Overview
In this unit, you will 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. You will examine the multiple ways in which leadership is theorised with a particular focus on self-leadership, pedagogical leadership, community leadership, distributed leadership and intentional leadership. Additionally, you will 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 you 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 - 2026
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 Student feedback
Unit materials
Continue to review the materials provided to students to ensure relevance within the contemporary landscape.
- 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 leadership 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.
Successful completion of this unit provides opportunities for students to engage with the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (Graduate Career Stage) focus area of:
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 responsibilities
7.2 Comply with legislative, administrative and organisational requirements
7.3 Engage with the parents/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 - 60% | ||||||
| 2 - Practical and Written Assessment - 40% | ||||||
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 - First Nations Knowledges | ||||||
| 11 - 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 | 11 | |
| 1 - Written Assessment - 60% | |||||||||||
| 2 - Practical and Written Assessment - 40% | |||||||||||
Textbooks
There are no required textbooks.
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: American Psychological Association 7th Edition (APA 7th edition)
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
l.hughes@cqu.edu.au
g.busch@cqu.edu.au
m.g.wyland@cqu.edu.au
Week 1 Early childhood professionalism and the changing context of Early Childhood Education and Care.
Begin Date: 09 Mar 2026Module/Topic
Early childhood professionalism and the changing context of Early Childhood Education and Care.
- Historical overview of early childhood
- The implications of a feminised profession
- The changing context of Early Childhood Education and care
- Professional judgment and behaviours
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.
Logan, H. (2017). Tensions in constructions of quality in Australian early childhood education and care policy history. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 25(4), 506–518
Sawyer, W., Singh, M., Woodrow, C., Downes, T., Johnston, C., & Whitton, D. (2007). Robust Hope and Teacher Education Policy. Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 35(3), 227–242.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 2 Introduction to Leadership, Advocacy and Management.
Begin Date: 16 Mar 2026Module/Topic
Introduction to Leadership, Advocacy and Management.
- Definition of terms.
- How does change drive leadership
- 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
Logan, H. (2018). Retaining meanings of quality in Australian early childhood education and care policy history: perspectives from policy makers. Early Years (London, England), 38(2), 139–155.
Rodd, G. (2013). Leadership in early childhood: the pathway to professionalism (Rodd, Ed.; 4th ed.). Allen & Unwin.
Thomas, & Nuttall, J. (2013). What does/can leadership look like in an early childhood education context?: an alternative to “doing” leadership and “being” the leader. The Australian Educational Leader, 35(4), 40–42.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 3 The influence of EC leadership on quality practice, governance and policy.
Begin Date: 23 Mar 2026Module/Topic
The influence of EC leadership on quality practice, governance and policy.
- What is quality practice?
- The influence of governance and policy in the Australian context
- Understanding the stakeholders and multiple perspectives
- The role of the NQS, AITSL, AEDC, ECA, ACECQA.
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.
Chapter 3
Palaiologou, I. & Male, T. (2019). Leadership in early childhood education: The case for pedagogical praxis. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 20(1), 23–34.
Campbell-Barr, V. & Leeson, C. (2016). Quality and Leadership in the Early Years: Research, Theory and Practice. SAGE Publications.
Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership Limited
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 4 Challenges for leadership in the early childhood profession.
Begin Date: 30 Mar 2026Module/Topic
Challenges for leadership in the early childhood profession.
- Management
- Advocacy
- Approaches to leadership and their benefits
- Leadership styles
- Taking a systemic perspective on leadership and change
Chapter
Alchin, I., Arthur, L., & Woodrow, C. (2019). Evidencing leadership and management challenges in early childhood in Australia. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, 44(3), 285–297.
Tam, A. (2019). Conceptualizing Distributed Leadership: Diverse Voices of Positional Leaders in Early Childhood Education. Leadership and Policy in Schools, 18(4), 701–718.
Aubrey, C.A., Godfrey, R., & Harris, A. (2013). How Do They Manage? An Investigation of Early Childhood Leadership. Educational Management, Administration & Leadership, 41(1), 5–29.
Aubrey, C.A. (2019). What early childhood leadership for what kind of world? Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 20(1), 65–78.
Shawar, Y.R. & Shiffman, J. (2017). Generation of global political priority for early childhood development: the challenges of framing and governance. The Lancet (British Edition), 389(10064), 119–124.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 5 Strategic management and organisation.
Begin Date: 06 Apr 2026Module/Topic
- Vision statement
- Building a personal and professional philosophy statement
- Time management
- Recruitment of staff
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.
Chapter 5
Chan, Chi Wai. (2018). Leading today’s kindergartens. Educational Management, Administration & Leadership, 46(4), 679–691.
Hodgson, S., Papatheodorou, T., & James, M. (2014). Monitoring and evaluation of an early childhood development programme: Implications for leadership and management. Management in Education, 28(4), 144–148.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 6 Teamwork and conflict resolution to build effective workplaces.
Begin Date: 13 Apr 2026Module/Topic
Teamwork 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
Hewett, B.S. & La Paro, K. M. (2020). Organizational Climate: Collegiality and Supervisor Support in Early Childhood Education Programs. Early Childhood Education Journal, 48(4), 415–427.
Allan Edward Barsky. (2014). Conflict resolution for the helping professions (Second edition..). Oxford University Press.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Vacation Week Review and reflection
Begin Date: 20 Apr 2026Module/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
Situational Analysis of Early Childhood Leadership
Assessment Task 1 Due: Vacation Week 12.00 pm on Friday, April 24, 2026
Situational Analysis of Early Childhood Leadership Due: Vacation Week Friday (24 Apr 2026) 12:00 am AEST
Week 7 Money Management and budgeting for longevity.
Begin Date: 27 Apr 2026Module/Topic
Money Management and budgeting for longevity.
- Financial management and accountability
- Marketing and advocacy
- Marketing and social entrepreneurship
- Funding options
Chapter
Swigonski, N.L., James, B., Wynns, W., & Casavan, K. (2021). Physical, Mental, and Financial Stress Impacts of COVID-19 on Early Childhood Educators. Early Childhood Education Journal, 49(5), 799–806.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 8 Family/community relationships and engagement.
Begin Date: 04 May 2026Module/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
Fenech, M.,Salamon, A., & Stratigos, T. (2019). Building parents’ understandings of quality early childhood education and care and early learning and development: changing constructions to change conversations. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 27(5), 706–721.
Clarkin-Phillips, J, & Carr, M. (2012). An affordance network for engagement: increasing parent and family agency in an early childhood education setting. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 20(2), 177–187.
Gross, D., Bettencourt, A. F., Taylor, K., Francis, L., Bower, K., & Singleton, D. L. (2020). What is Parent Engagement in Early Learning? Depends Who You Ask. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 29(3), 747–760.
Grace, R. & Trudgett, M. (2012). It’s not rocket science : the perspectives of Indigenous early childhood workers on supporting the engagement of Indigenous families in early childhood settings. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, 37(2), 10–18.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 9 Growth as an early childhood professional and self-care.
Begin Date: 11 May 2026Module/Topic
Growth as an early childhood professional and self-care.
- Honing the skills of leadership
- the ethical dimensions of leadership
- Reflective growth using documents such as the Code of Ethics
- Career planning
- Self-care
Chapter
Moshel, S. & Berkovich, I. (2020). Navigating ambiguity: Early childhood leaders’ sense-making of their identity in a new mid-level role. Educational Management, Administration & Leadership, 48(3), 514–531.
Nicholson, J., Driscoll, P. S., Kurtz, J., Márquez, D., & Wesley, L. (2020). Culturally Responsive Self-Care Practices for Early Childhood Educators (1st ed.). Routledge.
Jennings, P.A. (2015). Early Childhood Teachers’ Well-Being, Mindfulness, and Self-Compassion in Relation to Classroom Quality and Attitudes Towards Challenging Students. Mindfulness, 6(4), 732–743.
Jones, C., Johnstone, M., Hadley, F., & Waniganayake, M. (2020). Early childhood educators’ workplace well-being: It’s everyone’s right. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, 45(4), 322–335.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 10 Measurements of success.
Begin Date: 18 May 2026Module/Topic
Measurements of success.
- Measuring successful leadership, advocacy and management through research
- Developing a stable workplace
- Developing a positive presence in the community
Chapter
Nicholson, J., Kuhl, K., Maniates, H., Lin, B., & Bonetti, S. (2020). A review of the literature on leadership in early childhood: examining epistemological foundations and considerations of social justice. Early Child Development and Care, 190(2), 91–122.
Xin Ma, Jianping Shen, Huilan Y. Krenn, Shanshan Hu, & Jing Yuan. (2016). A Meta-Analysis of the Relationship Between Learning Outcomes and Parental Involvement During Early Childhood Education and Early Elementary Education. Educational Psychology Review, 28(4), 771–801.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 11 Implementation of Community event
Begin Date: 25 May 2026Module/Topic
Implementing a venture that will lift the profile of Early Childhood and an element of importance for children within the community. Why is Under 8's Week important? important?
Details and requirements will be confirmed by your tutor.
Chapter
Assessment task 2 support documents on moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 12 Review week.
Begin Date: 01 Jun 2026Module/Topic
Review week.
Opportunity for unit content discussion and assessment task support. Details to be confirmed with your tutor.
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Submitting the plans for a Community Venture
Due Date: Week 12, Friday, June 5, 2026. 11:00 pm AEST
Practical and Written Assessment Due: Week 12 Friday (5 June 2026) 12:00 am AEST
Exam Week
Begin Date: 08 Jun 2026Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Vacation/Exam Week
Begin Date: 15 Jun 2026Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
1 Written Assessment
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. This assessment response will be presented as an essay using a Word document. The marker must have immediate and easy access to the assessment 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 included within the assignment and also in the reference list.
Within this assessment, the use of Microsoft Copilot, Chat GPT, or other Gen AI agents is as follows:
You may use AI for planning, idea development, and research. Your final submission should show how you have developed and refined these ideas.
Weighting: 60%
Word limit: 2000 words
Vacation Week Friday (24 Apr 2026) 12:00 am AEST
This task will be submitted through Moodle on or before the due date.
Week 8 Friday (8 May 2026)
Marked and graded tasks and feedback sheets will be returned through Moodle.
- Identification and analysis of the core values of early childhood in Australia
- identification of the macro and micro challenges of the early childhood sectorexplore, identify and articulate emerging issues for leadership and resources that can support this role
- identify and articulate methods for developing personal capabilities for leadershiprealistic 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 leadership 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
2 Practical and Written Assessment
Completion of this task requires the application of leadership and management knowledge, skills and dispositions, and the application of professional ethics and responsibilities in a life-life or life-like context. Also applied is an in-depth understanding of the principles and practices which Early Childhood recognises as central for young children, their learning, and their wellbeing.
Using the guiding values of Early Childhood Australia and the principles and practices of the Early Years Learning Framework, you are to plan a community event. You will submit individually and align yourself if possible with a relevant organisation that you have ready access to. This may be a place of work but it must be part of the Early Childhood Education and Care sector. If you cannot find a service that can support your ideas then you will need to use your previous experiences to make it purposeful in EC contexts including P-3 in school settings. This event is planned to raise the profile of early childhood, young children and their families. Your plan must consider relevant and recent priorities identified in the research and brought to our attention through Early Childhood Australia and other national bodies. Additionally, to support your planning, you are required to examine the Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) data for the area where you are located. The AEDC data is collected across the following domains: physical health and well-being, social competence, emotional maturity, language and cognitive skills (school-based), communication skills and general knowledge. As you plan, carefully consider how this AEDC data may impact the decisions you make, particularly what you privilege and thus highlight as important for children. Also driving your planning is the focus of Under Eights Week 2025,: "Unleashing Scientific Thinking through Play."
As part of this process, you will identify and examine:
• The goals and visions for the venture/event – these goals/vision will be drawn from the needs of your community and help to guide the decisions that you make
• How you will work as a member of a team (this requires collaboration)
• Legal and ethical considerations required for the venture
• Time management strategies that will need to be enacted
• The strategic plan to ensure the venture reflects the ECA, EYLF and AEDC priorities/needs
• A proposed budget that considers how you might garner financial support for the event
• How you will manage risk - include a risk management form
• How you will garner support and link/collaborate with other organisations in the local area (you may need to find out what organisations work with children/families within your area)
You must document this planning and make links to relevant literature. At a minimum, we would be expecting to see your link to the literature about teams, time management, conflict management considerations, leadership, and strategic planning.
As you progress through this learning task we would envisage that you would document the process by building a document that ‘speaks up’/advocates for children. The topic/theme for advocacy needs to reflect the priorities of ECA, the EYLF and, if possible, the theme for Under Eights Week 2025: "Unleashing Scientific Thinking through Play." You may decide to use some of the research that you accessed pertaining to play to support the development of your working document. Additionally, you may draw on recent reports such as the First One Thousand Days.
You need to see the development of this document as a work in progress right up to the day you submit it. This will be a valuable tool for you to keep and refer back to as you move through your early career.
Within this assessment, the use of Microsoft Copilot, Chat GPT or other Gen AI agents is as follows:
You may use AI for planning, idea development, and research. Your final submission should show how you have developed and refined these ideas.
Week 12 Friday (5 June 2026) 12:00 am AEST
This task will be submitted through Moodle on or before the due date.
Vacation/Exam Week Friday (19 June 2026)
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?
