Overview

This unit focuses on an equality approach to education and explores its implications for teaching and learning. Perspectives on stereotypes and bias will be explored, helping to foster mutual respect in learning environments. Pre-service teachers will gain an understanding of the variety of needs and backgrounds children and young people can present in the learning environment. They will become familiar with many additional needs and cultural variations children can present with and how to address them effectively in order to support inclusive practices. They will also recognise how to create equitable learning environments that benefit teaching and learning for children and young people.

Requisites

Teaching periods
Location
Start and end dates
Last self-enrolment date
Census date
Last withdraw without fail date
Results released date

Learning outcomes

Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:

  • Critically examine bias and stereotypes within themselves and others, through a social justice lens
  • Identify and utilise strategies of contemporary critical theories to plan for diverse learners with diverse learning needs and evaluate teaching approaches with respect to their ability to support diverse and equitable learning environments
  • Evaluate policies and practices in relation to diversity, equity and inclusion as they related to pedagogical approaches and anti-bias curriculum practices and other forms of equity in learning environments
  • Plan for supporting the social, emotional, physical and spiritual needs of diverse learners in keeping with principles of teaching and learning (PoLT)

Teaching methods

Hawthorn

Type Hours per week Number of weeks Total (number of hours)
Live Online
Lecture
1.00 12 weeks 12
On-campus
Class
2.00 12 weeks 24
Specified Activities
Various
4.00 12 weeks 48
Unspecified Activities
Various
5.50 12 weeks 66
TOTAL150

Swinburne Online

Type Hours per week Number of weeks Total (number of hours)
Online
Directed Online Learning and Independent Learning
12.50 12 weeks 150
TOTAL150

Assessment

Type Task Weighting ULO's
Case StudiesIndividual 60% 2,3,4 
PresentationIndividual 40% 1,4 

Content

  • UN Rights of the Child
  • Relevant national and/or state and territory policies on social justice for children
  • Relevant national and/or state and territory Department of Education policies on mandatory reporting
  • Gender equality in learning environments
  • Pedagogical approaches that support equity and diversity
  • Principles of Learning and Teaching (PoLT)
  • Defining bias and stereotypes

Study resources

Reading materials

A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.