Critical Policy Analysis in Education PG (9092.3)

Please note these are the 2024 details for this unit
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Critical Policy Analysis in Education PG
Available teaching periods Delivery mode Location
View teaching periods On-campus
 Bruce, Canberra
EFTSL Credit points Faculty
0.125 3 Faculty Of Education
Discipline Study level HECS Bands
Academic Program Area - Education Post Graduate Level Band 1 2021 (Commenced After 1 Jan 2021)
Band 1 2021 (Commenced Before 1 Jan 2021)
A policy perspective is essential for understanding contemporary developments in education, and knowledge of policy is deemed an essential quality of educational leaders. This unit will develop a capacity for critical policy analysis, drawing on the education policy studies literature. It will explore education as a field of public policy, examining policy influences such as globalisation, managerialism and economic concepts such as human capital. It will explore sociocultural theorisations of policy including institutionalism, critical theory and post-structuralism. It will traverse some key themes such as markets and choice; outcomes and standards; and equity and social inclusion. The unit will explore the deployment of research in policy work and give participants opportunities to respond critically to key policy texts impacting on their professional context.

Learning outcomes

On completion of this unit, students will be able to;
1. Identify a range of policy perspectives and sociocultural and economic influences on policy;
2. Develop critical perspectives on policy analysis that draw on the education policy studies literature;
3. Apply these perspectives to the analysis of policy change in local, systemic, sectoral, national and global contexts;
4. Critically analyse an education policy in terms of context and process, research evidence base and implications for professional practice; and
5. Lead professional activities that address the contemporary challenges of policy reform in education.


Graduate attributes

1. UC graduates are professional - communicate effectively
1. UC graduates are professional - employ up-to-date and relevant knowledge and skills
1. UC graduates are professional - use creativity, critical thinking, analysis and research skills to solve theoretical and real-world problems
2. UC graduates are global citizens - adopt an informed and balanced approach across professional and international boundaries
2. UC graduates are global citizens - communicate effectively in diverse cultural and social settings
2. UC graduates are global citizens - think globally about issues in their profession
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - adapt to complexity, ambiguity and change by being flexible and keen to engage with new ideas
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - reflect on their own practice, updating and adapting their knowledge and skills for continual professional and academic development


Skills development

In this unit you will use the skills of policy analysis to understand multiple perspectives on policy issues and debates in educational settings. As an education professional, you should have the knowledge and skills to participate in local and international policy debates and investigations.



Prerequisites

None.

Corequisites

None.

Incompatible units

Restrictions: This unit is not open to students who have passed 7692 Educational Policy and Planning PG

Equivalent units

7692 Educational Policy and Planning PG.

Assumed knowledge

None.
Availability for enrolment in 2026 is subject to change and may not be confirmed until closer to the teaching start date.
Year Location Teaching period Teaching start date Delivery mode Unit convener
2025 Bruce, Canberra Semester 1 03 February 2025 On-campus Dr Bernard Brown
2026 Bruce, Canberra Semester 1 16 February 2026 On-campus Dr Bernard Brown
Not available

Required texts

Recommend text:

Tait, G., Spina, N., Gillett-Swan, J. & O'Brien, P.  (2023). Making sense of mass education (4th ed.) Cambridge University Press. 

 Editions 2 and 3 may also be used  

All other readings and materials are listed on the unit Canvas site. 

Submission of assessment items

Extensions & Late submissions

Approval of extenuating circumstances will be dependent upon the production of supporting documentation and at the discretion of the unit convener.

All assessment items required to be submitted online must be submitted via the appropriate Canvas drop box. It is the student's responsibility to upload the correct and corresponding draft or assessment item to the right submission section. Assignments must be submitted in a format accessible to the assessor(s), as stated on the relevant canvas site. If the unit convener and/or tutor are unable to access a submission, or if no submission has been made by the due date and time, a standard late penalty of 10% of the total marks possible for the task may be applied per day, for three days, after which the submission will receive a score of ‘0' in keeping with UC's Assessment Policy.

Assessment items must be submitted in word document format. 

GenAI may only be used in authorised ways when completing assessments at UC. This means that GenAI can only be used for an assessment when:

  1. The Unit Convener has authorised its use for that assessment;
  2. The student uses it in the way that the assessment instructions allow for;
  3. The student fully acknowledges its use, with appropriate citations and references. Each referencing guide provided by the Library provides advice on how to appropriately reference the use of GenAI in-text.

Where the assessment instructions do not specifically state that GenAI may be used and how, then its use is not allowed for that assessment. If students are unsure, they should seek advice from the Unit Convener.

Students should be aware that the University of Canberra utilises GenAI detection software. Suspected instances of unauthorised GenAI use may lead to a Learning Validation Conversation' designed to provide assurance that a student is able to demonstrate relevant knowledge and skills to meet required learning outcomes. Students who are suspected of having misused GenAI in assessment may be required to attend a summary inquiry for suspected misconduct.

Special assessment requirements

Normally an aggregate mark of 50% is required to pass this unit 

Provision of valid documentation

Please note that the University takes student conduct very seriously. All documentation provided to University staff must be valid and the provision of fraudulent documentation carries with it potentially serious consequences, including suspension and/or exclusion from the University. Note that all allegations of student misconduct will be referred to the Associate Dean for Education (ADE) as a prescribed authority for investigation.

Students must apply academic integrity in their learning and research activities at UC. This includes submitting authentic and original work for assessments and properly acknowledging any sources used.

Academic integrity involves the ethical, honest and responsible use, creation and sharing of information. It is critical to the quality of higher education. Our academic integrity values are honesty, trust, fairness, respect, responsibility and courage.

UC students have to complete the Academic Integrity Module annually to learn about academic integrity and to understand the consequences of academic integrity breaches (or academic misconduct).

UC uses various strategies and systems, including detection software, to identify potential breaches of academic integrity. Suspected breaches may be investigated, and action can be taken when misconduct is found to have occurred.

Information is provided in the Academic Integrity Policy, Academic Integrity Procedure, and University of Canberra (Student Conduct) Rules 2023. For further advice, visit Study Skills.

Learner engagement

The unit includes 12 x 2 hour weekly workshops (24 hours total). These workshops include collaborative analytical tasks for which you must prepare. As such you should plan to spend at least 5 hours a week of private study before class (60 hours total). In addition you should work on your assignments throughout the semester. This will average at around 5-6 hours per week (66 hours total). 

Inclusion and engagement

Refer to information about Inclusion and Engagement.  

Participation requirements

Your participation in both class and online activities will enhance your understanding of the unit content and therefore the quality of your assessment responses. Lack of participation may result in your inability to satisfactorily pass assessment items.

Students should be aware that Assessment two  requires work on  collaborative tasks during workshops.

Required IT skills

Basic IT skills including the use of email and a knowledge of how to use the Canvas learning platform is required. 

Artificial intelligence services must not to be used for assessment or assessment preparation by students unless explicitly allowed in the assessment instructions for an assessment task published with the assessment task and/or in the unit outline. That is, an artificial intelligence services may only be used if:

  • its use is authorised by the unit convener as part of a specified assessment task, and
  • it is used in the way allowed in the assessment instructions and/or unit outline, and
  • its use is appropriately referenced, meaning that students must reference the use of AI in their assessment in the same way as they reference other source material.

In-unit costs

N/A

Work placement, internships or practicums

None, not applicable 

Additional information

Assessment work must be submitted as word files  and should use the APA system for citation. 

This unit involves research-led education. There are active researchers delivering this unit who are able to engage students in deep and active learning and transmit to students their passion for the research they are carrying out.