Education, Ethics and Professional Practice unit (EDU302)

Launceston, Online

Introduction

The focus of this unit is a theoretical and practical exploration of ethics in relation to education and teacher identity. It encourages you to consider how particular philosophical ideas inform educational values, how these values relate to your identity as a teacher and/or early childhood educator, and how they might be articulated into your own ethical teaching practice. You will gain and apply skills in appraising these ideas and evaluating their impact on educational practice. This process will assist you to arrive at the foundations of your own understanding of the philosophy and ethics of education, which will be built upon as you progress through your degree and teaching career. The rationale for this unit is that your teaching practice is strongly influenced by your philosophical stance on teaching and the ethical implications that flow from this. You will explore these issues by engaging with philosophical theory, critical reflection, ethical reasoning, tutorial and peer discussion, and your assessment tasks.

The unit focuses on three main areas:

1) the development of critical reasoning skills will underlie and be woven through your approach to,

2) teacher identity and its relation to ethics, as well as inform your understanding of,

3) key contemporary issues in the philosophy of education.

Summary

Unit name	Education, Ethics and Professional Practice
Unit code	EDU302
Credit points	12.5
College/School	Arts and Society Faculty of Education
Discipline	Education
Coordinator	Doctor David Moltow
Available as an elective?	No
Delivered By
Level	Advanced

Availability

Location	Study period	Attendance options		Available to
Launceston	Semester 2
Online	Semester 2

Note

Please check that your computer meets the minimum System Requirements if you are attending via Distance/Off-Campus.

Units are offered in attending mode unless otherwise indicated (that is attendance is required at the campus identified). A unit identified as offered by distance, that is there is no requirement for attendance, is identified with a nominal enrolment campus. A unit offered to both attending students and by distance from the same campus is identified as having both modes of study.

Key Dates

Study Period	Start date	Census date	WW date	End date
Semester 2	05/07/2027	27/07/2027	30/08/2027	24/10/2027

* The Final WW Date is the final date from which you can withdraw from the unit without academic penalty, however you will still incur a financial liability (refer to How do I withdraw from a unit? for more information).

Unit census dates currently displaying for 2027 are indicative and subject to change. Finalised census dates for 2027 will be available from the 1st October 2026. Note census date cutoff is 11.59pm AEST (AEDT during October to March).

About Census Dates

Learning Outcomes

• Reflect critically on the extent to which education’s character and purpose give rise to ethical duties for teachers
• Decide how best to apply ethical reasoning principles in relation to your teaching practice, taking into account compliance with professional codes of conduct and relevant legislative and regulatory imperatives
• Critique the ethical dimension of your engagement with parents and carers, justifying the importance of sensitivity and confidentiality when negotiating strategies to foster their children’s wellbeing
• Evaluate the impact of recent developments in education ethics and philosophy on teaching, and explain how these might inform the formation of your own professional practice

Fee Information

Field of Education	Commencing Student Contribution 1,3	Grandfathered Student Contribution 1,3	Approved Pathway Course Student Contribution 2,3	Domestic Full Fee 4
070303	$613.00	$613.00	not applicable

• Available as a Commonwealth Supported Place
• HECS-HELP is available on this unit, depending on your eligibility³
• FEE-HELP is available on this unit, depending on your eligibility⁴

¹ Please refer to more information on student contribution amounts.
² Please refer to more information on eligibility and Approved Pathway courses.
³ Please refer to more information on eligibility for HECS-HELP.
⁴ Please refer to more information on eligibility for FEE-HELP.

If you have any questions in relation to the fees, please contact UniConnect or more information is available on StudyAssist.

Please note: international students should refer to What is an indicative Fee? to get an indicative course cost.

Requisites

Prerequisites

EDU202 OR ESH202 or Admitted to A3E or 43F

Teaching

Teaching Pattern	Online: Weekly online lectures (1 hour), weekly online tutorials (2 hours)   On-Campus (Launceston): Weekly lectures (1 hour), workshops x4 (4 hours)
Assessment	Self-Assessed Engagement Task (10%)|Essay (40%)|Case Studies (50%)
Timetable	View the lecture timetable | View the full unit timetable

Textbooks

Required	Bailey, R. (Ed.). (2010). The philosophy of education: An introduction. London: Continuum.
Recommended	Barrow, R., & Woods, R. (2006). An introduction to the philosophy of education (4th ed.). Oxford: Routledge.  Blake, N., Smeyers, P., Smith, R., & Standish, P. (Eds). (2003). The Blackwell guide to the philosophy of education. Oxford: Blackwell.  Cottrell, S. (2005). Critical thinking skills. Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan.

The University reserves the right to amend or remove courses and unit availabilities, as appropriate.