Required texts

Required text:

McMaster, N. (2019). Teaching Health and Physical Education in Early Childhood and the Primary Years (1st edition). South Melbourne, Australia: Oxford University Press. 

The required text for this unit can be purchased as a hardcopy or e-book through Book Depository, Amazon, Dymocks or another Australian ordering sites. It can also be loaned through the UC Library. 

Recommended text:

Pill, S. (2015). Play with purpose: For fundamental movement skills teaching. A teaching guide for early years and primary educators for physical education and daily PE. South Australia: Australian Council for Health, Physical Education and Recreation, SA Branch Inc.

Readings and other stimulus material for this unit will be provided on the unit's Canvas site. Students are expected to utilise these and other resources when preparing for workshops, learning activities, and planning assessment tasks.

The Unit Convener and/or Tutor will also provide a list of 'recommended' textbooks, available from the UC library. 

Submission of assessment items

Extensions & Late submissions

Responsibility for understanding:

Approval of extenuating circumstances will be dependent upon the production of supporting documentation and at the discretion of the Unit Convener.

All assessment items required to be submitted online must be submitted via the appropriate Canvas drop box. It is the student's responsibility to upload the correct and corresponding draft or assessment item to the right submission section. Assignments must be submitted in a format accessible to the assessor(s), as stated on the relevant canvas site. If the Unit Convener and/or Tutor are unable to access a submission, or if no submission has been made by the due date and time, a standard late penalty of 10% of the total marks possible for the task may be applied per day, for three (3) days, after which the submission will receive a score of ‘0' in keeping with UC's Assessment Policy.

If there is any doubt with regard to the requirements of any particular assignments or assessment procedure, the onus for clarifying the issue rests with the student who should contact the Unit Convener. Further, it is the responsibility of students to ensure that they are correctly enrolled in the unit and that the Unit Convener and Student Administration have their correct contact details.

Lesson planning - pre-service teacher responsibility:

When developing lesson plans, it is encouraged that pre-service teachers are using their skills in lesson planning and design to create engaging and rich lesson resources. Using materials from commercial sites such as TPT, Twinkl, Sparkle Box etc. is not desirable in this unit. If you adapt resources from commercial sites and sources, pre-service teachers are to reference this in their lesson planning and resource development.

Artificial Intelligence:

Students are not allowed to use generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in assessments for this unit.

Where the assessment instructions do not specifically state that GenAI may be used and how, then its use is not allowed for that assessment. If students are unsure, they should seek advice from the Unit Convener.

Students should be aware that the 91Porn utilises GenAI detection software. Suspected instances of unauthorised GenAI use may lead to a Learning Validation Conversation' designed to provide assurance that a student is able to demonstrate relevant knowledge and skills to meet required learning outcomes. Students who are suspected of having misused GenAI in assessment may be required to attend a summary inquiry for suspected misconduct.

It is strongly recommended that students keep records of the development process for all works submitted for assessment, or drafts of work submitted for a work-in-progress review, in a learning portfolio or equivalent. Failure to provide evidence of the development process for assessment may influence a suspicion of GenAI misuse or other forms of academic misconduct. 

The  provides further information, including how to reference GenAI.

Special assessment requirements

All assessment must be submitted and an aggregate mark of 50% is required to pass the unit, which includes a 'complete' grade for Assessment 1: FMS Competency across the semester. 

Provision of valid documentation

Please note that the University takes student conduct very seriously. All documentation provided to University staff must be valid and the provision of fraudulent documentation carries with it potentially serious consequences, including suspension and/or exclusion from the University. Note that all allegations of student misconduct will be referred to the Associate Dean for Education (ADE) as a prescribed authority for investigation.

Students must apply academic integrity in their learning and research activities at UC. This includes submitting authentic and original work for assessments and properly acknowledging any sources used.

Academic integrity involves the ethical, honest and responsible use, creation and sharing of information. It is critical to the quality of higher education. Our academic integrity values are honesty, trust, fairness, respect, responsibility and courage.

UC students have to complete the annually to learn about academic integrity and to understand the consequences of academic integrity breaches (or academic misconduct).

UC uses various strategies and systems, including detection software, to identify potential breaches of academic integrity. Suspected breaches may be investigated, and action can be taken when misconduct is found to have occurred.

Information is provided in the , , and 91Porn (Student Conduct) Rules 2023. For further advice, visit Study Skills.

Learner engagement

The following provides a breakdown of the unit workload expected of pre-service teachers. 

Workshops:

10 x 3-hour Workshops = 30 hours (3 hours per week).

Lesson Planning:

5 x 45-minute lesson plans = 10 hours (a minimum of 2 hours dedicated to planning weekly delivery lesson plans).

General and Assignment Preparation:

Ungraded components, weekly preparation and readings, reflection tasks and assessment preparation = 110 hours.

Inclusion and engagement

No pre-service teacher will be excluded from the PE practical workshops in the event they cannot 'physically' participate because of their medical condition(s), special consideration(s), or injury.

Instead, they will still be able to engage in the PE practical workshops in other capacities, where the Teaching Team will make arrangements for them to participate and be included. 

Participation requirements

Engagement with online materials and all workshops in this unit will assist your preparation for the assessment tasks. 

Participation in ‘school based' tutorial classes is a compulsory condition of this unit, and attendance will be recorded. You must participate in 100% of the ‘school based' tutorial classes to pass this unit. In the event that you cannot attend your assigned session due to illness or extreme circumstances, you must provide appropriate documentation to the Unit Convener as soon as possible. In the case of sessions missed due to illness or extreme circumstances, both the academic content and the professional experience component are required to be made up. More than two documented absences may lead to failure of the unit due to non-completion.

*Note: In this unit workshops in weeks 1, 2, 5, 9, and 10 are on campus (see timetable and unit Canvs site for room allocation) and weeks 3, 4, 6, 7, and 8 will be school-based to meet accreditation requirements of 3.5 days professional experience (see the unit's Canvas site for further details).

It is recognised that sometimes absence are unavoidable. If you are absent, please contact your tutor to ensure your engagement with the unit is not considered unsatisfactory.

Required IT skills

None.

In-unit costs

There are some costs associated with this unit which are detailed below:

1. The Unit Convener has listed a recommended textbook for the unit (see section 4. Unit Resources).
    
2. A Sunsmart hat must be worn at every school-based clinic. 
    
3. A UC Faculty of Education or HPE polo shirt must be worn at every school-based clinic. 
    
4. A whistle and wrist and/or hand watch are also required when teaching in schools.

Work placement, internships or practicums

This unit involves work integrated learning (WIL): through schol-based clinics. Students must adhere to University policy during WIL activities, including the Student Conduct Rules 2018, the WIL policy and WIL procedure, and the Assessment policy, and Assessment procedure. For teaching degrees, students need to ensure they have their WWVP or for NSW, their Working with Children, COVID vaccination status and evidence of PSTR uploaded to InPlace.

This unit involves school-based clinics and therefore, additional student responsibilities are required in addition to those described in section 6. Workplace learning requires strict adherence to professional practice principles and ethics. School student and staff confidentiality must always be maintained (refer policies on ATES - Professional Experience Handbook, ACT ED Teachers' Code of Professional Practice (or equivalent) and Student Conduct Rules), including for assessment items such as reports or essays. This applies to staff and patrons of any outside agency where an internship or other WIL activity is taking place. The professional nature of this unit also requires 100% participation at all learning activities (lectures, workshops, tutorial, practicals etc. as scheduled – see section 3) for the successful completion of this unit (also see section 6c). If attendance requirements cannot be satisfied (e.g., timetable clash), it is recommended that you contact the Academic Programs Team to discuss re-scheduling this unit.

Additional information

Underpinning pedagogical foundations of the unit

Health Education 

This unit is informed from evidence-based Health Education research and pedagogical education frameworks. Forming the foundations for how 'holistic' approaches to Health Education may be taught to equip pre-service teachers with the necessary skills to deliver quality, contemporary Health Education in Primary and/or Secondary school settings and promoting a health and wellbeing at the individual level and for the whole school community. There are active researchers delivering this unit who are able to engage students in deep and active learning and transmit to pre-service teachers their passion for subject area. The Health Education theoretical foundations of this unit is based on the following:

Evidence-based programs which take a strengths-based, human-rights, and whole-school approach to health topics that is informed by the: 

• Australian Curriculum for Health Education Version 9.0. 
• The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).
• Family Planning Alliance Australia (2016) position statement on Relationships and Sexuality Education in Australian schools.

Physical Education 

This unit is informed from evidence-based Physical Education research and education. There are active researchers and in-service teachers delivering this unit who are able to engage students in deep and active learning and transmit to pre-service teachers their passion for the research and practice they are carrying out. The Physical Education theoretical foundation of this unit is based on the following. Together, these pedagogical frameworks form the foundations for how Physical Education is taught in this unit to equip pre-service teachers with the necessary skills to deliver quality, contemporary Physical Education in Early Childhood and/or Primary school settings. 

Evidence-based approaches which take a strengths-based, human-rights, and whole-school approach to Physical Education topics that is informed by the :

• Australian Curriculum for Health Education Version 9.0. 
• Arnold's (1988, 1979) conceptualisation of three dimensions of ‘about', ‘through', and ‘in' movement. 
• Penny et al. (2009) dimensions of quality Physical Education.
• Pill (2016) Play with Purpose approach using a Game Sense to Sport Literacy.
• Contemportary pedagogies for teaching Physical Education outlined by Mosston and Ashworth's (2008) and Metzler (2017) for Physical Education.

References:

Arnold, P. 1988. Education, Movement and the Curriculum. London: Falmer.
Arnold, P. 1979. Meaning in Movement, Sport and Physical Education. London: Heinemann.
Family Planning Alliance Australia (2016). Position statement - Relationships and sexuality education in schools.
Mosston and Ashworth's (2008) Spectrum of Teaching Styles 
Metzler, M. (2017). Instructional models in physical education. Routledge.
Penney, D., R. Brooker, P. Hay, and L. Gillespie. 2009. Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment: Three MessageSystems of Schooling and Dimensions of Quality Physical Education. Sport, Education and Society 14 (4):421–442.
Pill (2016) Play with Purpose: Game Sense to Sport Literacy (Revised 3rd Edition).
United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child. (2016). Convention on the rights of the child: General comment No. 20 (2016) on the implementation of the rights of the child during adolescence. 
United Nations Educational, S. C. O. (2018). International Technical Guidance on Sexuality Education: An evidence-informed approach for schools, teachers and health educators: revised edition (Vol. 2). UNESCO. 

Communication from Teaching Staff

Notifications through the Canvas Announcements Forum or the Canvas Discussion Forums are deemed to be made to the whole class.

It is the responsibility of pre-service teachers to ensure they check for announcements on the unit's Canvas site. 

In normal circumstance your Unit Convener or Tutor will reply within 2-3 business days (this excludes weekends). If you have not received a reply after three (3) business days, please send a friendly follow up email and your Unit Convener and/or Tutor will be in touch as soon as possible. 

Student email communication with Teaching Staff

The University Email policy states "students wishing to contact the University via email regarding administrative or academic matters need to send the email from the University account for identity verification purposes". Therefore, all unit enquiries should be emailed using a student university email account. Pre-service teachers should contact servicedesk@canberra.edu.au if they have any issues accessing their university email account. 

When using email to communicate with the unit's teaching staff, you should always make sure that your message contains the following:

1. An email subject that contains the unit code and clearly describes the nature of your query or request.
   • Your Unit Convener and/or Tutor receives many emails a day and teach multiple units, so if your email does not contain the unit code, it is not possible to place your message in context. If the subject does not indicate the nature of the message, it may well remain unanswered.
2. Change the default setting on your email program to include previous messages in replies, and make sure that previous messages are included in an ongoing exchange. Your Unit Convener and/or Tutor deals with many students. Having a copy of the previous exchanges included in your message will expedite a response. You should still make sure that the subject indicates what the email is about.
3. Address your Unit Convener and/or Tutor appropriately by name. 
4. State your question or request clearly and concisely.
5. Insert a signature at the end of your email that contains:
   • your name in full as it appears in Callista.
   • your student number.

Remember emails are expected to be polite, respectful, and written in a professional manner. Never write anything in an email that wouldn't be put on a business letter, or that you would not say in a face-to-face meeting.  

Good communication skills, both verbal and written, are vital to not only the teaching profession, but expectations for your future students too! 

Failure to follow these guidelines will result in your email not being responded to.

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