The Bachelor of Early Childhood Education (Honours) aims to prepare graduates who demonstrate exceptional professional knowledge, professional practice and professional engagement, and who are innovatively responsive to the changing and challenging demands of being educators in the 21st century. The program equips graduates with the knowledge and skills to promote effective and inclusive learning in a range of educational settings from birth to eight years. This is achieved through theoretical and practical studies spanning professional studies (specific learning area curriculum and pedagogical studies), education studies (addressing current educational foci), and through a curriculum specific specialism suited to the early years. Our graduates understand the complexities of early childhood educational communities and the ways in which they can effectively contribute to learning environments aligned to their Early Childhood qualification.

 

The Bachelor of Early Childhood Education (Honours) is a four year degree. Students will complete 144 units of study comprising of 29 courses that are specific to teaching children from birth to eight years. The fourth and final ‘capstone’ year is designed as a professional Honours year, wherein the six final year courses meet AQF level 8 (or level 7 advanced for elective courses), and pre-service teachers apply and extend their skills in research, through a site-based inquiry grounded investigation. Preservice teachers will have a broad and coherent body of knowledge in professional experience, professional and discipline-specific curriculum studies and education studies. Preservice teachers will develop an in-depth understanding of the underlying principles, concepts and pedagogical practices in curriculum development and delivery for learners from birth to eight years. Preservice teachers will also develop skills in leadership and advocacy, and how to support children in families and communities in challenging circumstances. In addition, Early Childhood Education preservice teachers will study three specialism courses in one of the eight Australian Curriculum (AC) required learning areas, providing greater depth of curriculum and pedagogical content knowledge. For early childhood preservice teachers, these areas of choice are in either: English, Mathematics/Science, Religious Education (Catholic Studies), Languages or the Arts.