Overview
The focus of this unit is on preparing pre-service teachers to teach in junior secondary school contexts (Years 7 – 9). In this unit, emphasis is placed on helping you understand strategies and processes to ensure the bridge between primary and secondary school is safe, strong and consistent for all students. Teaching in junior secondary school contexts requires a particular pedagogical approach where learned information must be meaningful and links to the world beyond the classroom are made. You will engage with the six guiding principles of junior secondary school teaching, namely, distinct identity; quality teaching; student wellbeing; parent and community involvement; leadership; and, local decision-making. Within this context, the role secondary school teachers have in developing effective, useful and efficient strategies that can be used in any discipline area to increase student understanding and improve overall achievement and motivation will be explored.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
Completion of 72 credit points in CA10, CG72 or CG93 OR Admission to CL05.
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 1 - 2024
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Postgraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of 'pass' in order to pass the unit. If any 'pass/fail' tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully ('pass' grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the 'assessment task' section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University's Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback - Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from Student feedback and Unit coordinator
Update e-reading list in line with changes in Moodle site
e-reading list be updated to include readings in weekly topics.
Feedback from Unit coordinator
Continue to refine resources where necessary so they are up to date and reflect current policy and teacher experience
Update materials in line with current policy and teacher experience in schools.
- Examine the complex nature of teaching in junior secondary school contexts through the analysis of issues facing students with respect to their social, emotional, physical and cognitive development
- Define and scrutinise the principles that underpin junior secondary school teaching including research into how students learn and the implications for teaching
- Challenge contemporary thinking about teaching junior secondary students including issues associated with their bodies, health, physicality, personal development, creativity, expression, well-being and connections to community
- Evaluate the role secondary school teachers have in developing effective, useful and efficient strategies that can be used to increase student understanding and improve overall achievement and motivation
- Engage in professional learning to improve personal practice and student learning.
Successful completion of this unit provides opportunities for students to demonstrate the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers focus areas of:
1.1 Physical, social and intellectual development and characteristics of students
1.2 Understand how students learn
1.4 Strategies for teaching Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students
2.4 Understand and respect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to promote reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians
3.5 Use effective classroom communication
3.6 Evaluate and improve teaching programs
4.1 Support student participation
4.4 Maintain student safety
6.2 Engage in professional learning and improve practice
6.4 Apply professional learning and improve student learning
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 1 - Written Assessment - 50% | |||||
| 2 - Online Quiz(zes) - 25% | |||||
| 3 - Critical Review - 25% | |||||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 1 - Knowledge | |||||
| 2 - Communication | |||||
| 3 - Cognitive, technical and creative skills | |||||
| 4 - Research | |||||
| 5 - Self-management | |||||
| 6 - Ethical and Professional Responsibility | |||||
| 7 - Leadership | |||||
| 8 - First Nations Knowledges | |||||
| 9 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | |||||
Textbooks
There are no required textbooks.
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
- CQU Library hosted Literature Databases
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: American Psychological Association 7th Edition (APA 7th edition)
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
m.ham@cqu.edu.au
Week 1 - Who are junior secondary students?
Begin Date: 04 Mar 2024Module/Topic
Identifying the physical and cognitive characteristics of junior secondary students.
Chapter
Child Development and Learning. Garvis et.al. 2018. Chapters 4 & 8
Education, Change and Society. Welch et.al. 2018. Chapter 1 p. 1-5, 11-18. Chapter 2 p. 33-40
Events and Submissions/Topic
Introduction to Assignment 1. Begin preliminary research.
Week 2 - Where are they going?
Begin Date: 11 Mar 2024Module/Topic
Introduction to the guiding principles of teaching junior secondary students. Discovering the pathways available in secondary school and those youth take in society.
Chapter
Child Development and Learning. Garvis et.al. 2018. Chapter 23
Events and Submissions/Topic
Define assessment task topic. Check with Miriam and or Brooke via email. Continue in depth research.
Week 3 - Cultural identity and gender
Begin Date: 18 Mar 2024Module/Topic
Examining how students' culture and gender impact learning outcomes. Identifying the social emotional characteristics of junior secondary students
Chapter
Child Development and Learning. Garvis et.al. 2018. Chapter 20
Events and Submissions/Topic
Outline of Assignment 1 complete.
Begin first draft of paper.
Week 4 - Social class and inequity
Begin Date: 25 Mar 2024Module/Topic
Examine the impact of social class on students participation in, engagement with and outcomes from secondary education.
Chapter
Education, Change and Society. Welch et.al. 2018. Chapter 5.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Editing of first draft.
Week 5 - Indigenous education
Begin Date: 01 Apr 2024Module/Topic
Indigenous students' experience in secondary schooling.
Chapter
Education, Change and Society. Welch et.al. 2018. Chapter 7.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Editing of final draft of Assignment 1. Complete referencing.
Vacation Week
Begin Date: 08 Apr 2024Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Assignment Task 1 due Tuesday 9th April 11:55pm
Assessment Task 1 - Research Paper Due: Vacation Week Tuesday (9 Apr 2024) 11:55 pm AEST
Week 6 - Who we are.
Begin Date: 15 Apr 2024Module/Topic
Examine the way communication occurs and how our style of communication impacts our relationships.
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
No assessment this week.
Week 7 - What we do
Begin Date: 22 Apr 2024Module/Topic
Examination of communication skills with stakeholders.
Chapter
Child Development and Learning. Garvis et.al. 2018. Chapter 8
Events and Submissions/Topic
Quiz 1 Open Monday 22th to be completed by Sunday 28th April 11pm.
Week 8 - What we say and how we say it.
Begin Date: 29 Apr 2024Module/Topic
Intended vs enacted curriculum: how what we do can increase student understanding and improve overall engagement, achievement and motivation.
Wellbeing and what we can do to keep children safe
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Quiz 2 Open Monday 29th April to be completed by Sunday 5th May 11pm.
Assignment 1 returned.
Begin critical reflection of personal communication skills and knowledge in relation to own and student's wellbeing for Task 3.
Week 9 - Strategies to improve wellbeing
Begin Date: 06 May 2024Module/Topic
Examination of strategies that can improve students and personal wellbeing
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Quiz 3 Open Monday 6th May to be completed by Sunday 12th May 11pm.
Examine strengths and challenges in personal understanding and application of strategies to improve student and self wellbeing
Week 10 - Trauma informed practice
Begin Date: 13 May 2024Module/Topic
Introduction to Trauma Informed Practice
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Quiz 4 Open Monday 13th May to be completed before Sunday 19th May 11pm.
Critically examine strengths and challenges in personal understanding and application of strategies that are trauma informed
Week 11 - The impact of teachers' skills on student engagement and wellbeing
Begin Date: 20 May 2024Module/Topic
Identify the impact of teachers' skill on students
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Quiz 5 Open Monday 20th May to be completed before Sunday 26th May 11pm.
Compete section of reflective statement that outlines the impact of teacher's skills on students and plan to improve.
Week 12 - Role models of learning
Begin Date: 27 May 2024Module/Topic
How can I improve my skill? Review of teachers' as learners through research
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Assessment Task 3 Critical Reflection due Wednesday 29th of May, 11:55pm.
Assessment Task 3 - Critical Reflection Due: Week 12 Wednesday (29 May 2024) 11:45 pm AEST
1 Written Assessment
The task asks you to prepare a research paper. To do this, you must first research a chosen topic and then prepare and present a structured paper (essay) that:
- defines and explains the topic
- identifies how and why the issue impacts adolescents
- discusses the implications for the education of secondary aged students and their teachers
- and makes recommendations for classroom practice and/or a whole school approach.
Step 1
Choose an issue or concern specific to students in the secondary phase of their education.
Examples may include, but are not limited to:
- Mental Health
- Risk taking behaviours e.g. Alcohol, drug, crime
- Equity and discrimination
- Access to technology
- Youth (sub)culture/s
- Body image, self-identity or sexuality
- · Any other issue specific to adolescence that results in disengagement from learning or school.
You will notice that many of these topics overlap with course topics in the first four weeks of the term.
Step 2
Research the topic using the library on-line materials and the various resources from the weekly readings. It is suggested that you read information from at least seven different sources prior to beginning the construction of your paper. From your readings, define the boundary of your paper. For example, you might choose the topic of youth subcultures. This topic is too broad for a 2000 word paper. So to narrow the topic you might consider a specific topic within youth subcultures, e.g. the impact of being a 'gamer' on students' learning and their level of engagement in school. Please check your topic with your lecturer via an email.
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. This step includes considering a structure, writing a first draft, editing and referencing a second draft to produce a final piece for submission.
The following sections should guide the writing of your research paper:
Provide an explanation of your defined chosen topic based on the literature.
Discuss and justify how and why this topic impacts adolescents as stated in the research.
Discuss the implications the topic has on the levels of engagement and learning outcomes for youth and their teachers' practice.
Conclude by making recommendations for how teachers, whole schools and education systems could respond effectively to address the implications of the topic and assist young people to achieve at school based on your research and what the content in this course suggests as best practices for secondary school teaching.
Support all of your work with links to current research in the area of adolescent development. This research must include recent journal articles, textbooks and professional readings. It is expected that most of the sources you use will be from beyond the set readings for this course.
The paper is to be written in third person and follow the recommended structure provided by the ALC.
Length: 2000 words +/-10% not including the reference list.
This research assessment allows you to demonstrate the following three Professional standards:
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 3.6 Evaluate and improve teaching programs - Demonstrate broad knowledge of strategies that can be used to evaluate teaching programs to improve student learning.
*A full copy of the AITSL Professional Standards for Australian Teachers is available here.
Vacation Week Tuesday (9 Apr 2024) 11:55 pm AEST
One Word file (no PDF)
Week 8 Monday (29 Apr 2024)
- Examine the complex nature of teaching in junior secondary school contexts through the analysis of issues facing students in respect to their social, emotional, physical and cognitive development
- Define, scrutinise and research the principles that underpin junior secondary school teaching
- Challenge traditional thinking about teaching junior secondary students including issues associated with their bodies, health, physicality, personal development, creativity, expression, literacy and numeracy
- Evaluate the role secondary school teachers have in developing effective, useful and efficient strategies that can be used to increase student understanding and improve overall achievement and motivation
- Examine the complex nature of teaching in junior secondary school contexts through the analysis of issues facing students with respect to their social, emotional, physical and cognitive development
- Define and scrutinise the principles that underpin junior secondary school teaching including research into how students learn and the implications for teaching
- Challenge contemporary thinking about teaching junior secondary students including issues associated with their bodies, health, physicality, personal development, creativity, expression, well-being and connections to community
- Evaluate the role secondary school teachers have in developing effective, useful and efficient strategies that can be used to increase student understanding and improve overall achievement and motivation
2 Online Quiz(zes)
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 on-line 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. (i.e. 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 1 hour 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
The quizzes allow you to demonstrate knowledge that support the following Professional standards:
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 3.5 Use effective classroom communication - Demonstrate a range of verbal and non-verbal communication strategies to support student engagement.
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 Professional Standards for Australian Teachers is available here.
5
Weekly
- Apply personal competence in understanding communication and teaching approaches to maintain student safety and support wellbeing of junior secondary students
- Engage in professional learning to improve personal practice and student learning.
- Engage in professional learning to improve personal practice and student learning.
3 Critical Review
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 an approaches for supporting the wellbeing and safety of students and understanding of teaching practice that is trauma informed. In addition you will then show that you have an understanding of your impact on students and includes a plan for how you aim to improve your competency prior to your graduation.
Sources - using the feedback given to you from the first task, your experiences in the weekly activities, the Quizzes and your reflection on your personal circumstances, you are to write a 1000 word critical reflection outlining your strengths and professional challenges relating to your levels of personal competency.
This critical reflection must:
- outline what you believe are your strengths and professional challenges in relation communication, strategies to support student's wellbeing and safety and trauma informed practice with supporting examples drawn from the sources listed above (approx 400 words)
- outline what you believe are the consequences of your current personal skill level for both yourself and your future students (approx 300 words - include academic references)
- outline how you intend to improve your competency in these areas in order for you to be prepared to competently teach secondary students (approx 300 words - include specific learning activities or sources)
This reflective piece allows you to demonstrate the following Professional standards:
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 Professional Standards for Australian Teachers is available here.
This reflective statement is due Wednesday (week 12) and must be uploaded through the Assessment Task 3 link on the Moodle site.
Week 12 Wednesday (29 May 2024) 11:45 pm AEST
- Apply personal competence in understanding communication and teaching approaches to maintain student safety and support wellbeing of junior secondary students
- Engage in professional learning to improve personal practice and student learning.
- Challenge contemporary thinking about teaching junior secondary students including issues associated with their bodies, health, physicality, personal development, creativity, expression, well-being and connections to community
- Evaluate the role secondary school teachers have in developing effective, useful and efficient strategies that can be used to increase student understanding and improve overall achievement and motivation
- Engage in professional learning to improve personal practice and student learning.
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.
What can you do to act with integrity?
