Course Outline
EDU381 Professional Experience: Developing Teacher Identity and Leadership
Course Coordinator:Vicki Schriever (vschriev@usc.edu.au) School:School of Education and Tertiary Access
2026Trimester 2
UniSC Sunshine Coast |
Blended learning | Most of your course is on campus but you may be able to do some components of this course online. |
Please go to usc.edu.au for up to date information on the
teaching sessions and campuses where this course is usually offered.
What is this course about?
Description
In this Professional Experience course, you consolidate your understanding of leadership and advocacy in early childhood through researching effective leadership attributes. Teaching in an early learning context, you confidently demonstrate your emerging teacher identity by evidencing deep knowledge of children and their learning. You evidence inclusive and culturally sensitive practices through play-based pedagogies and curriculum approaches that meet the needs of all children. Your active engagement with families and the community, evidences their involvement in the educative process of early learning.
How will this course be delivered?
| Activity | Hours | Beginning Week | Frequency |
| Blended learning | |||
| Learning materials – Students independently access course learning materials in Canvas. Learning materials include course learning content, activities, readings and resources for active engagement with EDU381 course learning outcomes. | 1hr | Week 1 | 9 times |
| Tutorial/Workshop 1 – Tutorials are on-campus synchronous tutorials, including technology-enabled blended learning. | 2hrs | Week 1 | 10 times |
| Placement – To fully prepare for the Professional Experience, you are required to make an initial site visit to meet with your Supervising Teacher, and familiarise yourself with the early learning context. You will undertake 7.25 hours each day for the 20 day PEx. The PEx Handbook includes specific requirements of the placement. The Handbook and additional requirements for the PEx can be accessed at UniSC Sonia. | 145hrs | Week 11 | Once Only |
Course Topics
- Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (Graduate stage)
- Collaboration and Co-Teaching in early learning contexts
- Comply with legislative and ethical responsibilites
- Developing oral language, early reading and literacy
- Engaging with families and the early learning community
- Emerging Teacher Identity
- Guiding behaviours and creating supportive learning environments
- Leadership and advocacy
- Pedagogically appropriate intentional teaching and learning approaches
- Reflection-for-action for improved practice
What level is this course?
300 Level (Graduate)
What is the unit value of this course?
12 units
How does this course contribute to my learning?
| Course Learning Outcomes On successful completion of this course, you should be able to... | Graduate Qualities Mapping Completing these tasks successfully will contribute to you becoming... | Professional Standard Mapping * Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership | |
| 1 | Critically analyse leadership attributes and approaches through research | Creative and critical thinker |
1.2
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| 2 | Reflect on professional knowledge, professional practice and professional engagement to establish emerging teacher identity | Empowered |
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
| 3 | Comply with legislative and ethical requirements of the early learning community and sector | Ethical |
7.1, 7.2 |
| 4 | Implement play-based and curriculum pedagogies within an inclusive and culturally sensitive learning context | Creative and critical thinker |
1, 2 |
| 5 | Understand, enact, and comply with the professional practices as outlines in the SETA Code of Conduct. | Ethical |
7.1, 7.2 |
* Competencies by Professional Body
| CODE | COMPETENCY |
| Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership | |
| 1 | PROFESSIONAL KNOWLEDGE: Know students and how they learn |
| 1.2 | Understand how students learn: Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of research into how students learn and the implications for teaching. |
| 2 | PROFESSIONAL KNOWLEDGE: Know the content and how to teach it |
| 3 | PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE: Plan for and implement effective teaching and learning |
| 4 | PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE: Create and maintain supportive and safe learning environments |
| 5 | PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE: Assess, provide feedback and report on student learning |
| 6 | PROFESSIONAL ENGAGEMENT: Engage in professional learning |
| 7 | PROFESSIONAL ENGAGEMENT: Engage professionally with colleagues, parents/carers and the community |
| 7.1 | Meet professional ethics and responsibilities: Understand and apply the key principles described in codes of ethics and conduct for the teaching profession. |
| 7.2 | Comply with legislative, administrative and organisational requirements: Understand the relevant legislative, administrative and organisational policies and processes required for teachers according to school stage. |
Am I eligible to enrol in this course?
Refer to the UniSC Glossary of terms for definitions of “pre-requisites, co-requisites and anti-requisites”.
Pre-requisites
EDU380 and enrolled in Program UB009
Co-requisites
Not applicable
Anti-requisites
EDU409
Specific assumed prior knowledge and skills (where applicable)
Not applicable
How am I going to be assessed?
Grading Scale
Limited Grading (PNP)
Details of early feedback on progress
Early peer feedback is provided on Assessment Task 4: APST Digital Portfolio in Week 2. The feedback should be used to inform your final submission in Week 7.
Assessment tasks
| Delivery mode | Task No. | Assessment Product | Individual or Group | What is the duration / length? | When should I submit? | Where should I submit it? |
| All | 1 | Activity Participation | Individual | Throughout semester of enrolment. |
Throughout teaching period (refer to Format) | In Class |
| All | 2 | Code of Conduct | Individual | Throughout trimester of enrolment. |
Week 3 | SONIA |
| All | 3a | Written Piece | Individual | 2000 words equivalent |
Week 4 | Online Assignment Submission with plagiarism check and in class |
| All | 3b | Oral and Written Piece | Individual | 10 minute presentation 1500 word equivalent |
Week 9 | Online Assignment Submission with plagiarism check and in class |
| All | 4 | Portfolio | Individual | 3000 words or equivalent |
Week 7 | Online Submission |
| All | 5 | Placement performance | Individual | 7.25 hours each day over a 20 day Professional Experience. |
Refer to Format | Online Submission |
| All - Assessment Task 1:Activity Participation | |||||||||||||
| Goal: | The goal of this task is to participate and contribute to learning experiences in active, cooperative and meaningful ways. |
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| Product: | Activity Participation | ||||||||||||
| Format: | You will engage in preparation for learning by familiarising yourself with the online learning materials and modules each week. You will engage in self-directed learning through deep engagement with course materials and contribute actively and cooperatively to discussions, learning materials and tutorials. There are also focused participation tasks in weeks 2, 3, 8, 9 and 10 which require specific preparation: In week 2 you will bring your PEx file and documentation from your previous PEx and share your learning from the previous semester's PEx course. You will also engage in peer review of your APST Portfolio and share the evidence you have collected and collated to date, and then create a Plan of Action to enable you to complete your APST Portfolio. Following reflection and critique of these portfolios and evidence you will identify your professional learning needs and plans for EDU381. In Week 3 you will bring in a draft of your Leadership Development SWOT analysis and give and receive peer feedback. In week 8 you will actively participate in discussions and EDU381 PEx preparation and use the information discussed to plan for your PEx, including familiarising yourself with the PEx handbook and Final Report components and organising your PEx file. In week 9 you will watch the Leadership Development presentations and provide peer feedback. In week 10 you will engage in discussion and reflection about your learning in this course and identify your personal and professional learning goals for your upcoming PEx and beyond. You will share resources and ideas for a successful PEx with children aged 3 to 5 years. |
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| Criteria: |
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| Generic Skills: | |||||||||||||
| All - Assessment Task 2:Code of Conduct | ||||||||||
| Goal: | The goal of this task is to demonstrate understanding of, compliance and adherence to the Code of Conduct for the School of Education and Tertiary Access (SETA). |
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| Product: | Code of Conduct | |||||||||
| Format: | You will complete the Code of Conduct to demonstrate understanding of the content and expectations. You must conduct yourself in accordance with the SETA Code of Conduct for the duration of the course and operate within its guidelines for the duration of the course. This period of time includes university based activities (workshops, tutorials, Zoom sessions and discussion board) and the site-based components of the course. |
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| Criteria: |
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| Generic Skills: | Collaboration, Problem solving, Organisation |
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| All - Assessment Task 3a:Leadership Development Learning Plan | |||||||||||||
| Goal: | The goal of this task is to critically analyse research on leadership attributes and approaches and develop insights into your own developing leadership within early childhood education and care contexts. |
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| Product: | Written Piece | ||||||||||||
| Format: | You will consider your current leadership attributes, approaches, and experience, and complete a SWOT analysis of your leadership strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. You will reflect on your Leadership SWOT analysis and use this as the basis to develop a Leadership Development Learning Plan establishing goals regarding your knowledge, skills and experience development as a leader. The SWOT analysis, reflection and initial Leadership Development Learning Plan in due by 4pm Friday of Week 4. |
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| Criteria: |
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| Generic Skills: | |||||||||||||
| All - Assessment Task 3b:Leadership Development Learning Plan | |||||||||||||||||||
| Goal: | The goal of this task is to critically analyse research on leadership attributes and approaches and develop insights into your own developing leadership within early childhood education and care contexts. |
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| Product: | Oral and Written Piece | ||||||||||||||||||
| Format: | Throughout the trimester you will document your engagement with the research on leadership attributes and approaches and analyse each, in terms of its usefulness, value and application to your development as a leader, along with your developing teacher identity in your Leadership Development Learning Plan. Additionally, you will reflect on your learning about leadership across the trimester and write a Personal Statement regarding your development as a leader within early childhood education and care. In the Week 9 tutorial, you will complete a 10-minute presentation to share your development, research and learning about leadership attributes and approaches and your development as a leader in early childhood education and care contexts. The completed Leadership Development Learning Plan, and Personal Statement are due for submission by 4pm Friday of Week 9. |
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| Criteria: |
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| Generic Skills: | |||||||||||||||||||
| All - Assessment Task 4:APST Digital Portfolio | |||||||||||||||||||
| Goal: | The goal of this task is to collate evidence of engagement with and achievement of the APST at graduate stage in prior to school early learning contexts. |
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| Product: | Portfolio | ||||||||||||||||||
| Format: | You will evidence your engagement and achievement of each APST within the APST Digital Portfolio. In Week 2 you will bring in your APST Digital Portfolio to give and receive peer feedback. You will then submit your completed APST Digital Portfolio in Week 7. |
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| Criteria: |
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| Generic Skills: | Problem solving, Organisation, Information literacy |
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| All - Assessment Task 5:Professional Experience | |||||||
| Goal: | The goal of this task is to demonstrate leadership and teaching competencies in an early learning context. |
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| Product: | Placement performance | ||||||
| Format: | You will undertake 20 days of PEx in a kindergarten, early learning context. It is an expectation that you will engage fully at the PEx site for 7.25 hours each day. You will be supervised by a professional teacher who meets the qualification and registration requirements of the Queensland College of Teachers (QCT), and who will complete your Final Report. Guidelines to support you during your PEx for EDU381 can be found in the Early Childhood PEx Handbook. A copy of the EDU381 Final Report is found in the Early Childhood PEx Handbook. You are required to successfully complete your PEx and reflect on your planning and teaching of individual, small group and large group learning experiences. You will maintain up-to-date professional written work in your PEx folder including quality reflections. |
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| Criteria: |
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| Generic Skills: | Communication, Problem solving, Organisation, Information literacy |
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Directed study hours
A 12-unit course will have total of 150 learning hours which will include directed study hours (including online if required), self-directed learning and completion of assessable tasks. Student workload is calculated at 12.5 learning hours per one unit.
What resources do I need to undertake this course?
Please note: Course information, including specific information of recommended readings, learning activities, resources, weekly readings, etc. are available on the course Canvas site– Please log in as soon as possible.
Prescribed text(s) or course reader
Specific requirements
Valid Blue Card for undertaking the Professional Experience in an early childhood context. It is expected you will have access to the internet to access electronic materials available online via UniSC Canvas, Sonia and the library. It is also expected you will have transportation to the Professional Experience site required for this course.
How are risks managed in this course?
What administrative information is relevant to this course?
Assessment: Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is the ethical standard of university participation. It ensures that students graduate as a result of proving they are competent in their discipline. This is integral in maintaining the value of academic qualifications. Each industry has expectations and standards of the skills and knowledge within that discipline and these are reflected in assessment.
Academic integrity means that you do not engage in any activity that is considered to be academic fraud; including plagiarism, collusion or outsourcing any part of any assessment item to any other person. You are expected to be honest and ethical by completing all work yourself and indicating in your work which ideas and information were developed by you and which were taken from others. You cannot provide your assessment work to others. You are also expected to provide evidence of wide and critical reading, usually by using appropriate academic references.
In order to minimise incidents of academic fraud, this course may require that some of its assessment tasks, when submitted to Canvas, are electronically checked through Turnitin. This software allows for text comparisons to be made between your submitted assessment item and all other work to which Turnitin has access.
Assessment: Additional Requirements
This course will be graded as Pass in a Limited Grade Course (PU) or Fail in a Limited Grade Course (UF) as per clause 5.1.1.3 and 5.1.1.4 of the Grades and Grade Point Average (GPA) - Academic Policy.
In a course eligible to use Limited Grades, all assessment items in that course are marked on a Pass/Fail basis and all assessment tasks are required to be passed for a student to successfully complete the course. Supplementary assessment is not available in courses using Limited Grades.
Assessment: Submission penalties
You must contact your Course Coordinator and provide the required documentation if you require an extension or alternate assessment.
Refer to the Assessment: Courses and Coursework Programs – Procedures.
SafeUniSC
UniSC is committed to a culture of respect and providing a safe and supportive environment for all members of our community. For immediate assistance on campus contact SafeUniSC by phone: 07 5430 1168 or using the SafeZone app. For general enquires contact the SafeUniSC team by phone 07 5456 3864 or email safe@usc.edu.au.
The SafeUniSC Specialist Service is a Student Wellbeing service that provides free and confidential support to students who may have experienced or observed behaviour that could cause fear, offence or trauma. To contact the service call 07 5430 1226 or email studentwellbeing@usc.edu.au.
Study help
For help with course-specific advice, for example what information to include in your assessment, you should first contact your tutor, then your course coordinator, if needed.
If you require additional assistance, the Learning Advisers are trained professionals who are ready to help you develop a wide range of academic skills. Visit the Learning Advisers web page for more information, or contact Student Central for further assistance: +61 7 5430 2890 or studentcentral@usc.edu.au.
Wellbeing Services
Student Wellbeing provide free and confidential counselling on a wide range of personal, academic, social and psychological matters, to foster positive mental health and wellbeing for your academic success.
To book a confidential appointment go to Student Hub, email studentwellbeing@usc.edu.au or call 07 5430 1226.
AccessAbility Services
Ability Advisers ensure equal access to all aspects of university life. If your studies are affected by a disability, learning disorder mental health issue, injury or illness, or you are a primary carer for someone with a disability or who is considered frail and aged, AccessAbility Services can provide access to appropriate reasonable adjustments and practical advice about the support and facilities available to you throughout the University.
To book a confidential appointment go to Student Hub, email AccessAbility@usc.edu.au or call 07 5430 2890.
Links to relevant University policy and procedures
For more information on Academic Learning & Teaching categories including:
- Assessment: Courses and Coursework Programs
- Review of Assessment and Final Grades
- Supplementary Assessment
- Central Examinations
- Deferred Examinations
- Student Conduct
- Students with a Disability
For more information, visit https://www.usc.edu.au/explore/policies-and-procedures#academic-learning-and-teaching
Student Charter
UniSC is committed to excellence in teaching, research and engagement in an environment that is inclusive, inspiring, safe and respectful. The Student Charter sets out what students can expect from the University, and what in turn is expected of students, to achieve these outcomes.
General Enquiries
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In person:
- UniSC Sunshine Coast - Student Central, Ground Floor, Building C, 90 Sippy Downs Drive, Sippy Downs
- UniSC Moreton Bay - Service Centre, Ground Floor, Foundation Building, Gympie Road, Petrie
- UniSC SouthBank - Student Central, Building A4 (SW1), 52 Merivale Street, South Brisbane
- UniSC Gympie - Student Central, 71 Cartwright Road, Gympie
- UniSC Fraser Coast - Student Central, Student Central, Building A, 161 Old Maryborough Rd, Hervey Bay
- UniSC Caboolture - Student Central, Level 1 Building J, Cnr Manley and Tallon Street, Caboolture
- Tel:+61 7 5430 2890
- Email:studentcentral@usc.edu.au