Professional Learning in the Faculty of Education and Social Work delivers customised professional development on request for academics, university and school administrators, teachers, postgraduate students, and social work and welfare professionals from overseas institutions. These programs are tailored to meet the specific needs of each group.

The faculty has many years of experience in developing and delivering programs for visiting international groups and has a wealth of academic expertise available to support a wide variety of education and social work areas. All teaching staff are specialists with academic and professional qualifications, along with many years of professional experience. We also have close links with schools and other institutions in our region and can organise visits to enhance participants’ learning experiences.

The Programs

Recent programs we have delivered have focussed on topics including:

• Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL)
• Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)
• student administration
• the Australian school and higher education systems
• curriculum development and teaching methods
• teacher education
• the Australian welfare and medical systems.

We can deliver activities ranging in length from one day courses to intensive programs running over several weeks. Here are a few samples:

Graduate Certificate in TEFL (6-weeks full-time intensive)
Graduates gained a formal qualification, knowledge and skills in teaching English as a foreign language, and increased fluency in English. By studying at the University of Sydney they had an opportunity to engage with contemporary Australian culture and to learn English in a native speaking context. The program prepared graduates to teach in settings where English is the primary mode of communication. They gained confidence in their ability to communicate professionally in English and to select, devise and use appropriate teaching tasks and materials. They engaged with modern approaches to English language teaching and developed skills in listening, reading, speaking and writing English in academic settings.

Issues in Teaching and Learning in Teacher Education (3-weeks part-time intensive)
Topics included: Teaching methodology for postgraduate students; Practicum in teacher education; Student progress and assessment; Alternative programs for teacher education; and school/classroom observation visits.

Curriculum Development and Teaching Methods in Australia (5-days intensive)
Topics included: The Australian education system; Introduction to teaching and learning in higher education (scholarship in teaching and research–based teaching); Trends in teacher education; Key concepts of modular curriculum; Curriculum implementation; and school/classroom observation visits.

About the Faculty

The first chair in education at the University of Sydney was established in 1910, and social work was first taught at the University in 1940. In 2003, the faculties and administrations from both disciplines were merged to become the Faculty of Education and Social Work. The merger reflected the close association between education and social work within the University and the often overlapping research interests and units of study, particularly in the area of policy and practice.

The three buildings that house the faculty are equipped with continuously updated facilities for the training of educators and social workers. Well-equipped lecture and tutorial rooms are complemented by specialist teaching precincts, including laboratories for science and  technology, dance and drama studios, visual arts workshops and a television studio.

Enquiries

If you wish to enquire about sending a group to participate in a professional development program with us, please download and complete a request form (139KB Word doc).

Return it as an email attachment to: Associate Professor Lesley Harbon.