Graduate Certificate in Early Childhood Education

Program Overview

The Graduate Certificate of Early Childhood Education prepares students to lead early learning experiences for children from birth to 8 years of age. The program emphasizes indigenous worldviews, education for sustainability, health and wellbeing, and play-based pedagogies. Graduates are equipped with the knowledge and skills to work with complex communities and become inclusive education practitioners. The program includes 50 credit points of core units and 60 days of professional experience.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

Overview:

The Graduate Certificate of Early Childhood Education prepares students to lead early learning experiences for children from birth to 8 years of age. The program embeds indigenous worldviews, education for sustainability, and health and wellbeing. Students learn to recognize the significance of relationships with self, others, cultures, and places in teaching and learning with children. Graduates are inclusive education practitioners with specific capacities to lead with play-based pedagogies and work with complex communities.

Objectives:

• Critically appraise the principles and practice of early childhood education and how they inform and facilitate development in educational practices.
• Synthesize and critique scholarly literature to deepen understanding and evaluation of early learning practice.
• Plan and reflect on practice to implement a theoretical investigation or professional inquiry initiative.
• Communicate complex theoretical concepts related to early childhood education practice, policy, and literature to diverse audiences.

Outline:

Program Content:

• Indigenous worldviews in early childhood education
• Education for sustainability
• Health and wellbeing in early childhood
• Relationships with self, others, cultures, and places in early learning
• Play-based pedagogies
• Working with complex communities

Program Structure:

• 50 credit points of Core units
• 60 days of Professional Experience

Course Schedule:

• Core units are typically offered in Semester 1 and Semester 2.
• Professional Experience placements are typically completed in the first, second, and third semesters.

Individual Modules:

EDP705 Negotiated Study in Early Childhood:

• Students undertake a small-scale systematic investigation into an aspect of learning or development within a learning context or setting.
• Aims to enhance students' knowledge of key theoretical perspectives and skills of practitioner research and data analysis.

EDP706 Leadership and Advocacy in Early Childhood:

• Explores contemporary models that foster effective leadership, constructive management strategies, and ways to promote advocacy in early childhood.
• Provides opportunities for students to develop their leadership and advocacy skills through practical applications.

EDP707 Literacy, Mathematics, and Science in Early Childhood:

• Focuses on conceptual development and pedagogical content knowledge for teaching fundamental aspects of literacy, mathematics, and science to young children.
• Presents a range of play-based strategies for supporting the development of viewing, reading, writing, speaking, listening, and math skills.

EDP708 Curriculum Pedagogy and Assessment in Early Childhood:

• Interrogates current early childhood curricula and pedagogies.
• Covers topics such as planning using relevant state, territory, and national frameworks, assessment for learning, and differentiated instruction.

Professional Experience:

EDP702 Professional Experience 6-8 years:

• Provides opportunities for students to further demonstrate their practice in a school context.
• Involves active observation, participation, and increased engagement in teaching and learning experiences with children aged 6 to 8 years.

EDP703 Professional Experience 3-5 years:

• Enables students to further demonstrate their practice in a child care and education or kindergarten setting.
• Includes active observation, participation, and engagement with children aged 3 to 5 years.

EDP704 Professional Experience Birth-2 years:

• Introduces students to the child care and education context.

Careers:

Potential Career Paths:

• Early childhood teacher (birth to 8 years)
• Kindergarten teacher
• Childcare center director
• Family daycare provider
• Educational consultant
• Program coordinator in early childhood organizations

Opportunities and Outcomes:

• Graduates develop essential knowledge and skills to evaluate professional practice and design creative and evidence-led responses to changing educational contexts and learners' needs.
• Graduates may meet the requirements for registration with the Australian Children's Education & Care Quality Authority (ACECQA).