Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood)

The Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood) provides existing and potential early childhood professionals with higher levels of knowledge and skills to facilitate the provision of educationally sound programs for young children.

The Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood) course qualifies graduates to teach children from birth to age 8 and the qualification you gain upon graduation is recognised as suitable to teach in early childhood contexts (including Early Childhood Centres and Kindergartens) in all Australian states and territories.In addition, the course will provide leaders in early childhood with competencies in teaching and leadership positions.This degree program is available internally at Launceston and Cradle Coast campuses and externally/fully on-line from anywhere in the world, full-time or part-time.Who should undertake this program?Child care and educational professionals who would be considering their future as senior staff or directors of child servicesChild care and educational professionals who wish to enhance their knowledge, skills and understandings and obtain a higher qualification directly relevant to their workSchool leavers and others who wish pursue a career in the field of early childhoodThis degree program is designed and enacted in collaboration with relevant stakeholders and appropriate employing authorities.

At the core of the degree program is the student who is educated to bring to their work:The capacity to work effectively in highly diverse contexts;

andThe capacity to be resilient professionals and lifelong learners.For teachers, strong personal literacy and numeracy skills form an essential part of the attributes and skills needed to be effective in the classroom.

They are also necessary to foster the development of these critical, fundamental skills in students, providing the building blocks for future learning.From 1 July 2016, all initial teacher education students will need to demonstrate that they have personal literacy and numeracy skills equivalent to the top 30 per cent of the adult population through meeting the benchmark set by the national literacy and numeracy test for initial teacher education students (the test) prior to graduation.

The test has been determined, under the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership Accreditation of Initial Teacher Education Programs in Australia:

Standards and Procedures, to be the means by which a student's personal literacy and numeracy skills are to be assessed..While some higher education providers will require students to undertake the test during their course, other higher education providers may require successful completion of the test as a pre-requisite entry requirement.

The Faculty of Education at the University of Tasmania requires students to meet the benchmark of the test prior to undertaking their final Professional Experience placement.

This Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood) consists of a total of 32 units comprising:

• 8 units at Introductory level
• 6 units at Intermediate level
• 18 units at Advanced level
• Unit level requirements for the degree are: between 8-10 units at introductory level, 6-10 units at intermediate level and 14-18 units at advanced level.

Interested in studying the Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood), you will need to meet the following requirements:

Normal minimum University entrance requirements will apply and you are required to have an ATAR score of 65 or higher.

You will also need to undertake the Non-Academic Capability Assessment Tool (NACAT) to complete your application.

You will need to meet the minimum University entrance requirements through alternative qualifications or experience. For the Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood), the minimum qualification is a Certificate IV.

You will also need to undertake the Non-Academic Capability Assessment Tool (NACAT) to complete your application.

More information about entrance requirements can be find on the Admissions webpage.

You will need to meet the International General Entrance Requirements.

For those applicants who are nationals of and currently residing in a country where English is NOT the official language, evidence of an IELTS or TOEFL test must be provided. The Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood) requires an (IELTS) average of 7.5 with no band lower than 7.0, and Listening and Speaking at 8.0.

More information is available at the international future student'swebsite.

All applicants are required to provide a non-academic personal statement which is used to assist in the selection of students into all Initial Teacher Education (ITE) courses at the University of Tasmania.

This statement is submitted through the Non-Academic Capability Assessment Tool (NACAT) [http://www.utas.edu.au/education/student-resources/non-academic-capability] after you have completed your application and is used in conjunction with your ATAR score (or equivalent alternative entry.) All applicants must satisfactorily complete the NACAT before they will be provided with an offer into the course.

Instructions on submitting your statement and completing the NACAT are provided during the application process.

*From 2017, all Initial Teacher Education (ITE) courses in Australia will be required to select entrants on basis of both cognitive and non-cognitive skills and abilities.

Prior to undertaking their final Professional Experience placement, Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood) students are required to complete the Literacy and Numeracy Test for Initial Teaching Education (LANTITE).

Additional information and updates are available on our LANTITE update page.

Course Learning Outcomes

1. Exhibit the ethical, active and responsible professional practice which is central to Education as a discipline by:

• Demonstrating the necessary attitudes, dispositions and professional values to meet the needs of children, families and the education profession, including a commitment to care, social justice, indigenous reconciliation, inclusion, student engagement and achievement;
• Demonstrating that they know education theory and practice from a global perspective, with a commitment to celebrating cultural diversity and promoting education for a sustainable future.

2. Exhibit depth and breadth of educational knowledge by:

• Demonstrating pedagogical content knowledge across the range of disciplinary and cross-disciplinary curriculum areas and professional studies units;
• Following specialised core early childhood units and a teacher as reflective practitioner action research pathway, in their final year of study.

3. Demonstrate a critical understanding of Education by:

• Creating, planning, and justifying high quality learning experiences supported by well-developed pedagogical reasoning;
• Reflecting on and evaluating learning and teaching approaches and, and explaining why current educational knowledge is contestable and open to research and further enquiry;
• Articulating the transformative purpose and potential of education in society.

4. Apply their knowledge and teaching skills by:

• Incorporating insights from theory and research evidence into their developing teaching practice;
• Demonstrating graduate level proficiency in teaching settings – notably in teaching literacy and numeracy - and attaining the graduate professional standards relevant to Education.

5. Communicate effectively by:

• Demonstrating language and literacy across a broad range of communication modes and technologies in educational contexts;
• Demonstrating teacher education information literacy capabilities to identify, critically engage with, and communicate ideas in a structured, cohesive, and ethical manner;
• Engaging with a range of professional stakeholders;
• Collaborating and empowering families and communities.

6. Apply teacher education information literacy [TEIL] capabilities by:

• Identifying, critically engaging with, and communicating ideas in a structured, cohesive, and ethical manner.

7. Show their commitment to professional learning by:

• Being independent, open-minded, and critically reflective learners;
• Working responsibly in individual and collaborative contexts;
• Seeking out - and learning from - constructive feedback;
• Recognising the benefits of ongoing professional learning and refinement of their teaching practice.