Units: ED Education (6000 level)
* Includes non-ED required units
ED6031 Contemporary Issues in Education
This unit aims to expose students to some of the most current debates and innovations in education. Over the duration of the unit students may explore topics such as Curriculum Reform and Leadership, the Politics and Finance of Education, issues in the Education of Students with Special Needs, and Provisions for students with Social and Emotional Needs. Topics for selection will remain cognisant of the prevailing educational zeitgeist. An analysis of the philosophical basis of reforms and restructuring initiatives and their impact on the classroom will also be considered.
ED6083 Schools, Industrial Relations and the Law
This unit introduces students to issues of industrial relations and the law as they pertain to schools. The theoretical component involves an investigation of the following topics: legal procedures, negligence, duty of care, family law, privacy laws, discrimination issues, harassment in schools, criminal liability of teachers, criminal liability of students. In addition, students will review legislation and common law, as well as employment law.
ED6115
Pre-requisite: ED6115
Effective and successful supervision of postgraduate research for higher degrees has many components. This unit is more about what the supervisor has to learn than what the candidate has to learn, though the two roles are self-evidently reciprocal. The aim is to provide supervisors, particularly those who are less experienced, with some of the accumulated wisdom about research supervision that has become widely distributed and shared in recent years via conferences and publications. This unit is also intended to help in formulating programs of study for candidates and will generate case studies from various discipline areas to illustrate the ongoing concerns and potential difficulties inherent in the supervisory relationship.
ED6160 Christian Formation in Education
Christian formation is fundamental to the educational process in Catholic and Church schools. It offers an alternative life vision which calls students to a commitment to Christian faith and promotes an image of life and the world based on the Kingdom of God. The unit examines the theological basis for this vision and critically evaluates a range of Campus Ministry strategies, themes and activities (retreats, Christian service, prayer, liturgy, peer ministry, personal spirituality, spiritual direction, companionship, etc.) available to foster and enhance it. The unit combines theoretical analysis and consideration of the strategies, themes and activities studied.
ED6182 Values across the Curriculum
Education for values has become a significant aspect of contemporary schooling. In recent times, governments and school systems have discussed how students can acquire values that will allow them to lead decent and successful lives in the 21st century. This Unit will focus on why values are now explicitly identified and promoted within documents such as the Western Australian Curriculum Framework and in the ethos of independent and religious school systems. The Unit will explore how commonly shared values in different school communities are taught and how these values can be assessed. A further focus will be the significant role of the classroom teacher in promoting commonly shared values as a model and facilitator. Values as the ‘hub’ of all learning in a school will also be investigated as well as discussion on practical ways of nurturing values in students at all levels.
ED6183 Religion: Reel to Real
It has been said that ‘movies are for the masses what theology is for the elite’. If theology can be defined as ‘faith seeking understanding’, where better to begin the search than film, which articulates the basic human search for meaning through an infinite variety of concerns and situations. This unit explores ways in which film and television influence values and attitudes and identifies particular theological/religious themes.
ED6185 Stepping across the Threshold
The Congregation for Catholic Education began its recent statement on the Catholic school (1998, para. 5) with a thumbnail sketch of the circumstances in which education finds itself. It spoke of a crisis of values, rapid structural changes, a widening gap between rich and poor, increasingly pluralistic societies and a growing marginalisation of Christianity as a reference point for an "effective and convincing interpretation of existence". It is in the midst of this reality that Religious Education practitioners strive to make an impact. They do this for individual children, in single classrooms, in whole schools and parishes and in entire systems of schools. They work in partnership with colleagues in schools and parishes and with the families of those entrusted to their care. Above all, they are challenged to find ways of having an impact on the lives of young people and their families who reflect and experience the diversity noted by the Congregation above. This course is designed to allow participants to engage with emerging agenda in RE in the context of substantial input, structured sharing, reading and reflection. It is not intended to be a comprehensive coverage of the field, but rather a selection of critical issues which reflect underlying themes.
ED6188 Critical Issues in Religious Education I
This is the first of two core religious education units in the Master of Religious Education degree. These units explore a range of issues which influence the theory and practice of religious education in Australia both historically and in the contemporary context. The units treat issues pertaining to the nature and purpose of religious education, as well as the broader educational, socio-cultural and religious contexts in which religious education is conducted. Ways in which approaches to religious education are linked to this changing context are examined. The units introduce students to and systematically examine the current body of research in religious education and encourage student participation in research initiatives.
Please note: Critical Issues in Religious Education I is also a core component of the University's Graduate Certificate in Religious Education
ED6189 Critical Issues in Religious Education II
This is the second of two core religious education units in the Master of Religious Education degree. These units explore a range of issues which influence the theory and practice of religious education in Australia both historically and in the contemporary context. The units treat issues pertaining to the nature and purpose of religious education, as well as the broader educational, socio-cultural and religious contexts in which religious education is conducted. Ways in which approaches to religious education are linked to this changing context are examined. The units introduce students to and systematically examine the current body of research in religious education and encourage student participation in research initiatives.
Whereas the first core unit deals with issues which constitute the contemporary religious and societal contexts for religious education in Australia, Critical Issues in Religious Education II deals specially with approaches to the teaching of RE as well as classroom, curriculum and pedagogical issues impacting on the discipline.
Please note: Critical Issues in Religious Education II is also a core component of the University's Graduate Certificate in Religious Education.
ED6192 Understanding Jesus’ heritage – Implications for RE
A characteristic of the contemporary world is the increasing understanding being forged between Christians and Jews. This unit is designed so that religious educators can consider and evaluate the implications for their work of this movement towards dialogue. Students will discuss official documents generated by leaders of the Jewish-Christian dialogue. In the light of insights gained from these sources, they will assess the educational implications for presenting Christian sacred texts. They will examine key historical developments in the Jewish-Christian relationship and determine appropriate responses for Australian educational contexts. Students will investigate issues involved in the movement to restore relations between Jews and Christians. The focus of the unit will be the theoretical and practical implications for religious educators working in Christian contexts that emerge from the Jewish-Christian dialogue.
ED6200 Justice and Social Teaching
This is a survey course in social justice; it examines the basis of Christian social teaching with particular reference to both Scripture and Catholic/Christian tradition. It will make a case for the centrality of social justice in the life of the church and in what it means to be a Christian. It will provide participants with the theological skill set to engage in the social justice conversation. Core aspects of the Christian story will be examined in the light of political and liberation theology. Special emphasis will be given to current global issues.
ED6240 Educating Children with Special Needs
This unit aims to provide an introduction to the education of children with special needs. It examines the particular problems of children whose academic, physical and behavioural differences require special attention within the Catholic educational system. Special attention is given to the methods of identifying and catering to the needs of such children in both the special and regular settings. Social, legal and educational issues relating to the education of children with special needs are also examined.
ED6242 Global perspectives in Early Childhood
The focus of this Unit is on global comparative studies in the field of Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC). These comparative studies are undertaken to promote understanding of the underlying factors and philosophies which shape early education and care provision in Australia and other countries and settings. A major gaol is to provide opportunities for students to think critically about understandings in Early Childhood Education and Care from different global perspectives, and gain vital knowledge relevant to this professional field: "Understanding where we have come from as early childhood educators, how we might compare to others, and what research might help us to do differently in the future are the first steps on the journey to becoming articulate and informed early childhood professionals" (Ailwood, 2007 p.x).
ED6243 Trends in Early Childhood Development
This Unit looks at current trends that impinge on curriculum development in Early Childhood Education (ECE). New approaches to programming and planning in Early Childhood settings are explored. Students develop a personal philosophy to underpin the beliefs and values for their planning. Important trends in ECE will be highlighted, including the current emphasis being placed on developing quality programs; the role of cognitive neuroscience in informing the educator; and the purpose and nature of leadership and mentoring. Professionalism is also explored, especially as it applies to leadership and mentoring. Leadership is an outgrowth of professionalism and begins with expertise recognised by other professionals. Mentoring programs are established vehicles to enhance professional development and reduce attrition within the profession. Mentoring skills associated with andragogy as well as pedagogy will be investigated.
ED6244 Integration in Early Childhood Education
This unit consisting of three separate yet integrated themes. The focus in this Unit is on an Integrated approach within an integrated framework in the early school years. MODULE 1: The goal is to help students develop an integrated understanding of all the elements of each subject they study and an integrated understanding of all those subjects. This will enable students to recognise patterns and relationships both within and across content areas, thus helping to organise knowledge into a meaningful whole. MODULE 2: Early Intervention is important in addressing the needs of the students at an early age (Bowe, 2007). This is of particular importance as it applies to children with special needs. The policy of inclusivity mandates that children classified within this category are integrated into the mainstream classroom. MODULE 3: The teaching of values to early childhood learners is a key element of an integrated curriculum. The explicit identification and promotion of core shared values in the Western Australian Curriculum Framework provides a focus for how values may be integrated into the curriculum. Furthermore, the National Values Framework also provides a basis for discussing how children may develop appropriate civic responsibilities.
ED6260 Pastoral Care and the School
This unit examines the concept of pastoral care and its application in the school. Pastoral care has the individual as its focus, permeates all aspects of the curriculum, and is exercised mutually by all members of the school community. It emphasises and promotes respect for the rights of every person. School discipline is part of pastoral care. The unit reviews forms of discipline and behaviour modification procedures in the classroom and in the school community. The psychological bases and sociological contexts of pastoral care policies and practices are studied. The unit provides case study opportunities for students.
ED6300 Advanced Directed Individual Study (Doctor of Education)
This unit provides the student with the opportunity to develop and follow through a nominated study program on an individual basis and outside the usual classroom mode of instruction. The unit allows the student to explore in depth the range of issues most closely associated with their intended area of research. By the end of this unit, the student should have completed substantial reading and reflection in the area selected.
ED6320 Theories and Models of Leadership in Catholic Schools
This unit introduces students to the notion of leadership in Catholic schools. Initially models of leadership are explored, in particular an understanding of Christian Leadership. Students then scrutinize formative influences on Catholic education with special reference to the impact of Vatican II, the significance of Catholic social teaching and the reality of the Catholic school in the 21st century. Finally specific issues in Catholic education are examined. These include the Catholic educational leader, woman in management, the role of the principal as leader and the development of teachers as leaders in Catholic schools.
ED6331 Teaching Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (Not available to Preservice Courses)
Pre-requisites: Nil Co-requisites: Nil
Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders have particular needs which require specific understandings, knowledge and strategies from teaching staff. This unit will provide the opportunity for teachers to develop their knowledge and understanding of autism and related disorders. Participants will be exposed to current research and understandings in the field of autism and the implications for the primarily learning challenges for students with autism in school settings. Strategies for promoting and supporting the learning of students with autism particularly in the areas of communication and socialization will be focused on as well as the management of challenging behaviours.
ED6360 Issues in the Education of Boys
The unit develops a comprehensive, experiential map of the academic, social and psychological indicators of boys’ performance in schools. This is achieved by contributory, collaborative and informed discussion, based on wide reading of the popular, academic and biographical literature, shared with participants in a workshop format to which all contribute.
ED6381 Educating for a New Earth and the Environmental Challenge
Pre-requisites: Nil Co-requisites: Nil
Catholic educators have a critical role to play in promoting the Church's call to "ecological conversion". Pope John Paul II has noted that the environmental crisis is not only a technical one, but also a moral one, which calls for a radical change in lifestyle and unsustainable patterns of consumption and production. The unit explores key ecological issues in the light of Church teaching and educational pedagogy. Papal documents detailing the protection of the creation and of the earth's life supporting ecosystems are highlighted. Ecological principles for Catholic Education are considered. The notion of ecological conversion is viewed in the light of a call to justice. Given environmental degradation, it is the poor who are impacted upon disproportionately. Essential to this unit is participant input. In particular, participants will need to consider the teaching of stewardship and creation from their own educational contexts.
ED6400 Instructional Strategies for Learning Difficulties
This unit is designed to provide students with an understanding of the diverse nature of learning difficulties, a familiarity with effective instructional design and the knowledge of a wide range of intervention strategies. Practical experience in the assessment of learning difficulties, the planning of individualised intervention programs and the implementation of these programs are features of the unit.
ED6420 Leading Curriculum Planning
This course will explore the complex issues surrounding the definition of curriculum, its origin and nature. Participants will appreciate that ideological and political imperatives often drive curriculum decisions and reform. The influence of educational psychology, sociology, philosophy and critical theory on curriculum design will be a key focus. The course will examine the way curriculum design is often linked to change and that its success or failure will rest on the skill of those leading and managing the change process. Current State and National curriculum reforms will be closely examined.
ED6426 Intelligence and Emotional Learning
This unit provides students with the opportunity to better understand the conceptual construct known as intelligence. Traditional theories of intelligence will be explored as will more current approaches such as triarchic notions, multiple intelligences and emotional intelligence. Implications for classroom learning will be distilled and explored in conjunction with related concepts such as self-esteem, pastoral care, emotional response theory and attribution theory. Content covered will have a practical emphasis as well as direct classroom relevance.
ED6430 Behaviour Management and Social Skills Instruction
This unit aims to provide students with the knowledge and understanding of the principles of behaviour management and of social skills instruction, appropriate to children with special needs and to equip them with the strategies necessary to cater for these children in regular and special settings. Special attention will also be given to procedures aimed at enhancing the adjustment of children with autism.
ED6502 Creative Arts Serving Religious Education
This unit is designed to develop students' understanding and appreciation of the place of creative and expressive arts within the religious education curriculum. The Arts, including music, song, drama and visual art have a long and rich history in the Catholic Church's liturgy and education in faith. In this unit emphasis is given to appreciation of sign and symbol especially as it relates to the celebration of liturgy and units of study in the Western Australian religious education documents. Students taking this unit have the opportunity of increasing their knowledge of the history of Christian art as well as developing skills in a variety of artistic expressions that enhance the implementation of the religious education program in primary and secondary schools.
ED6507 Theology of Leadership
This unit will be of value to professional and practising leaders who deal with the demands of their mission. The unit will have particular reference to non-profit organisations. While the world of work creates its own demands, many people strive to balance their personal and spiritual needs with the requirements of leadership. This unit will investigate the Christian understanding of leadership in a values-based, ethical milieu and will allow participants to explore and articulate their leadership from a Christian perspective.
ED6509 Leadership as Reflective Practice
This unit encourages the participant to examine educational ideals and challenges. The unit, which will be delivered solely via the internet, will be based upon a selection of prescribed texts. The unit will progress through a series of structured 'reflective conversations' with the unit leader which will be discussion style responses and reflections integrating the material read and accessed via the texts, web searches and full text databases of professional reading and personal experience, practice and hopes and ideals of the educational enterprise. This unit will be suitably stimulating for a range of educational leaders: in schools, health and community care, and other helping professions. Ready access to the internet and some facility in its use is assumed, and the texts must be acquired at the beginning or before the commencement of the study of the unit.
ED6581 Professional Supervision of Beginning Teachers (available to Heads of Professional Practice only)
The unit is practical in nature, developing both skills and knowledge. It explores the various dimensions of 'clinical supervision': induction, classroom supervision, feedback and reflective practice, building relationships and conflict resolution. In addition, it will provide participants with a common language for describing student achievements and progress. The impact on current pedagogy on classroom practice will also be explored in order to establish a standard of performance for student teachers.
ED6605 Evaluation of Early Childhood Experience
The unit is undertaken in lieu of the four week Early Childhood School Experience qualifying placement. Essentially, this is an alternative assessment device designed for primary trained teachers who are already employed in Kindergarten, Pre-primary, or a 3-5 year old childcare centre.
ED6640 Teaching in the Middle Years of Schooling
This unit examines the guiding principles of middle schooling and the ways that student learning can be enhanced. It also explores how schools and teachers are implementing middle schooling practices.
ED6660 Adaptive Education for the Inclusive Classroom
This unit focuses on modifying aspects of the educational process to facilitate the education of children with special needs within both the regular class setting and the special support classroom. It examines the principles and procedures for adapting the physical and social environment of the classroom, the curriculum and the mode of instruction. Practical experience in adapting curricula and in multi-level teaching to accommodate children with learning difficulties is a feature of this unit.
ED6670 Strategic Management in Schools
This unit provides a systematic introduction to (a) the philosophical and conceptual underpinnings of contemporary strategic planning and management as these have been applied in the business and not-for-profit sectors, (b) what the available literature has revealed about the strengths, limitations and shortcomings of different planning approaches, and (c) what appear to be the principal lessons for effective practice in this area. Emphasis is on the application of the techniques of strategic thinking, needs assessment, strategic planning and the management of strategic innovation to the resolution of needs or challenges facing educational systems, individual schools or areas/strands within schools in the emerging contexts of devolution and competition. Students are required to work individually and in collaborative groups to develop and justify a formal strategic plan for addressing a group-defined challenge or organisational opportunity.
ED6765 Action Research in Education
This unit explores the nature of action research as it pertains to the field of Education. The unit prepares students to design and implement school-based research and introduces students to a range of current research interests. Students will be expected to design and carry out a small scale research project using action research methods.
ED6790 Trends in Assessment and Evaluation
This unit will provide the student with the opportunity to review relevant literature and approaches to student assessment and the reporting of student achievement. It explores the variety of modes of assessment, their practical implications and theoretical underpinnings. This necessitates examination of the data each mode of assessment yields, the uses that can be made of the data and the qualities these uses demand of the assessment instruments.
ED6841 Kindergarten and Pre-Primary Qualifying School Experience
This practicum consists of 20 days or 120 hours of supervised field experience in a pre-primary centre, a four-year-old kindergarten, or a 3-5 room in a child care centre, where the student teacher seeks to demonstrate competency with children at different levels. The student is expected to plan and implement learning experiences appropriate to children aged between three and six years.
ED6890 Children of High Ability: Gifted and Talented Students
This unit provides students with the theoretical knowledge, practical skills, strategies and programming ideas necessary to effectively develop and implement a curriculum appropriate for gifted and talented students in both mainstream and withdrawal situations. Students are shown how to ensure that all students in the classroom benefit from such a curriculum. Topics covered include: definitions and identification, teacher attitudes and expectations, curriculum development, grouping strategies, withdrawal programmes, teaching strategies, acceleration, enrichments, school and classroom management, learning styles, social and emotional implications of giftedness, types of giftedness, concealing giftedness, and the disadvantaged gifted.
ED6960 Religious and Spiritual Development of Young People
This unit explores the religious and spiritual development of young people. It focuses particularly on spirituality and concepts of God, the role of imagination and the spiritual capacity for wonder and awe. It draws on Australian and overseas research on the influence of parental images of God, the role of family, community and school in religious socialisation and the development of religious thinking. A project involving a practical study of the spirituality of youth and their religious experience is an essential element of the unit.
ED6970 Professional Religious Educator
In this unit students seek to expand their own professional, educational and spiritual horizons as well as develop skills in promoting religious education experiences for others. The unit focuses on developing the religious educator's understanding and appreciation of what Church documents refer to as, "permanent formation", that is, religious education as a life-long task. Attention is given to developing organisational expertise in structuring professional development programs suited to the variety of needs within school, parent groups or parish.
The context of the starting point is explicitly Christian. The Old Testament contains some powerful models of leadership, some of which are developed and/or critiqued within the New Testament heritage. Further reflection by the Church in its continuing search to better understand human nature and Revelation has added to and nuanced this Scriptural tradition. Writers of our times have also contributed to this reflection and their thinking and reflection will be explored in the light of the Church’s understanding.
JS606 Ethical Leadership for Today’s Organisations
The unit analyses aspects of the ‘new thinking’ that is currently challenging the traditional, mechanistic world-view prevalent for much of last century. The cultural life and espoused values of organisations are examined in the light of decision making, communication networks, research and management structures, leadership, professional development and personal worldviews. Models of successful organisational development will be studied from a ‘value based’ stance that promotes the integration of life and work. Leaders of the future will bring a new style of shared leadership where they will give witness to values they espouse in their personal and professional lives. Such leaders create organisations that have a service ethic that will ultimately contribute not only to the nation’s growing economy but to the quality of life in a democratic society.
RM6010 Research Methods
This unit provides a broad exposure to the principal forms of social science research used in educational and related contexts. As such, it provides a basic foundation in research design, methods, data collection and data analysis for higher degree students planning to proceed to a dissertation or thesis. At the same time, it offers a general understanding of research design and methodological issues for educational leaders who may be required to commission investigations or approve proposals for study by others, and who need to be able to interpret and critically evaluate the findings of published research. Students gain experience in a range of qualitative and quantitative techniques which can be used by practising professionals to carry out individual or team-based action-research into issues arising from their own work settings, organisations, or wider professional activities. Emphasis is on differentiating between, and making appropriate and justified choices among, the principal paradigms or methodological approaches used by contemporary educational researchers.
