Leading Change: Action Research Project

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2012:

240 hours.

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For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Description, Subject Objectives, Generic Skills and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the disability support scheme can be found at the Disability Liaison Unit website: http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/

In this subject, students engage in an action research project with the intention of improving professional practice within their school or educational setting. Students will get firsthand experience of working in a professional learning team, applying educational leadership theory and making data-driven decisions. Students will deepen their understanding of methodological perspectives, develop skills in appropriate research methods for data gathering and analysis, finalise their review of the literature and articulate the alignment of their project methods with their findings from the literature review, refine their analysis of existing data, prepare a report of findings from all data analyses and present their research to a wider audience.

On completion of this subject, students will acquire skills in the following:

• analyse and critique educational research
• identify a researchable issue in their professional setting.
• systematically collect and analyse school-based data
• Demonstrate familiarity with methodological perspectives and appropriateness of methods chosen to address the research problem including assessment and evaluation strategies.
• transfer theory to practice in the school setting
• Develop the ability to work through the action-Learning cycle
• Work successfully in a team
• Develop presentation skills

There are 2 assessment tasks, totaling 8000 words.
• Presentation of in school change project (1000 words 20%). Due week 9
• Final action-research assignment (7000 words 80%). Due week 11

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

On completion of this subject, students will acquire skills in the following:
• Research skills
• Self-monitoring and reflection
• Individual and collegiate reflection
• Report writing
• Presentation skills