EDUC9125 English Curriculum Studies 1: Literacy in Changing Educational Contexts

This is the first of two topics related to the teaching of English and literacy that are studied during this education course. In these interrelated topics, social and functional theories of teaching language are explored in light of changing political and social landscapes - local, national and global. This topic is taught in the context of the Australian Curriculum where English is built across three interrelated strands - Language, Literature and Literacy. This topic is designed to develop the knowledge and skills required to teach literacy and English in primary settings. In particular, the structure and nature of language and how it is acquired by diverse cohorts of students, a repertoire of professional practice and an understanding of variety of assessment strategies. Students in this topic undertake planning for teaching primary English and reflect critically on the approaches taken.

This topic aims to:

• Provide an introduction to the Australian Curriculum (AC): English, and literacy as embedded across the curriculum and in the everyday social practices of students
• Provide research-based theories around language acquisition for primary students as they learn to read and write
• Introduce repertoires of pedagogical practice that guide intentional learning activities for students of varying abilities in the literacy/English classroom
• Create opportunities to plan lessons to teach English and literacy that cater for diverse groups of primary students
• Introduce current practices and debates around assessments
• Encourage the enactment of a socially just approach to teaching English and literacy
• Create opportunities to articulate developing repertoires of English and literacy teaching practice in changing educational contexts

1. Locate and analyse features of the Australian Curriculum (AC): English and literacy as a social practice
2. Examine and discuss a variety of theories relating to how primary age students acquire language and learn to read and write across multiple modalities
3. Compare and contrast a range of pedagogical practices that guide literacy learning activities for classes of mixed ability students
4. Plan and review English and literacy lessons for diverse groups of primary students
5. Distinguish between and critique current assessment practices i.e. diagnostic, formative and summative and assess the usefulness of resulting data sets
6. Reflect critically on a variety of examples of English and literacy teaching practice