Undergraduate, Postgraduate - UnitEDF4419 - Physics education

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Synopsis

This unit aims to prepare students to teach Physics in secondary schools and colleges both as a specialist unit in senior years (Year 11 and 12) and within the junior science curriculum (Years 7 to 10). A central focus of the unit is to introduce beginning teachers to a wide variety of teaching strategies, skills and techniques useful in the secondary classroom designed to assist and enhance student conceptual development and understanding of the subject.

Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this unit students should be able to:

1. interpret, critique and implement the language, content and assessment methods in the senior Physics curriculum documents useful in contemporary physics teaching in post primary schools;
2. develop a capacity and confidence to effectively communicate their Physics knowledge using a range of appropriate methods, while encouraging purposeful and critical thinking in their students; 3, access and develop a diverse range of effective teaching strategies useful in Physics and General Science education, and design engaging authentic tasks suitable for the diverse social and cultural backgrounds of their prospective students;
3. research for and design a unit of work suitable for teaching a topic from their local senior Physics curriculum and critically reflect on their own professional practice and its importance for effecting improvement; and
4. access and employ a variety of suitable assessment and monitoring procedures aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of students to meet the intended learning outcomes of the Physics curriculum framework.

Assessment

This unit is graded Pass Grade Only (PGO);
Assessment task 1A: Reflective journal and Discussion problems (1,200 words; 30%). Assessment task 1B: Multimedia task (800 words; 20%). Assessment task 2: Written assignment: (2,000 words; 50%).

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Stephen Keast

Contact hours

3 hrs per week

Prerequisites

A minor sequence in physics, EDF4113 General science education

Co-requisites

Students must be enrolled simultaneously in a professional experience unit(s).

Prohibitions

EDF5467 Physics education B