Bachelor of Early Childhood and Primary Education
2023 Deakin University Handbook
| Year | 2023 course information |
|---|---|
| Award granted | Bachelor of Early Childhood and Primary Education |
| Course Map | This course map is for new students commencing from Trimester 1 2023. Course maps for commencement in previous years are available on the Course Maps webpage or please contact a Student Adviser in Student Central. |
| Campus | Offered at Burwood (Melbourne) |
| Online | Yes |
| Duration | 4-years full-time or part-time equivalent |
| CRICOS course code | 102807A Burwood (Melbourne) |
| Deakin course code | E334 |
| Approval status | This course is approved by the University under the Higher Education Standards Framework. |
| Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) recognition | The award conferred upon completion is recognised in the Australian Qualifications Framework at Level 7. |
Course sub-headings
- Course overview
- Indicative student workload
- Professional recognition
- Career opportunities
- Participation requirements
- Mandatory student checks
- Pathways
- Alternative exits
- Fees and charges
- Course Learning Outcomes
- Course rules
- Course structure
- Work experience
Course overview
If you’re passionate about children’s education, Deakin’s Bachelor of Early Childhood and Primary Education opens the door to a range of inspiring career opportunities. Spanning the early childhood and primary education sectors, our dual-accredited degree focuses on contemporary issues in children’s learning and development, curriculum theories and pedagogies, discipline knowledge and the changing teaching and learning context within early childhood and primary education.
Through our Professional Experience Program you’ll not only gain key practical knowledge and skills, but invaluable insight into the classroom environment. With the option to combine your personal interests with a range of curriculum areas, you’ll undertake placements in early childhood and primary school settings that enrich and solidify your studies so that you graduate with the confidence and aptitude to meet the significant growth of the Australian early childhood education sector.
Are you ready to launch an exciting and rewarding career teaching children?
Deakin maintains close links with the education sector to ensure our courses are developed and reviewed with professional input. You’ll be taught by staff members who have teaching experience and who are recognised as leaders and innovators in their fields. This means you can be confident that what you learn with us will be relevant to your future teaching career.
In Australia, primary school teachers complete a specialisation in an area of expertise during their initial teacher education. Primary teaching specialisations include:
- literacy
- science
- mathematics
- language other than English.
The Professional Experience Program is a key part of every Deakin teaching student’s course experience. Working with more than 1400 schools and early childhood settings across Australia, we’ll arrange at least 115-days of placements for you in early childhood education and care settings, and schools where you’ll learn from experienced teachers.
Students also have access to specialised teaching spaces on campus to prepare for teaching.
Choose to study via Deakin's premium online learning platform 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.
Students may be eligible for an attractive scholarship offered by the Victorian Department of Education and Training for pre-service teachers enrolled in early childhood teaching courses.
Additionally, the Bachelor of Early Childhood and Primary Education provides students with an approved pathway from the Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care (previously Diploma of Children’s Services offered through TAFE. Eligible students may receive up to 8 credit points of recognition for prior learning towards their degree.
Before beginning your studies, 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.
Indicative student workload
Students will on average spend 150-hours over the teaching period for each credit point undertaking required teaching, learning and assessment activities.
Professional recognition
This course is accredited by the Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT) and Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) as a nationally recognised primary and early childhood teaching qualification. Graduates of this course will be eligible to register with the Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT). Graduates who are intending to apply for registration interstate may be required to provide further information. Interstate applicants are advised to check the registration requirements in their state or territory carefully.
Career opportunities
There is an increasing demand for qualified early childhood teachers, with the workforce set to double in the next 10-years. In both early childhood and primary school education settings there is a strong demand for qualified teachers and graduate starting salaries for teachers are high compared to the graduate average. As a graduate of this course you may find employment as a teacher within the private or public education sectors.
You might also find employment in a range of other education related fields including:
- consultancy
- NGOs
- policy
- research or community-based organisations (e.g. museums, outdoor education, arts institutions, etc)
For more information go to DeakinTALENT
Participation requirements
Professional Experience Placements are a compulsory component of the course and a requirement for registration as a graduate teacher. 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.
Students are required to check the placement calendars published on the Professional Experience Office website each year. Placement takes priority over employment and placement periods are generally block placements of 5 full time days per week over 2-5 weeks.
Course delivery is blended and students are required to dedicate time to weekly engagement with located or online teaching and learning activities and resources. This is recommended at combined total 8-10 hours per week per unit including active learning/engagement either face to face or online, and independent study. Online students enrolled in the Bachelor of Early Childhood and Primary Education are required to attend conferences at a campus location twice a trimester.
Some units will require students to attend early childhood settings or institutions for site-based learning and teaching experiences. Some units will require students enrolled in online learning to attend on campus activities.
Mandatory student checks
Teacher Education Graduation requirements
Students undertaking an initial teacher education course must pass an approved literacy and numeracy test in order to be eligible to graduate and apply for teacher registration. Learn more about the literacy and numeracy test.
Working with Children Check
Successful Applicants are required to hold a valid Working with Children (WWC) Check prior to undertaking professional experience placements in education settings, as part of this course. Learn more about Working with Children Checks.
Interstate applicants must check the requirements and meet all conditions for undertaking professional experience in schools for their state or territory before undertaking professional experience placements as part of this course.
The Working with Children Check (Check) and a Police Check are different checks. Under the Working with Children Act 2005 (the Act) if you are doing child-related work and are not exempt, you must have a Check even if you already have a Police Check. The Police Check is not an assessment by a government agency. https://www.workingwithchildren.vic.gov.au/organisations/victorian-teacher-information
Pathways
Pathways for credit are available for this course. Details of institutional credit agreements are published in the RPL database. International students can apply for packaged offers for some of these pathways.
Applicants who have completed a Diploma of Early Childhood Education (or equivalent) are eligible to receive 8 Credit Points, gaining entry into the course in the second year.
Applicants who have completed at least 2 units in the Bachelor of Early Childhood Education (E333) at Deakin University are eligible to receive Credit for the units they have completed. Entry into the course is dependent on the following:
- A minimum WAM of 65
- Completion of an additional selection tool for non-academic attributes. Deakin University is using the Casper test. Casper is an online, video-scenario based situational judgement test, designed to measure non-academic suitability for teaching.
The Bachelor of Early Childhood and Primary Education provides a pathway into the Graduate Certificate in Educational Research.
Guaranteed pathways
Entry is dependent on the completion of the Casper test. Casper is an online, video-scenario based situational judgement test, designed to measure non-academic suitability for teaching.
Alternative exits
| Bachelor of Early Childhood Education (E333) | |
| Bachelor of Early Childhood Studies (E320) |
Fees and charges
Fees and charges vary depending on your course, the type of fee place you hold, your commencement year, the units you choose and your study load.
Tuition fees increase at the beginning of each calendar year and all fees quoted are in Australian dollars ($AUD). Tuition fees do not include textbooks, computer equipment or software, other equipment or costs such as mandatory checks, travel and stationery.
Use the Fee estimator to see course and unit fees applicable to your course and type of place. Further information regarding tuition fees, other fees and charges, invoice due dates, withdrawal dates, payment methods is available on our Current students fees website.
Course Learning Outcomes
| Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes | Course Learning Outcomes |
| Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities | Analyse and apply principles and practices relevant to curriculum, policy and regulations in early childhood and primary school education with in-depth knowledge and evaluation of theoretical underpinning. |
| Communication | Effectively evaluate and select communication skills (oral, written, digital and nonverbal) to professionally transmit knowledge and ideas with diverse individuals and groups (such as children, families, parents and caregivers, colleagues and other professionals, community organisations). |
| Digital literacy | Critically evaluate and apply a range of technologies to collect, analyse, synthesise, evaluate, generate and transmit information for the purposes of appropriate teaching and learning in a rapidly changing global environment. |
| Critical thinking | Analyse and evaluate contemporary issues, policies and research in educational and societal contexts to generate and transmit informed judgements to complex situations relating to teaching and learning. |
| Problem solving | Use analytical and practical skills to make well developed judgements, generate and transmit creative, innovative and authentic solutions to real-life and complex problems encountered when working with diverse individuals and groups (such as children, families, parents and caregivers, colleagues and other professionals, community organisations). |
| Self-management | Critically reflect on planning, problem-solving and decision making in teaching and learning contexts. Use initiative and autonomy to apply analytic knowledge and critical reflective skills to demonstrate responsibility for own learning and professional practice (and in collaboration with others). |
| Teamwork | Actively and collaboratively participate in learning communities, involving learners, families, community members, colleagues and the broader profession. |
| Global citizenship | Adapt and apply knowledge and skills that support the diversity of Australian society in the professional context. This includes influences of Indigenous and intercultural issues, family contexts, gender and disability on development, learning and teaching. |
| Approved by Faculty Board 2020 | |
Course rules
To qualify for the award of Bachelor of Early Childhood and Primary Education, students must complete 32 credit points comprising:
- 30 credit points of core units;
- 2 credit points of Primary Teaching Specialisation in either: i) Science; or ii) Literacy, iii) Mathematics; iv) Languages
- AAI018 Academic Integrity (0-credit-point compulsory unit)
- A maximum of 10 credit points at Level 1
- A minimum of 10 credit points at Level 3 or above
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.Successful completion of this course indicates that a student has met the expected standard of performance for each of the Graduate Teacher Standards.
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 |
| ELN011 | Australian Numeracy Test |
| ECE110 | Child Development 1 |
| ECE111 | Curriculum 1: Pedagogies and Play |
| ECE112 | Curriculum 2: Planning and Assessment for Teaching and Learning |
| ECE116 | Promoting Health, Wellbeing and Nutrition |
| ECE120 | Contemporary Perspectives of Education |
| ECE130 | Partnerships with Families and Communities |
| ECE140 | Creative Arts 1: Young Children and the Arts |
| ECP128 | Professional Knowledge (0-2 Years) |
Year 2
| ECE211 | Mathematical Learning in the Early Years |
| ECE212 | Curriculum 3: Planning and Assessment for Teaching and Learning |
| ECE220 | Science 1: Science and Environmental Awareness for Young Children |
| ECE230 | Language and Literacy Development in Early Childhood |
| ECE241 | Creative Arts 2: Music and Visual Arts |
| ECL101 | Understanding Early Reading Development |
| ECP228 | Professional Practice 2 (3-5 Years) |
| IND202 | Australian Indigenous Education: Recognition, Relationships and Reconciliation |
Year 3
| ECE330 | Multiliterate Learners in Early Years and School Environments |
| ECE352 | Supporting Emerging Mathematical Skills for Infants and Toddlers |
| ECE360 | Protective Education and Child Well-Being |
| ECE370 | Guiding Engaged, Resilient Learners |
| ECE380 | Inquiry Into Science Curriculum |
| ECE404 | Inclusive Education for Young Children |
| ECE420 | Supporting Children Making Transitions |
1 credit point from primary teaching specialisation (Unit 1)
Year 4
| ECE340 | Creative Learning Through the Arts |
| ECL310 | Multiliterate Learners in Middle Years Environments |
| EEO410 | Humanities Inquiry Pedagogy |
| ESM310 | Teachers and Mathematics: Creating An Effective Classroom |
| EST400 | Primary Technology Education: Creativity and Design |
| ETP400 | Assessment: Ways of Knowing Learners |
| ETP403 | University-To-Work Transition |
1 credit point from primary teaching specialisation (Unit 2)
Primary Teaching Specialisations
Select one of the following four primary specialisations:
| Primary Specialisation | Unit 1 | Unit 2 |
| Language | Completion of Diploma^ | ECL306Teaching and Learning Languages in Primary Contexts |
| Literacy | ALL153Literature for Children and Young Adults OR ALL230Adapting Children's Texts Across Media | ECL351Diversity, Language and Literacy |
| Mathematics | SIT106Fundamental Concepts of Mathematics OR SIT176Mathematical Reasoning and Investigation | ESM303Primary Mathematics Lesson Study |
| Science | SLE123Physics for the Life Sciences OR SLE103Ecology and the Environment OR SLE133Chemistry in Our World | EES300Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Education |
^ Deakin has four options for languages study: Arabic, Chinese, Indonesian, Spanish:
Concurrent enrolments in A221 Diploma of Arabic or A222 Diploma of Chinese, or A223 Diploma of Indonesian, or A224 Diploma of Spanish or equivalent with RPL given upon completion. Enrolment in one of A221, A222, A223 or A224 courses and one associated co-requisite unit are required for ECL306. The Diploma can be undertaken concurrently with another course and is of 3-years part time duration with eight credit points.
There are two options for each Diploma:
i) for students with no background in the language; or
ii) an advanced study for those with Year 12 level (or equivalent) in the language.
Work experience
Professional Experience Placement
Successful Applicants are required to hold a valid Working with Children Check (WWCC) prior to undertaking professional experience placements in education settings, as part of this course. For more information see: https://www.workingwithchildren.vic.gov.au/
Students will satisfactorily complete 115-days of professional experience placement in a wide range of education and care settings, as outlined below:
Year 1: 5-days in infant and toddler education and care settings
Year 2: 2 x 20-days (40-days in total) in kindergarten settings
Year 3: 20-days in infant and toddler education and care settings and 15-days in kindergarten or foundation (primary school) settings
Year 4: 35-days in primary school settings
The School of Education Professional Experience Office makes all arrangements for PST placements. The number of professional experience days align with requirements of external regulatory authorities (VIT and ACECQA).
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 placements.
International students are required to study full-time to complete their course within the duration registered on CRICOS.
Further information
Student Central can help you with course planning, choosing the right units and explaining course rules and requirements.
- Contact Student Central