| Effective Term: | 2025/05 |
| Institute / School : | Institute of Education, Arts & Community |
| Unit Title: | Primary Science Education |
| Unit ID: | EDMAS6049 |
| Credit Points: | 15.00 |
| Prerequisite(s): | Nil |
| Co-requisite(s): | Nil |
| Exclusion(s): | (EDMAS6043) |
| ASCED: | 070103 |
| Other Change: | |
| Brief description of the Unit |
| This unit is designed to examine key theoretical and pedagogical perspectives and issues in the teaching of science and technology with children, with emphasis on developing children`s skills of working scientifically, designing and making products. Students are introduced to a range of current curriculum documents and a variety of teaching strategies used in schools including lesson and unit planning, implementing and enacting curriculum, monitoring and reflecting upon learning and reporting. The unit addresses important conceptual ideas and processes about embedding science and technology into classroom learning, understanding science as a human endeavour and the differences in learning progressions in science and technology. |
| Grade Scheme: | Graded (HD, D, C, P, MF, F, XF) |
| Work Experience Indicator: |
| No work experience |
| Placement Component: | No |
| Supplementary Assessment:Yes |
| Where supplementary assessment is available a student must have failed overall in the Unit but gained a final mark of 45 per cent or above, has completed all major assessment tasks (including all sub-components where a task has multiple parts) as specified in the Unit Description and is not eligible for any other form of supplementary assessment |
| Course Level: |
| Level of Unit in Course | AQF Level(s) of Course | | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | | Introductory | | | | | | | | Intermediate | | | | | | | | Advanced | | | | |  | |
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| Learning Outcomes: |
| On successful completion of the unit pre-service teachers will demonstrate their capacity to: |
| Knowledge: |
| K1. | Recognise key theoretical, philosophical and pedagogical perspectives for teaching science and technologies (Design and Technologies; Digital Technologies). |
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| K2. | Examine a range of cross-curriculum documents and resources to develop an integrated unit of work which incorporates science and technologies (Design and Technologies; Digital Technologies), and links to cross-curricular priorities and general capabilities in the current curriculum. |
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| K3. | Engage students in inquiry learning that focuses on a place, time or social issue relating to science, technology, the humanities and social sciences. |
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| K4. | Investigate how educators can embrace diversity, teach for social justice and develop understandings of how events shape societies and places within them. |
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| K5. | Use curriculum, assessment and reporting knowledge to design learning sequences and lesson plans. |
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| Skills: |
| S1. | Critically consider how students understand and express their experiences of the world at a local and global level and how to develop an ability to question, think critically, solve problems, communicate effectively, make decisions and adapt to change. |
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| S2. | Demonstrate the ability to link discipline-based domains of science and technology (Design and Technologies; Digital Technologies), including links to general capabilities and cross- curricular priorities. |
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| S3. | Apply literacy and numeracy strategies in the teaching of science and technologies. |
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| S4. | Develop the capacity to plan, organise and assess classroom activities and provide clear directions for learning. |
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| Application of knowledge and skills: |
| A1. | Using a range of resources and knowledge of student learning and effective teaching strategies, plan lesson sequences in science and technology, plan and present a lesson for reflection, and plan a lesson sequence that includes information and communication technology, general capabilities and cross-curricular priorities. |
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| A2. | Assess learners in ways that acknowledge and engage with diversity and diverse learners using a variety of assessment methods. |
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| A3. | Investigate teaching resources and associated pedagogical frameworks and consider how resources can be adopted in teaching. |
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| Unit Content: |
• Key theoretical and pedagogical perspectives and issues in the teaching of science and technologies (Design and Technologies; Digital Technologies) with children.
• Methods and skills that are crucial to scientific inquiry, designing and making products.
• Current curriculum documents, including reference to general capabilities and cross- curricular priorities, and a variety of teaching strategies used in schools.
• Use curriculum, assessment and reporting knowledge to design learning sequences and lesson plans.
• Conceptual ideas and processes about embedding science and technology (Design and Technologies; Digital Technologies), into classroom learning, understanding science as a human endeavour and the differences in learning progressions in science and technology (Design and Technologies; Digital Technologies).
• Literacy and numeracy teaching strategies in science and the technologies. |
| Graduate Attributes: |
| Federation University recognises that students require key transferable employability skills to prepare them for their future workplace and society. FEDTASKS (Transferable Attributes Skills and Knowledge) provide a targeted focus on five key transferable Attributes, Skills, and Knowledge that are be embedded within curriculum, developed gradually towards successful measures and interlinked with cross-discipline and Co-operative Learning opportunities. One or more FEDTASK, transferable Attributes, Skills or Knowledge must be evident in the specified learning outcomes and assessment for each FedUni Unit, and all must be directly assessed in each Course.
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| FED TASK and descriptor | Development and acquisition of FEDTASKS in the Unit | | Level | FEDTASK 1
Interpersonal | Students at this level will demonstrate an advanced ability in a range of contexts to effectively communicate, interact and work with others both individually and in groups. Students will be required to display high level skills in-person and/or online in: • Using and demonstrating a high level of verbal and non-verbal communication • Demonstrating a mastery of listening for meaning and influencing via active listening • Demonstrating and showing empathy for others • High order skills in negotiating and conflict resolution skills\\ • Demonstrating mastery of working respectfully in cross-cultural and diverse teams. | 1 - Yes | FEDTASK 2
Leadership | Students at this level will demonstrate a mastery in professional skills and behaviours in leading others. • Creating and sustaining a collegial environment • Demonstrating a high level of self -awareness and the ability to self-reflect and justify decisions • Inspiring and initiating opportunities to lead others • Making informed professional decisions • Demonstrating initiative in new professional situations. | 1 - Yes | FEDTASK 3
Critical Thinking and Creativity | Students at this level will demonstrate high level skills in working in complexity and ambiguity using the imagination to create new ideas. Students will be required to display skills in: • Reflecting critically to generate and consider complex ideas and concepts at an abstract level • Analysing complex and abstract ideas, concepts and information • Communicate alternative perspectives to justify complex ideas • Demonstrate a mastery of challenging conventional thinking to clarify complex concepts • Forming creative solutions in problem solving to new situations for further learning. | 1 - Yes | FEDTASK 4
Digital Literacy | Students at this level will demonstrate the ability to work competently across a wide range of tools, platforms and applications to achieve a range of tasks. Students will be required to display skills in: • Mastering, exploring, evaluating, managing, curating, organising and sharing digital information professionally • Collating, managing complex data, accessing and using digital data securely • Receiving and responding professionally to messages in a range of professional digital media • Contributing competently and professionally to digital teams and working groups • Participating at a high level in digital learning opportunities. | 1 - Yes | FEDTASK 5
sustainable and Ethical Mindset | Students at this level will demonstrate a mastery of considering and assessing the consequences and impact of ideas and actions in enacting professional ethical and sustainable decisions. Students will be required to display skills in: • Demonstrate informed judgment making that considers the impact of devising complex solutions in ambiguous global economic environmental and societal contexts • Professionally committing to the promulgation of social responsibility • Demonstrate the ability to evaluate ethical, socially responsible and/or sustainable challenges and generating and articulating responses • Communicating lifelong, life-wide and life-deep learning to be open to the diverse professional others • Generating, leading and implementing required actions to foster sustainability in their professional and personal life | 1 - Yes |
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| | Learning Outcomes Assessed | Assessment Tasks | Assessment Type | Weighting | | 1. | K1, K2, K3, K4, S1, S2, S4, A1, A2, A3 | Using current curriculum documents, research, plan and present an 'Engage' or 'Tuning in' lesson. Write a personal reflection on the activity, noting the key scientific underpinnings, teaching strategies and student outcomes. | Seminar Presentation / teaching activity. | 40-60% | | 2. | K1, K2, K3, K4, K5, S1, S2, S3, S4, A1, A2, A3 | Develop a coherent, active and meaningful inquiry unit of work with a theme that has a focus discipline in science and technology and enables integration across disciplines. | Integrated Unit of work | 40-60% |
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