Faculty of Humanities and Education (Postgraduate) - The University ...

POSTGRADUATE REGULATIONS & SYLLABUSES 2012 - 2013
THE FACULTY OF HUMANITIES & EDUCATION
YEAR:
SEMESTER:
COURSE CODE: EDEA 6114, EDEA 6119, EDEA 6122
COURSE TITLE: PRACTICUM I, II, AND III
NUMBER OF CREDITS: 4
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Overview
The Practicum is a 12-credit course divided and coded as
follows:
• (2 credits) (EDEA 6114)
• (4 credits) (EDEA 6119)
• (6 credits) (EDEA 6122)
For the attainment of the 12 credits, the student must
complete all parts of the Practicum. The essence of the
Practicum is derived from the theory, research, and practice of
organization development, of which action research is the basic
methodology.
This course is the site-based component of the practice of
educational leadership and administration. It is intended that the
comprehensive integration of theory and practice (praxis) will
be mastered during the programme, and applied to all school
or system administration problems or developmental needs.
Too often, our students are guilty of not learning to convert
from conceptualisation to operationalisation with respect
to what they have learnt. This results in the sometimes unfair
criticism about theory. Additionally, students must understand
the change processes that will lead to implementation of the
desired practices and, later, to the institutionalisation of those
practices.
In addition, administrators’ technological skills will be honed
through an intensive ICT course, and some comparative
understanding of educational systems will be offered through
links with Simon Fraser University, British Columbia, Canada.
OBJECTIVES
Students will:
1. design an intervention for the continuous development,
renewal, and improvement of schools and their cultures;
2. engage in collaborative efforts with stakeholders to bring
about school improvement;
3. deploy technical skills, conceptual understandings, and
human/social skills in solving the identified problems or
providing for felt needs;
4. explain and demonstrate the theoretical perspectives,
models, and/or conceptual frameworks used for the
solution of the whole as well as for parts of the problem.
CONTENT
• Conceptual skills - an in-depth understanding of the
problem to be solved, the needs to be fulfilled, the goals to
be attained, etc., in both their specific features or dimensions
and within the complexities of the entire school; whole
school conditions or contexts, micro-systems, and macrosystems
• Technical skills - pre-operational (diagnosing and planning),
strategic (implementation) and institutional (culturebuilding
and culture maintenance) acts of management
and leadership gleaned from theoretical or conceptual
understandings; specific functions, e.g., decisionmaking,
change management, team-building, conflict
management, planning, for accomplishing tasks (planning
and implementing projects or programmes, developing
policies, constructing systems or organisations) in running
a school
• Human and social skills - relational skills in the interactions
with others as individuals or in group activities
• Communication skills - for expressing, clarifying, and
making meanings; sharing sentiments, emotions, values
that are to be conveyed or that are to be evoked in others
• Efforts towards climate and culture building -
cohesiveness, teamwork and team spirit (esprit de corps),
morale, satisfaction, motivation, values infusion, and
empowerment
Methods of Delivery
This course takes place in the field with some in-house
preparation through lectures, discussions, and guest and
students’ presentations. There are also site visits to a range of
schools and tutor/supervisor visits to the site to discuss the
ongoing project.
ASSESSMENT
EDEA6114 Practicum 1 15% (2 credits)
The preparation of a proposal based on planning activities such
as examination of the school context or work environment,
completion of a related literature review, application of such
analytical tools as the Organization Network Model and other
relevant organization development frameworks. The proposal
will be prepared as the basis for active research interventions to
be implemented in Phase II of the Practicum.
EDEA6119 Practicum II 25% (4 credits)
Selected aspects of the plan proposed will be implemented and
strategies crafted in response to rational review processes.
EDEA6122 Practicum III 60% (6 credits)
Full implementation and evaluation of the effectiveness of
the interventions will be carried out in this phase. A research
report (of not more than 15,000 words) must be submitted. The
report will focus on how the practicum was planned, initiated,
implemented, and evaluated, and on measures to be taken to
sustain its effects.
Four characteristics must be noted about this practicum:
1. It involves both theoretical and field work.
2. Journals, portfolios, and other artifacts will play major
roles in its implementation and development.
3. Tutors will be involved with site visits to ensure that
students receive required guidance and advice.
4. A binder, containing a journal and portfolio, must be
submitted along with the research report.
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