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.

Teaching periods
Location
Start and end dates
Last self-enrolment date
Census date
Last withdraw without fail date
Results released date
Semester 2
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
29-July-2024
27-October-2024
Last self-enrolment date
11-August-2024
Census date
31-August-2024
Last withdraw without fail date
13-September-2024
Results released date
03-December-2024
Semester 1
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
03-March-2025
01-June-2025
Last self-enrolment date
16-March-2025
Census date
31-March-2025
Last withdraw without fail date
24-April-2025
Results released date
08-July-2025
Teaching Period 1
Location
Online
Start and end dates
10-March-2025
08-June-2025
Last self-enrolment date
23-March-2025
Census date
04-April-2025
Last withdraw without fail date
02-May-2025
Results released date
Semester 2
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
04-August-2025
02-November-2025
Last self-enrolment date
17-August-2025
Census date
31-August-2025
Last withdraw without fail date
19-September-2025
Results released date
09-December-2025
Teaching Period 3
Location
Online
Start and end dates
03-November-2025
08-February-2026
Last self-enrolment date
16-November-2025
Census date
28-November-2025
Last withdraw without fail date
02-January-2026
Results released date

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
TOTAL150

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.