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Current Requirements for Tertiary Qualifications in Early Childhood Education: Implications for Policy

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Current Requirements for Tertiary Qualifications in Early Childhood Education: Implications for Policy FINAL REPORT Current Requirements for Tertiary Qualifications in Early Childhood Education: Implications for Policy Glenn Rowley1, Julie Kos1, Bridie Raban1 2 3 4 Marilyn Fleer , Joy Cullen and Alison Elliott 1 Australian Council for Educational Research 2 Monash University 3 Educational Consultant 4 University of Sydney Prepared for the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations October, 2011 1 GLOSSARY ABS Australian Bureau of Statistics ACECQA Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority ACER Australian Council for Educational Research CALD Culturally and Linguistically Diverse COAG Council of Australian Governments DEEWR Department of Education, Employment and Work Relations EC Early Childhood ECA Early Childhood Australia ECE Early Childhood Education ECEC Early Childhood Education and Care EPPE Effective Provision of Preschool Education EYLF Early Years Learning Framework ICT Information and Communication Technologies NICHD National Institute of Child Health and Human Development NQF National Quality Framework NQS National Quality Standard OECECC Office of Early Childhood Education and Child Care UA Universal Access UN United Nations 2 Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................................................................................ 1 INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................................................... 3 Background to the project .......................................................................................................................... 3 Early Childhood Education and Care Workforce ...................................................................................... 5 Council of Australian Governments’ Agenda for Early Childhood .......................................................... 5 Early Years Learning Framework ............................................................................................................. 7 Commissioning of the work ....................................................................................................................... 8 METHODOLOGY ..................................................................................................................................................... 9 Introduction to the analyses ....................................................................................................................... 9 How the analyses were undertaken .......................................................................................................... 10 FINDINGS: ............................................................................................................................................................... 12 Roles and functions of available courses ................................................................................................. 12 Three-year degrees – birth to 5 years ........................................................................................ 13 Four-year degrees ...................................................................................................................... 13 Initial training: Graduate programs ........................................................................................... 15 Upgrade and transfer courses..................................................................................................... 15 Course objectives ..................................................................................................................................... 17 Course content ......................................................................................................................................... 18 Content universally available .................................................................................................... 18 Content that may or may not be taught ...................................................................................... 21 Content rarely or never taught ................................................................................................... 22 Alignment with the Early Years Learning Framework ............................................................. 23 Practicum requirements ........................................................................................................................... 23 ISSUES AND POLICY IMPLICATIONS ............................................................................................................. 24 Issue 1: Lack of clarity about course purpose.......................................................................................... 24 Policy implications .................................................................................................................... 26 Issue 2: Maintaining sufficient Early Childhood content in Early Childhood courses ........................... 27 Policy implications .................................................................................................................... 30 Issue 3: Providing appropriate and sufficient professional experience in Early Childhood settings ...... 31 Policy implications .................................................................................................................... 33 Issue 4: The availability of qualified academic staff in Early Childhood Education. ............................. 33 Policy implications .................................................................................................................... 34 Further Research ...................................................................................................................................... 34 References ................................................................................................................................................ 37 APPENDIX A: COURSE DETAILS (2010) ........................................................................................................... 40 1 Executive Summary The Office of Early Childhood Education and Child Care (OECECC) within the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) commissioned the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) to map and analyse currently available Early Childhood education and care (ECEC) tertiary courses across Australia. ACER is undertaking this project in partnership with Monash University. This report considers issues raised by the project and sets out four key issues raised by this work, detailing the possible policy implications that could flow from the findings, in addition to potential further research implications. Issue 1: While there is diversity in the age span for which Early Childhood educators are prepared, there is lack of clarity between course focus and outcome registration potential. This is not fully addressed by course descriptions available to prospective students. Policy Implications 1. The age range on which a course is focused and the age range a graduate is qualified to teach, need to be clearly stated in documentation. 2. Agreement needs to be sought on guidelines for course/unit/subject descriptions in university handbooks that achieve greater transparency with respect to content, modes of delivery, assessment requirements, pre-requisites as well as expectations for practical experience throughout the course (see Issue 3). 3. Some standardisation of course titles would be desirable. Issue 2: The requirement for all courses to provide essential and sufficient Early Childhood Education and Care content irrespective of length of program. Policy Implications 4. Consultation needs to occur within the profession to identify the core content that should be included in all courses that prepare students to become Early Childhood educators, even when the graduates qualify to teach in Primary schools as well. 5. A set of knowledge and skills essential to the Early Childhood sector need to be included in all Early childhood courses. 6. Work needs to be undertaken to identify the professional learning needs of experienced Early Childhood educators, and developing courses (including upgrade and transfer courses) to meet those needs. 7. Tertiary institutions need to be encouraged to offer upgrade and transfer course descriptions that make clear links between the course content and the kind of professional learning that the course seeks to achieve. 8. Employers need to work with university course providers in order to inform course development and content. 1 Issue 3: The need to ensure that there is adequate and appropriate provision of professional experience in Early Childhood settings during the variety of training courses. Policy Implications 9. Resources need to be directed at supporting course providers and providing incentives to employing bodies, to ensure that sufficient and appropriate places are available for Early Childhood practicum placements. 10. In combined Early Childhood/Primary courses, the amount and nature of the professional experience provided in Early Childhood settings needs to be carefully monitored to ensure that an appropriate balance is achieved. 11. Documentation about the provision and assessment of professional experience needs to be more complete and transparent. 12. Adequate supervision of student teachers needs to be established, along with strong partnerships with professional experience providers. Issue 4: The availability
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