Identity: The Early Childhood Profession(al)
Overview
This unit focuses on the identity of the early childhood professional and what it means to be a contemporary professional, with its associated opportunities and challenges. The unit identifies international, national and jurisdictional policy contexts and current key issues. Pre-service teachers will begin to see themselves as belonging to a profession and be able to explain and describe key features. This clarity will enable them to function effectively and comfortably as active members of the profession, to value their unique contribution and to maintain their resilience and wellbeing.
Requisites
AND
237.5 credit points from one of:
BA-EDUEC (2) Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood)
OR
BA-EDECP (S) Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood and Primary)
OR
BA-EDUECT (S) Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood Teaching)
05-October-2025
02-November-2025
Learning outcomes
Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:
- Identify and analyse the complexities and characteristics of the early childhood profession
- Discuss and critique contemporary trends, policies and movements in the profession within Australia and internationally
- Investigate and describe the key legal obligations that impact the early childhood profession and their implications for teaching
- Describe how engaging in reflective practice and ongoing learning contributes to a culture of professional growth in the early childhood workplace
- Critically reflect on their own professional identity, including strengths, challenges and uniqueness and articulate what it means to be a professional
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 |
4.00 | 12 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reflection | Individual | 40% | 4,5 |
| Report | Individual | 60% | 1,2,3 |
Content
- Overview and history of early childhood profession in Australia
- Commonwealth and jurisdictional policies and initiatives in early childhood
- International perspectives and contexts of early childhood
- National Quality Reform Agenda
- Care-education divide
- Early Childhood Australia Code of Ethics and Victorian Teaching Profession Code of Conduct
- United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child
- Key components of early childhood education
- What it means to be a professional and a member of a profession
- Professional learning and identity
- Personal and professional resilience and wellbeing
- Reflective practice and mentoring
- Professional associations, networks and collaborations and communities of practice
- Australian Professional Standards for Teachers
- Graduate Attribute – Communication Skills: Communicating using different media
- Graduate Attribute – Digital Literacies: Information literacy
Study resources
Reading materials
A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.