Unit Learning
Outcomes
This assessment task maps to the following ULOs:
• ULO1: Identify a range of issues important to early childhood education and care
• ULO2: Analyse a range of positions highlighted in authoritative literature on contemporary issues related to early childhood education and care
• ULO3: Critically reflect on their personal approach/philosophy of learning, development and teaching within early childhood education and care in relation to contemporary issues
• ULO4: Argue a position on current issues in early childhood education and care, in relation to the literature
Rationale
As an early childhood teacher your beliefs form the basis of your early childhood philosophy. How you implement this philosophy within your teaching practice will be influenced by a range of issues within your local community.
Task Description
Referring to the issues presented in Modules 1 to 3, and drawing on a range of current, scholarly literature, write your philosophy of early childhood, critically reviewing your approach to learning, curriculum development and teaching. Your critical review should address all the relevant issues in Modules 1 to 3.
Task Instructions
Drawing on a range of relevant current, scholarly literature and the issues addressed in Module 1 to 3 of this unit:
Assessment Brief
• Part 1: Create a personal philosophy that outlines your approach to learning, child
development, and teaching in relation to the issues presented in Modules 1 – 3 (500 words).
• Part 2: Critically review your outlined approach, justifying why and how your personal philosophy best addresses all the relevant issues in early childhood teaching setting in Australia identified in Modules 1 to 3 (1000 words).
Assessment Brief
TCHR3001: Early Childhood Matters
Title Assessment 1
Type Critical Review
Due Date 11:59 pm AEST/AEDT (end of Week 3)
Length 1500 words
TCHR3001_Early Childhood Matters Task 1
Part 1: Create a Personal Philosophy
The Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) is the main spring from which children get what they need to flourish and enjoy good well-being holistically. It has a crucial part to play that transcends academics and affects their current and future well-being, involving their social, emotional, and physical life. To succeed in the quality ECEC, the National Quality Framework (NQF) must be followed rigorously, including services and staffing levels, governance, health and safety, education, and programming (ACECQA, 2023).
I am proudly an ECEC educator and highly passionate about providing all children with constructive and play-based learning opportunities that enable them to be the best they can be by implementing an exciting program that aligns with the Early Years Learning Framework. The cornerstone of this philosophy is play-based learning pedagogy, with various holistic approaches, including personalized support, all setting up the stage to offer children a conducive space where all their needs and preferences are reflected.
Notwithstanding the emergence of the remarkable ECEC, Australia’s sector still experiences major workforce problems. Concerns about low pay, exploitation, and excessive administrative duties add to the list of acute staff turnover rates (Irvine et al., 2016). These problems bring about frustration and dissatisfaction among teachers, not to mention affecting the quality standards of care and education. Considering the challenges, I am ready to advocate for the ECEC profession to promote its recognition, ethicality, and diversity within and outside the community. I will stand for better salaries, improved conditions in the workplace, and increased popularity of school teachers. This action would ensure that this field will be able to hire and include people who are professional and committed to providing the best quality care.
In addition, ongoing professional development is vital since it enables me to develop more relevant pedagogical knowledge and skills. Above all, I intend to personally invest myself in professional development in early childhood education to strive for a higher degree of expertise in this area. Through constantly undergoing research and being updated on the best educational trends, I can ensure that the teaching I provide is based on evidence while also having a responsive attitude towards the many changes that children and families need.
I uphold the view that all children deserve to have some rights safeguarded in terms of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Such is the right to the entire education that should support the proper mental development of every child in a secure, healthy, and open environment, regardless of their gender, ethnicity, religion, peculiarities, and other circumstances. As an educator, I shall continue to implement children’s rights by treating learners as able learners and giving them the same attention as adults with respect. I plan to engage children by diversifying the sphere of their own doing in the learning place with options of selection, freedom, individuality, and critical thinking.
Besides, I know that I must pay attention to making the ECEC environment family-centered and friendly for all children, irrespective of their background or family circumstances. Establishing meaningful connections with the families based on mutual considerations, discussions, and joint decisions is synonymous with developing solid relationships. We will impact family dynamics and thus deliver very effective results through our coordinated and caring network that fosters positive outcomes. The curriculum will be culturally responsive, including sharing and enjoyment for families of diverse cultural backgrounds and honoring eir actual values, traditions, and languages. By embracing diversity and including others, we could give everyone feelings of home belonging and make this place conducive for gaining knowledge and feeling safe.
Part 2: Critical Review of Your Philosophy
Quality Practice Aligned with NQS and EYLF
The foundation of my philosophy lies in adhering to the National Quality Standard (NQS) and aligning educational programs with the principles of the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF). Research reveals the critical importance of structural and process quality factors, such as educational programming and staff-child interactions, in delivering high-quality ECEC experiences (Von Suchodoletz et al., 2023). By centering quality practice, my philosophy prioritizes creating enriching learning environments that support children’s optimal learning and development.
Workforce Challenges and Advocacy for Educators
The ECEC sector in Australia grapples with significant workforce challenges, including low wages, high workloads, and insufficient professional recognition, leading to alarming staff turnover rates (Bonnet et al., 2021). This exodus of skilled educators jeopardizes the quality of care and education provided to children. As an active advocate for the ECEC profession, I am committed to pushing for better pay, improved working conditions, and enhanced professional status for educators. Retaining high-quality professionals is crucial for maintaining the quality of ECEC services.
Upholding Children’s Rights and Agency
My primary philosophy concerns considering children as respectable right holders and competent as upheld by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. This view offers another prospect that highlights acceptance and equality, engagement and empowerment, thereby providing an opportunity for children to take action and exercise their freedom. Children’s rights preservation aligns with the NQS areas of attention, with each child’s participation, learning process, and interaction, which helps to ensure more excellent quality in the ECEC settings. United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child establishes the holistic understanding of their rights and the need for extra care devoted to children, their protection, and the available personal development within a family or society.
Meanwhile, this introductory statement lays the basis for children’s educational rights being respected just as importantly as their other rights. They should be given a chance to decide for themselves. This has investigated the value of good preschool in young children’s ability to learn, develop, and maintain their psychological health. Quality early childhood education and care incorporate different aspects, for example, child education, health and safety, licensure, staffing, and board representation. Every child ought to be seen as capable and have inherent human rights. This is because I am trying to address the element of quality in education by putting children at the center of the learning processes and allowing them to participate and choose what is favorable to them. However, it does support the components of the National Quality Standard (NQS) Quality Area Five components, which emphasizes continuous substantive support for each child’s participation, learning, and development.
Building Strong Family Partnerships
Another cornerstone of my philosophy is building partnerships with families based on open communication, shared decision-making, and respect for diversity. The EYLF emphasizes the significance of partnerships and respect for diversity as essential principles (Belonging, being & becoming 2023). Collaborative relationships between ECEC professionals and families enhance children’s learning experiences and contribute to their sense of belonging and well-being. Recognizing and celebrating diverse family backgrounds and cultures creates inclusive and supportive environments for all children and families.
Addressing Accessibility and Inclusion
In an equal society that promotes fairness and equality in early childhood education and care (ECEC), there is a need to address the accessibility and inclusion of these services for all kids and their families, so much so that those who come from an economically deprived background. The Australian environment in the field of ECEC services is strongly influenced by political, historical, and legal elements, especially the NQS framing that the ACECQA establishes. The services in early childhood education and care in Australia are acknowledged and rated pending the NQS, which has seven quality standards Chan, A., & Ritchie, J. (2016). They involve educational programming, the well-being of the child and safety, staffing policy, and partnerships maintaining healthy relationships between families and the center (Stefanski et al., 2016). The overall rating of ECEC Services is worked out by achieving the different quality standards defined by performance across these quality areas. They are supposed to be complete concerning providing the best practices.
NQS has better standards in ECEC, aiming to ensure that children receive the best quality education they deserve, and thus, their learning, development, and well-being are supported (Thorpe, 2021). However, significant differences from NQS in the ECEC sector and its quality still need to be addressed. The inquiry was the need to prove that ECEC services were living maximal standards with NQS. Implementing the quality assurance program will be another challenge as there is variation in how settings perceive and implement the requirements of the NQS. On one hand, some of the services, despite the good performance that I observed, might not be in full compliance with the necessary standards, and thus, the quality would not be uniform across the industry. This can make ECEC services hard to access or even unusable for groups with less social advantage who do not have access to the same quality options. The spotlight of ACECQA contains “Snapshots,” ensuring services progress about the NQS, indicating areas of strength showcased and areas for improvement ((ACECQA. 2023). These snapshots perform an essential function in monitoring and evaluating the level of services offered through the ECEC. They point to the areas where additional support and resources can be used to improve the quality of the framework and create inclusivity.
References
Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA). (2023). Guide to the National Quality Framework.
Belonging, being & becoming. (2023). https://www.acecqa.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-01/Belonging_Being_And_Becoming_V2.0.pdf
Bonnett, T. (2019). The Relatedness of Leadership to Infant Education and Care: A Journey with Hannah Arendt.
Chan, A., & Ritchie, J. (2016). Parents, participation, partnership: Problematising New Zealand early childhood education. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 17(3), 289–303.
Early childhood education and care in Australia. (2022). https://www.thefrontproject.org.au/media/attachments/2022/11/22/03.-ecec-in-australia-2.0.pdf
Early Years Learning Framework for Australia. (2022). https://www.acecqa.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-01/EYLF-2022-V2.0.pdf
Grafft, B. (2020). Portrayal of Diverse Family Structures in Children’s Literature.
OECD (2017). Key indicators on early childhood https://www.oecd.org/publications/starting-strong-2017-9789264276116-en.htm
oberStefanski, A., Valli, L., & Jacobson, R. (2016). Beyond Involvement and Engagement: The Role of the Family in School-Community Partnerships. School Community Journal, 26(2), 135–160.
NQS has better standards in ECEC, aiming to ensure that children receive the best quality education they deserve, and thus, their learning, development, and well-being are supported.
Von Suchodoletz, A., Lee, D. S., Henry, J., Tamang, S., Premachandra, B., & Yoshikawa, H. (2023). Early childhood education and care quality and associations with child outcomes: A meta-analysis. Plos one, 18(5), e0285985.
