Teachers, school leaders, School administrators and coordinators.
Leading & Mentoring in Education
Overview
| Module Code | EDUC44210 |
| Module Title | Leading & Mentoring in Education |
| Subject Area | Education |
| Credits | 10 |
| NFQ | 9 |
| EFQ | 7 |
| Start Date | Spring 2026 |
| Duration | 12 weeks |
| Mode of Delivery | Online - Pre-recorded |
| Course Leader | Professor Deirdre Raftery |
| Fee | €1273 €800 for applicants from the Global South. |
| Application Deadline | Rolling basis |
What role does mentoring play in the creation of sustainable learning communities? This module addresses this question, while giving participants new skills.
The purpose of this module is to provide people involved in education leadership with skills and knowledge concerning professional mentoring and coaching. The module will benefit anyone involved in the world of education leadership, including, but not limited to, school leaders, aspiring school leaders, administrators and coordinators.
The module will give participants a framework for understanding the role and place of mentoring in the school and in other education contexts.
Participants will reflect on the various theoretical and conceptual frameworks that pertain to learning and learning in schools and where mentoring plays a key function. This refers to mentoring as an essential part of teacher and staff professional development as well as the broader role that this has to play in the creation of sustainable learning communities and in school leadership more generally.
At the end of this module, students will be able to:
- Articulate ways in which mentoring plays a key role in the creation of sustainable learning communities.
- Consider the broader, global context for leading, learning and mentoring, including UN SDGs and the need for “Quality Education” (SDG4) across all continents, countries and jurisdictions.
- Describe various conceptual frameworks, models of school leadership, leading and learning in schools.
- Outline the mechanisms, processes for teacher and staff development in schools, to include Staff Development Plans (PDPs), Peer Assisted Learning (PAL), Performance-Based Coaching (PBC) & Mentoring.
- Critically reflect on the role of mentoring in terms of school leadership, teacher and staff development and the creation of sustainable learning communities, Mentoring Communities of Practice (M-CoP).
- Describe the key concepts in mentoring, mentoring practice, purposes of mentoring
- Assess the need for mentoring in their school (or other) site of practice and plan for implementing a mentoring programme based on this need.
- Describe the process of monitoring, evaluation and reviewing a mentoring programme.
Leading & Mentoring in Education: Indicative Content
- Introduction
Conceptual Framework
Learning & Quality
Education - Leading for Learning &
Quality Education II - Leading for Learning in
Education III - Contemporary Issues in
Education Leadership - Schools as Learning
Organisations - Teachers as Collaborators
- Mentoring & Coaching in
Education - Mentoring: Theory &
Practice - Coaching and Professional
Development - Mentoring in Practice I.
- Mentoring in Practice II
- Mentoring in Practice III
Assignment Review
The module will give participants the knowledge and confidence to develop mentoring and coaching in their professional contexts, such as schools, education centres, and other education settings where leadership is offered.
The module will provide participants with leadership skills that can be used in the workplace.
The module will enhance participants’ knowledge of new education theories and developments, particularly with reference to leading in education contexts.
The module will educate participants in how mentoring can play a key role in the creation of sustainable learning communities.
The module is designed as a flexible programme of learning comprised 12 units taught asynchronously in pre-recorded two-hour sessions. This is supplemented with online live tutorials/drop-in clinics with teaching staff. The module comprises online lectures, self-directed tasks and exercises, videos, and case studies. Key teaching methodologies for this module include active/experiential learning, peer learning, reflective practice, and review.
Participants will record and submit a ppt presentation of a mentoring plan which could be implemented in a school OR education context.
Reflective practice (RP) is incorporated in the participants’ final assignment, which will capture plans for implementing mentoring in a school OR education context. Participants will also reflect on the learning from the module in the context of their own professional development as school leaders.
Not applicable to this module.
- A short recorded ppt presentation (40%)
- A written assignment of 3,000 words (60%)
- Feedback individually to students, on an activity or draft prior to summative assessment
- Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
On successful completion of this micro-credential, you will receive credits as per the European Credit and Transfer System. These credits are recognised by the awarding institution as credits aligned to learning completed at postgraduate level.
If you have any questions about this micro-credential, or would like to speak to a UCD staff member, please contact (opens in a new window)microcredentials@ucd.ie.