Master of Teaching (Early Childhood)

2027 Deakin University Handbook

Year

2027 course information

Award granted Master of Teaching (Early Childhood)
Deakin course codeE761
Course credit points16
Course version2
Faculty

Faculty of Arts and Education

Course information

For students who commenced from 2020 to 2023

Campus

Offered to continuing students only.

Final intake

The final intake to this course was in teaching period 2, 2023.  Students should contact Student Central for course, course map and enrolment information.

Duration

2 years full-time or part time equivalent

CRICOS code088430F Burwood (Melbourne)

Course sub-headings

Professional recognition

This course is accredited with the Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) and recognised as an early childhood teaching qualification in Australia. Graduates are eligible to register with the Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT) as an early childhood teacher. Other states and territories may also require early childhood teachers to hold teacher registration or accreditation. Prospective students are strongly advised to check with teacher registration and accreditation authorities as to the requirement and eligibility to register and work as early childhood teachers in other states, territories or internationally with a Master of Teaching (Early Childhood) birth to five qualification.

Course learning outcomes

Course Learning Outcomes
Contribute to critical, professional debates about education theory; local, national and global trends; curriculum; Indigenous and intercultural perspectives; and legal, professional and ethical codes and standards, and critique and apply these understandings to inform their own practice.
Apply critical thinking, pedagogical knowledge and effective interpersonal, oral, written and multimodal communication skills to demonstrate empathy, foster learner agency, establish positive and inclusive learning-friendly environments, and build effective professional partnerships and trust with families/caregivers, teaching colleagues and other stakeholders.
Act in accordance with the ethical and legal frameworks and policy that inform responsible and ethical practice in digital environments, and critically discuss, evaluate and employ a range of appropriate digital literacies, resources and technologies for professional/community/learner engagement and agency.
Contribute to critical and professional debates about education trends, theory, policy and research and use these understandings to critically reflect on and evaluate own teaching practices and diverse learning data sets to make informed evidence-based judgements for enhancements and innovations to improve learner agency and outcomes.
Collaboratively and independently use evidence and research to identify, prioritise and creatively respond to problems that arise in professional learning and practice.
Engage autonomously and responsibly with critical self-reflection, self-assessment and feedback from others, to inform their own learning, plan for professional development and to balance academic demands with self-care /self-management.
Actively and collaboratively participate in, and/or lead learning communities, involving learners, families, community members, colleagues and the broader profession to deepen understandings of education and to optimise learning and learner well-being.
Engage in research, and with the legal and ethical obligations of the teaching profession, to develop informed positions on and approaches to educational transformation as applied to learner agency and citizenship; Indigenous and intercultural issues; global education trends and issues; and, social justice and sustainability.

Approved at Faculty Board 2019

Note – From 2026, Deakin commenced introducing Graduate Attributes (GAs), which define the distinctive characteristics of a Deakin graduate. You may notice some courses still refer to Graduate Learning Outcomes (GLOs) during this transition period.

Course rules

The Master of Teaching (Early Childhood) is typically 16 credit points.

The exact number of credit points you study depends on how much credit you receive as recognition of prior learning (RPL) – your professional experience and previous qualifications – which can save you time and money

To qualify for the award of Master of Teaching (Early Childhood), students must complete the following:

  • DAI001 Academic Integrity and Respect at Deakin (0-credit-point compulsory unit) in your first study period
  • 12 credit points of core units
  • 4 credit points in one of the following specialisations:
    • Early Childhood Education Inquiry
    • Research
    • International Baccalaureate Early Years (Primary Years Programme (PYP))

This course includes 70-days of supervised professional experience, and students must successfully complete the Deakin Teaching Performance Assessment. 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.

Most units are equal to one credit point. As a full-time student you will study four credit points per trimester and usually undertake two trimesters per year.

Students are required to meet the University's academic progress and conduct requirements.

Course structure

Core units

ECE703Integrative Curriculum Concepts in Play-Based Contexts: Language and Literacy

ECE705Integrative Curriculum Concepts in Play-Based Contexts: Mathematics and Science

ECE722Positioning Early Childhood Education and Care: the History and Philosophy [replaces ECE761]

ECE736Integrative Curriculum Concepts in Play-Based Contexts: Creative Arts [replaces ECE704]

EMS712Literacy, Numeracy and Multi-Tier Systems of Supports (MTSS) Across the Curriculum [replaces EEE754]

ECE704 Learning In and Through the Arts In Early Years [No longer availabe for enrolment, ECE736 replaces this unit from 2027]

ECE761 Early Childhood Pedagogy, Curricula and Contexts [No longer available for enrolment, ECE722 replaces this unit from 2027]

EEE754 Language, Literacies, and Learning [No longer available for enrolment, EMS712 replaces this unit from 2027]

EEE755 Numeracy, Social Justice and New Pedagogies [No longer available for enrolment]

EEE756 Health, Wellbeing and Inclusive Education [No longer available for enrolment]

Professional Experience Placement Units*

(*please note unit rules for order in which these must be completed)

EPR714Curriculum, Pedagogies and Practices for Infants and Toddlers

EPR781Orientation to the Teaching Profession [replaces EPR761]

EPR782Building Capacity in Professional Experience [replaces EPR712]

EPR786Transition to the Profession 1 [replaces EPR785]

EPR787Transition to the Profession 2 [replaces EPR785]

EPR785 Reflecting on Practice in Professional Experience (2 credit points) [No longer available for enrolment, EPR786 and EPR787 replace this unit]

Specialisations

Students complete the remaining four credit points from one of following specialisations

Early Childhood Education Inquiry

EDX701Research Design Development and Method

EIB702The Inquiring Child: the Role of Play in Children's Learning

EIB703Assessing and Documenting Learning in the Global Early Years Context

EDX707Independent Research Project for Professional Practice

Research

EDX701Research Design Development and Method

EDX712Theory and Methodology in Education Research

EDX703Research Paper A

EDX704Research Paper B

International Baccalaureate Early Years (Primary Years Programme (PYP))

EIB702The Inquiring Child: the Role of Play in Children's Learning

EIB703Assessing and Documenting Learning in the Global Early Years Context

EIB701 Inquiry Learning Through the International Baccalaureate (PYP) [No longer available for enrolment]

EIB704 Planning for Inquiry Learning: Professional Practice and Portfolio [No longer available for enrolment]

Internship*

EPR704 Internship [No longer available for enrolment]

* Internship specialisation only available to students who commenced prior to 2022

Fees and charges

Tuition fees will vary depending on the type of fee place you hold, your course, your commencement year, the units you choose to study, your study load and/or unit discipline.

Your tuition fees will increase annually at the start of each calendar year. All fees quoted are in Australian dollars ($AUD) and do not include additional costs such as textbooks, computer equipment or software, other equipment, mandatory checks, travel, consumables and other costs.

For further information regarding tuition fees, other fees and charges, invoice due dates, withdrawal dates, payment methods visit our Current students website.

Estimate your fees

Commonwealth Prac Payment - Domestic students only

The Australian Government has introduced the Commonwealth Prac Payment (CPP) to help eligible domestic students enrolled in a Commonwealth supported place studying teaching, nursing, midwifery, and social work cover the costs associated with mandatory placements. For more information on the eligibility criteria and application process please visit our Commonwealth Prac Payment (CPP) website.