| Effective Term: | 2025/05 |
| Institute / School : | Institute of Education, Arts & Community |
| Unit Title: | Understanding Early Childhood Development |
| Unit ID: | EDMAS6050 |
| 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 enable Pre-service Teachers (PSTs) to engage with the core principles and theories of child development. PSTs will come to understand and critique the interconnections between theory, curricula outcomes and learning contexts for young children. Environmental conditions that impact on the development of individual children, with particular emphasis on social and cultural backgrounds will be examined. PSTs will develop the capacity to apply child development theory, knowledge of individual children and curricula outcomes to the selection of learning experiences that engage and support the interests, strengths and dispositions of young children. |
| 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. | Describe and analyse the physical, social, emotional, cognitive and language development of children |
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| K2. | Critique a range of theories on development and learning and their implications for teaching |
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| K3. | Explain and justify the importance of agency for each child and the role of the teacher in supporting individual development |
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| K4. | Explain the impact of factors such as culture, family, genetic inheritance and life experiences on the development of children |
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| K5. | Propose strategies and activities to support the engagement of young children and meet individual learning strengths, interests and dispositions, including ways to work effectively, sensitively and confidentially with parents/carers |
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| Skills: |
| S1. | Describe and critically reflect on a range of theoretical perspectives and apply to the learning and teaching contexts of young children |
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| S2. | Employ techniques to record and analyse children's learning |
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| S3. | Propose learning experiences to cater for the diverse interests, strengths and backgrounds of young children |
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| S4. | Select appropriate strategies for working collaboratively with parents/carers |
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| Application of knowledge and skills: |
| A1. | Examine a range of factors such as physical, social, emotional development and characteristics that impact on the development of young children and critically reflect on how these influence learning and teaching |
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| A2. | Utilise a range of observation techniques to record, analyse, organise and share information ethically and professionally |
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| A3. | Design learning experiences that take into account individual interests, dispositions, backgrounds and experiences and link to relevant learning outcomes |
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| Unit Content: |
Topics may include:
1. Major theoretical and developmental traditions; behaviourists; cognitivists; ecological and socioculturalists
2. History, theories and methodology of research in child development
3. Theories and research in the areas of physical, cognitive, social, emotional and language development
4. Cultural perspectives on development and learning
5. Implications and applications of child development theories and approaches to teaching and learning
6. Techniques for observing and analyzing children's behaviour
7. Planning for and documenting children's learning
8. Teaching and learning cycles
9. Current curricula, national quality standards
10. Working collaboratively with parents/carers |
| 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 at this level will demonstrate an advanced ability in a range of contexts to effectively communicate, interact and work with others both individually and in groups. Students will be required to display high level skills in-person and/or online in: • Using and demonstrating a high level of verbal and non-verbal communication • Demonstrating a mastery of listening for meaning and influencing via active listening • Demonstrating and showing empathy for others • High order skills in negotiating and conflict resolution skills\\ • Demonstrating mastery of working respectfully in cross-cultural and diverse teams. | 1 - Yes | FEDTASK 2
Leadership | Students at this level will demonstrate a mastery in professional skills and behaviours in leading others. • Creating and sustaining a collegial environment • Demonstrating a high level of self -awareness and the ability to self-reflect and justify decisions • Inspiring and initiating opportunities to lead others • Making informed professional decisions • Demonstrating initiative in new professional situations. | 1 - Yes | FEDTASK 3
Critical Thinking and Creativity | Students at this level will demonstrate high level skills in working in complexity and ambiguity using the imagination to create new ideas. Students will be required to display skills in: • Reflecting critically to generate and consider complex ideas and concepts at an abstract level • Analysing complex and abstract ideas, concepts and information • Communicate alternative perspectives to justify complex ideas • Demonstrate a mastery of challenging conventional thinking to clarify complex concepts • Forming creative solutions in problem solving to new situations for further learning. | 1 - Yes | FEDTASK 4
Digital Literacy | Students at this level will demonstrate the ability to work competently across a wide range of tools, platforms and applications to achieve a range of tasks. Students will be required to display skills in: • Mastering, exploring, evaluating, managing, curating, organising and sharing digital information professionally • Collating, managing complex data, accessing and using digital data securely • Receiving and responding professionally to messages in a range of professional digital media • Contributing competently and professionally to digital teams and working groups • Participating at a high level in digital learning opportunities. | 1 - Yes | FEDTASK 5
sustainable and Ethical Mindset | Students at this level will demonstrate a mastery of considering and assessing the consequences and impact of ideas and actions in enacting professional ethical and sustainable decisions. Students will be required to display skills in: • Demonstrate informed judgment making that considers the impact of devising complex solutions in ambiguous global economic environmental and societal contexts • Professionally committing to the promulgation of social responsibility • Demonstrate the ability to evaluate ethical, socially responsible and/or sustainable challenges and generating and articulating responses • Communicating lifelong, life-wide and life-deep learning to be open to the diverse professional others • Generating, leading and implementing required actions to foster sustainability in their professional and personal life | 1 - Yes |
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| | Learning Outcomes Assessed | Assessment Tasks | Assessment Type | Weighting | | 1. | K1; K2 S1 A1 APST 1.1, 1.2 | PSTs to read the provided reading and respond reflectively to questions | Reflective Response | 5-10% | | 2. | K1; K2; K4 S1 A1 APST 1.1, 1.2 | From a list, choose a major theorist that has had an impact on the study of children's development. Outline and critique the main tenets of the theory,. Explain the impact of the theory on contemporary teaching practice. | Presentation | 30-40% | | 3. | K1; K3; K5 S2; S3; S4 A2; A3 APST 1.3, 1.5, 1.6, 4.1 | Document the interactions and learning of children using at least three different observational techniques. Analyse these observations making appropriate and relevant links to theory and current curricula outcomes Provide a brief summary of how children are meeting curricula outcomes and suggest learning experiences that meet the interests and dispositions of observed children. Learning experiences must also be linked to learning outcomes and provide a plan for assessment/ reflection on practice and collaboration with parents/carers Necessary permission forms must be completed and copies to accompany the assessment. | Analytical Report | 50-60% |
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