Teaching Secondary Science PG (11373.2)

Please note these are the 2028 details for this unit
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Teaching Secondary Science PG
Available teaching periods Delivery mode Location
View teaching periods Placement
 Bruce, Canberra
EFTSL Credit points Faculty
0.25 6 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)
This unit develops pre-service teachers' pedagogical content knowledge of the Science discipline. It recognises the significance of 'teacher identity' to professional practice and encourages pre-service teachers to establish an 'Science teacher' identity consistent with discipline-specific theory and practice and more general educational theories and practices. This unit also develops pre-service teachers' knowledge of the Australian Curriculum for Science and develops their discipline-specific teaching strategies. Pre-service teachers learn how to plan units of study and individual lessons for the Science classroom, taking into account a diverse range of student needs, curriculum integration strategies, professional reflective practices, the creative and innovative use of ICT, as well as assessment, feedback and reporting strategies. Pre-service teachers will engage in a series of school-based clinical teaching workshops contributing a cumulative total of 3 days' professional experience as well as a 'block' placement for 15 days in a Secondary School, during which time they will demonstrate the ability to plan and teach for a sustained period of time and consolidate the skills addressed within the academic component of this unit.

Important Note: Students should only enrol in this unit if it matches their designated discipline area at point of admission to the course. If in doubt, contact the Program Director or the Academic Programs Team at the Faculty of Education before enrolling.

Students should be aware that completing a disciplinary 'method' unit for which they do not meet NESA's Subject Content Knowledge Requirements may lead to problems when seeking to register as a teacher.

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of this unit students will be able to:
1. Demonstrate an understanding of student development, how this affects student learning and implications for inclusive curriculum and teaching;
2. Display knowledge and understanding of the Australian Curriculum's cross-curriculum priorities and general capabilities;
3. Demonstrate a broad knowledge and understanding of the structure of the Australian Curriculum for Science at secondary and senior secondary levels and its significance to teaching and learning in the Science classroom;
4. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the concepts, substance and structure of the content and teaching strategies needed in secondary Science classroom;
5. Adopt a reflective approach to teaching and the related ability to plan for and implement to teaching, learning and assessment strategies that inform and have a positive impact on Science learners in the contemporary secondary classroom;
6. Display knowledge and understanding of literacy, numeracy and ICT teaching strategies and resources, and how these can be used to expand curriculum learning opportunities for all students;
7. Identify and implement strategies to support inclusive student participation and engagement in classroom activities;
8. Demonstrate an understanding and ability to implement assessment strategies, including informal and formal, diagnostic, formative and summative approaches to assess and report student learning;
9. Demonstrate the capacity to organise and manage classroom activities and behaviour, to provide clear directions, and to maintain a supportive and safe learning environment; and
10. Engage with professional colleagues, and professional learning, to maintain a productive working environment and to improve professional practice.


Graduate attributes

1. UC graduates are professional - communicate effectively
1. UC graduates are professional - display initiative and drive, and use their organisation skills to plan and manage their workload
1. UC graduates are professional - employ up-to-date and relevant knowledge and skills
1. UC graduates are professional - take pride in their professional and personal integrity
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 - adopt an informed and balanced approach across professional and international boundaries
2. UC graduates are global citizens - behave ethically and sustainably in their professional and personal lives
2. UC graduates are global citizens - communicate effectively in diverse cultural and social settings
2. UC graduates are global citizens - make creative use of technology in their learning and professional lives
2. UC graduates are global citizens - think globally about issues in their profession
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
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - evaluate and adopt new technology


Prerequisites

11354 Using Data to Improve Learning AND 11351 Curriculum and Assessment in Secondary Education

Corequisites

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

Incompatible units

None.

Equivalent units

None.

Assumed knowledge

None.
Availability for enrolment in 2027, 2028 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 Mr Benjamin Mudie
2026 Bruce, Canberra Semester 2 10 August 2026 Placement Mr Benjamin Mudie
2027 Bruce, Canberra Semester 1 15 February 2027 Placement Mr Benjamin Mudie
2027 Bruce, Canberra Semester 2 09 August 2027 Placement Mr Benjamin Mudie
2028 Bruce, Canberra Semester 1 14 February 2028 Placement Mr Benjamin Mudie
2028 Bruce, Canberra Semester 2 07 August 2028 Placement Mr Benjamin Mudie
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

Recommended Reading:

Woolcott, G. and Whannell, R. (2018), Teaching Secondary Science: Theory and Practice. Cambridge University Press.

Additional resources will be made available on the unit Canvas site.

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.

Core Content Alignment:   

This unit's activities and scheduled sessions have been designed so that the following elements of Core Content are taught and practiced:   

2.3.1     How to pitch an introductory lesson at an appropriate level, before starting a new unit of work, by identifying where a student is in their learning through assessing what they know, or think they know.

2.3.2     How to use formative assessment practices to gather and interpret information about student learning as learning is taking place – for example, use of simple, low-key assessments such as exit slips, quick quizzes or targeted oral questioning to prompt students to articulate their reasoning and identify common student misconceptions.

2.3.3     How to design summative assessment to assess students against a standard or benchmark to gain an understanding of the level of mastery attained (Taught only)

2.3.5     How to provide feedback as learning is taking place that is specific, honest, constructive, and clear, and uses explicit teaching strategies to re-teach concepts, scaffold, or correct misconceptions as necessary. 

3.1.4     Specific examples of rules and routines that are shown by the research to be effective and how to use them in a lesson. This could include what can be used at the beginning and end of lessons (e.g. ‘do-nows', lesson reflections), for different types of learning activities (e.g. protocols for small group or class discussions such as ‘pair shares', ‘jigsaws' or ‘I do, we do, you do') and for transitions (e.g., protocols for moving quickly from one activity to the next) (Practiced only).

3.3.3     How to plan and implement practices that create a predictable and safe environment for students by reducing variance in classroom environment – for example, classroom arrangement, consistent location of prompts, consistent use of space, visible rules, and routines (Practiced only).

3.4.2     How to effectively model desired behaviour (such as respectful interactions, being organised, and being on time) and how to explicitly point to this modelling to prompt positive behaviour by setting and reinforcing expectations (Practiced only).

3.4.3     How to pre-plan and rehearse responses including the use of early intervention techniques such as simple prompts, pre-corrections and verbal feedback, which reinforce high expectations in the classroom and which focus on expected behaviour. Opportunities should also be provided to practise in a practicum setting (Practiced only).

Special assessment requirements

An aggregate mark of 50% and successful completion of Professional Experience is required to pass the unit.

1. Provision of valid documentation. 2. Lesson Plans

1. 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.

 

2. When developing your lesson plans, it is encouraged that you are using your skills in lesson planning and design to create engaging and rich lesson resources. Using materials from commercial sites such as TPT, Twinkl, Sparkle Box etc. is not desirable in this unit. If you adapt resources from commercial sites and sources, please note this in your lesson planning and resource development.

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

Readings, online activities and workshops: ~ 90 hours

Collaborative lesson preparation and clinics participation:  ~ 40 hours

Assessment tasks: ~ 170 hours

Participation requirements

Professional Experience

Successful completion of the professional experience component is critical to success in the whole unit.  Refer to assessment (5a) on the Canvas site for further details. Students must make themselves familiar with the processes and policies of professional experience.

School based clinics

Participation in ‘school based' tutorial classes is a compulsory condition of this unit, and attendance will be recorded. You must participate in 100% of the ‘school based' tutorial classes to pass this unit. In the event that you cannot attend your assigned session due to illness or extreme circumstances, you must provide appropriate documentation to the Unit Convener as soon as possible. In the case of sessions missed due to illness or extreme circumstances, both the academic content and the professional experience component are required to be made up. More than two documented absences may lead to failure of the unit due to non-completion.

*Note: This unit commences with weeks 1 and 2 on campus (see timetable for rooms) and Weeks 3-7 (Secondary) will be school-based to meet accreditation requirements of 3 days (Secondary) professional experience

Unit Engagement

There is a strong correlation between participation and success in higher education. Your participation and engagement with all unit activities will enhance your understanding of this unit's content and therefore the quality of your assessment responses. Lack of participation may result in your inability to satisfactorily pass assessment items. 

Required IT skills

None, however familiarisation of educational classroom technologies may be required.

In-unit costs

N/A

Work placement, internships or practicums

 A successful professional placement is requisite for to pass this unit. Placements require strict adherence to professional practice principles and ethics.  Students must adhere to University policy during their placement, including the Student Conduct Rules 2018, the WIL policy and WIL procedure, and the Assessment policy, and Assessment procedure. School student and staff confidentiality must always be maintained (please see the ACT ED Teachers' Code of Professional Practice and Student Conduct Rules), including for assessment items such as reports or essays. The professional nature of this unit also requires 100% participation at all learning activities (tutorials and placements) for the successful completion of this unit (also see section 6c). If attendance requirements cannot be satisfied (e.g., timetable clash), it is recommended that you contact the Academic Programs Team to discuss re-scheduling this unit.

Students are required to have a current Working with Vulnerable People card in order to participate in this unit. Note that the Working with Vulnerable People (Background Checking) Act only applies to the ACT. For students undertaking placements in other states or territories, it may be that an alternate Police Check or a Working with Children Check is required. Please refer to the professional experience section on the All Teacher Education Students (ATES) CANVAS site for full information on the Professional Experience requirements. Students need to ensure they have their WWVP, or similar Working with Children check, and evidence of PSTR uploaded to InPlace.

Students who are in placement units or in school based units are also required to complete an Acceptable use of ICT resources form in order to access ICT resources in their placement school. A hardcopy of the form will be distributed and collected by your tutor early in each semester.

This unit involves a clinical placement and a professional practicum. Therefore, additional student responsibilities are required in addition to those described in section 6. Workplace learning requires strict adherence to professional practice principles and ethics. School student and staff confidentiality must always be maintained (refer policies on ATES - Professional Experience Handbook, ACT ED Teachers' Code of Professional Practice (or equivalent) and Student Conduct Rules), including for assessment items such as reports or essays. This applies to staff and patrons of any outside agency where an internship or other WIL activity is taking place. The professional nature of this unit also requires 100% participation at all learning activities (lectures, workshops, tutorial, practicals etc. as scheduled – see section 3) for the successful completion of this unit (also see section 6c). If attendance requirements cannot be satisfied (e.g., timetable clash), it is recommended that you contact the Academic Programs Team to discuss re-scheduling this unit.

Additional information

Foundation of Unit

Theoretical foundation: This unit is based on current theories concerning Science education. Academics teaching in this unit are specialist Science educators and researchers.

Research led education: This unit involves research-led education and work-integrated learning. Active researchers delivering this unit are able to engage students in deep and active learning and transmit to students their passion for the research they are carrying out.

Provision of information to the group

Notifications through the UCLearn (Canvas) Announcements Forum or the UCLearn (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 UCLearn (Canvas) website (UCLearn (Canvas) forum messages are also emailed to student email addresses only).  Students should ensure they check their student email regularly.  The UCLearn (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 emailed using a student university email account. Students should contact servicedesk@canberra.edu.au if they have any issues accessing their university email account.

In all cases of absence, sickness or personal problems it is the student's responsibility to ensure that the unit Convener is informed. The minimum participation requirement must be met in order to pass the unit (regardless of supporting documentation).

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