Unit rationale, description and aim
This unit introduces pre-service teachers to curriculum studies in early childhood education. Emphasis will be given to the roles early childhood teachers play in building curriculum continuities across children’s prior experiences and their current and future learning. Students will learn about the range of factors that influences curriculum documents and curriculum practice. They will investigate early childhood pedagogy that impacts on learning, teaching and assessment, and which supports connections and continuities across diverse contexts. Students will engage with a range of current early childhood policies and curriculum documents. Students will develop relationship skills to enable professional connections and continuities and analyse their roles as professional practitioners and advocates. Pre-service teachers are challenged to reflect on these roles and to articulate a vision for their teaching that embodies respect for human dignity in all dimensions of their personal lives and professional practice. Students’ learning in this unit is explored and put into practice through guided field experience and block practicums with children in the 3-5 year old age range.
This unit aims to assist pre-service teachers to examine a range of historical, contemporary and critical perspectives about curriculum in early childhood education, including how constructions of childhood influence constructions of curriculum, and put into practice their learnings through guided field experience and block practicums.
Campus offering
No unit offerings are currently available for this unit.Learning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
Reflect on the ethical and professional roles and ...
Learning Outcome 01
Articulate a vision for pedagogy and early childho...
Learning Outcome 02
Analyse and use early childhood curriculum policie...
Learning Outcome 03
Explore and evaluate a range of strategies that fa...
Learning Outcome 04
Undertake the requirements of the integrated Profe...
Learning Outcome 05
Content
Topics will include:
- Early childhood teachers have professional and ethical responsibilities including working collaboratively with parents, colleagues and community members to develop and advocate for effective early childhood programs.
- Professional reflection from a range of perspectives about the role of the early childhood educator, curriculum, pedagogy and assessment is crucial to the work of early childhood teachers.
- Curriculum decision-making is informed by a range of factors including local, national and globalised contexts, the diverse backgrounds of those who participate in and contribute to early childhood programs, curriculum policy, pedagogy and assessment.
- Early childhood education is constructed historically, culturally, contextually and socially and meets a range of intended and unintended purposes
- The changing and dynamic nature of curriculum and curriculum policy requires early childhood teachers to understand the implications of interpreting curriculum policy in educational settings, including its impact on pedagogy, resources (including learning environments and diverse communities).
Assessment strategy and rationale
A range of assessment procedures will be used to meet the unit learning outcomes and develop graduate attributes consistent with University assessment requirements. Such procedures may include, but are not limited to, essays, reports, examinations, student presentations or case studies.
Minimum Achievement Standards
To successful complete this unit students must complete the professional experience component of this unit.
Overview of assessments
Assessment Task 1A Introductory Artefact Resour...
Assessment Task 1A
Introductory Artefact Resource to introduce yourself as an educator within an early childhood setting catering for children in a 3 – 8 year setting
10%
Assessment Task 1B Philosophy Statement connecte...
Assessment Task 1B
Philosophy Statement connected to professional standards (ACECQA and/or AITSL)
40%
Assessment Task 2 Case study of the implementat...
Assessment Task 2
Case study of the implementation of a curriculum program in an ECE setting (3 - 8 years old)
50%
Assessment Task 3 Hurdle Task: Successful compl...
Assessment Task 3
Hurdle Task: Successful completion of professional experience component of this unit.
PASS/FAIL
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
Pre-service teachers will be involved in a variety of teaching-learning strategies to progress and demonstrate their understandings in this unit. Participants will be involved in a variety of teaching-learning strategies to support learning, including: online engagement, lectures, tutorials, seminar presentations and group discussions, both online and face-to-face, self-directed study activities and assessment tasks. Participation in appropriate educational settings will be required.