote equitable participation, engagement, and achievement for diverse learners.
Campus offering
No unit offerings are currently available for this unit.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 structure, intent and key features of...
Learning Outcome 01
Examine how students learn in HPE/PDHPE and apply ...
Learning Outcome 02
Critically analyse pedagogical models and classroo...
Learning Outcome 03
Design coherent lesson and unit sequences in HPE/P...
Learning Outcome 04
Appraise assessment strategies and feedback practi...
Learning Outcome 05
Content
Topics will include:
- Reflecting on prior experiences of teaching and learning in Years 7-10 HPE/PDHPE
- Australian Curriculum and local curriculum iterations for Years 7-10 HPE/PDHPE, including Cross-Curriculum Priorities, General Capabilities and local curriculum documentation
- Theories of learning relevant to HPE/PDHPE education, including discipline specific teaching strategies and issues related to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in HPE/PDHPE
- Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) including HPE/PDHPE specific pedagogies, culturally responsive pedagogy methods, collaborative learning and explicit instruction
- Designing units of work and related summative assessments for HPE/PDHPE in Years 7-10
- Teaching the concepts and language of HPE/PDHPE; communicating in health and physical literacy
- Teaching strategies and approaches for Years 7–10 HPE/PDHPE, including learning through movement, explicit instruction of skills and techniques, visual analysis and critique, addressing sensitive issues, and feedback
- Managing practical classes, including classroom/outdoor movement, distribution, collection, and safe use of equipment, transitions during activities and safety
- Strategies for monitoring and differentiating student learning in HPE/PDHPE, including models for inclusion (e.g. TREE, CHANGEIT), observations, and process documentation
- Classroom/outdoor verbal and non-verbal communication for HPE/PDHPE, including the Initiation-Response-Feedback (IRF) model, descriptive questioning, scaffolding, visual thinking strategies, metacognitive reflection and guided critique
- Ethical and professional resource selection and development for HPE/PDHPE, including the use of generative AI
- Roles and professional responsibilities of a contemporary teacher of HPE/PDHPE, including curriculum alignment, assessment integrity, and student safety and wellbeing in physical and digital environments, including generative AI
- Digital technologies in HPE/PDHPE, including emergent technologies such as generative AI and considerations for ethical, critical and creative engagement.
Assessment strategy and rationale
Assessment in this unit is designed to support preservice teachers’ development of curriculum knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge and assessment capability for teaching HPE/PDHPE in Years 7–10. The two tasks are sequenced to enable formative feedback and progressive refinement of planning and instructional skills. Together, they reflect authentic school‑based responsibilities that preservice teachers will undertake during professional experience and early career teaching. Both tasks include explicit instruction on the ethical and appropriate use of generative AI for brainstorming, drafting and editing, with clear requirements regarding attribution, transparency and originality.
Task 1 requires preservice teachers to design a coherent unit of work aligned to the Years 7–10 HPE/PDHPE curriculum. This task assesses their ability to interpret curriculum documents, apply evidence‑informed pedagogical strategies, incorporate explicit instruction and differentiation, and justify decisions using scholarly and policy evidence. Task 2 integrates resource selection with microteaching episodes, and a reflective evaluation of pedagogical decisions. This design mirrors authentic school practice, where teachers identify learner needs, plan responsively, trial strategies, and evaluate their impact on student learning.
To pass this unit, preservice teachers need to complete all assessment tasks and receive a passing grade of 50% overall.
Overview of assessments
Assessment Task 1: Planning a Unit of Work Desig...
Assessment Task 1: Planning a Unit of Work
Design a coherent Year 7–10 HPE/PDHPE unit of work that aligns with curriculum requirements and leads to a selected summative assessment task. Integrate evidence informed approaches to (1) develop content knowledge and skills; (2) incorporate explicit instruction, experiential learning, differentiation and inclusive practices; and (3) critique curriculum, pedagogical and assessment decisions using relevant scholarly and policy evidence.
50%
Assessment Task 2: Resource File and Micro Teachi...
Assessment Task 2: Resource File and Micro Teaching
Create a resource file of six (6) items for HPE teaching. Provide a justified explanation for each choice. Then, select at least one piece from the resource file and create two micro teaching episodes for a (i) theoretical, and (ii) practical learning experience. Integrate HPE/PDHPE specific pedagogies to show the different learnings possible from the resource/s. Prepare a reflective evaluation video explaining your pedagogical decisions, use of resources, and impact on diverse learners.
50%
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
This unit is grounded in a social constructivist approach, emphasising active engagement, dialogue, and purposeful collaboration as ways for adult learners to build knowledge and professional capability. Learning activities support preservice teachers to connect theoretical perspectives with practical classroom and outdoors application through modelling, guided practice, peer feedback, and structured reflection. Online lectures and readings provide key concepts and disciplinary foundations, while tutorials offer opportunities to trial and refine teaching strategies in supportive, interactive settings.
Because adult learners have varied experiences within HPE, teaching approaches are designed to be flexible, transparent, and scaffolded. Strategies such as worked examples, explicit modelling, guided rehearsal, and structured peer collaboration help preservice teachers to build confidence when tasks involve sensitive issues and physical movement. The unit also prioritises inclusive learning design, ensuring that teaching approaches are accessible to students with disability and neurodiverse learners through multimodal content, repeated practice opportunities, and options for differentiated participation in practical activities.
By engaging in planning, teaching demonstrations, and microteaching, preservice teachers build the communication, problem solving, and reflective skills required for junior secondary teaching. These strategies promote professional dialogue, ethical practice, and the ability to adapt teaching to meet diverse student needs in real classroom contexts.
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 and understanding of physical, social and intellectual development and characteristics of students and how these may affect learning.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO2, LO3
Relating toDemonstrate knowledge and understanding of research into how students learn and the implications for teaching.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1, LO2
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
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, LO3
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, LO4
Relating toDemonstrate knowledge and understanding of the concepts, substance and structure of the content and teaching strategies of the teaching area.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1, LO3
Relating toOrganise content into an effective learning and teaching sequence.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO2
Relating toUse curriculum, assessment and reporting knowledge to design learning sequences and lesson plans.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO2
Relating toDemonstrate broad knowledge of, understanding of, and respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures and languages.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1, LO2
Relating toKnow and understand literacy and numeracy teaching strategies and their application in teaching areas.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO2, LO3
Relating toImplement teaching strategies for using ICT to expand curriculum learning opportunities for students.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO2, LO3
Relating toSet learning goals that provide achievable challenges for students of varying abilities and characteristics.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO2
Relating toPlan lesson sequences using knowledge of student learning, content and effective teaching strategies.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO2
Relating toInclude a range of teaching strategies.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO2, LO3
Relating toDemonstrate knowledge of a range of resources, including ICT, that engage students in their learning.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO2, LO3
Relating toDemonstrate a range of verbal and non-verbal communication strategies to support student engagement.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO3
Relating toIdentify strategies to support inclusive student participation and engagement in classroom activities.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO2, LO3
Relating toDescribe strategies that support students’ wellbeing and safety working within school and/or system, curriculum and legislative requirements.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO3
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 OutcomeLO3, LO4
Relating toDemonstrate understanding of assessment strategies, including informal and formal, diagnostic, formative and summative approaches to assess student learning.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO2, LO4
Relating toDemonstrate an understanding of the purpose of providing timely and appropriate feedback to students about their learning.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO2, LO5
Relating toDemonstrate understanding of assessment moderation and its application to support consistent and comparable judgements of student learning.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO5
Relating toDemonstrate the capacity to interpret student assessment data to evaluate student learning and modify teaching practice.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO5
Relating toDemonstrate an understanding of the role of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers in identifying professional learning needs.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO3
Relating toUnderstand the relevant and appropriate sources of professional learning for teachers.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO3
Relating toSeek and apply constructive feedback from supervisors and teachers to improve teaching practices.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO4
Relating toDemonstrate an understanding of the rationale for continued professional learning and the implications for improved student learning.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO3
Relating toUnderstand the role of external professionals and community representatives in broadening teachers’ professional knowledge and practice.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1
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 toThe difference in the process of knowledge acquisition in the brain of a novice vs the brain of an expert. This should be taught with reference to the development of mental models and schemas.
Relevant learningLO1, LO2
Relating toThe most effective teaching practices to reduce cognitive overload, including explicit instruction, scaffolding, and clearly structured content that connects new information to prior learning.
Relevant learningLO1, LO2
Relating toHow to develop and use worked examples for students who are unfamiliar with a subject, followed by more challenging problem-solving activities as students become more familiar with the knowledge of a subject.
Relevant learningLO2, LO3
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 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 learningLO3
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 learningLO2
Relating toHow to design summative assessment to assess students against a standard or benchmark to gain an understanding of the level of mastery attained.
Relevant learningLO2, LO4
Relating toHow to produce and use developmental rubrics with criteria tailored to the specific task and/or work samples so that students understand what is expected.
Relevant learningLO2
Relating toHow to explicitly deliver reading and writing instruction through discipline and discipline-specific curriculum and pedagogical studies as outlined in standard 4.2.
Relevant learningLO2, LO3
Relating toThe research that shows numeracy is a fundamental component of learning, discourse, and critique across all areas of the curriculum and improves students’ understanding of and engagement with material within and beyond the mathematics curriculum.
Relevant learningLO2
Relating toThe research evidence that shows the relationship between effective pedagogical practices and increased positive behaviour including why specific practices are particularly effective in preventing undesired behaviour.
Relevant learningLO3
Relating toThe content covered in the Australian Curriculum Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures cross-curriculum priority across stages and subjects.
Relevant learningLO1, LO2
Relating toExplicitly teach the concept of cultural safety and explore practical examples of what it can look like in a classroom context.
Relevant learningLO2, LO3
Representative texts and references
Recommended texts and documents
Australian Curriculum https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/
Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) www.acara.edu.au
Relevant jurisdictional curriculum documents
ACT Education Directorate: https://www.education.act.gov.au/public-school-life/Our-Curriculum.
New South Wales Education Standards Authority (NESA): https://www.educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/home.
Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (CAA): https://www.qcaa.qld.edu.au/.
Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA): https://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/Pages/HomePage.aspx.
Recommended references
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2024). Australia’s health. https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports-data/australias-health
Dudley, D., Telford, A., Stonehouse, C., Peralta, L., & Winslade, M. (2021). Teaching quality health and physical education (2nd ed.). Cengage Learning.
Lieberman, L. J., & Houston-Wilson, C. (2017). Strategies for inclusion: Physical education for everyone. Human Kinetics.
Light, R. (2013). Game sense : pedagogy for performance, participation and enjoyment (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203114643
Malpeli, R. (2023). Nelson fit for life workbook. Levels 7+8 : health and physical education for the Australian curriculum (A. Telford, C. Stonehouse, L. Anton-Hem, D. Dudley, S. Watkins, E. Wild, & D. Bakker, Eds; Second edition.). Cengage Learning Australia.
Malpeli, R. (2023). Nelson fit for life. Levels 9+10 : health and physical education for the Australian curriculum (A. Telford, C. Stonehouse, L. Anton-Hem, D. Bakker, S. Watkins, E. Wild, & M. Spittle, Eds; 2nd edition.). Cengage Learning Australia.
Miller, J., Wilson-Gahan, S., Garrett, R., Haynes, J. (2022). Health and Physical Education: Preparing Educators for the Future (4th ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Motivation in Physical Education (1st ed. 2025.). (2025). Springer Nature Switzerland. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-86908-2
Promotion of Physical Activity and Health in the School Setting (1st ed. 2024.). (2024). Springer Nature Switzerland. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-65595-1
Ray Breed, & Michael Spittle. (2021). Developing Game Sense in Physical Education and Sport. Human Kinetics.