Overview

In this unit pre-service teachers focus on contemporary approaches and perspectives in education. The unit examines issues affecting the child with specific reference to family, school, peers, culture and diverse social contexts, as well as developmental differences. This provides them with the opportunity to acquire knowledge of diverse traditional and contemporary philosophical and pedagogical perspectives and the capacity to use this knowledge to inform their professional judgments

Teaching periods
Location
Start and end dates
Last self-enrolment date
Census date
Last withdraw without fail date
Results released date
Semester 2
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
29-July-2024
27-October-2024
Last self-enrolment date
11-August-2024
Census date
31-August-2024
Last withdraw without fail date
13-September-2024
Results released date
03-December-2024
Teaching Period 3
Location
Online
Start and end dates
04-November-2024
09-February-2025
Last self-enrolment date
17-November-2024
Census date
29-November-2024
Last withdraw without fail date
27-December-2024
Results released date
04-March-2025

Learning outcomes

Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:

  • Analyse the constructs of childhood in relation to social, cultural, historical and philosophical factors that affect development and learning
  • Apply insights into different theories and their application to child development in diverse cultural contexts
  • Connect the theoretical understanding and abilities in child development to the design of curriculum and contemporary pedagogical practices
  • Apply theoretical knowledge and skills to support the developmental and learning needs of diverse children
  • Describe the contemporary construct of the competent and capable child regarding current practice, policy and curriculum

Teaching methods

Hawthorn

Type Hours per week Number of weeks Total (number of hours)
Live Online
Lecture
1.00  12 weeks  12
On-campus
Class
3.00  8 weeks  24
Specified Activities
Various
6.00  8 weeks  48
Unspecified Activities
Various
5.50  12 weeks  66
TOTAL     150

Swinburne Online

Type Hours per week Number of weeks Total (number of hours)
Online
Directed Online Learning and Independent Learning
12.50 12 weeks 150
TOTAL150

Assessment

Type Task Weighting ULO's
Essay Individual  50%  1,2,5 
Case Study Individual  50%  2,3,4

Content

  • Traditional and contemporary influential philosophies and approaches (including Reggio Emilia, Steiner, Montessori, Te Whariki, Forest Schools) 

  • Early and middle childhood physical development 

  • Development of the brain and body during the early and middle years of childhood 

  • Cognitive development and learning for early and middle childhood 

  • The social image of the child (past and present perspectives of the developing and learning child)  

  • Cross-cultural perspectives on children, childhood and early childhood education 

  • Supporting diverse learning needs 

  • The educator’s role – intentional teaching pedagogy via policy and curricular implementation focusing on child-centred learning 

Study resources

Reading materials

A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.