Master of Teaching (Secondary)

Course notes

Important course notes

• Cross-Campus attendance

  Not all specialisations are available at every campus.

• Internship option

  Students will be a scholar in residence at the placement school for two- three days per week. There will be sessions scheduled at the University for their internship induction, and colloquium at the completion of their term at the placement school.

  Attendance requirements

  Host Schools and Centres will determine in consultation with the individual student the exact hours of attendance required.

  Clearances and/or Risk Management Protocols Required

  The Department of Education Western Australia and cooperating non-government schools have the right to determine 'fit and proper persons' to enter and practice in schools. For these reasons, all Pre-Service teachers 18 years of age and over will be required to have a current Department of Education Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check (NCCHC) and a current Working with Children Check, or the equivalent clearance issued by the relevant State authority before commencing this period of Professional Practice Further information can be found at http://www.ecu.edu.au/schools/education/professional- practice/clearances

  Professional practice rules

  During the placement, it is imperative that Pre-Service Teachers always demonstrate professionalism and respect for industry partners. Pre-Service Teachers must abide by the professional standards set out in the ECU Student Code of Conduct and comply with the applicable University policies and rules. The Student Code of Conduct can be found at: http://policysearch.ecu.edu.au/PolicySearch/Record/767/file/document The host School/Centre has absolute discretion to terminate the Pre-Service Teachers internship prior to completion of the internship. Situations where this discretion has been exercised are typically where the School/Centre has had concerns about Pre-Service Teacher's conduct or performance. ECU may also withdraw a Pre-Service Teacher from internship in certain circumstances. Early termination or withdrawal from the scholar in residence may result in a Fail grade for this unit.

• Practicum requirement

  Central to this course is an extensive program of Professional Practice in schools. Because of its responsibility for the education, safety and well-being of children in schools, the teaching profession demands the highest professional standards and personal ethics. Students will complete a 5-week block in PPA6150, a 5-week block in PPA6250 and 5 planning days and a 5-week block in PPA6460.

  Attendance requirements

  Generally host Schools and Centres require that the Pre-Service Teachers attend the placement on a full time basis and otherwise meet their specific attendance requirements of the particular placement. There is limited scope for ECU to negotiate any deviations from these requirements.

  Clearances and/or Risk Management Protocols Required

  The Department of Education Western Australia and cooperating non-government schools have the right to determine 'fit and proper persons' to enter and practice in schools. For these reasons, all Pre-Service Teachers 18 years of age and over will be required to have a current Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check (NCCHC) and a current Working with Children Check, or the equivalent clearance issued by the relevant State authority before commencing this period of Professional Experience. Further information can be found at http://www.ecu.edu.au/schools/education/professionalpractice/ clearances.

  Professional practice rules

  During the placement, it is imperative that Pre-Service Teachers always demonstrate professionalism and respect for industry partners. Pre-Service Teachers must abide by the professional standards set out in the ECU Student Code of Conduct and comply with the applicable University policies and rules. The Student Code of Conduct can be found at: http://policysearch.ecu.edu.au/PolicySearch/Record/767/file/document The host School/Centre has absolute discretion to terminate the Pre-Service Teachers placement prior to completion of the placement. Situations where this discretion has been exercised are typically where the School/Centre has had concerns about Pre-Service Teacher's conduct or performance. ECU may also withdraw a Pre-Service Teacher from placement in certain circumstances. Early termination or withdrawal from the professional experience placement may result in a Fail grade for this unit.

Course Learning Outcomes

1. Apply cognitive, technical and creative skills to investigate, evaluate and synthesise teaching theory and practice in authentic situations.
2. Apply communication and collaboration skills to design innovative curriculum, learning and assessment activities in secondary education.
3. Reflect critically on a complex body of education knowledge, research principles and methods to demonstrate mastery of secondary teaching.
4. Use high level self management skills to initiate, plan and execute an extended practicum.

Quick guide to uni-speak

• • ATAR

    ATAR is the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank, the primary criterion for entry into most undergraduate university courses in Australia. The ATAR is a percentile score which denotes a student's ranking relative to their state-wide peers upon completion of their secondary education.

  • CRICOS code

    CRICOS is the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students. A CRICOS code is allocated to education institutions (like ECU) who are approved to recruit, enrol and deliver education to overseas students. Courses with a CRICOS code are available to international students who meet the entry requirements.

  • Majors

    A major, or unit set, is your chosen area of in-depth study in an undergraduate course. It usually involves 8 units of study, or one-third of the units in a 3-year degree. Talk to your Student Information Office if you need help choosing a major subject.

  • Minors

    Minors include between 4 and 6 study units in a specific discipline. Not all courses require you to complete a minor. Your minor subject doesn't appear on your printed degree (parchment), but is part of your academic transcript.

  • Full-time

    If you're enrolled in 3 or more units in a semester this is considered full-time study. To complete most 3-year degrees studying full-time you'll need to complete 4 units per semester, i.e. 24 units over 3 years.

  • Part-time

    If a course is available to study part-time you can generally expect it to take twice as long to complete as it would in full-time mode. Part-time students are enrolled in 1 or 2 units maximum per semester.

    Note: International students who hold a student visa can only choose the full-time study option for our courses. This is to ensure the course is completed within the duration of the student visa.

• • Semester 1

    Most courses start in Semester 1 each year, usually in the last week of February. Some courses can be started in Semester 2 (we call this mid-year). There's a week of Orientation before each semester to help you get used to uni life.

  • Semester 2

    A lot of our courses start in Semester 2 each year, usually in the last week of July. We call this mid-year. There's a week of Orientation beforehand to help you get used to uni life.

  • Credit Points

    We use a points system to make it easier for you to understand your study progress. Most Bachelors degree study units are allocated 15 credit points. If you're studying a 3-year full-time degree you'll need to successfully complete 360 credit points - that's 24 units x 15 points per unit.

  • Core Units

    These are compulsory units you have to successfully complete as part of your course.

  • Recommended Electives

    An elective is a unit you choose to study that counts towards your course requirements, but isn't compulsory. For some courses we recommend elective units. In some situations, a course coordinator may approve an elective unit as a replacement for a compulsory one.