Foundations in Christian Learning and Teaching

This subject is the foundational subject that introduces the philosophical statement for the Master of Teaching (Primary) Program – Christian education is in the heart of the Christian educator. Students learn to develop their own personal, dynamic philosophy of Christian education.

Awards offering Foundations in Christian Learning and Teaching

This unit is offered as a part of the following awards:

• Graduate Certificate in Teacher Preparation
• Master of Teaching (Primary)
• Master of Teaching (Secondary)

Unit Content

Curriculum Objective

This subject is the foundational subject that introduces the philosophical statement for the Master of Teaching (Primary) Program – Christian education is in the heart of the Christian educator. Students learn to develop their own personal, dynamic philosophy of Christian education.

Outcomes

1. Identify the relationship between learning outcomes, curriculum content and assessments in the light of a Christian worldview;
2. Relate international, national and state education agendas to Christian education;
3. Apply concepts which assist in beginning to develop a personal dynamic philosophy of Christian education;
4. Demonstrate an advanced understanding of current and relevant curricula in Australia, including its development;
5. Critically examine different pedagogies, teaching and learning strategies and classroom behaviour management strategies.

Subject Content

1. History and development of various models of Christian schooling; the role of the teacher in Christian and non-Christian schooling; distance education, developing a Christian philosophy of teaching, the Reflective Practitioner;
2. Historical development of models of learning and teaching: Gagne, Bruner’s Discovery, Ausubel’s reception learning; Behaviourism; Conditioning; Constructivism; Social Constructivism; Scientific Inquiry; Direct Instruction; Multiple Intelligences; Multimedia Learning Theory (Sweller’s cognitive load, literacy and numeracy demands, ethics and values) and Transformative Learning Theory;
3. Teaching strategies: Different learning styles and Multiple Intelligences; Kolb, Blooms Taxonomy; Guided discovery/inquiry, creating; Developing critical thinking, explanation, questioning; strategies to support inclusive student participation and engagement in classroom activities by supporting students’ well-being and safety;
4. Curriculum: origins, trends, social engineering, hidden curriculum, ideologies and beliefs about education, negotiating the curriculum, outcomes based education;
5. Programming and planning: Literature-based, integrated, thematic, group, lesson, unit and programming templates; the use of curriculum, assessment and reporting knowledge to design learning sequences and lesson plans;
6. Language, Power and Pedagogy: Sociocultural factors in learning; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education contexts, historical, missionaries, literacy, multi-literacies, identity and voice, government intervention; Non-English Speaking communities and schooling; advantage and disadvantage, government policies;
7. Theories and Practices of the National and NSW State Priority Areas – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education; Classroom Management (Person-centred, Interactive, Interventionist, Permissive approaches; Developing rapport with students; verbal and non-verbal communication strategies); Information and Communication Technologies; Literacy and Numeracy; Students with Special Educational Needs and Teaching Students from Non-English Speaking Backgrounds (NESB);
8. Working within extreme situations: withdrawn children, managing challenging student behaviours, working with chronically disengaged and disruptive students; interagency support and legal requirements; managing crises; engaging care givers in problem solving and behavioural contracts.
9. Assessment, diagnosis and reporting: clarity of instruction criteria, classroom rules and regulations (consistency, fairness), teacher motives, managing information, assessment moderation and its application to support consistent and comparable judgements of student learning and student records, databases.
10. Work based skills and awareness: specific workplace skills, legal and statutory responsibilities, personal well-being and safety, safe workplace practices and work literacy; Professional liability, ethics, supervision and management; child protection government requirements (including the delivery of mandatory pre-service training provided by the Association of Independent Schools, NSW), interagency roles, responsibilities and expectations.

This course may be offered in the following formats

• Face-to-Face
• Intensive
• Distance/ Global Online

Please consult your course prospectus or enquire about how and when this course will be offered next at Alphacrucis University College.

Assessment Methods

1. Forum Posts (10%)
2. Minor Essay (30%)
3. Major Project (60%)

Prescribed Text

• References will include the most current curriculum requirements for schools.

Check with the instructor each semester before purchasing any prescribed texts or representative references

Representative References