ETP405 - Primary Specialisation Pathway: Pedagogical Content Knowledge
Unit details
| Year | 2027 unit information |
|---|---|
| Enrolment modes | Trimester 2: Burwood (Melbourne), Warrnambool, Waurn Ponds (Geelong), Community Based Delivery (CBD)*, Online From 2028: |
| Credit point(s) | 1 |
| EFTSL value | 0.125 |
| Unit chair | Trimester 2: Lynette Longaretti |
| Cohort rule | Nil |
| Prerequisite | E359.6 students: One of HBS110, ALL230, ALL260, SIT106, SIT190, SIT176, SIT103, ESM215, MAF101 or SLE123 or Completion of Languages Diploma E359.7 students: ETP305 and one of ALL153, SLE103, SIT190, IND101, HBS107 or IND102 |
| Incompatible with | ECL351, EEH302, EES300, ESM303, ETL710 |
| Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - on-campus unit enrolment | 1 x 1-hour online lecture per week 1 x 2-hour on-campus seminar per week
NIKERI (CBD): |
| Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - online unit enrolment | 1 x 1-hour online lecture per week |
| Typical study commitment | Students will on average spend 150-hours over the trimester undertaking the teaching, learning and assessment activities for this unit. This will include educator guided online learning activities within the unit site. |
| Supplementary information | * Community Based Delivery (CBD): only for students of the National Indigenous Knowledges, Education, Research and Innovation NIKERI Institute (located at the Waurn Ponds campus)
|
Content
This unit equips pre-service teachers with expert pedagogical content knowledge their chosen primary specialisation area of the Australian Curriculum (Foundation to Year 6). Students will be guided in their own investigation of effective teaching strategies and curriculum implementation within their chosen primary specialisation. A key focus is on developing interdisciplinary lesson sequences that integrate their specialisation with other learning areas. In addition, students will explore how the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures cross-curriculum priority can be meaningfully embedded within lesson sequences and apply ICT-based teaching strategies to enhance curriculum learning opportunities. Additionally, they will develop professional skills in identifying relevant sources of professional learning to support ongoing expertise in their chosen specialisation. Through a combination of critical reflection, collaborative planning, and practical application, students will design engaging, culturally responsive, and interdisciplinary learning experiences. The unit prepares them to be adaptive, reflective educators capable of implementing high-quality and specialised, discipline-specific teaching in diverse primary classrooms.
Learning outcomes
| ULO | These are the Unit Learning Outcomes (ULOs) for this unit. At the completion of this unit, successful students can: | Alignment to Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes (GLOs) |
|---|---|---|
| ULO1 | Investigate and apply expert pedagogical content knowledge in a chosen primary specialisation area, demonstrating effective teaching strategies and curriculum implementation. | GLO4: Critical thinking |
| ULO2 | Develop interdisciplinary lesson sequences that meaningfully integrate the chosen specialisation with other learning areas and embed the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures cross-curriculum priority. | GLO5: Problem solving GLO8: Global citizenship |
| ULO3 | Design and implement ICT-based teaching strategies to enhance curriculum learning opportunities and support student engagement in the chosen specialisation. | GLO5: Problem solving |
| ULO4 | Critically reflect on and evaluate teaching strategies, curriculum implementation, and interdisciplinary planning to ensure culturally responsive and high-quality learning experiences. | GLO4: Critical thinking |
| ULO5 | Identify and engage with appropriate professional learning sources to maintain and expand expertise in the chosen specialisation. | GLO5: Problem solving |
Note – From 2026, Deakin commenced introducing Graduate Attributes (GAs), which define the distinctive characteristics of a Deakin graduate. You may notice some units still refer to Graduate Learning Outcomes (GLOs) during this transition period.
Assessment
| Assessment Description | Student Output | Grading and Weighting (% total mark for unit) | Indicative Due Week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment 1: Interdisciplinary Lesson Sequence with Cross-Curriculum Integration | 2000 words or equivalent | 50% | Week 5 |
| Assessment 2: ICT and Professional Learning Portfolio with check ins | 2000 words or equivalent | 50% | Weeks 6-11 |
The assessment due weeks provided may change. The Unit Chair will clarify the exact assessment requirements, including the due date, at the start of the teaching period.
Learning resource
There is no prescribed text. Unit materials are provided via the unit site. This includes unit topic readings and references to further information.
Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)
To fully engage with Deakin's learning experiences, students must be able to access and use internet-connected devices as outlined in computing requirements at Deakin.
To support student success at Deakin, we have a bring-your-own-device (BYOD) learning environment that acknowledges that students and educators bring with them the digital tools they regularly use to complete academic tasks. These tools stay with you beyond the classroom, helping you to keep learning, explore ideas more deeply, and connect with knowledge in ways that matter to you.
Students requiring a loan device should visit our Loan Laptop webpage or students requiring longer-term assistance should visit our Student Financial Assistance webpage.
Unit fee information
Fees and charges vary depending on the type of fee place you hold, your course, your commencement year, the units you choose to study and their study discipline, and your study load.
Tuition fees increase at the beginning of each calendar year and all fees quoted are in Australian dollars ($AUD). Tuition fees do not include textbooks, computer equipment or software, other equipment or costs such as mandatory checks, travel and stationery.
For further information regarding tuition fees, other fees and charges, invoice due dates, withdrawal dates, payment methods visit our Current Students website.