Inherent Requirements

Definition

Ethical behaviour describes students’ capacity to comply with professional standards, while being accountable and responsible for ensuring ethical behaviour in all contexts. (APST 7.1)

 

Descriptors

Students demonstrate:

• Knowledge of, and engage in, behaviour consistent with all relevant standards. (APST 7)
• Understanding of the relevant issues and the strategies available to support the safe, responsible and ethical use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in learning and teaching. (APST 4.5)
  
   

Justification

Students’ compliance with the Standards facilitates safe, competent interactions and relationships with people to ensure their physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual wellbeing is not placed at risk.

Definition

Legal knowledge describes the capacity to understand that initial teacher education courses are mandated by specific legislation and regulation that require students to comply with professional accreditation and professional field experience obligations.

Descriptors

Students demonstrate:

• 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.
• Understanding of relevant legislative and organisational policies and processes required for teachers according to year level.

Justification

Knowledge, understanding, and compliance with legislative and regulatory requirements are necessary pre-requisites to professional and field 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.

Definition

Professional knowledge describes the capacity to demonstrate in-depth knowledge and understanding of social, physical and intellectual development of school students, their individual characteristics and how these may affect learning.

Descriptors

Students demonstrate:

• Relevant knowledge of the central concepts, modes of enquiry, research based knowledge and structure of the content. (APST1.2)
• Knowledge of the typical stages of student’s intellectual, physical and social development as well as an awareness of exceptions to general patterns. (APST1.1)
• Knowledge of a range of strategies for teaching to meet the needs of all students from diverse backgrounds. (APST 2.5; 2.6)
   

Justification

Students need to demonstrate that they have the capacity to acquire a wide professional knowledge base of teaching methods and individual student’s characteristics and needs.

Definition

Psychological functioning describes the capacity to consistently adapt effectively to all arising sensitive and sometimes complex situations in educational settings.

 

Descriptors

Students demonstrate:

• Psychological functioning to work constructively in diverse and challenging academic and educational environments. (APST 4.1, 4.3, 6.3)
• Consistency in responding appropriately to children, young people and family’s needs in stressful and challenging situations. (APST 7.4)
• Capacity to self-evaluate and reflect upon own practice, feelings, beliefs and consequences of these for individuals and groups. (APST 6.3, 6.4)

Justification

Psychological functioning is required to work in changing and unpredictable environments. Students will be exposed to complex and stressful situations that require objective and professional management.

Definition

Describes the ability to build meaningful relationships and work effectively and sensitively in educational and community settings

Descriptors

Students demonstrate:

• The ability to work effectively, sensitively and confidentially with children, young people, parents/carers and community members. (APST 7.4; 3.7)
• The ability to create rapport with peers, academic and professional staff conducive to effective working relationships. (APST 6.3)
• Cultural competence, sensitivity and willingness to work with individual children and young people in a complex and diverse Australian society. (APST 2.4)

Justification

The ability to engage with school students, parents and work colleagues appropriately and with sensitivity is required and demonstrated through acknowledging diverse backgrounds and ability with respect in a variety of social contexts.

Effective engagement is a crucial requirement for the achievement of productive interpersonal relationships for teachers.

Definition

Sustainable performance describes the capacity to perform both mental and physical tasks over appropriate time frames to meet both academic and professional practice course requirements.

Descriptors

Students demonstrate:

• 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, field, or professional experience.
   

Justification

In order to provide a safe learning environment, the ability to demonstrate physical and mental endurance is an essential requirement for the performance of multiple tasks in varying periods of time to provide safe and effective participation in all teaching, field, and professional experience activities.

Definition

Verbal Communication describes the capacity to communicate clearly and effectively through conversation, both professionally and socially with students, parents and fellow professionals.


 

Descriptors

Students demonstrate:

• Effective verbal communication at formal and informal levels in tutorials, with peers and lecturers/tutors, including speaking in front of small and large groups. (APST 3.5)
• The ability to provide clear instructions and presentation of ideas to individuals and large groups relevant to the learning context. (APST 4.2)
• The capacity to use verbal language in a range of different social situations with children and adults during professional and field experience. This includes speaking in front of a group of either peers or school students. (APST 7.3)
• The ability to communicate effectively with diverse linguistic and cultural groups and individuals across a range of social contexts. (APST 2.4)
• 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 and field experience. (APST 2.6)

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.

Definition

Aural communication describes the transmission of information through the auditory sensory system, i.e. speaking and hearing. It includes paralinguistic communication to convey meaning. Paralinguistic communication describes pitch, loudness, rate and fluency.

Descriptors

Students demonstrate:

• Sufficient aural function to perform and comprehend the required range of tasks. (APST 4.1)
• Active listening in tutorials and lectures with tutors, lecturers and peers and during professional and field experience with families and children. (APST 4.2)
• Appropriate use of ICTs that support aural communication with individuals and small groups for learning and assessment purposes and during professional and field experience, such as audio-visual equipment and mobile phones and technologies. (APST 2.6; 4.5)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
   

Justification

The use of effective aural communication is required to engage formally and informally in tutorials with peers and lecturers/tutors in small and large groups and during professional and field experience in a range of different social situations with children and adults. (APST 3.3).

Empathy and active listening are required in diverse social and linguistic contexts.

Definition

Non-Verbal Communication describes situation where communication occurs through body language, such as behavioural cues, gestures and eye contact.
 

Descriptors

Students demonstrate:

• The capacity to recognise, interpret and respond appropriately to behavioural cues and gestures.
• Consistent and appropriate awareness of own behaviours.
• Sensitivity to individual differences. (APST 1.6)

Justification

In order to build rapport in academic, work and professional relationships, the ability to observe and understand non-verbal cues is essential.

The ability to maintain consistent and appropriate facial expressions and eye contact (where appropriate), promotes the trust and respect necessary for good interpersonal relationships.

Safe and effective initial teacher education requires the capacity to observe, interpret and respond appropriately to non-verbal communication, particularly in situations where children may not be able to verbalise distress, discomfort or fear. (APST 3.5).

For children who do not talk or use verbal language their gestures and cues are their main communication tool. (APST 1.6)

Definition

Students demonstrate the capacity to construct and model coherent written communication appropriate to the circumstance, such as in professional classroom practice, in tutorials or writing of essays.

Descriptors

Written communication describes the capacity to convey meaning through written information by using correct spelling and grammar.





 

Justification

The ability to construct a range of written assignments is an essential requirement. Adherence to ethical and academic standards is required in order to convey knowledge and understanding of relevant content and pedagogy in curriculum materials and professional practice.

The production of accurate, responsive and diligent reports, student profiles, record keeping, lesson material, curriculum plans, assessment tasks and evaluations are essential components for an effective learning environment.

The effective use of a range of texts, including those that are written, screen-based, image- based, sign/symbol-based are necessary to communicate meaning, directions and imagination in each of the courses offered by the Faculty of Education.

Definition

Describes the capacity to understand, analyse and synthesise information to apply knowledge of theory and apply the skills of reasoning and understanding in literacy, numeracy, information and communication technology (ICT).

Descriptors

Students demonstrate:

• Consistent and effective cognitive skills in order to provide safe, professional and competent teaching practice.
• 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

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

Definition

Describes the capacity to apply conventional knowledge and theory of literacy in English language.


 

Descriptors

Students demonstrate:

• Competent English language and literacy skills for professional and effective delivery of teaching content.
• The ability to accurately acquire information and convey appropriate messages.
• The 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 read, decode, interpret and comprehend multiple sources of information is fundamental for effective preparation and teaching practice.

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

All entrants to initial teacher education will successfully demonstrate their capacity to engage effectively with a rigorous higher education program and to carry out the intellectual demands of teaching itself. To achieve this it is expected that applicants’ levels of personal literacy should be broadly equivalent to those in the top 30% of the population.

Standard 3: Program entrants (APST 3.1)

Definition

Describes the capacity to apply conventional knowledge and theory of numeracy and its application in teaching.

 

Descriptors

Students demonstrate:

• Application of knowledge and understanding of effective teaching strategies to support students’ numeracy achievement.
• Correct interpretation and application of data, measurements and numerical criteria in a range of contexts.

Justification

The effective application of numeracy skills is a basic requirement for proficiency in teaching.

All entrants to initial teacher education will successfully demonstrate their capacity to engage effectively with a rigorous higher education program and to carry out the intellectual demands of teaching itself. To achieve this it is expected that applicants’ levels of personal numeracy should be broadly equivalent to those in the top 30% of the population.

Standard 3: Program entrants (APST 3.2)

Definition

Describes the capacity to use information and communication technologies (ICT) in processes that are fundamental to accessing course content, current teaching practice, and pedagogical practice.

Descriptors

Students demonstrate:

• Knowledge of, and confidence in, the use of ICT in academic, professional and curriculum contexts. (APST 2.6)
• Effective implementation of teaching strategies for using ICT to expand curriculum learning opportunities. (APST 2.5; 3.4)

Justification

ICT has become an essential part of the teaching and learning process and is necessary to provide an effective teaching and learning environment consistent with contemporary pedagogy.

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

Definition

Describes the capacity to have adequate visual acuity to provide safe and effective supervision of children and young people in a range of educational and community settings. (APST 1.6)

Descriptors

Students demonstrate:

• Perform the range of skills associated with the practice of teaching. (APST 4.1)
• Monitor children and young people’s behaviour and safety. (APST 4.2)
  
   

Justification

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

Definition

Describes the hearing ability to provide safe and effective supervision of children as well as engage in interpersonal communication at all levels of teaching and learning.

Descriptors

Students demonstrate:

• To effectively participate in learning activities and the range of skills associated with practice teaching.
• For effective interaction with children to provide safe supervision in all educational and community settings.

Justification

Functional hearing ability is a basic requirement and is essential for participation in all areas of teaching and learning and is a fundamental requirement for teaching practice.

Definition

Describes the ability to use large body movements (gross motor skills) to participate in all movement and physical activities in educational and community settings.

Descriptors

Students demonstrate the ability to move and perform gross motor function required within the range of teaching practice with particular relevance to physical education.

Justification

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

It is an APST requirement that educators are able to undertake a wide range of physical tasks and classroom routines. Meeting these requirements is necessary for course accreditation and eligibility for registration.

Definition

Describes the ability to use fine body muscles and manual dexterity (fine motor skills) to participate in all fine movement physical activities in educational and community settings.

Descriptors

Students demonstrate 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 an APST requirement that educators are able to undertake a wide range of fine motor tasks and classroom routines.