Written specifically for students studying to become primary HSIE/SOSE teachers. Gives teacher education students an overview of the theory behind social sciences and environment teaching, and uses practical examples to show how to teach effectively in this field. Author from University of Newcastle, Australia.

Using both local and global perspectives, examines some of the major issues in the study of society and environment. Focuses on the study of people as social beings and the way they interact with each other within society and culture and the environment. Aims to empower future teachers to act as informed and committed educators.

The effectiveness of Education for Sustainable Development depends on the ability of schools and teachers to embrace pedagogies that reduce the gap between the rhetoric of education for the environment and the reality of classroom practices. This book responds to the need to better understand the nature of the relationships between agency and structure that contribute to the development of educational rhetoric-reality gaps in order to inform processes that most effectively facilitate pedagogical change. This book explores the issues of pedagogical change through the experiences of Australian primary school teachers faced with the challenge of implementing an environmental education program in which young students were positioned as active participants in the social processes from which environmentally sustainable practices could be developed. These teachers were required to adopt pedagogies that often represented the antithesis of their well-established teacher-directed approaches. Through the use of Anthony Giddens’ Theory of Structuration this book provides unique perspectives of the teacher mediated manner in which certain elements of structure and agency interrelate to enable and constrain classroom practices—essential understandings for school principals and educational policy developers who aim to effectively implement pedagogical change. This book also demonstrates that the Theory of Structuration provides a valuable ontological research framework, and provides social researchers with practical guidance for how to relate this theory to specific research issues.

In a time of major curriculum change, Teaching Society and Environment prepares teachers to develop and implement programs in the broad field of social and environmental studies, including humanities, history and geography. It successfully blends theory with practical approaches to provide a basis for teaching that is engaging, inquiry based and relevant to studentsa lives. As well as four new chapters covering teaching history and geography, the content also demonstrates how to foster general capabilities such as literacy, information and communication technology, intercultural understanding and thinking skills. Throughout, it strongly represents the cross-curricular dimensions of a Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectivesa and a sustainabilitya . Above all it maintains the highly-respected philosophical and practical orientations of previous editions, including a commitment to deep learning in a context of critical inquiry. With the aid of this valuable text, teachers can assist primary, middle and secondary students to become active and informed citizens who contribute to a just, democratic and sustainable future.

Teaching Humanities and Social Sciences in the Primary School, Fourth Edition provides a comprehensive overview of how to teach in the humanities and social sciences areas of the curriculum, with practical strategies and contemporary teaching techniques to take into the classroom. The fourth edition has been written and restructured to address the Australian Curriculum - Humanities and Social Sciences and covers all four strands of the subject: History, Geography, Civics and Citizenship and Economics and Business. Cross-curriculum priorities of Aboriginal and Torres StraitIslander Histories and Cultures, Australian's engagement with Asia and Sustainability are incorporated throughout each chapter. Rich with activities, exercises and practical tasks to support learning and help apply theory to practice, Teaching Humanities and Social Sciences in the Primary School is also accompanied by a digital support package, to help pre-service teachers strengthen their subject knowledge and test theirown skills.

Education for Sustainability is a key priority in today’s schools, as our society seeks to find a balance between environmental, social, cultural, political and economic imperatives that affect our future. As young children will become the next generation of adults, it is vital that they are educated about sustainability issues, so that they can learn to make informed decisions and take positive action for a sustainable world. Teachers are ideally placed to educate for sustainability issues, and indeed have a responsibility to do so. However, they often lack support and experience in this area, and constraints of current curriculum priorities can inhibit Education for Sustainability being taught effectively in many classrooms. Educating for Sustainability in Primary Schools: Teaching for the Future addresses this problem by showing how Education for Sustainability can be developed within and across all areas of the primary curriculum in the Australian and New Zealand contexts. The book provides a range of educational approaches and examples of activities to support teachers in addressing national requirements for teaching the major primary curriculum learning areas, while simultaneously educating for sustainability. This integrative approach to primary education can promote knowledge of, positive attitudes towards and suitable action for sustainability in relevant, meaningful, enjoyable and creative ways. This book is a valuable resource for all primary teachers who wish to make a real difference to educating children for the future.