Bachelor of Education (Early Years and Primary)

This is a first-year subject that is designed to introduce you to teaching The Arts to children. This umbrella subject includes all The Arts disciplines: Music, Dance, Drama, Visual Art, and Media. It introduces you to strategies to support children’s engagement with and learning through the arts. The subject introduces education students to the role of the performing arts in the holistic development of children and adults. You will learn the importance of creativity, curiosity, self-expression, and multi-modality in the learning process and how to effectively plan, facilitate and support this through the performing arts and deepen this critical reflection. You will come to appreciate the benefits of the performing arts as a way to explore personal, cultural and social worlds and as a vehicle for self-expression and communication, and its advantages in an anti-bias pedagogical approach to support diversity and inclusion. You will experience the arts as a possible space to explore the value of multiple perspectives and as a context for transformative education. You will learn how to engage children actively (EYLF) in learning by integrating these art forms into other discipline areas, such as literacy and numeracy.

You will engage with contemporary research to build your philosophical and pedagogical position on how the arts can both engage and supportlearners. The subject will require you, through handson art experiences, to question your own philosophical and pedagogical biases to deepen your understandings of the core themes: multiple perspectives, intentional & strategic teaching, social justice & equity and critical reflection. This subject requires you to investigate how children engage with and develop knowledge and skills through the arts.

This first-year subject provides you with an introduction to education through an investigation of the early years of education’s historical, philosophical, political and sociological bases and its intersections with broader curriculum theory and praxis. You will be introduced to different perspectives of education to understand how philosophies, theories and beliefs influence teachers’ decisions and practices in the classroom. You will explore diverse educational theories and examine contemporary perspectives and issues in early childhood and primary education in Australia and internationally.

You will reflect on yourselves as learners, as well as your own backgrounds and experiences of education and the impact of these on your own identities as teachers. You will develop broad understandings of the range of contemporary practices available to teachers across the early years continuum and develop and reflect on your own philosophies of education.

This first-year subject provides an exploration of curriculum theory and how curriculum development principles intersect with concepts of individual and group dynamics in learning to support equitable educational outcomes for children across diverse contexts. You will engage with broad principles of curriculum theory and explore the model of the curriculum cycle to investigate key aspects of observation, documentation, interpretation, planning, implementation and reflection in teaching and learning.

You will develop your teaching skills by undertaking, documenting and interpreting diverse observations of children and collecting relevant data to use to evaluate student learning and modify teaching practice. You will identify the ways that data is used to inform individual and group learning plans and support the planning and delivery of learning programs that maintain and build on learning outcomes. You will become skilled in drawing from diverse theoretical understandings of the child and their social contexts in order to consider the most effective and equitable ways to support children’s learning.

This pathway subject is designed to intentionally support students with the transition into higher education contexts and expectations, and learn about the underpinning principles of the BECE and BED programs at Melbourne Polytechnic. Students will engage with a range of historical and contemporary theories to explore how social, historical, cultural and political contexts inform understandings of learning and teaching. Students will learn to recognise and critique taken-for-granted assumptions about children, families, educators and early childhood education. Particular attention will paid to investigating the whole child, the importance of inclusive learning communities and drawing on multiple perspectives and social justice and equity frameworks. Through the exploration of these ideas, students will demonstrate how to apply their learning and broaden their abilities to synthesise and articulate their evolving understandings through written and oral communication.

This second-year subject explores theoretical and pedagogical approaches to teaching and learning of numeracy, maths, and technology (ICT) from birth to eight years. It critically examines the pedagogical approaches for how children build their mathematical foundations in numeracy from birth, and understanding of mathematical concepts and the underpinnings at different stages of the early years. This subject will provide opportunities to develop strategies that will support and develop children’s early mathematical concepts, processes, knowledge and problem solving skills.

You will gain knowledge about how children construct knowledge in numeracy, maths and technology through meaningful experiences in music, play, art, languages, manipulative and other hands-on learning activities. You will develop the skills to design a play-based environment that promotes holistic learning approaches to mathematics and technology. The content addresses the importance of the home learning environment and the engagement of families as part of the learning process.

This subject is designed to give you a deep understanding of the mathematics and numeracy needed for quality teaching and learning in primary school contexts. You'll explore theories of mathematics and effective numeracy teaching and learning practices, with an emphasis on number (numeration and computation) and algebra, and the thinking necessary to build meaningful approaches to these core mathematics strands. Real-world problem-solving and application of mathematics are emphasised in numeration and computation with whole numbers and fractions.

Topics in algebraic thinking are also examined, to ensure primary school children develop an informal knowledge of algebra concepts and processes for later years. You'll develop an understanding of the societal and cultural diversity that informs mathematics and numeracy teaching. Local, Indigenous and international educational research and policy are drawn upon to inform the development of professional knowledge and skills and dispositions.

This 3rd year elective subject investigates the contemporary pedagogical and content knowledge required for teaching science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in diverse classroom settings. Students will explore innovative strategies to integrate these disciplines, fostering a comprehensive and cohesive understanding of STEM education. Emphasis is placed on the significance of diversity, equity, and inclusion, particularly focusing on race and gender, and how these factors influence STEM attitudes, agendas and approaches. Students explore current research and theoretical frameworks of both STEM and digital learning, along with curriculum design and delivery, with a focus on the Technologies area of the Victorian Curriculum. Emphasis is placed on developing a range of digital skills and how they could be applied ethically and purposefully, including social media use, coding, animation, generative AI, audio and visual software, extended reality and 3D printing. By engaging with these technologies, students will be prepared to create dynamic and inclusive learning environments that cater to the needs of all learners. This subject examines the pedagogical and content knowledge necessary to adapt and integrate innovative teaching learning approaches, including project-based learning, problem-based learning, inquiry learning, and design challenge principles. These approaches will be tailored to suit a diverse range of teaching and learning contexts, ensuring that students feel well-prepared to implement them effectively in their future practice.

Learning in and Through the Arts is a third-year subject that builds your practical and theoretical knowledge of arts education and creative pedagogies for the primary classroom and Early Years settings (EYLF). Focusing on the Drama, Music, and Visual Arts strands of the Australian and Victorian Curricula, you will explore how these art forms can be integrated individually and across broader learning areas, including the Capabilities and Cross-Curricular Priorities. You will learn practical approaches to incorporate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives into arts education. You will investigate a range of resources, such as strategies, tools, digital technologies, and creative techniques, designed to enhance student participation and engagement in arts-based learning. You will link theory and classroom experience to develop a personal rationale for their arts pedagogy, emphasising the importance of ongoing professional learning in the arts.

This third-year subject continues to prepare you to support diverse learning requirements of all students in their future classroom contexts in inclusive and responsive ways. The subject will focus on the fundamental concepts underpinning inclusive education and educators’ obligations under national legislation, with emphasis on evidence-based universal strategies that support participation and learning across a range of abilities.

You will develop an understanding of the historical, philosophical and theoretical background of inclusion, as well as developing scholarly knowledge of current research and the implications for teaching practice for diverse learners in inclusive settings. Throughout this subject, you will engage with learning tasks to consider how beliefs, attitudes, values and theoretical understandings impact on practices related to making content, instructional strategies and assessment accessible to diverse learners in inclusive settings.

This third-year core subject is designed to engage you in contemporary research, theoretical frameworks and current educational trends for teaching and learning within the early primary English discipline, curriculum levels 1 and 2. The focus will be on developing specific knowledge and skills central to formal learning of reading and writing in lower primary, for example, the English coding system and phonics, text comprehension, text composition and genre understanding. It builds on a previous subject EDU106 Language, Literacy and Communication (Birth–8) that explores broad concepts of multiple literacies by embedding these within the primary setting, for example through critical literacy in text choice.

You will apply evidence-based research and theories for practical application through lesson and program design that specifically caters for Foundation to Year 2 primary schoolchildren. You will learn to use the planning cycle to assess, plan, implement, monitor and evaluate teaching and learning programs to ensure children make gains within the English learning area. Differentiation will be a fundamental component of planning that reflects responsiveness to data narratives. Themes of inclusion will pervade the subject and family involvement a key idea for exploration. If you successfully complete this core subject, you are eligible to undertake the advanced subjects of the primary specialisation stream.

This 4th year subject equips pre-service teachers (PSTs) with essential research skills and practical knowledge for professional inquiry in early childhood and primary education. Students will explore research paradigms, theoretical frameworks, and ethical considerations while identifying key educational issues. They will engage in the VIT Inquiry Project process, aligning their work with the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APSTs) and developing action plans informed by evidence-based practices.

This fourth-year subject is the final professional experience subject of the program, and is designed to support you as a transforming professional prior to your final primary school placement and Teacher Performance Assessment (TPA). This subject will critically examine the personal, social, cultural, political and professional contexts of the primary school teacher. This subject explores the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APST) at graduate level, as you backward map your learning from the first three years of study. You will investigate and build your awareness of relevant legislation, registration processes, professional behaviour and Codes of Ethics and Conduct, legal responsibilities and organisational structures that govern the practice of primary school teachers in Victoria including those that support student participation and learning of students with disability. You will examine and reflect on the role of the teacher as a leader, mentor and advocate for children, families and the profession. You will apply this knowledge in the workplace throughout the teaching practicum in primary school settings. Embedded in this subject is the TPA in which you must demonstrate that you meet a range Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APST) at graduate level.

This fourth-year subject will develop understandings of the humanities and social sciences learning areas in the Victorian Curriculum. This is a broad field of learning that provides scope for schools to organise curriculum in ways that include the disciplines in the humanities and social sciences, as well as learning encompassed in the general capabilities (through personal and social and intercultural learning) and the cross-curriculum priority areas (Sustainability, Engagement with Asia and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives).

You will explore how the humanities and social education can be taught in various ways in primary schools, including through specific subjects such as geography, history, economics and civics & citizenship, and/or through multidisciplinary units, utilising enquiry, philosophy and/or project-based approaches. You will also develop knowledge and understanding of various theories and pedagogies involved in teaching these learning areas. You will continue to develop and refine the skills of curricular analysis, planning and implementation in these learning areas.

This fourth year subject is the final early childhood professional experience subject and includes two placements; the five-day transition placement at the beginning of the kindergarten year and a three-week block later in the semester. This subject is designed to support you as transformational professionals prior to your ready-to-teach kindergarten placement. The focus of this subject is for you to explore the significance of embodying the professional in your learning and teaching. You will gain knowledge about kindergarten transitions and establishing relationships with children and families at the beginning of the teaching year.

In preparation for becoming graduate teachers, you will develop the requisite skills for employment and job applications. Additionally, there will be an opportunity to critically reflect on your own transition from pre-service teacher to graduate teacher and articulate how this is underpinned by the GTS. You will lead the teaching and learning in the placement setting and are required to take full responsibility for designing and delivering the curriculum for a full two-week period and to document all of your learning using Mahara ePortfolio.

This fourth-year advanced subject is part of the primary specialisation stream. It addresses research-based theories and models of literacy learning with particular reference to children with specific learning difficulties (SLD) and implications for literacy learning. You will examine issues of literacy learning difficulties, realise the centrality of early intervention and develop strategies and plans aimed at ongoing support for children who, for a variety of reasons, have not made expected progress. You will be introduced to the response to intervention model (RTI) to provide targeted, proactive and responsive teaching and learning programs guided by multiple points of formative, summative and/or diagnostic data.

Critical evaluation of contemporary literature on learning difficulties (and disabilities) will be undertaken, with an emphasis on the relationship between theory and teaching practice. Additionally, there will be a focus on undertaking professional communication with a range of relevant stakeholders, for example working with families and carers, educational psychologists, speech pathologists, support workers. This subject is designed to provide you with the information and skills necessary to guide instruction within the literacy classroom. It complements and extends upon core literacy subject content.

This fourth-year core subject is an extension of EDU305 English in the Early Years (Foundation–Year 2). It is designed to engage you in contemporary research, theoretical frameworks and current educational trends for teaching and learning within upper primary, curriculum levels 3 and 4 of the English discipline. You will continue to develop specific knowledge and skills central to formal learning of reading and writing as children progress in their literacy development. You will resume use of the planning cycle to assess, plan, implement, monitor and evaluate teaching and learning programs, and begin to recognise and cater for students who may require additional support to make gains in their learning.

Differentiation will feature throughout planning. However, emphasis will be on developing more specialised knowledge for specific learning profiles, including dyslexia and dysgraphia, and utilising a response to intervention model for specific case studies. Themes of inclusion will continue to pervade the subject with community partnerships a key idea for exploration. If you complete this core subject, you are eligible to undertake advanced subjects of the primary specialisation stream. You will be expected to demonstrate competency in your own English language and proficiency in academic literacy skills relevant for teaching children.

This fourth-year subject explores the key ideas and practices surrounding science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) within primary education. It aims to introduce you to relevant digital technologies and associated pedagogies that align with contemporary STEM education. It further aims to develop sufficient knowledge and theoretical frameworks about core STEM ideas and practices along with the critical thinking skills to enable you to develop an interest in continuing STEM education.

This subject fosters a recognition of the commonalities that these four disciplines share and examines the various ways that STEM has been framed, defined and conceptualised by various stakeholders. It investigates the history of science from the Renaissance and Enlightenment through to the present and extending into the future, referencing reflexive social and cultural change. This will provide you with sufficiently broad contextual knowledge with which to understand the nature of and need for continual educational innovation and the value of teaching 21st-century skills in the classroom. Project-based learning, enquiry learning and design challenges are explored and positioned as the key STEM pedagogical models which you will use to assist children to meet the opportunities and challenges of this unprecedented technological era.

The subject will examine contemporary research and theoretical frameworks of STEM learning as they relate to curriculum design and delivery, with particular reference given to the technologies element of the Victorian Curriculum. This subject has an emphasis on skill development in digital technologies so that you will become aware of the key principles and become comfortable in the use of block coding, robotics, electronics, digital video, audio software, animation, virtual and augmented reality, and 3D printing. Through critical reflection on your own experiences with STEM and the course, you will analyse and evaluate the impact of your developing pedagogy. You will ultimately develop the essential skills and knowledge required to develop your own transdisciplinary, highly engaging STEM units.

This unit is designed to further develop and deepen your pedagogical and curriculum knowledge for teaching primary school mathematics. The unit will focus on the underlying principles and concepts that enable teachers to critically evaluate data and teaching strategies in planning, implementing, monitoring and assessing mathematics learning experiences for formative and summative purposes at the whole-class and individual levels. A response to intervention framework will be explore to identify and support maths/numeracy difficulties and students requiring extension (gifted and talented). Assessment practices are considered, particularly in respect to identifying your current mathematical understanding and its usefulness in informing teaching and learning opportunities and identifying mathematics learning difficulties such as dyscalculia.

Building on knowledge of numeracy and pedagogies in mathematics, you will extend and deepen your knowledge of mathematics curriculum and the application of authentic and open-ended numeracy investigations that connect mathematics across the curriculum and in the wider community. An emphasis will be placed on teaching and learning statistics and probability, and the role of using and managing resources, including digital technologies, that engage students in the learning of mathematics (link to STEM and digital literacies).