Unit Outline

This unit supports professionals undertaking a small-scale systematic investigation into an aspect of early childhood education within a learning context or setting. It aims to enhance students' analytical and critical thinking skills through a focus on research skill development. The key purpose of this professionally based inquiry is to enhance students' abilities in inquiry, analysis and informed critical reflection of workplace practices.

Intended Learning Outcomes

As per the Assessment and Results Policy 1.3, your results will reflect your achievement against specified learning outcomes.

On completion of this unit, you will be able to:


1	reflect critically on issues of personal and professional relevance, drawing on personal professional knowledge and context
2	design a practitioner research inquiry project that will enable the gathering and analysis of data to determine a strategy for change to resolve an issue identified within an educational or workplace context and/or enhance children’s learning
3	create new knowledge and communicate concepts and ideas to an intended audience in a structured, cohesive and ethical manner.

Requisites


REQUISITE TYPE	REQUISITES
Anti-requisite (mutual excl)	ESM783

Alterations as a result of student feedback

How will I be Assessed?

For more detailed assessment information please see MyLO.

Assessment schedule


ASSESSMENT TASK #	ASSESSMENT TASK NAME	DATE DUE	WEIGHT	LINKS TO INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES
Assessment Task 1:	Collaborative Development of a Research Focus	Week 5	40 %	LO1, LO2
Assessment Task 2:	Design a Collaborative Research Plan	Week 12	60 %	LO1, LO2, LO3

Assessment details

Assessment Task 1: Collaborative Development of a Research Focus

Task Description:

In this assessment task, you will practice collaboration with a peer to develop a focus for research within your current workplaces. You will develop a rationale for this research focus, and explore the potential for collaborative approaches to research.

Together, and with the support of relevant literature, you will explore what collaboration means in early years education research. Based on your knowledge and experience as an educator, you will identify a topic or practice that would benefit from research to transform practice in collaboration with (pick one or more): children, families, colleagues and the wider community.

Please note: The quality of your collaboration in this task will be assessed and you will receive the same marks as your peer.

Task Length:

1500 words

Due Date:

Week 5

Weight:

40 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Demonstration of relevance of the topic, and justification of the identified focus for collaborative research (the rationale)	LO1, LO2
2	Exploration and analysis of the concept and practice of research collaboration, with example of successful collaboration from practice	LO1, LO2
3	Quality of collaboration in the preparation and presentation of the focus development, including consideration of ethics and power relations.	LO1, LO2
4	Relevant research literature is integrated throughout the task	LO1, LO2

Assessment Task 2: Design a Collaborative Research Plan

Task Description:

In this assessment task you will design a research plan. The plan will aim to improve or transform an area of practice to foster a culture of collaboration in an early years’ setting.

You can do this as an individual task or continue to work with a peer.

Please note: You will outline your initial ideas in a zoom session with your peers and your tutor, and receive constructive feedback to help you with your design.

Your research design for a collaborative project will include:
1. The title for your research project and a rationale, showing the significance of the research for professional knowledge, context, and/or practice. This part will include:
a. The aim of the research (how/why/where do you want to change the practice of collaboration, and why is this important in your context?)
b. a research question (how will this question help to guide your inquiry into collaborative practices and practice change?)
2. An exploration of relevant research in the field (what have other researchers done? Which studies are of particular interest to you, and why? How do the ideas/approaches/findings/outcomes inspire your thinking? What have you learned from these studies?)
3. Methods and ethical consideration: who will be your participants, and why? How would you gain insights into your participants’ understanding/existing practices of collaboration? Why would your methods be useful for this inquiry? What needs to be considered to ensure ethical issues,
such as power relations, are addressed?)
4. The final section will include a reflection of the potential for transformative change of your plan, including an outline of what kind of change you would like to achieve (or what kind of knowledge you would like to develop) in this study. Ideally you can describe how practices might change as an outcome of this research.
5. A list of references cited in the assignment.

Task Length:

3500 words (peer project) or 2500 words (individual project)

Due Date:

Week 12

Weight:

60 %

How your final result is determined

To pass this unit, you need to demonstrate your attainment of each of the Intended Learning Outcomes, achieve a final unit grade of 50% or greater, and pass any hurdle tasks.

Submission of assignments

Where practicable, assignments should be submitted to an assignment submission folder in MYLO. You must submit assignments by the due date or receive a penalty (unless an extension of time has been approved by the Unit Coordinator). Students submitting any assignment in hard copy, or because of a practicum finalisation, must attach a student cover sheet and signed declaration for the submission to be accepted for marking.

Academic integrity

Academic integrity is about acting responsibly, honestly, ethically, and collegially when using, producing, and communicating information with other students and staff members.

In written work, you must correctly reference the work of others to maintain academic integrity. To find out the referencing style for this unit, see the assessment information in the MyLO site, or contact your teaching staff. For more detail about Academic Integrity, see Important Guidelines & Support.

Requests for extensions

If you are unable to submit an assessment task by the due date, you should apply for an extension.

A request for an extension should first be discussed with your Unit Coordinator or teaching support team where possible. A request for an extension must be submitted by the assessment due date, except where you can provide evidence it was not possible to do so. Typically, an application for an extension will be supported by documentary evidence: however, where it is not possible for you to provide evidence please contact your Unit Coordinator.

The Unit Coordinator must notify you of the outcome of an extension request within 3 working days of receiving the request.

Late penalties

Assignments submitted after the deadline will receive a late penalty of 5% of the original available mark for each calendar day (or part day) that the assignment is late. Late submissions will not be accepted more than 10 calendar days after the due date, or after assignments have been returned to other students on a scheduled date, whichever occurs first. Further information on Late Penalties can be found on the Assessments and Results Procedure.

Review of results and appeals

You are entitled to ask for a review of the marking and grading of your assessment task if there is an irregularity in the marking standards or an error in the process for determining the outcome of an assessment. Details on how to request a review of a mark for an assignment are outlined in the Review and Appeal of Academic Decisions Procedure.

Required Resources

Required reading materials

Moss, P. (2019). Alternative Narratives in early childhood, or why contest early childhood. Innovations in Early Education, 12-20.
Dahlberg, G. (2019). Pedagogical documentation as a tool for change. Every child, 25(4), 4-5. https://doi.org/10.3316/informit.782864305574064
Yoon, H. S., & Llerena, C. L. (2020). Transnational Friendships and Fluid Boundaries in Early Childhood Classrooms: The Possibilities of (Un)Productive Play in Teacher–Researcher Collaborations for Equity. Urban education , 55(6), 865-891. https://doi.org/10.1177/0042085919892048
Singer, E., & Wong, S. (2018). Reflections of pioneers in early childhood education research on their collaboration with practitioners in the development of theories and innovative practices. Early years, 38(2), 125-138. https://doi.org/10.1080/09575146.2018.1440534
Ärlemalm-Hagsér, E., & Samuelsson, I. P. (2021). " Business as Usual"? Or Transformative and Transactive Teaching Leading towards the Agenda 2030 Goals in Swedish Early Childhood Education. International journal of early childhood environmental education, 9(1), 94-111.
Diaz-Diaz, C. (2022). (In)visible encounters with indigeneity: a way towards decolonizing pedagogies in early childhood education. Children's geographies, 20(5), 563-575. https://doi.org/10.1080/14733285.2021.1934402
Duhn, I. (2012). Making ‘place’ for ecological sustainability in early childhood education. Environmental education research, 18(1), 19-29. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2011.572162
Land, N., Hamm, C., Yazbeck, S.-L., Danis, I., Brown, M., & Nelson, N. (2020). Facetiming common worlds: exchanging digital place stories and crafting pedagogical contact zones. Children's geographies , 18(1), 30-43. https://doi.org/10.1080/14733285.2019.1574339
Somerville, M. J., & McGavock, T. (2022). Learning Planetary Literacies Through Multiple Bushfire Deaths and Hope Through Recovery and Regeneration. In M. Häggström & C. Schmidt (Eds.), Relational and Critical Perspectives on Education for Sustainable Development: Belonging and Sensing in a Vanishing World (pp. 113-127). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-84510-0_8

Reading Lists provide direct access to all material on unit reading lists in one place. This includes eReadings and items in Reserve. You can access the Reading List for this unit from the link in MyLO, or by going to the Reading Lists page on the University Library website.