Supporting Diversity and Equity

This unit focuses on an equality approach to education and explores its implications for teaching and learning. Perspectives on stereotypes and bias will be explored, helping to foster mutual respect in learning environments. Pre-service teachers will become aware of the responsibility that teaching professionals have and how they can advocate for social justice for children and young people including political and legislative contexts. Pre-service teachers will gain an understanding of the variety of needs and backgrounds children and young people can present in the learning environment. They will become familiar with many additional needs and cultural variations children can present with and how to address them effectively in order to support inclusive practices. They will also recognise how to create equitable learning environments that benefit teaching and learning for children and young people.

Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:
1. Critically examine bias and stereotypes within themselves and others, through a social justice lens.
2. Identify and utilise strategies of contemporary critical theories to plan for diverse learners with diverse learning needs and evaluate teaching approaches with respect to their ability to support diverse and equitable learning environments
3. Evaluate policies and practices in relation to diversity, equity and inclusion as they related to pedagogical approaches and anti-bias curriculum practices and other forms of equity in learning environments.
4. Plan for supportive the social, emotional, physical and spiritual needs of diverse learners in keeping with principles of teaching and learning (PoLT).