Overview
In this unit, students recognise leadership as a socio-cultural construct that is a professional capability expected of early childhood professionals and crucial for ensuring quality learning outcomes for children, the development of integrated services within communities, the ongoing growth of the profession and the thoughtful enactment of policy. Students examine the multiple ways in which leadership is theorised with a particular focus on self-leadership, pedagogical leadership, community leadership and intentional leadership. They examine leadership as encompassing moral and ethical behaviour, advocacy for children's rights and a commitment to principles of equity and social justice and show understandings of how policy contexts, including legislative frameworks, shape the work of early childhood education leaders. Theoretical tools, engaging with professional networks and the broader community, a disposition to embrace the principles of leadership and practical skills in leadership and management are applied as students deliver a community venture that advocates for young children and their families within the local community and contributes to building social capital.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
There are no requisites for this unit.
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 1 - 2018
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes – in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University’s Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback – Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from Unit evaluations, emails, tutor comments.
Students saw the relevance of the content and the assessment task.
The unit content will be maintained and updated to ensure that there are clear connections to the assessment tasks.
Feedback from Unit evaluations.
The moodle site was well set out and easy to navigate.
The moodle site will be monitored to ensure that it meets the student's requirements and content is easily accessed.
- Access, evaluate and report on professional literature, policy and research findings to identify core values and challenges in the field that underpin the need for leaderhsip and professional growth for early childhood educators.
- Identify resources to support the development of leadership capabilities for self and others in the field of early childhood education.
- Identify and engage with professional ethics and responsibilities to demonstrate emerging leadership capabilities.
- Identify and apply knowledge of the relevant legislative considerations when leading a community venture that involves children.
- Apply appropriate and respectful strategies to communicate with parents and families and professional community partners to faciliate the implementation of a community venture.
- Provide a rationale for the organisation of the community venture based on research into young children's learning.
The following standards from the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers are demonstrated: 1.2 Understand how students learn 1.3 Students with diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds 6.1 Identify and plan professional learning needs 6.2 Engage in professional learning and improve practice 6.3 Engage with colleagues and improve practice 6.4 Apply professional learning and improve student learning 7.1 Meet professional ethics and reponsibilities 7.2 Comply with legislative, administrative and organisational requirements 7.3 Engage with parents and carers 7.4 Engage with professional teaching networks and broader communities Additionally, this unit contributes specifically to three curriculum areas specified by ACECQA. This includes: Family and community contexts: developing community partnerships Early Childhood Professional Practice: leadership, management and administration, professional identity and development, advocacy, research History and philosophy of early childhood: ethics and professional practice
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
| 1 - Written Assessment - 40% | ||||||
| 2 - Practical and Written Assessment - 60% | ||||||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
| 1 - Communication | ||||||
| 2 - Problem Solving | ||||||
| 3 - Critical Thinking | ||||||
| 4 - Information Literacy | ||||||
| 5 - Team Work | ||||||
| 6 - Information Technology Competence | ||||||
| 7 - Cross Cultural Competence | ||||||
| 8 - Ethical practice | ||||||
| 9 - Social Innovation | ||||||
| 10 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | ||||||
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
| Assessment Tasks | Graduate Attributes | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | |
| 1 - Written Assessment - 40% | ||||||||||
| 2 - Practical and Written Assessment - 60% | ||||||||||
Textbooks
Leadership: Contexts and complexities in Early Childhood Education
Edition: 2nd (2017)
Authors: Manjula Waniganayake, Sandra Cheeseman, Marianne Fenech, Fay Hadley, and Wendy Shepherd
Oxford University Press
Melbourne Melbourne , Victoria , Australia
ISBN: ISBN: 9780190309367
Binding: Paperback
Additional Textbook Information
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: American Psychological Association 6th Edition (APA 6th edition)
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
k.murray2@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
Early childhood professionalism.
- historical overview of early childhood
- the implications of a feminised profession
- professional judgement and behaviours
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Introduction to Leadership, Advocacy and Management.
- definition of terms.
- conceptualising early childhood leadership.
- contexts and forms of leadership.
Chapter
Recommended text: Waniganayake, M., Cheeseman, S., Fenech, M., Hadley, F. & Shepherd, W. (2017). Leadership: Contexts and complexities in early childhood education. Melbourne: Oxford University Press.
Recommended text: Chapter 1
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
The influence of EC leadership on quality practice, governance and policy.
- what is quality practice?
- influence of governance and policy in the Australian context
- the role of the NQS, AITSL
Chapter
Recommended text:
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Challenges for leadership in the early childhood profession.
- management
- advocacy
- leadership styles
Chapter
Recommended text:
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
- vision statement
- building a personal and professional philosophy statement
- time management
- recruitment of staff
Chapter
Recommended text:
Chapter 5
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Break week - no lectures.
Take this opportunity to work on assessment task 1.
Chapter
Time for recommended textbook reading and personal research.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Team work and conflict resolution to build effective workplaces.
- groups vs teams
- conflict types and resolution
- building respectful professional relationships
- professional boundaries
- collaboration in the workplace
Chapter
Recommended text:
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Money Management and budgeting for longevity.
- financial management and accountability
- marketing and advocacy
- marketing and social entrepreneurship
- funding options
Chapter
Recommended text:
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Family/community relationships and engagement.
- what does building a relationship mean
- what is engagement
- what is networking
- advocacy for early childhood
- collaborative decision making
Chapter
Recommended text:
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Growth as an early childhood professional and self care.
- honing the skills of leadership
- reflective growth
- career planning
- self care
Chapter
Recommended text:
Chapter 14
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Measurements of success.
- measuring successful leadership, advocacy and management
- developing a stable workplace
- developing a positive presence in the community
Chapter
Recommended text:
Chapter 14
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Event week.
Group venture implementation for task 2.
Details and requirements will be confirmed by your tutor.
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Review week.
Opportunity for unit content discussion and assessment task support. Details to be confirmed with your tutor.
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Not applicable to this unit.
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Not applicable to this unit.
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
1 Written Assessment
Task 1: Situational analysis of early childhood leadership.
Overview:
The focus of this task is to examine how leadership, professionalism, governance, leadership challenges, management, advocacy and vision contribute to shaping future directions for the early childhood sector. It is expected that this assessment response will be presented in essay format including images to support the task.
Task:
Using relevant and recent literature, you are required to provide a situational analysis of the current state of the early childhood sector in Australia. You will identify leadership, advocacy and/or management strategies that will contribute not only to the early childhood profession, but also to children and families.
Using your prior knowledge and engaging with current and relevant literature regarding the current context of early childhood in Australia, you will need to -
- identify the core values of the early childhood field as a whole
- identify and comment on the macro and micro challenges for the early childhood field
- identify, explore and recommend leadership resources for early childhood professionals
- demonstrate your understanding by identifying and articulating how you will develop the capabilities necessary to be a successful leader in the field. This may include aspects of management and advocacy strategies.
- demonstrate how your leadership capacities and strategies will contribute to the construction of hopeful futures for the early childhood profession, children and their families.
Web links to leadership resources or organisations are to be be included in the reference list.
Weighting: 40%
Word Limit: 2000 words.
Vacation Week Friday (13 Apr 2018) 11:30 pm AEST
This task is due on the nominated date. Any extension requests must go through the Assignment Extension Request system on the moodle site. Evidence must be supplied to have the request considered.
Week 7 Friday (27 Apr 2018)
The marked assignment will be returned to students after moderation and in time for the feedback to be used to guide assessment task 2
- identification and analysis of the core values of early childhood in Australia
- identification of the macro and micro challenges of the early childhood sector
- explore, identify and articulate emerging issues for leadership and resources that can support this role
- identify and articulate methods for developing personal capabilities for leadership
- realistic suggestions for future action to construct hopeful futures for the profession, children and families
- effective, scholarly and professional communication in accordance with accepted academic conventions
- Access, evaluate and report on professional literature, policy and research findings to identify core values and challenges in the field that underpin the need for leaderhsip and professional growth for early childhood educators.
- Identify resources to support the development of leadership capabilities for self and others in the field of early childhood education.
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Ethical practice
2 Practical and Written Assessment
Task 2: Enacting a community venture.
Overview:
In your context as a distance or internal student you are required to practically demonstrate skills of leadership, advocacy and management in a community venture. This task is to be presented in an essay format that includes headings or in an online format such as wix, wiki or similar.
Internal and distance students will meet the task requirements outlined for the internal students. Some modifications have been put in place for distance students.
Task:
Internal students:
As a member of a small group (3-4 students), you are required to lead a community venture that advocates for young children and their families.
Enacting this task requires application of leadership and management knowledge, skills and dispositions and application of professional ethics and responsibilities in a real-life context.
Your group must document and reflect on all aspects of planning and enacting the community venture by explicating the process (team work, strategic planning, legislative requirements, etc), the dilemmas you encountered, how you attended to the dilemmas and your personal learning as a result of engaging in the process.
As part of this analysis you will identify and examine:
- the goals and visions for your small group
- legal and ethical considerations required for the venture
- time management strategies
- the strategic plan to ensure the venture advocates for early childhood
- how a group of people works together as a team
- the management of possible or existing conflict
- decision making strategies
- networking and links with other organisations and stakeholders needed for the success of the venture
- the understanding of the different levels of 'leadership' within the group
Weighting: 60%
Word limit: 2500 words
Distance students:
NOTE: If you are a distance student this task can be modified in the following ways.
1. If you are studying via the distance mode and are working in a service (ie Kindergarten, Early Learning Centre) this task can be completed in your setting. You are expected to comply with the task requirements as listed for the Internal students above.
You will liaise with the Director of your service and relevant staff to plan and implement a community venture in your context. Some examples of possible events may include an Under 8's centre event, grandparents day, special person's evening or other event.
Clarification can be sought from the distance tutor as to the appropriateness of your proposed event.
2. If you are studying in the distance mode and are NOT working in a service this task can be completed in your local community.You are expected to comply with the task requirements as listed for the Internal students above.
You will liaise with the lead people from a local community organisation to implement your community venture. Possibilities include implementing early childhood activities in the local Community Library, in a local child centered community organisation, a local mother's groups or other. You will need to work with and plan your early childhood venture in conjunction with the lead librarian, organiser of the community organisation, organiser of the mother's group and the like.
Clarification can be sought from the distance tutor as to the appropriateness of your proposed event.
Weighting: 60%
Word limit: 2500 words
Week 12 Friday (1 June 2018) 11:30 pm AEST
All assignments are to be submitted through moodle on the nominated date. Any extension requests must have supporting documentation and be applied for through the Assignment Extension Requests system through moodle.
Marked assignments and grades will be available to students by the day of certification of grades for the term.
- clear identification and investigation of the goals of community groups or contextually appropriate community venture
- identify and engage with legal and ethical issues relevant to the planned event.
- negotiate and document goals for the event and expectations to guide how the team will work towards accomplishing these goals
- examine time management, decision making and conflict management strategies
- identify leadership and management strategies to engage with community stakeholders to advocate for early childhood
- effective, scholarly and professional communication evident in the documentation
- Identify and engage with professional ethics and responsibilities to demonstrate emerging leadership capabilities.
- Identify and apply knowledge of the relevant legislative considerations when leading a community venture that involves children.
- Apply appropriate and respectful strategies to communicate with parents and families and professional community partners to faciliate the implementation of a community venture.
- Provide a rationale for the organisation of the community venture based on research into young children's learning.
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Team Work
- Cross Cultural Competence
- Ethical practice
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.
What can you do to act with integrity?
