Bachelor of Education (Early Years)

2023 Deakin University Handbook

Note: You are seeing the 2023 view of this course information. These details may no longer be current. [Go to the current version]

Year	2023 course information
Award granted	Bachelor of Education (Early Years)
Campus	Offered at Burwood (Melbourne), Online For students who commenced prior to 2021 only
Duration	4 years full-time, 3 year fast-track or part-time equivalent#*
CRICOS course code	093571F Burwood (Melbourne)
Deakin course code	E330
Note: #Students with a Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care are able to complete the course in 3-years full-time or part-time equivalent.
The final intake to this course was in Trimester 1 2020. Students should contact a Student Adviser in Student Central for course and enrolment information. Further course structure information can be found in the Handbook archive.

Course sub-headings

Course overview

Deakin’s Bachelor of Education (Early Years) allows you to teach young children in early childhood and primary school settings. With professional experience opportunities and the option to choose from a range of curriculum areas, you’ll graduate with a qualification that’s in high demand, meeting the significant growth of the Australian early childhood education sector.

Are you interested in an exciting and rewarding career teaching children?

Deakin’s dual accredited early years degree opens up a range of career opportunities, spanning the early childhood and primary education sectors. Studies focus on contemporary issues in children’s learning and development, curriculum theories and pedagogies, discipline knowledge and the changing work context within early childhood and primary education.

Early years teaching specialisations include:

Aboriginal knowledge and experiences
arts education
promoting equity, social justice and inclusivity.

Primary teaching specialisations include:

language and literacy
science.

The Professional Experience Program is a key part of every Deakin teaching student’s course experience. Working with more than 1400 schools across Australia, we’ll arrange at least 115 days of placements for you in schools where you’ll learn from experienced teachers.

Students also have access to specialised teaching spaces on campus to prepare for teaching.

Give your studies a different perspective and take part in our Global Education Program. Learn about Aboriginal culture while teaching in remote communities in the Northern Territory, or head to countries including Chile, Nepal or Vanuatu and learn about intercultural education.

Deakin maintains close links with the education sector to ensure our courses are developed and reviewed with industry and professional input. You’ll be taught by staff members who have industry experience and who are recognised as leaders and innovators in their fields. This means you can be confident that what you learn at Deakin will be relevant to your future teaching career.

Choose to study online and have the additional flexibility to balance work, life and study. Studying online is collaborative and engaging, while still allowing you to complete your studies when and where it suits you.

Before beginning your degree, prospective teaching students need to successfully complete the Casper test – an online, video scenario-based test that lets you demonstrate your suitability for a teaching career.

Start your journey to becoming an early years teacher with a Deakin degree and learn how you can change the lives of others.

Professional recognition

This course is approved by the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACEQA) as an early childhood teaching qualification in Australia.

It is also accredited by the Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT) for the purposes of teacher registration in Victoria. Students are eligible to apply for registration with VIT upon successful completion of this degree.

Participation requirements

Placement can occur at any time, including during the standard holiday breaks listed here: https://www.deakin.edu.au/courses/key-dates.

Reasonable adjustments to participation and other course requirements will be made for students with a disability. More information available at Disability support services.

Course Learning Outcomes

Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes	Course Learning Outcomes
Discipline specific knowledge and capabilities	Acquire broad and coherent body of knowledge of education principles and practice, and in depth theoretical and applied knowledge of early childhood that incorporates early childhood and primary education.
Communication	Use and engage effectively interpersonal communication skills (oral, written, digital and nonverbal) to convey knowledge and ideas with diverse individuals and groups (such as children, families, parents and caregivers, colleagues and other professionals, community organisations) to enhance children’s learning and wellbeing.
Digital literacy	Employ a range of technologies to collect, analyse, synthesise and evaluate and disseminate information for the purposes of teaching and learning in a rapidly changing global environment.
Critical thinking	Critically engage with and analyse contemporary issues and research in early years education and changing societal contexts at local, national and global scales, and be able to make informed judgements relating to teaching and learning.
Problem solving	Use critical reflection and analytical skills to determine creative, innovative and authentic solutions to real-life and complex problems encountered in teaching and learning and adapt these solutions to diverse contexts, communities and learners.
Self-management	Work autonomously and responsibly in early childhood and primary school contexts, drawing on knowledge and skills of teaching and learning and demonstrate abilities and dispositions underpinning lifelong learning and personal attributes that enable a positive contribution to society including critical thinking, creative and problem solving skills.
Teamwork	Work, advocate, and learn collaboratively with colleagues, other professionals, families and members of the wider community who share responsibility for the learning and wellbeing of young children.
Global citizenship	Demonstrate understandings of the diversity of Australian society and the influences on development of culture, family contexts, gender and disability and the influences of these on the education and care of children. Adapt knowledge and skills to culturally and socially diverse contexts and communities.
Approved by Faculty Board June 2014

Course rules

To qualify for the award of Bachelor of Education (Early Years), students must complete 32 credit points comprising:

29 credit points of core units;
1 credit point of Early Years Teaching Specialisation in one of either: i) Promoting Equity, Social Justice and Inclusivity; ii) Arts Education; or iii) Aboriginal Knowledge and Experiences
2 credit points of Primary Teaching Specialisation in either: i) Science; ii) Language and Literacy; iii) Numeracy; or iv) Languages
AAI018 Academic Integrity (0-credit-point compulsory unit)

This course includes 115-days of supervised professional experience, and students must successfully complete the Deakin Teaching Performance Assessment (DTPA)*. This must be complete in the final year of study.

Students are also required to complete below two zero (0) credit point units ELN010 and ELN011 as part of the Literacy and Numeracy Test for Initial Teacher Education (LANTITE) in order to graduate from their course.

* Students who do not pass the DTPA must seek advice from the course director.

Course structure

Year 1

ELN010

Australian Literacy Test (zero (0) credit points)

ELN011

Australian Numeracy Test (zero (0) credit points)

ECE110

Child Development 1

ECE111

Curriculum 1: Pedagogies and Play

ECE112

Curriculum 2: Planning and Assessment for Teaching and Learning

ECP128

Professional Knowledge (0-2 Years)

ECE130

Partnerships with Families and Communities

ECE120

Contemporary Perspectives of Education

ECE116

Promoting Health, Wellbeing and Nutrition

ECE140

Creative Arts 1: Young Children and the Arts

Year 2

ECE212

Curriculum 3: Planning and Assessment for Teaching and Learning

ECP227 Professional Practice 1 (3-5 Years) [No longer available for enrolment, alternate unit ECL101]

ECE220

Science 1: Science and Environmental Awareness for Young Children

ECE230

Language and Literacy Development in Early Childhood

ECE211

Mathematical Learning in the Early Years

ECE241

Creative Arts 2: Music and Visual Arts

ECP228

Professional Practice 2 (3-5 Years)

1 credit point from early years teaching specialisation

Year 3

ECE312 Lifespan Development (No longer available for enrolment, alternate unit ECE340)

ECE360

Protective Education and Child Well-Being

ECE370

Guiding Engaged, Resilient Learners

ECE491 Perspectives of Management and Leadership (No longer available for enrolment, alternate unit ECE380)

ECE404

Inclusive Education for Young Children

ECP410 Professional Teaching Practice and Child Study (0-3 Years) (No longer available for enrolment, alternate unit ECE352)

ECE420

Supporting Children Making Transitions

ECE430 Teacher as Researcher (No longer available for enrolment, alternate unit ECE330)

Year 4

ECE320 Science 2: Science and Design Technology [No longer available for enrolment, alternate unit EST400]

ECE330

Multiliterate Learners in Early Years and School Environments

ECE455 Effective Primary Mathematics Learning [No longer available for enrolment, alternate unit ESM310]

ECP327 Professional Engagement 1 (Primary School 1) [No longer available for enrolment, alternate unit ETP400]

ECP427 Professional Engagement 2 (Primary School 2) (No longer available for enrolment, alternate unit ETP403]

EEO320

Humanities Education Across the Primary Levels [2023 final year of offer]

2 credit points from primary teaching specialisation

Early Years Teaching Specialisations

Select one of the following three specialisations:

Promoting Equity, Social Justice and Inclusivity

EAA301 Personalising Learning: A Transdisciplinary Approach (no longer available for enrolment)

EEI302

Introduction to Creative Arts Therapy Approaches and Practices

Arts Education

ECE340

Creative Learning Through the Arts

Aboriginal Knowledge and Experiences

IND201 Aboriginal Knowledges and Experiences: Historical Journeys Contemporary Perspectives (no longer available for enrolment)

IND202

Australian Indigenous Education: Recognition, Relationships and Reconciliation

Primary Teaching Specialisations

Select one of the following four specialisations:

Science

SLE123

Physics for the Life Sciences ***

ECE345 Integrated Science and Technology Education (No longer available for enrolment, alternate unit EES300)

Language and Literacy

ALL153

Literature for Children and Young Adults

ECL351

Diversity, Language and Literacy

Numeracy

SIT176

Mathematical Reasoning and Investigation

SIT106

Fundamental Concepts of Mathematics (Trimester 3 only)

ESM303

Primary Mathematics Lesson Study

Languages

Languages (Completion of Diploma)

ECL306

Teaching and Learning Languages in Primary Contexts

*** Must be completed in Trimester 3, prior to fourth year

Professional Experience Placement

Students are required to apply for a Working with Children Check. Apply online as a volunteer at https://www.workingwithchildren.vic.gov.au/.

For further information contact the School of Education, Professional Experience office.

Course duration - additional information

Course duration may be affected by delays in completing course requirements, such as accessing or completing work placements.

Other learning experiences

There will be opportunities throughout the course for students to engage with educational or industry professionals. These experiences will be integrated into units where students will have early childhood directors, principals, inclusive education providers and Department of Human Services workers provide content to more closely connect the learning experience with industry practices.