| Semester 1, 2021 Online | |
| Short Description: | Leadership & Professional Prac |
| Units : | 1 |
| Faculty or Section : | Faculty of Business, Education, Law and Arts |
| School or Department : | School of Education |
| Student contribution band : | Band 1 |
| ASCED code : | 070101 - Teacher Education: Early Child |
| Grading basis : | Graded |
Staffing
Examiner:
Requisites
Pre-requisite: Students must be enrolled in one of the following Programs: BEED or BEDU (Early Childhood) or BECH
Other requisites
Students enrolling in courses which do not follow the recommended enrolment pattern cannot be assured of a developmental learning experience or program completion within their preferred timeframe.
Rationale
The range of early childhood contexts is broad and beginning educators would be advantaged by knowledge relating to the variety of early childhood services. Early childhood educators also require knowledge of effective professional practices and leadership and management skills that will enable them to meet differing requirements across the sector. Awareness of current issues and trends in the early childhood field would enable early childhood professionals to make informed choices in adapting to changing policy environments and undertaking advocacy for young children and parents and carers. Understanding engagement in continued professional learning as an approach to improve effective professional practice is vital.
Synopsis
This course will introduce beginning early childhood educators to the theory and practices associated with effective professional practice, leadership and management. It will incorporate practical skills for early childhood educators working with staff and the community, responding to policy change and maintaining procedures which reflect current legal and ethical requirements. Pre-service educators will engage with research as a source of professional learning and collaborate as a collegial team to develop their understandings of issues relating to current trends that will impact their future roles as practitioners in early childhood contexts. Pre-service educators will develop strategies for community advocacy regarding early childhood issues, and seek effective ways in which they may lead important conversations.
Objectives
The course objectives define the student learning outcomes for a course in accordance with the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership’s (AITSL) Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APST). On successful completion of this course pre-service educators should be able to:
- apply a theoretical lens to the early childhood profession in relation to ethics, conduct and legislative responsibilities in early childhood contexts (APST 1.6, 7.1, 7.2);
- critically reflect upon the role of leader in developing, enacting and renewing administrative systems and organisational policies and process (4.4, 4.5, 7.2);
- critically reflect on the role of interagency and professional collaborations in providing constructive feedback, informing decision making, educator self-efficacy and supporting the leadership and management of early years contexts (APST 7.4);
- critically reflect upon the rationale for, and impact of theoretical knowledge and application of the APSTs and the National Quality Standard on continued professional learning and implications for improved student learning (APST 6.1, 6.4);
- examine the relevance, appropriateness and effectiveness of professional organisations that advocate on behalf of young children as a source of professional learning (APST 6.2, 7.4);
Topics
| Description | Weighting(%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. |
i. Enacting the legislative responsibilities and ethical dimensions of working with children and parents and carers in contemporary learning communities ii. Policies, regulations and statutes relating to protecting children (including a focused examination of domestic and family violence); maintaining student wellbeing and safety, and using ICT safely, responsibly and ethically |
20.00 |
| 2. | Application of theoretical knowledge and the impacts on professional practices and leadership - examination of the dichotomies of care and education | 20.00 |
| 3. | Relevant and appropriate professional learning facilitated by organisational policies and process such as the APST and the National Quality Standard in collaboration with colleagues through critical reflection | 20.00 |
| 4. | Early childhood workforce contexts and the impact of change on the individual, the organisation and the sector workforce capacity building | 20.00 |
| 5. | Advocates and advocacy as a source of professional learning | 20.00 |
Text and materials required to be purchased or accessed
ALL textbooks and materials available to be purchased can be sourced from (unless otherwise stated). (https://omnia.usq.edu.au/textbooks/?year=2021&sem=01&subject1=EDE3009)
Please for alternative purchase options from USQ Bookshop. (https://omnia.usq.edu.au/info/contact/)
Reference materials
Student workload expectations
| Activity | Hours |
|---|---|
| Directed Study | 80.00 |
| Private Study | 85.00 |
Assessment details
| Description | Marks out of | Wtg (%) | Due Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ASSIGNMENT 1 | 40 | 40 | 22 Mar 2021 | |
| ASSIGNMENT 2 | 60 | 60 | 26 May 2021 |
Important assessment information
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Attendance requirements:
It is the students' responsibility to attend and participate appropriately in all activities scheduled for them, and to study all material provided to them or required to be accessed by them, to maximise their chance of meeting the objectives of the course and to be informed of course-related activities and administration. -
Requirements for students to complete each assessment item satisfactorily:
To satisfactorily complete an individual assessment item a student must achieve at least 50% of the marks for that item. -
Penalties for late submission of required work:
Students should refer to the Assessment Procedure (point 4.2.4) -
Requirements for student to be awarded a passing grade in the course:
To be assured of receiving a passing grade a student must achieve at least 50% of the total weighted marks available for the course. -
Method used to combine assessment results to attain final grade:
The final grades for students will be assigned on the basis of the aggregate of the weighted marks obtained for each of the summative assessment items in the course. -
Examination information:
There is no examination in this course. -
Examination period when Deferred/Supplementary examinations will be held:
There is no examination in this course, there will be no deferred or supplementary examinations. -
University Student Policies:
Students should read the USQ policies: Definitions, Assessment and Student Academic Misconduct to avoid actions which might contravene University policies and practices. These policies can be found at .
Assessment notes
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Referencing in assignments: Referencing in assignments must comply with the APA referencing system. This system should be used by students to format details of the information sources they have cited in their work. The APA style to be used is defined by the USQ library's referencing guide. This guide can be found at .
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Students are required to demonstrate competence in and appropriate use of academic language and literacy, including spelling, grammar, punctuation, and referencing in all assessment responses. Marks allocated to the aforementioned criteria will be specified in the criteria for assessment of all assessment items.
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Students are required to submit ALL assignments to evidence meeting or exceeding the mandatory requirements of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APSTs).
Evaluation and benchmarking
In meeting the University’s aims to establish quality learning and teaching for all programs, this course monitors and ensures quality assurance and improvements in at least two ways. This course:
1. conforms to the USQ Policy on Evaluation of Teaching, Courses and Programs to ensure ongoing monitoring and systematic improvement
2. forms part of the Bachelor of Education and is benchmarked against the:
- internal USQ accreditation/reaccreditation processes which include (i) stringent standards in the independent accreditation of its academic programs, (ii) close integration between business and academic planning, and (iii) regular and rigorous review
- Queensland College of Teachers
- Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APST) of the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL).
Other requirements
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Participation: Students can expect it will be necessary to participate in and contribute to a range of learning opportunities in this course including online study activities, lectures, tutorials, seminar presentations, group discussions and self-directed study activities in order to apply the coursework that will enable quality assessment tasks to be submitted as evidence of professional development.