Postgraduate - UnitEDF5808 - Fostering student engagement in education

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Synopsis

This unit develops a critical understanding of the societal and cultural diversity that surrounds and informs teaching in a wide range of educational settings. It investigates how literacy and numeracy are explicit and implicit in the creation of an inclusive curriculum. It addresses significant aspects of adolescent development in the context of teacher education, as well as current understandings and practices related to differentiated curricula that engage students with diverse intellectual, emotional and social abilities. Historical and contemporary relationships between schooling, social justice and social inclusion are analysed and discussed.

Outcomes

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

• develop an understanding of the societal diversity that surrounds and embeds teaching and learning in educational settings and demonstrate how this is linked to student motivation, engagement, achievement and well-being
• demonstrate an awareness and understanding of the relationship between teacher attitudes and beliefs and how they influence student engagement
• articulate theories of adolescent development from sociological and psychological viewpoints and access relevant information on aspects of adolescent intellectual, emotional and social development, specifically in relation to students with diverse abilities
• reflect critically on the social and cultural contexts that influence education at the international, national, local, and personal level
• describe key principles of an inclusive approach to teaching and learning and how these relate to literacy and numeracy across the curriculum
• identify contemporary pedagogical practices that inform the development of differentiated curricula
• evaluate and critique how teacher, student and societal attitudes towards socio-economic status, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, indigeneity, giftedness and special needs influence the capacity to foster student engagement.

Assessment

Assessment task 1: A teaching activity (equivalent to 2000 words)
Assessment task 2: Contribution to portfolio (Resource Development Project) (3000 words)
Assessment task 3: A research task (3000 words)

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Anne Harris

Contact hours

Average of 24 hours per week including 3 contact hours