Assignment cover sheet

Note: (1) The attention of students is drawn to: the Academic Regulations, the Academic Honesty Policy and the
Assessment Policy, all of which are accessible via http://students.acu.edu.au/309246
(2) A de-identified copy of your assignment may be retained for University quality (audit) processes,
benchmarking or moderation.
Student ID Number/s:

Student Surname/s:

Given name/s:

S00126673

Star

Harriet Clare

Course: Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood/ Primary)

Unit code: EDFD 268

School: Education (Banyo)

Unit title: Teaching and Learning : Preparing for Contexts of the Field

th

th

Due date: 7 April 2014

Date submitted: 7 April 2014

Lecturer-in-Charge: Michele Endicott

Tutorial Group/Tutor: Thursday 11am / Michele Endicott

Assignment Title and/or number: Assignment 1: Essay on a sociological issue and its impact
DECLARATION OF ORIGINALITY
By submitting this assignment for assessment, I acknowledge and agree that:
1.
this assignment is submitted in accordance with the Universitys Academic Regulations, Assessment Policy
and Academic Honesty Policy. I also understand the serious nature of academic dishonesty (such as
plagiarism) and the penalties attached to being found guilty of committing such offences.
2.
no part of this assignment has been copied from any other source without acknowledgement of the source.
3.
no part of this assignment has been written by any other person, except to the extent of collaboration and/or
group work as defined in the unit outline.
4.
this assignment has not been recycled, using work substantially the same as work I have completed
previously and which has been counted towards satisfactory completion of another unit of study or credited
towards another qualification, unless the Lecturer in Charge has granted prior written consent to do so.
5.
a copy of the original assignment is retained by me and that I may be required to submit the original
assignment to the Lecturer in Charge upon request.
6.
the Lecturer-in-Charge may, for the purpose of assessing this assignment:
6.1. reproduce this assignment;
6.2. authorise the reproduction of this assignment;
6.3. provide a copy of this assignment to another member of the University; and/or
6.4. communicate, or authorise communication of, a copy of this assignment to a plagiarism checking
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checking.

Signature of student(s): ___________________________________________

Last updated:
Approved by:

June 2013
University Learning and Teaching Committee

Date: 7/4/2014

APPENDIX: ASSESSMENT RUBRICS (Criteria and Standards Sheets) for Assessments 1, 2 and 3
EDFD218/268 Assessment 1: Essay on a sociological issue & its impact
Standards

Students name:

Very High to High

Good to Satisfactory

Limited or Very Limited

Standard of Achievement

Standard of Achievement

Standard of Achievement

Criteria

Description of the
given sociological
issue & related issues

Very clear, concise

description of the given
issue and related issues

Clear, concise description

of the given issue and
related issues

Reasonably clear description of the given issue and the

related issues. Some ambiguity or inaccuracy in parts
and/or some irrelevant material introduced.

Description of the issue(s) is

often unclear. Omissions, inaccuracies or irrelevancies.

Minimal description of the

issue(s) and/or totally
irrelevant material is used.

Explanation of impact
on: (a) school and (b)
classroom interaction
(teacher behaviour) &
student learning

Comprehensive,
sophisticated explanation of
the impact of the issue in
both areas.

Very good explanation

covering most aspects of
the issue's impacts in both
areas

Satisfactory explanation, demonstrating some

understanding of the impacts in both areas, but few
insights are offered in one or other case.

Limited explanation. Little

apparent understanding of the
impact, in at least one of the
two areas.

Very limited explanation.

Impacts not clearly
understood in either of the
two areas.

Recommendation of
context-appropriate
teaching/learning
strategies

Strategies are highly

appropriate to context, cater
for diverse learning needs

Strategies are mostly

appropriate to context, to
specific learning needs

Some of the recommended strategies are appropriate to

the socio-cultural context and cater to learning needs,
taking account of the sociological issue & its impacts

Only one of the strategies is

appropriate to the context

No (appropriate) strategies
recommended

Evidence of research;
and synthesis of
sources

Information from 8 or more

quality sources synthesised
extremely effectively

Information from 5-7 very

good sources synthesised
reasonably well

Information from 3 or 4 quality sources synthesised to

some extent

Little evidence of synthesis

and/or only one quality source
used

No evidence of synthesis
and/or quality sources not
used

Written
communication
(structure, expression)

Extremely logical structure

with clear and accurate
expression

Structure mostly logical

with expression largely
clear and accurate

Some evidence of structure, with expression clear and

accurate in most parts. Some ambiguity occurs at times,
due to poor expression or punctuation.

Little structure; expression

unclear and inaccurate,
impeding comprehension

No discernible structure;
expression unclear, inaccurate/difficult to read

Referencing (APA
style, 6th edition)

Consistently appropriate,
accurate and effective

Mostly appropriate,
accurate and effective

Appropriate, accurate and effective to some extent;

several errors in Reference List or in-text references

Largely inappropriate, inaccurate and/or ineffective

Totally inappropriate,
inaccurate, ineffective

Rating:

A+

What is pleasing/impressive:

Page 21 of 23

A-

B+

B-

C+

C-

What needs improvement:

Version: ExtendedUnitOutline_2014

D+

D-

E+

E-

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Sociological issues and their impact in the classroom

Sociological issues within the classroom can greatly impact the learning capabilities of students
and also the way in which the teacher conducts their lessons while working around these issues.
The issues of low socio-economic status, geographic disadvantage from living in a poorly serviced
remote community and the ethnic disadvantage of being an Indigenous student can greatly impact
the way the classroom operates for both students and teachers. Low socio-economic status can
impact what resources a child and their family has access to this includes food, school uniforms,
books and stationary and also technology. Along with low socio-economic status, the geographic
disadvantage of living in a remote community can impact the way the children get access to the
school and how long it takes them to get to school and even whether they get breakfast in the
morning which can impact their learning during the day. Life as an Indigenous student can be a
difficult one in a classroom as their methods of learning can be different to those of their other
classmates and they can also be made to feel as though they dont belong by their peers
consciously or subconsciously and even teachers or other learning staff because of stereotypes
that may exist in the environment. There is a large gap in literacy and numeracy results and
education with Indigenous students which is an issue that needs to bee addressed not only in a
remote area but Australia-wide.
Socioeconomic status has a large effect on the lives of students not only individually but also their
peers. This essay will look partly at how low socio economic status students educations can be
affected and also how it affects their teachers and peers. Macquarie University (2014), defines low
socioeconomic status using the following definition, People from low SES backgrounds may
experience a range of social and economic disadvantages, such as low-quality living
environments, unemployment or underemployment of family members, limited access to
technological resources, poor health and discrimination.
Students from low socioeconomic backgrounds while there are several disadvantages that may
impact them such as the inability to gain access to other items their classmates may be able to
use or even something as simple as receiving help from their parents with their homework as their
parents may have a job where they are not home in the afternoons or they did not have a full
education or the ability to read and write (Klasen, 2000).
Geography certainly comes into play when living in a poorly serviced remote area such as a small
country town or Indigenous community as there is limited access to health, education and housing
(QCOSS, 2009). The definition given by the Australian Bureau of Statistics is, people living on
separate properties or in population clusters of less than 1,000 people (Australian Bureau of
Statistics [ABS], 1998). While there are advantages to living in a rural or remote community such
as, closer community links, increased safety, a more friendly, sharing and supportive community
(Stokes, Stafford & Holdsworth. 2002 p.12). Geographical location especially in a remote area can
impact negatively on a childs education such as the time it takes to get to school, wether they had
time to have breakfast before leaving home, their access to school supplies and uniforms because
of the possibility of low income and also the rate at which new teachers are brought into the school
(Jones, 2000).
Indigenous Australians make up a large population of Australia. To be an Indigenous Australian is
defined as, Membership of the Indigenous people depends on biological descent from the
Indigenous people and on mutual recognition of a particular persons membership by that person
and by the elders or other persons enjoying traditional authority among those people (Australian
Law Reform Commission, 2003, p. 911). Indigenous Australians suffer many disadvantages
compared to their Caucasian counterparts such as the gap in literacy and numeracy education, the

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EDFD 268

amount of people who go onto higher education, access to government help and health services
and their income (Council of Australian Governments [COAG], 2012).
Low socioeconomic status can impact on a classroom in a number of ways in ways teachers can
see and sometimes even in ways that they cannot. According to the Department of Education,
Employment, and Workplace Relations (2009), The educational dimension of SES is usually
measured through the level of educational attainment of persons within a household (p. 3). The
factors such as location, parents education, community influence and support can also impact the
way a child behaves in the classroom. A childs behaviour can be affected by many things
however the factors of travel time to and from school, support from parents, support from teachers
and even their peers can affect them in many different ways. The child can suffer from lapses of
concentration because they may not have eaten breakfast, their behaviour can be unruly because
their parents may not condone that behaviour at home or they may suffer from undiagnosed
learning difficulties (Propper & Rigg, 2007). The issue of low SES students can also impact
learning in the classroom as they may be behind in their literacy and numeracy education in
comparison to their middle or upper SES classmates because their parents could be working and
not have time to sit with them and read, count, help with homework or work on other literacy and
numeracy outcomes at home (Department of Education and Childrens Services, 2007). Students
need support with their learning regardless of their SES however to allow children to achieve the
set learning outcomes teachers should be flexible, clear and approachable by having a variety of
learning styles for individual students. This can be achieved through Individual Learning Plans
(ILPs) which are constructed using a variety of partners within the school such as the classroom
teacher, the principal, the school councillor, learning support and the parents (Devlin, Kift, Nelson,
Smith & McKay, 2012).
Having children arrive late to school not only impacts the teachers lesson but also the learning of
their classmates who may have arrived on time. Geographic location of the school and the childs
home can be either a few minutes walk away or even an hours bus or car ride away. When a child
arrives late to school they can be flustered and lack concentration. Allowing children to catch up on
the work they have missed due to circumstances they could not control may make them reluctant
to learn as they may feel as though their being late was their fault. Teachers can implement
strategies that allow the children to be included regardless of whether they are late or not (Black,
2007). Group work, literacy and numeracy stations and individual time with the teacher are
strategies that can be implemented. They allow children to learn from their peers, their teacher and
even their own knowledge with support from the teacher.
There is a large gap in numeracy and literacy education within the Indigenous community in
Australia due to social factors, family factors, health, influence from elders and family income. If an
indigenous child did not attend some form of early childhood education such as Kindergarten or
Preschool they may be behind in comparison to their other classmates who did (COAG, 2013).
A way to close this gap is to allow Indigenous children to feel included in the classroom. Have
strategies in place which include their different learning styles for example kinaesthetic activities
and even including elders from the community and their families in every day classroom life. By
using concepts the children understand such as family and kinship within their education
Indigenous children can grasp concepts easier and have more incentive to learn (Coram, 2008).
Learning about relationships using the concepts of kinship allows not only Indigenous students to
understand other learning concepts, it also includes the other children and allows them to learn
about different cultures (Nichol, 2009).
In conclusion, the three sociological issues which can be encountered in the classroom
geographical disadvantage from living in a rural and remote area, ethnic disadvantage notably
Indigenous students and low socioeconomic status students can impact the way students learn but
can also allow teachers to use a variety of learning styles and strategies. Including the community

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in the classroom allows children to learn from different perspectives and allow Indigenous students
to feel included and that their teacher and classmates are interested in the culture they have
grown up with. While teacher turn over in remote communities is high and this can make children
feel as though their teacher does not care about their education, teacher turn over also allows
children to learn from a different perspective rather than the same one especially in a remote and
small school.

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References
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (1998). Living arrangements: rural families Australian Social
Trends, 1998. (No. 4102.0). Retrieved from
http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/2f762f95845417aeca25706c00834efa/1e3952
0de2c18444ca2570ec001909f9!OpenDocument
Australian Law Reform Commission. (2003). Essentially yours: The protection of human genetic
information in Australia. (Report 96). Retrieved from
http://www.alrc.gov.au/sites/default/files/pdfs/publications/ALRC96_vol1.pdf
Coram, S. (2008). Mainstreaming Indigenous inequality as disadvantage and the silencing of race
in Australian social, educational and vocational training policy. ACRAWSA e-Journal, 4 (1).
Retrieved from
http://www.acrawsa.org.au/files/ejournalfiles/58StellaCoram.pdf
Council of Australian Governments. (2014). Closing the gap in Indigenous disadvantage.
Retrieved from
https://www.coag.gov.au/closing_the_gap_in_indigenous_disadvantage
Council of Australian Governments. (2013). Closing the gap in Indigenous disadvantage. Retrived
from
http://www.health.gov.au/internet/ctg/publishing.nsf/Content/FF379E69D8653FEDCA257B8
200069AC2/$File/casestudy%E2%80%94CTG-indigenous-disadvantage.pdf

Department of Education and Childrens Services. (2007). Investigating childrens early literacy
learning in family and community contexts. Retrieved from
http://www.earlyyears.sa.edu.au/files/links/Learning_Together_Lit_Revi.pdf

Department of Education, Employment, and Workplace Relations. (2009). Measuring the

socioeconomic status of higher education students. Retrieved from
http://www.innovation.gov.au/HigherEducation/Documents/LowSES_Discussionpaper.pdf

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Devlin, M., Kift, S., Nelson, K., Smith,L. & McKay, J. (2012). Effective teaching and support of
students from low socioeconomic status background: Practical advice for teaching staff. Retrieved
from
http://www.lowses.edu.au/assets/Practical%20Advice%20for%20Teaching%20Staff.pdf

Jones, R. (2000). Development of a common definition of, and approach to data collection on, the
geographical location of students to be used for nationally comparable reporting of outcomes of
schooling within the context of the National Goals for Schooling in the Twenty-First Century.
Retrieved from
http://www.scseec.edu.au/site/DefaultSite/filesystem/documents/Reports%20and%20public
ations/Publications/Measuring%20and%20reporting%20student%20performance/Common%20def
inition%20and%20approach%20data%20collection%20geographic%20location.pdf
Klasen, S. (2000). Social exclusion, children, and education: Conceptual and measurement
issues, Paper for OECD expert seminar on childhood social exclusion. Department of Economics,
University of Munich. Retrieved from
http://www.oecd.org/education/innovation-education/1855901.pdf
Leigh, A. & Gong, X. (2009). Estimating cognitive gaps between Indigenous and non-Indigenous
Australians. Education Economics, 17 (2), 239-261. doi: 10.1080/09645290802069418

Macquarie University (2014). Socioeconomic status. Retrieved from

http://mq.edu.au/on_campus/diversity_and_inclusion/inclusive_language_tips/socioeconomi
c_status/
Nichol, R. (2009). So how and what do we teach? Indigenous pedagogy and perspectives in the
community. Retrieved from
http://www.aamt.edu.au/content/download/13907/.../DaretoLeadPresn09.doc

Propper, C. & Rigg, J. (2007). Socioeconomic status and child behaviour: evidence from a
contemporary UK cohort. Retrieved from
http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/6210/1/SocioEconomic_Status_and_Child_Behaviour_Evidence_from_a_contemporary_UK_cohort.pdf

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Queensland Council of Social Service. (2009). Regional, rural and remote communities, QCOSS
Policy Position November 2009. Retrieved from
https://www.qcoss.org.au/sites/default/files/QCOSS_Policy_Position_Nov_2009_Regional_
Rural_Remote_Communities_0.pdf