Course coordinator
Ms Michelle Ocriciano
Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 1, 2025 (24/02/2025 - 21/06/2025)
- Study level
- Postgraduate Coursework
- Location
- External
- Attendance mode
- Online
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Education School
The world of work is changing, as is our relationship to paid work. In this course, the concept of career in the world today is examined. The course focuses on the individual student, their leadership and the executive competency of managing self. Issues of disadvantage and diversity are considered in a context of career and organisational life.
This course may not be offered in person if the enrolment is less than 10 students.
Some of you who are focussing on leadership and management in your Masters study will have completed EDUC7100 Debates in Educational Leadership. Those of you who have not yet done this course or have joined us from other areas may find it useful to borrowﾠa copy of Limerick, Cunnington and Crowther's (2002) Managing the New Organisation and skim read it as this was the text that the original design of the course was based on- there is no need to purchase it especially for this course. The ideas in the bookﾠwill give you someﾠbackground to the way in which organisations were looked at, at the time of development of this course.
We do hope that you find this course rewardingﾠboth professionally and personally asﾠwe all try to make sense of our (paid and unpaid) working lives in these complex and changing times. It an opportunity to have some guided reflective time to think about your organisational/work experiences, your career aspirations and your capabilities as a leader (now and into the future).
[The original notes for this course were prepared by Adjunct Associate Professor Brigid Limerick.]
Course requirements
Assumed background
There is no assumed background for this Course. However, some experience in schools (or other organisations) is useful in making the connections between the issues raised in the Course and the "real world" of work and organisational life. Students will also find it useful to bring to the course some reflective thoughts about their experiences in organisations, their career goals and potential positions they might aspire to in the (near or distant) future and their own leadership capabilities with respect to those positions.
Restrictions
Entry to the Graduate Certificate and Master of Educational Studies (32 unit) programs.
Jointly taught details
This course is jointly-taught with:
- Another instance of the same course
Course taught both in person and external
Course contact
Course staff
Lecturer
Ms Michelle Ocriciano
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Aims and outcomes
The emphasis in this course is onﾠleadership in education, in a context of significant and on-going organisational and work change. This course aims toﾠchallengeﾠstudents to think carefully about leadership and the impact of the 'leadership processes' they useﾠthemselves and with those around them. To do this there is a need to be aware of the changes taking place in the way in which we understand work and our connections with people and organisations. The course encouragesﾠstudents to study the concept of career in an unpredictable discontinuously changing world,ﾠparticularly leadership as a career, and the implications this has for doing educational work.
Students in this course generally come from a wide range of educational and other contexts. Some students are already in leadership/management positions while others are just beginning to explore what future leadership prospects their careers may hold. Whatever your background we hope that you will find material in this course which is directly relevant to your context.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
identify and analyse the implications of social and structural inequalities for the individual in the context of work, careers and organisations
LO2.
review the ways in which we have come to understand the changing concepts of work and career
LO3.
develop reflexivity in relation to leadership and careers
LO4.
better understand one's personal and professional aspirations, particularly as they relate generally to the world of work
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation, Essay/ Critique | Analysis of trends in educational work contexts | 40% 2000 Words |
17/04/2025 2:00 pm |
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation, Essay/ Critique | Critical analysis of an issue(s) from the course | 60% 3000 words |
30/05/2025 2:00 pm |
Assessment details
Analysis of trends in educational work contexts
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation, Essay/ Critique
- Weight
- 40% 2000 Words
- Due date
17/04/2025 2:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04
Task description
Analysis of trends in the workplace and the effect of these trends on particular groups [a literature review)
A discussion and analysis of trends evident in the education work context. In considering these trends, comment on groups and/or individuals who might experience disadvantage in this work context.
You will need to consider (among other issues): (a) the key trends/issues 'impacting' on the world of work and in education organisations today; (b) the disadvantaged individual/group you wish to focus your discussion on (what is the nature of the disadvantage? why are 'they' disadvantaged?); (c) how is this disadvantage experienced in the work context? (d) what is the impact of the trends/issues identified in (a) with respect to the individuals/groups chosen as your focus?
It is essential that you link your ideas not only to the course readings, but wider readings relevant to your chosen focus. Remember this assignment is of the literature review genre - as such, you must demonstrate critical engagement with relevant literature and use this literature to illustrate/support etc your arguments.
[Some examples of disadvantaged groups might include, but are not limited to: women, youth, older workers, religious or cultural minorities, working poor, individuals with a disability or illness, recent immigrants, those with English as a second language, and so on.]
You should include a short commentary to conclude you paper as to some of the implications for leaders, and for leadership generally, resulting from the key points from your discussion.
Further support/guidelines for this assignment will be provided during the semester.
Submission guidelines
Submission through TurnItIn link via Blackboard
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Late submission
A penalty of 1 grade for each 24 hour period from time submission is due will apply for up to 7 days. After 7 days you will receive a mark of 0.
Critical analysis of an issue(s) from the course
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation, Essay/ Critique
- Weight
- 60% 3000 words
- Due date
30/05/2025 2:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04
Task description
A critical analysis of an issue(s) raised within the course - the analysis will identify and critique the relationships between your current work (organisational) context and potential future directions.
This is an assignment in which we ask you to demonstrate your understanding of the concepts covered in this course and apply these understandings to your current/ future work contexts. Students may approach the assignment in many different ways - so your introduction must clearly set out the focus and scope of your paper for the reader. The assignment must also clearly demonstrate deep engagement with relevant literature and not be too anecdotal.
You will need to select one of the issues covered in the course (or more if related). [NOTE these are not independent of each other, with many relating closely with others - you may need to discuss such "relationships" in your paper.] Some issues you might consider as examples include:
- accountability
- standardisation
- globalising policy
- travelling policy
- technology
- policy as numbers
- interrupted careers - delayed careers
- ageism and other discriminations
- racism
- gender
- social class
- equity and diversity in the workplace
- exploitation
- marginalization
- powerlessness
- violence
- cultural imperialism/domination (epistemic injustice)
- concientizacao
- activism
- proletarianization
- professionalism
- agency
- performativity
- feminism
- democracy
- hope
- design justice
- judgement
- care
- aesthetics / beauty
- learnification
- performativity
- measurement /metrics
- surveillance / monitoring
An option for this paper might take the form of a case study. A possibility would be to talk with a senior person in your organisation and discuss the particular focus/issues you have chosen to look at in-depth. You would then need to critically analyse their ideas using the relevant literature. Alternatively, you might like to use your own situation as a point of analysis for your paper.
It will be essential that you include a detailed discussion of the literature relevant to the issue(s)/ focus you have chosen (Course Readings and wider) and use this literature in your analysis. You should also include some discussion of the implications of some of the key points of your discussion for leaders in education (and educational leadership more generally) e.g., what might be some of the particular challenges facing leaders as a result of leading/managing in an organisation in response to the particular issue(s)/focus you have identified for discussion.
Further support/guidelines for this assignment will be provided during the semester.
Submission guidelines
Submission through TurnItIn link via Blackboard
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Late submission
A penalty of 1 grade for each 24 hour period from time submission is due will apply for up to 7 days. After 7 days you will receive a mark of 0.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Description |
|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: No evidence of quality engagement with the relevant literature, level of synthesis and critical analysis and writing/presentation is evident. |
| 2 (Fail) |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Very minimalﾠevidence of quality engagement with the relevant literature, level of synthesis and critical analysis and writing/presentation is evident. |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes Course grade description: Poor evidence of quality engagement with the relevant literature, level of synthesis and critical analysis and writing/presentation is evident. |
| 4 (Pass) |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Satisfactory evidence of quality engagement with the relevant literature, level of synthesis and critical analysis and writing/presentation is evident. |
| 5 (Credit) |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Very sound evidenceﾠof quality engagement with the relevant literature, level of synthesis and critical analysis and writing/presentation is evident. |
| 6 (Distinction) |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: High level evidence of quality engagement with the relevant literature, level of synthesis and critical analysis and writing/presentation is evident. |
| 7 (High Distinction) |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Superior evidence of quality engagement with the relevant literature, level of synthesis and critical analysis and writing/presentation is evident. |
Additional course grading information
Assignments must be submitted by the due date - refer policies below about late submissions and request for extensions. All issues/questions about extensions must be made to the course lecturer.
Determining final grades: The final grades are determined by consideration of the weighting of individual assessment items, through the use of weighting formula and the profile of individual grades across accumulated assessment tasks.
Example:
A student receives the following two grades
Assignment 1 (A1): grade of 6 at 40% weighting
Assignment 2 (A2): grade of 5.5 at 60% weighting
The final grade for this student taking into account the weighting of each assignment would be:
ﾠﾠﾠ (A1)ﾠﾠﾠﾠﾠﾠﾠ +ﾠﾠﾠﾠ(A2)
(0.4 x 6)ﾠ +ﾠ (0.6 x 5.5) = 2.4 + 3.3 = 5.7
The final grade would be rounded up to the nearest whole number; in this case the grade would be 6.
In the case where the final grade is 0.5 or above, the grade will be rounded up to the nearest whole number (e.g. 5.5 would become 6). In the case where the final grade is 0.49 or below, the grade will be rounded down to the nearest whole number (e.g. 6.49 would become 6)
Note: To avoid inflation or deflation of grades at the assessment level, the exact grade calculated from the rubric criteria scores will be manually recorded in the grade centre. The exact grades for each assignment (i.e., not the rounded grades) will be used to calculate the final course grade. Blackboard grade centre columns will be labelled accordingly.
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Additional assessment information
The following applies to all assessments in this course:
Marking criteria and/or marking rubrics are available in the 'Assessment' folder in Blackboard for this course.
Release of assessment item marks and feedback
In addition to the grade awarded, feedback will be provided in a timely manner to enable students to apply the feedback to further tasks within the course or program and/or plan for supplementary assessment, requests for remark, or re-enrolment. However, as per UQ Policy and Procedures Library under the Assessment Policy , results for the final assessment item are to be released only after the final grade for the course has been released. Time frames for applications for assessment re-mark are indicated under the Assessment Procedure .
Re-mark policy
After each assessable item, students will be given the opportunity to view their assessment and so satisfy themselves that a marking or administrative error has not occurred. The formal process of querying a course result (requesting a remark on academic grounds) is set out in the UQ Policy and Procedures Library under the Assessment Procedure .
Use of AI/MT to support or inform assessment
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Translation (MT) are emerging tools that may support students in completing this assessment task. Students may appropriately use AI and/or MT in completing this assessment task. Students must clearly reference any use of AI or MT in each instance. A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Week 1 (24 Feb - 02 Mar) |
Lecture |
Introduction Course introduction and Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Week 2 (03 Mar - 09 Mar) |
Lecture |
The changing nature of educational work The changing nature of educational work: the good, the bad and the ugly Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Week 3 (10 Mar - 16 Mar) |
Lecture |
Leadership and careers What leadership is and its aspects in relation to work in education Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Week 4 (17 Mar - 23 Mar) |
Lecture |
Understanding educational work The particularities of educational work Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Week 5 (24 Mar - 30 Mar) |
Lecture |
Gender and organisations Discussions around gender and education Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Week 6 (31 Mar - 06 Apr) |
Lecture |
Organisations, power and careers Revisiting power through diverse lenses and its connection to organisations and careers Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Week 7 (07 Apr - 13 Apr) |
Lecture |
Assessment consultation Class dedicated to the upcoming assessment Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Week 8 (14 Apr - 20 Apr) |
Lecture |
Career management: Diversity, equity and organisational strategies Class focused on the intersection of careers, diversity and equity and what they mean Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Mid-sem break (21 Apr - 27 Apr) |
No student involvement (Breaks, information) |
Mid-semester break Mid-semester break |
Week 9 (28 Apr - 04 May) |
Lecture |
Managing self and leading others Discussions around the meaning of "leading" and what it looks like Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Week 10 (05 May - 11 May) |
Lecture |
Balancing lives/ Planning careers The particularities of education work and how they link to balancing lives and planning careers Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Week 11 (12 May - 18 May) |
Lecture |
Education and labour Education through the lens of labour Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Week 12 (19 May - 25 May) |
Lecture |
Assessment consultation Class dedicated to the upcoming assessment task Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Week 13 (26 May - 01 Jun) |
Lecture |
Course review and conclusion Course review and conclusion Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.