| Effective Term: | 2025/05 |
| Institute / School : | Institute of Education, Arts & Community |
| Unit Title: | Wellbeing in Early Childhood Contexts |
| Unit ID: | EDECE2021 |
| Credit Points: | 15.00 |
| Prerequisite(s): | Nil |
| Co-requisite(s): | Nil |
| Exclusion(s): | Nil |
| ASCED: | 070101 |
| Other Change: | |
| Brief description of the Unit |
This unit is designed to immerse Pre-Service Teachers (PSTs) in the discourse surrounding social and psychological wellbeing in relation to children within early childhood education and care settings, families, colleagues and themselves personally and professionally. The unit will encourage PSTs to critically analyse the ways in which social and psychological wellbeing can be promoted within education and care contexts and within the transition between services and school. PSTs will draw upon their knowledge of social, and psychological development to recognise inclusive teaching approaches that foster resilience in young children from diverse backgrounds. PSTs will demonstrate an understanding of the correlation between responsive and secure relationships with children families and colleagues that are inclusive of socially and culturally diverse perspectives and mental health. |
| Grade Scheme: | Graded (HD, D, C, P, MF, F, XF) |
| Work Experience Indicator: |
| No work experience |
| Placement Component: | No |
| Supplementary Assessment:Yes |
| Where supplementary assessment is available a student must have failed overall in the Unit but gained a final mark of 45 per cent or above, has completed all major assessment tasks (including all sub-components where a task has multiple parts) as specified in the Unit Description and is not eligible for any other form of supplementary assessment |
| Course Level: |
| Level of Unit in Course | AQF Level(s) of Course | | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | | Introductory | | | | | | | | Intermediate | | |  | | | | | Advanced | | | | | | |
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| Learning Outcomes: |
| Knowledge: |
| K1. | Demonstrate an understanding of the influence of social and psychological theories of development and learning on mental health |
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| K2. | Analyse the importance of promoting social and psychological wellbeing in early childhood contexts and the wider community |
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| K3. | Identify the correlation between social and psychological wellbeing and resilience |
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| K4. | Demonstrate an understanding of how to integrate social and psychological wellbeing within the curriculum. |
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| K5. | Articulate strategies for connecting with families, communities and a wider professional network |
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| K6. | Explain the significance of cultural perspectives, including those of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, as it relates to wellbeing of children, families, communities and other professionals |
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| K7. | Recognise the importance of resilience in children, staff and families and the impact of this on teaching and leadership practices |
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| K8. | Identify planning, implementation and evaluation strategies that foster resilience, including the importance of the indoor and outdoor play-based environments |
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| Skills: |
| S1. | Articulate how PSTs own life experiences impact on their understanding of social and psychological wellbeing |
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| S2. | Demonstrate how an understanding of social and psychological wellbeing impacts on the development of relationship teaching and assessment approaches used in early childhood contexts |
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| S3. | Identify the relevance and importance of community connectedness and its impact on wellbeing |
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| Application of knowledge and skills: |
| A1. | Critically reflect on personal experiences to illustrate the links between social and psychological wellbeing and resilience |
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| A2. | Draw upon an understanding of social and psychological wellbeing to develop approaches that enable children to take an increasing responsibility for their own psychological and emotional wellbeing |
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| A3. | Identify services in their community that support the wellbeing of children and families |
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| Unit Content: |
Topics to include
• Social and psychological development and learning
• Importance of mental health and wellbeing
• Promoting mental health
• Social determinants of mental health
• Social and psychological wellbeing and transitions
• Connecting with families and the community
• Social and psychological wellbeing and designing the curriculum
• Promoting social and psychological wellbeing with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
• Play and mental health
• Understanding teacher burnout
• Strengthening social and psychological learning in children with additional needs
• Building capacity of teachers in early childhood to promote children’s mental health
• Mental health and the responsibility of the leader |
| Graduate Attributes: |
| Federation University recognises that students require key transferable employability skills to prepare them for their future workplace and society. FEDTASKS (Transferable Attributes Skills and Knowledge) provide a targeted focus on five key transferable Attributes, Skills, and Knowledge that are be embedded within curriculum, developed gradually towards successful measures and interlinked with cross-discipline and Co-operative Learning opportunities. One or more FEDTASK, transferable Attributes, Skills or Knowledge must be evident in the specified learning outcomes and assessment for each FedUni Unit, and all must be directly assessed in each Course.
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| FED TASK and descriptor | Development and acquisition of FEDTASKS in the Unit | | Level | FEDTASK 1
Interpersonal | Students will demonstrate the ability to effectively communicate, inter-act and work with others both individually and in groups. Students will be required to display skills in-person and/or online in: • Using effective verbal and non-verbal communication • Listening for meaning and influencing via active listening • Showing empathy for others • Negotiating and demonstrating conflict resolution skills • Working respectfully in cross-cultural and diverse teams. | Level 2 - Student demonstrates some independence within provided guidelines | FEDTASK 2
Leadership | Students will demonstrate the ability to apply professional skills and behaviours in leading others. Students will be required to display skills in: • Creating a collegial environment • Showing self -awareness and the ability to self-reflect • Inspiring and convincing others • Making informed decisions • Displaying initiative | Level 2 - Student demonstrates some independence within provided guidelines | FEDTASK 3
Critical Thinking and Creativity | Students will demonstrate an ability to work in complexity and ambiguity using the imagination to create new ideas. Students will be required to display skills in: • Reflecting critically • Evaluating ideas, concepts and information • Considering alternative perspectives to refine ideas • Challenging conventional thinking to clarify concepts • Forming creative solutions in problem solving. | Level 2 - Student demonstrates some independence within provided guidelines | FEDTASK 4
Digital Literacy | Students will demonstrate the ability to work fluently across a range of tools, platforms and applications to achieve a range of tasks. Students will be required to display skills in: • Finding, evaluating, managing, curating, organising and sharing digital information • Collating, managing, accessing and using digital data securely • Receiving and responding to messages in a range of digital media • Contributing actively to digital teams and working groups • Participating in and benefiting from digital learning opportunities. | Level 2 - Student demonstrates some independence within provided guidelines | FEDTASK 5
Sustainable and Ethical Mindset | Students will demonstrate the ability to consider and assess the consequences and impact of ideas and actions in enacting ethical and sustainable decisions. Students will be required to display skills in: • Making informed judgments that consider the impact of devising solutions in global economic environmental and societal contexts • Committing to social responsibility as a professional and a citizen • Evaluating ethical, socially responsible and/or sustainable challenges and generating and articulating responses • Embracing lifelong, life-wide and life-deep learning to be open to diverse others • Implementing required actions to foster sustainability in their professional and personal life. | Level 2 - Student demonstrates some independence within provided guidelines |
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| | Learning Outcomes Assessed | Assessment Tasks | Assessment Type | Weighting | | 1. | K2, K3, K4, S1, S3, A1, A3 | Reflective documentation and analysis: This assessment task is divided into 2 main parts. This part of the assessment task requires students to research, explore and document the factors that have impacted upon their own social and psychological wellbeing from infancy until the present. Students will draw on a range of theories to explore their identity and analyse their own psychosocial development across time. The second part of the assessment task asks students to draw upon their understanding of their own personal psychosocial journey and to ascertain strengths and areas for further development. Students will then identify goals for their future development and will use theoretical perspectives to document strategies for achieving these goals. | Reflective Documentation | 40 – 50% | | 2. | K1, K2, K4, K5, K6, K7, K8, S2, S3, A2 | Students will design a learning environment that integrates principles of social and psychological wellbeing. A hypothetical scenario will be provided and students will be expected to draw upon a range of theoretical perspectives to develop an overall philosophy, a series of learning outcomes as well as teaching and assessment strategies focusing upon the indoor and outdoor environments. Students will also include in this design the ways in which community services will be linked to the learning environment and how families will be encouraged to seek additional services as appropriate to support wellbeing. | Learning Environment Design | 50 – 60% |
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