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Unit Summary

Unit type

UG Coursework Unit

Credit points

12

AQF level

7

Level of learning

Advanced

Former School/College

Former School of Education

Pre-requisites

TCH10516 - Constructions of Childhood OR TCH20002 - Children, Families and Communities OR enrolled in 1107425 - Graduate Diploma in Education (Early Childhood)

Co-requisites

TCH20002 - Children, Families and Communities

Unit aim

Provides students with an understanding of the key issues, debates and challenges in contemporary early childhood education and care. Students develop skills to investigate and critically examine issues from a range of perspectives, and argue their position on these issues with reference to authoritative literature and their personal approach/philosophy of learning, development and teaching within early childhood and care.

Unit content

Module 1: Contemporary issues in early childhood education and care

  1. Analysing what creates an issue within early childhood education and care? Identifying current issues in early childhood education and care (a broad sweep)
  2. Investigating issues of importance to the profession and educators
  3. Investigating issues of importance to parents and carers
  4. Investigating issues of importance to children
  5. Investigating issues identified by the media, or making 'news'
  6. Investigating issues of importance to local/national or international communities

Module 2: Personal position on a contemporary issue in early childhood education and care

  1. Reflecting on personal approach/philosophy of ECEC against contemporary issues highlighted in Module 1
  2. Identifying the range of positions on a selected ECEC issue to establish your own position
  3. Positioning a personal view on a selected issue within ECEC

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: Intellectual rigour, GA2: Creativity, GA3: Ethical practice, GA4: Knowledge of a discipline, GA5: Lifelong learning, GA6: Communication and social skills, GA7: Cultural competence
On completion of this unit, students should be able to: GA1 GA2 GA3 GA4 GA5 GA6 GA7
1 identify a range of issues important in early childhood education and care Intellectual rigour Knowledge of a discipline Lifelong learning
2 analyse a range of positions highlighted in authoritative literature on contemporary issues related to early childhood education and care Intellectual rigour Knowledge of a discipline Lifelong learning
3 work collaboratively within a team through the planning and implementation of a group project that creates scenarios of contemporary issues related to early childhood education and care and present the scenario as a role play. Intellectual rigour Knowledge of a discipline Lifelong learning
4 critically reflect on their personal approach/philosophy of learning, development and teaching within early childhood education and care in relation to a personal position on contemporary issues Intellectual rigour Knowledge of a discipline Lifelong learning
5 argue a position they will take on current issues in early childhood education and care, in relation to the literature. Intellectual rigour Knowledge of a discipline Lifelong learning

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

  1. identify a range of issues important in early childhood education and care
    • GA1: Intellectual rigour
    • GA4: Knowledge of a discipline
    • GA5: Lifelong learning
  2. analyse a range of positions highlighted in authoritative literature on contemporary issues related to early childhood education and care
    • GA1: Intellectual rigour
    • GA4: Knowledge of a discipline
    • GA5: Lifelong learning
  3. work collaboratively within a team through the planning and implementation of a group project that creates scenarios of contemporary issues related to early childhood education and care and present the scenario as a role play.
    • GA1: Intellectual rigour
    • GA4: Knowledge of a discipline
    • GA5: Lifelong learning
  4. critically reflect on their personal approach/philosophy of learning, development and teaching within early childhood education and care in relation to a personal position on contemporary issues
    • GA1: Intellectual rigour
    • GA4: Knowledge of a discipline
    • GA5: Lifelong learning
  5. argue a position they will take on current issues in early childhood education and care, in relation to the literature.
    • GA1: Intellectual rigour
    • GA4: Knowledge of a discipline
    • GA5: Lifelong learning

Prescribed texts

  • No prescribed texts.
Prescribed texts may change in future study periods.