units

EDF3214

Faculty of Education

18 September 2017 20 April 2024
Monash University

Undergraduate - Unit

This unit entry is for students who completed this unit in 2014 only. For students planning to study the unit, please refer to the unit indexes in the the current edition of the Handbook. If you have any queries contact the managing faculty for your course or area of study.

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6 points, SCA Band 1, 0.125 EFTSL

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered, or view unit timetables.

LevelUndergraduate
FacultyFaculty of Education
OfferedBerwick Second semester 2014 (Day)
Coordinator(s)Associate Professor Gillian Kidman

Synopsis

This unit explores science within four broad frames: science as a way of thinking and acting, learning about learning science, teaching as the transformation of knowing science and the engagement of learners and communicating science. The unit takes a constructivist approach, using strategies such as using prior knowledge, questioning and inquiry learning including hands-on approaches, scientific investigations and student owned/student-centred investigations. The relationship between science, technology and society, different science curriculum and the nature of science as a discipline is also considered. Students build understanding of science learning and teaching through collaborative participation in a range of contexts and critically reflect on these.

Outcomes

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

  1. appreciate science as a way of thinking and the collection of values that underpin such thinking, including an appreciation for different collections of values that represent science in other cultures e.g. Indigenous science, Eastern philosophy
  2. understand how this way of thinking generates knowledge that can be used to describe and respond to our environment
  3. appreciate science as a human creation, within cultural and societal dimensions that have ethical boundaries
  4. appreciate science's relationship with other disciplines and its particular relationship to technology
  5. develop an understanding of a constructivist perspective on learning and its implications for teaching
  6. become sensitised to the 'real world' of learners and appreciate the need to provide learning experiences in science that will be meaningful to them
  7. critically reflect on their experiences as learners of science and identify implications for their professional identities
  8. develop the ability to establish, monitor and develop student understanding of science as a way of knowing and the importance of reasoning and critical thinking skills and identify, develop and deliver appropriate strategies to achieve this
  9. develop an appreciation for pedagogical content knowledge through a focus on developing understanding of the relationships between context, content and pedagogy
  10. interpret and implement the intentions of curriculum documents relating to science
  11. develop competence in the planning and implementing of science learning experiences using a variety of technologies and approaches
  12. develop an appreciation and understanding of science as a specialised form of language and the symbols and conventions it employs
  13. communicate science understanding in multiple ways and to multiple audiences.

Assessment

Investigating science learners' science ideas (2000 words, 50%)
Reflective critique on science teaching (2000 words, 50%)

Chief examiner(s)

Associate Professor Gillian Kidman

Workload requirements

Minimum total expected workload equals 12 hours per week comprising:

(a.) Contact hours for on-campus students:

  • 2 contact hours per week

(b.) Additional requirements

  • 10 hours of independent study per week

This unit applies to the following area(s) of study

Education - P-10 and special education