Registry
Module Specifications
Archived Version 2019 - 2020
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Description This module seeks to deepen students' understanding of themselves as teachers and learners, and the ways in which their individual and social biographies shape and inform their practice as educators. It seeks to encourage students to reflect critically upon the social, political and human dimensions of education, and to locate it within a wider social, political, economic, legislative and cultural context. The module provides students with opportunities to investigate significant aspects of classrooms and teaching from various theoretical and practical perspectives. Students will become familiar with a range of pedagogical and management strategies and approaches and they will be facilitated in exploring ways of applying these creatively, taking account of the requirements of children's learning in different knowledge domains and in different contexts. An additional focus is on the concepts of ’good’/’effective’ schools, the criteria used to describe such schools and how such criteria are deployed in contexts where there is increasing emphasis on external accountability. Students will explore the notion of schools as communities of learning and examine the link between these communities and the wider community with particular focus on the legislative and policy framework. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Learning Outcomes 1. Demonstrate a comprehensive knowledge of and understanding of the relationship between effective classroom management and effective teaching and demonstrate mastery of a range of skills and strategies for dealing with behavioural issues in schools that are congruent with current research findings and best practice. 2. Critically assess the theoretical underpinnings and philosophical considerations of effective teaching methodologies at primary school level and apply this knowledge in the primary classroom in ways that are consonant with these and relate with children as active learners, enquirers and problem solvers. 3. Critically reflect on their evolving identity as educational practitioners in a community of practice through creative selfexpression, engagement and participation. 4. Illustrate their ongoing progression as reflective practitioners in teaching and learning through the process of developing a professional learning portfolio. 5. Define clearly their understanding of effectiveness as it relates to the school community and identify the factors which contribute to school effectiveness articulating how each impacts on the school community. 6. Critically reflect on how the school community has evolved during the last ten years and how it has been influenced and shaped by the wider educational, policy and legislative context. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 |
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Indicative Content and
Learning Activities Working in Schools and Classrooms Strand(1) Engagement in critical reflection and enquiry on some of the big issues, questions and themes related to teaching and learning in the primary classroom; (2) Development and practice of the skills of the reflective practitioner through recall, understanding, application, analysis, evaluation and critical reflection in relation to personal and school based experiences; (3) Exploration through reflection on the themes of self-identity, influences of prior experiences and the role of education in society; 4) Exploration of the skills of the reflective practitioner through analysis and evaluation of personal experiences; (5) Critical engagement with research on effective classrooms and effective schools; (6) Current perspectives on classroom management and discipline and skills and strategies for dealing effectively with behavioural issues in schools in line with best practice and current research; (7) Exploration of the theoretical underpinnings of instructional approaches and methods in the context of the Primary School Curriculum; (8) Development of skills and competencies for active teaching and the facilitation of children’s learning in whole class and small-group learning settings; (9) Creating inclusive and enriching learning environments in primary classrooms with appropriate differentiation and recognition of children’s needs; (10) Grouping for cooperative and collaborative small-group work across the curriculum; (11) Effective teaching in multigrade and consecutive grade classrooms; (12) Critical engagement with research on school improvement; (13) Exploration of school governance and leadership with a particular focus on the Irish policy and legislative context for same; (14) Examination of school organisational culture and teacher cultures and the impact that they have in shaping the teaching learning community within the school; (15) Critical engagement with notions of internal and external accountability and how they have been informed by the wider research, economic, and political agendas e.g. school self evaluation, whole school evaluation, whole school evaluation management, leadership and learning, school improvement plans; (16) Engagement in issues of planning for improvement – e.g. school plan, school improvement plans; (17) Critical engagement with international influences on state educational policy e.g. PISA, European convention on Human Rights, Convention on the Rights of the Child.Through reflection tutorials(1) Critical reflection and enquiry on some of the big issues, questions and themes related to teaching and learning in the primary classroom, drawing on student engagement across the programme; (2) Development and practice of the skills of the reflective practitioner through recall, understanding, application, analysis, evaluation and critical reflection in relation to personal and school based experiences and engagement with course work; (3) Exploration through reflection on the themes of self-identity, influences of prior experiences and the role of education in society; (4) Exploration of the skills of the reflective practitioner through analysis and evaluation of personal experience including experiences as student teachers; (5) Scaffolding of professional portfolio, drawing on reflective writing, coursework and artefacts generated in school placement. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Other Resources None | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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