Educational Foundations (Prim) (EDUC90882)

This subject commences with a conference on “Big Ideas in Education”: an intensive week of seminars and workshops, in which Master of Teaching cohorts together examine historical, cultural, sociological and philosophical constructions of childhood, youth, families and the educative process. By exploring these themes, students have the opportunity to develop a sense of how the role of the family, constructions of childhood and youth, and questions of curriculum and pedagogy are determined by global historical and colonial movements that influence contemporary educational systems.

This subject places educational sociology in an Australian context by recognising the central contribution that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, culture, perspectives and pedagogies make to our national educational identity. By locating Indigenous issues in this way, the importance of relationships with parents, carers and the broader community are emphasised, and the educative process is seen to be intimately connected to the impact of culture, cultural identity and linguistic background on the education of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. Candidates will cover a broad range of strategies for working effectively and sensitively and confidentially with parents/carers and wider community in the education process, and understand how to work effectively, sensitively and confidentially with them.

The subject is built around four central themes:

1. Curriculum: history and sociology of knowledge – focusing on school knowledge, the Australian Curriculum, the nature of power and knowledge
2. Sociological constructions of childhood and youth - gender, generational change, sociological and historical purpose of schooling
3. Purposes of education and care – education systems, mass schooling, academic and vocational education, markets, neoliberalism and equity
4. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island education (including the impact of culture, cultural identity, linguistic background, pedagogy, curriculum and school-community partnerships).