Assignment 1:                                        (50 marks)

“Developing the Learning Culture amongst Staff of an Educational Institution.”

Length: Approximately 2500 words plus references.

Assume that you have responsibility for developing the learning culture amongst the staff of an educational institution (or a section thereof) well known to you.

Write a briefing paper for the Governing Body, Senior Executive or a relevant Committee on the topic of developing the learning culture of ‘X’ (name of educational institution).

In preparation for writing your briefing you will need to make an assessment of the learning culture of the workplace (typically your school or context).

As such collect relevant data, policies and other documents relating to the topic as soon as possible.

Note: that this should be an assessment of the extent to which the elements of the learning culture are evident amongst the way the staff work – it is about their learning – not that of the students.

Note: that the essential parts of this assignment are the assessment of the extent to which you currently have a learning culture amongst the staff of your educational institution, and suggestions for improvement based on this assessment

Your briefing note would typically include the following.

• Item 1 – A statement about the audience and context for the briefing – – who we are.
• Item 2 – Topic of the briefing
  This should be a single paragraph which provides members of the Governing Body with the topic of the briefing. The issue at hand! What this briefing deals with.

The BIG TICKETS items………………………….

• Item 3 – Recommendations
  Clear and concisely articulated actions or strategies based on your analysis. These will be ones which are likely to deliver long term improvements to the learning culture – what we should do. Supported by literature.
• Item 4 – Supporting statement
  This section provides the rationale and the evidence which will convince the Governing Body to adopt your recommendations making sure you draw upon and accurately acknowledge relevant literature. This is the item that deals with the theoretical understandings that you have applied – – why we are doing it (against Ellyard) supported by literature

Some tips:

Perhaps use Ellyard’s components to frame the recommendations.

Perhaps consider using Ellyard’s components as a frame for your initial assessment of how your school is positioned. This adds weight to your argument.

Perhaps draw on literature and policy from the field to lend weight to the recommendations. As a rule of thumb a couple of authors per recommendation is a convincing/minimum approach. Note: “Jones (2017) and Brown (2016) highlight” or “Various authors (Jones 2017; Brown 2016) suggest” or “Jones (2017) clarifies Brown’s (2016) earlier ascertain that….” This kind of reference.

References
Use the approved ECU APA referencing system, a copy of which can be found on the ECU website.

Criteria for Assessment, as below:

Marks	20 – 15	15 – 10	10 – 5	5 – 0
Recommendations Clear and concisely articulated actions or strategies based on your analysis. These will be ones which are likely to deliver long term improvements to the learning culture.	A very well substantiated critically reflected argument with recommendations and accompanying strategies and ideas extensively and insightfully expressed. Understandings extensively demonstrated, supported by recent and relevant evidence from literature and reference materials.	A thorough and proficient understanding demonstrated through critical reflection with recommendations and accompanying strategies and ideas proficiently and insightfully expressed. Understandings thoroughly demonstrated and supported with evidence from literature and reference materials.	A sound standard of argument demonstrated with some evidence of critical reflection and some insightful recommendation. Understandings supported with evidence from literature and reference materials.	A limited standard of critical reflection demonstrated with ideas generally poorly expressed with little insight.  Some reference to course materials included.
Marks	20 – 15	15 – 10	10 – 5	5 – 0
Supporting statement This section provides the rationale and the evidence which will convince the Governing Body to adopt your recommendations.	Draws on an extensive range of perspectives and appropriate sources of information and literature to support the central premise of the recommendations. An excellent understanding of content is broadly demonstrated.	Draws on a wide range of sources of information and literature to support the premise of the recommendations. A proficient understanding of content demonstrated.	Draws on a sound range of appropriate sources of information and literature to provide a supporting argument.  A sound understanding of content demonstrated.	Draws on a limited range of appropriate sources of information. A limited understanding of content is demonstrated
Marks	10 – 7	7 – 5	5 – 2	2 – 0
Academic Writing and Referencing	Academic writing style is highly developed and well edited. Language use is smoothly graceful and effortlessly fluent. All end-text and in-text referencing is accurate and precisely formatted.	Academic writing style is well developed and edited. Language use is expressed easily are articulately.  End-text and in-text referencing is accurate and precisely formatted.	Academic writing style is developing but final submission needed more editing. End-text and in-text referencing are used and formatted.	Academic writing style is developing but awkward and final submission needed more editing and re-drafting. End-text and in-text referencing is not well developed.

 

Assignment 2:                                        (50 Marks)

“Ethical leadership”

Length: Approximately 2500 words plus references.

Educational leaders have a moral obligation to society, the profession, governing bodies, students and staff.  They often find that it is unclear what is the right or wrong course of action and what one ought to or ought not to do.

Note: This assignment will centre on an Ethical Dilemma scenario which will be made available at our session on 12/10/18  

TASK 1 – 20 marks

In the context of making ethical decisions Hall (2011) suggests that the key question when posed with ethical decisions and dilemmas is “What ought I to do, all things considered”.

Use the readings from this unit to consider the following:

‘What ought I to do, all things considered’ – what do School Leaders need to consider when making ethical decisions?

Discuss this statement by way of a review of your emerging understanding of ethical leadership and decision-making, codes of behaviour and conduct, and ethical decision making models and processes.

This is a short written paper – (approximately) 800 to 1000 words.

TASK 2 – 30 marks (15 per scenario) – What is your ethical decision?

Read all of the ‘Real Life Dilemmas’.

Choose TWO that you will focus on. For each:

1. State you decision – What is your ethical decision / solution to the dilemma?
2. Describe the process that you have followed to come to your decision
3. What’s the rationale for the decision?

• What are the contributing factors?
• What is your reasoning?

(You are welcome to employ one of the EDM models used in the module or source another one).

Note: Your answer ‘can’ be supplemented by other resources to support your answer and to illustrate your thinking (should you wish) e.g. mind maps, diagram.

References

Use the approved ECU APA referencing system, a copy of which can be found on the ECU website.

Criteria for Assessment, as below:

TASK 1 – What ought I to do, all things considered – discussion	Draws on an extensive range of perspectives and appropriate sources of information and literature to demonstrate a deep understanding of ethical leadership. and decision-making,An excellent understanding of process and perspectives is broadly demonstrated.	Draws on a wide range of sources of information and literature to demonstrate an understanding of ethical leadership. and decision-making,A proficient understanding of process and perspectives is broadly demonstrated.	Draws on a range of appropriate sources of information and literature to demonstrate an understanding of ethical leadership. and decision-making,A sound understanding is demonstrated.	Draws on a limited range of sources of information.Little understanding of ethical leadership and decision-making is demonstrated.Overall a limited understanding of the issue is demonstrated
Marks available	20 – 15	14 – 10	9 – 5	4 – 0
Mark awarded
TASK 2  – Scenario 1Clear and concisely articulated decision / process and rationale	A very well substantiated and critically reflective decision and supporting process is articulated.The rationale for the decision and contributing factors is extremely well reasoned and insightfully expressed.	A substantiated and critically reflective decision and supporting process is articulated.The rationale for the decision and contributing factors is reasoned and insightfully expressed.	A clear decision and supporting process is articulated.The rationale for the decision and contributing factors demonstrates some logic and is appropriately expressed.	The decision is poorly expressed and articulated.The rationale for the decision and contributing factors lacks clarity and is difficult to understand.
Marks available	15 – 11	10 – 7	6 – 3	2 – 0
Scenario 1 mark awarded
Scenario 2 mark awarded

 

Other important features of the assignments

Your assignment should acknowledge the ideas of scholars and researchers in the field.  The submitted assignment must be typed and include a School of Education cover sheet.  The assignment should demonstrate:

• a concise lucid style;
• correct grammar and spelling;
• use of headings where appropriate and evidence of sound paragraph structure and sequencing;
• clear reasoned arguments and evaluation of evidence;
• application of key concepts, ideas from the EPA6157 course materials;
• substantiated rather than trivial treatment of the main ideas;
• awareness of conflicting points of view;
• evidence of critical thinking; and
• correct referencing of both direct quotes, paraphrasing and end of text referencing.

Academic misconduct and plagiarism

Edith Cowan University regards academic misconduct of any form as unacceptable.  Academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to:

• plagiarism;
• unauthorised collaboration;
• cheating in examinations;
• Theft of other students’ work.

The University defines academic misconduct as follows:

“academic misconduct”	means	Conduct in relation to any academic work that is dishonest or unfair.
“cheating”	means	Conduct in any assessment that is dishonest.
“plagiarism”	means	To knowingly or unknowingly present as one’s own work the ideas or writings of another without appropriate acknowledgment or referencing.  This includes, but is not limited to: paraphrasing text without acknowledgment of the source; paraphrasing text inadequately with acknowledgment of the source; copying the text of another student’s assignment or other students’ assignments; and Copying of visual representations (cartoons, line drawings, photos, paintings and computer programs).

 

A staff member, who has reasonable grounds to believe that a student has committed some form of academic misconduct, will discuss the matter with the student.  If some form of academic misconduct has been committed then an appropriate penalty will be applied as outlined in Statute 22: Student Obligations and Rule 40 and Rule 19 of the ECU Handbook.

Unit and Teaching Evaluation (UTEI)

At the end of the teaching period, all students will be requested to complete the ECU UTEI online survey.  This survey will ask questions concerning your level of satisfaction with the unit, your lecturer and your tutor.  Your feedback is needed to help us to improve the quality of our courses.  We endeavour to use the feedback we receive from the UTEI survey to improve the quality of the unit when it is next run.  Feedback from previous units has helped inform the development of this new unit.

Key References

ACEL website at http://www.acel.org.au/

Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership. (2011). Australian professional standards for teachers. Melbourne, Australia: Author Retrieved from http://www.aitsl.edu.au/australian-professional-standards-for-teachers.

Avenell, K. (2017) Relationships drive learning, change, behaviour and results. Education Today. AEL 36 (2)

Ball, S. (1997). Policy sociology and critical social research: A personal review of recent education policy and policy research. British Educational Research Journal, 23(3), 257–274.

Ball, S. (1999). Labour, learning and the economy: A “policy sociology” perspective. Cambridge Journal of Education, 29(2), 195–206.

Ball, S., Maguire, M., Braun, A., & Hoskins, K. (2011). Policy actors: Doing policy in schools. Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education, 32(4), 625–639. doi:10.1080/01596306.2011.601565

Ball, S. J., & Junemann, C. (2012). Networks, new governance and education. Bristol, United Kingdom: Policy Press.

Ball, S. J., Maguire, M., Braun, A., Hoskins, K., & Perryman, J. (2012). How schools do policy: Policy enactment in secondary schools. Abingdon, United Kingdom: Routledge.

Bernstein, B. (1990). The structuring of pedagogic discourse: Volume IV, Class, codes and control. London, United Kingdom: Routledge.

Bernstein, B. (1996).  Pedagogy, symbolic control and identity: Theory, research and critique. (London & New York, Taylor & Francis)

Bertram, C. (2012). Bernstein’s theory of the pedagogic device as a frame to study History curriculum reform in South Africa. Yesterday and Today, 7, 1–22.

Braun, A., Maguire, M.M., & Ball, S.J. (2010). Policy enactments in the UK secondary school:

City, E. A., Elmore, R. F., Fiarman, S. E., & Teitel, L. (2009). Instructional rounds in education: A network approach to improving learning and teaching. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Education Press.

Examining policy, practice and school positioning. Journal of Education Policy, 25, 547_560.

Connelly, F. M., & Connelly, G. C. (2013). Curriculum policy guidelines: Context, structure and functions. In A. Luke, A. Woods, & K. Weir (Eds.), Curriculum Syllabus Design and Equity: A Primer and Model (pp. 54–73). New York, NY: Routledge.

Cranston, N., Ehrich, L., & Kimber, M. (2004), ‘Right’ Versus ‘Wrong’ and ‘Right versus ‘Right’: Understanding Ethical Dilemmas faced by Educational Leaders. Paper prepared for the 2004 AARE Conference: Melbourne.

Crowther, F., Ferguson, M., & Hann, L. (2009). Developing teacher leaders: How teacher leadership enhances school success (pp. 20-46) Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press

Davies, B. (2006). Leading the strategically focused school: Success and sustainability. London: Paul Chapman Publishing.

Dempster, N. (2009). Leadership for Learning: A framework synthesizing recent research.

Duignan, P. (2006). A framework for analysing tensions. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Ellyard, P. (2001). Ideas for the new millennium. Carlton South, Vic: Melbourne University Press.

Foskett, N., & Hemsley-Brown, J. (1999). Communicating the organisation. In Lumby, J., & Foskett, N. (Eds.).  Managing external relations in schools and colleges. London: Paul Chapman Publishing.

Fullan, M. (1982). The Meaning of Educational Change. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.

Fullan, M. (1991). The New Meaning of Educational Change. Toronto, Canada: OISE Press.

Fullan, M. (2001). Leading in a culture of change. San Fransisco, CA: Jossey Bass.

Fullan, M. (2006). Change theory: A force for school improvement (Seminar Series Paper No. 157): Centre for Strategic Education. (pp. 8-9).

Fullan, M. (2008). What’s worth fighting for in the principalship? (2nd ed.). New York: Teachers College Press.

Gale, T., & Densmore, K. (2000). Just schooling: Exploration in the cultural politics of teaching. London, United Kingdom: Open University Press.

Hargreaves, A. (1994). Changing teachers, changing times: Teachers’ work and culture in the postmodern age. London, United Kingdom: Cassell.

Hardy, I., & Lingard, B. (2008). Teacher professional development as an effect of policy and practice: A Bourdieurian analysis. Journal of Education Policy, 23, 63–80.

Hopkins, D (2013). Exploding the Myths of School Reform, ACER Press, Camberwell / Open University Press, McGraw Hill Education, Berk­shire.

Hopkins, D (2015).  Leadership for Powerful Learning, Australian Educa­tional Leader, vol. 37, no. 2, pp. 14-19.

Hopkins, D, Craig, W and Knight O, (2015/17). Curiosity and Powerful Learning, Melbourne: McREL International / Cambridge: Pearson Pub­lishing [available from ACEL].

Hopkins, D, and Craig, W (2015/17) Leadership for Powerful Learning, Melbourne: McREL International / Cambridge: Pearson Publishing [available from ACEL].

Leithwood, K, Seashore Louis, K, Anderson, S, Wahlstrom, K (2004). How leadership influences student learning: a review of research for the learning from leadership project, Wallace Foundation, New York.

Leithwood K, Day C, Sammons P, Hopkins D and Harris A, (2007). Seven Strong Claims about Successful School Leadership, Nottingham: National College for School Leadership.

Maguire, M., Hoskins, K., Ball, S., & Braun, A. (2011). Policy discourses in school texts. Discourse: Studies in the cultural politics of education, 32(4), 597–609. doi:10.1080/01596306.2011.601556

Marzano, R., Waters, T., & McNulty, B. (2005). School leadership that works: From research to results. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Mulford, B. (2007). The challenge of building social capital in professional learning communities: Importance, challenges and a way forward. In L.Stoll & K. Seashore Louis, (Eds.) Professional Learning Communities: divergence, detail and difficulties (pp. 166-180). London: Open Universities Press/McGraw Hill.

Myers, T. (2003). Marketing for better schools: The three Rs of educational marketing: relationships, relationships, relationships. Sydney: Catholic Education Office.

O’Sullivan, K. (2006). Opening the school gate. Melbourne: Centre for Multicultural Youth Issues.

Scearce, D., & Fulton, K. (2004). Scenario thinking defined. In What if? The art of scenario thinking for non-profits. Global Business Networks.O’Sullivan, K. (2006). Opening the school gate. Melbourne: Centre for Multicultural Youth Issues.

Simkins, T., Coldwell, M., Caillau, I., Finlayson, H., & Morgan, A. (2006). Coaching as an in-school leadership development strategy: Experiences from Leading from the Middle. Journal of In-service education, 32(3), 321-340.

Walker, A., & Dimmock, C. (2002). School leadership and administration: Adopting a cultural perspective. New York: Routledge Farmer.