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Latest Module Specifications

Current Academic Year 2025 - 2026

Module Title Curriculum, Pedagogy & Assessment in SPHE/RSE
Module Code EDU1115 (ITS: HD532)
Faculty Policy & Professional Practice School DCU Institute of Education
NFQ level 9 Credit Rating 10
Description

This module will provide opportunities for participants to explore what it means to create and maintain a safe, inclusive and empowering SPHE-RSE learning environment; one that is relevant and responsive to the needs of young people. Critical, creative, transformative and co-productive approaches to teaching, learning and assessment in SPHE/RSE at post-primary level will be actively modelled. Participants will be supported to enhance their own teaching and learning skills in their engagement with active and participatory pedagogical approaches through peer micro-teaching opportunities. These important peer micro-teaching opportunities will support participants as they develop their competence in research driven approaches to teaching, learning and assessment in SPHE/RSE. Through their active engagement in this module participants will be enabled to respond to the unique strengths, needs and interests of post-primary students. The module is also designed to enhance participant’s capacities as critical and creative consumers of evidence-based approaches to teaching, learning and assessment in SPHE/RSE. This module aims to facilitate participants’ critical understanding of how their practice meets educational policy and curricular framework requirements, (current and evolving) for Junior and Senior Cycle, and in turn, explore alignment with relevant international guidance and standards.

Learning Outcomes

1. Demonstrate their knowledge of current and evolving curriculum and evidence-based approaches to teaching, learning and assessment of SPHE/RSE at post-primary level.
2. Enhance their confidence and capacity to plan for and facilitate student-centred learning experiences using participative and experiential learning strategies.
3. Enhance their capacity of becoming a reflective practitioner and the concept of life-long learning.
4. Identify the interconnectivity between policy, theory, curriculum and praxis.
5. Develop an understanding of the theories that underpin curriculum development and how they can be employed in the co-construction of SPHE-RSE curriculum with young people.
6. Develop skills as flexible, critical and creative curriculum makers, responsive to curricular changes and evolutions.


WorkloadFull time hours per semester
TypeHoursDescription
Workshop324 days of workshops total spread across the full calendar year. Made up of ½ and full days immersive sessions.
Online activity102 hour x 5 weeks via zoom (asynchronous & synchronous)
Workplace application8Micro-teaching in pairs
Directed learning100Reflective journaling and preparation for micro-teaching.
Independent Study100Independent reading and planning, preparation and writing of CAs
Total Workload: 250
Section Breakdown
CRN10559Part of TermSemester 1
Coursework0%Examination Weight0%
Grade Scale40PASSPass Both ElementsY
Resit CategoryRC1Best MarkN
Module Co-ordinatorLeanne CollModule TeacherCatherine Maunsell
Assessment Breakdown
TypeDescription% of totalAssessment Date
Practical/skills evaluationMicro-teaching - Paired: Students will plan, deliver and reflect on a micro-teaching lesson delivered to peers focused on a content area in SPHE/RSE selected from a suite of options provided to them. Students will also engage in peer feedback.60%n/a
Group assignmentCurriculum Makers Project - Grouped: Participants working in small groups will co-design and implement (where feasible) a “good idea” SPHE/RSE curriculum makers project in which they demonstrate how they are creatively responding to the learning needs of their contexts (e.g. policy development, units of work, whole-school initiatives, participatory inquiry/co-construction projects with young people etc) and are responsive to national and international SPHE/RSE curricula/policy frameworks/evidence based practice strategies. Participants will engage in a sharing day where they will present their ‘good ideas’, findings of their progress with initiatives and critically reflect on their learnin40%n/a
Reassessment Requirement Type
Resit arrangements are explained by the following categories;
RC1: A resit is available for both* components of the module.
RC2: No resit is available for a 100% coursework module.
RC3: No resit is available for the coursework component where there is a coursework and summative examination element.

* ‘Both’ is used in the context of the module having a coursework/summative examination split; where the module is 100% coursework, there will also be a resit of the assessment

Pre-requisite None
Co-requisite None
Compatibles None
Incompatibles None

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

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Indicative Reading List

Books:
  • McCuaig, L., Enright, E., Rossi, T., & MacDonald, D.: 2021, Teachers as Health Workers: A Critical Understanding of the Health-education Interface., Routledge,
  • Lupton, D., & Leahy, D. (Eds.).: 2021, Creative Approaches to Health Education: New Ways of Thinking, Making, Doing, Teaching and Learning., Routledge,
  • Hoyle, A. and McGeeney, E.: 2019, Great Relationships and Sex Education., Taylor and Francis.,
  • Quinlivan, K.: 2018, Exploring contemporary issues in sexuality education with young people: Theories in practice., Springer,


Articles:
  • 0: Allen, L. (2022). Smellwalks as sensuous pedagogy in sexuality education. Sex Education, 1-8., 66058, 2
  • Bragg, S., Ponsford, R., Meiksin, R., Emmerson, L., & Bonell, C. (2021). Dilemmas of school-based relationships and sexuality education for and about consent. Sex Education, 21(3), 269-283.: 66059, 2,
  • 66060: 2, 0, Fitzpatrick, K., & Allen, J. M. (2019). What does critical health education in schools look like? Two ethnographic narratives of critical practice. Health Education Journal, 78(6), 647-661.,
  • 2: 0, Gilbert, J. (2018). Contesting consent in sex education. Sex Education, 18(3), 268-279.,
  • 0: Gilbert, J., & Lamb, S. (2018). Interdisciplinary Approaches to Sexual Development in Childhood and Adolescence. The Cambridge Handbook of Sexual Development: Childhood and Adolescence, 1-13., 66063, 2
  • Gilbert, J., Fields, J., Mamo, L., & Lesko, N. (2018). Intimate possibilities: The beyond bullying project and stories of LGBTQ sexuality and gender in US schools. Harvard Educational Review, 88(2), 163-183.: 66064, 2,
  • 66065: 2, 0, Quennerstedt, M., Burrows, L., & Maivorsdotter, N. (2010). From teaching young people to be healthy to learning health. Utbildning & Demokrati–tidskrift för didaktik och utbildningspolitk, 19(2), 97-112.,
  • 2: 0, Gowen, L. K. & Winges-Yanez, N. (2014) Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Questioning Youths' Perspectives of Inclusive School-Based Sexuality Education, The Journal of Sex Research, 51:7, 788-800,,
  • 0: Fields, J., & Garcia, L. (2018). Loving possibilities in studies of sexuality education and youth. The Cambridge handbook of sexual development: Childhood and adolescence, 300-314., 66068, 2
  • Fields, J., Gilbert, J., & Miller, M. (2015). Sexuality and education: Toward the promise of ambiguity. In Handbook of the sociology of sexualities (pp. 371-387). Springer, Cham.: 66069, 2,
  • 66070: 2, 0, Koepsel (2016) The Power in Pleasure: Practical Implementation of Pleasure in Sex Education Classrooms, American Journal of Sexuality Education, 11:3, 205-265.,
  • 2: 0, Allen, L & Carmody, M (2012) ‘Pleasure has no passport’: re-visiting the potential of pleasure in sexuality education, Sex Education, 12:4, 455-468,
  • 0: Keddie, A. (2021). Student activism, sexual consent and gender justice: enduring difficulties and tensions for schools. The Australian Educational Researcher, 1-16., 66073, 2
  • Renold, E. (2019). Becoming AGENDA: The making and mattering of a youth activist resource on gender and sexual violence. Reconceptualizing educational research methodology, 10(2-3), 208-241.:
Other Resources

  • Website: NCCA Online SPHE/RSE Junior and Senior Cycle Toolkits/Portal: www.curriculumonline.ie/Junior-cycle/SPHE-Toolkit/; www.curriculumonline.ie/Senior-cycle/SPHE-(1)/SPHE-Toolkit/,
  • Website: PDST Online Resource Portal: www.pdst.ie/post-primary/health-wellbeing/sphe#Policy%20Development%20and%20Review,
  • Website: Renold, E. (2019). AGENDA: Supporting Children and Young People in Making Positive Relationships Matter. Cardiff: Cardiff University www.agendaonline.co.uk,
  • NCCA: NCCA (2018) Report on the Review of Relationships and Sexuality Education in primary and post-primary school,
  • NCCA: NCCA (2016) Short Course SPHE Specification for Junior Cycle - Under Review,
  • DoE: Department of Education (1997) Relationships and Sexuality Education Policy Guidelines - Under Review,
  • DoE: Department of Education and Skills (2019) Wellbeing Policy Statement and Framework for Schools (2018-2024).,
Additional Teachers Catherine Maunsell Darina Scully

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