Year
2024Credit points
10Campus offering
No unit offerings are currently available for this unitPrerequisites
EDAR200 The Arts Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment (F-6) ; and EDAR310 Dance and Drama Education ; and/or EDAR311 Music Education ; EDAR312 Visual and Media Arts Education
Unit rationale, description and aim
A primary specialisation in the Creative Arts equips teachers with high levels of knowledge and skills in order to teach the subject area in depth. In addition to knowledge of curriculum content and pedagogy, teachers require skills to lead others in curriculum and teaching practice in the Arts.
As the final unit in the Creative Arts Education sequence, this unit builds on pre–service teachers’ broad knowledge and skills of the Arts and of Arts curriculum and pedagogy and applies this to develop their capacity as leaders in the field. The unit defines teacher leadership and advocacy in education, develops pre–service teachers’ capacity as teacher leaders and encourages them to take on a leadership role within primary Arts education. Pre–service teachers will examine and critically evaluate successful Arts education programs and reflect to plan their professional learning. They will apply their knowledge of Arts education to develop a program designed to improve their own practice and that of colleagues in order to extend student learning in the Arts.
This aim of this unit is to develop pre–service teachers’ capacity to act as leaders in curriculum and teaching practice in order to improve student learning outcomes in primary Arts education.
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.
| Learning Outcome Number | Learning Outcome Description |
|---|---|
| LO1 | Define teacher leadership and advocacy and articulate the connection between teacher leadership and improving teacher practice and student learning outcomes in the Arts in primary schools (APST 6.4; ACECQA B7, F1). |
| LO2 | Construct a personal professional learning plan using knowledge of the Arts specialisation, appropriate sources of professional learning and articulating the importance of continued professional learning for modifying teacher practice to improve learning outcomes in the Arts (APST 2.1, 3.6, 6.1, 6.2, 6.4, 7.4; ACECQA B7, F1, F3). |
| LO3 | Apply knowledge of the Arts specialisation to evaluate a learning and teaching context that extends Arts curriculum and student learning opportunities in the Arts (APST 1.5, 2.1, 3.6; ACECQA B7, B9, F5). |
| LO4 | Formulate a framework for teacher leadership and design a program for continued collective professional learning to improve teacher practice and learning outcomes for students across the full range of abilities in the Arts (APST 1.5, 2.1, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 4.5, 6.2, 6.4, 7.4; ACECQA B7, B9, C1, C4, C5, F1, F4). |
AUSTRALIAN PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS FOR TEACHERS - GRADUATE LEVEL
On successful completion of this unit, pre-service teachers should be able to:
1.5 Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of strategies for differentiating teaching to meet the specific learning needs of students across the full range of abilities. |
2.1 Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the concepts, substance and structure of the content and teaching strategies of the teaching area. |
3.1 Set learning goals that provide achievable challenges for students of varying abilities and characteristics. |
3.2 Plan lesson sequences using knowledge of student learning, content and effective teaching strategies. |
3.3 Include a range of teaching strategies. |
3.4 Demonstrate knowledge of a range of resources, including ICT, that engage students in their learning. |
3.6 Demonstrate broad knowledge of strategies that can be used to evaluate teaching programs to improve student learning. |
4.5 Demonstrate an understanding of the relevant issues and the strategies available to support the safe, responsible and ethical use of ICT in learning and teaching. |
6.1 Demonstrate an understanding of the role of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers in identifying professional learning needs. |
6.2 Understand the relevant and appropriate sources of professional learning for teachers. |
6.4 Demonstrate an understanding of the rationale for continued professional learning and the implications for improved student learnings. |
7.4 Understand the role of external professionals and community representatives in broadening teachers’ professional knowledge and practice. |
ACECQA Curriculum Specifications
On successful completion of this unit, pre-service teachers should have developed the following specific knowledge:
B Education and curriculum studies B7 creative arts and music B9 curriculum planning, programming and evaluation |
C Teaching pedagogies C1 alternative pedagogies and curriculum approaches C4 teaching methods and strategies C5 children with diverse needs and backgrounds |
F Early childhood professional practice F1 leadership F3 professional identity and development F4 advocacy F5 research |
Content
Topics will include:
- Defining characteristics and actions involved in teacher leadership and advocacy
- Importance of being and becoming a leader in practice as a teacher in the Arts
- Developing leadership and advocacy knowledge and skills
- Strategies for leading and advocating as curriculum practitioner in the Arts
- The connection between leading learning and improving teacher practice and student learning outcomes in the Arts in primary classrooms
- A range of programs for extending student learning in the Arts beyond the curriculum including strategies for differentiating to meet the needs of students across the full range of abilities, with a particular focus on extending and challenging students gifted and talented in the Arts
- Evaluating examples of Arts education and teacher professional learning
- A range of frameworks that can be applied to promote collective professional learning in the Arts education
- The role of reflective practice, external professionals, community organisations and continuing professional learning in becoming a leader of teaching and learning in the Arts
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
A project-based learning approach underpins learning and teaching in EDAR410. Project-based learning enables students to draw upon their existing knowledge in their specialism in order to develop authentic outcomes that are applicable to the real world. The learning and teaching strategy follows a constructivist model, with an emphasis on social learning and scaffolding such that concepts and tasks build progressively. As the final unit in the creative Arts Education sequence, pre-service teachers have the opportunity to apply and integrate their learning from previous units as they develop their capacity as leaders in the field.
Pre-service teachers will build their conceptual knowledge of notions of teacher leadership and advocacy through exploration of and critical engagement with unit content using a broad range of technologies. The ability to work collaboratively will be developed through collaborative online discussion forums. Their capacity as teacher leaders in the Arts is promoted through open-ended assessment tasks which involve the design of a plan to improve teaching practice in a chosen Arts domain.
This unit is generally taught fully online across a 12-week semester. Participants should anticipate undertaking 150 hours of study for this unit including a variety of flexible teaching and learning strategies, dependent on the needs of the particular group. These may include self-paced readings for developing the ability to work autonomously, synchronous tutorials, and assignment preparation.
Technology Enhanced Learning
The unit will include a Learning Management System site with resources and online links, announcements, and a discussion board to post questions and reflections that promote critical engagement. It may include:
- Recorded lectures and lecture notes; tutorial notes / guides
- Webinars, podcasts, videos
- Reviews, guided explorations, quizzes
- Discussion board to exchange ideas and refine learning.
- Focussed readings addressing a wide spectrum of Arts education and practices.
Assessment strategy and rationale
The three sequential assessment tasks enable pre-service teachers to meet the learning outcomes of EDAR410. The first assessment task develops analytical abilities, the capacity to engage in critically reflective practice and to set meaningful goals for professional development. The second assessment task develops and hones research skills, and analysis and critical thinking. The third assessment task draws together the learning from the first two tasks as pre-service teachers apply this to build their capacity as teacher leaders through the formulation of a plan to improve teacher practice and student learning in the Arts in primary schools.
Minimum Achievement Standards
The assessment tasks for this unit are designed to demonstrate achievement of each learning outcome. In order to pass this unit, you are required to submit all assessment tasks and demonstrate achievement of learning outcomes by obtaining a combined score of at least 50%. Learning Outcome 4 (Formulate a framework for teacher leadership and design a program for continued collective professional learning to improve teacher practice and learning outcomes for students across the full range of abilities in the Arts) is only assessed in Assessment Task 3. A pass in this component of the assessment is an additional requirement for passing the unit overall.
Electronic Submission, Marking and Return
Assessment tasks are to be submitted to Turnitin. Assessments will be marked and returned via Turnitin in accordance with University assessment policy.
Overview of assessments
| Brief Description of Kind and Purpose of Assessment Tasks | Weighting | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|
Assessment Task 1 Professional Learning Plan Develop a “self as teacher leader” professional learning plan. Define leadership and advocacy in Arts education. Conduct a self-audit of existing knowledge and skills in the Arts education and leadership. Reflect and analyse strengths and gaps. Include: practical steps to build your skills; relevant and appropriate sources of professional learning; and engaging with relevant external professionals and community representatives to broaden professional knowledge, teaching practice and teacher leadership in the Arts. | 20% | LO1, LO2 |
Assessment Task 2 Evaluative Report Evaluative report on a specific successful Arts learning and teaching initiative for a primary school context. Describe the context and initiative, and analyse its efficacy with respect to extending student learning opportunities in the Arts. Refer to literature in the field to support your assertions | 30% | LO3 |
Assessment Task 3 Improving Practice Design a framework for advocacy and plan for professional learning to improve collective teachers’ practice and extend student learning in a specific area of the Arts in primary schools. Focus on strategies for differentiating teaching to meet the needs of students across the full range of abilities, including extending learning for students gifted and talented in the chosen Arts area. | 50% | LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4 |
Representative texts and references
Crowther, F., Ferguson, M., & Hann, L. (2009). Developing teacher leaders: How teacher leadership enhances school success (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Day, C. (2017). Teachers' worlds and work: understanding complexity, raising quality. London: Routledge.
Dyson, J. (Ed.). (2019). More than words can say: A view of literacy through the arts. Indooroopilly, Qld: National Advocates for Arts Education (NAAE).
Eacott, S., & Evers, C. (Eds.). (2016). New directions in educational leadership theory. London: Routledge.
Fleming, J., Gibson, R., & Anderson, M. (Eds) (2015). How arts education makes a difference: Research examining successful classroom practice and pedagogy. New York, NY: Routledge.
Frost, D. (Ed.) (2017). Empowering teachers as agents of change: A non-positional approach to teacher leadership: University of Cambridge Press.
Harris, A. (2015). Teacher Leadership. International Encyclopedia of the Social and Behavioural Sciences, pp. 60-63.
Hunter, M., Aprill, A., Hill, A., & Emery, S. (2018). Education, arts and sustainability. Emerging practice for a changing world. London: Springer.
Owens, R., & Valesky, T. (2015). Organizational behavior in education: Leadership and school reform (11th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.
Wenner, J. & Campbell, T. (2017). The theoretical and empirical basis of teacher leadership: A review of the literature. Review of Educational Research 87(1), 134-171.