Bachelor of Education and Master of Teaching inherent requirements

The Australian Government has introduced the Literacy and Numeracy Test for all initial teacher education (ITE) students to ensure they have the high level of personal literacy and numeracy skills required of teachers.

The test is a national instrument designed to assess elements of an individual's literacy and numeracy skills and will be used to demonstrate that ITE graduates are in the top 30 per cent of the population for literacy and numeracy.

All students graduating from any ITE course in South Australia must have achieved the standard for both the literacy and numeracy components of the Literacy and Numeracy Test for Initial Teacher Education (LANTITE) to graduate.

For further information, including registration details, please check the test administrator’s website at https://teacheredtest.acer.edu.au/

Many of the activities associated with the professional practice of pre-service or registered teachers are socially, physically, mentally and emotionally demanding. Teachers are, on an ongoing basis, required to use effective interpersonal skills and perform core duties under complex and often stressful conditions and within restricted timeframes.

The Initial Teacher Education degrees include some core and elective topics that require students to participate in hands-on activities such as in a gymnasium, in classrooms, on an oval or in a laboratory. The Early Childhood degrees require students to participate in hands-on activities such as lifting and holding babies or being on the floor with babies and toddlers. This means it may be difficult to complete the degree without reasonable movement, vision and manual dexterity. Students who think they may experience difficulties in any of these areas are advised to discuss their personal circumstances with a University Disability Advisor or the School of Education Disability Academic Advisor, to investigate appropriate accommodations and/or to discuss whether this is a suitable career pathway for them.

Before undertaking professional experience in South Australian government and non-government sites (i.e. schools and centres), all students are obliged to obtain, then maintain, two mandatory certificates (documents) related to child safety in the workplace:

• Child Related Employment Screening letter issued by the Department of Community and Social Inclusion (DCSI)
• Responding to Abuse and Neglect: Education and Care training certificate.
  

For more information visit the placement website. Students who cannot be issued with these documents in their first year (and thereafter) of their degree will be unable to continue in the Bachelor of Education or Master of Teaching degree programs.

Students are required to undertake blocks of professional experience over the course of their degrees. This comprises professional experience placements in Primary, Middle School/Secondary (MSS) or Early Childhood (EC) programs. Blocks of teaching are provided at set times of the year and occur as continuous days of teaching. Professional experience placements occur in mixed gender and diverse, cultural environments, and they occur in a variety of locations that reflect the Australian educational context. The ability to maintain a continuous presence at a site during the blocks of teaching is a requirement of professional experience. Students who feel they may not be able meet this requirement are advised to discuss their personal circumstances with a University Disability Advisor or the College of Education, Psychology and Social Work Disability Academic Advisor to investigate whether this is a suitable career pathway for them.

Observational skills

• The core observational skills for this course include:
  
  • This includes timely response to identifying potential hazards and other safety issues; and 
  • Observation that enables assessment and interpretation of student learning from a distance (e.g., task performance, group interaction).

• Close at hand: Examination and assessment of and response to people and situations to ensure safe and effective practice as a mentee teacher and in the professional experience context:
  
  • This may include recognition and interpretation of sensory stimuli and reacting within a limited timeframe; and
  • Observation that enables assessment and interpretation of student learning in close proximity (e.g., student work samples, assessment and engagement with learning tasks)

These are a core requirement of the course because practice as an education professional involves provision of safe and effective support to children, youth and adults in a variety of settings which may include place of residence or employment; and government, non-government or community organisations providing a range of disability, health and other human services.

Communication skills

The core communication skills for this course include:

Effective verbal, non-verbal and written communication skills, in English, are required to provide safe and effective support as an educational professional. This includes the ability to:

• Understand and respond to verbal communication accurately and appropriately.
• Provide timely, accurate and effective delivery of instructions, feedback and reporting.
• Be attentive and display consistent and appropriate facial expressions, being mindful of space, time boundaries, body movements and gestures.
• Recognise, interpret and respond appropriately and in a timely manner to behavioural cues.
• Have consistent and appropriate awareness of own behaviours and their impact on others.
• Be sensitive to individual differences within a range of socio-cultural contexts.
• Convey knowledge and understanding of relevant subject matter, procedures and professional practice standards and ethics in construction of assignments and essays to academic standards.
• Provide consistent and accurate assessments in the professional experience context, for example observation notes on student learning.
• Use effective oral and written communication to interact with others including children, youth, and their families, government, non-government educational sectors and agencies, other health and human service providers and members of the profession, to a professional standard using language that is appropriate to the audience and context.
• Read, analyse and comprehend complex written materials including complex reports from other professionals.

These are core requirements of the course because clear and accurate communication using multiple methods to document and share information in both academic and professional practice environments is essential to safe and professional teaching practice.

Physical skills

The core physical skills for this course are:

• The ability to physically attend on campus when required - many topics require attendance and are not available online.
• Sustainable physical skills to be able to:
  
  • Maintain a consistent level of physical energy to complete a specific task in a timely manner and over time.
  • Perform learning activities with a level of concentration that ensures a capacity to focus on the activity until it is completed appropriately.
  • Maintain consistency and quality of performance throughout the designated period of duty.
  • Perform the physical duties expected of educators such as:
    • Manipulating or manoeuvring resources or equipment;picking up and holding a baby in childcare settings;
    • engaging with babies and toddlers on the floor; and
    • having the agility to move promptly and appropriately to prevent accident or injury or to support specific learning needs.

These skills are core requirements of the course because students must demonstrate professional competency in teaching including the ability to maintain the safety of children under their care. This includes the physical duties expected of an educator.

Behavioural and social skills

The core behavioural and social skills for this course are the ability to:

• Take responsibility for his or her own participation and learning.
• Operate ethically and responsibly within any contextual framework.
• Maintain emotional health to utilise his or her intellectual abilities fully and to manage in the stressful and traumatic situations that may occur in educational contexts.
• Recognise personal limitations and when and where to seek assistance or professional advice and support.
• Demonstrate behavioural stability while working professionally and constructively in a diverse and changing academic and schooling environment.
• Demonstrate personal insight with regard to safe and professional practice.
• Collaborate effectively with children, youth, families and colleagues from diverse cultural backgrounds.
  

These are core requirements of the course because educators are responsible for the protection and safety of children under their supervision. Behavioural stability is required to function and adapt effectively and sensitively in a demanding role such as teaching practice.

Intellectual – conceptual, integrative and quantitative abilities

The core intellectual – conceptual, integrative and quantitative abilities for this course are the ability to:

• Source, understand and apply relevant and appropriate information and resources.
• Identify and apply relevant theoretical approaches and integrate knowledge in practice.
• Conceptualise and use knowledge appropriate to the situation.
• Understand and implement academic conventions to construct written text in a scholarly manner.
• Interpret and correctly apply data, measurements and numerical criteria in a range of contexts.
• Use ICT to provide an effective teaching and learning environment consistent with contemporary pedagogy.

These are core requirements of the course because external registering bodies require students to demonstrate they can apply consistent and effective knowledge and cognitive skills in safe, professional and competent teaching practice. Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) processes and tools are fundamental in accessing course content, current teaching practice, and pedagogical practice.