EDFX535 - Professional Practice Secondary 2

Year

Credit points

Campus offering

Prerequisites

EDFX534 Professional Practice Secondary 1

Unit rationale, description and aim

Pre-service teachers need to develop their skills and knowledge for teaching in practical teaching contexts which are professionally supportive environments.

This professional experience comprises a minimum of 20 days placement and supervised teaching in a school context. It is complementary to the work in other units and enables pre-service teachers to apply the theory, skills, techniques, and processes presented and learned in Education Studies and Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment studies. This second professional experience focuses on the identification of the professional role of the teacher as one of reflector and learner within a particular classroom context and as an integral member of a school community. The unit allows supervising teachers and pre-service teachers to work collaboratively with the University to assess, challenge, and extend the abilities of pre-service teachers. This school-based professional experience enables pre-service teachers to reinforce and expand their competency in providing for and challenging student learning. This unit provides pre-service teachers with a block of extended reflective professional experience that extends their repertoire of pedagogical skills in the planning and delivery of appropriate teaching and learning programs. It further provides opportunities for school-based study and the development of closer links between theoretical considerations and the teaching and learning experiences encountered in schools.

The aim of the unit is for pre-service teachers to develop their pedagogical and professional knowledge for teaching.

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.

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:

Content

Topics will include: 

• Identification and analysis of school charters/mission statements and school policies 
• Professional roles and responsibilities as a member of the school and wider community, professional ethics, and the collegial nature of schools 
• Relationship building and communication skills (oral, written, electronic) with students, colleagues, parents/carers, and school community 
• Creating effective class and school learning environments 
• Lesson, unit and program planning including sequencing of appropriate, effective teaching strategies and learning activities which cater for different learning needs and contexts 
• Assessment techniques/processes and appropriate reporting procedures for effective learning 
• The role and impact of assessment and feedback for improved student learning outcomes and modification of teaching practices 
• Classroom management skills appropriate for creating and maintaining positive, safe and challenging learning environments 
• The importance of parents/carers as partners in the educative process 
• Reporting to parents, school community, and educational authorities the role of reflective practice in evaluating learning and modifying teaching practice. 

Learning and teaching strategy and rationale

This unit applies a situated, practical approach to develop the pre-service teacher’s understanding of effective pedagogies and professional attributes. Relevant preparation for the school context will be provided in either on-campus or online modes, but the work/learning of the unit is that of being a teacher in a school, working with actual students, colleagues and parents. 

Refer to Professional Experience Handbook for detailed guidelines regarding teaching and other requirements. 

Pre-service teachers in this phase of the Professional and Community Experience undertake a minimum of 20 days under agreed supervision arrangements. This experience will involve: 

• Taking on aspects of the secondary school teacher’s role and responsibilities as appropriate 
• Engaging in professional reflective conversations with peers, mentor/supervising teacher and university staff 
• Learning to work collaboratively with colleagues, including supervising teacher and teacher aides, and parents/carers where appropriate 
• Structured observation and analysis of high-quality teaching episodes in both the major and the minor teaching areas 
• Developing and implementing lesson plans and sequences 
• Guided reflective practice, aligned with collecting and annotating appropriate artefacts for a professional portfolio in line with the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers framework. 

A variety of learning-teaching strategies may be used including: 

• Attendance at all Professional Experience briefing, and debriefing meetings is a unit requirement 
• Seminars, tutorials, or workshops, which include pre-service teacher-led discussions and group work, provide opportunities for pre-service teachers to reflect on and build on their experiences in the field 
• Information and communication technologies may be utilised to deliver content and facilitate an understanding of an educational community of practice. 

Professional Experience: Teaching Requirements 

Through school-based experiences, pre-service teachers will examine the nexus between theory and practice as they analyse and reflect upon current practices, develop communication, planning and teaching skills and relate their experiences to the theoretical foundations introduced through lectures and tutorials at university. In partnership with the teachers and school communities, they will practice and develop the content and skills explicitly addressed in other units. 

Assessment strategy and rationale

The unit is designed, within the context of the course as a whole, so that the pre-service teacher can progressively achieve the course learning outcomes and work towards the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (Graduate level) in an in-situ, practical context. 

The assessment tasks ensure that the pre-service teacher has met the minimum requirements for entry into a school context, and achieving the sub-set of standards identified for this unit 

Pre-service teacher, the University and schools collaborate in coordinating the school-based experiences of the pre-service teachers as they develop further their appreciation and understanding of the role of teacher. The report completed at the end of this unit covers the following themes: 

• Professionalism – in conduct, in the execution of teaching and learning and in relationships with all parties 
• Detailed, clearly expressed, thoroughly prepared and well-presented lessons 
• Organisation and implementation of a range of learning activities and assessment strategies 
• Diversity of teaching approaches 
• Development of knowledge, skills and effective classroom strategies, including ICT, to promote engaging learning environments 
• Engagement in a range of activities around the teacher’s role, including assisting the class teacher, structured observation and critical reflection, as appropriate to the setting. 

The University will award the final grade based on reports from relevant school personnel. Consistent with University regulations, pre-service teachers who fail this unit may be asked to ‘show cause’, and this may in turn lead to termination from the course. 

Overview of assessments

Representative texts and references

Good, T. L., & Brophy, J. E. (2008). Looking in classrooms (10th ed.). Allyn and Bacon 

Henniger, M. L. (2009). The teaching experience: An introduction to reflective practice (3rd ed.). Pearson Custom Publishing. 

Kennedy, M. (1996). Teachers conducting research. ENational Center for Research on Teacher Learning. 

Kronowitz, E. L. (2004). Your first year of teaching and beyond (4th ed.). Pearson/Allyn and Bacon. 

Moore, A. (2012). Teaching and learning: Pedagogy, curriculum and culture (2nd ed.). Routledge. 

Overall, L., & Sangster, M. (2005). The secondary teacher's handbook. Continuum. 

Pollard, A., & Black-Hawkins, K. (2019). Reflective teaching in schools (5th ed.). Bloomsbury Academic. 

Whitton, D., Barker, K., Nosworthy, M., Humphries, J., & Sinclair, C. (2016). Learning for teaching, teaching for learning (3rd ed.). Cengage Learning Australia. 

Wilen, W. W., Hutchisen, J., & Ischler, M. (2008). Dynamics of effective secondary teaching (6th ed.).Allyn and Bacon. 

Zeichner, K., & Liston, D. (2014). Reflective teaching: An introduction (2nd ed.). Routledge.