Secondary education

This framework is modelled on the current senior science curricula that were developed and published by the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA).

• Framework for an Australian curriculum for psychological science

The APS hopes that this framework will facilitate a dialogue between educators and their local curriculum authority, with the aim of working towards a more consistent approach to the teaching of psychological science at secondary school level and optimising the preparation for students going on to undergraduate psychology studies at university, as well as the effective use of psychological principles in everyday life.

The APS encourages the curriculum authorities for each State and Territory to consider ways in which the framework could be used to inform their existing curriculum, taking into account the specific needs of that State or Territory. To gain access to the curriculum documents for each state and territory, please visit the links below:

• Australian Capital Territory
• New South Wales - No formal curriculum.
• Northern Territory  (Follows the S.A. curriculum design for senior psychology)
• Queensland
• South Australia
• Tasmania
• Victoria
• Western Australia

It is also worth noting that pre-senior school psychology is a popular elective in many schools around Australia, being taught at year 10 level.

This resource breaks down the four units of study; ‘the biopsychosocial model across the lifespan’, ‘Social processes and individual differences’, ‘Sensing, feeling, thinking and behaving’ and ‘Neuroscience, mental health and wellbeing’ by Science understanding, Science as a Human Endeavour and Science Inquiry Skills.

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This resource looks at the key skills gained from the four units of study; ‘How are behaviour and mental processes shaped’, ‘How do external factors influence behaviour and mental processes’, ‘How does experience affect behaviour and mental processes’, ‘How is wellbeing developed and maintained’.

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This September 2015 resource contains three tables show a mapping of the content of the VCE 2016-2021 Psychology study design against the content of the APS Psychological Sciences curriculum (the latter document being modelled on the ACARA senior science curricula, particularly that of Earth and Environmental Science).

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