Description
This course prepares graduates for a career as a skilled, critical and effective educator in the early childhood sector, primary schools, secondary schools, or a combination of these. The course is designed for those with an undergraduate degree in any discipline who want to gain a teaching qualification.
You will build a high level of expertise in one of five specialisations:
- Early years education
- Early years and primary education
- Primary education
- Primary and secondary education
- Secondary education.
The course will prepare you for teaching in an increasingly diverse, complex and changing world. You will engage with contemporary ideas and practices and learn how to foster the learning of children and young people with varied needs. This will enable you to develop your students' creative, intellectual, physical, personal and social capabilities.
While learning to handle the complex nature of teaching, you will develop the specific professional knowledge and teaching skills needed to engage students of various ages and developmental stages with particular school subjects. Professional experience offered throughout the course in urban, rural, remote or international locations and education settings will build your knowledge of teaching and learning. As a result, you will become a thoughtful, effective and inclusive educator, able to design learning experiences that ensure your future students have the right balance of challenge and support to progress in areas such as the arts and music, English, mathematics, civics and citizenship, physical education, health and wellbeing, science and humanities.
The Master of Teaching prepares professional educators for the global workforce. As a graduate of the course you will have a strong base for decision making about your practice and be in a position to establish yourself as a leader of the future.
Outcomes
These course outcomes are aligned with the Australian Qualifications Framework level 9 and Monash Graduate AttributesAustralian Qualifications Framework level 9 and Monash Graduate Attributes (http://monash.edu/pubs/handbooks/alignmentofoutcomes.html).
Upon successful completion of this course it is expected that students will be able to:
- demonstrate advanced skills, knowledge and capabilities relevant to their specialisation and disciplines
- understand and engage with education policy, theories, legislation and research, and apply these to pedagogical practice
- understand, design and implement relevant curriculum and pedagogy that responds to learners in Australian and international contexts
- understand the diversity of learners and demonstrate responsive relationships and pedagogical practices
- develop teaching and learning strategies that widen participation and inclusion of learners to enhance their individual and social prospects
- use and creatively integrate information and communication technologies to enhance learning
- work independently and collaboratively within an educational workplace and participate in and lead complex problem solving
- demonstrate advanced capacity as knowledgeable, articulate and reflective practitioners who can be future leaders in education
- engage with local and professional communities to inform responses to education priorities
- demonstrate scholarly practice to extend professional understanding through inquiry and research
- design and implement effective assessment and apply data-based and research-led decision making to report on and improve student learning outcomes
- demonstrate commitment to lifelong learning and leadership as core aspects of collaborative professional practice
- articulate professional values and commitment to education to secure socially just and sustainable futures for learners.
Mandatory course requirements
National Literacy and Numeracy Test for Initial Teacher Education Students
Students must achieve the standard in the National Literacy and Numeracy Test for Initial Teacher Education Students.*
Students must:
- make their first attempt at completing the test by 30 June in the year of their first enrolment in the course or before they have attempted 24 credit points of study, whichever is the latter
- achieve the test standard by 31 December in the year of their first enrolment in the course or before they have attempted 48 credit points of study, whichever is the latter.
Students who do not achieve the standard in both the literacy and numeracy components of the test within the stipulated time will be excluded from the course.
Professional experience
Students must satisfactorily complete supervised professional experience as required for their specialisation.
Before participating in professional experience in any education setting, students must:
For advice on professional experience intervention, support and unsatisfactory progress refer to the Professional experience intervention and support policyProfessional experience intervention and support policy (http://www.monash.edu/education/current-students/policies-and-procedures/professional-experience-intervention-and-support-policy).
Professional experience expenses
Students are responsible for any expenses incurred while undertaking professional experience (e.g. transport, equipment).
Professional recognition
The specialisations in this course are accredited by professional bodies. Refer to Professional recognitionProfessional recognition (http://www.monash.edu.au/pubs/2018handbooks/undergrad/edu-04.html) for information.
Structure
The course is structured in three parts. All students complete Part A. Orientation studies, while Part B. Specialist education studies and Part C. Applied professional practice are differentiated by specialisation.
Part A: Orientation studies
These studies provide an orientation to the field of education. You will consider the nature of learning and the influences upon it, and the nature of teaching and teachers' work within the broader family and community context within which children's and young people's learning takes place. You will also develop your understanding of literacy as the basis of how we learn, both formally and informally, across the age span.
Part B: Specialist education studies
These studies will provide you with advanced knowledge and skills relevant to thoughtful, innovative and evidence-based practice within your chosen specialisation. You will acquire both the broad principles of curriculum, pedagogy and assessment that underpin the teaching and learning of children and young people in varied education settings, and the specific knowledge required to apply these principles in particular school learning areas.
Part C: Applied professional practice
Professional experience in education settings relevant to your teaching specialisation will enable you to connect the theoretical components of your course with practical aspects of teaching and learning under the valuable guidance of practitioners. You will also study the complex and powerful role that teachers have as leaders in classroom, school and community settings, with the power to change, and develop strategies to enable you to take your place as an active contributor to shaping education locally and globally. If you are in a single sector specialisation, you will also have the opportunity to undertake an extended professional project.
Requirements
The course requires the completion of 96 points including Part A. Orientation studies, Part B. Specialist education studies and Part C. Applied professional practice, and the additional 'Mandatory course requirements' detailed above.
All students complete a common Part A, but Parts B and C are differentiated by specialisation. For the units required for Part A, and for Parts B and C in each specialisation, refer to the links under 'Specialisations' below.
The course progression mapcourse progression map (http://www.monash.edu.au/pubs/2018handbooks/maps/map-d6001.pdf) will assist you to plan to meet the course requirements, and guidance on unit enrolment for each semester of study.
Units are 6 credit points unless otherwise stated.
Specialisations
Students complete one of the following specialisations:
Alternative exits
Students may exit this course early and apply to graduate with the following, provided they have satisfied the requirements for that award:
- Graduate Certificate of Education Studies after successful completion of 24 points of study
- Graduate Diploma of Education Studies after successful completion of 48 points of study
- Master of Education after successful completion of 96 points of study with a minimum of 48 credit points at level 5.
Note: These exit awards do not qualify graduates to be registered or employed as teachers.
Progression to further studies
Graduates who achieve an average mark of at least 65 per cent are eligible to apply for admission to D4004 Graduate Certificate of Educational Research, which can lead to a graduate research course.
