TCH81002 - Play and Pedagogies in Early Childhood Education (2015)

Not currently available in 2015

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 a personal response to a range of early childhood education issues.

This unit is comprised of

1. Setting the contexts: Early childhood pedagogies

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

2. Analysing 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
• pedagogical provision for children with diverse abilities and/or backgrounds

3. Consolidating and evaluating ECEC philosophy, pedagogy and play:

• 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:

• ECEC philosophy of play and ECEC pedagogy.

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.