ED1411 - Foundations of Sustainability in Education

Limited offering available to RATEP students only. External offering available only to students enrolled in the BEd (Early Childhood Education)

This subject provides an introduction to principles and practices of science and sustainability education for children from birth to year 6. The subject investigates interrelationships between chemical, biophysical, economic, social and political systems; the complex mechanisms that lead to degradation of these systems; and, resultant risks to human well-being. The subject draws upon the natural and social sciences and geographic and temporal scales to explore topics related to climate change, energy, water, biodiversity, agriculture and population health. The subject provides early childhood and primary pre-service teachers with foundational scientific knowledge and understanding as well as awareness of scientific inquiry and environmental and social decision-making and policy processes. The subject engages students in aspects of systemic and critical thinking, problem solving, active citizenship and community partnerships in order to ready them for curriculum studies in the Learning Areas of Science, and Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS), and, in turn, inspire them to educate for local and global sustainability.

Learning Outcomes

• develop evidence-informed values and positions relating to sustainability through active citizenship, critical and systemic thinking, and reflection;
• explore how the design and implementation of engaging and intellectually challenging learning experiences promotes the development of scientific literacy;
• recall, apply and communicate concepts and procedures of science and sustainability through multiple modes and genres to local and global contexts;
• demonstrate Australian Professional Standards for Teachers at an introduced level;
• engage with the Early Years Learning Framework (Early Childhood preservice teachers only) and the F-10 Australian Curriculum to identify implications of education for sustainability for classroom practice, including envisaging a better future and partnerships for change.

Note: Minor variations might occur due to the continuous Subject quality improvement process, and in case of minor variation(s) in assessment details, the Subject Outline represents the latest official information.