Teacher Education
Undergraduate Teacher Education brochure
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Teacher Education
If you want to be part of the next generation of outstanding teachers and make a real difference to young peoples' lives, our Teacher Education courses will start you on your journey.
Our experienced team are passionate about education and strive to find better ways to prepare the next generation of teachers through cutting-edge research and outstanding community-based partnerships with schools.
Our Teacher Education courses are practical and delivered in excellent facilities. So, if you aspire to teach, join us to make a difference.
Friends, Study and Community Partnerships
At ECU, we strive to support seamless study for all. Our student association, known as Network Teach, will provide you with the opportunity to study with friends and to contribute to community projects.
The student association group at Joondalup received the 2011 Vice‑Chancellor's award for peer mentoring, and the group at Mount Lawley has been granted funding to mentor Indigenous Australian students at Mount Lawley Senior High School.
Learning in Schools
Our courses in Early Childhood, Primary and Secondary Teacher Education are renowned for their extensive professional practice, making our graduates job-ready and preferred by many employers.
We have strong partnerships with over 500 public and private schools in local and regional areas. Experienced professionals guide our students in developing knowledge and skills to work in a range of educational settings from early childhood through to secondary schools.
"I thoroughly enjoyed my study experience at ECU. They provided extensive orientation and services that supported my return to education as a mature age student. The best aspect of my course was the range of subject areas covered and the balance between theory and practice. In Home Economics we teach a range of subjects, and the variety of the course reflected the real demands of the job. My greatest achievement has been not only to finish my double degree as a single mum,but to do well. A definite highlight was to be included in both the 2008 and 2009 Vice-Chancellor's Awards for the Top 100 students at ECU."
Ms Cheryl
Education & Home Economics student
Engaging with Schools
At ECU, your study will focus on the needs of schools of today and will be supported through many rewarding classroom experiences in our partnership schools.
Our team of educators have established research centres through the Fogarty Foundation at Roseworth Primary School and Ashdale Secondary College, to provide students with observation rooms and video facilities to support and enrich our teaching program.
Science for Kids Day
Science for Kids (S-Kids) day allows primary school children from across metropolitan and regional areas to visit our Mount Lawley campus for the day and experience hands‑on science activities with enthusiastic Science teachers and ECU teaching students. Children take part in a number of exciting and engaging activities that bring science and teacher education together.
Residency-Based Programs
We offer Graduate Diploma of Education programs which can be completed in a residency mode.
Completing a Graduate Diploma of Education in residency mode allows teaching students to be mentored by experienced teachers, be immersed in a school environment from the start of the year, and enjoy a new level of practical experience to underpin the theory.
What do our employers have to say?
Len Christie, Beechboro Primary School Principal, says
"ECU students and graduates are task orientated and genuinely enjoy working with children and colleagues. They possess competence, confidence and a willingness to listen and act on advice.
"From our experience ECU teaching graduates stand out. We actively recruit those graduates who have performed well in our school," he says.
"Absolute flexibility means I can teach, and learn at the same time
"It started with a BA, then a Grad Dip in teaching and now I'm into my Masters. I'm not stopping until I've got my PhD!
"I never imagined I could achieve so much. I've taken so much out of my time at ECU. I've learned to be a critical thinker, developed my research skills, and been able to apply my knowledge to my career.
"I can honestly say if it wasn't for the support and flexibility offered to me by ECU, I wouldn't have reached this point."
Tracey Gray
Teacher Education student
Leading the way in literacy research
ECU researchers have been awarded almost $800,000 to evaluate the effectiveness of literacy programs in Western Australia.Associate Professor Caroline Barratt-Pugh and Dr Lennie Barblett will work with the ECU Centre for Research in Early Childhood to evaluate four new programs that form part of the Better Beginnings Literacy Program, which was developed by the State Library of WA.
The program, established in 2005, has delivered 70,000 reading packs and books to families across WA. It is hoped that the evaluation will enhance the already successful program by creating evidence‑based research which will further inform the design, implementation and outcomes of Better Beginnings.
ECU researcher awarded for innovative iPad app
School of Education Post Doctoral Research Fellow Dr Alistair Campbell, who developed an iPad app to replace traditional paper-based marking of student work, was named the ECU Innovator of the Year for 2011.
Dr Campbell was awarded $20,000 for his entry TouchTheFuture, which brings the assessment of student work into the 21st Century. He received the award at the Celebration of Research Success event at ECU, which recognises the University's best researchers each year.
The unique app combines the best features of a word processor, spreadsheet and database, enabling the user to assess a student’s work. The program assists teachers and lecturers with marking of assessments, allowing for better response times and more interaction between the student and the teacher. The app applies an instructional rubric to the screen and shades in the level of each criteria achieved by the student. It can calculate marks, allow teachers to review the work, make comments and then email the results to students.
The $20,000 will aid Dr Campbell in the commercialisation of the app.