1514 - Bachelor of Primary Education - Primary

This is a specialised course designed to fully prepare students for careers as a teacher in primary schools. It provides graduates with a comprehensive background in primary education.

Students must complete teaching practice which consists of a minimum of 80 days of satisfactory supervised school experience. Students who are employed in schools must complete at least 50 per cent of their supervised fieldwork in a setting other than the school in which they are employed. Students must be available to undertake fieldwork placements full time.

Students will acquire the skills that will effectively allow them to plan and deliver primary and middle school* educational programs. They will gain an understanding of curriculum development and the significance of the key learning areas taught in primary schools; knowledge about child development underlying professional practice, and an understanding of the philosophical underpinnings of primary teacher education. Further they will understand and appreciate the cultural contexts of schooling and the diversity of the student population. Finally they will develop the capacity to be responsive to the needs of young children, their families and communities in a flexible and innovative way.

* Optional specialisation for Gippsland students.

Students study a range of units that provide them with essential understandings relating to children's learning and teaching and units that cover each of the key learning areas of the primary school curriculum - including 18 core education units, 4 education electives and 10 discipline study units. The course requires students to complete 80 days of placements (organised by the Faculty of Education).

Students on the Peninsula campus will do a broad selection of 10 discipline units in the Faculty of Education. Students on the Gippsland campus will be required to do two discipline sequences (six units plus four units) or three discipline sequences (two units plus four units plus four units) in other partner faculties. One of these sequences must be in the areas of science or mathematics.

Middle school specialism (Gippsland only)

Gippsland students will have the option of completing a middle school specialisation where their four education electives will be replaced with two middle school units and two specialism units (for teaching years 7-10) related to their chosen discipline sequences. These students will be required to do 25 days placement in a secondary school, and 55 days placement in a primary school.

First year

Semester 1

• EDF1303 Learning and educational inquiry 1 (five days professional placement)
• EDF1305 Entering the profession 1

Peninsula only

• EDF1120 Multicultures in Australian society
• EDF1124 Music fundamentals

Gippsland only

• Discipline sequence 1
• Discipline sequence 2

Semester 2

• EDF1304 Learning and educational inquiry 2 (five days professional placement)
• EDF1306 Spaces of difference

Peninsula only

• EDF1121 Exploring science
• EDF1126 Information and computer technology in education

Gippsland only

• Discipline sequence 1
• Discipline sequence 2

Second year

Semester 1

• EDF1307 Early literacy and numeracy 1 (10 days professional placement)

Peninsula only

• EDF2123 Exploring mathematics
• EDF3125 Children's literature: issues and analysis
• Education elective

Gippsland only

• Education elective or EDF3006 Adolescent development and learning
• Discipline sequence 1
• Discipline sequence 2

Semester 2

• EDF2302 Re-imagining children's learning (five days professional placement)

Peninsula only

• EDF2125 Fitness leadership
• EDF2127 Art fundamentals
• Education elective

Gippsland only

• Discipline sequence 1
• Discipline sequence 2
• Education elective, or EDF2330 The middle years: a period of transition

Third year

Semester 1

• EDF2301 Multiliteracies: mediating the world
• EDF3301 Numeracy

Peninsula only

• Education elective
• EDF2120 Indigenous issues

Gippsland only

• Education elective, or Specialism 1 (7-10)
• Discipline sequence 2, or Discipline sequence 3

Semester 2

• EDF2304 Early literacy and numeracy 2
• EDF2306 Global educational contexts: policy, practice and research
• EDF3311 Understanding space and place (15 days professional placement)

Peninsula only

• EDF1125 Sustainable futures

Gippsland only

• Discipline sequence 2 or Discipline sequence 3

Fourth year

Semester 1

• EDF3303 Integrating the curriculum 1: creative exchange
• EDF2303 Movement, environment and community
• EDF4311 Professional contexts 1 (20 days professional placement)

Peninsula only

• Education elective

Gippsland only

• Education elective or Specialism 2 (7-10)

Semester 2

• EDF3304 Integrating the curriculum 2: different places
• EDF3306 Literacy
• EDF4312 Professional contexts 2 (20 days professional placement)
• EDF4314 Entering the profession 2

Graduates will be eligible for registration and employment in Victoria as primary school teachers within state, independent and Catholic schools and related teaching services. Students undertaking the middle school option available at Gippsland will be eligible for registration and employment in Victoria to teach P-10 in their discipline area for the secondary years. For interstate and overseas positions, applicants are advised to check registration and employment requirements with local authorities.

Bachelor of Primary Education

* Where more than one award is listed, or in the case of double degrees, where more than one award is listed for one or both components of the double degree, the actual award/s conferred may depend on units/majors/streams/specialisations studied, the level of academic merit achieved (eg in the case of 'with honours' programs), or other factors relevant to the individual student's program of study.