Students

EDST4511 – Embracing Educational Leadership: Relationships with Children, Families, Colleagues and Communities

2026 – Session 1, In person-scheduled-infrequent, North Ryde

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit Convenor
Fay Hadley
fay.hadley@mq.edu.au
Contact via iLearn Dialogue
29WWB Room 619
Mon-Wed
Tutor
Jennifer Koutoulas
jennifer.koutoulas@mq.edu.au
Contact via iLearn Dialogue
N/A
Tuesday
Tutor
Catherine Jones
catherine.jones@mq.edu.au
Contact via iLearn dialogue
N/A
On campus days only
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
160cp at 1000 level or above including either: [Admission to BABEd(Prim) and Co-requisite: (EDST3020 or EDST3500 or EDST3170)] or [Admission to BA and (ECHE2180 or EDST2510)] or [Co-requisite: (EDST4514 or EDST4050)]
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

This unit examines the contexts of childhood, family conditions, neighbourhood, environment and social policies to identify the implications for early childhood teachers and leaders. Interconnections between children, families, colleagues, and communities are examined along with implications for practice. Theoretical approaches to the study of children, families, colleagues and communities are explored, as well as contemporary approaches to leadership, including key strategies of effective communication when working with a range of stakeholders. Building on the pedagogical principles and practices relevant to current government frameworks, the unit considers the role of the educational leader in planning, implementing inclusive educational experiences for children growing up in structurally and culturally diverse families in Australia.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

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

  • ULO1: Examine the role of communication within early childhood settings when working with families, colleagues and other professionals.
  • ULO2: Understand early childhood teachers’ legal and professional accountabilities defined by government legislation and professional standards.
  • ULO3: Engage ethically with families and other community stakeholders in decision making and advocacy work that promotes children’s rights and agency.
  • ULO4: Critically evaluate the broad theoretical approaches to the study of children, families, colleagues and communities.
  • ULO5: Understand children and families within particular social, linguistic and cultural contexts, and demonstrate sensitivity to diverse perspectives, abilities, cultural ways of knowing and family structures.
  • ULO6: Identify supports available to families with young children as well as factors that enhance connections between families, educators, other professionals and communities.

General Assessment Information

Please format assessments using 12-point font and 1.5 spacing. 

All assessments must be submitted electronically. Turnitin plagiarism detection software is used to check all written assessments. It is the responsibility of all students to ensure that their submitted work is in a format compatible with Turnitin software for plagiarism checking. Submissions must meet the required file type and formatting specifications outlined in the assessment guidelines. Failure to submit work in an acceptable format may result in delays in processing your submission and potential penalties for non-compliance with assessment requirements. If you are unsure about the file format or have technical difficulties, it is your responsibility to seek assistance before the submission deadline. Students should be careful to check that they submit the correct file for an assessment as no re-submissions will be accepted after the due date and time, including instances where students upload an incorrect file. It is not the responsibility of unit staff to contact students who have failed to submit assessments. If you have any missing items of assessment, it is your responsibility to contact the unit convenor. 

Students can use Turnitin’s Originality Report as a learning tool to improve their academic writing if this option is made available in the unit. 

Word limits are strictly applied. Work above the word limit will not be marked.  

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) 

Students should be aware of and apply the University policy on academic integrity (see: https://policies.mq.edu.au/document/view.php?id=3). Any student suspected of using unauthorised AI in an assignment will be referred to the Faculty of Arts Discipline Committee. Penalties can include reduced marks for an assessment, being awarded '0' for a task, failing an entire unit, being excluded from a course of study. Please see each assessment task description/rubric for expectations about AI. 

Special Consideration / Late Penalties 

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (of the total possible mark) will be applied each day an assessment is not submitted, up until the 7th day (including weekends) (see: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/assessment-exams/special-consideration). Applications for extensions must be made via Service Connect. After the 7th day, a mark of 0 (zero) will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted. Submission time for all written assessments is set at 11:55pm. A 1-hour grace period is provided to students who experience a technical issue. This late penalty will apply to non-timed sensitive assessments (incl. essays, reports, posters, portfolios, journals, recordings etc).  

Late submission of time sensitive tasks (such as tests/exams, performance assessments/presentations, scheduled practical assessments/labs etc) will only be addressed by the unit convenor in a Special Consideration application. A Special Consideration outcome may result in a new question or topic.  

Marking 

All assessments are marked using a rubric. 

Marking of all assessments is moderated by the Unit Convenor. 

University Policy on Grading 

Assignments will be awarded grades ranging from HD to F according to guidelines set out in the University's Grading System and University Assessment Policy.  

To attain a pass or higher grade in Professional Experience a student must obtain a satisfactory in both the Professional Experience component and a pass or higher grade in the academic component. For Professional Experience units the Professional Experience Evaluation Report is marked as Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory. The Macquarie Teaching Performance Assessment (MQTPA - in final WIL/PEx units) is marked as Not met, Met or Exceeds. 

Results 

Results shown in iLearn, or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed because they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit Service Connect. 

Withdrawing from this unit 

If you are considering withdrawing from this unit, please seek academic advice via Service Connect before doing so as this unit may be a co-requisite or prerequisite for units in the following sessions and may impact your course progression. 

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due Groupwork/Individual Short Extension AI assisted?
Resource Folder 50% No 23.55pm 13/04/2026 Individual No Open AI
Role of Educational Leader 50% No 23.55pm 02/06/2026 Individual No Open AI

Resource Folder

Assessment Type 1: Written Submission
Indicative Time on Task 2: 45 hours
Due: 23.55pm 13/04/2026
Weighting: 50%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: No
AI assisted?: Open AI

Reflect on the material covered in the unit modules and determine five key principles that are important for working sensitively with diverse families in an ECEC setting. Collect and analyse information about five services that provide support to families addressed in the modules.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Engage ethically with families and other community stakeholders in decision making and advocacy work that promotes children’s rights and agency.
  • Critically evaluate the broad theoretical approaches to the study of children, families, colleagues and communities.
  • Understand children and families within particular social, linguistic and cultural contexts, and demonstrate sensitivity to diverse perspectives, abilities, cultural ways of knowing and family structures.
  • Identify supports available to families with young children as well as factors that enhance connections between families, educators, other professionals and communities.

Role of Educational Leader

Assessment Type 1: Professional task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 50 hours
Due: 23.55pm 02/06/2026
Weighting: 50%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: No
AI assisted?: Open AI

Students will shadow an Educational Leader, interview the Educational Leader about their role, review key policy documents related to the role, as well as the QIP and philosophy and write a report about this role.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Examine the role of communication within early childhood settings when working with families, colleagues and other professionals.
  • Understand early childhood teachers’ legal and professional accountabilities defined by government legislation and professional standards.
  • Engage ethically with families and other community stakeholders in decision making and advocacy work that promotes children’s rights and agency.
  • Critically evaluate the broad theoretical approaches to the study of children, families, colleagues and communities.

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • the Writing Centre for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation.

3 An automatic short extension is available for some assessments. Apply through the Service Connect Portal.

Delivery and Resources

Recommended text 

Waniganayake, M., Cheeseman, S., Fenech, M., Hadley, F., & Shepherd, W. (2023). Leadership. Contexts and complexities in early childhood education. (3rd edition). Melbourne, Oxford University Press.

See Leganto and unit schedule for readings for each week.

This unit has a full web presence through iLearn. Information for students about access to the online component of this unit is available at https://ilearn.mq.edu.au/login/index.php. You will need to enter your student username and password.  

Please do NOT contact the Unit Convenor regarding iLearn technical help. Assistance is available from IT Helpdesk: via email onehelp@mq.edu.au or Ph: 9850 4357 or 1800 67 4357. On Campus: Ground floor at 18 Wally’s Walk. 

Unit Schedule

EDST4511: Embracing Educational Leadership: Relationships with Children, Families, Colleagues and Communities Weekly Schedule

Week

Lecture

Readings

Module 1: Families: Definitions, Contexts and Theoretical Orientations

Week 1

23/02/2026

Lecture 1:

What is a family

 

Reading 1:

Rouse, L. (2019). Chapter 4: What Makes a Family (pp.53-64)

Reading 2:

Budinski, M., & Gahan, L. (2023). What is family? Australian views on what makes a family. Melbourne: Australian Institute of Family Studies.

Module 2: Building relationships with Children, Families, Colleagues and Communities

Week 2:

02/03/2026

Lecture 2: Relationships are key

 

Reading 1:

Waniganayke et al (2023). Chapter 11: Relationships with Families (pp.192-210)

Reading 2:

Rouse, E. & Hadley, F. (2018). Where did love and care get lost? Educators and parents’ perceptions of early childhood practice. International Journal of Early Years Education. 26(2), 159-172

Reading 3:

Whyte, K.L. & Karabon, A. (2016). Transforming teacher–family relationships: Shifting roles and perceptions of home visits through the Funds of Knowledge approach. Early Years, 36(2), 207-221, DOI: 10.1080/09575146.2016.1139546

Module 3: Research and study of families: Multi-disciplinary perspectives

Week 3

09/03/2026

Lecture 3: Researching families

 

Reading 1:

Lehrer, J., Van Laere, K., Hadley, F., & Rouse, E. (2023). Introduction: Why we need to move beyond instrumentalization when discussing families and early childhood education and care. In J. Lehrer, K. Van Laere, F. Hadley & Rouse, E. (Eds.). Relationships with families in early childhood education and care: Beyond instrumentalization in international contexts of diversity and social inequality (pp.1-13). Routledge

Reading 2:

Brown, A (2019). Respectful research with and about young families.  Forging frontiers and methodological considerations. Chapter 1, pp 1-32, Palgrove Macmillan

Module 4: Understanding diverse families

Week 4

16/03/2026

Lecture 4: Diverse Families Part A

Reading 1:

Dym Bartlett,J., and Smith, S. (2019). The role of early care and education in addressing early childhood trauma. American Journal of Community Psychology, 64(3-4), p 359-372. DOI 10.1002/ajcp.12380

Reading 2:

Sinclair, K. (2021). Disrupting normalised discourses: ways of knowing, being and doing cultural competence. The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, 50(1), pp.203-211. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1017/jie.2018.23

Week 5

23/03/2026

Lecture 5: Diverse Families Part B

Reading 1:

Cologon, K. (2020). Is inclusive education really for everyone? Family stories of children and young people labelled with ‘severe and multiple’ or ‘profound’ disabilities. Research Papers in Education. doi.org/10.1080/02671522.2020.1849372

Reading 2:

Liang, M., & Cohrssen, C. (2020). Towards creating inclusive environments for LGBTIQ-parented families in early childhood education and care settings: A review of the literature. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, 45(1), p. 43-55. DOI: 10.1177/1836939119885304

Module 5: Creating and developing a team

Week 6

30/03/2026

Lecture 6:

Being an ECT & the role of the Educational Leader

 

Reading 1:

Waniganayke et al (2023). Chapter 6: Educational Leaders & Pedagogical Leadership (pp. 101-118)

Reading 2:

Bøe, M., Heikka, J., Kettukangas, T., & Hognestad, K. (2022). Pedagogical leadership in activities with children – A shadowing study of early childhood teachers in Norway and Finland, Teaching and Teacher Education, 117.1-10 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2022.103787

Mid-Semester Break 6th April – 18th April – no classes

Assessment 1 Due Mon 13th April 23.55

Module 6: Interpersonal and professional communication and networking with stakeholders

Week 7

20/04/2026

Lecture 7: Interpersonal and professional communication

 

Reading 1:

Waniganayke et al (2023). Chapter 9: Interpersonal and Workplace Communication (pp. 156-174) &10; Creating an Ethical Workplace (pp.174-192)

Reading 2:

Henderson, L., Nuttall, J., Wood, E., & Martin, J. (2022). The potential of “leading identity” as an analytic concept for understanding Educational Leadership development in early childhood education. Teachers and Teaching, Theory and Practice, 28(7), 875–889. https://doi.org/10.1080/13540602.2022.2137140

EDST4050 & EDST3020 Professional Experience – no classes week 8-10

Module 7: Key Policies: Implications for Teachers, Children, Families and Communities

Week 13

01/06/2026

Lecture 8: Policies and implications

 

Reading 1:

Waniganayke et al (2023). Chapter 2: The Australian Early Childhood Policy Landscape (pp 23-43)

Reading 2:

Naidoo, Y., Blaxland, M., Wong, M., Katz, I. (2024). Uniting Families Report. Sydney: UNSW Social Policy Research Centre and Uniting NSW.ACT.

Assessment 2 Due: Tuesday 2nd June

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit connect.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Academic Progression Policy 

This unit is a part of a professional course listed on Schedules 2 and 3 of the Academic Progression Policy. This course has additional requirements that are applicable for the full duration of the course, including course-specific Inherent Requirements, Fitness to Practice requirements and other compulsory course requirements. It also has rigorous academic progression standards. Inability to meet these requirements may result in a withdrawal of offer of admission and/or permanent exclusion from the course in accordance with the General Coursework Rules.

 

Communication

It is the student’s responsibility to check all electronic communication on a weekly basis.  Communication may occur via:

  • Official MQ Student Email Address
  • The Dialogue function on iLearn
  • Other iLearn communication functions

Attendance and Participation

See the University timetable for information about when classes begin in this unit. Creating your timetable - Enrolling | Macquarie University, Sydney (mq.edu.au)

Attendance at all synchronous activities, completion of non-synchronous formative/diagnostic class tasks and involvement in professional forums is  expected as the [[insert ITE degree title here]] is a professional qualification. Activities completed during weekly tutorials (DAY or ONLINE DAY mode) or on campus days (INFQ mode) are essential for building the core knowledge and/or skills required to demonstrate the learning outcomes of this unit and to meet the AITSL Graduate Teacher Standards and/or ACECQA requirements. Attendance at all tutorials and/or on campus days is expected. Make up tasks may be given if attendance is missed to ensure all content is covered to meet accreditation requirements.

 

Students are required to attend the tutorial in which they are enrolled. Any changes to tutorial enrolments must be completed officially through e-Student. Please do not contact the unit convenor to request a change.

Infrequent Attendance Students

Information about the dates of the on-campus sessions can be found in the university timetable. Creating your timetable - Enrolling | Macquarie University, Sydney (mq.edu.au)

  • The on-campus sessions are essential to student engagement and learning and attendance is expected.
  • Prior to the on-campus sessions, students should have read the prescribed readings and listened to the lectures, summarise the main points, and make notes of the key terms and definitions. Prepare any discussion questions of your own that you wish to share.
  • Please make effective use of the online component of the unit and access iLearn regularly. Keep up to date with listening to the lectures on a weekly basis.
  • Further details and any updates about times and locations will be posted on iLearn as an Announcement during first half of the semester.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Academic Success

Academic Success provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via the Service Connect Portal, or contact Service Connect.

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/. 

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Unit information based on version 2026.02 of the Handbook