Indigenous Teaching and Learning Perspectives in Primary Education PG (11347.1)

Please note these are the 2027 details for this unit
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Indigenous Teaching and Learning Perspectives in Primary Education PG
Available teaching periods Delivery mode Location
View teaching periods Placement
 Bruce, Canberra
EFTSL Credit points Faculty
0.125 3 Faculty Of Education
Discipline Study level HECS Bands
School Of Teacher Education Post Graduate Level Band 1 2021 (Commenced After 1 Jan 2021)
Band 1 2021 (Commenced Before 1 Jan 2021)
In this unit, students will develop their skills and knowledge toward teaching The Australian Curriculum Cross-Curricular Priority of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures in primary school settings. The Australian Curriculum is based on the assumption that all students, across all year levels and subject areas, will have the opportunity to engage with Indigenous perspectives. In preparing for primary classroom teaching, students will analyse and interpret The Australian Curriculum priority, while also gaining practical knowledge of how to teach Indigenous content, to both Indigenous and non-Indigenous students in the primary years. In exploring how Indigenous content is embedded in learning, students will consider various cultural perspectives and develop skills in self-directed learning to gain the skills needed to teach the cross-curricular priority, with a focus on AITSL Standards 1.4 and 2.4, which all teachers are required to demonstrate. Students will plan, structure and sequence an Indigenous community engagement plan, toward building skills in community connections and developing their own understandings of how to respectfully teach and learn Indigenous perspectives.

Learning outcomes

Upon completion of this unit, students will be able to:
1. Examine, understand and apply the Indigenous-focused requirements of the Australian Curriculum, in the primary school context;
2. Describe and analyse how the priority of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures can be embedded within various learning areas of the Primary Years Australian Curriculum, in ways that are consistent, meaningful and respectful;
3. Demonstrate knowledge and grasp of the requirements of AITSL standards 1.4 and 2.4, and describe how to gain knowledge and proficiency through student and community engagement and development opportunities;
4. Develop and demonstrate respectful, critical understandings of the social, historical and cultural contexts associated with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, including students and their families, in Australia; and
5. Articulate a professional understanding of the inequalities in Australian education that have led to disparities within outcomes for some Indigenous students, while demonstrating an ability to reject deficit approaches and to apply strengths-based, teaching strategies to improve the educational experience for Indigenous students.


Graduate attributes

1. UC graduates are professional - communicate effectively
1. UC graduates are professional - employ up-to-date and relevant knowledge and skills
1. UC graduates are professional - use creativity, critical thinking, analysis and research skills to solve theoretical and real-world problems
2. UC graduates are global citizens - communicate effectively in diverse cultural and social settings
2. UC graduates are global citizens - understand issues in their profession from the perspective of other cultures
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - adapt to complexity, ambiguity and change by being flexible and keen to engage with new ideas
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - be self-aware
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - reflect on their own practice, updating and adapting their knowledge and skills for continual professional and academic development


Skills development

The focus on this unit is on the experiential rather than the abstract. Early in the unit, we will set up processes and practices of being on Country that we ask you to continue and to reflect on throughout our time together.

The unit readings are to support this way of learning and as such we do not assign readings for each week to focus the conversation in class. Rather, the readings should inspire you and augment the primary learning that will take place for you on Country. We will let you know through discussions each week which readings might help with your understanding for the following week's class activities. 

The unit is organised into 10 modules in an 10 week teaching semester. Each module contains a 'Weekly Checklist' which can be accessed by clicking on ‘Modules’ in the left menu bar. You are expected to refer to each 'Weekly Checklist' in a timely manner to stay on top of the weekly content, activities or assessment. Finally, full details of the unit assessments can be found in the Unit Outline, here on the 'Home Page' (see below) and under 'Assignments' on your left menu bar.



Prerequisites

This unit is only available to students in the Master of Primary Teaching course.

Corequisites

None.

Incompatible units

None.

Equivalent units

None.

Assumed knowledge

None.
Availability for enrolment in 2027 is subject to change and may not be confirmed until closer to the teaching start date.
Year Location Teaching period Teaching start date Delivery mode Unit convener
2026 Bruce, Canberra Semester 1 16 February 2026 Placement Ms Angela Edwards
2026 Bruce, Canberra Semester 2 10 August 2026 Placement Ms Angela Edwards
2027 Bruce, Canberra Semester 1 15 February 2027 Placement Ms Angela Edwards
2027 Bruce, Canberra Semester 2 09 August 2027 Placement Ms Angela Edwards
The information provided should be used as a guide only. Timetables may not be finalised until week 2 of the teaching period and are subject to change. Search for the unit timetable.

Required texts

All required readings will be available under 'Reading List' on the 11347 Canvas site and are available freely online or through the UC Library.

Submission of assessment items

Extensions & Late submissions

Approval of extenuating circumstances will be dependent upon the production of supporting documentation and at the discretion of the unit convener.

All assessment items required to be submitted online must be submitted via the appropriate Canvas drop box. It is the student's responsibility to upload the correct and corresponding draft or assessment item to the right submission section. Assignments must be submitted in a format accessible to the assessor(s), as stated on the relevant canvas site. If the unit convener and/or tutor are unable to access a submission, or if no submission has been made by the due date and time, a standard late penalty of 10% of the total marks possible for the task may be applied per day, for three days, after which the submission will receive a score of ‘0' in keeping with UC's Assessment Policy.

GenAI may only be used in authorised ways when completing assessments at UC.

This means that GenAI can only be used for an assessment when:

  1. The Unit Convener has authorised its use for that assessment;
  2. The student uses it in the way that the assessment instructions allow for;
  3. The student fully acknowledges its use, with appropriate citations and references. Each referencing guide provided by the Library provides advice on how to appropriately reference the use of GenAI in-text.

Where the assessment instructions do not specifically state that GenAI may be used and how, then its use is not allowed for that assessment. If students are unsure, they should seek advice from the Unit Convener.

Students should be aware that the University of Canberra utilises GenAI detection software. Suspected instances of unauthorised GenAI use may lead to a Learning Validation Conversation' designed to provide assurance that a student is able to demonstrate relevant knowledge and skills to meet required learning outcomes. Students who are suspected of having misused GenAI in assessment may be required to attend a summary inquiry for suspected misconduct.

Special assessment requirements

Normally an aggregate mark of 50% is required to pass the unit. 

Provision of valid documentation

Please note that the University takes student conduct very seriously. All documentation provided to University staff must be valid and the provision of fraudulent documentation carries with it potentially serious consequences, including suspension and/or exclusion from the University. Note that all allegations of student misconduct will be referred to the Associate Dean for Education (ADE) as a prescribed authority for investigation.

Students must apply academic integrity in their learning and research activities at UC. This includes submitting authentic and original work for assessments and properly acknowledging any sources used.

Academic integrity involves the ethical, honest and responsible use, creation and sharing of information. It is critical to the quality of higher education. Our academic integrity values are honesty, trust, fairness, respect, responsibility and courage.

UC students have to complete the Academic Integrity Module annually to learn about academic integrity and to understand the consequences of academic integrity breaches (or academic misconduct).

UC uses various strategies and systems, including detection software, to identify potential breaches of academic integrity. Suspected breaches may be investigated, and action can be taken when misconduct is found to have occurred.

Information is provided in the Academic Integrity Policy, Academic Integrity Procedure, and University of Canberra (Student Conduct) Rules 2023. For further advice, visit Study Skills.

Learner engagement

Reading and private study: 30 hours

Relating with Country practice: 3 to 5 hours (30 minutes per week across the semester) 

Workshop participation: 30 hours

Assessment tasks: 85 hours

Participation requirements

Participation in workshops/practical classes is a compulsory condition of this unit. You must participate in the majority of the required workshops (as outlined in the timetable) to pass this unit. If you cannot attend your assigned workshop/s due to illness or unavoidable commitments, contact the Unit Convener as soon as possible to negotiate alternative arrangements. 

Required IT skills

Artificial intelligence services must not to be used for assessment or assessment preparation by students unless explicitly allowed in the assessment instructions for an assessment task published with the assessment task and/or in the unit outline. That is, an artificial intelligence services may only be used if:

  • its use is authorised by the unit convener as part of a specified
    assessment task, and
  • it is used in the way allowed in the assessment instructions and/or unit outline, and

its use is appropriately referenced, meaning that students must reference the use of AI in their assessment in the same way as they reference other source material.

In-unit costs

None.

Work placement, internships or practicums

This unit includes compulsory on-country workshops as outlined in the timetable. Students on placements during the unit will have alternative learning activities which will be discussed in workshops in Weeks 1-3.

Additional information

The Focus of this Unit

The focus on this unit is on the experiential rather than the abstract. Early in the unit, processes and practices of being on Country will be establsihed in the first weeks of the Unit. Students will be asked to reflect on 'country' throughout our time together.

Provision of information to the group

Notifications through the Canvas Announcements Forum or the Canvas Discussion Forums are deemed to be made to the whole class. It is the responsibility of the student to ensure that they check for announcements on the Unit's Canvas website (forum messages are also emailed to student email addresses only). Students should ensure they check their student email regularly. The Canvas discussion forums will be checked by staff regularly.

Use of student email account

The University Email policy states that "students wishing to contact the University via email regarding administrative or academic matters need to send the email from the University account for identity verification purposes".  Therefore, all unit enquiries should be sent by email using a student university email account. Students should contact the Service Desk ( servicedesk@canberra.edu.au ) if they have any issues accessing their university email account.

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