Bachelor of Early Childhood Education – Birth to 5

The Bachelor of Early Childhood Education (BECE) is designed to provide graduate early childhood teachers with knowledge, skills and understanding that will equip them to provide such quality early childhood education and care. The course is designed to support students to build a deep, reflexive understanding of the child, child development, early childhood contexts, educational issues, theories and considerations and the diverse needs of children, from birth to five years of age. A continuing shortage of well qualified staff in the early childhood sector is an important motivation for the necessity and provision of this course.

Graduates of the Bachelor of Early Childhood Education will have a sound theoretical foundation of the underpinning knowledge and practical skills expected and required of an early childhood educator with a particular focus on:

• agentic and play-based approaches to early childhood education (Broadhead, Howard and Wood 2010; Fleer 2013)
• using a range of effective, contemporary educational techniques and strategies to plan, deliver and assess effective learning for a complex and diverse range of children and family populations in a continually changing society
• creating a safe and challenging educational environment to facilitate learning and wellbeing
• key theorists and theoretical perspectives in the fields of education, in general and early childhood in particular
• demonstrating a sound knowledge of the professional behaviour and ethical conduct expected of an educator
• meeting the AQF level 7 criteria and ACECQA outcomes.