Primary Humanities Education

Subject EDUC90373 (2010)

Note: This is an archived Handbook entry from 2010.

Credit Points: 6.25
Level: 9 (Graduate/Postgraduate)
Dates & Locations:

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2010:

July, Parkville - Taught on campus.
Pre-teaching Period Start not applicable
Teaching Period not applicable
Assessment Period End not applicable
Last date to Self-Enrol not applicable
Census Date not applicable
Last date to Withdraw without fail not applicable

Parkville, On Campus

Timetable can be viewed here. For information about these dates, click here.
Time Commitment: Contact Hours: 18 hours
Total Time Commitment: 62.5 hours total commitment
Prerequisites: None
Corequisites: None
Recommended Background Knowledge: None
Non Allowed Subjects: None
Core Participation Requirements: Attendance at all classes (tutorial/seminars/practical classes/lectures/labs) is obligatory. Failure to attend 80% of classes will normally result in failure in the subject.

Coordinator

Ms Sally Windsor

Contact

Education Student Centre
Subject Overview:

This subject aims to build teacher candidates’ capacities for teaching in Primary Humanities. Teacher candidates will be introduced to the Humanities as a broad, complex and dynamic field concerned with people as social beings who interact with one another and with natural and social environments through time. They will explore social and environmental issues that school students need to understand to participate in the world as informed citizens in socially just and sustainable ways. Through the experience of an excursion to a site linked to school students’ Humanities learning, teacher candidates will further consider how the Humanities can be linked with other curriculum areas in contexts outside the school classroom.

Emphasis will also be placed on effective teaching and learning practices in the Humanities, with a particular emphasis on inquiry, problem solving and decision making strategies. Teacher candidates will apply their understanding of these processes in a critical inquiry project on an issue of interest for Humanities teaching.

Objectives:

On completion of this subject teacher candidates will be able to:

  • become familiar with some of the contemporary themes and debates within Humanities as they relate to the primary school setting;
  • demonstrate knowledge of the Humanities learning area in the VELS and personally evaluate this;
  • be able to identify the ways in which Humanities can be integrated across the curriculum in primary schools;
  • begin to critically analyse their own values, attitudes and beliefs especially about issues of social and ecological concern;
  • demonstrate the knowledge, attitudes and behaviours they intend to teach in the Humanities;
  • have applied a critical inquiry to classroom practice.
Assessment:

There are 2 assessment tasks:

  • A critical inquiry project (1200 words or equivalent) due mid-semester (60%)
  • A presentation (oral, written or performance) (800 words or equivalent) due end of semester (40%)
Prescribed Texts: Collection of readings.
Breadth Options:

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.
Fees Information: Subject EFTSL, Level, Discipline & Census Date
Generic Skills: On completion of this subject, teacher candidates will have the knowledge, skills and understanding to enable them to:
  • Be skilled communicators who can effectively articulate and justify their practices as knowledgeable agents of changes.
  • Be flexible and able to adapt to change through knowing how to learn;
  • Understand the significance of developing their practice on the basis of research evidence;
  • Work in teams with skills in cooperation, communication and negotiation;
  • Be independent of mind, responsible, resilient, self-regulating;
  • Have a conscious personal and social values base.

Related Course(s): Master of Teaching (Primary)

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