Teacher education

These inherent requirements apply to the following courses: Master of Teaching, Bachelor of Education Primary, Bachelor of Education Secondary and Bachelor of Education in Early Childhood Teaching (Birth-12 Years).

Prospective and current students who are concerned about their capacities in relation to inherent requirements are strongly encouraged to contact the CDU Access and Inclusion team to discuss possible adjustments or alternative courses.

E: inclusion@cdu.edu.au 

These inherent requirements should be read in conjunction with other course information and related material such as the Teacher Registration Board of the Northern Territory; the Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority and the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers.

There are nine domains of inherent requirements for initial teacher education programs.

Each domain has five levels: 

1. Introduction
2. Description
3. Justification
4. Adjustments
5. Exemplars 

Acting in ways consistent with the recognised values of society and avoiding activities that do harm.

In the context of inherent requirements, students undertaking a course of study may be governed by practice standards and codes of ethics.

1. Introduction
   Students need to comply with, and are governed by, quality and professional standards, where they are both accountable and responsible for ensuring ethical behaviour in all personal and professional contexts.
2. Description of inherent requirement
   Students must demonstrate knowledge of, and engagement in, behaviour that is consistent with all relevant standards.
3. Justification of inherent requirement
   Student compliance with the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers and/or ACECQA requirements, facilitates safe, competent interactions and relationships with people to ensure their physical, psychological, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing is not placed at risk. Understanding and application of key ethical and conduct principles is a requirement of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers and the ACECQA requirements. Students qualifying to teach in early childcare services and/or school settings must meet these standards to graduate and to be eligible to apply for registration as a teacher.
4. Adjustments
   Adjustments must comply with ethical standards and maintain appropriate behaviour.
5. Exemplars:
   • Demonstrating respect for the diversity of family and community values and practices in academic, professional, and field experience settings
   • Complying with privacy and confidentiality requirements in academic, professional practice and field experience settings
   • Demonstrating honesty and integrity in academic, professional, and field experience settings.

The maintenance of conduct that is acceptable and appropriate, according to the recognized norms of society over a given period.

1. Introduction
   Behavioural stability is required to function and adapt effectively and sensitively in educational settings.
2. Description of inherent requirement
   Behavioural stability is required to work constructively in diverse and challenging academic and educational settings. Consistency is required in responding appropriately to the needs of children, young people, and families in stressful and challenging situations.
3. Justification of inherent requirement
   Behavioural stability is required to work in changing and unpredictable environments. Students exposed to complex and stressful situations will be required to have behavioural stability to manage these events objectively and professionally. Graduates of accredited courses must meet the Graduate Teacher Standards and/or ACECQA requirements.
4. Adjustments
   Adjustments must support stable, effective and professional behaviour in both academic, professional practice and field experience settings.
5. Exemplars:
   • Responding appropriately to constructive feedback
   • Coping with one’s own emotions and behaviours when dealing with individuals in community and educational settings.

Related to the law. In the context of inherent requirements, this refers to the legal requirements of professional bodies relevant to specific courses of study.

1. Introduction
   Teacher education courses are mandated by specific legislation and regulations to comply with professional accreditation, registration, professional practice and field experience requirements.
2. Description of inherent requirement
   Knowledge of and compliance with Australian law, professional regulation requirements and standards relevant to persons working with children, young people, and their families, and those which dictate the scope of teaching.
3. Justification of inherent requirement
   Knowledge of legislative and regulatory requirements are necessary pre-requisites to professional engagement and participation in field experience, to reduce the risk of harm to self and others. Understandings of, and compliance with, legislative and regulatory requirements are necessary pre-requisites for professional engagement and participation in field experience, to reduce the risk of harm to self and others. Compliance with professional regulations and the Australian Law ensures that students are both responsible and accountable for their practice. Graduates of accredited courses must meet the Graduate Teacher Standards and/or ACECQA requirements.
4. Adjustments
   Adjustments must be consistent with legislative and regulatory requirements.
5. Exemplars:
   • Complying with relevant child protection and safety legislation
   • Complying with relevant Work Health and Safety legislation
   • Adhering to requirements of informed consent, privacy, and confidentiality with organisational, family and child information in academic and education settings.

Verbal communication: Conveying messages, ideas, or feelings through speech.

1. Introduction
   Initial teacher education courses are mandated by specific legislation and regulations to comply with professional accreditation, registration, professional practice and field experience requirements.
2. Description of inherent requirement
   Effective verbal communication, in English, is an essential requirement of all teacher education    courses. This includes:
   • Effective verbal communication at formal and informal levels in online and in person tutorials, with peers in small and large groups
   • The ability to provide clear instructions and presentation of ideas to individuals and large groups relevant to the learning context
   • The capacity to use verbal language in a range of different social situations with children and adults during professional engagements and field experience
   • The ability to communicate effectively with diverse linguistic and cultural groups and individuals across a range of social contexts
   • The capacity to use a range of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) that support verbal communication with individuals and small groups for learning and assessment purposes during professional engagements and field experience.
3. Justification of inherent requirement
   Verbal communication is the primary medium of communication in an educational setting. Timely, accurate, clear, and effective delivery of information provides clear instruction and initiation of learning. Interactivity of communication is fundamental to the educational process. Adequate verbal communication is essential in developing and maintaining effective relationships with all educational stakeholders. Graduates of accredited courses must meet the Graduate Teacher Standards and/or ACECQA requirements.
4. Adjustments
   Students must enable verbal communication with clarity and accuracy that facilitates effective communication and safety.
5. Exemplars:
   • Communicating, in English, effectively and appropriately in online discussions, in person tutorials, lectures and during professional engagements and field experience
   • Demonstrating knowledge and use of ICTs to support oral communication for online and in person tutorial presentations and small group presentation, during professional engagements and field experience.

Non-verbal communication: Communication other than speech that conveys meaning including gestures and facial expressions, body posture, stance, touch, eye movements, eye contact and distance from the person/s with whom you are communicating. Non-verbal cues can provide significant additional information to the person with whom you are communicating.

1. Introduction 
   Effective non-verbal communication is fundamental to education and needs to be respectful, clear, attentive, empathetic, honest and non-judgmental.
2. Description of inherent requirement
   Student demonstrates:
   • The capacity to recognise, interpret and respond appropriately to behavioural cues and gestures
   • Consistent and appropriate awareness of own behaviours
   • Sensitivity to individual differences.
3. Justification of inherent requirement
   The ability to observe and understand non-verbal cues assists with building rapport in academic, work, and professional relationships. Displaying consistent and appropriate facial expressions, eye contact, being mindful of space, time boundaries and body movements and gestures promotes the trust and respect necessary to develop effective professional relationships. Safe and effective initial teaching education requires the capacity to observe, interpret and respond appropriately to non-verbal communication, particularly in situations where their students may not be able to verbalise distress, discomfort, or fear. For children who do not talk or use verbal language their gestures and cues are their main communication tool.
4. Adjustments
   Adjustments must enable the recognition, appropriate response, or initiation of, effective non-verbal communication in a timely and appropriate manner.
5. Exemplars:
   • Recognising non-verbal cues and responding appropriately in tutorials and seminars
   • Recognising non-verbal cues and responding appropriately in professional and field experience settings
   • Displaying appropriate non-verbal gestures in classroom situations and professional and field experience settings.

Written communication: Communication by written symbols including electronic means, print or handwriting.

1. Introduction
   Effective written communication, in English, is required to effectively access course content and participate in professional and field experience.

2. Description of inherent requirement
   Student demonstrates:

   • The capacity to construct and model coherent written communication appropriate to the circumstance

   • The capacity to use a range of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) to complete academic assessment requirements.

3. Justification of inherent requirement 
   It is a requirement of the teacher education standards that students are able to:
   • Construct a range of written assignments to ethical and academic standards to convey knowledge, understanding and skills of relevant content and pedagogy, curriculum materials, and other resources relevant to teaching
   • Produce accurate, responsive, and diligent reports, student profiles, record keeping, lesson material, curriculum plans, assessment, and evaluations necessary for the provision of an effective learning environment
   • Effectively and appropriately use a range of texts, which include those that are written, screen-based, image-based, sign/symbol-based necessary to communicate meaning, directions, and imagination
   • Responding effectively to children and adults demonstrating empathy towards and active listening to what is being communicated.

4. Adjustments
   Adjustments must meet necessary standards of clarity, accuracy and accessibility to facilitate effective planning, delivery, reporting, evaluating, and synthesising of information in both academic and educational settings.

5. Exemplars:

   • Constructing written assignments that comply with academic standards

   • Conveying information in a written form to families or other staff in the educational setting

   • Using written texts including SMS and email in a professional manner at university and during professional experience with students, children, staff, parents, and the community.

The mental action or process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through one's thoughts, experience, and senses.

Knowledge and cognitive skills: Acquired skills that reflect an individual's ability to think. Cognitive skills include verbal and spatial abilities, concentration, memory, perception, reasoning, planning and organisation, flexible thinking, and problem solving.

1. Introduction
   Consistent and effective knowledge and cognitive skills must be demonstrated to provide safe, professional and competent teaching practice.
2. Description of inherent requirement
   Student demonstrates:
   • The capacity to locate appropriate and relevant information
   • The ability to process information relevant to practice
   • The ability to integrate, reflect on and implement theoretical knowledge in online and in person tutorials, during professional practice and field experience settings.
3. Justification of inherent requirement
   Delivery of quality teaching relies on the understanding and application of theory in practice. Graduates of accredited courses must meet the Graduate Teacher Standards and/or ACECQA requirements. 
4. Adjustments
   Adjustments must support the student's ability to acquire, analyse and apply knowledge.
5. Exemplars
   • Conceptualising and use appropriate knowledge in response to academic assessment items
   • Identifying and applying knowledge of policy and procedures during professional engagements and field experience settings.

Literacy (language): This relates to the ability to acquire, understand, and apply information in a scholarly manner.

1. Introduction
   Competent English language and literacy skills are essential for professional practice and effective delivery of teaching content.
2. Description of inherent requirement
   Student demonstrates:
   • The ability to accurately acquire information and convey appropriate messages
   • Ability to read and comprehend a range of texts for teaching and learning purposes
   • The capacity to understand and implement academic conventions to construct written text in a scholarly manner.
3. Justification of inherent requirement
   The ability to acquire information and to accurately convey information is fundamental to teaching and learning. The ability to read, decode, interpret, and comprehend multiple sources of information is fundamental for effective preparation and teaching practice. Graduates of accredited courses must meet the Graduate Teaching Standards and/or the ACECQA requirements.
4. Adjustments
   Adjustments must enable the demonstration of a capacity to effectively acquire, comprehend, apply, and communicate accurate information.
   Exemplars:
   • Conveying a spoken message accurately
   • Competently constructing and sharing a range of texts including digital, written, and visual texts for a range of social contexts.

Numeracy: This relates to the knowledge, skills, behaviours and dispositions needed to use mathematical knowledge and skills purposefully.

1. Introduction
   Competent and accurate numeracy skills are essential for effective delivery of teaching content.
2. Description of inherent requirement
   Ability to use numbers, patterns and relationships, spatial reasoning, and measurement, and to interpret statistical information in a range of teaching contexts.
3. Justification of inherent requirement
   Competent application of numeracy skills is fundamental for effective delivery of teaching content. Students of accredited courses must pass the Literacy and Numeracy Test for Initial Teacher Education (LANTITE) prior to graduation.
4. Adjustments
   Students must enable the demonstration of effective numeracy skills.
   • Exemplars:
     Demonstrating competency in applying basic mathematics knowledge and skills in everyday life and in academic tasks
   • Demonstrating effective use of numeracy skills in matters related to student learning
   • Applying numeracy skills to interpret and solve problems in a range of educational and academic contexts.

Personal skills required to interact appropriately with others with the aim of building and maintaining healthy, productive relationships. Skills include empathy, trustworthiness, patience, active listening, approachability, and reliability.

1. Introduction
   Relational skills are essential to work effectively, sensitively and to build relationships in community and educational settings.
2. Description of inherent requirement
   Student demonstrates:
   • The ability to work effectively, sensitively, and confidentially with children, young people, parents/carers, and community members. 
   • The ability to create rapport with peers, academic and professional staff conducive to effective working relationships.
   • Cultural competence, sensitivity, and willingness to work with individual children and young people in a complex and diverse Australian society.
3. Justification of inherent requirement
   The Graduate Teacher Standards and ACECQA require effective, sensitive, and confidential engagement with students, parents, and work colleagues. The Graduate Teacher Standards and ACECQA requirements include demonstrating an ability to engage with students from diverse backgrounds and abilities. Graduates of accredited courses must meet the requirements of the Graduate Teacher Standards and/or the ACECQA requirements. Inclusion is mandated in the Australian educational context.
4. Adjustments
   Adjustments must enable appropriate levels of relational skills and behaviours.
5. Exemplars:
   • Participate in a respectful and culturally competent manner in-class and/or online
   • Collaborate, modify, and reflect on teaching during professional practice and field experience, responding to student needs and supervisor feedback
   • Ensure mutual respect, equity, and dignity towards others.

The way a person recognizes external stimuli - through sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch.

Visual

1. Introduction
   Adequate visual acuity is required to provide safe and effective supervision of children and young people in a range of educational and community settings.
2. Description of inherent requirement
   Student demonstrates:
   • Sufficient visual acuity to perform the required range of skills
   • Sufficient visual acuity to monitor children and young people’s behaviour and safety.
3. Justification of inherent requirement
   Sufficient visual acuity is necessary to demonstrate the required range of skills, tasks, and assessments. Visual observations, examinations and assessment are fundamental to safe and effective scope of teaching practice.
4. Adjustments
   Adjustments must address the need to perform the required range of tasks involved in field placements. Any strategies to address the effects of vision impairment must be effective, consistent, and not compromise care or safety.
5. Exemplars:
   • Monitoring children and young people’s safety and well-being indoor and in outdoor environments
   • Negotiating unfamiliar settings effectively
   • Manipulating a range of resources
   • Monitoring children’s behaviour, safety, health, and wellbeing.

Auditory

1. Introduction
   Adequate auditory acuity is required to be responsive to the demands of professional practice and field experience.
2. Description of inherent requirement
   Student demonstrates sufficient aural function to undertake the required range of skills.
3. Justification of inherent requirement
   Sufficient auditory function is required to perform and comprehend assessment tasks. Active listening is required in online discussions and/or in person tutorials with lecturers, peers, and placement supervisors.
4. Adjustments
   To address the effects of a hearing impairment, students must be consistent and not compromise timely reception of, and response to, auditory inputs.
5. Exemplars:
   • Responding effectively to children and adults demonstrating empathy and active listening to what is being communicated.

Gross motor skills: The use of large muscle groups that coordinate body movements for activities such as walking, lifting, pushing, pulling, and maintaining balance.

1. Introduction
   Participation in physical activities and movement is required to function effectively in community and educational settings.
2. Description of inherent requirement
   The ability to move and perform gross motor function within the scope of practice.
3. Justification of inherent requirement
   Sufficient gross motor skills are necessary to perform, coordinate and prioritise teaching practice. Tasks that involve gross motor skills include sitting, lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling, standing, twisting, and bending. Students must be able to demonstrate and perform these tasks consistently and safely to reduce the risk of harm to themselves and others. It is a regulatory requirement that educators can undertake many physical tasks in classroom routines. Meeting these requirements is necessary for course accreditation and graduate eligibility for registration.
4. Adjustments
   Adjustments must facilitate functional effectiveness, safety of self and others and a capacity to provide appropriate education and care.
5. Exemplars:
   • Setting up safe learning environments with resources and equipment
   • Safely retrieving, moving, and using large pieces of equipment.

Fine motor skills: The ability to undertake precise coordinated movements of the hands for activities such as writing and manipulating small objects.

1. Introduction
   Teaching is a profession that requires manual dexterity and fine motor skills.
2. Description of inherent requirement
   The ability to use fine motor skills to provide safe effective education and care.
3. Justification of inherent requirement
   Sufficient fine motor skills are necessary to perform, coordinate and prioritise education and care. Tasks that involve fine motor skills include being able to grasp, press, push, turn, squeeze and manipulate various objects. Students must be able to demonstrate and perform these tasks consistently and safely to reduce the risk of harm to themselves and others. It is a requirement of teacher regulation authorities that educators can undertake many physical tasks and classroom routines. Meeting these requirements is necessary for course accreditation and graduate eligibility for registration.
4. Adjustments
   Adjustments must facilitate a capacity to provide appropriate education and care, through functional effectiveness for safety of self, children and young people.
5. Exemplars:
   • Recording, observing, documenting, and modelling the use of equipment that develops fine motor skills in children and young people
   • Manipulating resources during learning activities
   • Using ICT equipment for teaching and learning.

The ability to undertake a task/s over a pre-determined length of time. This could include physical performance such as standing for a length of time, or cognitive (mental) performance such as concentrating for a particular length of time.

1. Introduction
   Students require both physical and mental performance at a consistent and sustained level over appropriate time frames to meet the course outcomes.
2. Description of inherent requirement
   Student demonstrates:
   • Consistent and sustained levels of physical energy to complete a specific task in a timely manner
   • The ability to perform all required activities with a level of concentration that ensures a capacity to focus on the activity until it is appropriately completed
   • The capacity to maintain consistency and quality of performance throughout the designated period of academic, field, or professional experience. 
3. Justification of inherent requirement 
   Sufficient physical and mental endurance is an essential requirement needed to perform multiple tasks in varying periods of time to provide safe and effective participation in all teaching, field, and professional experience activities. Graduates of accredited courses must meet the Graduate Teacher Standards and/or the ACECQA requirements.
4. Adjustments
   Adjustments must enable consistent and sustained performance over a given period.
5. Exemplars:
   • Preparing for and participating in online and/or in person tutorials, lectures, and professional experience
   • Providing consistent supervision, education/instruction and care to children and young people over a negotiated time frame
   • Performing multiple tasks simultaneously whilst supervising the safety and care of children.