Module: SESE, Primary History & Geography, Science Education 1 & SPHE & Wellbeing

Module Specifications.

Current Academic Year 2024 - 2025

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Date posted: September 2024

Module Title	SESE, Primary History & Geography, Science Education 1 & SPHE & Wellbeing
Module Code	ED1026 (ITS) / EDP1075 (Banner)
Faculty	DCU Institute of Education	School	STEM Ed, Innov, Global Studies
Module Co-ordinator	Maria Barry
Module Teachers	Orla Kelly
NFQ level	6	Credit Rating	5
Pre-requisite	Not Available
Co-requisite	Not Available
Compatibles	Not Available
Incompatibles	Not Available

Coursework Only
Assignment: SESE: Written assignment for Geography, History, Science Education and SPHE & Well-being

Description

This module provides students with opportunities to develop their professional identity and agency through critically reflecting on and developing their pre-existing conceptual and pedagogical knowledge of science, history, geography and SPHE & Well-being. The module emphasises social constructivist approaches to teaching, learning and assessment in science, history, geography and SPHE & Well-being education and provides students with opportunities to experience and critically examine inclusive and creative learning activities, resources and teaching approaches. Throughout the module, emphasis will be placed on the use of a range of resources and reflective practice, including the outdoors and digital technologies. Students will also explore the links between research, planning, enactment of pedagogies and learning outcomes. Subject integration via cross curricular links to areas such as numeracy and literacy will be identified and promoted as appropriate.

Learning Outcomes

1. Critically reflect on and develop their professional identity and agency as teachers of history, geography, science and SPHE & Well-being
2. Interrogate pre-existing conceptual and pedagogical knowledge of science, history, geography and SPHE & Well-being
3. Engage with and reflect on signature pedagogies for teaching, learning and assessment in science, history, geography and SPHE & Well-being education
4. Draw on and discuss relevant literature from key studies in SESE and SPHE & Well-being to develop student’s knowledge, literacy and attitudes.
5. Plan and develop science, geography, history and SPHE & Well-being learning activities to develop all children’s thinking and progression of understanding, knowledge, skills and attitudes.
6. Source appropriate and creative resources for the teaching of science, history, geography and SPHE & Well-being.

*Type*	*Hours*	*Description*
Workload	Full-time hours per semester
Seminars	24	12 weeks x 2 hrs per week for science
Seminars	12	6 weeks x 2 hrs per week for history
Seminars	12	6 weeks x 2 hrs per week for geography
Seminars	12	6 weeks x 2 hrs per week for SPHE
Independent Study	32	Research, reading and independent work
Assignment Completion	33	Completion of assignments
Total Workload: 125

All module information is indicative and subject to change. For further information,students are advised to refer to the University's Marks and Standards and Programme Specific Regulations at: http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/index.shtml

Indicative Content and Learning Activities

SPHE
SPHE & Wellbeing lectures and seminars cover the following elements: Inclusion and self-esteem; developing children’s skills (e.g. dealing with feelings, decision-making; self-confidence; self-awareness); relationships (family life and friendships); relating to others (e.g. communicating; resolving conflict); developing ground rules and class contracts; child protection, bullying and personal safety (fire, road, water and online); relationships and sexuality education; LGBTI+ issues in the primary school; media education; health and well-being (e.g. taking care of my body; food and nutrition); substance misuse and education; teaching methods in SPHE; integration, planning and assessment; resource exploration and evaluation.

SESE
The SESE element involves a range of seminars focused on the Social, Environmental and Scientific Education curriculum which is comprised of History, Geography and Science. Students will consider the importance of developing children’s conceptual understanding in these subject areas and are invited to reflect on their own experiences of learning in SESE with a view to developing their expertise in teaching and learning. Geography, History and Science. In the sessions innovative, inclusive and creative classroom pedagogies in Geography, History and Science Education are modelled and reflected on. Students will be provided with opportunities to engage in problem and inquiry-based learning as a vehicle to explore and investigate scientific, historical and geographical ideas. Examples of these from classrooms in DEIS settings are shared. Within their assignments they will also reflect on research on SESE in schools.

History Education
Throughout the course, students will challenge their own assumptions about the teaching of history and develop an understanding of the nature of history. They will be introduced to historical enquiry as a key pedagogical approach to teaching history through workshops focused on active learning strategies. The course content draws on a range of inclusive resources such as visual, documentary, oral and physical evidence and how these can be used to develop and execute enquiry-based learning approaches. Creative, enquiry-led planning and assessment strategies will be exemplified in each of the seminars with the students to allow them engage successfully with the teaching of history on school placement and in junior primary classroom. Key themes in history education, such as disciplinary literacy and anti-racist history education will be explored in activity-based workshops. Students will also be introduced to a History Enquiry Framework (HEF) to enable them to embed issues relating to global citizenship, social justice and sustainability into their history planning and teaching. Over the course students will also engage with activities to develop historical thinking concepts such as: multiple perspectives, time and chronology change and continuity, historical empathy and cause and effect. Through engagement in the seminars, readings, tasks, and reflections, students will develop their confidence and competence in teaching history and developing children’s historical learning. The use of ICT and digital resources suitable for the teaching of history will complement the content of the course.

Science Education
Science Education: Throughout the course, students will explore their conceptions and experiences of science and science teaching and examine the rationale for teaching science in primary school. Their pedagogical knowledge of science, including an introduction to social constructivist approaches to teaching science, will be developed in the context of the Aistear (NCCA 2009) and the Primary Science Curriculum (DES, 1999). This will be achieved by considering key themes such as children’s learning in science and the importance of children's conceptions of science and their alternative scientific conceptions as starting points for learning. Students will be introduced to scientific inquiry as a key pedagogical approach to teaching science through workshops focused on active learning strategies including the role of the teacher in developing children’s scientific inquiry skills. In addition, particular creative methodological approaches such as using narrative in the science class, playful approaches to science and learning science outdoors will be explored with a particular focus on supporting learners across the Junior Infants to third class primary phases. Students will also begin to plan science inquiries for infants – third class, drawing from the range of methodologies and readings experienced throughout this module.

Geography Education
The geography component of the module is designed to enable students to reflect upon and challenge their own interpretations and experiences of primary school geography and to examine and reconstruct this in light of the primary curriculum and recent research on best-practice approaches to teaching and learning in geography education. Here, students are afforded opportunities to reflect upon and negotiate their own professional identities in light of their own experiences in the geography seminars and the associated course materials. Throughout the geography component of the module, students will develop their pedagogical content knowledge pertaining to teaching and learning in geography education in the context of the Primary Geography Curriculum (NCCA, 1999). Each seminar places a strong emphasis on, and demonstrates, geographical enquiry in relation to various themes and aspects of the Primary Geography Curriculum. Connections are made to foundational studies, linking key educational theorists such as Vygotsky, Dewey and Piaget with students engaging in hands-on, constructivist, enquiry-based activities throughout the seminars. Examples of classroom practice in which children carry out child-led, geographical investigations are shared with the students. Students are exposed to a range of resources to facilitate inclusive geographical education at primary level such as the use of photographs, videos, digital and paper maps (map making and map reading), books, websites, written accounts and atlases. Creative pedagogical approaches such as using storybooks and outdoor learning are also explored with cross curricular links to subject areas such as literacy, numeracy being made where appropriate. Many aspects of global citizenship education are embedded within and permeate the course such as critical multicultural geographical education in which students critique approaches and resources for teaching and learning about distant places.

Assessment Breakdown
Continuous Assessment	100%	Examination Weight	0%

Type	Description	% of total	Assessment Date
Course Work Breakdown
Assignment	Written assignment (History)	20%	As required
Assignment	Written assignment (Science)	40%	As required
Assignment	Written assignment (Geography)	20%	As required
Assignment	Written assignment (SPHE & Well-being)	20%	As required

Reassessment Requirement Type
Resit arrangements are explained by the following categories: Resit category 1: A resit is available for both* components of the module. Resit category 2: No resit is available for a 100% continuous assessment module. Resit category 3: No resit is available for the continuous assessment component where there is a continuous assessment and examination element.
* ‘Both’ is used in the context of the module having a Continuous Assessment/Examination split; where the module is 100% continuous assessment, there will also be a resit of the assessment
This module is category 1

Indicative Reading List

Barton & Levstik: 2015, Doing History, 5th,
0: Cooper, H. 2013, Teaching history creatively: Learning to teach in the primary school series, Routledge London, 260365
2008: The teaching of science in primary schools, 7th, David Fulton, 0
0: Wellbeing Policy Statement and Framework for Schools, Department of Education and Skills Dublin Department of Education and Skills 2017, Child Protection Procedures for Schools, Department of Education and Skills D, 0
0: Pickford, T., Garner, W., and Jackson, E. 2013, Primary Humanities: Learning through Enquiry, Sage London, 0
0: Learning Primary Geography: Ideas and Inspirations from Classrooms, 1st edition Ed., Routledge Abingdon, 0
0: Teaching Thinking (3rd Ed.) Philosophical Enquiry in the Classroom, 3rd Ed., Bloomsbury London, 0
0: Understanding and teaching primary geography, SAGE London, 0
0: Primary School Curriculum: History - Teacher's Guidelines, The Stationery Office Dublin, 0
0: Primary School Curriculum: History, The Stationery Office Dublin, 0
0: SPHE Guidelines, DES Dublin, 0
0: NCCA 1999, SPHE Curriculum, DES Dublin, 0
0: Science Guidelines, DES Dublin, 0
0: Science Curriculum, DES Dublin, 0
0: Geography Guidelines, DES Dublin, 0
0: Geography Curriculum, DES Dublin,

Other Resources

0, Website, 0, How Students Learn History in the Classroom, https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/11100/how-students-learn-history-in-the-classroom,