Educational Leadership and Policy
Overview
This unit focuses on developing what it means to be a leader in a contemporary educational setting. It explores key challenges in developing leadership capabilities. Contemporary theories about educational leadership are examined in a national context, and pre-service teachers will be encouraged to reflect on current and likely future issues facing schools and school leaders. The content around these topics will add to pre-service teachers’ understanding of the dynamics between leadership, culture and change, and the challenges for leaders. Pre-service teachers will develop skills to make sense of, and constructively respond to, policies within organisational contexts.
Requisites
27-October-2024
23-March-2025
07-September-2025
Learning outcomes
Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:
- Express advanced mastery of theoretical knowledge and professional practice in leadership studies
- Evaluate, analyse and theorise about developments in leadership that contribute to greater understandings and improvements in professional practice
- Integrate knowledge and skills with creativity and initiative to new situations in supervising and/or appraising staff
- Critically analyse how policies and programs shape education
- Critically analyse contemporary education reform agendas both within Australia and globally, including an understanding of key national and international stakeholders.
Teaching methods
Hawthorn
| Type | Hours per week | Number of weeks | Total (number of hours) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Face to Face Contact (Phasing out) Seminar | 2.00 | 6 weeks | 12 |
| Online Contact (Phasing out) Online Class | 1.00 | 12 weeks | 12 |
| Specified Learning Activities (Phasing out) Various | 4.00 | 12 weeks | 48 |
| Unspecified Learning Activities (Phasing out) Independent Learning | 6.50 | 12 weeks | 78 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | Individual | 50% | 1,3,4 |
| Report | Group | 50% | 1,2,5 |
Content
- Educational Leadership in a changing world.
- Policy agendas, policy drivers, twenty first century learning.
- Challenges in developing educational leadership.
- Public education, role of the state, internationalism, globalisation/ legislation and responsibilities.
- Leadership styles, purpose of educational leadership, roles, governance of schools.
- Leadership concepts and theories.
- Sustainable and effective leadership.
- Women in educational leadership, multiculturalism, diversity, Indigenous leadership.
- Democratic leadership, teachers, students, communities.
- Complexity theories and organisations.
- Teachers, students, communities – action plans.
Study resources
Reading materials
A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.