Unit Outline

The unit will explore the theoretical and practical issues concerned with establishing and maintaining positive learning environments that allow all students to participate fully in educational opportunities. The unit will explore preventive strategies to establish a positive classroom climate in all education settings; corrective strategies to respond to disruptive behaviours in order to maintain a focus on learning; and supportive strategies to address the higher level needs of individual students including discipline/crisis/emergency response for disruptive student behaviour. The content will be studied through an interactive learning process including case studies, role play and rehearsal of appropriate language and non-verbal responses, to link theory and practice in class and individual management situations. Students will develop a Classroom Management Plan to be evaluated, refined and further developed through their later practicum experiences.

Intended Learning Outcomes

As per the Assessment and Results Policy 1.3, your results will reflect your achievement against specified learning outcomes.

On completion of this unit, you will be able to:


1.	Evaluate and examine key theories and philosophical approaches that relate to establishing and maintaining positive learning environments in various education settings (early childhood, primary or secondary).
2.	identify and extract practical and ethical issues and principles related to managing educational environments.
3.	Examine and develop preventative and intervention strategies that could be used to establish a positive classroom climate within various education settings.
4.	analyse teachers roles in enhancing positive pro-social behaviour and resilience in students, and apply in the context of own professional practice.
5.	incorporate a range of perspectives, synthesise information, and reference according to the APA style within written assignments.

Requisites


REQUISITE TYPE	REQUISITES
Pre-requisite	EDU102 or ESH102 or EAL102

Alterations as a result of student feedback

How will I be Assessed?

For more detailed assessment information please see MyLO.

Assessment schedule


ASSESSMENT TASK #	ASSESSMENT TASK NAME	DATE DUE	WEIGHT	LINKS TO INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES
Assessment Task 1:	Online Engagement Quiz	Week 2	10 %
Assessment Task 2:	Essay	Week 4	40 %	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4, LO5
Assessment Task 3:	Teaching Philosophy, Classroom Management Plan and Rationale	Week 7	50 %	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4, LO5

Assessment details

Assessment Task 1: Online Engagement Quiz

Task Description:

In Week 2, as part of measuring student engagement you are required to complete a compulsory online engagement quiz. You will need to refer to material from the recommended readings, lectures, and the Unit Outline.

Access to the unit content for the remaining weeks of the semester will occur automatically as a result of successful completion of this quiz. You will have two attempts for the quiz. This is an open-book task; therefore, you will be able to use your textbook and other materials.

Completion of this Assessment Task relates to Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APST) 1.2, 4.3

Task Length:

Equivalent to 250 words, 15-20 minutes approximately

Due Date:

Week 2 (12/Jan/2024)

Weight:

10 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)

Assessment Task 2: Essay

Task Description:

There are two parts to this assessment task.
Part 1 (500 words)
For Part 1, you have two options.
Part 1 Option 1:
Evaluate, compare and contrast two theory groups. You will need to choose two theory groups from the four we have learned in this unit and use scholarly literature to critically evaluate, compare and contrast them.
Your evaluation, comparison and contrast should explore the following aspects:
• underpinning theoretical principles/beliefs of each theory group;
• preventative strategies used;
• intervention strategies used;
• possible strengths and limitations of each theory group;
• ethical considerations and appropriateness for the contemporary classroom (e.g. suitability, risks, challenges).
You may make reference, where appropriate, to other theories and models in the discussion.

Part 1 Option 2:
Evaluate and examine one theory group relevant to behaviour management. You will need to choose one theory group from the four we have learned in this unit and use scholarly literature to critically evaluate and examine this theory group.
Your evaluation and examination should explore the following aspects:
• underpinning theoretical principles/beliefs of the theory group;
• preventative strategies used;
• intervention strategies used;
• possible strengths and limitations of the theory group;
• ethical considerations and appropriateness for the contemporary classroom (e.g. suitability, risks, challenges).
You may make reference, where appropriate, to other theories and models in the discussion.

Part 2 (1,000 words). Apply one chosen theory group or a model to a classroom scenario. You will be given a classroom scenario, and you will need to discuss ways in which you could implement one chosen theory group, or one model within this theory group, in the particular context and practice as outlined in the scenario (Early childhood, Primary or Secondary).

Completion of this Assessment Task relates to Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APST) 1.1, 1.2, 1.5, 4.1, 4.3

Task Length:

1500 words

Due Date:

Week 4 (26/Jan/2024)

Weight:

40 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Evaluate and examine the chosen theory group(s) that relates to establishing and maintaining positive learning environments (40%)	LO1, LO2
2	Analyse practical and ethical issues related to applying theoretical principles within the selected theory group(s) in relevant contemporary settings (50%)	LO2, LO3, LO4
3	Communicate using an academic essay writing structure, standard English conventions (word choice, grammar, punctuation and spelling) and APA referencing style (10%)	LO5

Assessment Task 3: Teaching Philosophy, Classroom Management Plan and Rationale

Task Description:

There are three parts to this assessment task.

Part 1. Teaching Philosophy (250 words). You are required to write a personal teaching philosophy statement, to discuss your belief in teacher’s roles in enhancing and contributing to positive and pro-social behaviour and resilience in students. To complete this part of assessment, you will be required to draw on the knowledge and theories you have learned in the first few weeks of the semester, and reflect on your own belief and understanding about students’ learning and their behaviour in the classroom.

Part 2. Classroom Management Plan (1,000 words). You are required to develop a Classroom Management Plan. The purpose of the Classroom Management Plan is to provide you, as a beginning teacher, with a detailed guide, in responding to challenging behaviour and promoting positive behaviour as you teach.
This specified context must represent your specialisation, either an Early childhood, Primary or Secondary setting. This plan must also take into consideration family and parent involvement in responding to student behaviour.
The Classroom Management Plan is to be designed drawing on theories/models of behaviour management/discipline from scholarly sources. Include a range of preventive, corrective and supportive strategies that are appropriate to the chosen context (either Early childhood, Primary or Secondary). Links to a school wide behaviour management plan (or a policy document in relation to planning for positive behaviour within a childcare centre context), must be provided.

Part 3. Rationale (1,000 words) Write a rationale to justify the elements of your Classroom Management Plan. Your rationale must explain your thinking and demonstrate connections to relevant theory, policy and behaviour guidelines, current literature, and research.

Completion of this Assessment Task relates to Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APST) 1.1, 1.5, 3.3, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4

Task Length:

2,250 words

Due Date:

Week 7 (12/Feb/2024)

Weight:

50 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Demonstrate ways in which teachers’ roles enhance and contribute to positive pro-social behaviour and resilience in students (30%)	LO4
2	Demonstrate practical understanding of behaviour management that has application to your own context and practice, with consideration to parent/family involvement (30%)	LO3
3	Justify the theoretical elements and practical strategies of the plan in a rationale that explains your thinking and demonstrates connections to relevant theories (30%)	LO1, LO2
4	Communicate using an academic essay writing structure, standard English conventions (word choice, grammar, punctuation and spelling) and APA referencing style (10%)	LO5

How your final result is determined

To pass this unit, you need to demonstrate your attainment of each of the Intended Learning Outcomes, achieve a final unit grade of 50% or greater, and pass any hurdle tasks.

Submission of assignments

Where practicable, assignments should be submitted to an assignment submission folder in MYLO. You must submit assignments by the due date or receive a penalty (unless an extension of time has been approved by the Unit Coordinator). Students submitting any assignment in hard copy, or because of a practicum finalisation, must attach a student cover sheet and signed declaration for the submission to be accepted for marking.

Requests for extensions

If you are unable to submit an assessment task by the due date, you should apply for an extension.

A request for an extension should first be discussed with your Unit Coordinator or teaching support team where possible. A request for an extension must be submitted by the assessment due date, except where you can provide evidence it was not possible to do so. Typically, an application for an extension will be supported by documentary evidence: however, where it is not possible for you to provide evidence please contact your Unit Coordinator.

The Unit Coordinator must notify you of the outcome of an extension request within 3 working days of receiving the request.

Late penalties

Assignments submitted after the deadline will receive a late penalty of 5% of the original available mark for each calendar day (or part day) that the assignment is late. Late submissions will not be accepted more than 10 calendar days after the due date, or after assignments have been returned to other students on a scheduled date, whichever occurs first. Further information on Late Penalties can be found on the Assessments and Results Procedure.

Review of results and appeals

You are entitled to ask for a review of the marking and grading of your assessment task if there is an irregularity in the marking standards or an error in the process for determining the outcome of an assessment. Details on how to request a review of a mark for an assignment are outlined in the Review and Appeal of Academic Decisions Procedure.

Required Resources

Required reading materials

You will need the following text:

De Nobile, J., Lyons, G., & Arther-Kelly, M. (2020 or 2017). Positive learning environments: Creating and maintaining productive classrooms. South Melbourne: Cengage Learning Australia.