Richelle Pollack
I am a final years Masters of Teaching (Primary) student at the Australian Catholic University in Sydney, Australia.
I believe that students are able to learn best when they are engaged and interested. I think that learning needs to be something that stimulates all of the senses. Inquiry based learning in HSIE provides students with the opportunity to explore their world in a way that ensures they are motivated and that all learning is meaningful and memorable.
Teaching HSIE
The key learning area of Human Society and Its Environments (HSIE) is all encompassing and when taught well should represent the very best of what school education has to offer. This subject is much more than learning about content, it aims to develop students “sense of personal, community, national and global identity and the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes that will equip them to participate as responsible citizens in maintaining and improving the quality of their society and environment” (Board of Studies New South Wales, 1998).
To understand the significance placed on achieving the expected outcomes of HSIE it is beneficial to reflect on the current expectations of the Australian education system. Students graduating from school are expected to have developed: a global perspective, an intercultural understanding, an aptitude for technology, an ability to think critically across all disciplines, an understanding and respect for value systems and ethics and a life-long love of learning (Ministerial Council on Education, 2008). Reynolds (2007) neatly summarises this long list of attributes as “active citizenship” (p. 8). Society, culture and traditions are always changing; Australia has seen immense change since the first white people arrived in Australia. Being an active citizen is about having the understanding, skills, attitude and values to successfully and positively contribute to society.
In order to understand how HSIE is taught it is beneficial to reflect on the underpinning modern educational theories. The work of educational theorists in the twentieth century including Vgotsky, Dewey, Montessori and Freire emphasise the importance of student-centered, constructivist learning. Freire stated that great importance should be placed on students becoming “active participants in their learning process rather than passive receptacles for transmitted knowledge” (as cited in Kraft, 2007, p. 77). A key aspect of teaching HSIE is understanding what students bring to the classroom, their knowledge, their social contexts outside of school and the values and attitudes they hold.
In order for students to acquire the knowledge, skills and values offered through the teaching of HSIE, a pedagogy that promotes critical thinking and reflective practice is essential.
The Board of Studies New South Wales (1998) recommends the use of an inquiry process to teach HSIE. This approach requires that teachers plan units of work around a series of resources, experiences and activities that develop students’ knowledge and understanding of a topic, their research, analytical and interpersonal skills and their values and attitudes. Through the strands of Change and Continuity, Cultures, Environments and Social Systems and Structures, educators are able to develop units of work that can be integrated into all key learning areas to provide a rich and rewarding learning experience for all students.
