Primary Specialisation Capstone

Preservice teachers will deepen their professional knowledge, skills and abilities to teach in an approved primary school specialisation. In the selected specialisation area preservice teachers undertake in-depth studies and research into primary curriculum, pedagogy and assessment. They research aspects of twenty first century teaching and learning in rapidly changing global, social, economic, environmental and technological contexts that inform content, pedagogy, curriculum and assessment of students’ learning, skills, capacities and cultural understandings. Preservice teachers investigate the research-teaching-practice triangle in learning about the importance of research for teacher preparation and professional practice aimed at improving school students’ learning. Students will be involved in a 15-day teaching experience during which time they will develop and apply ethically appropriate methods for collecting data through classroom observations, teacher feedback, assessment of students’ learning and knowledge. They will collate and analyse data and critically evaluate their own teaching and further build their professional competence, creativity, critical analysis, and problem solving ability.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:

1. Analyse and critically review the core components of a school program relevant to their specialisation;
2. Design, implement and evaluate a teaching and learning program or unit of work for their subject domain specialisation incorporating relevant core components of a school program;
3. Design, implement and substantiate a safe and supportive learning environment that caters for challenging behaviours and meets child protection legislation, duty of care, and workplace health and safety requirements;
4. Elucidate strengths and weaknesses of the teaching and learning plan (and act on this advice to modify teaching practice) including data on student learning and mentor feedback; and
5. Justify and explicate ethical strategies for collecting, collating, analysing and reporting data about a teaching element of their specialisation, reporting to students and parents/carers and the purpose of keeping accurate and reliable records of student achievement.