ECL761 - Teaching English: Middle Years
Unit details
| Year | 2026 unit information |
|---|---|
| Enrolment modes: | Trimester 1: Burwood (Melbourne), Online |
| Credit point(s): | 1 |
| EFTSL value: | 0.125 |
| Unit Chair: | Trimester 1: Joanna O'Mara |
| Cohort rule: | This unit is only available to students enrolled in D303, E377, E762, E763, E765, E779 |
| Prerequisite: | D303 students: must have passed 24 credit points of study at levels 1, 2 & 3 with a minimum WAM of 60% E763.3 or E765 students: EEE754 plus 1 unit from EEE755, EEE756, EPR721, EPR731, EPR751, EPR781 |
| Corequisite: | E762 course students must pass co-req unit EPR724 or EPR784 E765 course students must pass co-req unit EPR754 or EPR784 |
| Incompatible with: | Nil |
| Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - on-campus unit enrolment: | 1 x 3-hour class comprising: 1 x 1-hour lecture |
| Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - online unit enrolment: | 1 x 1-hour online lecture per week 1 x 2-hour online seminar per week |
| Typical study commitment: | Students will on average spend 150-hours over the teaching period undertaking the teaching, learning and assessment activities for this unit. This will include educator guided online learning activities within the unit site. |
Content
This unit focuses on the practices of being a secondary subject English teacher with a focus on Years 7-10. Underpinned by research, pedagogical approaches, and issues in the teaching of English curriculum are examined. Pre-service teachers learn the art of how to bring the English curriculum to life and create a dialogic classroom where they develop their students’ skills in speaking, listening, reading, viewing, and writing. This learning is set within a framework that invites pre-service teachers into the subject English teaching community, examines English curricular models and historical and current external influences on the English curriculum. Pre-service teachers undertake a detailed study of approaches to sequenced lesson planning in Years 7-10 English; develop agility to adapt these plans in practice; utilise their knowledge of literature studies and linguistics to develop their teaching practices; learn the theory of and practise teaching and crafting writing across genres (including creative, argumentative, persuasive and text response); experience approaches to teaching, reading, analysing and engaging young adults with a variety of texts; and critical thinking, textual framing and intertextuality. Subject specific approaches to assessment and reporting of the wide-ranging requirements of subject English are examined. The field of subject English is set beyond the school and pre-service teachers connect with the state/national subject English teacher association and examine the broader issues impacting subject English curriculum over time. Pre-service teachers develop their identities as subject English teachers and are encouraged to come to an understanding of their own views and beliefs and how they align with the current requirements.
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 | Curriculum: Critically reflect on professional practices and theory to develop sophisticated Years 7-10 subject English curriculum in accordance with state curriculum documents (including embedding the cross-curriculum Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Culture priority, language and learning principles and the individual, diverse needs of students and schools). | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities |
| ULO2 | Pedagogy: Demonstrate, analyse, synthesise, and critically reflect upon current teaching practices and students' learning in the curriculum area of secondary subject English Demonstrate highly effective interpersonal, oral, written, and digital communication skills. | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities GLO2: Communication |
| ULO3 | Assessment: Identify, analyse, evaluate, apply and critique a range of assessment practices related to teaching English (diagnostic, formative, summative). Apply a range of feedback strategies. | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities GLO2: Communication GLO4: Critical thinking GLO8: Global citizenship |
| ULO4 | Resourcing: Engage with professional and academic research and resources that ensures that perspectives and remain informed, diverse, and aligned with evolving contemporary practices in teaching English. | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities GLO4: Critical thinking GLO5: Problem solving |
| ULO5 | Evaluation: Effectively evaluate approaches to teaching and learning in English. Articulate a sophisticated and nuanced framework that integrates both a critical reflection of own practices and engagement with professional teaching communities. | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities GLO2: Communication GLO4: Critical thinking GLO5: Problem solving |
Assessment
| Assessment Description | Student output | Grading and weighting (% total mark for unit) | Indicative due week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment 1: Argue, Create, Persuade: The Art of Teaching and Crafting Writing | 2500 words or equivalent | 50% | Week 5 |
| Assessment 2: Read, Analyse, Respond: Teaching and Engaging With Texts | 2500 words equivalent | 50% | Week 12 |
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
The texts and reading list for ECL761 can be found via the University Library.
Note: Select the relevant trimester reading list.
Please note that a future teaching period's reading list may not be available until a month prior to the start of that teaching period so you may wish to use the relevant trimester's prior year reading list as a guide only.
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.