The Bachelor of Science/Bachelor of Teaching (BSc/BTch) course is for those wanting to teach in Christian, independent and state school systems in both Australia and overseas. Avondale's BSc/BTch is a highly practical degree that is designed to provide you with the necessary knowledge and skills for a career in secondary science and mathematics teaching.
This course is designed to be specific for teaching areas and electives from within the Science related teaching fields.
At Avondale you are given the opportunity to complete one of your professional teaching experiences in a developing country. In the past this has taken teams of Avondale students to Cambodia, India, Nepal and The Kingdom of Tonga.
If you want to combine your love for Science and Mathematics you can choose from the following Science related teaching areas:
You can graduate with the ability to teach in two Science related teaching areas by completing a double major or major and minor selected from the above list.
GENERAL ADMISSION CRITERIA
To qualify for admission, you must meet one of the following criteria:
Applicants with higher education study
^You must pass at least two units/subjects. Show cause is required if you failed 50% or more overall.
Applicants with vocational education and training (VET) study
Applicants with work and life experience
Applicants with recent secondary education (within the past two years)
Applicants with overseas qualifications
SPECIFIC ADMISSION CRITERIA
You must complete and submit a Personal Statement for Initial Teaching Training for the course convenor to assess.
If you plan to study any of the following secondary teaching areas, you must meet the relevant criteria for admission:
Chemisty
Mathematics
Physics
POST ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
The post-admission requirements for this degree are listed below. For more information, refer to the post admission requirements for Education.
ADVANCED STANDING
Applicants with an Australian Qualifications Framework AQF Level 5 qualification or higher in a cognate area may be eligible for advanced standing (credit recognition).
ENGLISH LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS
International applicants must demonstrate English language proficiency in one of the ways outlined in Appendix 2 of the Admission to Higher Education Undergraduate Courses Policy.
Course duration: Four years full-time (or part-time equivalent)
Study mode: On-campus with distance education available for some units
Maximum time to complete: 10 years
The BSc/BTch course is designed to successfully prepare secondary teachers by combining studies in science and mathematics with studies in education. It consists of thirty-two 6 credit point units (192 credit points) studied over eight semesters full-time or the equivalent part-time. A full year of discipline units is completed prior to the first scheduled professional teaching experience to ensure teachers have adequate knowledge to successfully complete their first teaching experience. The course composition is set out below.
The course structure is based on eight semesters (each of 13 weeks in duration), with four units normally taught in each semester.
The course is comprised of:
Secondary Students within the BSc/BTch normally complete their discipline units as shown below:
Double Major
6 x Units to make up a major in one area of study
6 x Units to make up a major in another area of study
1 x Science Elective Units (depending on combination of major and minor chosen)
1 x Core Mathematics Unit (Students doing a Mathematics major or minor replace this core with a second elective)
Major and Minor
6 x Units to make up a major in one area of study
4 x Units to make up a minor in a second area of study
3 x Science Elective Units (depending on combination of major and minor chosen)
1 x Core Mathematics Unit (Students doing a Mathematics major or minor replace this core with a fourth elective)
TEACHING FIELDS
The following major and minor teaching fields are available in the BSc/BTch degree:
Majors
Minors
Unit Sequence
Year | Semester | Suggested Units | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1 | Discipline Unit | Discipline Unit | WHPE10101 Foundations of Wellbeing | EDUC13101 Developing Your Core Competencies |
2 | Discipline Unit | Discipline Unit | EDUC10102 Child Development & Learning | EDUC20100 Exploring a Christian Worldview | |
2 | 1 | Discipline Unit | Discipline Unit | EDUC23100 Introduction to Teaching | EDUC23102 Learning, Assessment & ICT in the Australian Curriculum |
Professional Teaching Experience I (July - 15 days associated with EDUC23100) | |||||
2 | Discipline Unit | Discipline Unit | EDUC351xx Curriculum & Pedagogical Studies - ______________ (Stage 4/5 units offered every even year) | EDUC351xx Curriculum & Pedagogical Studies - ______________ (Stage 4/5 units offered every even year) | |
3 | Professional Teaching Experience II (February - 10 days associated with EDUC20104) | ||||
1 | Discipline Unit | Discipline Unit | EDUC20104 Indigenous Education | EDUC23101 Managing the Secondary Classroom | |
Professional Teaching Experience III (July - 15 days associated with EDUC23101) | |||||
2 | Discipline Unit | Discipline Unit | EDUC351xx Curriculum & Pedagogical Studies - ______________ (Stage 6 units offered every odd year) |
EDUC351xx Curriculum & Pedagogical Studies - ______________ (Stage 6 units offered every odd year) | |
4 | |||||
1 | Discipline Unit | Discipline Unit | EDUC33101 Promoting Health & Wellbeing in Schools | EDUC30101 Professional Development: Preparation for the Workplace | |
Professional Teaching Experience IV EDPX30001 (Mid Year - 40 Days associated with EDPX30001) | |||||
2 | EDUC30102 Students with Special Education Needs | EDUC30108 Educational Research & Diversity | EDUC30105 Exploring a Philosophy of Christian Education | EDPX30001 Professional Experience |
Secondary Teaching areas of study include:
Biology, Chemistry, Food Technology, Geography, Information Processes and Technology, Mathematics, Science.
Other teaching areas including Physics may be able to be completed within an Avondale degree via cross institutional study after consultation with the course convenor.
Components and Descriptions
Core Education Units
These units cover a range of current educational topics designed to prepare pre-service teachers to successfully teach young people. These units involve a variety of topics including: Classroom Management; Child Development and Learning; and Students with Special Education Needs.
Curriculum and Pedagogical Studies Units
These units provide pre-service teachers with the opportunity to apply quality-teaching principles to specific teaching areas. Literacy education, classroom safety, curriculum development, ICT and teaching strategies are each dealt with specifically for normally two chosen teaching areas.
Secondary Major
Students complete six units in one area of study to complete a major. It is possible to complete two majors within the BSc/BTch.
Secondary Minor
Students complete four units in a second area of study to complete a minor. Minors from other degrees may be available, subject to timetable constraints and with the approval of the Course Convenor of the Bachelor of Science/Bachelor of Teaching and the Course Convenor of the Bachelor of Science.
Science Elective Units
Students are able to choose up to four 6 credit point units in the discipline of science as electives.
Core Mathematics Unit
Students complete a mathematics core unit to provide essential background knowledge for other science units. Students completing a Mathematics major or minor replace this core unit with an additional elective.
Core Discipline Unit
All students complete Foundations of Wellbeing (WHPE10101).This unit is a core discipline unit for all Secondary students in a combined degree and provides students with a foundational understanding of holistic health.
Content of the Course of Study - All units are worth 6 Credit Points unless otherwise stated
Core Education Units
Secondary Curriculum and Pedagogical Studies Units
Within this course, students normally complete two content specific curriculum and pedagogical studies units per teaching area. These units will be offered on a two year rotation. The underlined units shown below will be offered every even year (For example 2022 & 2024) and the non-underlined units will be offered every odd year (For example 2023 & 2025).
Core Mathematics Unit
Core Discipline Unit
Biology Major
Students enrol in EDUC35121 and EDUC35104 in addition to these units:
Chemistry Major
Students enrol in EDUC35121 and EDUC35105 in addition to these units:
Food Technology Major units
Students enrol in EDUC35142 and EDUC35143 in addition to these units:
and one of the following units
Food Technology Minor units
Students enrol in EDUC35142 and EDUC35143 in addition to these units:
Geography Minor
Students enrol in EDUC35128 and EDUC35129 in addition to these units:
Information Processes and Technology Minor Units
Students enrol in EDUC35140 and EDUC35141 in addition to these units:
Mathematics Major
Students enrol in EDUC35132 and EDUC35133 in addition to these units:
Mathematics Minor
Students enrol in EDUC35132 and EDUC35133 in addition to these units:
Science Major
Students enrol in EDUC35121 and either EDUC35104 OR EDUC35105 in addition to these units:
Students need to do 80 days of professional Experience in schools over four sessions.
Professional Experience is a critical component of initial teacher education and offers pre-service teachers enrolled in teaching degrees work-integrated learning opportunities as part of their professional development. Avondale's Professional Experience program is based on a framework of high-quality Professional Experience in Australian schools to provide high-quality experiences that will equip pre-service teachers to face the challenges and diversity of classrooms. All mentor teachers for domestic Professional Experience placements are registered teachers at the Proficient level or higher of the Australian Institute of Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) standards.
Professional Experience placements occur regularly throughout all teaching degree programs at times listed in the course structure. It is the student's responsibility to be available at those times. Pre-service teachers may experience a range of school settings, including public and independent schools and one rural/regional school. Each school placement offers pre-service teachers the opportunity to apply their theoretical learning to real-life situations.
The student's responsibility is to transport to and from placement schools and accommodation and related costs.
In addition to the listed admission criteria, students will need the relevant Working With Children Check applicable to any Australian state where they choose to complete a placement. A supervised overseas placement may be allowable for one placement other than the final placement.
Students also need to be able to demonstrate their fitness for teaching. This means they can:
Students who cannot demonstrate their fitness for teaching will not be allowed to do school placements.
At the completion of the course students must be accredited with the state professional teaching body before practising in the classroom. In NSW it is New South Wales Education Standards Authority (NESA).
BSc/BTch graduates leave with the skills and potential to gain employment as a: