| Semester 1, 2020 On-campus Springfield | |
| Short Description: | Foundations of Early Childhood |
| Units : | 1 |
| Faculty or Section : | Faculty of Business, Education, Law and Arts |
| School or Department : | School of Education |
| Student contribution band : | National Priority - Teaching |
| ASCED code : | 070101 - Teacher Education: Early Child |
| Grading basis : | Graded |
Staffing
Examiner:
Requisites
Enrolment is not permitted in ECF1100 if EDC1400 has been previously completed.
Other requisites
Students enrolling in courses which do not follow the recommended enrolment pattern cannot be assured of a developmental learning experience or program completion within their preferred timeframe.
Rationale
A broad range of political, economic, statutory, social and cultural factors influence the provision of early childhood education and care in Australia. Early childhood educators require sound knowledge of these factors and care and educational implications, as well as the theoretical and empirical rationales underpinning professional practices that have emerged in response. This knowledge equips early childhood educators to make critically informed, evidence-based contributions to professional practice, community understandings and ongoing public debates that impact upon children, families, early childhood services and the early childhood education profession. These skills are crucial for ensuring that pre-service educators are prepared for the professional responsibilities, ethical obligations, social expectations and legal requirements pertaining to early childhood education and care.
Synopsis
This course considers the broad range of factors that influence the provision of early childhood education and care in Australia. Contemporary political, economic, statutory, social and cultural factors will be considered, as will their implications for children, families, early childhood service provision and the early childhood education profession. The course introduces the Australian education policy context, with emphasis on policies directly pertaining to early childhood education and care. This includes an overview of policies, standards and learning frameworks that currently guide pedagogies and curricula in the years prior to schooling. The course explores contemporary public debates about early childhood education and care, and the implications of these debates for professional development and practice. These issues are considered in relation to theoretical perspectives and empirical research that can be used by educators to analyse, critique and participate effectively in broader debates concerning their field. The course considers how theoretically, empirically and ethically defensible responses to these issues might be formulated by members of the early childhood profession. The course also considers declarations and principles of children's rights, and considers legislation, ethical codes of conduct and strategies for upholding children's rights by supporting student wellbeing and safety within early childhood educational contexts.
Objectives
The course objectives define the student learning outcomes for a course in accordance with the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership鈥檚 (AITSL) Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APST). On successful completion of this course pre-service educators should be able to:
- identify and articulate contemporary debates concerning early childhood education and care, with reference to the relevant legislative, administrative and organisational policies and processes required for early childhood educators across contexts (APST 7.2);
- describe the role of professional teaching standards in identifying principles of practice and professional learning needs that enable early childhood educators to respond effectively to policy and contextual factors (APST 6.1);
- identify and explain the role of professional networks and associations in broadening professional knowledge and practice in early childhood education (APST 7.4);
- describe relevant codes of ethics and conduct for the teaching profession as they relate to ethical responsibilities of early childhood professionals toward children, families and colleagues (APST 7.1);
- articulate key declarations and principles of children鈥檚 rights, and describe strategies that educators can employ to uphold children鈥檚 rights, including children with a disability, by supporting student involvement, wellbeing and safety within educational settings and systems, curriculum and legislative requirements (APST 1.6, 4.4).
Topics
| Description | Weighting(%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Contemporary debates concerning early childhood education and care, and legislative, administrative and organisational policies and processes required for early childhood educators | 20.00 |
| 2. | The role of professional teaching standards in identifying principles of practice and professional learning needs that enable early childhood educators to respond effectively to policy and contextual factors | 20.00 |
| 3. | The role of professional networks and associations in broadening professional knowledge and practice in early childhood education and care | 20.00 |
| 4. | Codes of ethics and conduct for the teaching profession as they relate to ethical responsibilities of early childhood professionals toward children, families and colleagues | 20.00 |
| 5. | Key declarations and principles of children鈥檚 rights, and strategies that uphold children鈥檚 rights by supporting student wellbeing and safety within educational settings and systems, curriculum and legislative requirements | 20.00 |
Text and materials required to be purchased or accessed
ALL textbooks and materials available to be purchased can be sourced from (unless otherwise stated). (https://omnia.usq.edu.au/textbooks/?year=2020&sem=01&subject1=ECF1100)
Please for alternative purchase options from USQ Bookshop. (https://omnia.usq.edu.au/info/contact/)
Reference materials
Student workload expectations
| Activity | Hours |
|---|---|
| Directed Study | 80.00 |
| Private Study | 85.00 |
Assessment details
| Description | Marks out of | Wtg (%) | Due Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ASSIGNMENT 1 | 40 | 40 | 01 Apr 2020 | (see note 1) |
| ASSIGNMENT 2 | 60 | 60 | 25 May 2020 | (see note 2) |
Notes
- Inquiry Task
- Portfolio of work
Important assessment information
-
Attendance requirements:
It is the students' responsibility to attend and participate appropriately in all activities scheduled for them, and to study all material provided to them or required to be accessed by them, to maximise their chance of meeting the objectives of the course and to be informed of course-related activities and administration. -
Requirements for students to complete each assessment item satisfactorily:
To satisfactorily complete an individual assessment item a student must achieve at least 50% of the marks for that item. -
Penalties for late submission of required work:
Students should refer to the Assessment Procedure (point 4.2.4) -
Requirements for student to be awarded a passing grade in the course:
To be assured of receiving a passing grade a student must achieve at least 50% of the total weighted marks available for the course. -
Method used to combine assessment results to attain final grade:
The final grades for students will be assigned on the basis of the aggregate of the weighted marks obtained for each of the summative assessment items in the course. -
Examination information:
There is no examination in this course. -
Examination period when Deferred/Supplementary examinations will be held:
There is no examination in this course, there will be no deferred or supplementary examinations. -
University Student Policies:
Students should read the USQ policies: Definitions, Assessment and Student Academic Misconduct to avoid actions which might contravene University policies and practices. These policies can be found at .
Assessment notes
-
APA style is the referencing system required in this course. Students should use APA style in their assignments to format details of the information sources they have cited in their work. The APA style to be used is defined by the USQ Library's referencing guide at .
-
Students are required to demonstrate competence in and appropriate use of academic language and literacy, including spelling, grammar, punctuation, and referencing in all assessment responses. Marks allocated to the aforementioned criteria will be specified in the criteria for assessment of all assessment items.
-
Students are required to submit ALL assignments to evidence meeting or exceeding the mandatory requirements of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APSTs).
Evaluation and benchmarking
In meeting the University鈥檚 aims to establish quality learning and teaching for all programs, this course monitors and ensures quality assurance and improvements in at least two ways. This course:
1. conforms to the USQ Policy on Evaluation of Teaching, Courses and Programs to ensure ongoing monitoring and systematic improvement
2. forms part of the Bachelor of Education and is benchmarked against the
- internal USQ accreditation/reaccreditation processes which include (i) stringent standards in the independent accreditation of its academic programs, (ii) close integration between business and academic planning, and (iii) regular and rigorous review
- Queensland College of Teachers
- Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APST) of the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL).
Other requirements
-
Participation: Students can expect it will be necessary to participate in and contribute to a range of learning opportunities in this course including online study activities, lectures, tutorials, seminar presentations, group discussions and self-directed study activities in order to apply the coursework that will enable quality assessment tasks to be submitted as evidence of professional development.