Inherent requirements for Master of Teaching (Secondary) (pre 2020)

To support potential and current students' decision making a series of inherent requirement statements has been developed for the Master of Teaching (Secondary) (pre 2020). These inherent requirements statements specify the requirements of the Master of Teaching (Secondary) (pre 2020) for student admission and progression, with aspects associated with the study and the professional practice of teaching.

The study and practice of teaching requires respect for diversity, knowledge of theories, legislation, policies and procedures, effective communication, inter-personal, critical thinking and problem solving skills and stamina, to effectively work with children/young people, their families and communities.

The Master of Teaching (Secondary) (pre 2020) program offered by UON is accredited with the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) and certifies that graduates meet the Australian Professional Standards for Graduate Teachers. Successful completion of the program enables you to apply for registration as a teacher with the NESA.

Course Accreditation and the Standards for Graduate Teachers require the successful completion of a prescribed minimum amount of professional experience in a variety of contexts.

Students are required to undertake learning activities over the duration of their program in a range of diverse and complex education and community settings including mixed gender environments, which reflect Australian social and educational contexts.

The inherent requirements outlined below provide a guide for students and staff when deciding whether an individual is able to meet these requirements and the type of reasonable adjustments that could potentially be put in place to assist students to meet the inherent requirements without compromising the academic integrity of the program.

How to read the inherent requirements statements:

If you are intending to enrol in the Master of Teaching (Secondary) (pre 2020), you should review these inherent requirement statements and carefully consider whether you can meet these requirements. If you think you may experience challenges for any reason, including a disability or chronic health condition,  you should discuss your concerns with the AccessAbility Service or Course Coordinator. These staff can work collaboratively with you to determine whether reasonable adjustments can be made to assist you to meet the inherent requirements. Where it is determined that a student cannot meet the inherent requirements of a program even with reasonable adjustments, the University staff can provide guidance regarding other study options.

Each inherent requirement is made up of the following five levels:

  • Level 1 - introduction to the inherent requirement
  • Level 2 - description of what the inherent requirement is
  • Level 3 - explanation of why this is an inherent requirement of the program
  • Level 4 - the nature of any adjustments that may be made to allow you to meet the inherent requirement
  • Level 5 - examples of things you must be able to do to show you've met the inherent requirement

There are nine domains of inherent requirements included in the Master of Teaching (Secondary) (pre 2020) program. Some domains have a number of sub-domains.

  1. Ethical Behaviour
  2. Behavioural Stability
  3. Legal
  4. Communication
  5. Knowledge and Cognition
  6. Interpersonal engagement
  7. Sensory Abilities
  8. Strength and mobility
  9. Sustainable performance

Inherent Requirement statements:


1. Ethical Behaviour

Introduction

Students need to comply with, and are governed by, quality and professional standards, where they are both accountable and responsible for ensuring professional ethical behaviour in all contexts

Description

Student demonstrates knowledge of, and engages in ethical behaviour consistent with all relevant standards.

Justification

Compliance with the codes, guidelines and policies facilitates safe, competent interactions and relationships for students and/or the people with whom they engage. This ensures the physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual wellbeing of the individual is not placed at risk.

Understanding and applying key ethical and conduct principles are requirements of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers for students in school settings. Students in school settings must meet graduate teaching standards in order to graduate and to be eligible to apply for registration as a teacher.

Adjustments

Must comply with standards and maintain ethical behaviour.

Exemplars

Demonstrating respect for the diversity of family and community values and practices within academic and professional experience settings.

Complying with privacy and confidentiality requirements in academic and professional experience settings.

Demonstrating honesty and integrity in academic and professional experience settings.

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2. Behavioural Stability

Introduction

Behavioural stability is required to function and adapt effectively and sensitively in educational settings.

Description

Student demonstrates:

  • Behavioural stability to work constructively in diverse and challenging academic and educational environments.
  • Consistency in responding appropriately to children, young people and family’s needs in stressful and challenging situations.

Justification

Behavioural stability is required to work individually and in teams in changing and unpredictable environments. Students will be exposed to complex, stressful situations and will be required to have behavioural stability to manage these events objectively and professionally.

Graduates of accredited courses must meet the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers.

Adjustments

Must enable the recognition, initiation of or appropriate response to effective non-verbal communication in a timely and appropriate manner.

Exemplars

Responding appropriately to constructive feedback.

Coping with own emotions and behaviour effectively when dealing with individuals in community and educational settings.

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3. Legal

Introduction

Initial teacher education courses are mandated by specific legislation and regulations to comply with professional accreditation, registration and professional experience requirements.

Description

Student demonstrates knowledge and compliance with Australian law, professional regulation requirements and standards relevant to persons working with children, young people and their families, and those which dictate the scope of teaching.

Justification

Knowledge, understanding, and compliance with legislative and regulatory requirements are necessary pre-requisites to professional experience in order to reduce the risk of harm to self and others.

Compliance with these professional regulations and the Australian Law ensures that students are both responsible and accountable for their practice

Graduates of accredited courses must meet the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers.

Adjustments

Must be consistent with legal and regulatory requirements.

Exemplars

Complying with relevant child protection and safety legislation.

Complying with relevant Work Health and Safety legislation.

Adhering to requirements of informed consent, privacy and confidentiality with organisational, family and child information in academic and education settings

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4a. Communication (verbal)

Introduction

Effective verbal communication, in English, is an essential requirement.

Description

Student demonstrates:

  • Effective verbal communication at formal and informal levels in tutorials, with peers and lecturers/tutors in small and large groups.
  • The ability to provide clear instructions and presentation of ideas to individuals and large groups relevant to the learning context.
  • The capacity to use verbal language in a range of different social situations with children and adults during professional and field experience.
  • The ability to communicate effectively with diverse linguistic and cultural groups and individuals across a range of social contexts.
  • The capacity to use a range of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) that support verbal communication with individuals and small groups for learning and assessment purposes and during professional experience.

Justification

Verbal communication is the primary medium of communication in an educational setting.

Timely, accurate, clear and effective delivery of information provides clear instruction and initiation of learning.

Interactivity of communication is fundamental to the educational process.

Adequate verbal communication is essential in developing and maintaining effective relationships with all educational stakeholders.

Graduates of accredited courses must meet the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers.

Adjustments

Must enable verbal communication with clarity and accuracy that facilitates effective communication and safety.

Exemplars

Communicating in English effectively and appropriately in tutorials, lectures and on professional experience

Demonstrating knowledge and use of ICTs such as data projectors, computers and DVDs to support oral communication for tutorial presentations and small group presentation on professional experience.

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4b. Communication (aural)

Introduction

Competent aural communication is required to effectively access course content and being responsive to the demands of professional experience.

Description

Student demonstrates:

  • Sufficient aural function to perform and comprehend the required range of tasks.
  • Active listening in tutorials and lectures with tutors, lecturers and peers and during professional experience with families and children.
  • Appropriate use of ICTs that support aural communication with individuals and small groups for learning and assessment purposes and during professional experience, such as audio-visual equipment and mobile phones and technologies.

Justification

The Australian Professional Standards for Teachers and the NSW Department of Education and Communities require that students are able to:

  • Use effective aural communication formally and informally in tutorials with peers and lecturers/tutors in small and large groups and during professional experience in a range of different social situations with children and adults.
  • Be active and empathetic listeners in diverse social and linguistic contexts.
  • Use ICTs to support aural communication in professional contexts.
  • Demonstrate sufficient aural ability to gather information and accurately feedback and monitor students consistently and accurately whilst on professional experience.

Adjustments

Must address the effects of a hearing impairment must be effective, consistent and not compromise effective and timely reception of, and response to auditory inputs.

Exemplars

Demonstrating knowledge and use of ICTs that rely on effective aural communication for tutorial presentations and small group presentation on professional experience.

Responding effectively to children and adults demonstrating empathy towards and active listening to what is being communicated.

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4c. Communication (non-verbal)

Introduction

Effective non-verbal communication is fundamental to education and needs to be respectful, clear, attentive, empathetic, honest and non-judgmental.

Description

Student demonstrates:

  • The capacity to recognise, interpret and respond appropriately to behavioural cues and gestures.
  • Consistent and appropriate awareness of own behaviour.
  • Sensitivity to individual differences.

Justification

The ability to observe and understand non-verbal cues assists with building rapport in academic and professional relationships.

Displaying consistent and appropriate facial expressions, eye contact, being mindful of space, time boundaries and body movements and gestures promotes the trust and respect necessary to develop effective professional relationships.

Safe and effective initial teaching education requires the capacity to observe, interpret and respond appropriately to non-verbal communication, particularly in situations where their students may not be able to verbalise distress, discomfort or fear.

For children who do not talk or use verbal language their gestures and cues are their main communication tool.

Adjustments

Must enable the recognition, initiation of or appropriate response to effective non-verbal communication in a timely and appropriate manner.

Exemplars

Recognising non-verbal cues and responding appropriately in tutorials and seminars.

Recognising non-verbal cues and responding appropriately in professional experience settings.

Displaying appropriate non-verbal gestures in classroom situations and professional experience settings.

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4d. Communication (written)

Introduction

Effective written communication in English is required to effectively access course content and participate in professional experience.

Description

Student demonstrates the capacity to construct and model coherent written communication appropriate to the circumstance.

Justification

The Australian Professional Standards for Teachers and the NSW Department of Education and Communities require that students are able to:

  • Construct a range of written assignments to ethical and academic standards in order to convey knowledge, understanding and skills of relevant content and pedagogy, curriculum materials and professional practice.
  • Produce accurate, responsive and diligent reports, student profiles, record keeping, lesson material, curriculum plans, assessment and evaluations necessary for the provision of an effective learning environment.
  • Effectively and appropriately use a range of texts, which include those that are written, screen-based, image-based, sign/symbol-based are necessary to communicate meaning, directions and imagination.

Adjustments

Must meet necessary standards of clarity, accuracy and accessibility to facilitate effective planning, delivery, reporting, evaluating and synthesising of information in both academic and educational settings.

Exemplars

Constructing written assignments that comply with academic standards.

Conveying information in a written form effectively to families or other staff in the educational setting.

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5a.  Knowledge and cognitive skills

Introduction

Consistent and effective knowledge and cognitive skills must be demonstrated to provide safe, professional and competent teaching practice.

Description

Student demonstrates:

  • The capacity to locate appropriate and relevant information.
  • The ability to process information relevant to practice.
  • The ability to integrate, reflect on and implement theoretical knowledge in tutorials, professional and field experience settings.

Justification

Delivery of quality teaching relies on the understanding and application of theory in practice.

Graduates of accredited courses must meet the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers.

Adjustments

Must support the student's ability to acquire, analyse and apply knowledge.

Exemplars

Conceptualising and using appropriate knowledge in response to academic assessment items.

Identifying and applying knowledge of policy and procedures during professional experience settings.

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5b. Literacy (language)

Introduction

Competent English language and literacy skills are essential for professional and effective delivery of teaching content.

Description

Student demonstrates:

  • The ability to accurately acquire information and convey appropriate messages.
  • Ability to read and comprehend a range of texts for teaching and learning purposes.
  • The capacity to understand and implement academic conventions to construct written text in a scholarly manner.

Justification

The ability to acquire information and to accurately convey information is fundamental to teaching and learning.

The ability to read, decode, interpret and comprehend multiple sources of information is fundamental for effective preparation and teaching practice.

Graduates of accredited courses must meet the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers.

Adjustments

Must demonstrate a capacity to effectively acquire, comprehend, apply and communicate accurate information.

Exemplars

Conveying a spoken message using appropriate vocabulary and conventions of speech.

Competently constructing and sharing a range of texts including digital, written, and visual texts in a range of social contexts.

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5c. Numeracy

Introduction

Competent and accurate numeracy skills are essential for effective delivery of teaching content.

Description

Student interprets and correctly applies data, measurements and numerical criteria in a range of contexts.

Justification

Competent application of numeracy skills is fundamental for effective delivery of teaching content.

Graduates of accredited courses must meet the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers requirements to be competent in the application of numeracy skills.

Adjustments

Must enable the demonstration of effective numeracy skills.

Exemplars

Demonstrating competency in applying basic mathematics knowledge and skills in everyday life and in academic tasks.

Demonstrating effective use of numeracy skills in matters related to student learning.

Applying numeracy skills to interpret and solve problems in a range of educational and academic contexts.

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5d. Information and Communication Technology (ICT)

Introduction

Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) are processes and tools that are fundamental to accessing course content, current teaching practice, and pedagogical practice.

Description

Student demonstrates knowledge of, and confidence in, the use of ICT in academic, professional and curriculum context.

Justification

Use of ICT is necessary to provide an effective teaching and learning environment consistent with current pedagogy.

Meeting these requirements is necessary for course accreditation and graduate eligibility for registration.

Adjustments

Must enable the student to demonstrate a capacity to comprehend, interpret and apply ICT.

Exemplars

Utilising appropriate ICTs to communicate with peers and lecturer and to gather information in accomplishing academic tasks.

Using ICTs for accurate, responsive and diligent reports, student profiles, record keeping, lesson presentation material, curriculum plans, assessment and evaluations.

Using written texts including SMS and email professionally at university and during professional experience with students, children, staff, parents and the community.

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6. Interpersonal engagement

Introduction

Interpersonal engagement is essential to work effectively, sensitively and build relationships in community and educational settings.

Description

Student demonstrates:

  • The ability to work effectively, sensitively and confidentially with children, young people, parents/carers and community members.
  • The ability to create rapport with peers, academic and professional staff conducive to effective working relationships.
  • Cultural competence, sensitivity and willingness to work with individual children and young people in a complex and diverse Australian society.

Justification

The Australian Professional Standards for Teachers require effective, sensitive and confidential engagement with students, parents and work colleagues and the ability to engage with people from diverse backgrounds and ability in various context.

Graduates of accredited courses must meet the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers requirements. Inclusion is mandated in the Australian educational context.

Adjustments

Must enable appropriate levels of interpersonal engagement and behaviour.

Exemplars

Participating in a respectful and culturally competent manner in tutorial discussion.

Collaborating, modifying and reflecting on their teaching during professional and field experience in response to student needs and supervisor feedback.

Interacting with mutual respect, equity and dignity towards others.

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7. Sensory abilities

Introduction

Adequate visual acuity is required to provide safe and effective supervision of children and young people in a range of educational and community settings.

Description

Student demonstrates:

  • Sufficient visual acuity to perform the required range of skills.
  • Sufficient visual acuity to monitor children and young people's behaviour and safety.

Justification

Sufficient visual acuity is necessary to demonstrate the required range of skills, tasks and assessments.

Visual observations, examinations and assessment are fundamental to safe and effective scope of teaching practice.

Adjustments

Must address the need to perform the required range of tasks involved in field placements. Any strategies to address the effects of the vision impairment must be effective, consistent and not compromise care or safety.

Exemplars

Monitoring children and young people's safety and well-being in indoor and outdoor activities and engaging in activities at both near and far distances.

Negotiating unfamiliar settings effectively.

Manipulating a range of resources.

Monitoring children's behaviour, safety, health and wellbeing.

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8a. Strength and mobility - Gross motor skills

Introduction

Participation in physical activities and movement is required to function effectively in community and educational settings.

Description

Student demonstrates the ability to move and perform gross motor function within the scope of practice.

Justification

Sufficient gross motor skills are necessary to perform, coordinate and prioritise care. Tasks that involve gross motor skills include sitting, lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling, standing, twisting and bending. Students must be able to demonstrate and perform these tasks consistently and safely to reduce the risk of harm to themselves and others.

It is a NESA, Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) and NSW Department of Education and Communities requirement that educators are able to undertake many physical tasks and classroom routines.

Meeting these requirements is necessary for course accreditation and graduate eligibility for registration.

Adjustments

Must facilitate functional effectiveness, safety of self and others and a capacity to provide appropriate education and care.

Exemplars

Setting up safe learning environments with resources and equipment.

Safely retrieving, moving and using large pieces of equipment.

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8b. Strength and mobility - Fine motor skills

Introduction

Teaching is a profession that requires manual dexterity and fine motor skills.

Description

Student demonstrates the ability to use fine motor skills to provide safe effective education and care.

Justification

Sufficient fine motor skills are necessary to perform, coordinate and prioritise education and care. Tasks that involve fine motor skills include being able to grasp, press, push, turn, squeeze and manipulate various objects. Students must be able to demonstrate and perform these tasks consistently and safely to reduce the risk of harm to themselves and others.

It is a NESA, AITSL and NSW Department of Education and Communities requirement that educators are able to undertake many physical tasks and classroom routines.

Meeting these requirements is necessary for course accreditation and graduate eligibility for registration.

Adjustments

Must facilitate functional effectiveness, safety to self, children/young people and others and a capacity to provide appropriate education and care.

Exemplars

Recording, observing, documenting, and clearly modelling the use of equipment such as scissors, pencils and other such equipment.

Manipulating resources during learning activities.

Using ICT equipment for teaching and learning.

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9. Sustainable performance

Introduction

Students require both physical and mental performance at a consistent and sustained level over appropriate time frames to meet the course outcomes.

Description

Student demonstrates:

  • Consistent and sustained level of physical energy to complete a specific task in a timely manner.
  • The ability to perform all required activities with a level of concentration that ensures a capacity to focus on the activity until it is completed appropriately.
  • The capacity to maintain consistency and quality of performance throughout the designated period of academic or professional experience.

Justification

Sufficient physical and mental endurance is an essential requirement needed to perform multiple tasks in varying periods of time to provide safe and effective participation in all teaching and professional experience activities.

Graduates of accredited courses must meet the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers.

Adjustments

Must enable consistent and sustained performance over a given period.

Exemplars

Preparing for and participating in tutorials, lectures and professional experience.

Providing consistent supervision, education/instruction and care to children/young people over a negotiated time frame.

Performing multiple tasks simultaneously whilst supervising the safety and care of children.

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