Availabilities:

Location Domestic International
Online Session 1 N/A

Unit Summary

Unit type

PG Coursework Unit

Credit points

12

AQF level

8

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

Unit content

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)
  1. 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
  1. 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’)
  1. 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.

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 analyse types of play in learning, 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 early childhood 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–5 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. analyse types of play in learning, 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 early childhood 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–5 years)
    • GA1:
    • GA5:
  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, Marilyn, 2013, Play in the Early Years, 1st edn, Cambridge University Press, Port Melbourne.
Prescribed texts may change in future teaching periods.