Course coordinator
Professor David Geelan
Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 2, 2025 (28/07/2025 - 22/11/2025)
- Study level
- Postgraduate Coursework
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Education School
This Masters level course introduces contemporary educational theory and effective practice teaching Science in the primary years of schooling. Students will be introduced to underpinning theoretical ideas, curriculum documents, curriculum development and approaches to teaching primary school Science. The course will focus on the development of preservice teachers’ knowledge and understanding of how to teach the discipline of Science (pedagogical content knowledge). Throughout the course students will develop their understanding of how programs can be developed, assessed, and moderated. Therefore, emphasis is placed on developing knowledge and skills to make meaningful links among curriculum intent, learning experiences and assessment. Students will be encouraged to develop their own skills as communicators in a range of social contexts with Science at the forefront of STEM integration. Where possible, the teaching and learning approaches used in interactive learning spaces are intended to model strategies that can be used in classrooms, Collegial, collaborative and reflective practices are encouraged, modelled and practiced in these sessions. Teaching, learning and assessment are commensurate with a Masters’ level course and designed to demonstrate attainment of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APST) at graduate level. Specifically the constructive alignment of objectives, learning and assessment address the following standards: 1.2, 2.1 - 2.3, 3.1 - 3.6, 4.1, 4.4, 4.5, 5.1, 6.1, 6.2.
The particular focus of the course will be the development of student’s knowledge about how to teach the discipline of science (pedagogical content knowledge). Beginning teachers will be expected to develop their programs for teaching and learning and translate these programs into high-quality teaching in the classroom. Therefore, emphasis is placed on developing knowledge and practical skills and their application in lesson planning and presentation, curriculum design and designing and implementing assessment tasks. Where possible, the teaching and learning approaches used in workshops and tutorials are intended to model strategies that can be used in classrooms. Collegial, collaborative and reflective practices are encouraged, modelled and practised in these sessions.
Course requirements
Incompatible
You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:
EDUC1706
Restrictions
Restricted to students enrolled in the MTeach(Primary)
Course contact
Lecturer
Professor David Geelan
Course staff
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Aims and outcomes
This course will develop students' knowledge and skills and their application of these to teaching science in the Queensland primary school setting. Students will engage with current and emerging research-based approaches to teaching, focussing on practical issues in the classroom as well as developing ideas about learning and its facilitation. The course will take a contextual approach in which beginning teachers develop the skills to draw out the science in a variety of classroom settings.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of curriculum content and critically analyse relevant Science concepts, topics and effective teaching strategies used to teach in this curriculum learning area.
LO2.
Apply curriculum, assessment and reporting knowledge to design appropriate Science learning experiences, set appropriate learning goals for varying abilities, organise content into effective learning and teaching sequences, and select appropriate resources, including ICT with consideration for safe, responsible and ethical use, to support and engage student learning.
LO3.
Apply research informed knowledge of student learning, knowledge of Science education and relevant curriculum documents and other sources of professional learning informed by APST to critically analyse effective planning for learning, teaching strategies, and evaluate teaching programs.
LO4.
Demonstrate informed knowledge of teaching strategies that support inclusive participation and engagement in Science learning activities. These include effective verbal and non-verbal communication strategies and strategies to support student safety.
LO5.
Demonstrate understanding of different assessment approaches such as diagnostic, informal/formal, formative and summative assessment that assess Science learning.
LO6.
Demonstrate clear, fluent and coherent communication skills consistent with personal, professional and academic conventions.
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quiz |
Student Safety Declaration
|
Hurdle Task |
8/08/2025 2:00 pm |
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation | Design an Investigation | 30% 1500 words |
28/08/2025 2:00 pm |
| Essay/ Critique | Evaluating an Inquiry Unit of Work | 30% 2000 words |
25/09/2025 2:00 pm |
| Presentation |
Teaching a Science Concept: Part 1
|
20 minute presentation |
28/10/2025 |
| Essay/ Critique, Reflection | Teaching a Science Concept: Part 2 | 40% 2500 words |
10/11/2025 2:00 pm |
A hurdle is an assessment requirement that must be satisfied in order to receive a specific grade for the course. Check the assessment details for more information about hurdle requirements.
Assessment details
Student Safety Declaration
- Hurdle
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Quiz
- Weight
- Hurdle Task
- Due date
8/08/2025 2:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01
Task description
All students are expected to complete a safety declaration in order to work in the laboratory. The university requires this declaration to be current within 5 years. Records are kept on the OHS database. Laboratory conditions for education are considered to be any space where scientific activity is taking place. Students must be aware that this also translates to primary classrooms where safety is paramount, and risk assessment is critical.
APST: 4.4
Hurdle requirements
Assessment Task 1 is a Hurdle Task, meaning it must be completed to complete the course successfully. Assessment Task 1 includes successful completion of three components: - the Undergraduate Online Safety Course - Student Safety Declaration - Laboratory Induction (during Tutorial 1).Submission guidelines
To submit this assessment task:
- complete the quiz at the end of the Undergraduate Online Safety Course
- complete the Student Safety Declaration quiz in Blackboard
- attend the Laboratory Induction during Tutorial 1.
Deferral or extension
You cannot defer or apply for an extension for this assessment.
As this assessment pertains to OHS, please contact the Course Coordinator directly regarding potential extensions for this assessment (in extraordinary circumstances).
Design an Investigation
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 30% 1500 words
- Due date
28/08/2025 2:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06
Task description
From Cookbook to Inquiry
In this assessment task you will design an investigation beginning with an experiment (explore) that involves the collection of numerical data and demonstrate how that can contribute to a scientific explanation (explain) and lead into an investigation (elaborate). You need to include:
- An introduction which demonstrates your knowledge and understanding of the research into how students learn Science, the importance of experiments in the student learning in the Science classroom, the experiment itself and its place in the curriculum. Your introduction should contain enough information and critical detail for a colleague to understand the implications for teaching.
- A detailed annotated procedure for students to carry out the experiment. The annotation should provide information for another teacher to be able to implement the experiment successfully. Include a Risk Assessment to identify strategies you would use to ensure student safety.
- You will need to perform the experiment yourself. Include the set of results you recorded and an explanation of the Science that underpins the experiment. Include both conceptual and procedural knowledge. Discuss the strategies you would use to ensure students developed appropriate understandings.
- Consider how you could challenge students to use their experience with the experiment to identify and investigate a different but related question. Indicate how you structure the classroom environment to support inclusive participation and engagement in the investigation.
- Justify the position of this task within the curriculum with reasoning for its inclusion in an assessment profile for reporting.
APST: 1.2, 2.1, 2.2, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 4.1, 4.4
Submission guidelines
Please use the Turnitin Submission link on Blackboard to upload your task as a Word document. Ideally, 11pt font with 1.5 line spacing.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
Late submission
A penalty of 1 grade for each 24 hour period from time submission is due will apply for up to 7 days. After 7 days you will receive a mark of 0.
Evaluating an Inquiry Unit of Work
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Essay/ Critique
- Weight
- 30% 2000 words
- Due date
25/09/2025 2:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06
Task description
Ideally, all resources we use in the Primary Science classroom effectively promote student engagement and understanding. In this task, you will analyse an existing unit of work that you will evaluate against the Australian Curriculum: Science in a CoRe Matrix, using the perspective of Constructive Alignment, which ensures coherence between learning outcomes, teaching strategies and assessment.
NOTE: Academic, professional, and personal literacies are expected in all aspects of the response.
Part 1
- You will critique a unit of work to develop a CoRe Matrix.
- The CoRe matrix provides a holistic representation of a sequential unit of work, which acknowledges student prior knowledge, possible misconceptions, strategies and assessment possibilities that promote student learning. [The Matrix template will be provided and modelled in class.]
- Anything taken directly from the resource should be in italics.
- Reflect on the value of critiquing a unit in this manner.
Part 2
- Identify a possible misconception (naïve theory) from the unit. Design a teaching procedure that would allow you to identify and address the misconception for a diverse group of students.
APST: 2.3, 3.1, 3.2, 3.4, 3.6, 5.1
Submission guidelines
Please use the Turnitin Submission link on Blackboard to upload your task as one combined Word document (CoRe Matrix table and reflection). Ideally, 11pt font with 1.5 line spacing.
The template will not count towards the total word count of your assignment.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
Late submission
A penalty of 1 grade for each 24 hour period from time submission is due will apply for up to 7 days. After 7 days you will receive a mark of 0.
Teaching a Science Concept: Part 1
- Hurdle
- Identity Verified
- In-person
- Mode
- Activity/ Performance
- Category
- Presentation
- Weight
- 20 minute presentation
- Due date
28/10/2025
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06
Task description
As a group, you will select a Science concept to teach to your peers. In an expert group of three (3), you will research and develop a 20-minute lesson for your class. The lesson will be filmed. The content is to be consistent with the Australian Curriculum: Science. Your presentation should be based on the Engage, Explore and Explain phases of the 5Es framework and include appropriate content, as well as a range of verbal and non-verbal communication strategies to support active engagement and enhance student understanding of the science involved and assessment for learning. The focus is on developing Pedagogical Content Knowledge and direct teaching strategies that provide clarity of intent. You are also required to engage with questions from your tutor and peers.
Important information about group work
You will receive a single group mark for this task, as all group members should contribute equally to the design and delivery of the assessment task. However, exceptions can be made in the event of one or more group members engaging in ‘social loafing’ (also known as ‘free-riding’):
Free riding is a form of social loafing seen in a group when one or more members slack off and ‘ride’ on the extra efforts of their co-workers (Walker & Angelo, 1998).
If your small group is experiencing dysfunction, including ‘social loafing’ by one or more members, it is your responsibility to bring this promptly to the attention of your tutor / course coordinator, who will then support the group to resolve the problems in a respectful way. If no resolution can be found, the tutor / course coordinator can take steps, including the removal of the non-contributing student/s from the group and requiring the student/s to complete the task either individually or in another small group with other ‘social loafers’.
Hurdle requirements
A grade of pass/fail will be awarded for this task. The implications of this pass/fail task should be taken extremely seriously: should your group fail this piece of assessment, you will fail the course, regardless of the grades you are awarded for your other assessment tasks.Submission guidelines
Presentation will occur during class time in Week 13.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 7 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
This hurdle task must be undertaken prior to the completion of assessment task 4: part 2.
Teaching a Science Concept: Part 2
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Essay/ Critique, Reflection
- Weight
- 40% 2500 words
- Due date
10/11/2025 2:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06
Task description
After your teaching event, you will receive specific feedback from several peers. You will also have access to the video recording of your presentation.
The written task is made up of three (3) parts indicated:
- A lesson plan including links to the Australian Curriculum: Science, appropriate goals, resources (including one online resource) and background notes (brief) (group development; approx. 500 words);
- Reflection:
- a personal critical review of the mini-lesson acknowledging the contribution of your peers to your learning and arguing the strengths and tensions of inquiry-based learning (800 words; individual);
- consideration for strategies you will use to ensure students engage with your identified online resource in a safe, responsible and ethical way (200 words; individual);
- Statement of Science teaching philosophy and reflection on professional learning: What are your beliefs and values for this curriculum area? How could they apply to students, their parents/carers and the wider community? Can you identify various relevant and appropriate sources of professional learning and articulate their relevance for your future teaching practice? What kind of ongoing professional learning will you need to improve student learning and your teaching of Science? Draw on the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers to identify particular professional learning needs to improve your practice. (1000 words: individual)
APST: 1.2, 3.1, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 4.5, 6.1, 6.2
Submission guidelines
Please use the Turnitin Submission link on Blackboard to upload your task as a Word document. Ideally, 11pt font with 1.5 line spacing.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Late submission
A penalty of 1 grade for each 24 hour period from time submission is due will apply for up to 7 days. After 7 days you will receive a mark of 0.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Description |
|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Fails to satisfy all of the basic requirements: submissions that lack appropriate references, relevance, coherence, organisation and length. |
| 2 (Fail) |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Fails to satisfy most of the basic requirements. |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes Course grade description: Fails to satisfy some of the basic requirements: submissions that lack appropriate references and relevance, or appropriate coherence, organisation and length. |
| 4 (Pass) |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Satisfies all of the basic requirements: some use of fundamental concepts, some use of references, basically keeping to the topic; some elaboration of ideas and arguments, some degree of coherence and organisation and appropriate length; demonstrates sufficient quality of performance to be considered satisfactory or adequate or competent or capable with respect to explaining the significance and implications of the topic. |
| 5 (Credit) |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Demonstrates ability to use and apply fundamental concepts of the topics, going beyond mere replication of ideas from source materials to show understanding of key ideas, awareness of their relevance, analysis of implications and drawing of conclusions. |
| 6 (Distinction) |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Demonstrates awareness and understanding and subtler aspects of the topics, such as identifying and debating critical issues or problems, applying ideas to practical situations in schools, and offering insightful commentary, implications and conclusions. |
| 7 (High Distinction) |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Demonstrates imagination, originality or flair, based on proficiency in all the learning objectives for the course; work is interesting or surprising or exciting or challenging or erudite. |
Additional course grading information
This course includes one pass/fail task. The implications of this task should be taken extremely seriously: as a hurdle task, you must pass this task to complete the course.ﾠ
Determining final grades:ﾠThe final grades are determined by consideration of the weighting of individual assessment items, through the use of weighting formula and the profile of individual grades across accumulated assessment tasks.
Three assessment pieces in the course will be provided a grade out of 7 and one assessment piece will be pass/fail. The final grade will be calculated using the weighting and the individual assignment grades as follows.
Example:ﾠA student receives the following three grades for the graded tasks, and a pass on the pass/fail task:
Assignment 1: Pass
Assignment 2: grade of 6 at 30% weighting
Assignment 3: grade of 5 at 30% weighting
Assignment 4a: Pass
Assignment 4b: grade ofﾠ6 at 40% weighting
The final grade for this student taking into account the weighting of each assignment would be:
ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ(A2) +ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ(A3) +ﾠ ﾠ ﾠ (A4b)
(0.3 x 6) + (0.3 x 5) + (0.4 x 6) = 1.8 + 1.5 + 2.4 = 5.7
The final grade would be rounded up to the nearest whole number; in this case the grade would be 6.
In the case where the final grade is 0.5 or above, the grade will be rounded up to the nearest whole number (e.g. 5.5 would become 6). In the case where the final grade is 0.49 or below, the grade will be rounded down to the nearest whole number (e.g. 6.49 would become 6).
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Additional assessment information
The following applies to all assessments in this course:ﾠﾠ
Marking criteria and/or marking rubrics are available in the 'Assessment' folder in Blackboard for this course.
Release of assessment item marks and feedback
In addition to the grade awarded, feedback will be provided in a timely manner to enable students to apply the feedback to further tasks within the course or program and/or plan for supplementary assessment, requests for re-mark, or re-enrolment. However, as per UQ Policy and Procedures Library under the Assessment Policy, results for the final assessment item are to be released only after the final grade for the course has been released. Time frames for applications for assessment re-mark are indicated under the Assessment Procedure.
Re-mark policy
After each assessable item, students will be given the opportunity to view their assessment and so satisfy themselves that a marking or administrative error has not occurred. The formal process of querying a course result (requesting a remark on academic grounds) is set out in the UQ Policy and Procedures Library under the Assessment Procedure.
Use of AI/MT to support or inform assessment
This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use AI and/or MT technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance.
A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
To pass this assessment, students will be required to demonstrate detailed comprehension of their written submission independent of AI and MT tools.
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.
Additional learning resources information
Other learning resources will be uploaded to the Blackboard site throughout the course.
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Multiple weeks From Week 1 To Week 2 |
Lecture |
Module 1: Teaching Science The introductory module will provide an overview of the importance and challenges of teaching science to primary-age students in an increasingly STEM-oriented world. Models of curriculum and pedagogy will be explored in advance of first-hand experience in schools. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06 |
Multiple weeks From Week 3 To Week 4 |
Lecture |
Module 2: Chemical Sciences Understanding the composition and behaviour of matter begins at the macro level using the 5 senses. The chemical and physical properties of substances are determined by their structure at an atomic scale: substances change, and new substances are produced by rearranging atoms through atomic interactions and energy transfer. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06 |
Multiple weeks From Week 5 To Week 6 |
Lecture |
Module 3: Physical Sciences Understanding the nature of forces and motion, as well as matter and energy, goes beyond biologically primary knowledge required to survive and into the more abstract biologically secondary knowledge where we can visualise the invisible and build models, theories, and rules. Children experience push and pull, energy ups and downs and differences in the properties of materials, but only at the macroscopic level. To understand the abstract, they need hands-on examples of force, motion and energy transfer in their world. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06 |
Multiple weeks From Week 7 To Week 8 |
Lecture |
Module 4: Biological Sciences This module is about understanding living things. A diverse range of living things have evolved on Earth over hundreds of millions of years. Living things are interdependent and interact with each other and their environment. The form and features of living things are related to their body systems' functions. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06 |
Multiple weeks From Week 9 To Week 13 |
Lecture |
Module 5: Earth and Space Sciences The Science Understanding: Earth and Space Sciences tends to bounce between space and our planet, so we will take a week to look at space and include some early human endeavours to make sense of the sky and beyond. Following the mid-semester break and placement weeks, we dive into the second week, which brings us back to Earth to explore sudden and long-term changes that affect our land and oceans. This module aligns with the Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander Curriculum resources that follow three themes: Astronomy, Water and Fire. The final week of the course is given for presentation of mini-lessons. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06 |
Mid Sem break (29 Sep - 05 Oct) |
No student involvement (Breaks, information) |
Mid-Semester Break Week of 29 September - 3 October |
Multiple weeks From Week 10 To Week 11 |
No student involvement (Breaks, information) |
Break for professional experience placement No classes scheduled while undertaking professional experience (placement) in an accompanying course. |
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments for Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.
You'll also need to be aware of the following policies and procedures while completing this course: