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Unit Summary

Unit type

UG Coursework Unit

Credit points

12

AQF level

7

Level of learning

Introductory

Former School/College

Former School of Education

Unit aim

Focuses on students acquiring an understanding of the range of pedagogies and approaches to curriculum utilised in early childhood education and care. Analyses key issues pertaining to the role of play in learning; the relationships between philosophy, theory and pedagogy to learning environments for young children, and develops an understanding of what it is to be an early childhood educator.

Unit content

1. Setting the contexts: Play and pedagogies in early childhood:

  • history of early childhood education and childcare in Australia
  • ECEC philosophy; guiding principles and key components of early childhood education and childcare pedagogy and programs
  • perspectives, program models, and curriculum models on children's learning, play and development (e.g. developmentally appropriate practice; socio-cultural/constructivist theories; behaviouralist theory; postmodern-post-structural theories in ECEC)

2. Understanding the contexts: Relationships and interactions:

  • theories of play and play in contexts: relationships to learning and development of young children in their many environments (planned and unplanned, social, physical, cognitive, commercial, environmental, cultural, economic, educational contexts)
  • justifications for a play-based pedagogy in early childhood education and care

3. Consolidating and applying knowledge of ECEC philosophy, pedagogy and play:

  • the types of interactions and relationships in ECEC contexts and within ECEC pedagogy
  • Australian and international curriculum frameworks (e.g. DEEWR Early Years Learning Framework 2009; NSW DOCS 'Practice of Relationships' Curriculum Framework for Children's Services; C&K Building Waterfalls, 2009; Qld DETA Foundations for Success, 2010, NZ Education 'Te Whariki')

4. Reflection:

  • issues in early childhood education and childcare curriculum: regulations, relationships and realities

Learning outcomes

Unit Learning Outcomes express learning achievement in terms of what a student should know, understand and be able to do on completion of a unit. These outcomes are aligned with the graduate attributes. The unit learning outcomes and graduate attributes are also the basis of evaluating prior learning.

GA1: , GA2: , GA3: , GA4: , GA5: , GA6: , GA7:
On completion of this unit, students should be able to: GA1 GA2 GA3 GA4 GA5 GA6 GA7
1 introduce types of play in learning, history, theories of, and challenges to, play-based pedagogy
2 demonstrate how a play-based pedagogy can be justified
3 analyse key issues pertaining to the role of play in learning
4 discuss the diversity of approaches to curriculum and pedagogy utilised in early childhood education and care, and how they position children, teachers and parents
5 analyse the relationships between philosophy, theory and pedagogy to learning environments for young children (birth-8 years)
6 critically reflect on their personal approach to learning and teaching, the challenges they face and the learning competencies they need to achieve to succeed in their study and career as an early childhood professional.

On completion of this unit, students should be able to:

  1. introduce types of play in learning, history, theories of, and challenges to, play-based pedagogy
    • GA1:
    • GA4:
  2. demonstrate how a play-based pedagogy can be justified
    • GA1:
    • GA5:
  3. analyse key issues pertaining to the role of play in learning
    • GA1:
    • GA4:
  4. discuss the diversity of approaches to curriculum and pedagogy utilised in early childhood education and care, and how they position children, teachers and parents
    • GA1:
    • GA4:
  5. analyse the relationships between philosophy, theory and pedagogy to learning environments for young children (birth-8 years)
    • GA1:
    • GA4:
  6. critically reflect on their personal approach to learning and teaching, the challenges they face and the learning competencies they need to achieve to succeed in their study and career as an early childhood professional.
    • GA4:
    • GA5:

Prescribed texts

  • Fleer, M, 2013, Play in the early years, 1st edn, Cambridge University Press, Port Melbourne, Victoria.
  • This booklet has been downloaded with permission from the Australian Government Department of Education and Training website and will be placed in the TCH10515 Blackboard site: Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, 2009, Belonging, Being and Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework, Commonwealth of Australia, Canberra.
Prescribed texts may change in future teaching periods.