module specification

This module aims to enable students to:
- Develop an in-depth knowledge of current policy, themes ad issues relating to children, childhood, and early years education.
- Critically examine the ways current policy, themes and issues relating to early years are shaped/impacted by the global, economic, cultural, and political contexts.
- Consider the impact of current policy, issues, and themes on young children’s’ lives.
- Explore contemporary issues [local and national] which directly impact on practice within early years education.

Some of the key areas include:
- Theories relating to social construction of children and childhood.
- Historical and current debates on the role of early years education.
- Critical evaluation of the implications on practice of current policy, issues, and themes.
- Debates and controversies around children, childhood, and early years education.
- Philosophical and theoretical perspectives such as feminism, post modernism, lived global childhoods and majority world perspectives. LO1,LO2,LO3,LO4

Theoretical input will be through seminars/workshops and online materials and exercises.  Students will also benefit from a blended learning approach through the use of weblearn for supplementary materials, links to ebooks, online discussions and exercises such as reflective tasks.

Reflection and discussion are key to teaching for students and will be in the context of tutor-led sessions and exercises incorporated into web based materials.  Teaching and learning strategies and methods also focus on workplace skills and professionalism.

1. Demonstrate in-depth knowledge of current policy, themes and issues relating to early years.
2. A critical awareness of the ways current policy, themes and issues relating to early years are shaped/impacted by the global, economic, cultural, and political contexts.
3. Consider the impact of current policy, issues, and themes on young children’s’ lives.
4. Critically evaluate how contemporary issues [local and national] directly impact on practice within early years education.

Students will demonstrate that they have met the learning outcomes through the submission of a blog/vlog in which students critically comment on a range of contemporary policy, issues, and themes and consider the impact of these on children’s lives and early years education.  Students will be provided with detailed guidance of format, length, and requirements.

A 4,000 word reflective essay in which students analyse how policies impact on the lives of children within the early years.

Albon, D. (2010). ‘Post-Modern and Post-Structuralist Perspectives on Early Childhood Education’. In L. Miller and L. Pound (Eds), Theories and Approaches to Learning in the Early Years (pp. 38-52). London: Sage.

BLUNDELL, D. (2016). Rethinking children's spaces and places. London: Bloomsbury

Dahlberg, G. and Moss, P. (2005). Ethics and politics in early childhood education. London: RoutledgeFalmer.

House, R. (2011). Too Much Too Soon: The Erosion of Childhood. Gloucestershire: Hawthorn House

Kingden, Z. (2014). Early Years Policy: Implications for Practice. Oxon: Routledge

McDowell-Clark, R. (2016). Exploring the Contexts for Early Learning: Challenging the school readiness agenda (TACTYC). Oxon: Routledge

Miller, L. and Hevey D. (2012) Policy Issues in the Early Years (Critical Issues in the Early Years). London: Sage

Osgood, J. (2012). Narratives From The Nursery: Negotiating Professional Identities in Early Childhood. London: Routledge.

Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, Sage Journals

http://tactyc.org.uk/

https://www.gov.uk/government/policies/childcare-and-early-education