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Online Session 2 N/A

Unit Summary

Unit type

UG Coursework Unit

Credit points

12

AQF level

7

Level of learning

Intermediate

School/College

School of Education

Pre-requisites

TCH10515 - Play and Pedagogies in the Early Years OR TCH81002 - Play and Pedagogies in Early Childhood Education OR be admitted to course: 1107425 - Graduate Diploma in Education (Early Childhood) OR 3007268 - Bachelor of Social Welfare OR 1008500 - Graduate Certificate in Education (Early Childhood)

Unit aim

Builds knowledge and understanding of contemporary issues facing children, families and communities, fostering attitudes of compassion and engagement in ECEC. This unit is concerned with the complexity, diversity and changing nature of contemporary childhood and families within the community. The influence of historical, social, political, economic and socio-economic factors will be considered as an influence upon children’s everyday lives.

Unit content

Module One: Children and Families

  • The Australian context
  • Establishing relationships with children
  • Supporting wellbeing: Social and emotional learning
  • Connecting with families: Collaborative partnerships
  • Linking policies to practices

Module Two: Communities

  • The Australian context
  • Community collaborations
  • Cultural competency
  • Identifying fragile contexts
  • Linking policies to practices

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 examine the historical construction of childhood and families Intellectual rigour Lifelong learning Cultural competence
2 discuss and compare contemporary constructions of childhood and families, including those pertaining to Indigenous childhoods Intellectual rigour Lifelong learning Cultural competence
3 use research and theory to explain the diverse range of issues affecting children, families and communities Intellectual rigour Lifelong learning Cultural competence
4 critically analyse of key social and educational policies and their impact upon service provision for children and families Intellectual rigour Lifelong learning Cultural competence
5 critically analyse texts, images, and songs in terms of the construction of childhood, and families Intellectual rigour Lifelong learning Cultural competence

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

  1. examine the historical construction of childhood and families
    • GA1: Intellectual rigour
    • GA5: Lifelong learning
    • GA7: Cultural competence
  2. discuss and compare contemporary constructions of childhood and families, including those pertaining to Indigenous childhoods
    • GA1: Intellectual rigour
    • GA5: Lifelong learning
    • GA7: Cultural competence
  3. use research and theory to explain the diverse range of issues affecting children, families and communities
    • GA1: Intellectual rigour
    • GA5: Lifelong learning
    • GA7: Cultural competence
  4. critically analyse of key social and educational policies and their impact upon service provision for children and families
    • GA1: Intellectual rigour
    • GA5: Lifelong learning
    • GA7: Cultural competence
  5. critically analyse texts, images, and songs in terms of the construction of childhood, and families
    • GA1: Intellectual rigour
    • GA5: Lifelong learning
    • GA7: Cultural competence

Prescribed texts

  • Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, 2009, Belonging, Being and Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework, 1st edn, Commonwealth of Australia, Canberra.
  • Grace, R, Hodge, K & McMahon, C, 2017, Children, families and communities, 5th edn, Oxford University Press, South Melbourne, Vic. ISBN: 9780190304461.
Prescribed texts may change in future study periods.