From the program director
Welcome. On behalf of the Education Studies team, I am pleased to you have chosen the Faculty of Education and Social Work at the University of Sydney for your undergraduate degree.
We hope your time with us will be stimulating, productive and enjoyable. Education Studies is the common core of the Bachelor of Education, regardless of what stream or teaching area students undertake. It delivers units of study to each year of the degree. It also provides its units of study to students in other faculties who have an interest in education.
Students who have completed the units of study that comprise the Education 1, 2, 3 and 4 programs should, by the time they graduate, have developed at the least a fair understanding of a number of important issues relevant to the processes of education in our society.
Collectively, the units are not only meant to provide a foundation for professional practice, they are also useful for students interested in understanding educational phenomena from other points of view – such as the needs of an informed citizenship or the requirements for good policy making.
The units in each year are described in detail under the menus at the left of this page.
I look forward to your studies with us and hope you enjoy your association with the University, the faculty and the program in which you are enrolled, taking with you when you graduate a wealth of knowledge and experiences that will be helpful for the years to come.
Good fortune in your studies.
Associate Professor Deb Hayes
The Education 1 program comprises two units of study, one in each semester. Semester One provides an introduction to teachers and teaching, and education in general while Semester Two is devoted to human development and education, focusing on children and adolescents.
In Education 2, the Semester One unit is Educational Psychology (EDUF2006). Its focus is learning, critical thinking, problem solving, motivation, and technologically supported learning. Semester Two is devoted to a mainly sociological understanding of the education process in our society. It also looks at issues associated with globalisation and their effect on education.
The Education 3 program is made up of a number of Options and one compulsory unit, Positive Approaches to Special Education (EDUF3031). This compulsory study is required by employers of teachers in NSW. The other two unit is freely chosen except that HMHE students are required to enrol in the Education 3 unit, Sport: Contemporary Educational Issues (EDUF3023).
Education 3 Options develop in more detail some of the issues raised in Education 1 and 2. In some BEd programs Education 3 Options may undertaken in Year 2 or Year 4.
Reading and Designing Research (EDUF4044), which is offered in Semester Two, is compulsory for most BEd students who are not undertaking honours. This unit is designed to provide students with skills needed to interpret and apply education research after entering the education workforce. It also provides students with some basic strategies to conduct research projects on areas which may impact on their own teaching, curriculum area, or school community. As the faculty handbook states:
Units of study in Education encourage depth of understanding, flexibility, and critical and constructive thinking on diverse approaches to educational issues. In addition, organised research training aims to develop skills in systematic enquiry and reflective practices. These skills and knowledges are essential for learning and teaching related professions.