Critical Evaluation of Professional Learning

EDU579 │ Elective Subject │ 10 credit points

Overview

Effective teachers and leaders need to continue to grow, developing and improving their teaching skills, knowledge, and insights. For this reason, ongoing professional learning is crucial. This subject offers students the opportunity to reflect on their own professional learning in the light of current literature and biblical perspectives. 

Students will appraise a significant professional learning event (or series of events) and critically examine the impact of this experience on their growth as Christian educators. They will critically evaluate professional learning events such as in-service (professional development) days, conferences, workshops, seminars, or other formal adult learning episodes pertaining to schooling (and/or school leadership), and reflect on how the experience has impacted their practice. They will deeply reflect on how the professional learning experience will shape their future practice. Students will articulate and communicate to relevant audiences how they will apply their new learning and knowledge in future practice, with focus on the course learning outcomes for the MEd, or MEd (Leadership) as relevant to their course enrollment.

Note: A recent (i.e., with the last 12 months) significant professional learning event / course (or series of events / courses) is required to be completed before students undertake this subject. The PL experience is to be outside National Institute course work. 

Examples of suitable PL experiences might include:

• attendance at an ITEC (International Transforming Education Conference) 
• completion of a AIS course
• two full-day education focused workshop / conference days (a series or one-off days)

Students’ work in this subject, will be based on the(se) professional learning event(s).

Prerequisites

• EDU400/400a Biblical Foundations of Education
• EDU501/501a Worldviews and Educational Practice
• EDU505 A Biblical Vision for Christian School Leadership
• EDU506 Biblical Principles of School Management

Teaching methods

Learning outcomes

Student who successfully complete this subject will be able to:

1. Demonstrate specialised knowledge of the tools and approaches necessary to appraise professional learning.
2. Critically analyse and appraise a professional learning event based on current literature and a biblically-informed worldview.
3. Communicate to a wider audience the key ideas and themes emerging from professional learning event(s).
4. Apply findings of professional learning event(s) to philosophies and practices of Christian schooling..
5. Critically reflect on the professional learning process for the growth and development of the Christian educator/leader..

Assessment

TYPE	WEIGHTING
Critical Reflective Pieces	20%
Essay	40%
Journal Article	40%

Subject content

1. Professional learning and a biblical worldview
2. Critical Evaluation of Professional learning
3. Identify The Idol
4. Identify the Idol’s Reductionism
5. Test the Idol: Does It Contradict What We Know about the World?
6. Test the Idol: Does It Contradict Itself?
7. Make the Case for a Christian Approach to Professional Development
8. The Student’s Professional learning Journey

Prescribed text and reading materials

There is no set text.

A list of reading materials will be available in the Subject Outline on eLearning Portal.