Global Utilities

La Trobe University
University Handbook 2010

Undergraduate courses offered by the Faculty

Bachelor of Science/Bachelor of Science Education (SZSSE) – Melbourne (Bundoora)

This innovative double degree was developed in response to the Federal Government’s ‘Innovation Statement’ and aims to integrate full science degree studies with a complete teaching qualification, with a particular emphasis on mathematics, statistics (taught as part of mathematics in secondary schools), physics, chemistry, and/or information technology. Graduates of this double degree will develop a deep understanding of their teaching specialties and will be equipped to adapt their teaching to engage with the needs of their teaching settings, including their own students and the nature of the areas of knowledge and behaviour that constitute the discipline. In this program, emphasis is placed on the teacher’s ability to adapt teaching to continuously changing circumstances while fostering deep understanding of relevant areas of scientific disciplines.

Please note: students must complete a ‘Working with Children’ check form, available from Australia Post offices. Students must provide a certified copy of their valid ‘Working with Children’ card prior to undertaking teaching placements in schools.

Scholarships

Some scholarships may be available for this degree. Prospective applicants should contact the Faculty of Science, Technology and Engineering Faculty office.

Course structure

This double degree is of four and a half years’ full-time or equivalent part-time duration and requires the completion of 540 credit points overall. Students may complete this double degree in four years as part of an accelerated study program.

Students will gain a foundation in science in the first year. Combined studies in science and education will commence in the second year and continue during the third year. Two science disciplines must be studied through to third year: the ‘major’ discipline comprising subjects to the value of 60 credit points in the third year and the ‘minor’ discipline 30 credit points. One of the ‘major’ or ‘minor’ disciplines must be chosen from mathematics, statistics, physics, and chemistry or computer science. (Note that the first year statistics discipline requirement may be satisfied by enrolling in STA1SS and one of STA1LS or MAT1DM.) The other discipline may be chosen from any other science discipline offered by the Faculty of Science, Technology and Engineering. The science disciplines are those defined for the Bachelor of Science degree. The final year will consist of full teacher training, including the practicum requirement and will include a maths or science education research project. Normally, students would be expected to have satisfactorily completed all of the requirements for the first three years before progressing to the fourth year.

Notes:

  • Your subject choices at first and second year must ensure that one of mathematics, physics, chemistry, statistics or computer science can be taken as a ‘major’ or ‘minor’ at third year level. You cannot have a major/minor combination of mathematics and statistics as double mathematics method is not offered in the fourth year.
  • You will be qualified to teach subjects corresponding to your chosen major and minor disciplines, but not subjects corresponding to your terminating first year science discipline. If your major or minor is in physics or chemistry, you will also be qualified to teach secondary school general science. As general science also covers biology, students not planning on majoring or minoring in biology should consider taking a first year biology subject as a first year level elective, conversely students majoring in biology should consider an extra, non-biology science discipline as their first year level electives.
  • The research project must relate to science education or mathematics education.
  • All subjects must be chosen in consultation with, and approved by the course adviser.
First year (120 credit points)
Subject name Credit Points
30 credit points in each of three different science disciplines 90
First year level electives (education subjects excluded) 30
Note: the maximum number of credit points in any one science discipline is 45.
Second year (130 credit points)
Teaching period Subject name Subject code Credit Points
TE-SEM-1 Science Education Mentoring2 EDU2SEM 10
15 May – 15 Nov Teaching Practice A EDU2TPA 20
40 credit points in each of two different science disciplines 80
20 credit points second year level elective(s) (chosen from any discipline and which may be a further science or education subject) 20
Third year (150 credit points)
Teaching period Subject name Subject code Credit Points
TE-SEM-S Classroom Management and Student Responsibility EDU4CSD 20
Summer Intensive Science and Technology in Contemporary Society EDU5STC 20
15 May – 15 Nov Teaching Practice B EDU3TPB 20
60 credit points chosen from a single science discipline 60
30 credit points chosen from a science discipline which differs from that already chosen as the ‘major’ discipline and must include one of biology, maths, physics, chemistry, statistics or computer science if one of these has not already been selected as a major. 30
Fourth year (140 credit points)
Teaching period Subject name Subject code Credit Points
TE-SEM-1 Professional Practice EDU4PP 20
TE-SEM-1 Understanding Learning EDU4UL 20
TE-SEM-1 or TE-SEM-2 Research Practicum EDU4RP 20
TE-SEM-2 Changing Contexts EDU4CCE 20
TE-SEM-2 Integrated Teaching EDU4INT 20
Subject name Credit points
Plus two methods (A and B) subjects to be chosen from the following 40
Teaching period Subject name Subject code Credit Points
TE-SEM-1 and
TE-SEM-2
Biology Teaching Method A and
Biology Teaching Method B
EDU4BIA and
EDU4BIB
10
10
TE-SEM-1 and
TE-SEM-2
Chemistry Teaching Method A and
Chemistry Teaching Method B
EDU4CHA and
EDU4CHB
10
10
TE-SEM-1 and
TE-SEM-2
IT Teaching Method A and
IT Teaching Method B
EDU4ITA and
EDU4ITB
10
10
TE-SEM-1 and
TE-SEM-2
Mathematics Teaching Method A and
Mathematics Teaching Method B
EDU4MAA and
EDU4MAB
10
10
TE-SEM-1 and
TE-SEM-2
Physics Teaching Method A and
Physics Teaching Method B
EDU4PHA and
EDU4PHB
10
10
TE-SEM-1 and
TE-SEM-2
Science Teaching Method A and
Science Teaching Method B
EDU4SCA and
EDU4SCB
10
10

List of education subjects

Note that subjects may vary from year to year according to availability.

Teaching period Subject name Subject code Credit Points
TE-SEM-1 and Issues in Science Education 11 EDU4SC1 15
TE-SEM-2 Issues in Science Education 21 EDU4SC2 15
TE-SEM-1 Approaches to Pastoral Care EDU4APC 20
TE-SEM-1 Intercultural Communication and Education EDU5CCU 20
TE-SEM-1 Enhancing Teaching and Learning with ICT and Multimedia EDU4ITM 15
TE-SEM-1 Interpersonal Skills EDU4IS 20
TE-SEM-1 Learning Technologies in Education 1 EDU4LTE 20
TE-SEM-1 Science, Technology and Society in Education EDU4STS 15
TE-SEM-2 ‘At Risk’ Students: Critical Considerations EDU5ARS 20
TE-SEM-2 Curriculum Development and Design EDU4CDD 20
TE-SEM-2 Education and Cultural Diversity EDU5ECD 20
TE-SEM-2 Holistic Education EDU4HE 20
TE-SEM-2 Teaching and Learning in a Virtual Environment EDU5TLV 20
TE-SEM-2 Working With Different Learning Needs EDU5WWD 20
TE-SEM-S Classroom Discipline EDU4CSD 20
TE-SEM-S Using Multimedia for Learning EDU4UML 20

Key: 1 Not available in 2010.

2 Students taking EDU3SEM must be available to commence the training session mid-late February 2010.

For a full description of subjects, including the subject name, subject code, credit points, campus/location, subject coordinator, class requirements, assessment, prerequisites and readings, students should access the Subject Database at www.latrobe.edu.au/udb_public.