Instructional leadership

One of the greatest challenges for educators is articulating the purpose(s) of their school and providing a clear framework to meet that purpose and achieve desired outcomes. When it comes to education, how do we make sure everything we do is with purpose? How do we improve the quality of teaching and the quality of outcomes to translate our purpose into action? What does it look like in the classroom - in teaching, in learning, and in assessment? What's our point of distinction as a school? This course will assist school leaders / teams in developing clarity on the purpose of their school; building coherence in their activities to optimise teaching and learning; and crafting a narrative around the impact of the school for staff, students, families and the community.

What will I learn?

This course is centrally concerned with the core business of education–teaching and learning. Specially, it is focused on how we organise the work of educators to deliver on the purpose(s) of education.

Based on the logic that you cannot improve education without a clearly articulated purpose of education, this course focuses on three matters:

1. The need for clarity of purpose;
2. Coherence of activities in delivering on that purpose; and
3. Curating the narrative of education.

You will learn how to translate your purpose of education into a coherent plan for teaching and learning. You will build a model of instruction, consider the infrastructure needed to deliver on that model, and map out the framework for continuous improvement in instructional practice at your educational site.  

How will I learn?

This course is 100% online and combines; filmed lectures, interactive quiz activities and reflective exercises together for a rich completely virtual learning journey. There will be non-compulsory consultations with Professor Eacott that will take place on Wednesday evenings during the duration of the course.

Total time commitment is 25 hours across 5 weeks.

Who should take this course?

This course is suitable for educators in middle leadership or above positions - Heads of Departments, Heads of Faculty, Assistant Principals, Deputy Principals, Principals - or those aspiring to move into a leadership role.

Whilst this course can be taken individually, we encourage attendence of school leadership teams.

As a faculty, we are committed to ensuring our short courses are accessible to individuals or groups who are experiencing financial disadvantage. Discounted registration prices are available. Please contact the ADA Short Courses team via email at ada.sc@unsw.edu.au if you would like to discuss discount rates. Decisions will be made on a case-by-case bases.

Who is leading this course?

Professor Scott Eacott

Scott is a Professor in the School of Education, Research Fellow at the Gonski Institute for Education at UNSW Sydney and Adjunct Professor in the Department of Educational Administration in the College of Education at the University of Saskatchewan (Canada). He leads an interdisciplinary research program that seeks to develop tools for educators, schools, and systems to better understand the provision of schooling through relational theory. His distinctive relational approach that has led to invitations to run workshops and give talks in Norway, Canada, the USA, Indonesia, South Africa, Mexico, and throughout Australia. Scott has authored >100 publications, led or been part of major research projects (funding - $3.8M) and successfully translated his research into policy and practice. 

Microcredential:

Students who complete this course can then undertake further assessment in a microcredential unit for Recognition of Prior Learning for postgraduate study.