Credit Points 10

Coordinator Kerry Staples Opens in new window

Description Inclusion is a right for all children. This subject explores how socio-cultural factors influence children’s experiences of difference, diversity and disability. Students will reflect on their role as a teacher in advocating for equity and access to nurturing early childhood and primary inclusive learning environments. By drawing on research and relevant curriculum documents, students will learn to optimise learning through a tiered, strength-based approach that reduces barriers to learning and strengthens the diverse capabilities of all learners. The subject promotes the importance of collaborative partnerships with families and all those working with the child. This subject is included in the Transition Phase of the Master of Teaching program.

School Education

Discipline Teacher Education: Special Education

Student Contribution Band HECS Band 1 10cp

Check your fees via the Fees page.

Level Postgraduate Coursework Level 7 subject

Equivalent Subjects TEAC 7052 TEAC 7053 TEAC 7049 TEAC 7153

Restrictions

Students must be enrolled in 1783 Master of Teaching (Birth-5 Years/Birth-12 Years), 1784 Master of Teaching (Birth – 5 years), 1773 Master of Teaching (Early Childhood and Primary) or 1774 Master of Teaching (Early Childhood).

Learning Outcomes

1. Analyse how socio-cultural factors influence experiences of difference, diversity and disability and how this affects equitable access to nurturing inclusive learning environments. 
2. Critique the impact of international, national and state/territory legislation, regulation and policies on early childhood and primary education inclusive pedagogies.
3. Discuss the teacher’s role in both advocating for and implementing inclusion to ensure equity, engagement and inclusive pedagogies.
4. Identify communication, coordination and collaborative strategies that will create respectful, reciprocal partnerships with families and the team around the child to support inclusion in early childhood and primary school settings.
5. Analyse children’s learning capabilities and barriers to learning by using knowledge of child development, learning theories and research about specific disabilities to inform practices. 
6. Create a strength-based inclusion plan that respects family priorities and is aligned with curricula.  
7. Plan responsive, intentional teaching strategies that will enhance children’s inclusion and learning and are responsive to a child’s current abilities, dispositions and skills.
8. Advocate for practices that facilitate smooth transitions and continuity of learning between systems and settings.

Subject Content

• Disability, diversity and differences – theoretical perspectives including medical, social relational and capability models of disability; community values, assumptions about and attitudes to difference, diversity and disability; rights-based approaches and equitable access to inclusive education; social-cultural factors influencing the provision of inclusive and special educational needs education. 
• The evidence-based approaches to cater for specific needs and disabilities with a focus on needs with high prevalence in Australian classrooms. 
• Inclusion in educational settings – teachers and educational settings’ obligations; international agreements (e.g. the UN Convention on Children’s Rights, 1989); national and state government policy, legislation and regulations including international and legal entitlements as defined by the Commonwealth Disability Discrimination Act 1992 and core educational policy such as the Disability Standards for Education (2005), Australian Professional Standards for Teachers; Early Years Learning Framework of Australia, the Australian and NSW curriculum documents.
• The role of the teacher as an advocate for inclusion - strategies to enhance children’s learning and sense of belonging in their educational setting and community; pedagogical practices that promote high expectations of access and participation and reduce the incidence of exclusion and segregation; confidence and motivation to include and seek support.
• Working in partnership with the team around the child, specifically families and colleagues and professionals from external organisations; family-centred practices; working with social and culturally diverse families including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families; collaboration, coordination and communication to support inclusion and transitions; cross-disciplinary practices and partnerships with and within teams; role of support staff.
• Assessment for learning, identification and referral - assessment tools; data gathering from multiple sources and documentation; assessment informed by knowledge of child development, learning theories, research about specific disabilities, including gifted and talented learning, children with special educational needs and curricular documents.
• Planning Cycle  - Barriers to learning, belonging, being and becoming for children; gathering information to inform planning; observation techniques and documentation; designing inclusive environments that plan for support, extension and enrichment of children’s learning; writing specific child outcomes; adapting curricula and environments; embedding learning opportunities and experiences; pedagogical practices; monitoring and evaluating pedagogies in relation to the child’s progress; documenting and sharing data to inform future planning.
• Responsive pedagogical practices including evidence-based intentional and explicit instructional teaching strategies that support play, inclusion and learning; task analysis; differentiation, modelling, scaffolding, prompting, feedback; models and approaches to support teaching including universal design for learning and multi-tiered systems.
• Continuity and Transitions – working collaboratively with other stakeholders; research that informs effective transition practices; supporting the continuity of learning in the next education phase; understanding the community, educational and support options; understanding the context where children come from and where they are transitioning to; facilitating participation for families and children in transitions