Professional Learning Capstone (EC) (EDUC91058)

This Professional Learning Capstone experience is a year-long subject that serves as a culminating synthesis of the learning, teaching and research occurring across the Master of Teaching (Early Childhood). In the Capstone, Early Childhood Teacher Candidates work in a process of critical inquiry to define and resolve complex problems in depth, making all critical decisions about the nature of the work that is undertaken and outcomes that might unfold as a self-study of teaching practice. The Capstone provides Teacher Candidates with the opportunity to take charge of their learning, as they develop resilience and agency through critical reflection and the curation of a digital portfolio. The subject provides enhanced opportunities for critical reflection and growth through identification, exploration and presentation of a self-study learning pathway as they conduct research on the subject, maintain a portfolio of findings or results, and present their learning acquisition or conclusions. Teacher Candidates explore issues and strategies around ethical and safe ICT use.

Teacher Candidates explore their projects through experiential work-integrated-learning that supports the authentic integration of theory and practice as teacher researcher in a site that offers an extended exploration of inquiry. Across the year-long subject Teacher Candidates engage with colleagues as critical friends for professional learning to improve teaching practice. As a high impact capstone, the assessment of the project is a conference presentation and paper designed to disseminate and celebrate the significance of the teaching practice research. The conference is designed as a celebration of achievement and allows for an opportunity to share the quality of the capstone projects and demonstrate an understanding of the rationale for continued professional learning and the implications for improved teaching practice and young children’s learning.

Intended learning outcomes

On completion of this subject, Teacher Candidates should be able to:

• Informed by a work-integrated-learning experience, identify and research a complex or challenging problem and propose solutions for improving teaching practice.
• Design and develop an ethical evidence-based inquiry that informs professional learning to improve teaching practices.
• Reflect critically on theory, scholarship and professional practice and feedback to identify, evaluate and act on opportunities for learning about educational issues and associated theories in existing research.
• Communicate and curate effectively and clearly the role of the teacher as a researcher for a range of audiences.
• Apply professional knowledge and practice through collaborative, respectful, informed and ethical self-study teacher research and engagement with external professionals and community representatives to effect positive outcomes in teaching practice.
• Identify professional learning needs and continuous professional development.
• Demonstrate an understanding of issues and strategies to support the safe and ethical use of ICT.

Generic skills