| CODE | EDS5025 | ||||||||||||
| TITLE | The practice and reflection on teaching and learning in the Primary School | ||||||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 05 - Postgraduate Modular Diploma or Degree Course | ||||||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 7 | ||||||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 5 | ||||||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Education Studies | ||||||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | Learning is an important element of a person's cognitive, affective and social growth in the primary school learners. The salient aspects of the educational trajectory spanning the primary years is covered in this study unit. It is intended to provide the university students with the knowledge, skills and abilities to enable the children they will be teaching to develop as holistically as possible into independent adolescents. Various psychological theories and philosophical concepts of learning address the multi-faceted aspects of the learning processes of such children at the relevant stages of growth and development. This study unit provides prospective primary teachers with the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the critical notions of learning and analysis of teaching and learning in the primary school context. Tenets of educational psychology are discussed in connection with the philosophical, political and ethical aspects of primary school education. These include an appraisal of the functions of education, the pedagogical approaches to meaningful and effective learning individually and through relations with others, learning within schools as democratic communities, the motivation and desire for learning, mainstream theories of cognitive and sociocultural development learning, behavioural and social cognitive perspectives, notions of intelligence and scholastic achievement, self-efficacy, self-regulation and motivation, psychological principles of good classroom practice and assessing learning and a philosophical inquiry into pedagogical approaches to learning. Study-Unit Aims: This study-unit aims to provide prospective primary teachers with the necessary knowledge, skills and abilities to examine the theories and practices of learning in the context of the primary school and the particular challenges that arise in such communities of learning. A critical analysis of the issues and challenges of learning and teaching will be addressed with specific reference to schooling arrangements, learner-teacher relations and curricular demands of primary school education. Prospective primary school teachers will be assigned school-based tasks and activities that present them with an opportunity to observe and experience varying situations of learning in primary schools and classes and to be able to understand the importance of responsible teaching for individual and social development. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: 鈥� Identify the functions of education within primary schools as learning communities. 鈥� Critically examine teaching and learning specific to primary school environments. 鈥� Analyse the practices of learning in relation to the theoretical discussions about learning, motivation, growth and educational entitlement of students at the primary school stage. 鈥� Evaluate primary schools as democratic pluralistic communities, within a social justice framework. 鈥� Explain the implications for effective classroom practice of cognitive, sociocultural, behavioural and social-cognitive perspectives. 鈥� Critically appraise the role of intelligence in educational achievement and success. 鈥� Demonstrate, and illustrate the importance of knowledge in cognition. 鈥� Identify the role and function of attention and memory for meaningful learning. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: 鈥� Identify the functions of education within primary schools as learning communities. 鈥� Critically examine teaching and learning specific to primary school environments. 鈥� Analyse the practices of learning in relation to the theoretical discussions about learning, motivation, growth and educational entitlement of students at the primary school stage. 鈥� Evaluate primary schools as democratic pluralistic communities, within a social justice framework. 鈥� Explain the implications for effective classroom practice of cognitive, sociocultural, behavioural and social-cognitive perspectives. 鈥� Critically appraise the role of intelligence in educational achievement and success. 鈥� Demonstrate, and illustrate the importance of knowledge in cognition. 鈥� Identify the role and function of attention and memory for meaningful learning. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Texts: Woolfolk, A. (2016). Educational Psychology (13th edition/global). Pearson. Staricoff, M. (2020). The Joy of Not Knowing: A Philosophy of Education Transforming Teaching, Thinking, Learning and Leadership in Schools. Routledge. Supplementary Readings: Duchesne, S. (2018). Educational Psychology for Learning and Teaching (6th ed.). Cengage. Ormrod, J. (2015). Human Learning (5th ed.). Pearson Education. Casta帽eda, H. N. (2012). Thinking and doing: The philosophical foundations of institutions (Vol. 7). Springer Science & Business Media. Cremin, T., & Arthur, J. (2006). Learning to teach in the primary school. Routledge. Snook, I. (2003). The ethical teacher. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture | ||||||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Manwel Joseph Ellul Victor Martinelli (Co-ord.) |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2025/6. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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