| CODE | EDS5026 | ||||||||
| TITLE | Learners and Learning Communities in Secondary Schools Contexts | ||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 05 - Postgraduate Modular Diploma or Degree Course | ||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 7 | ||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 5 | ||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Education Studies | ||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit provides prospective secondary teachers with the opportunity to explore fundamental notions of learning and a critical analysis of the teaching and learning in secondary school contexts. Educational psychologies are discussed in connection with the philosophical, political and ethical aspects of secondary 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 motivations 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 secondary teachers with the necessary knowledge, skills and competencies to examine the theories and practices of learning in the contexts of secondary schools and the particular challenges that arise in these learning communities. 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 secondary school education. Prospectice secondary teachers will be assigned school-based tasks and activities that present them with an opportunity to observe and experience varying situations of learning in secondary schools and classes and 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: • Identify the functions of education within secondary schools as learning communities. • Critically examine teaching and learning specific to secondary school environments. • Analyse the practices of learning in relation to the theoretical discussions about learning, motivation, growth and educational entitlement of students at secondary school stages. • Evaluate secondary schools as democratic pluralistic communities. • Explain the implications for effective classroom practice of cognitive, sociocultural, behavioural and social-cognitive perspectives. • Critically appraise the role of intelligence in educational achievement and success. • Demonstrate, and illustrate the importance of knowledge in cognition. • 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: • Investigate situations and contexts of learning through experiences of teaching and learning in secondary schools and classes. • Examine the academic literature, school and curricular documents, narratives and other texts about learning and learning secondary school communities. • Analyse conditions and demands for learning in secondary schools in relation to psychological theories and philosophical and political concepts of learning. • Justify the importance of democratic and pluralistic environments for learning. • Generate philosophical ideas, verbally and in writing, for enhancing student individual and collaborative learning in secondary schools. • Distinguish between direct instruction and constructivism, and be able to apply these teaching/learning methods whenever and wherever they are appropriate. • Identify the different forms of knowledge and their role in the student’s educational journey over the secondary years. • Apply the principles of cognitive learning to facilitate meaningful learning. • Implement psychological principles for good classroom practice. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Texts: Biesta G. (2015) Beyond Learning. Democratic Education for a Human Future. New York, Routledge Woolfolk, A. (2017). Educational Psychology 17th Ed. New York: Pearson Education. Supplementary Readings: Arendt, H. (1959). Reflections on Little Rock. Dissent 53: 45–56. Biesta, G.J.J. (2010). “What is Education for?” in Good education in an age of measurement: Ethics, politics, democracy. Boulder, Co: Paradigm Publishers. Dewey, J. (2011) “Education as Growth” in Democracy and education. CA, Simon & Brown. Dewey, J. (1938). “Criteria of Experience” in Experience and Education. New York: Macmillan. Lesko, N et al. (ed) (2020) Mapping the Affective Turn in Education. New York, Routledge. Nixon, J. (2020). Natality, Promise and Plurality: Education in and for the World. In: Hannah Arendt. Springer Briefs in Education(). Springer, Cham. Saftsrom CA. (2021) “Teaching as the Passion of Equality at the Border of Inequality” in A Pedagogy of Equality in a Time of Unrest. London, Routledge. Zembylas M. (2007) “A Pedagogy of Desire” in Five Pedagogies, a Thousand Possibilities. Brill Sternberg, R. & Williams, W. (2010). Educational Psychology (2nd ed.). Gredler, M.E. (2005). Learning and Instruction: Theory into Practice (5th ed.). NJ: Pearson, Merrill, Prentice Hall. Eggen, P. & Kauchak (2007). Educational Psychology – Windows on Classrooms (7th ed.). NJ: Pearson, Merrill, Prentice Hall. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture | ||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Maria Stephanie Bugeja Louise Chircop (Co-ord.) Dominic Garcia |
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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 2024/5. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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