Contemporary Perspectives of Learning and Development
Overview
In this unit pre-service teachers focus on contemporary approaches and perspectives in education. The unit examines issues affecting the child with specific reference to family, school, peers, culture and diverse social contexts, as well as developmental differences. This provides them with the opportunity to acquire knowledge of diverse traditional and contemporary philosophical and pedagogical perspectives and the capacity to use this knowledge to inform their professional judgments
Requisites
09-February-2025
05-October-2025
02-November-2025
Learning outcomes
Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:
- Analyse the constructs of childhood in relation to social, cultural, historical and philosophical factors that affect development and learning
- Apply insights into different theories and their application to child development in diverse cultural contexts
- Connect the theoretical understanding and abilities in child development to the design of curriculum and contemporary pedagogical practices
- Apply theoretical knowledge and skills to support the developmental and learning needs of diverse children
- Describe the contemporary construct of the competent and capable child regarding current practice, policy and curriculum
Teaching methods
Hawthorn
| Type | Hours per week | Number of weeks | Total (number of hours) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Live Online Lecture |
1.00 | 12 weeks | 12 |
| On-campus Class |
3.00 | 8 weeks | 24 |
| Specified Activities Various |
6.00 | 8 weeks | 48 |
| Unspecified Activities Various |
5.50 | 12 weeks | 66 |
| TOTAL | 150 |
Swinburne Online
| Type | Hours per week | Number of weeks | Total (number of hours) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online Directed Online Learning and Independent Learning | 12.50 | 12 weeks | 150 |
| TOTAL | 150 |
Assessment
| Type | Task | Weighting | ULO's |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | Individual | 50% | 1,2,5 |
| Case Study | Individual | 50% | 2,3,4 |
Content
Traditional and contemporary influential philosophies and approaches (including Reggio Emilia, Steiner, Montessori, Te Whariki, Forest Schools)
Early and middle childhood physical development
Development of the brain and body during the early and middle years of childhood
Cognitive development and learning for early and middle childhood
The social image of the child (past and present perspectives of the developing and learning child)
Cross-cultural perspectives on children, childhood and early childhood education
Supporting diverse learning needs
The educator’s role – intentional teaching pedagogy via policy and curricular implementation focusing on child-centred learning
Study resources
Reading materials
A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.