Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood), Bachelor of Special Education

Admission requirements

The minimum requirements for consideration for entry to all undergraduate courses are specified in detail in the University Entry Requirements.

Applicants must complete a non-academic capabilities assessment task that is based on the Australian Institute for Teaching and school Leadership Initial Teacher Education standards.

Course aims

The course aims to produce graduates who:

have in-depth knowledge of how children learn and develop, particularly from birth to age eight;
have in-depth knowledge of effective teaching practices for children with disabilities, learning and behavioural difficulties;
demonstrate the capacity to design inclusive and intellectually challenging curriculum for diverse learners, and particularly for children from birth to age eight;
demonstrate the capacity to form and sustain effective relationships with children, families, colleagues, and community members;
apply their knowledge and skills in a range of educational and community-based settings with diverse individuals, their families and support persons;
apply critical reflection and deep theoretical knowledge to inform their professional practice;
actively promote and support policies and practices that take account of social and individual differences and ensure that all children learn and develop; and
undertake ongoing professional learning through a variety of pathways.

Learning outcomes

On completion of the degree program graduates will:

Demonstrate Understanding that:

the fields of Early Childhood Education and Special Education are evolving disciplines based on philosophies, evidence-based principles and theories, relevant laws and policies, diverse and historical points of view, and human issues that influence the education and treatment of individuals with diverse needs both in education settings and society;
inclusive educational practices promote access to, participation in and achievement in relation to quality curriculum for all students;
the educational elements of curriculum, instruction, assessment, learning, engagement and behaviour are interdependent;
the special educator’s selection, adaptation, and creation of materials and teaching strategies is guided by an understanding of the implications of an individual’s unique characteristics and of the relationships of Special Education to the organisations and functions of schools, school systems, community and other agencies; and
their identities and work as professional educators in multi-service environments are influenced by history, culture and politics.

Demonstrate Knowledge of:

similarities and differences between and among individuals with and without disabilities;
processes and contexts of learning;
legal and ethical professional practice standards and relevant policies;
principles of measurement and assessment related to referral, eligibility, program planning, teaching, and placement for individuals with special learning needs, including those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds;
a range of effective, evidence-based instructional strategies to enhance the learning of critical thinking, problem solving, and performance skills of individuals, and to increase self-awareness, self-management, self-control, self-reliance, and self-esteem; and
the potential impact of disability across the lifespan.

Demonstrate that they are able to:

actively shape learning environments that foster cultural understanding, safety and emotional wellbeing, positive social interaction, and active engagement and that encourage the independence, self-determination and self-advocacy of individuals with diverse learning needs;
apply a range of technologies and pedagogical approaches to enhance, sustain and extend children’s learning and development from birth to age eight, with an emphasis on generalization of knowledge and skills across settings;
relate to children as competent and active social participants within the contexts of their diverse families and their local and global environments;
design and implement positive behavioural support plans;
recommend and implement adaptations to classroom, school, home and community environments that promote inclusive practice;
apply research and evaluation skills relevant to Early Childhood Education and Special Education;
work collaboratively with young people, families and professionals in planning and decision-making;
work collaboratively as members of transdisciplinary teams to ensure that all children have opportunities to access and participate in high quality and inclusive early childhood services;
enhance the connections between early childhood programs and other services that support the learning and wellbeing of children and communities; and
lead, negotiate and advocate for change through policy activism in partnership with families.

Exhibit professional attributes including:

the capacity to reflect critically on different theories and practices, on their own practice, and on their lives, in order to strive for excellence, creativity and continuous improvement in their professional roles as educators;
knowledge of their own limits and willingness to practise within those limits;
sensitivity to the many aspects of diversity of individuals with disabilities and their families;
willingness to promote and advocate for the learning and wellbeing of individuals with diverse learning needs across a wide range of settings;
a willingness to foster connections between early childhood programs and other services that support the learning and wellbeing of children and communities;
the capacity to develop sustained relationships based on trust, respect, integrity, and reciprocity in order to achieve high quality, equitable outcomes for individuals, their families and the wider community; and
a commitment to the scholarship of teaching and learning through a continuous process of reflective inquiry.

Credit

Limited credit may be granted for recognition of prior studies undertaken at the University or other approved tertiary institutions. Further information is available on the credit transfer page.

Program of study

To qualify for the Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood), Bachelor of Special Education) a student must:

complete 144 units with a grade of P or NGP or better in each topic, consisting of 72 units in the Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood) component and 72 units in the Bachelor of Special Education component, according to the program of study below;
Select either the Mathematics or English options; and
meet the required benchmark in the Literacy and Numeracy Test for Initial Teacher Education Students (LANTITE) prior to commencing the professional experience topics. Students must normally meet the benchmark within two attempts. Further attempts may be recommended by the Dean (Education) under exceptional circumstances.

A student whose Grade Point Average (GPA) falls below 5.00 after attempting the first 72 units of study (excluding topics for which a Withdraw, Not Fail (WN) has been recorded) will normally be required to enter into a counselling process with the College to demonstrate their capacity to achieve the range of attributes and motivations that have been determined by the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) as being common to effective teachers. As part of this process students who are unable to satisfactorily demonstrate their capacity to achieve the range of attributes and motivations before graduation will be supported through a range of options appropriate to their circumstances.

The Bachelor of Education, Bachelor of Special Education degree must include:

27 units of Education topics at First Year level
27 units of Education topics at Second Year level
22.5 units of Education topics at Third Year level including Professional Experience
36 units of Education topics at Fourth Year level including Professional Experience
31.5 units of prescribed Disability topics

Except with the permission of the Dean (Education):

no compulsory topic may be taken more than twice
teaching professional experience topics may not be attempted more than once
students must complete the Literacy and Numeracy Test for Initial Teacher Education Students (LANTITE) prior to commencing the professional experience topics.

Students should note that Professional Experience topics require full-time commitment for their duration.

Core - Year 1 topics

31.5 units comprising:

EDUC1120 Teaching and Educational Contexts (4.5 units)
DSRS1215 Communication and Language (4.5 units)
EDUC1221 Play, Learning and Development (4.5 units)
EDUC1224 Foundations of Special Education (4.5 units)
EDUC1225 Professional Experience: Year 1 (Early Childhood) (0 units)
EDUC1228 Students with Learning and Behavioural Difficulties (4.5 units)
EDUC1231 Number and Algebra in Inclusive Classrooms (4.5 units)
EDUC1230 Language Development (4.5 units)

Option - Year 1 topics - English

4.5 units comprising:

EDUC2421 Literacy and Numeracy, Birth - 4 (4.5 units)

Option - Year 1 topics - Mathematics

4.5 units comprising:

NMCY1001 Academic and Professional Numeracy (4.5 units)

Core - Year 2 topics

27 units comprising:

DSRS2231 Augmentative and Alternative Communication (4.5 units)
EDUC2323 Students with Numeracy Difficulties (4.5 units)
EDUC2423 Students with Literacy Difficulties (4.5 units)
EDUC3522 Pedagogies of Belonging (4.5 units)
DSRS2234 Direct Instruction (4.5 units)
EDUC2321 The Expressive Arts in Early Childhood (4.5 units)
EDUC2324 Professional Experience: Year 2A (Early Childhood) (0 units)
EDUC2424 Professional Experience: Year 2B (Early Childhood) (0 units)

Option - Year 2 topics - English

9 units comprising:

EDUC2201 Children’s Literature, the EYLF and the Australian Curriculum (4.5 units)
EDUC2420 Teaching Indigenous Australian Students (4.5 units)

Option - Year 2 topics - Mathematics

9 units comprising:

EDUC2421 Literacy and Numeracy (Birth-4) (4.5 units)
EDUC2202 Measurement and Geometry in Inclusive Classrooms (4.5 units)

Core - Year 3 topics

36 units comprising:

DSRS3221 Positive Behaviour Support (4.5 units)
EDUC3528 Professional Experience: Year 3A (Early Childhood) (0 units)
EDUC3618 Numeracy and Multiliteracies in Design and Technology (4.5 units)
EDUC3622 Thinking and Working Mathematically (4.5 units)
EDUC3623 Health and Physical Education in Early Childhood (4.5 units)
EDUC3640 Professional Experience: Year 3B (Early Childhood) (4.5 units)
EDUC4721 Differentiation for Diverse Learners (Primary) (4.5 units)
EDUC4722 Critical Pedagogies for a Changing World (4.5 units)
EDUC4724 Thinking and Working Scientifically in the Early Years (4.5 units)

Core - Year 4 topics

31.5 units comprising

DSRS4111 Introduction to Intellectual Disability (4.5 units)
DSRS4109 Autism Spectrum Disorder Across the Lifespan (4.5 units)
EDUC4723 Investigating Early Years Curriculum and Pedagogy (4.5 units)
EDUC4731 Assessment and Programming in Special Education (4.5 units)
EDUC4732 Functional Curriculum Design for Students with Disabilities (4.5 units)
EDUC4740 Professional Experience: Final Assessment (Early Childhood) (4.5 units)
EDUC4820 The Professional Educator (4.5 units)