EUN684 Foundations of Educational Counselling
To view more information for this unit, select Unit Outline from the list below. Please note the teaching period for which the Unit Outline is relevant.
| Unit code: | EUN684 |
|---|---|
| Assumed Knowledge: | It is assumed that students understand educational practices in education settings and have practitioner experiences within a related education field or support profession. |
| Credit points: | 12 |
| Timetable | Details in HiQ, if available |
| Availabilities |
|
| CSP student contribution | $592 |
| Domestic tuition unit fee | $3,468 |
| International unit fee | $4,740 |
Unit Outline: Semester 1 2026, Online
| Unit code: | EUN684 |
|---|---|
| Credit points: | 12 |
| Assumed Knowledge: | It is assumed that students understand educational practices in education settings and have practitioner experiences within a related education field or support profession. |
Overview
This unit will introduce you to the essential building blocks of effective counselling practice. By exploring theoretical frameworks, practical techniques, and research methodologies, you will develop a comprehensive understanding of the counselling process, its applications in school settings, and the professional landscape of counselling. You will learn to observe and analyse professional communities, enhancing your understanding of ongoing professional development and ethical considerations in counselling. Additionally, you will delve into ethnographic research methods and explore professional and ethical practices and challenges for educational counsellors. By mastering these foundational skills and research methods, you will be well-equipped to adapt to the evolving landscape of counselling, meet the diverse needs of clients, and embark on a rewarding career characterised by continuous growth, learning, and evidence-based practice.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:
- Demonstrate counselling microskills and appropriate communication strategies in educational counselling contexts.
- Critically reflect on and reflexively analyse educational counselling practice, drawing on core counselling theories to improve professional knowledge and practice.
- Design and justify plans for ongoing professional development in educational counselling.
- Conduct ethnographic research into professional and ethical practices and challenges for educational counsellors.
Content
This unit will cover the following:
- Introduction to ethnographic research in counselling contexts
- Field note techniques and content analysis
- Reflexivity in ethnographic research
- Synthesising findings
- Online professional networks and communities of practice in counselling
- Professional development and lifelong learning
- Fundamental counselling skills
- Critical communication in counselling
- The stages of a counselling appointment
- Counselling in school contexts
- Key counselling theories and their application in practice
- Diverse counselling formats including emerging AI-supported methods
- Ethics in counselling practice and research, including the ethical implications of AI on career practice.
Learning Approaches
In this unit you will learn by engaging in the following:
- lectures (live and recorded)
- tutorials (online)
- online learning materials
- peer and group discussions
The unit adopts a practice-based learning approach to demonstrate and apply counselling approaches within the school setting.
Feedback on Learning and Assessment
Feedback in this unit is provided to you in the following ways:
- a range of formative exercises discussed and undertaken throughout the unit
- feedback from peers as you investigate and discuss issues raised throughout the unit
- self-reflection activities
- comments about summative assessment work included with your grade.
Assessment
Overview
There are two assessments in this unit:
- Ethnographic study - this task draws on ethnographic research methods to analyse professional and ethical practices and challenges for educational counselling professionals.
- Counselling session and reflection - You will demonstrate counselling skills studied during the unit and reflect on your use of skills during the demonstration.
Unit Grading Scheme
7- point scale
Assessment Tasks
Assessment: Ethnographic Study
You will conduct a digital ethnographic study of public, online communities of practice for counselling professionals, focusing on professional and ethical practices. You will use Gen AI to identify themes and patterns, synthesise findings with your field notes, and produce a report identifying areas for personal growth and development.
The ethical and responsible use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools is authorised in this assessment. See the relevant assessment details in Canvas for specific guidelines.
This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.
Assessment: Counselling Session and Reflection
You will produce a video-recording of yourself undertaking a counselling session that demonstrates your use of counselling skills and the framework studied during the unit. You will reflect to write a critique of your use of skills and the framework during the counselling session.
The ethical and responsible use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools is authorised in this assessment. See the relevant assessment details in Canvas for specific guidelines.
This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.
Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is a commitment to undertaking academic work and assessment in a manner that is ethical, fair, honest, respectful and accountable.
The Academic Integrity Policy sets out the range of conduct that can be a failure to maintain the standards of academic integrity. This includes, cheating in exams, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion and contract cheating. It also includes providing fraudulent or altered documentation in support of an academic concession application, for example an assignment extension or a deferred exam.
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.
Breaching QUT’s Academic Integrity Policy or engaging in conduct that may defeat or compromise the purpose of assessment can lead to a finding of student misconduct (Code of Conduct – Student) and result in the imposition of penalties under the Management of Student Misconduct Policy, ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.
Resources
The following resources are key reference sources in this unit and can be accessed through the QUT library. Other resources will be available on the unit's Canvas site.
Resource Materials
Recommended text(s)
Geldard, D., Geldard, K., & Foo, R. (2022). Basic personal counselling: A training manual for counsellors (9th ed.). Sydney NSW: Pearson Education Australia.
Text is available through the QUT bookshop and on-line via QUT library but the number of students able to access via the library at one time is limited.
Risk Assessment Statement
During this unit, you will discuss sensitive topics with your peers that may have significant impact and meaning to you, your peers and/or your teaching team. The teaching team will aim to create a supportive and safe environment for all students enrolled in the unit. They will also support you to develop the appropriate skills to engage in these conversations in an appropriate and respectful manner to ensure a positive experience for all students. If you are concerned that the content of a unit may impact your completion of the course, please see the unit coordinator. You can also access free student counselling through QUT Counselling via the QUT Student Homepage.
Course Learning Outcomes
This unit is designed to support your development of the following course/study area learning outcomes.EU74 Master of Education
- Reflect on and reflexively analyse own practice, integrating theoretical frameworks to improve professional knowledge and practice.
Relates to: Counselling Session and Reflection - Employ a range of communication modes to transmit knowledge, skills and ideas to specialist and non-specialist audiences in professional and scholarly contexts.
Relates to: Counselling Session and Reflection
EU75 Master of Education (School Guidance and Counselling)
- Discuss, evaluate, and integrate advanced discipline-specific knowledge related to professional educational practice and research.
Relates to: ULO4, Ethnographic Study - Reflect on and reflexively analyse own practice, integrating theoretical frameworks to improve professional knowledge and practice.
Relates to: ULO2 - Design and justify innovative solutions to authentic problems of educational practice, drawing on discipline-specific knowledge and skills to lead and influence positive change.
Relates to: ULO3, Ethnographic Study - Apply theories and research methods to ethically explore educational issues/phenomena and practices.
Relates to: ULO4, Ethnographic Study - Employ a range of communication modes to transmit knowledge, skills and ideas to specialist and non-specialist audiences in professional and scholarly contexts.
Relates to: ULO1
Unit Outline: Semester 2 2026, Online
| Unit code: | EUN684 |
|---|---|
| Credit points: | 12 |
| Assumed Knowledge: | It is assumed that students understand educational practices in education settings and have practitioner experiences within a related education field or support profession. |
Overview
This unit will introduce you to the essential building blocks of effective counselling practice. By exploring theoretical frameworks, practical techniques, and research methodologies, you will develop a comprehensive understanding of the counselling process, its applications in school settings, and the professional landscape of counselling. You will learn to observe and analyse professional communities, enhancing your understanding of ongoing professional development and ethical considerations in counselling. Additionally, you will delve into ethnographic research methods and explore professional and ethical practices and challenges for educational counsellors. By mastering these foundational skills and research methods, you will be well-equipped to adapt to the evolving landscape of counselling, meet the diverse needs of clients, and embark on a rewarding career characterised by continuous growth, learning, and evidence-based practice.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:
- Demonstrate counselling microskills and appropriate communication strategies in educational counselling contexts.
- Critically reflect on and reflexively analyse educational counselling practice, drawing on core counselling theories to improve professional knowledge and practice.
- Design and justify plans for ongoing professional development in educational counselling.
- Conduct ethnographic research into professional and ethical practices and challenges for educational counsellors.
Content
This unit will cover the following:
- Introduction to ethnographic research in counselling contexts
- Field note techniques and content analysis
- Reflexivity in ethnographic research
- Synthesising findings
- Online professional networks and communities of practice in counselling
- Professional development and lifelong learning
- Fundamental counselling skills
- Critical communication in counselling
- The stages of a counselling appointment
- Counselling in school contexts
- Key counselling theories and their application in practice
- Diverse counselling formats including emerging AI-supported methods
- Ethics in counselling practice and research, including the ethical implications of AI on career practice.
Learning Approaches
In this unit you will learn by engaging in the following:
- lectures (live and recorded)
- tutorials (online)
- online learning materials
- peer and group discussions
The unit adopts a practice-based learning approach to demonstrate and apply counselling approaches within the school setting.
Feedback on Learning and Assessment
Feedback in this unit is provided to you in the following ways:
- a range of formative exercises discussed and undertaken throughout the unit
- feedback from peers as you investigate and discuss issues raised throughout the unit
- self-reflection activities
- comments about summative assessment work included with your grade.
Assessment
Overview
There are two assessments in this unit:
- Ethnographic study - this task draws on ethnographic research methods to analyse professional and ethical practices and challenges for educational counselling professionals.
- Counselling session and reflection - You will demonstrate counselling skills studied during the unit and reflect on your use of skills during the demonstration.
Unit Grading Scheme
7- point scale
Assessment Tasks
Assessment: Ethnographic Study
You will conduct a digital ethnographic study of public, online communities of practice for counselling professionals, focusing on professional and ethical practices. You will use Gen AI to identify themes and patterns, synthesise findings with your field notes, and produce a report identifying areas for personal growth and development.
The ethical and responsible use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools is authorised in this assessment. See the relevant assessment details in Canvas for specific guidelines.
This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.
Assessment: Counselling Session and Reflection
You will produce a video-recording of yourself undertaking a counselling session that demonstrates your use of counselling skills and the framework studied during the unit. You will reflect to write a critique of your use of skills and the framework during the counselling session.
The ethical and responsible use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools is authorised in this assessment. See the relevant assessment details in Canvas for specific guidelines.
This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.
Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is a commitment to undertaking academic work and assessment in a manner that is ethical, fair, honest, respectful and accountable.
The Academic Integrity Policy sets out the range of conduct that can be a failure to maintain the standards of academic integrity. This includes, cheating in exams, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion and contract cheating. It also includes providing fraudulent or altered documentation in support of an academic concession application, for example an assignment extension or a deferred exam.
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.
Breaching QUT’s Academic Integrity Policy or engaging in conduct that may defeat or compromise the purpose of assessment can lead to a finding of student misconduct (Code of Conduct – Student) and result in the imposition of penalties under the Management of Student Misconduct Policy, ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.
Resources
The following resources are key reference sources in this unit and can be accessed through the QUT library. Other resources will be available on the unit's Canvas site.
Resource Materials
Recommended text(s)
Geldard, D., Geldard, K., & Foo, R. (2022). Basic personal counselling: A training manual for counsellors (9th ed.). Sydney NSW: Pearson Education Australia.
Text is available through the QUT bookshop and on-line via QUT library but the number of students able to access via the library at one time is limited.
Risk Assessment Statement
During this unit, you will discuss sensitive topics with your peers that may have significant impact and meaning to you, your peers and/or your teaching team. The teaching team will aim to create a supportive and safe environment for all students enrolled in the unit. They will also support you to develop the appropriate skills to engage in these conversations in an appropriate and respectful manner to ensure a positive experience for all students. If you are concerned that the content of a unit may impact your completion of the course, please see the unit coordinator. You can also access free student counselling through QUT Counselling via the QUT Student Homepage.
Course Learning Outcomes
This unit is designed to support your development of the following course/study area learning outcomes.EU74 Master of Education
- Reflect on and reflexively analyse own practice, integrating theoretical frameworks to improve professional knowledge and practice.
Relates to: Counselling Session and Reflection - Employ a range of communication modes to transmit knowledge, skills and ideas to specialist and non-specialist audiences in professional and scholarly contexts.
Relates to: Counselling Session and Reflection
EU75 Master of Education (School Guidance and Counselling)
- Discuss, evaluate, and integrate advanced discipline-specific knowledge related to professional educational practice and research.
Relates to: ULO4, Ethnographic Study - Reflect on and reflexively analyse own practice, integrating theoretical frameworks to improve professional knowledge and practice.
Relates to: ULO2 - Design and justify innovative solutions to authentic problems of educational practice, drawing on discipline-specific knowledge and skills to lead and influence positive change.
Relates to: ULO3, Ethnographic Study - Apply theories and research methods to ethically explore educational issues/phenomena and practices.
Relates to: ULO4, Ethnographic Study - Employ a range of communication modes to transmit knowledge, skills and ideas to specialist and non-specialist audiences in professional and scholarly contexts.
Relates to: ULO1