EDN4515

Contemporary issues in early childhood education

Lecturer-in-charge to be advised

6 points
* 3 hours per week
* First semester
* Peninsula

Objectives Upon successful completion of this subject, students should be able to identify the political and economic factors which gave rise to the National Training Reform Agenda; discuss the implications of that agenda for the staffing and curriculum of early childhood services; evaluate current early childhood practice in terms of the construction of gender, racism and prejudice; demonstrate understanding of ethical and legal issues pertinent to the early childhood educator.

Synopsis An in-depth examination of a range of issues currently confronting the early childhood educator within preschool and junior primary settings. Issues to be considered include the National Training Reform agenda and its challenge to developmental-based early childhood curricula; determinants of racism and prejudice - the development of culturally democratic early childhood settings; early childhood settings and the construction of gender; ethics and the law - some particular early childhood dilemmas.

Assessment Seminar: 40%
* Examination: 60%

Recommended texts

Mellor E J and Coombe K (eds) Contemporary issues in Australian early childhood services W C Brown, 1994