Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood Education
Module Description
This module engages participants in a deep dive into contemporary issues affecting the field of Early Childhood Education (ECE) from local to global contexts. It emphasizes understanding and addressing current challenges and changes within the educational landscape.
Scope of Contemporary Issues: The term ‘contemporary’ covers current and ongoing aspects of education, including policy shifts, case studies, and events influencing ECE. Topics discussed may range from inclusivity and diversity initiatives to political and sociocultural developments affecting education. This will include considerations of gender, socioeconomic status, human rights, children’s rights, curricular developments, and peace education.
Critical Discussions and Debates: Participants will explore major challenges faced by the education sector, particularly ECE, across various dimensions—international, European, and local. The module will facilitate discussions on access to education, defining quality education, and tailoring educational approaches to fit diverse socioeconomic realities.
Community of Practice: By the end of this module, participants are expected to contribute to a community of practice, understanding the roots of contemporary issues and collaboratively exploring solutions. The aim is to harness change as a proactive tool in reshaping and improving ECE settings and policies.
Entry Requirements
Candidates who apply for this course will possess:
- A full qualification at MQF level 4 in Early Childhood Education and SEC/Ordinary Level passes in Mathematics, English.
OR
- 2 Advanced Level passes and 2 Intermediate Level passes including 2 subjects from Mathematics, English.
- A pass at SEC/Ordinary Level in the subject that is not presented at advanced/intermediate level from the specified above.
*Students whose first language is not English and do not possess an ‘O’ level pass in English Language will be required to demonstrate English language capability at IELTS level 6.0 or equivalent.
Target Audience
This programme has the following target groups:
- Individuals who are approaching the field of Early Childhood Education.
- Individuals who have been working in the field as a means of capacity building.
- Individuals looking to advance to Kindergarten Educator III role.
Career Paths
This programme aims to equip the target audience with the knowledge, skills and competences listed in this application.
The possible posts that this course prepares as a foundation for to become a Kindergarten Educator III.
How you’ll be assessed
Assessment is carried out via two mandatory components:
- Assessment 1
- Assessment 2
The programme includes different forms of assessment which allow for and promote students’ critical engagement. The formative and summative assessment tasks may include an in-class assignment and/or a home-based written assignment using diverse assessment tools which may take the form of online and in-class discussions, examinations, case studies, reports, proposals, essays, and presentations, etc., as applicable to the diverse modules.
Module Intake Dates
TBC 2025
Learning Outcomes
Competences:
At the end of the module/unit the learner will have acquired the responsibility and autonomy to:
- Enable an understanding of global and local issues in education and the ECE field.
- Assess the roots and potential solutions for these global and local issues in light of personal experiences.
- Assess their role as course participants as well as current or future ECE practitioners to instil a sense of initiative towards addressing these issues.
- Review policy texts and legislation documents pertaining to one specific contemporary issue in ECE.
- Carry out tasks, literature searches, and desk research about one specific contemporary issue with the help of applications, software, online tools, etc.
- Produce various arguments to debate, together with other course participants, with regards to a specific contemporary issue in ECE.
Knowledge:
By the end of this module/unit, the learner will be able to:
- Be familiar with a number of contemporary issues in ECE.
- Consolidate knowledge of how contemporary issues in ECE are related on the global and the local level.
- Know the relevant policies which are addressing these contemporary issues in ECE.
- Learn about key proponents and theorists which may be foundations for debates and assignments related to one specific contemporary issue in ECE.
- Understand the roots of one specific contemporary issue in ECE and learn about potential ways to address it in a timely manner.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the strengths and challenges of this one specific contemporary issue in ECE.
- Learn about current and future innovations and policy reforms which are, or will, address this one specific contemporary issue in ECE.
- Demonstrate a robust understanding of the roots and potential solutions for one specific contemporary issue in ECE.
- Be familiar with certain strategy documents, such as the Key Competences for Lifelong Learning and the Sustainable Development Goals, in the context of contemporary issues in ECE.
- Understand how available resources (e.g., online libraries, online repositories, etc) may support research about contemporary issues in ECE.
Skills:
At the end of the module/unit the learner will have acquired the following skills:
- Make use of effective approaches and strategies as ECE practitioners to address one specific contemporary issue.
- Analyse various developments in the roots and evolution of one contemporary issue in ECE.
- Investigate how a contemporary issue in ECE changes depending on the country where it is being discussed.
- Examine various strategy documents, such as the Key Competences for Lifelong Learning and the Sustainable Development Goals, in light of the contemporary issues in ECE and the role of the practitioner.
Module-Specific Learner Skills:
At the end of the module/unit the learner will be able to:
- Assess how globalisation impacts contemporary issues in ECE.
- Establish an approach based on human rights and children’s rights when discussing contemporary issues in ECE.
- Use various sources of information (academic literature as well as pop culture resources) to discuss contemporary issues in ECE.
Module-Specific Digital Skills and Competences:
At the end of the module/unit, the learner will be able to:
- Carry out academic research on websites (e.g. Google Scholar) or journals (e.g. EBSCO, Taylor & Francis, SAGE, etc).
- Navigate the internet for policy documents, legislation, etc., related to a contemporary issue in ECE from a global, European, and local perspective.
- Navigate through the online learning platform to download and upload assignments, discussion boards, literature, tutorials, etc.
- Use basic Microsoft office (or equivalent) applications in order to write and submit assignments.