Major overview
In this major you’ll build on your English and teaching knowledge to develop students’ skills in language and literacy. This will enable students to understand language, written or visual, in a meaningful way and to use language to express themselves effectively for practical or creative purposes. One important task of the unit is for you to deliver a program of work to improve poor literacy skills that students might have.
You’ll develop a practical and critical understanding of the principles and practices of teaching and learning English Years 7-10 which develops students’ learning about language, literature and literacy. A key focus of this major will be placed on analysing and developing teaching strategies and curriculum planning, and creating learning resources and assessments.
Explore literature (written, visual, multimodal, classics and new) to develop critical literacy by examining how language constructs our sense of the world and ourselves, our behaviours, values and attitudes.
You’ll also be able to take your new-found knowledge and apply it in simulated lessons with our SimLab technology. You’ll receive feedback which will foster your reflection and development in teaching secondary English.
You’ll also have the opportunity to create your own resource portfolio to help prepare you for teaching Secondary English.
3 reasons to study Education at Murdoch
- Practise what you learn with our SimLabTM technology. It’s a virtual classroom using actors and avatars – and the only technology of its kind in WA.
- Our part-time, on-campus or online options help you fit study into your working life.
- You’ll have dedicated Student Success Advisors to help you along your postgraduate journey.
What you’ll learn
- Years 7-10 English curriculum content described by the Western Australian School and Curriculum Standards Authority (WASCSA)
- Different theoretical approaches from curriculum and pedagogy
- Components of literature, language and literacy
- Effective pedagogies for teaching and assessing secondary English
- Resources to support teaching secondary English
- Issues with teaching secondary English and strategies to resolve them
- Build a bank of teaching strategies, tasks and resources to support your secondary English teaching career
I think if you want to make change, then you need to be looking for places that enable you to show that you care. And Murdoch did that. Murdoch did that for me.
Jason Pitman, Education
Read full student story
Your future career
Upon completing this major, you could forge a career teaching lower secondary English for Years 7-10 in the Western Australian school curriculum.
Start dates
| Starting period | Location | Face to Face | Online | Mixed mode |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Semester 1, 2026 | Murdoch | Yes | No | No |
| Semester 1, 2027 | Murdoch | Yes | No | No |
View the dates for our teaching periods or find out more about attendance modes.
Major Structure
Visit the Course Handbook - Get detailed information on units, prerequisites, and pathways.
To help plan the structure of your course, search for our suggested course plans.
| Unit code | Unit name | Credit points |
|---|
How to Apply
Majors are part of a degree and can't be applied on their own. Apply for a related degree first, then choose your major once enrolled.
Graduate Certificate in Education
Are you a primary or high school teacher or an educator looking to upskill in a field of interest? Choose from nine majors and grow your knowledge and confidence of Australia’s contemporary school curriculum and broader educational contexts and practices.
Want to take the next step in your education career? Deepen your expertise and become and leader with a Master of Education.