EDF5174 · Science: Physics in secondary years B

Overview

This unit builds on EDF5173 Science: Physics in secondary years A. It prepares you to teach physics in secondary schools and colleges both as a specialist unit in senior years (Years 11 and 12) and within the junior science curriculum (Years 7 to 10). A central focus of the unit is to continue to assist you to develop your capacity and confidence to effectively communicate your advanced physics knowledge using a diverse range of appropriate teaching strategies, use of innovative technologies and laboratory work, while encouraging purposeful and critical thinking in your students. The unit also builds your confidence to design a variety of authentic assessment and monitoring procedures aimed at evaluating the ability of your students to achieve the intended learning objectives as outlined in the relevant physics curricula. An important component of this unit is an increased focus on the need for you to think critically about planning the development of your own professional practice and the extent to which this addresses the diverse social, cultural and economic needs of your students. You will also undertake research into the design of a comprehensive unit of work suitable for teaching senior physics content, and critically reflect on your own professional practice and its importance for effecting and motivating continuous improvement. The unit highlights the importance of setting personal and professional goals and identifies physics professional associations and learning communities that contribute to enriching and supporting physics teachers in improving student learning in physics.

Offerings

Assessment

The Handbook does not list a final examination among the assessment items. That is not a guarantee there is none.

Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.

Requisites

Learning outcomes

1. use physics curriculum documents to construct engaging contemporary physics lessons in secondary schools and colleges that encourage thoughtful and constructivist learning in students
2. link the everyday world of the learner with physics in ways that are meaningful, relevant and engaging
3. use and creatively integrate information and communication technologies to enhance student engagement and conceptual understanding while employing a variety of authentic assessment and monitoring procedures aimed at evaluating the success of students
4. critically reflect on your own professional practice and its importance for effecting continuous improvement.

Workload

The minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per teaching period comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. Usually, you can expect to engage with: • 24 hours* of scheduled learning delivered on campus via weekly/regular directed learning activities; and • the remaining hours to be allocated towards self-directed/independent study Scheduled learning activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement. *Subject to variation due to professional experience requirements.

Student experience, not official rules. Nothing here changes what the Handbook says.