013173 Legal Studies Teaching Methods 2
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Subject handbook information prior to 2025 is available in the Archives.
Credit points: 6 cp
Result type: Grade, no marks
Requisite(s): 013235 Human Society and its Environment Teaching Methods 1
There are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.
Description
Teacher-education students are supported to explore and critique the skills and understandings required to be an effective secondary Legal Studies teacher and creates an engaging program for learning. The subject informs supervised teaching placements in the professional experience subjects. An emphasis is placed on professional commitment, current developments in social science teaching and learning, and reflection on teaching practice. Topics include teaching to differentiated classes; selecting digital resources and tools to enhance student learning; organising and evaluating methods and materials for learning; discipline-specific assessment and reporting; theoretical teaching frameworks. Teacher-education students acquire in-depth knowledge within selected areas of education relevant to the NSW Legal Studies syllabus.
Subject learning objectives (SLOs)
| a. | Apply knowledge of teaching strategies that are responsive, through differentiation, to the learning strengths and needs of students learning in Legal Studies (GTS 1.3.1, 1.5.1) |
|---|---|
| b. | Organise knowledge and understanding of the concepts, substance and structure of the content and teaching strategies of the teaching area (GTS 2.1.1) |
| c. | Explain HSIE syllabi ideas accurately, including the impact of culture, cultural identity and linguistic background on the education of Indigenous Australian (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) to understanding social sciences and curriculum (GTS 1.4.1) |
| d. | Plan lesson sequences using knowledge of student learning, content and effective teaching strategies. (GTS 3.2.1) |
| e. | Integrate critical understanding of the purpose of providing timely and appropriate feedback to students about their learning.(GTS 5.2.1) |
| f. | Compose scholarly written and oral responses, based on sound academic conventions, including accurate referencing. |
Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)
This subject engages with the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs), which are tailored to the Graduate Attributes set for all graduates of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.
- Know secondary school students and how they learn, with an advanced ability to critically evaluate the physical, social and emotional dimensions of learners (1.1)
- Know the content and how to teach it, demonstrating an advanced knowledge of a teaching program in one or more disciplines to critically evaluate its delivery (1.2)
- Plan for and implement effective teaching and learning with an advanced knowledge of educational practice, pedagogy, policy, curriculum and systems (1.3)
- Plan and carry out extended analysis, and undertake independent research, of issues related to content-specialisations and teaching theories and practices (2.1)
- Communicate effectively using diverse modes and technologies in academic, professional and community contexts (6.1)
Contribution to the development of graduate attributes
There are three APST graduate descriptors addressed in this subject and demonstrated in relation to taught, practised and assessed.
1.5.1 Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of strategies for differentiating teaching to meet the specific learning needs of students across the full range of abilities.
Standard 1.5.1 is taught and practised in Weeks 1 and 2, and assessed in Assessment task 1, criterion 3.
2.1.1 Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the concepts, substance and structure of the content and teaching strategies of the teaching area.
Standard 2.1.1 is taught and practised in Weeks 3 and 4, and assessed in Assessment task 3, criterion 1.
5.2.1 Demonstrate an understanding of the purpose of providing timely and appropriate feedback to students about their learning.
Standard 5.2.1 is taught and practised in Weeks 5, 6 and 7, and assessed in Assessment task 2, criterion 3.
Teaching and learning strategies
The teaching and learning strategies employed in this subject include lecture input, structured discussions, collaborative small group work and workshops, hands-on tasks and practice classroom teaching, individual research and engagement with online simulated classroom teaching and learning pedagogies and practices. Weekly workshops scaffold the learning through a series of activities within a learning sequence to build deep knowledge of the Legal Studies curriculum and teaching and learning pedagogy relevant to each stage and content strand. Teacher-education students critically examine and apply current thinking and practices in social science education. Teacher- education students trial, select and design a variety of teaching strategies and a range of resources, including those involving the use of ICTs, that engage students in their learning. During the learning continuum, teacher-education students demonstrate acquired knowledge through presentations, multi-modal representations, questioning, reflection and assessments. This subject also describes a range of teaching strategies and resources that engage school-students in meaningful, contemporary, insightful social sciences learning.
Formative feedback
Students receive ongoing formative feedback throughout the semester.
Content (topics)
In this subject, students focus on:
- Roles and responsibilities of Stage 6 teachers of Legal Studies;
- Quality Teaching Framework and the AITSL Graduate Standards for Teachers;
- NSW Stage 6 Legal Studies Syllabus: aims, objectives, stage statements, outcomes, content, requirements, assessment emphases, courses;
- Identifying, selecting and using a range of resources in the secondary classroom;
- Focus on the learners; strategies for differentiating teaching and meeting diverse learner needs; and assessment principles and strategies;
- Developing effective questions for the Legal Studies classroom;
- Critical literacy and numeracy in the Legal Studies classroom;
- Teaching oral skills in the secondary classroom: key elements and considerations.
- Key programming documents: scope and sequence, lesson plans, key aspects of a unit of work;
- Investigating strategies that can be used to evaluate teaching programs to improve student learning;
- Investigating the purpose of providing timely and appropriate feedback to students about their learning;
- Exploring ways to organise content into an effective learning and teaching sequence.
Assessment
Assessment task 1: Planning for differentiation in the Legal Studies class
| Objective(s): | a, b, d and f | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight: | 20% | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Length: | 750 words + detailed orignal lesson plan (this means a fully resourced and original lesson plan that another teacher could use and teach from without needing to add anything of their own. Original lesson plan and its resources are not included in the word count). | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Criteria linkages: |
SLOs: subject learning objectives CILOs: course intended learning outcomes |
Assessment task 2: Preparing marking guides and feedback
| Objective(s): | a, b, e and f | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight: | 40% | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Length: | 1,000 words (excludes complete answers) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Criteria linkages: |
SLOs: subject learning objectives CILOs: course intended learning outcomes |
Assessment task 3: Designing a learning sequence
| Objective(s): | a, b and f | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight: | 40% | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Length: | 1,200 words (original lesson plans and complete supplementary resources in the appendices and are not counted in the word count). | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Criteria linkages: |
SLOs: subject learning objectives CILOs: course intended learning outcomes |
Minimum requirements
Students MUST attend a minimum of 8 out 9 sessions.
Students must pass all three assessment tasks to pass this subject. The three tasks collectively assess the Subject Learning Objectives and Graduate Attributes (both APST graduate descriptors and CILOs) covered in this subject. External accrediting bodies (NESA and AITSL) require all tasks to be satisfactorily completed in order to demonstrate achievement against NSW Graduate Teacher Standards. Students who do not pass all assessment tasks will be awarded an X Fail grade.
Required texts
NSW Educational Standards Authority Stage 6 Legal Studies syllabuses
References
Black, P., & Wiliam, D. (1998). Inside the black box. Raising standards through classroom assessment. London, UK: London University Press.
Dadvand, B. (2020). Civics and citizenship education in Australia: The importance of a social justice agenda. In A. Peterson, G. Stahl & H. Soong (Eds.). (2020). The Palgrave handbook of citizenship and education. New York: Springer International Publishing. p. 435-447
Dhall, M. (2019) The Business of Teaching. Sydney, Australia: M2K Education and Advisory. Excerpts as required will be given out.
Gardner, J. (Ed.) (2006). Assessment and learning, Oaks, California, USA: Sage Publications.
Newman, FM (Ed.) (1996). Authentic pedagogy. Wisconsin, USA: University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Prumm, K and Patruno, R (2016). Elements of Learning and Achievement, DET NSW.
Vlaardingerbroek, B., Traikovski, L., & Hussain, I. (2015). Towards ‘law education for all’: Teaching school students about the law in Australia and Pakistan. Journal of International Social Studies, 4(2), 109-117.