Overview
Youth is the period between childhood and adult age. Understanding youth is the focus of this unit. This understanding is developed through an opportunity to examine a number of complex issues pertaining to being an adolescent in Australian society. These examinations include an analysis of the role secondary school teachers have on developing effective skills to increase student engagement and achievement in all discipline areas and how these may affect learning. In this unit, you will demonstrate knowledge and understanding of research into how students learn, how issues pertaining to youth impact their engagement in learning and the implications for teachers' resilience and school wide approaches. You will have the opportunity to demonstrate knowledge of teaching strategies that are responsive to the learning strengths, needs, and support the wellbeing of students from diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds through an exploration of research and critical reflection of your current and future teaching practice.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
There are no requisites for this unit.
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 1 - 2024
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of 'pass' in order to pass the unit. If any 'pass/fail' tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully ('pass' grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the 'assessment task' section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University's Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback - Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from SUTE
Review the usefulness of feedback.
Unit Coordinator to review feedback quality on assessment tasks and consistency of communication with students by staff throughout the unit.
- Discuss the physical, social and intellectual development of youth and how these may affect learning and engagement
- Challenge contemporary thinking about teaching youth through engaging in research into how students learn and the implications for teaching
- Explore teaching strategies that are responsive to the learning strengths and needs of students from diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds
- Identify strategies to support inclusive student participation and engagement in classroom activities
- Engage in professional learning and improve practice through understanding the relevant and appropriate sources of professional learning for teachers including consideration of personal dilemmas and need for resilience as teachers teaching 21st Century youth.
Successful completion of this unit provides opportunities for students to engage with the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (Graduate Career Stage) focus areas of:
1.1 Physical, social and intellectual development and characteristics of students
1.2 Understand how students learn
1.3 Students with diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds
4.1 Support student participation
6.2 Engage in professional learning and improve practice
6.4 Apply professional learning and improve student learning
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 1 - Written Assessment - 50% | |||||
| 2 - Online Quiz(zes) - 25% | |||||
| 3 - Critical Review - 25% | |||||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 1 - Communication | |||||
| 2 - Problem Solving | |||||
| 3 - Critical Thinking | |||||
| 4 - Information Literacy | |||||
| 5 - Team Work | |||||
| 6 - Information Technology Competence | |||||
| 7 - Cross Cultural Competence | |||||
| 8 - Ethical practice | |||||
| 9 - Social Innovation | |||||
| 10 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | |||||
Textbooks
There are no required textbooks.
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: American Psychological Association 7th Edition (APA 7th edition)
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
j.deagon@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
Who are they?
Chapter
Available via eReading List
Welch, A. et al. (2017). Education, change and society eBook.
Chapter 1 p. 1-5, 11-18 and Chapter 2 p. 33-40
Garvis, S. et al. (2018). Child Development and Learning eBook.
Chapter 4: Adolescent Physical Development
Chapter 8: Adolescent Cognitive Development
Events and Submissions/Topic
Read task sheet for Assessment Task 1
Module/Topic
Where are they going?
Chapter
Available via eReading List
Garvis, S. et al. (2018). Child Development and Learning eBook.
Chapter 23: Programming and Planning for Australian Secondary Schools
Events and Submissions/Topic
Choose Research paper topic for Assessment Task 1
Module/Topic
Cultural identity and gender
Chapter
Available via eReading List
Garvis, S. et al. (2018). Child Development and Learning eBook.
Chapter 20: Adolescent Emotional Development
Welch, A. et al. (2017). Education, change and society eBook.
Chapter 6: Cultural Difference and Identity and
Chapter 8: Gender
Events and Submissions/Topic
Researching articles for paper
Module/Topic
Social class
Chapter
Available via eReading List
Garvis, S. et al. (2018). Child Development and Learning eBook.
Chapter 16: Adolescent Social Development
Welch, A. et al. (2017). Education, change and society eBook.
Chapter 5: Social Class and Inequity
Events and Submissions/Topic
Synthesis of research for paper
Module/Topic
Indigenous education
Chapter
Available via eReading List
Welch, A. et al. (2017). Education, change and society eBook.
Chapter 7: Indigenous Education
Events and Submissions/Topic
Final Draft preparation
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Who are we?
Chapter
Available via eReading List
Anderson, L. E, & Bolt, S. B. (2013). Chapter 9: Communication, Professionalism: skills for workplace success. 3rd ed. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Education/Prentice Hall.
Howell, J. (2014). Chapter 10: Becoming an Effective Communicator. In J. Howell, Teaching and Learning: Building Effective Pedagogies (pp. 331–349). Oxford University Press.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
What we do?
Chapter
Available via eReading List
Howell, J. (2014). Chapter 10: Becoming an Effective Communicator. In J. Howell, Teaching and Learning: Building Effective Pedagogies (pp. 331–349). Oxford University Press.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Quiz 1 Must be completed before 11pm Sunday 28/04/2024
Module/Topic
What we say and how we say it
Chapter
Available via eReading List
Events and Submissions/Topic
Quiz 2 must be completed before 11pm Sunday 05/05/2024
Module/Topic
Trauma Informed Practice
Chapter
Available via eReading List
Department of Education. (2020). Good Teaching: Trauma Informed Practice.
Howard, J., L’Estrange, L., & Brown, M. (2022). National Guidelines for Trauma-Aware Education in Australia. Frontiers in Education
Events and Submissions/Topic
Quiz 3 must be completed before 11pm Sunday 12/05/2024
Module/Topic
Supporting wellbeing and safety
Chapter
Available via eReading List
Henderson and Milstein. (2003) Resiliency in Schools: Making it Happen for Students and Educations
Falecki. (2020) The Status of Teacher Wellbeing. Teacher Wellbeing Australia
Events and Submissions/Topic
Quiz 4 must be completed before 11pm Sunday 19/05/2024
Read overview of Assessment Task 3
Module/Topic
The impact of our skills on students
Chapter
Available via eReading List
Events and Submissions/Topic
Quiz 5 must be completed before 11pm Sunday 26/05/2024
Draft Critical Reflection Assessment Task 3
Module/Topic
Role models of learning
Chapter
Available via eReading List
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
1 Written Assessment
The task asks you to prepare a research paper. To do this, you must first research a chosen topic and then prepare and present a structured paper (essay) that:
- defines and explains the topic
- identifies how and why the issue impacts adolescents' physical, social and intellectual development
- discusses the implications for the education of secondary aged students and their teachers and how this may affect learning
- and makes recommendations for classroom practice and/or a whole school approach.
Step 1
Choose an issue or concern specific to students in the secondary phase of their education. Examples may include, but are not limited to:
- Mental Health
- Risk taking behaviours e.g. alcohol, drug, crime
- Equity and discrimination
- Rural isolation
- Access to technology
- Youth (sub)culture/s
- Body image, self-identity or sexuality
- Any other issue specific to adolescence that results in disengagement from learning or school.
You will notice that many of these topics overlap with course topics in the first four weeks of the term.
Step 2
Research the topic using the library online materials and the various resources from the weekly readings (also available in the eReading List). It is suggested that you read information from at least seven different sources prior to beginning the construction of your paper. From your readings, define the boundary of your paper. For example, you might choose the topic of youth subcultures. This topic is too broad for a 2000-word paper. So, to narrow the topic you might consider a specific topic within youth subcultures, e.g. the impact of being a 'gamer' on students' learning and their level of engagement in school. If unsure, please check your topic with your lecturer.
There will be more information on the research process provided throughout the Links to Assessment on the Moodle site.
Step 3
Write the research paper. This step includes considering a structure, writing a first draft, editing and referencing a second draft to produce a final piece for submission.
The following sections should guide the writing of your research paper:
- Provide an explanation of your defined chosen topic outlining how and why the issue impacts adolescents' physical, social and intellectual development.
- Discuss and justify how and why this topic impacts adolescents as stated in the research.
- Discuss the implications the topic has on the levels of engagement and learning outcomes for youth and their teachers' practice and how this may affect learning.
- Conclude by making recommendations for how teachers, whole schools and education systems could respond effectively to address the implications of the topic and assist young people to achieve at school, based on your research and what the content in this course suggests as best practices for secondary school teaching including strategies that are responsive to the needs of students.
- Support all of your work with links to current research in the area of adolescent development and how students learn and the implications for teaching. This research must include recent journal articles, textbooks and professional readings. You may include sources from the Moodle site and eReadings, but should also include some information from database searches.
Length & Academic Writing Conventions
2000 words +/-10%. The College of Education outlines that the word count is considered from the first word of the introduction to the last word of the conclusion. It excludes the cover page, abstract, contents page, reference list and appendices. It includes in-text references and direct quotations. The paper is to be written in third person and follow the recommended structure provided. The referencing style to use is APA 7th Ed.
Australian Professional Standards for Teachers
This research assessment allows you to demonstrate the following APSTs*:
Professional Standard 1.1 Physical, social and intellectual development and characteristics of students - Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of physical, social and intellectual development and characteristics of students and how these may affect learning.
Professional Standard 1.2 Understand how students learn - Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of research into how students learn and the implications for teaching.
Professional Standard 1.3 Students with diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds - Demonstrate knowledge of teaching strategies that are responsive to the learning strengths and needs of students from diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds.
Professional Standard 4.1 Support student participation - Identify strategies to support inclusive student participation and engagement in classroom activities.
Professional Standard 6.2 Engage in professional learning and improve practice - Understand the relevant and appropriate sources of professional learning for teachers.
*A full copy of the AITSL's Australian Professional Standards for Teachers is available in Moodle.
Vacation Week Wednesday (10 Apr 2024) 11:45 pm AEST
Upload through Moodle assessment link
Week 7 Friday (26 Apr 2024)
It is anticipated that students will receive feedback 2 weeks after submission following completion of moderation.
- Explore and define complex issues that impact adolescent development and school engagement (APST1.1)
- Select and analyse contemporary research on how youth develop and learn (APST1.2)
- Discuss the implications that complex issues in adolescence have on teaching practice (APST1.3)
- Evaluate the role teachers and schools have in maintaining safe, inclusive and engaging learning environments for youth (APST4.1)
- Recommend secondary school teacher practices and strategies that are responsive to the needs of students (APST6.2)
- Demonstrate professional levels of personal literacy and knowledge of academic writing conventions
- Discuss the physical, social and intellectual development of youth and how these may affect learning and engagement
- Challenge contemporary thinking about teaching youth through engaging in research into how students learn and the implications for teaching
- Explore teaching strategies that are responsive to the learning strengths and needs of students from diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds
- Identify strategies to support inclusive student participation and engagement in classroom activities
- Engage in professional learning and improve practice through understanding the relevant and appropriate sources of professional learning for teachers including consideration of personal dilemmas and need for resilience as teachers teaching 21st Century youth.
2 Online Quiz(zes)
This task requires you to demonstrate an appropriate level of understanding, comprehension and application of the subject matter in Weeks 6-11. You will complete five online quizzes, one per week for each from 7 to 11. Cumulative score out of 25.
ESSENTIAL PREPARATION
You must complete the readings and activities for each week as the questions are based on the information contained in the readings.
FURTHER INFORMATION
You must complete the weekly quiz in the weeks in which they are allocated:
- Quiz 1 must be completed in week 7
- Quiz 2 in week 8
- Quiz 3 in week 9
- Quiz 4 in week 10
- Quiz 5 in week 11
Each weekly quiz will be open for all of that week only (i.e Week 8 quiz will be open from Monday of Week 7 through to the following Sunday - so you have 7 days to complete the quiz). If you have extenuating circumstances that align with the extension policy, you may request an alternative time to complete your quiz. To do so, you must submit an extension request through the Support link and provide documentation to support your request.
- You have 1 attempt only at each quiz.
- There are 10 questions per quiz, each question worth 0.5 of a mark.
- Each quiz is timed - you have 30 minutes to complete each quiz.
- Once you complete each of the quizzes you will know your score, but you will not know what answers were correct or incorrect. This information will be released to you at the end of the week once the quiz has been closed for that week. You will not be able to go back in and attempt the quiz again.
- Your responses for each quiz will be recorded for assessment purposes. To be eligible for a supplementary assessment you must have attempted at least one quiz.
The Quiz links are located within the Assessment Block
Australian Professional Standards for Teachers
The quizzes allow you to demonstrate knowledge that support the following APSTs*:
Professional Standard 1.2 Understand how students learn - Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of research into how students learn and the implications for teaching.
Professional Standard 4.4 Maintain student safety - Describe strategies that support students’ wellbeing and safety working within school and/or system, curriculum and legislative requirements.
*A full copy of the AITSL's Australian Professional Standards for Teachers is available in Moodle.
5
Weekly
Five weekly quiz will be open for all of that week only for Weeks 7 -11
Answers to quizzes will be released at the end of the week once the quiz has been closed for that week.
- Knowledge and understanding of research into how students learn (APTS1.2)
- Knowledge and understanding of traditional and contemporary thinking about teaching youth and the implications for teaching (APTS1.2)
- Knowledge and understanding of strategies that secondary school teachers can use to support students' wellbeing and safety (APTS4.4)
- Discuss the physical, social and intellectual development of youth and how these may affect learning and engagement
- Challenge contemporary thinking about teaching youth through engaging in research into how students learn and the implications for teaching
- Explore teaching strategies that are responsive to the learning strengths and needs of students from diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds
- Identify strategies to support inclusive student participation and engagement in classroom activities
- Engage in professional learning and improve practice through understanding the relevant and appropriate sources of professional learning for teachers including consideration of personal dilemmas and need for resilience as teachers teaching 21st Century youth.
3 Critical Review
This task requires you to demonstrate an appropriate level of awareness of your competencies through a critical reflection of your skills. Your reflection will outline your strengths and professional challenges relating to your personal communication skills, awareness of strategies and approaches for supporting the wellbeing and safety of students and understanding of teaching practice that is trauma informed. In addition, you will then show that you have an understanding of your impact on students and include a plan for how you aim to improve your competency prior to your graduation.
Sources - using the feedback given to you from the first task, your experiences in the weekly activities, the Quizzes and your reflection on your personal circumstances, you are to write a 1300-word (approx.) critical reflection outlining your strengths and professional challenges relating to your levels of personal competency.
This critical reflection must:
- outline what you believe are your strengths and professional challenges in relation communication, strategies to support student's wellbeing and safety and trauma informed practice with supporting examples drawn from the sources listed above (approx. 400 words)
- outline what you believe are the consequences of your current personal skill level for both yourself and your future students (approx. 300 words - include academic references)
- outline how you intend to improve your competency in these areas in order for you to be prepared to competently teach secondary students (approx. 300 words - include specific learning activities or sources)
- In a concluding statement (approx. 300 words), reflect on the evidence provided in demonstrating the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers listed below and identify what you believe to be your greatest professional learning needs as you progress further into your teacher education course and prepare for your first placement next term.
Australian Professional Standards for Teachers
This reflective piece allows you to demonstrate the following APSTs*:
Professional Standard 4.1 Support student participation - Identify strategies to support inclusive student participation and engagement in classroom activities.
Professional Standard 4.4 Maintain student safety - Describe strategies that support students’ wellbeing and safety working within school and/or system, curriculum and legislative requirements.
Professional Standard 6.2 Engage in professional learning and improve practice - Understanding the relevant and appropriate sources of professional learning for teachers.
Professional Standard 6.4 Apply professional learning and improve student learning - Demonstrate an understanding of the rationale for continued professional learning and the implications for improved student learning.
*A full copy of the AITSL's Australian Professional Standards for Teachers is available in Moodle.
Week 12 Wednesday (29 May 2024) 11:45 pm AEST
Upload through Moodle assessment link
Feedback on the final assessment task will be provided following completion of moderation.
- Critical reflection on current personal communication skills and identify professional teaching communication skills that support youth in secondary school environments (APST4.1)
- Describe strategies that support student wellbeing and trauma informed practice (APST4.4)
- Select relevant and appropriate professional literature to support and improve future teaching practice (APST6.2)
- Explore professional learning for teachers and whole school approaches to support resilience and engage youth in secondary school environments (APST6.4)
- Demonstrate professional levels of personal literacy and knowledge of academic writing conventions
- Discuss the physical, social and intellectual development of youth and how these may affect learning and engagement
- Challenge contemporary thinking about teaching youth through engaging in research into how students learn and the implications for teaching
- Explore teaching strategies that are responsive to the learning strengths and needs of students from diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds
- Identify strategies to support inclusive student participation and engagement in classroom activities
- Engage in professional learning and improve practice through understanding the relevant and appropriate sources of professional learning for teachers including consideration of personal dilemmas and need for resilience as teachers teaching 21st Century youth.
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.
What can you do to act with integrity?
