Module EDUS2401: TEACHING AND LEARNING IN THE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Department: Education [Queen's Campus, Stockton]

EDUS2401: TEACHING AND LEARNING IN THE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Prerequisites

• None.

Corequisites

• None.

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None.

Aims

• This module will encourage the study of children's learning in the primary school years and a critical approach to evidence and theories of learning and teaching.

Content

• The focus of this module will be upon the development of children's learning in the primary school years and how it may best be promoted.
• Models of learning: major theories (e.g. associationist, constructivist, social learning and information processing models) and their implications for teaching.
• Individual difference: concepts of ability and intelligence; learning styles; atypical development and special educational needs (including giftedness) and how schools assess and respond; notions of inclusion.
• The whole curriculum: curricular aims and social goals (e.g. citizenship; learning in a multicultural society).
• Learning and teaching: teacher professionalism; the standards debate and evidence on effective classrooms and schools; teaching for understanding.

Learning Outcomes

• Major theoretical explanations of learning and their implications for teaching;
• models of ability, intelligence and individual difference;
• the social context of learning and curricular aims;
• significant evidence about teaching and learning in the classroom

• understand the application of theories/models of learning in the primary classroom context
• critically analyse literature on a variety of contemporary education issues relating to teaching and learning in the primary classroom
• an understanding of why research pertaining to issues such as SEN, individual differences and intelligence are relevant to the primary teacher.

• communicate ideas, principles and theories effectively in a written form
• manage time and work to deadlines
• analyse, synthesise and evaluate primary and/or secondary sources.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• The module is taught using lectures, seminars and directed group work
• Students attend weekly lectures. Seminars and directed group work alternate in a fortnightly pattern for groups. Lectures and seminars last 1 hour; 2 hours are allocated to group work.
• The module is assessed by a 2,000 words essay worth 40% of the overall module mark and an exam at the end of term three worth 60% of the overall module mark.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

Presentations and discussions in seminar groups

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University