Contemporary Perspectives of Learning and Development for Early Childhood
Duration
- One Semester or 1 Teaching Period
Contact hours
- On-campus: 24 hours Face to face Swinburne online - Nil
On-campus unit delivery combines face-to-face and digital learning. For Online unit delivery, learning is conducted exclusively online.
2021 teaching periods
Hawthorn
| Higher Ed. Semester 2 | ||
|---|---|---|
Dates: Results: Last self enrolment: Census: Last withdraw without fail: |
Swinburne Online
| Teaching Period 1 | Teaching Period 3 | |
|---|---|---|
Dates: Results: Last self enrolment: Census: Last withdraw without fail: |
Dates: Results: Last self enrolment: Census: Last withdraw without fail: |
Prerequisites
NilCorequisites
NilAims and objectives
This provides them with the opportunity to acquire knowledge of diverse traditional and contemporary philosophical and pedagogical perspectives relevant to the early childhood profession (birth to eight years of age) and the capacity to use this knowledge to inform their professional judgments.
Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:
1. Identify and compare key perspectives that have contributed to current approaches to early childhood education.(birth to eight years of age)
2. Describe and compare the constructions of childhood across different cultural and historical contexts and explain how this impacts upon early childhood education (birth to eight years of age)
3. Reflect upon how the contemporary construct of the child as competent and capable has impacted upon current practice, policy and curriculum.
4. Consider teaching practice in light of past and present perspectives about children, childhood and education.
Courses with unit
BA-EDUEC2 Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood)
BA-EDUPRI Bachelor of Education (Primary)
DP-EDU Diploma of Education Studies
BA-EDU Bachelor of Education
BA-EDUPRI1 Bachelor of Education (Primary)
AB-EDU Associate Degree of Education
Unit information in detail
- Teaching methods, assessment, general skills outcomes and content.
Teaching methods
Learning and Teaching Structure
On-campus
This unit will involve up to 150 hours of work including:
| Type | Hours per week | Number of Weeks | Total |
| Face to Face Contact Workshop | 3 | 8 | 24 |
| Online Contact | N/A |
|
|
| Specified Learning Activities Prescribed readings Online activities | 6 | 8 | 48 |
| Unspecified Learning Activities Independent study Readings Assignment preparation | 6.5 | 12 | 78 |
| TOTAL |
|
| 150 hours/ 12.5 cp |
Swinburne Online
| Type | Hours per week | Number of Weeks | Total |
| Face to Face Contact | N/A |
|
|
| Online Contact | N/A |
|
|
| Specified Learning Activities Prescribed readings Online activities | 6 | 12 | 72 |
| Unspecified Learning Activities Independent study Readings Assignment preparation | 6.5 | 12 | 78 |
| TOTAL |
|
| 150 hours/12.5 cp |
Assessment
| Types | Individual or Group task | Weighting | Assesses attainment of these ULOs |
| Case study | Individual | 20% | 2 |
| Essay | Individual | 40% | 1, 2 |
| Reflection | Individual | 40% | 3, 4 |
General skills outcomes
• Analysis Skills
• Problem Solving Skills
• Communication Skills
• Ability to work independently
Content
• Historical and philosophical underpinnings of early childhood education
• Traditional and contemporary influential philosophies and approaches (including Reggio Emilia, Steiner, Montessori, Te Whariki, Forest Schools)
• Neurological perspectives
• Past and present images of children and childhood
• Contemporary research perspectives of child and childhood
• The sociology of childhood
• The effects on children and families of attitudes to social class, gender, ethnicity, race and the dominant culture
• Cross-cultural perspectives on children, childhood and early childhood education
• The image of the child
Study resources
- Reading materials.