https://courseoutline.auckland.ac.nz/dco/course/EDPROFST/738/1253

EDPROFST 738 : Educational Leadership

Education and Social Work

2025 Semester One (1253) (30 POINTS)

Course Prescription

A reflective examination of the theory and practice of educational leadership including the leadership of teaching and learning. Emphasis will be placed on the synthesis of a substantive and integrated knowledge base, which can be applied to authentic work situations and a personal practice context. Focuses on contemporary leadership practices that are central to effective educational leadership.

Course Overview

We look forward to engaging with you over the next semester as you begin or continue on your educational leadership journey. This course is designed to complement your leadership knowledge, skills, and disposition in the educational context you are currently working in. The overall aim of this course is to assist you in improving educational outcomes for those you serve.  

The course will explore leadership theory and how it links to leadership practice. We examine the complexity of leading learning in educational settings with a focus on leading professional learning and developing adaptive expertise. Further, we explore theories of interpersonal effectiveness, with a specific focus on problem-solving conversations. Teaching and learning in this course is aimed to provide you with opportunities to directly apply theory to your context. We will explore leadership and leadership practice that is context appropriate and student-centred, and explore ways to apply this knowledge to your work situation.

Course Requirements

Restriction: EDPROF 770

Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 1: People and Place
Capability 3: Knowledge and Practice
Capability 4: Critical Thinking
Capability 5: Solution Seeking
Capability 6: Communication
Capability 7: Collaboration
Capability 8: Ethics and Professionalism
Graduate Profile: Master of Educational Leadership

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. link relevant educational leadership theory to practice (Capability 3)
  2. formulate a defensible account of effective adaptive leadership in complex contexts (Capability 1, 4 and 5)
  3. apply an integrated knowledge base to authentic work situations (Capability 1, 3 and 8)
  4. define and justify approaches to professional learning leaders should engage in to promote learning for others (Capability 1, 4, 6 and 7)
  5. analyse interpersonal behaviour in problem-solving conversations by correctly applying the concepts of interpersonal effectiveness (Capability 5, 6, 7 and 8)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Quizzes 10% Individual Coursework
Assignments 40% Individual Coursework
Quizzes 10% Individual Coursework
Assignments 40% Individual Coursework
4 types 100%
Assessment Type Learning Outcome Addressed
1 2 3 4 5
Quizzes
Assignments
Quizzes
Assignments

To pass this course students must submit all assessments and achieve at least 50% for the overall course.

Next Offered

Semester One 2026

Teaching & Learning Methods

The course is a 12-week course with 12 modules. Each week follows this cycle:
• Before each week, you'll hear from your lecturer to orient you to the week's learning foci and highlight key information.

On-Campus Delivery Option
During the week, students will:
- engage with learning materials, readings and activities on CANVAS (a learning and collaboration tool). While this mainly involves independent learning (e.g. reading articles and modular materials, taking notes, listening to podcasts or watching videos).  
- Attend an on-campus class or online zoom  (alternate weeks)  with the lecturer and their peers  to ponder questions, collaborate, and consider how the theories they've learnt can be applied to practice.
- Students can reflect on and self-diagnose their learning needs. Where required, students can ask questions on discussion boards or on Zoom.
This weekly schedule complements assignments designed to deepen learning and support theory-to-practice application. Students are also encouraged to set up study groups if they prefer social in-person learning.

On-line Delivery Option
During the week, students will:
- engage with learning materials, readings and activities on CANVAS (a learning and collaboration tool). While this mainly involves independent learning (e.g. reading articles and modular materials, taking notes, listening to podcasts or watching videos), students will also be required to interact with peers in social learning (e.g. collaborative discussions, peer review).
- Attend a Zoom with the lecturer and their peers (optional but recommended) to ponder questions, collaborate, and consider how the theories they've learnt can be applied to practice.
- Students can reflect on and self-diagnose their learning needs. Where required, students will ask questions on discussion boards or at Zoom.
This weekly schedule complements assignments designed to deepen learning and support theory-to-practice application. Students are also encouraged to set up study groups if they prefer social in-person learning.

Module


There are twelve modules for this course covering the following topics:
1. Powerful educational leadership
2. Leading professional learning
3. Developing adaptive expertise
4. Exploring deliberate acts of facilitation
5. Inquiry and evaluative thinking
6. Leading inquiry
7. Solving complex problems
8. Building relational trust
9. Understanding theories of action
10. Effective problem-solving conversations

Workload Expectations

This course is a 30-point course.

Students are expected to:
- spend 20 hours per week engaging with course activities, readings and assignment-related preparation. Some weeks you may spend more time learning than in others.
- keep up with all the readings, activities and tasks in the weekly learning cycle
- attend the synchronous zooms or actively watch the recording

Students are urged to discuss privately any impairment-related requirements through electronic communication (verbal or written) with the course director or lecturer.


Delivery Mode

Campus Experience or Online

This course is offered in two delivery modes you need to select which mode you will enrol in:

Campus Experience Delivery Mode

Students are expected to prepare for the on-campus experience by engaging with the course learning material on the CANVAS learning platform. Weekly CANVAS modules contain learning resources, readings and interactive activities constituting essential learning. While students can undertake the completion of modules to suit their lifestyle and responsibilities, completing a module each week best supports success. The on-campus experience is a bi-weekly 3 hour class and focuses on gaining a deeper grasp of educational leadership concepts and how they can be applied in context. In the alternate week a one hour Zoom drop-in session is offered.  These are interactive on-campus classes and are not be recorded so attendance in person is needed to learn from these.

 
Online Delivery Mode

Course learning material is provided on CANVAS. Weekly CANVAS modules contain learning resources, readings and interactive activities constituting essential learning. While students can undertake the completion of modules to suit their lifestyle and responsibilities, completing a module each week best supports success. 
An additional synchronous Zoom teaching session is offered every week.  Where appropriate, aspects of these synchronous sessions will be recorded for students to watch later.  In the alternate week a one hour Zoom drop-in session is offered. 

Learning Resources

Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.
Course materials are made available on the learning platform Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available). Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the lecturer .
Canvas materials are copyrighted: they may be used by students to improve education in educational establishments but may not be used commercial purpose.

Throughout this course, the following textbooks will be used:

Le Fevre, D., Timperley, H., Twyford, K., & Ell, F. (2020). Leading powerful professional learning: Responding to complexity with adaptive expertise. Corwin.

Timperley, H., Ell, F., Le Fevre, D. M., & Twyford, K. (2020). Leading professional learning: Practical strategies for impact in schools.  Australian Council for Educational Research.

Student Feedback

At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.

Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.

Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.
Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.
Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.
At the end of every semester, students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.
Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.
Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.
Student feedback has been considered in the planning of this course.

Other Information

This course is best suited to educational professionals with experience in leading. Therefore, to do well in this course, we recommend students have the following experience:
• At least three years in an education-related profession where responsibilities directly impact students' learning outcomes.
• At least 1 year of experience in a leadership role(s) or leading projects. In this role, you should have been responsible or jointly responsible for coordinating groups of educational professionals to improve students' learning outcomes.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework, tests and examinations as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against electronic source material using computerised detection mechanisms. Upon reasonable request, students may be required to provide an electronic version of their work for computerised review.

The course uses turnitin.

Class Representatives

Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.

If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.

This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Learning Continuity

In the event of an unexpected disruption we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and your assessment is fair, and not compromised. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the University Website for information about how to proceed.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.

In this course you may be asked to submit your coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. The final decision on the completion mode for a test or examination, and remote invigilation arrangements where applicable, will be advised to students at least 10 days prior to the scheduled date of the assessment, or in the case of an examination when the examination timetable is published.

Published on 15/11/2024 12:05 p.m.