| CODE | EER5103 | ||||||
| TITLE | Transformative Pedagogies | ||||||
| UM LEVEL | 05 - Postgraduate Modular Diploma or Degree Course | ||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 7 | ||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 5 | ||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Centre for Environmental Education and Research | ||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit will start with familiarising students with different transformative pedagogies: feminist pedagogy; critical pedagogy; eco-justice pedagogy; their subsequent critiques of education and the different ways of knowing they support. The impact these pedagogies have on curriculum development and structure and the relation of power and knowledge will be explored. The study-unit will also enable students to familiarise themselves with constructivism, how it evolved in the recent past and how it has permeated and influenced education and learning. In particular, it will consider how ESD educators can benefit from these changes. Students will be able to reflect on and discuss the theoretical work that constructivists have presented and how this was translated into novel classroom practices. Such practices support ESD principles and include teaching strategies that develop and encourage students' thinking making them more aware and critical of what is happening around them. Study-unit Aims Students following this study unit will be familiarised with: • a variety of transformative pedagogies and their impact on the curriculum; • the theoretical ideas linked with the field of constructivism; • how constructivism has supported educators in understanding better students’ learning; • how constructivism can help citizens to be more critical in evaluating current events and how these events can effect their lives and the lives of others; • insights that can motivate them as educators to review their own epistemology and ultimately their teaching strategies when promoting education for sustainable development; and • techniques that actively engage pupils such that pupils own and internalise the learning experience. Learning Outcomes 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: • identify the major characteristics of the major transformative pedagogies; • explain the impact the major transformative pedagogies have on ESD and curricula; • list and critically discuss the different forms of constructivism; • explain how constructivism can support students’ thinking and their learning; • identify the challenges which educators would encounter when making use of a constructivist approach to their teaching to promote ESD in the Maltese set up; and • plan lessons/activities that encourage reflection and inquiry justifying the decisions and choices made by applying theory and evidence from research about strengths and limitations of teaching methods available. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: • write lesson plans for a given topic consisting of a series of learning activities, using a variety of resources and teaching techniques that encourage reflection and student involvement; • design curriculum material based on constructivist ideas which they may use in promoting ESD; and • design tasks that will help students to reflect on values of justice, equity,tolerance, sufficiency and responsibility. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings A students' pack will be provided containing the following documents/papers: Bencze, J.L. (2000) Democratic constructivist science education: enabling egalitarian literacy and self-actualization. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 32(6), 847-865. Bodzin A.M. et al. (2010) (eds.) The inclusion of environmental education in science teacher education, New York, Springer. Duncan, S. et al. (2004) Thinking skills through science. Cambridge, Chris Kington Publishing. Nussbaum, J. (1989) Classroom conceptual change: philosophical perspectives. International Journal of Science Education, 11(5), 530-540. Phillips, D.C. (1995) The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: The Many Faces of Constructivism. Educational Researcher, 24(7), 5-12. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture | ||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Charles G. Bonello Josette Farrugia Paul J. Pace |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2023/4. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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