Families, Community and Citizenship
Overview
In this unit, students develop the skills and knowledge required to build professional relationships and develop strong and effective partnerships within and across educational communities. Students will investigate different models of partnership, including how these models might be adapted and applied in their professional work with families, communities, and industry. Included will be the concept of the child as a citizen within partnership work and how children are agents of their learning. Students will come to understand the ethics and protocols for building and working in partnership with diverse cultural groups and will develop the practical skills necessary to mobilise and apply these understandings in their professional roles.
Requisites
AND
137.5 credit points
01-June-2025
08-June-2025
02-November-2025
08-February-2026
Learning outcomes
Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:
- Identify the key stakeholders in partnership work and how they might come together to support children’s learning and development.
- Examine the professional nature of the educator’s role in partnership work including how this role is positioned in education policy, theory, and context.
- Reflect upon and apply learning from educational policy, theory, ethics, and protocols for working with diverse cultural groups, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families, when planning for partnership work.
- Analyse and evaluate partnership plans, including the ‘professional self’ in the partnership process to strengthen professional knowledge, skills, and expertise in partnership work.
Teaching methods
Hawthorn
| Type | Hours per week | Number of weeks | Total (number of hours) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Live Online Lecture |
1.00 | 12 weeks | 12 |
| On-campus Class |
3.00 | 8 weeks | 24 |
| Specified Activities Various |
4.00 | 12 weeks | 48 |
| Unspecified Activities Various |
5.50 | 12 weeks | 66 |
| TOTAL | 150 |
Swinburne Online
| Type | Hours per week | Number of weeks | Total (number of hours) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online Directed Online Learning and Independent Learning | 12.50 | 12 weeks | 150 |
| TOTAL | 150 |
Assessment
| Type | Task | Weighting | ULO's |
|---|---|---|---|
| Analysis | Individual | 50% | 1,2,3 |
| Learning Plan | Individual | 50% | 4 |
Content
- Defining Partnership in the Professional Context
- Policy, Legislation and Curriculum in Partnership Work
- Key Theories, and Frameworks in Partnership Work
- The child as a citizen within Partnership Work
- Diversity and Intercultural Learning in Partnership Work
- Stakeholders Roles and the Professional Self
- Contextual considerations when exploring partnerships
- Planning for Partnership
- Professional Communication- Skills and Strategies to Support Partnership Work
- Evaluation and Reflective Practice
- Graduate Attribute – Communication Skills: Verbal communication
- Graduate Attribute – Communication Skills: Communicating using different media
- Graduate Attribute – Teamwork Skills: Collaboration and negotiation
Study resources
Reading materials
A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.