Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 1, 2025 (24/02/2025 - 21/06/2025)
- Study level
- Postgraduate Coursework
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Education School
This course introduces students to different approaches in education to develop a global understanding of the philosophies and issues that inform educational discourses worldwide. The course invites students to critically evaluate theories of education that have led to reform movements across the world, and provides pre-service teachers with a broad theoretical understanding of the role of education in society to support the skills development of concomitant teaching strategies. It critically reflects on major themes of contemporary education and their connections to social justice. In doing so, the course aims to prepare pre-service teachers for cognitive mastery of key educational principles and methods concerning the why, what, and how we educate with a particular focus on recent developments in social justice discourses. It challenges preconceived notions of schooling and education, including a consideration of appropriate learning and teaching practices for students with diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds, with particular attention given to Indigenous students. The course offers the opportunity to investigate, analyse and synthesise important foundational, social, civic, legislative and ethical -knowledge for pre-service teachers entering the profession in the 21st century, which has seen unprecedented levels of diversity in schools, and invites them to generate and evaluate complex ideas and concepts for their professional practice and scholarship to engage all students in their classrooms.
This course seeks to develop an understanding of theories and approaches ﾠthat inform schooling and educational practices worldwide. Informed by a commitment to social justice, EDUC 7600 is designed to examine how the institution of schooling shapesﾠand responds to contemporary developments in ways that inspire equity and excellence in student learning. ﾠYou will learn about the educational needs and aspirations of students from diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds, indigenous students and young peopleﾠwho live inﾠas well as rural and isolated communities. EDUC7600 draws on cross-disciplinary and international research to challenge preconceived notions of schooling whileﾠfostering confidence, knowledge and skills ﾠto prepare you to enter the teaching profession in the 21st century.
Course requirements
Incompatible
You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:
EDUC1029; EDUC7500
Restrictions
Entry to the Master of Teaching (Secondary) program
Course contact
Course staff
Lecturer
Tutor
Dr Daniel McKinnon
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Aims and outcomes
EDUC7600 aims to:
- build a broad understanding of the sociology of schooling with a focus on acquiring knowledge on how systems and individuals interact to enable or limit the delivery of effective and equitable education for children and young people.
- apply knowledge of equity-based theories drawn from educational and interdisciplinary research to address the educational needs, aspirations and learning strengths of students from diverse backgrounds.
- develop an initial framework for teaching practice to foster thoughtful practitioners and analysts of education capable of engaging with the social changes and ethical challenges confronting education in the 21st century.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
demonstrate and apply conceptual and practical knowledge on how processes of social stratification, social reproduction and social mobility operate through education policies and school-based practices
LO2.
use educational and interdisciplinary knowledge to understand how student learning and well-being is influenced by the intersectional effects arising from indigeneity and other forms of racial, ethnocultural, linguistic, socioeconomic and spatial positioning.
LO3.
apply knowledge of how states, markets and civil society actors influence education policies and provision under contemporary conditions of globalisation
LO4.
acquire an informed framework of teaching practice that engages with social justice to facilitate student inclusion and engagement in learning
LO5.
demonstrate knowledge of the social and civic, legislative and ethical responsibilities of teachers and schools to teach, engage and empower students from diverse backgrounds
LO6.
demonstrate a high level of written and spoken communication skills including skills to work cooperatively in group-based contexts
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Participation/ Student contribution | Informed participation in tutorials | 10% tutorial participation and informed analysis of prescribed readings |
28/02/2025 - 30/05/2025 |
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation, Reflection | Schools & Inclusion: Family-School Partnerships | 40% Interview and 1800 word report of findings on home-school relationships 1800 words |
11/04/2025 2:00 pm |
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation | Approaching Practice through an educational issue | 50% 2500 words research paper |
30/05/2025 2:00 pm |
Assessment details
Informed participation in tutorials
- Mode
- Activity/ Performance
- Category
- Participation/ Student contribution
- Weight
- 10% tutorial participation and informed analysis of prescribed readings
- Due date
28/02/2025 - 30/05/2025
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06
Task description
Your performance in Assessment 1 will be evaluated in terms of your active engagement and informed participation in tutorials, your familiarity with course content and readings, and evidence of progression towards fulfilling the requirements of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers. You will receive up to 10% of the course marks if you engage actively in tutorials. If you are unable to participate due to extenuating circumstances, you should notify your tutor in advance (via email) and submit your study notes and other relevant material to demonstrate your understanding and engagement with the topic set for the week. A maximum of two opportunities to make up work for missed tutorials will be allowed. This work must be submitted within one week of the missed tutorial.
Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You cannot defer or apply for an extension for this assessment.
Schools & Inclusion: Family-School Partnerships
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation, Reflection
- Weight
- 40% Interview and 1800 word report of findings on home-school relationships 1800 words
- Due date
11/04/2025 2:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06
Task description
Assignment 2: Schooling and Social Reproduction: Experiences of Families
This assignment requires that you bring together your understanding of course materials along with additional findings from scholarly research on social reproduction to explore how families experience and navigate schooling. The task asked of you is to engage in a 45-minute-long focused conversation with either your carer/ parents, or other parents/carers within your family or social network. If you live in a different city or country, consider the possibilities of using phone or other technology-mediated communication to interview your chosen persons.
It may not be possible for you to contact and communicate with your family and if this is so, please be assured that you will not be disadvantaged if you choose not to interview your family of origin. If you anticipate experiencing any difficulties with this assignment, please seek advice on alternatives from your Tutor or the Course Coordinator.
Below is a list of tentative questions to guide you. These are not definitive and you are encouraged to be creative and to follow the thread of conversation as it unfolds. With permission from your interviewees (parents/carers/friends/relatives), either record the conversation or take notes. Possible areas to explore:
- Parental expectations and/or aspirations in choosing school including information sought to make this choice
- What was the school’s spatial setting like – i.e., its location? What was its reputation?
- Recollections about contact with school authorities including parent-teacher interviews. What was positive? Challenging? How could this have been different? Is there a particular parent-interview that stands out? If they never attended why? What barriers (physical, financial, competing responsibilities, attitudinal etc) prevented them from doing so?
- Recollections of support within school for diversity: socioeconomic, cultural, racial/ethnic, linguistic, neurodiversity etc
- How were academic expectations navigated? How was homework perceived by carers and who took responsibility to offer homework support in primary school? In high school? If you came from a nuclear or extended family, which individual was more involved and why? How were decisions made between parents/carers on homework support? Were external sources of support accessed (eg grandparents, paid tutors, older siblings etc) and why?
Write up your findings in 1500 words exploring these or other topics as they relate to school choice, home-school partnerships including learning and general support.
At the conclusion of your paper, write a 300-word personal reflection. What have you learnt from this exercise about the capacity of (your) family to navigate schooling How might this inform your professional practice?
Submission guidelines
Submit your assignment through 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 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Approaching Practice through an educational issue
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 50% 2500 words research paper
- Due date
30/05/2025 2:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06
Task description
Assessment 3:Approaching Practice through an Educational Issue
Use the theoretical concepts introduced in the course to select a topic for your final assignment. You may wish to investigate the education provision for a particular student population or undertake a critical analysis of a specific policy or curriculum initiative in your chosen subject area. Alternatively you may be interested in understanding how schooling might respond to recent developments that are changing the world of work. Or how schooling articulates with the criminal justice system. Synthesize and present your understanding of the topic you have chosen in a 2500-word essay.
Your essay should:
- Identify and use key sociological constructs introduced in EDUC7600 to analyze the issue in question. This is an important requirement to pass the course. While you are encouraged to also use theoretical constructs that have been introduced in your other classes, this is a sociology course and the material covered in lectures, prescribed readings and tutorials discussions must be integrated.
- Undertake a critical analysis of the topic paying attention to the multiple perspectives of those social actors with a stake in schooling.
- Integrate theory and practice by reflecting on how classrooms and schools in Australia, and/or internationally might be affected
- Be written in accordance to scholarly conventions and free of textual errors.
Submission guidelines
To be submitted 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 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due 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: Inaccurate understanding of course concepts. ﾠNo evidence of analytical skills. Written work does not adhere to scholarly conventions with many textual and referencing errors. |
| 2 (Fail) |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Poor understanding of course concepts. ﾠDifficulties in demonstratingﾠintegrated analysis in assessment work. ﾠWritten work riddled with textual and referencing errors. |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes Course grade description: Demonstrates some understanding of key concepts in course but unable to show skills in critical analysis in assessment. ﾠLimited use of research-based materials to back up key arguments. |
| 4 (Pass) |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Adequate knowledge of key concepts introduced in course. ﾠSufficient use of research literature to construct argument. Some evidence of critical analysis. ﾠWritten work largely error free but with someﾠtextual and referencing errors. |
| 5 (Credit) |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Demonstrative substantive knowledge of key concepts studied in course. Limitedﾠbut sufficient use of research literatureﾠto demonstrate central arguments. ﾠSome evidence of critical analysis and the ability to formulate an integrated approach to theory and practice. Submitted work ﾠreasonably well written with the occasional error. |
| 6 (Distinction) |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Demonstrates high level of understanding of theoretical constructs introduced in course and skills in integrating theory with practice. Extensive use of research-based literature.ﾠWell written and well argued work that is free of textual errors. |
| 7 (High Distinction) |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Sophisticated and comprehensive grasp of key theoretical constructs introduced in course. ﾠExpansive reading to depict an integrated framework of practice. Exceptionally high levels of analytical skills. ﾠError free writing.ﾠ |
Additional course grading information
Calculation of Final Grades
Assignment 1 +Assignment 2+ Assignment 3= Final grade
ﾠExample
(10% X 5) + 40% of Assignment 2 (40% Xﾠ6) + 50% of Assignment 3 (50% X 7)= 6.4
Final Grade: 6
Your final grade will be rounded up to the nearest whole number. Thus a grade of 6.2ﾠ will be rounded to 6. A grade of 4.5 will be rounded to a grade of 5.ﾠ A grade of 5.49 will be rounded to 5.
Final grades will be determined by the aggregate of assessment marks and will be awarded in the form of 7 (85% +); 6
(75% - 84%); 5 (65% - 74%); 4 (50% - 64%), 3 (45% - 49%); 2 (25% - 44%); 1 (1% - 24%)
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 re-mark, 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
This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use AI and/or MT technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance.
A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
To pass this assessment, students will be required to demonstrate detailed comprehension of their written submission independent of AI and MT tools.
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 |
|---|---|---|
Not scheduled |
Workshop |
Q & A workshop for assignment assistance APST: 1.3, 1.4, 2.4, 4.1, 7.1, 7.2 This session will be run as a workshop to answer any last minute unresolved questions/issues for assignment completion. |
Not Timetabled |
There is no class on Week 8 as it is Good Friday. APST: 1.3, 1.4, 2.4, 4.1, 7.1, 7.2 Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05 |
|
Week 1 (24 Feb - 02 Mar) |
Lecture |
Introduction:A sociological imagination APST: 1.3, 1.4, 2.4, 4.1, 7.1, 7.2 This lectures introduces the 'sociological imagination' and its allied concept, aesthetic imagination. Learning outcomes: L01, L03 |
Week 2 (03 Mar - 09 Mar) |
Lecture |
Globalizing human capital: Schooling & employment APST: 1.3, 1.4, 2.4, 4.1, 7.1, 7.2 The lecture explains human capital theory, its history and influence on education policies worldwide and its limitations. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Week 3 (10 Mar - 16 Mar) |
Lecture |
Sociological theories & social reproduction 1 APST: 1.3, 1.4, 2.4, 4.1, 7.1, 7.2 In this lecture we will explore the concept of meritocracy, its attractiveness and limitations and the contributions of Bourdieu's framework of social reproduction. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06 |
Week 4 (17 Mar - 23 Mar) |
Lecture |
Sociological theories & social reproduction 2 APST: 1.3, 1.4, 2.4, 4.1, 7.1, 7.2 This lecture explores the contributions of critical pedagogy to sociological debates on social reproduction. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05 |
Week 5 (24 Mar - 30 Mar) |
Lecture |
Sociological theories: power/knowledge APST: 1.3, 1.4, 2.4, 4.1, 7.1, 7.2 In this lecture we will introduce the work of Michel Foucault to understand power, knowledge, discipline and construction of the human subject. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05 |
Week 6 (31 Mar - 06 Apr) |
Lecture |
Navigating Intersectionality & Queering Equity APST: 1.3, 1.4, 2.4, 4.1, 7.1, 7.2 We introduce the heuristic of intersectionality and its utility in understanding social privilege and disadvantage in and through education. We explore the contributions of queer theorists. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06 |
Week 7 (07 Apr - 13 Apr) |
Lecture |
Linguistic & cultural diversity in schools APST: 1.3, 1.4, 2.4, 4.1, 7.1, 7.2 The lecture is concerned with linguistic justice and recognition of difference, building on the previous week's topic of intersectionality. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06 |
Week 9 (28 Apr - 04 May) |
Lecture |
Socially just education for indigenous students APST: 1.3, 1.4, 2.4, 4.1, 7.1, 7.2 This week's lecture slot will include an audiovisual resource to explore schooling from the perspectives of indigenous youth in remote communities. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06 |
Week 10 (05 May - 11 May) |
Lecture |
The Digital Turn in Education: Possibilities and Pitfalls APST-1.3, 4.1 Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06 |
Week 11 (12 May - 18 May) |
Lecture |
Alternative and sustainable education In this lecture we explore the long history of alternative education and the contributions of environmental education. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06 |
Week 12 (19 May - 25 May) |
Lecture |
Summing Up EDUC 7600 APST-1.3, 1.4, 4.1 This lecture sums up the main themes of the course. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06 |
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.