MASTER OF EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP IN EARLY CHILDHOOD

Transcription

1 EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP IN EARLY CHILDHOOD

2 01 EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP IN EARLY CHILDHOOD The University of Canberra The University of Canberra (UC), established in 1968, is located in Australia s national capital, home to its commonwealth government, the diplomatic community and international corporations. The University confers professionally based undergraduate, postgraduate and research degrees that are accepted world wide and is flexible in its approach to the construction. This enables students to incorporate appropriate programmes or to combine degrees to meet specific career needs. This flexibility applies to study modes and to various pathway programmes to the University. The UC was awarded maximum five star ratings in the Good Universities Guide 2010 for getting a job and graduate outcomes, making the graduates some of the most employable in Australia. The UC s Faculty of Education is unique in Australia in bringing together teacher education and community education as the focus for higher education teaching, research and social responsibility strategies. This synergy enables the Faculty to develop an integrated approach to supporting the effectiveness and reform of schools and their communities in the local region and internationally. The Programme The Master of Educational Leadership in Early Childhood promotes leadership for excellence in a wide range of early childhood educational contexts. It addresses some of the key challenges facing educational leaders, such as leading whole school communities or educational administrative centres to become learning organisations; building a skilled workforce to ensure teacher quality; leading evidencebased programme and curriculum evaluations to improve learning outcomes; and identifying the role that new technologies play in educational futures. Study undertaken in this degree will include practice-based research and analysis of evidence; creative and inter-disciplinary approaches to solving real-world problems; work-integrated learning and collaboration; and an international approach to curriculum, culture, relationships and outlook. Upon completion of the programme, graduates will gain knowledge of major theoretical approaches for understanding the effectiveness of good educational leadership. In addition, they will gain knowledge in implementing exemplary programmes to enhance the leadership and programme initiatives of their educational institutions.

3 02 Characteristics of the Programme 24-month part-time study for eight taught units The degree is the same as those taken by onshore students in Australia Face-to-face and online teaching by UC academic staff with tutorial support by local instructors Classes are held on weekday evenings and weekends Access to HKBU Library and SCE Resource Library Access to UC electronic Library Programme Structure The programme consists of 8 three-point units to a total of 24 points. Unit Code Unit Title 7692 Educational Policy and Planning 7694 Education Futures and ICT 7696 Leadership in Learning Organisations 7754 Educational Effectiveness and Evaluation 8209 Diverse Curriculum Approaches 8210 Pedagogies of Play 8212 Theories of Childhood 8214 Contexts of Early Childhood Education Duration and Mode of Study The programme will require 2 years (standard four semesters) of part-time study. The programme will be delivered in bilingual mode (English and Cantonese). Each unit will be flexibly delivered equivalent of 39 hours, including introductory faceto-face seminars and guided online teaching and learning tasks in English by UC lecturers; and tutorials and / or workshops in English and Cantonese by HKBU-SCE teaching staff. Assessment Continuous assessment - a variety of assessment methods are used, the most common pattern is assignment(s) to a total of words per unit. Commencement Late July 2011 Tuition Fee HKD84,000 to be paid in 4 equal instalments

4 03 Minimum Entry Requirements The general admission requirements for entry to the programme are: Either A 4-year undergraduate degree in education or a 3 year undergraduate degree plus one year graduate diploma in education. A minimum of 2 years professional experience in an educational context; OR A 3-year undergraduate degree in education or a cognate discipline deemed equivalent by the University Admissions Committee. Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) for a minimum of 4 years professional experience in an educational context. Remark : All applications will be considered on the basis of individual merit. Students holding an existing Graduate Certificate in Early Childhood Education or Graduation Certificate in Educational Leadership (or equivalent) awarded by the University of Canberra will receive full credit towards the Master of Educational Leadership in Early Childhood award. Application Procedure Application for admission will be accepted once a year. Information Seminar will be held to explain the University s background, programme structure, mode of study and delivery, regulations and local administrative support during the application period. Application forms are obtainable from SCE offices during the application period or by downloading from the programme webpage. Enquiries Tel: / Fax: vanusso@hkbu.edu.hk / anniekww@hkbu.edu.hk Programme Homepage: Website of UC: P _UC_ELEC_LL Exempted Course at Non-local Courses Registry, Education Bureau (Reference number: ) It is a matter of discretion for individual employers to recognise any qualification to which this programme may lead. The programme information is subject to change without prior notice.

5 04 Unit Description 7692 Educational Policy and Planning This unit explores key influences and concepts underlying contemporary educational policy in domains such as schooling, vocational training, higher education and educational research. It pays particular attention to the economic and social assumptions that inform policy making from a range of levels; international, national and local and policy history in areas such as gender issues, Aboriginal education, literacy, multiculturalism and training reform. Students will be expected to develop critical analytical frameworks to examine policy matters through concepts of power, participation, conflict and accountability Education Futures and ICT This unit explores the concept of educational futures in Australian, International and virtual educational contexts and the critical emergent issues that affect leaders and learners in various education sectors. The unit enables students to analyse the impact of information and communication technologies (ICT) on educational practices in different kinds of educational organisations in local, national and global environments and analyse key elements that are involved in the effective use of ICT in specific educational settings Leadership in Learning Organisations This unit explores leadership and management roles within a variety of learning organisations. Students are encouraged to develop understandings of concepts such as leadership, learning cultures and organisational development. Global issues concerning Government, educational institutions and the community are identified and students are encouraged to explore their implications for leadership and management. Micro-level issues in particular organisations are also explored and students are expected to analyse and develop interventions in work with which they are familiar Educational Effectiveness and Evaluation This unit explores the concepts of personal, team and organisational effectiveness in a range of settings. Planning, implementation and evaluation are key strategies to examine the performance of individuals, teams and organisations. Students will examine critically the effectiveness and evaluation literature as it has developed in diverse educational settings including the public and private sectors. There will be opportunity to develop concepts and evaluation strategies for both public and private organisations. Attention is focused on the nature of evaluation as a research tool, the key steps and processes to be used by evaluators, the various types of evaluation and the ethical standards for practitioners. There will be opportunities for students to link the theories of effectiveness and evaluation to applied settings.

6 Diverse Curriculum Approaches This unit will explore the spectrum of early childhood curriculum approaches interpreted and practised in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). The current ACT early childhood curriculum framework will be closely studied, and attention will be given to the role of early childhood educators in promoting social inclusion and social justice within this framework. Students will study curriculum approaches which use worlds best practice, including sociocultural approaches to curriculum and assessment, Montessori curriculum, Steiner curriculum and Te Whariki, New Zealands national bi-cultural curriculum, place-based curriculum and anti-bias curriculum. Students will be familiarised with ACT early learning centres and early childhood schools which have engaged these different approaches, and undertake a case study of a particular curriculum approach, its philosophical underpinnings and its adaptation to the ACT curriculum framework Pedagogies of Play This unit will focus upon how learning is achieved through play, with a special emphasis on relationships (human and environmental) and creativity. It will draw upon international research related to brain development, as well as studies of children's social and cultural lives to explore pedagogies of play, relationships and creativity. Current Australian curriculum and policy developments such as the ACT Every Chance to Learn framework and the National Early Years Learning Framework will be examined to extract references to play, relationships and creativity pedagogies. This will allow students to appreciate how policy documents draw upon theories of early childhood learning. Students will construct a short programme that works within the current ACT curriculum framework as well as being informed by pedagogies of play, relationships and creativity Theories of Childhood This unit will provide a critical overview of the major twentieth century theories of childhood. It will look at the ways in which social, cultural and historical contexts produce understandings and theories of childhood, and how these in turn shape early childhood education. Theories of child development as well as humanistic psychology theories of childhood will be critically appraised. Students will identify and evaluate the pedagogical effects of these theories in early childhood settings. Students will also be introduced to recent cross-disciplinary re-conceptualisations of childhood. These will be considered in relation to globalisation and twentieth first century culture and society. Students will examine contemporary popular culture representations of children and identify the theories and understandings of childhood that underpin them Contexts of Early Childhood Education This unit will provide historical context to the provision of early childhood education in Australia. It will draw connections between the provision of early childhood education and care and broader international and Australian social movements. The policy shifts that have culminated in current early childhood education policies and priorities will be investigated and critiqued in relation to international trends and national political agendas. Particular attention will be paid to the changing role of early childhood professionals, and the recent emphasis on social inclusion, diversity and reconciliation in early childhood. Students will consider the role that early childhood professionals can play in redressing social disparities and cultural marginalisation, paying particular attention to indigenous children and their families and communities.