Contexts of Policy Enactment (EDUC91335)

Graduate courseworkPoints: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)

You’re viewing the 2025 Handbook:
Or view archived Handbooks

Overview

Availability
August
FeesLook up fees

This subject will examine the complexities of education policy enactment, considering the range of factors that affect whether and how policy is taken up in sites of education practice. This includes considerations such as materialities of policy enactment, such as available funding, professional development, or place-based specificities of education governance. It also includes interpretative factors of how local policy actors and practitioners understand or align with the purposes of education policy, and discursive considerations of the narratives and framing of policy ideas and their match with considerations on the ground. The subject will explore research on both policy implementation ‘successes’, as well as examples of policy failure, in better understanding the complexities of whether and how policy is enacted in practice. 

Intended learning outcomes

On completion of this subject, students should be able to:

  • Critically examine the factors shaping how policies are enacted in different contexts
  • Analyse the role of policy actors and their influence on policy implementation
  • Critically examine how education opportunities are structured and the implications for equity.

Generic skills

This subject will assist students to develop the following transferable skills:

  • Critical reasoning and thinking
  • Problem solving
  • Evidence-based decision making
  • Self-reflection and awareness of the education sector.

Last updated: 4 March 2025

Eligibility and requirements

Prerequisites

Option 1 - Master of Education 200pt Program

Admission into the 200pt Program course entry point in the MC-ED Master of Education

AND

A minimum of 100 credit points in Master of Education

AND

Code Name Teaching period Credit Points
EDUC91321 Foundations: Policy and Social Change
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
 12.5

Option 2 - Master of Education 150pt Program

Admission into the 150pt Program course entry point in the MC-ED Master of Education

AND

A minimum of 50 credit points in Master of Education

AND

Code Name Teaching period Credit Points
EDUC91321 Foundations: Policy and Social Change
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
 12.5

Option 3 - Master of Education 100pt Program

Admission into the 100pt Program course entry point in the MC-ED Master of Education

Option 4 - Master of Instructional Leadership

Admission into the MC-INSLEAD Master of Instructional Leadership

Option 5 - Prior to Mid-Year 2024 Students

Commencement prior to mid-year 2024 in the MC-ED Master of Education, MC-TESOL Master of TESOL, or MC-MLED Master of Modern Languages Education

AND


50 credit points from

Code Name Teaching period Credit Points
EDUC90929 Education Policy in Context
Semester 2 (Online)
Semester 1 (Online)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
 12.5
EDUC91316 Engaging with Research in Education
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (Online)
Semester 1 (Online)
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
 12.5
EDUC91030 Research in Educational Relationships No longer available
EDUC90900 Resilience and Relationships
Term 3 (Online)
Term 1 (Online)
 12.5
EDUC90930 Literacies in Local and Global Contexts
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 1 (Online)
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (Online)
 12.5
EDUC91029 Understanding the Student as Learner
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (Online)
Semester 1 (Online)
 12.5
EDUC90830 The Student as Learner
Term 1 (Online)
Term 3 (Online)
 12.5

Corequisites

None

Non-allowed subjects

None

Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)

The University of Melbourne is committed to providing students with reasonable adjustments to assessment and participation under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and the Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326). Students are expected to meet the core participation requirements for their course. These can be viewed under Entry and Participation Requirements for the course outlines in the Handbook.

Further details on how to seek academic adjustments can be found on the Student Equity and Disability Support website: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home

Last updated: 4 March 2025

Assessment

DescriptionTimingPercentage

Written Paper: Critical Response to readings

  • 2000 words
Mid teaching period40%

Multimodal Assignment: Short video or multi-page website creation (visual and narrative components)

  • 3000 words (equivalent)
During the assessment period60%

Attendance

Hurdle requirement: A minimum of 75% attendance at, or engagement with, all sessions identified as contact hours (may include lectures, tutorials, seminars, workshops and activities, both synchronous and asynchronous.		Throughout the teaching periodN/A

Last updated: 4 March 2025

Dates & times

  • August
    CoordinatorMarcia McKenzie
    Mode of deliveryOn Campus (Parkville)
    Contact hours24 hours comprising 8 x 2 hours on campus seminars and 8 hours aysnchronous activities
    Total time commitment170 hours
    Teaching period18 August 2025 to 17 October 2025
    Last self-enrol date29 August 2025
    Census date12 September 2025
    Last date to withdraw without fail17 October 2025
    Assessment period ends17 November 2025

    August contact information

    marcia.mckenzie@unimelb.edu.au

What do these dates mean

Visit this webpage to find out about these key dates, including how they impact on:

  • Your tuition fees, academic transcript and statements.
  • And for Commonwealth Supported students, your:
       -  Student Learning Entitlement. This applies to all students enrolled in a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP).
     

    Subjects withdrawn after the census date (including up to the ‘last day to withdraw without fail’) count toward the Student Learning Entitlement.

Last updated: 4 March 2025

Further information

  • Texts

    Prescribed texts

    Required and recommended readings will be provided via the Learning Management System (LMS)

  • Related Handbook entries

    This subject contributes to the following:

    TypeName
    CourseMaster of Instructional Leadership
    CourseMaster of Education
  • Links to additional information

    Faculty of Education: https://education.unimelb.edu.au/  

  • Available through the Community Access Program

    About the Community Access Program (CAP)

    This subject is available through the Community Access Program (also called Single Subject Studies) which allows you to enrol in single subjects offered by the University of Melbourne, without the commitment required to complete a whole degree.

    Please note Single Subject Studies via Community Access Program is not available to student visa holders or applicants

    Entry requirements including prerequisites may apply. Please refer to the CAP applications page for further information.

  • Available to Study Abroad and/or Study Exchange Students

    This subject is available to students studying at the University from eligible overseas institutions on exchange and study abroad. Students are required to satisfy any listed requirements, such as pre- and co-requisites, for enrolment in the subject.

Last updated: 4 March 2025