Early Childhood Education,B-EDEC

Overview

In this initial teacher education course, you will gain the skills, knowledge and practical learning experiences to teach young children (aged from birth to eight years) in early education settings.

These include early learning and childcare centres, kindergarten, pre-primary and junior primary classes.

You will learn about child development, the curriculum areas and the importance of family partnerships. You’ll also choose two elective units from a list of education subjects to broaden your learning.

Teaching placements

As part of the course, you will complete four teaching placements in schools or early learning centres. Totalling 840 hours of supervised teaching practice, the placements are undertaken in full-time blocks, regardless of your study mode. You may be able to undertake a rural, interstate or overseas placement.

Your supervised teaching practice will comprise:

• a three-week full-time block in the second year of your course
• five one-day visits plus a three-week full-time block, and a four-week full-time block in the third year of your course
• a block of one school term (typically 10 weeks) in the final year of your course.

How this course will make you industry ready

• Your learning will address the specific needs of early childhood educators, ensuring you graduate with the competencies required to be a successful teacher.
• All units are mapped to the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers and the Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority Framework.
• You will build a professional digital portfolio that showcases your teaching abilities to potential employers.
• You will complete 21 weeks of teaching practice over the course of your studies, including a 10-week internship where you will take responsibility for a class of children under the mentorship of a qualified teacher.

What you'll learn

• apply high-level discipline knowledge, principles and concepts associated with effective teaching of children from birth to 8 years
• draw from theory and research to apply knowledge of the needs of students from diverse backgrounds and across the full range of abilities to enhance learning
• assess student learning and analyse diverse sources of data to support valid judgements of student learning
• plan and deliver effective teaching and learning experiences with demonstrated impact
• use technologies appropriately for learning and teaching
• engage in professional learning and demonstrate capacity for leadership; demonstrate personal literacy and numeracy competencies to the required accreditation standard
• engage in critical and reflective practice based on local, national and international research
• create and manage positive learning environments for all students, including those from diverse cultural backgrounds

English requirements

Curtin requires all applicants to demonstrate proficiency in English. Specific English requirements for this course are outlined in the IELTS table below.

You may demonstrate English proficiency using the following tests and qualifications.

If your documents are not issued in English, an official translation from a recognised translation service must be provided.

Recognised translation services

• National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI) accredited translator in Australia
• The Awarding institution
• A Notary Public Office
• The official Government body
• An official and accredited translator*

*Official translations are subject to review.

If you have undertaken previous study or work that matches the content of some of your Curtin course units, you may be able to obtain credit for recognised learning, which exempts you from studying those units.

You can apply direct online through our Applicant Portal. You can access the Applicant Portal by:

1. Navigating to the relevant course page
2. Click ‘Apply now’
3. When the pop-up window appears, select “Apply directly to Curtin University”.

If you want to package your course with a Curtin English course, you can submit your application with your course application documents to streamline the process.

If your application is successful, you will receive an offer that you will need to accept or reject.

If you accept your offer, you will receive a Confirmation of Enrolment ­– a document from Curtin that details your course, how long you will be studying the course, and the tuition fees. This document can be used for acquiring a student visa.

Apply to the Australian government for your student visa. Gaining a student visa will allow you to participate in full-time study in Australia and work up to 40 hours in a fortnight. If you’re under 18 years of age, you must have approved accommodation and welfare arrangements in place before a visa can be issued.