| Effective Term: | 2025/05 |
| Institute / School : | Institute of Education, Arts & Community |
| Unit Title: | The Early Childhood Professional |
| Unit ID: | EDECE2023 |
| 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 will focus on developing professional identity and preparing Pre-Service Teachers (PSTs) for entry into the early childhood profession. PSTs will be introduced to key organisations, laws, regulations, codes, and the National Quality Framework for early childhood education and care settings. The unit examines current issues, challenges and opportunities affecting the profession and professionals, locally and globally. PSTs will reflect on their personal and professional identity, and consider how these may influence teaching and learning. Diverse roles and career paths for early childhood professionals will be identified, and the value of professional learning and development will be stressed. |
| 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. | Examine national and state legislative and regulatory requirements for professionals in the context of early childhood education and care |
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| K2. | Examine historical, philosophical, societal, and political influences on the provision of early childhood education and care. |
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| K3. | Reflect on personal values and beliefs about teaching and learning in early childhood education and consider how these views shape professional identity and influence practice. |
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| Skills: |
| S1. | Research and identify relevant codes, frameworks, laws and regulations |
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| S2. | Understand the importance of ongoing professional learning and development |
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| Application of knowledge and skills: |
| A1. | Apply relevant laws, regulations and frameworks to practice in early childhood education and care settings. |
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| A2. | Report on current challenges and opportunities for early childhood education and care professionals and the profession. |
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| A3. | Engage with and apply reflective frameworks |
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| Unit Content: |
•History of early childhood education and care in Australia
•Societal, political and philosophical influences
•National Quality Framework
•Quality Assessment and ratings
•Learning and development frameworks
•Early childhood education and care laws and regulations
•Policies and initiatives
•Ethical responsibilities
•Diversity of settings and careers
•Current issues and opportunities
•Reflective practice
•Professionalism and professional identity formation
•Professional learning and development |
| 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 | N/A - Not Applicable | 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. | N/A - Not Applicable |
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| | Learning Outcomes Assessed | Assessment Tasks | Assessment Type | Weighting | | 1. | K3, S1, A1 | Identify the laws, codes, regulations, and frameworks that are relevent to a series of scenarios. Reflect on your personal values and beliefs about these scenarios and how they may affect the formation of your professional identity and practices. | Academic Reflection on Scenarios | 40% - 60% | | 2. | K1, K2, K3, S1, S2, A2, A3 | Research and report on the early childhood education and care profession in Australia. Identify key challenges and opportunities that may affect your future role as an early childhood professional. | Academic Essay | 40% - 60% | | 3. | K3, S2, A3 | Reflect on the formation of your professional identity. Identify values and beliefs, strengths and challenges. Develop a plan for professional learning and development. | Reflection | 20- 40% |
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