Use the Tab and Up, Down arrow keys to select menu items.
This course explores and applies the theoretical and practical bases of supporting others in developing their professional roles, responsibilities and expertise. It is suitable for those who have coaching and mentoring roles with new and existing members of staff and recognise the need to complement specialist knowledge with professional learning and development strategies.
Click here to find out why I should take this courseTestimonials From Past Students“The readings are well selected and well spaced to give time to consider and reflect” (2024 student)"Everything was laid out in a way that made sense and was easy to follow. I appreciated how each week was neatly packaged and allowed me to plan my study appropriately" (2023 student)"I felt comfortable contacting the course lecturer who always gave a speedy and encouraging response" (2023 student)."I have had great conversations with my colleagues about what I am learning in this course. We have a full-time counsellor and she was very interested in what I was learning" (2023 student).“I appreciated the readings being manageable and built on week to week. The assignment formats provide the opportunity for practical application of literature”. (2022 student)“I particularly enjoyed the first assignment where we had to prepare a powerpoint presentation. The format of the assessment gave the learning a better context to apply it directly into my school's context”. (2022 student)"Really enjoyed the readings. They got me thinking. The assessments were very much relevant and made me think and reflect." (2021 student)“Everything I learnt was totally relevant and transferable to my own context” (2020 student)“All interactions were helpful and geared towards supporting us to succeed” (2020 student)“Having access to the readings at all times enabled me to be able to work at my pace and see where I was heading. The weekly schedule/guidelines were also very helpful” (2019 student).“Really enjoyed the forums to ensure that I was on track with my learning. Course assessments were authentic and purposeful and linked to my work as a leader” (2019 student).“Thank you so much for your valuable feedback throughout this year’s course. I have found getting back into study, particularly the discipline of reading widely and articulating my thoughts, to be very rewarding, although initially very scary as well! Your detailed feedback showed me how rigorous you must be in going through my work. It allowed me to clarify my arguments”. (2018 student)“Thanks very much for a great learning experience. I have found the course most valuable and well-constructed. I look forward to applying many ideas and principles back in the workplace”. (2018 student)
Apply theories of professional learning and development to own practice as a mentor/coachName the enablers of professional learning conversations;Review scholarly research and literature on how to form a trusting relationship which respects and extends colleagues’ practices;Critically review own responsibilities as mentors, coaches and guides and undertake a detailed self-analysis of questioning and listening capabilities informed by literature on effective mentoring and coaching; Extend own repertoire of collegial observations of practice and develop the protocols necessary for implementation.
Subject to approval of the Head of School
EDEM637, EDTL821
EDEM637
Students must attend one activity from each section.
Kris LaVenia
Susan Lovett
Assignment #1: Powerpoint and accompanying notesPrepare a powerpoint slideshow on coaching and mentoring as a time for facilitating learner to learner conversations for an audience of your choice. The accompanying notes are not intended as a speech but instead to convey more depth related to each slide. The sequence should be seen as an opportunity to highlight the dispositions needed of a mentor/coach and the actions which enable a reciprocal learning relationship as the outcome. Challenges and opportunities should be featured.Assignment #2: Literature review and analysis of a learning conversation following an observation of a colleague’s practiceThe assignment has 2 parts. The first part is an essay which explores why observation of practice and its feedback are generally avoided yet deemed to be of value. Suggestions for deprivatising practice are developed from scholarly research and pertinent examples from own experiences. The second part is a small research component where an observation of a colleague’s practice is the prompt for analysing one’s own coaching and mentoring skills in action in a professional learning conversation.
Required Texts – none. Students are given access to ebooks which replace the need for hard copy purchases. Recommended ReadingRobertson, J. (2016). Coaching educational leadership: Building leadership capacity through partnership. Wellington: NZCER. Earl, L., & Timperley, H.S. (Eds.) (2008). Professional learning conversations: challenges in using evidence for improvement. Dordrecht: Springer.
LEARN Library Student logins Special consideration Websites Education NZ Te Kete Ipurangi New Zealand Council for Educational Research Educational Leaders The National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL)
Domestic fee $2,169.00
International Postgraduate fees
* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.
For further information see School of Educational Studies and Leadership .