Learning and Teaching for Religious Education
Program Overview
Introduction to the University Program
The Australian Catholic University (ACU) offers a comprehensive range of programs for students. One such program is the EDRE516 - Learning and Teaching for Religious Education.
Unit Rationale, Description, and Aim
The EDRE516 unit is designed for intending teachers of Religious Education (RE). The unit aims to develop the pedagogical content knowledge necessary for teaching RE at a junior secondary or primary/early childhood level. Students will study the relevant RE curriculum, theoretical frameworks, and pedagogical approaches to plan and deliver effective lessons.
Learning Outcomes
Upon completing this unit, students will be able to:
- Plan and devise a structured learning program in RE
- Critically analyze and develop approaches to planning and delivering engaging teaching/learning sequences for RE
- Describe, design, and evaluate pedagogical approaches in RE to meet the learning needs of diverse students
- Identify and explain the use of RE resources to support student learning
- Synthesize and critically reflect on the professional responsibilities of the RE teacher
Content
The unit covers various topics, including:
- Church documents and local RE documents
- Pedagogical approaches and resources relevant to RE
- Planning for effective teaching and learning in RE
- Differentiated teaching in RE
- Incorporating literacy and numeracy in RE
- Digital technologies for teaching/learning in RE
- Conversational and questioning techniques to shape dialogic classroom talk in RE
- The role of assessment, reporting, and evaluation in RE
Assessment Strategy and Rationale
The assessment tasks are designed to progressively achieve the course learning outcomes and professional standards. The two assessment tasks are:
- Analysis of the Curriculum: an analysis, skills audit, and professional learning plan (50%)
- Lesson Planning: developing a teaching and learning plan outlining a sequence of learning experiences in RE (50%)
Learning and Teaching Strategy and Rationale
The unit applies a social constructivist approach to develop the intending RE teacher's understanding of effective pedagogies. The teaching and learning strategy includes:
- Weekly face-to-face lectures and/or online lectures
- Hands-on tutorials and discussions
- Microteaching opportunities
- Self-directed reading and research
- Collaborative learning opportunities
Representative Texts and References
The unit uses various texts and references, including:
- Australian Curriculum
- Barnes (2020) - Crisis, controversy, and the future of religious education
- Buchanan and Gellel (2015) - Global perspectives on Catholic religious education in schools
- Gleeson and Goldburg (2020) - Faith-based identity and curriculum in Catholic schools
- Groome (2021) - What makes education Catholic: spiritual foundations
- Hall, Sultmann, and Townend (2018) - Constants in context: conciliar and post-conciliar documents on the Catholic school and their implications for mission
Locations and Credit Points
The unit is offered in different locations, including online, and is worth 10 credit points.