EUN260 Teachers as Leaders

Unit Outline: Semester 1 2024, Kelvin Grove, Internal

Overview

This unit has been designed to strengthen and extend the leadership skills of teachers as emerging leaders, building skills to lead and influence in education. Teachers require knowledge of leadership theories and approaches as a framework for working collaboratively and optimally with a diverse range of students/children and their families. Leadership insights enable you to participate effectively as part of a team of staff and to influence and lead decisions in educational settings. Through exploring leadership theories from contemporary research and literature you will expand upon and master your existing skills.   

In this unit you will apply research skills to investigate the role of teachers as leaders in education. Through understandings of educational research, you will be able to take a scholarly approach to examining topics of interest. These skills and knowledge are important for teachers to engage ethically with data to optimise outcomes for students/children.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:

1. Apply leadership understandings to pedagogy, curriculum and classrooms (CLO1).
2. Design and implement a practitioner inquiry cycle (CLO2).
3. Critically analyse scholarly literature related to leadership theories and approaches (CLO2).
4. Collaborate with colleagues to research practice as part of continued professional learning to optimise child/student outcomes (CLO5).
5. Evaluate the effectiveness of leadership approaches to improve student learning using data and evaluation (CLO6).
6. Apply ethical research principles and codes of conduct to engage with colleagues during research (CLO7).

Content

Learning Approaches

In this unit you will undertake a combination of self-directed learning and collaborative learning (such as with peers, teachers and teaching staff). It is expected that you will create your own plan and weekly schedule for working on the required assessment items, and follow this schedule throughout the unit. Formative feedback will be provided throughout, particularly on the scope and direction of your project. Collaborative approaches to learning are encouraged, including opportunities for peer review and discussion with colleagues in the field of education. As an adult learner you will actively engage with your own learning.

Feedback on Learning and Assessment

Feedback in this unit is provided regularly at both formative and summative levels including:

• Verbal and written peer and lecturer feedback on formative tasks leading to summative assessment items; and
• External collaborator feedback on your practitioner inquiry.

Assessment

Overview

Assessment focus. You design and investigate real world school/centre-based research projects. Working with data, you will develop skills in interpreting data to create optimal outcomes for students/children. This unit will support your preparation for the QTPA.  

Unit Grading Scheme

7- point scale

Assessment Tasks

Assessment: Practitioner inquiry plan

You will design and develop a practitioner inquiry project with a focus on how teachers as leaders evaluate teaching programs to optimise outcomes for children/students. You will identify a research topic and question to better understand how teachers work as leaders and how they draw on data/evidence (including assessment data) to provide better outcomes for children/students. You will undertake a literature review and develop a plan that includes engaging in data collection (professional conversations, survey, interview).

This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.

Relates to learning outcomes
Course learning outcomes: 1, 2, 5, 7
APST: 3.6, 5.1, 5.4, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4, 7.1

Assessment: Practitioner inquiry presentation

You will facilitate a professional conversation about your practitioner inquiry research (Assignment 1) and use this to further develop your proposed project.  You will then develop a presentation that explains your project including your research question. In doing so, you will draw on the ways teachers use data and/or evidence to better understand the ways that teachers lead. You will also consider the role of continued professional learning in improving student learning.

This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.

Relates to learning outcomes
Course learning outcomes: 1, 2, 5, 6
APST: 1.2, 3.6, 5.1, 5.4, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4, 7.1

Academic Integrity

Students are expected to engage in learning and assessment at QUT with honesty, transparency and fairness. Maintaining academic integrity means upholding these principles and demonstrating valuable professional capabilities based on ethical foundations.

Failure to maintain academic integrity can take many forms. It includes cheating in examinations, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, and submitting an assessment item completed by another person (e.g. contract cheating). It can also include providing your assessment to another entity, such as to a person or website.

You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.

Further details of QUT’s approach to academic integrity are outlined in the Academic integrity policy and the Student Code of Conduct. Breaching QUT’s Academic integrity policy is regarded as student misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.

Risk Assessment Statement

There are no out-of-the-ordinary risks associated with the general conduct of this unit. Workplace health and safety protocols in relation to computer use will apply.

Standards/Competencies

This unit is designed to support your development of the following standards\competencies.

Australian Professional Standards for Teachers

1 Professional Knowledge: Know students and how they learn

1. Understand how students learn
   Relates to: Practitioner inquiry presentation

3 Professional Practice: Plan for and implement effective teaching and learning

1. Evaluate and improve teaching programs
   Relates to: Practitioner inquiry plan, Practitioner inquiry presentation

5 Professional Practice: Assess, provide feedback and report on student learning

1. Assess student learning
   Relates to: Practitioner inquiry plan, Practitioner inquiry presentation
2. Interpret student data
   Relates to: Practitioner inquiry plan, Practitioner inquiry presentation

6 Professional Engagement: Engage in professional learning

1. Engage in professional learning and improve practice
   Relates to: Practitioner inquiry plan, Practitioner inquiry presentation
2. Engage with colleagues and improve practice
   Relates to: Practitioner inquiry plan, Practitioner inquiry presentation
3. Apply professional learning and improve student learning
   Relates to: Practitioner inquiry plan, Practitioner inquiry presentation

7 Professional Engagement: Engage professionally with colleagues, parents/carers and the community

1. Meet professional ethics and responsibilities
   Relates to: Practitioner inquiry plan, Practitioner inquiry presentation

Course Learning Outcomes

EU30 Master of Teaching (Early Childhood)

1. Knowledgeable: Demonstrate comprehensive professional knowledge of learning areas, learners and learning.
   Relates to: ULO1, Practitioner inquiry plan, Practitioner inquiry presentation
2. Scholarly: Reflect critically on the ways in which educational theory and research informs and impacts teaching practice.
   Relates to: ULO2, ULO3, Practitioner inquiry plan, Practitioner inquiry presentation
3. Collegial: Collaborate and connect with professional networks and the wider community.
   Relates to: ULO4, Practitioner inquiry plan, Practitioner inquiry presentation
4. Resilient: Reframe challenges and opportunities for capacity building and learning.
   Relates to: ULO5, Practitioner inquiry presentation
5. Ethical: Engage ethically and respectfully with learners, colleagues and parents/carers and community from diverse backgrounds.
   Relates to: ULO6, Practitioner inquiry plan

EU40 Master of Teaching (Primary)

1. Knowledgeable: Demonstrate comprehensive professional knowledge of learning areas, learners and learning.
   Relates to: ULO1, Practitioner inquiry plan, Practitioner inquiry presentation
2. Scholarly: Reflect critically on the ways in which educational theory and research informs and impacts teaching practice.
   Relates to: ULO2, ULO3, Practitioner inquiry plan, Practitioner inquiry presentation
3. Collegial: Collaborate and connect with professional networks and the wider community.
   Relates to: ULO4, Practitioner inquiry plan, Practitioner inquiry presentation
4. Resilient: Reframe challenges and opportunities for capacity building and learning.
   Relates to: ULO5, Practitioner inquiry presentation
5. Ethical: Engage ethically and respectfully with learners, colleagues and parents/carers and community from diverse backgrounds.
   Relates to: ULO6, Practitioner inquiry plan

EU50 Master of Teaching (Secondary)

1. Knowledgeable: Demonstrate comprehensive professional knowledge of learning areas, learners and learning.
   Relates to: ULO1, Practitioner inquiry plan, Practitioner inquiry presentation
2. Scholarly: Reflect critically on the ways in which educational theory and research informs and impacts teaching practice.
   Relates to: ULO2, ULO3, Practitioner inquiry plan, Practitioner inquiry presentation
3. Collegial: Collaborate and connect with professional networks and the wider community.
   Relates to: ULO4, Practitioner inquiry plan, Practitioner inquiry presentation
4. Resilient: Reframe challenges and opportunities for capacity building and learning.
   Relates to: ULO5, Practitioner inquiry presentation
5. Ethical: Engage ethically and respectfully with learners, colleagues and parents/carers and community from diverse backgrounds.
   Relates to: ULO6, Practitioner inquiry plan