Year No. Offer Mode Description Cred. Pts 01 80496 S2 D TEACH IN SMALL RURAL COMMU 1.00
Research evidence suggests that a majority of teachers in Queensland will spend part of their careers working in small rural communities. Recent government sponsored reports on education focus attention on selecting teachers with specific qualifications and skills for specific teaching contexts. In order to improve their success in these contexts, students will focus upon those issues and concepts which relate to successful teaching practice in small rural communities. At the conclusion of this unit, students will have developed an awareness and understanding of those concerns central to the provision of education in rural, remote and isolated areas of Australia and their effect on teachers newly appointed to rural communities.
The predominant focus of this unit will emphasise issues relating to the structure of education in rural Australia, teaching practice and curriculum delivery methods appropriate to a rural context, the integration of advanced teaching technologies with current information and communication technologies, concerns related to professional development and teacher support processes, school management issues, processes designed to support community relationships, and the political and systemic context of rural education. Teaching methodology for this unit will incorporate an experiential component which familiarises the student with an array of educational agencies providing services to rural communities. Understanding of the needs of specific rural education agencies will be further developed through a process of modelling, simulation and role play. Participation in an analysis of both the larger policy context relevant to small rural schools and the administrative expectations appropriate for these settings will complete the preparation of the beginning teacher for a rural placement.
On successful completion of this unit students will be able
to:
Description Weighting(%)
- Defining rurality 5.00
- Characteristics of rural communities 15.00
- Structure of education in rural settings 10.00
- The teacher in a rural community 15.00
- Technology and curriculum delivery in rural contexts 15.00
- Support structures for rural teachers 10.00
- Policy influences in rural education 10.00
- The role of the teaching Principal 10.00
- Applying skills, strategies, philosophies to a rural 10.00 setting
USQ 80496 - unit booklet.
Reference materials are materials that, if accessed by students, may improve their knowledge and understanding of the material in the unit and enrich their learning experience.
A selection of articles and links to resources that deal with issues
of teaching in small rural communities can be accessed on the
Education Liason Librarian's page at the following web address:
http:www.usq.edu.au/library/liason/education/educhot.htm#rural
Boylan, C.R. & d'Plesse P (eds) 1996, Rural Education: Quality
provision, quality experience, quality outcomes, Charles Sturt
University, Wagga Wagga.
Boylan, C.R. (ed.) 1992, Rural Education: In pursuit of excellence,
University of New England, Armidale. The Society, Bathurst.
Boylan, C. & Alston, M. (eds) 1993, Rural Education Issues: An
Australian perspective, Centre for Rural Social Research School of
Humanities and Social Sciences, Wagga Wagga.
Cameron, J.M.R. & Griffith, D.A. (eds) 1992, Education, Equity and
the Crisis in the Rural Community, Rural Education Research
Association, Northern Territory.
Commonwealth Schools Commission, Nov 1987, Schooling in Rural
Australia, Curriculum Development Centre, Canberra.
Hawke, O. & Sheppard, C. (eds) 1998, Successful Partnerships Enabling
Rural Achievements: Learning from the heart, Katherine, NT.
Higgins, A. 1993, Rural Difference: A challenge for beginning
teachers, James Cook University Printery, Townsville.
Lunn, S. 1997, Rural Strategies Project Report, PCAP, Brisbane.
Murdoch, C. & Wood, G. (eds) 1997, Celebrating Rural Education,
South Australia.
Riley, D. (ed.) 1995, Lifelong Learning in Rural Areas: Between a
rock and a hard place, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga.
Riley, D. (ed.) 1994, The Rural Community and Its School: In
partnership for the future, University of Southern Queensland,
Toowoomba.
Riley, D. (ed.) 1993, Towards 2000 - Schooling through distance
education, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba.
Turney, C. et al. 1980, Isolated Schools: Teaching, learning and
transition to work, Sydney University Press, Sydney.
ACTIVITY HOURS Lectures 40 Directed Study 60 Assessments 40 Practical Experience 30
No *F/S Marks Due Description Wtg(%) LBL WWW 1 S WK 7 POSTER PRESENTATION 40.00 Y N 2 S WK 13 PORTFOLIO PROJECT KNOW ANAL EVAL 60.00 Y N
1 When there is more than one marker for a single item of
assessment, the distribution patterns and means for the different
markers will be compared and marks adjusted if necessary.
2 Marking criteria are provided in unit material as mark
sheets/guides or as part of assignment specifications.
3 Summative assessment items will receive one of the following
letter grades: HD, A, B, C, F or I.
4 Unit Grades will be calculated by aggregating the weighted result
or numerical score for each summative assessment item. Any
ungraded assessment requirement will receive a Pass, Fail or
Incomplete.
5 All assessment items must be attempted/submitted. Assessment
items must be passed overall.
6 If assignments are submitted after the due date without an
approved extension of time, a penalty of up to 10% of the mark
awarded by the examiner for the assessment item will apply for
each day late.