| CODE | EPE5024 | ||||||||||||
| TITLE | Contemporary and Critical Issues in Early Childhood Education and Care | ||||||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 05 - Postgraduate Modular Diploma or Degree Course | ||||||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 7 | ||||||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 5 | ||||||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Early Childhood and Primary Education | ||||||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit seeks to engage students in critical debates and considerations concerning crucial issues exploring their implications for policy, practice and research. It offers students the opportunity to engage deeply with current debates and emerging challenges which impact quality early years opportunities and experiences. Such experiences are vital because of their impact and short and long-term implications on children鈥檚 well-being, development and achievements. Several issues become of critical concern especially where policies and praxis fail to take a holistic approach to the provision. The study-unit situates issues within a global and local context, emphasising the interplay between socio-political, economic, cultural and ethical dilemmas. This study-unit also highlights the transdisciplinary approach which is paramount to successful articulation and implementation of sound policies which can deliver quality learning experiences for diverse children and families. High-quality effective early years provision has a significant impact on children鈥檚 social, emotional and cognitive development. Quality early years can contribute to giving children a positive start in life. It lays the foundations for later success in life in terms of education, well-being, employability and social integration (European Education Area)1. Early childhood education has the potential to narrow gaps between children from higher socio-economic backgrounds and others coming from disadvantaged settings (UNICEF, 2012). Such provision has also been associated with opportunities to strengthen children鈥檚 resilience and contributes to social cohesion. Target 4.2 of the Sustainable Development Goal 4 proposes that by 2030, all boys and girls will have equal access to quality early childhood development and care and pre-primary education. Despite these benefits, the realities arising from social inequalities, disabilities, conflict, migration, governments鈥� priorities, policies and strategic direction, lead to challenges for families trying to access affordable early years services. Through carefully selected publications, including commissioned reports, country overviews, policy documents and research studies, critical issues which face the early years sector are presented and debated, providing students with an in-depth understanding and concerns about the difficulties impacting quality provision in early years services. (1) https://education.ec.europa.eu/education-levels/early-childhood-education-and-care/about-early-childhood-education-and-care Study-Unit Aims: This study-unit seeks to raise participants鈥� awareness and sensitise them to the complexities inherent in creating effective policies in early years which purport to offer quality experiences but which fail to address the needs of all children and families, irrespective of their background. Such situations arise in the absence of an acknowledgment of the historical and contemporary changes in definitions about children, childhoods and societies and expectations concerning the professionalisation of staff employed in the sector. Thus, the study-unit aims to help students develop an understanding of contemporary and critical issues in ECEC, while fostering critical thinking and reflective practice. It also aims to equip students with skills to address challenges in the field while learning to respond to diverse issues in ECEC. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Evaluate contemporary debates in ECEC and their implications for professional practice; - Compare and evaluate the dichotomies between policies and their implementation in practice; - Discuss how early years policies have a different impact on diverse children and families arising from cultural differences and expectations; - Analyse the strengths and weaknesses of policies and their impact on children and families; - Analyse global and local trends in ECEC from a critical perspective; - Critically outline the socio-political and ethical dimensions of current issues. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Identify critical issues which impact the high quality provision of early years services; - Discuss the pros and cons of policies, illustrating the strengths and challenges; - Identify and demonstrate a thorough understanding of contemporary and critical issues which challenge the provision of quality early years settings; - Critically assess challenges in ECEC settings; - Design responsive and inclusive strategies to address emerging challenges; - Communicate complex issues effectively to diverse audiences, including policymakers and practitioners. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Texts: - laj盲盲sk枚, L & Fluchtmann, J. 2023. Ensuring the availability, quality and affordability of childcare. In OECD (Ed. Pp. 240-247), Joining Forces for Gender Equality: What is Holding us Back?, OECD Publishing, Paris. - Hulpia H., Sharmahd, N., Bergeron-Morin L., De Pr茅 L., Cr锚teur S., Dunajeva J (2024). Quality in early childhood education and care (ECEC): state of play in the EU Member States based on the European Quality Framework, NESET report, Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union. DOI: 10.2766/932337 (Available as a downloadable pdf). - Kluczniok, K., Anders, Y., Sechtig, J. & Rossbach, H.G. (2016) Influences of an academically oriented preschool curriculum on the development of children 鈥� are there negative consequences for the children's socioemotional competencies? Early Child Development and Care, 186:1, 117-139. (Available online through Hydi). - Li, M., Fox, J.L., & Grieshaber, S. (Eds.) 2017. Contemporary issues and challenge in early childhood education in the Asia-Pacific region. New Frontiers of Educational Research Series. Singapore: Springer. (Available as a downloadable text/pdf. Several chapters will be referred to). - Ministry for Education/DQSE (Malta). 2021. Early Childhood Education and Care (0鈥�7 years) National Policy Framework for Malta and Gozo. Malta: DQSE. https://educationservices.gov.mt/en/dqse/Documents/publications/. NPF%20Early%20Childhood%20Education%20and%20Care%20ENG%20-%20A4%20Oct21.pdf. - OECD. 2024. How does participation in early childhood education and care differ among countries? (Chapter B1, pp. 154 - 181). Education at a glance. OECD Indicators. OECD Publishing, Paris. Available: https://doi.org/10.1787/c00cad36-en. - Schreyer, I., Oberhuemer, P. & Sollars, V. 2024. 鈥淢alta 鈥� Key contextual data.鈥� Early childhood work force profiles across Europe. 33 country reports with key contextual data. (Eds. P. Oberhuemer and I. Schreyer). Munich: State Institute for Early Childhood Research and Media Literacy. www.seepro.eu/English/Country-Reports.htm. - Sollars, V. 2024. 鈥淢alta 鈥� ECEC Workforce Profile.鈥� Early childhood workforce profiles across Europe. 33 country reports with key contextual data. (Eds. P. Oberhuemer & I. Schreyer). Munich: State Institute for Early Childhood Research and Media Literacy. www.seepro.eu/English/Country-Reports.htm. - Sollars, V. & Toran, M. (in print). ECEC in the Mediterranean: Availability, affordability and accessibility. Comparative Education Series. Netherlands: BRILL. (Chapters will be made available to students). - UNICEF. 2012. Inequities in Early Childhood Development: What the data say Evidence from the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey. https://mics.unicef.org/sites/mics/files/2024-05/Inequities_in_Early_Childhood_Development.pdf. Supplementary Readings: - European Union, DG for Education, Youth, Sport & Culture. 2024. Early childhood education and care (Chap 2, pp 22 鈥� 28). Education and training monitor. Comparative report. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union. https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/9637e78f-acc7-11ef-acb1-01aa75ed71a1/language-en - European Union. 2021. COUNCIL RECOMMENDATION (EU) 2021/1004 of 14 June 2021 establishing a European Child Guarantee. https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=1428&langId=en#JAF. - European Union. 2021. EU strategy on the rights of the child. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/en/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52021DC0142 - Ministry for Social Policy & Children鈥檚 Rights, Govt of Malta. 2022. National action plan for a child guarantee 2022-2030. Malta: Ministry for Social Policy. https://familja.gov.mt/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/National-Action-Plan-Child-Guarantee-EN-1.pdf - SEEPRO 3. 2024. Early childhood workforce profiles across Europe. https://www.seepro.eu/Seiten_Englisch/Home_engl.htm (Available online - various country reports about the early years workforce). |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture and Seminar | ||||||||||||
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2025/6. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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