CQUniversity Unit Profile.

Prepare a research paper that demonstrates your understanding of a chosen topic related to secondary school education.  To do this, you must first research a chosen topic and then prepare a structured paper (essay) that:

• defines and explains the topic
• identifies how and why the issue impacts adolescents' domains of development (for example, physical, social and intellectual)
• discusses the implications for the education of secondary aged students and their teachers and how this may affect learning
• and makes recommendations for classroom practice and/or a whole school approach. 

Step 1: Choose a topic

Select an issue or concern specific for secondary education students. Examples include:

• Mental health
• Risk taking behaviours (e.g. alcohol, drug, crime)
• Equity and discrimination
• Rural isolation
• Technology
• Youth (sub)cultures
• Identity
• Any other issue specific to adolescence that results in disengagement from learning or school.

You will notice that many of these topics overlap with unit topics in the first four weeks of the term.

Step 2: Research the Topic

Use the weekly readings and CQU Library online database tools to locate appropriate research journal articles (available in the eReading List). Read information from at least seven different sources. Define the boundary of your paper. For example, if choosing "youth subcultures", narrow it down to a specific aspect like "the impact of being a 'gamer' on students' learning and engagement in school". If unsure, please check your topic with your lecturer.

There will be more information on the research process provided throughout the Links to Assessment on the Moodle site.

Step 3: Write the Research Paper

Structure: Consider the structure of your paper, write a first draft, edit, include APA 7th Ed referencing and reference list, do a second draft, then produce a final piece for submission. 

Sections to include:

• Instruction: 
  • Define and explain your chosen topic.
  • Outline how and why the issue impacts adolescents' developmental domains (physical, social, intellectual).
• Impact on Adolescents:
  • Discuss and justify how and why this topic impacts adolescents, supported by research.
• Implications for Education:
  • Discuss the implications of your topic on the levels of engagement and learning outcomes for youth
  • Explain how this impacts teachers' practice and student learning.
• Recommendations:
  • Make recommendations for how teachers, whole schools and education systems could respond effectively to your topic.
  • Suggest strategies that are responsive to the needs of students, based on your research and course content.
• Conclusion:
  • • Summarise your findings and recommendations.
    • Reflect on the best practices for secondary school teaching.

Support:

• Use current research (within the last 5 years), including recent journal articles, textbooks, and professional readings.
• Include sources from the Moodle site and eReadings, as well as information from CQU Library database searches or "Google Scholar".  

Length & Academic Writing Conventions

• Word Count: 2000 words +/-10%. The CQU College of Education outlines that the word count is considered from the first word of the introduction to the last word of the conclusion. It excludes the cover page, abstract, contents page, reference list and appendices. It includes in-text references and direct quotations.
• Writing Style: Write in third person and follow the recommended structure.
• Referencing: Use APA 7th Ed referencing style. See ALC resource for more information on referencing.

Academic Integrity and GenAI Tools

Maintaining Academic Integrity is paramount. Within this assessment, the use of Gen AI agents is as follows:

• Gen AI can be used for content editing.
• Gen AI must not be used to write content.

Australian Professional Standards for Teachers

This research assessment allows you to demonstrate the following APSTs*:

Professional Standard 1.1 Physical, social and intellectual development and characteristics of students - Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of physical, social and intellectual development and characteristics of students and how these may affect learning.
Professional Standard 1.2 Understand how students learn - Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of research into how students learn and the implications for teaching.
Professional Standard 1.3 Students with diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds - Demonstrate knowledge of teaching strategies that are responsive to the learning strengths and needs of students from diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds.
Professional Standard 4.1 Support student participation - Identify strategies to support inclusive student participation and engagement in classroom activities.
Professional Standard 6.2 Engage in professional learning and improve practice - Understand the relevant and appropriate sources of professional learning for teachers.
*A full copy of the AITSL's Australian Professional Standards for Teachers is available in Moodle.

1. Explore and define complex issues that impact adolescent development and school engagement (APST1.1)
2. Select and analyse contemporary research on how youth develop and learn (APST1.2)
3. Discuss the implications that complex issues in adolescence have on teaching practice (APST1.3)
4. Explain the role teachers and schools have in maintaining safe, inclusive and engaging learning environments for youth (APST4.1)
5. Recommend secondary school teacher practices and strategies that are responsive to the needs of students (APST6.2)
6. Demonstrate professional levels of personal literacy and knowledge of academic writing conventions

This task requires you to demonstrate an appropriate level of understanding, comprehension and application of the subject matter in Weeks 6-11. You will complete five online quizzes, one per week for each from 7 to 11. Cumulative score out of 25.

Essential Preparation
You must complete the readings and activities for each week as the questions are based on the information contained in the readings.

Further Information
You must complete the weekly quiz in the weeks in which they are allocated:

• Quiz 1 must be completed in week 7
• Quiz 2 in week 8
• Quiz 3 in week 9
• Quiz 4 in week 10
• Quiz 5 in week 11

Each weekly quiz will be open for all of that week only (i.e Week 8 quiz will be open from Monday of Week 7 through to the following Sunday - so you have 7 days to complete the quiz). If you have extenuating circumstances that align with the extension policy, you may request an alternative time to complete your quiz. To do so, you must submit an extension request through the Support link and provide documentation to support your request.

• You have 1 attempt only at each quiz.
• There are 10 questions per quiz, each question worth 0.5 of a mark.
• Each quiz is timed - you have 30 minutes to complete each quiz.
• Once you complete each of the quizzes you will know your score, but you will not know what answers were correct or incorrect. This information will be released to you at the end of the week once the quiz has been closed for that week. You will not be able to go back in and attempt the quiz again.
• Your responses for each quiz will be recorded for assessment purposes. To be eligible for a supplementary assessment you must have attempted at least one quiz.

The Quiz links are located within the Assessment Block.

Australian Professional Standards for Teachers

The quizzes allow you to demonstrate knowledge that support the following APSTs*:

Professional Standard 1.2 Understand how students learn - Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of research into how students learn and the implications for teaching.
Professional Standard 4.4 Maintain student safety - Describe strategies that support students’ wellbeing and safety working within school and/or system, curriculum and legislative requirements.
*A full copy of the AITSL's Australian Professional Standards for Teachers is available in Moodle.

1. Knowledge and understanding of research into how students learn (APTS1.2)
2. Knowledge and understanding of traditional and contemporary thinking about teaching youth and the implications for teaching (APTS1.2)
3. Knowledge and understanding of strategies that secondary school teachers can use to support students' wellbeing and safety (APTS4.4)

This task requires you to demonstrate an appropriate level of awareness of your competencies through a critical reflection of your skills. Your reflection will outline your strengths and professional challenges relating to your personal communication skills, awareness of strategies and approaches for supporting the wellbeing and safety of students and understanding of trauma-informed teaching practice. Additionally, you will show your understanding of your impact on students and include a plan for improving your competencies before graduation. 

Sources: using feedback from the first task, your experiences from weekly activities, quizzes and your reflection on personal circumstances, you are to write a 1300-word (approx.) critical reflection outlining your strengths and professional challenges relating to your levels of personal competency.

Critical Reflection Requirements:

1. Strengths and Professional Challanges (approx. 400 words):

• outline your strengths and professional challenges in relation communication, strategies to support student's wellbeing and safety, and trauma-informed practice.
• provide supporting examples drawn from the sources listed above.

2. Consequences of current skill level (approx. 300 words):

• discuss the consequences of your current personal skill level for both you and your future students.
• include academic references to support your discussion.

3. Improvement Plan (approx. 300 words):

• outline how you intend to improve your competencies in these areas to be prepared to competently teach secondary students.
• identify and include specific learning activities or sources that will aid in your improvement.

4. Concluding Statement (approx. 300 words):

• reflect on the evidence required to demonstrate the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers listed below.
• identify your greatest professional learning needs as you progress further into your teacher education course and prepare for your first placement next term.

Academic Integrity and GenAI Tools

Maintaining Academic Integrity is paramount. Within this assessment, the use of Gen AI agents is as follows:

• Gen AI can be used for content editing.
• Gen AI must not be used to write content.

Australian Professional Standards for Teachers

This reflective assessment allows you to demonstrate the following APSTs*:

Professional Standard 4.1 Support student participation - Identify strategies to support inclusive student participation and engagement in classroom activities.
Professional Standard 4.4 Maintain student safety - Describe strategies that support students’ wellbeing and safety working within school and/or system, curriculum and legislative requirements.
Professional Standard 6.2 Engage in professional learning and improve practice - Understanding the relevant and appropriate sources of professional learning for teachers.
Professional Standard 6.4 Apply professional learning and improve student learning - Demonstrate an understanding of the rationale for continued professional learning and the implications for improved student learning.
*A full copy of the AITSL's Australian Professional Standards for Teachers is available in Moodle.

1. Critical reflection on current personal communication skills and identify professional teaching communication skills that support youth in secondary school environments (APST4.1)
2. Describe strategies that support student wellbeing and trauma-informed practice (APST4.4)
3. Select relevant and appropriate professional literature to support and improve future teaching practice (APST6.2)  
4. Explore professional learning for teachers and whole school approaches to support resilience and engage youth in secondary school environments (APST6.4)
5. Demonstrate professional levels of personal literacy and knowledge of academic writing conventions