| CODE | EPE5029 | ||||||
| TITLE | Family and Community Engagement 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 | Through this study-unit, students will delve into the critical role that the family has in the upbringing of the child. Research consistently demonstrates that the family, through its relationships, social interactions, cultural influences, and material capital, plays a pivotal role in either supporting or hindering a child's ability to thrive. It is important for the Early Childhood Educator, and more so the ECEC leader, to critically reflect on different models of partnership for the greatest benefit of the child. Through this study-unit, students will: 鈥� Reflect on the current Maltese multicultural, multireligious and multilinguistic context; 鈥� Explore different family models while becoming aware of the different services (social, legal, health and educational) that families and schools may come into contact with; 鈥� Question their role in the context of ECEC while; 鈥� Reflecting on different models of partnership with families. Study-Unit Aims: The aim of this study-unit is to help students gain a better understanding of the different models of families in a multicultural, multilingual and multireligious context and how these may influence the child鈥檚 holistic development. Students will appreciate and gain understanding of the importance of the family in the education and holistic journey of the child and thus of the importance of establishing partnerships by affirming unicity while nurturing inter-generational relationships. Students will also be equipped with the knowledge about the different services families and educational leaders may avail themselves of for the interest of the child. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Research and reflect on the social and family situation in Malta; - Critically evaluate one's underlying concepts of person, family, community, early childhood practitioner, knowledge, and schooling; - List and explain different models and theories of family and family dynamics; - Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the environment (family, school and community) and the circumstances and conditions that foster or hinder positive developmental choices; - Discuss the implications of such theories as funds of knowledge, the ecological systems theory, literacy as social practice, positive development, and embodied cognition; - Differentiate between and define abuse and neglect, and positive and negative relationships; - List and explain the different social, legal, health and educational services available for families and educators in Malta; - Discuss how to create partnerships with other professions, families & the community; - Describe the concepts of multilingualism and multiculturalism. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Perceive and make use of families as resources for learning; - Support children to build and maintain sensitive and responsive relationships with other children and adults; - Partner with the family and other professionals to facilitate the holistic growth of the child; - Empower different families in their role of facilitators, nurturers and educators of the whole child; - Advocate for the needs of the child with the family, other professionals and with community at large. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Texts: - Banks, J. A., Frydenberg, E., & Liang, R. (2024). Promoting social and emotional learning in early childhood through intergenerational programming: a systematic review. Educational and Developmental Psychologist, 41(1), 12-28. - Battle, D. (2011). (Ed.) Communication Disorders in Multicultural and International Populations (4th ed.). Elsevier. - Darragh Ernst J. (2014). The Welcoming Classroom: Building Strong Home-to-School Connections for Early Learning. USA: Gryphon. - Goff, W., Phillipson, S., & Clarke, S. (2023). Partnerships with Families and Communities: Building Dynamic Relationships. Cambridge University Press. - Keyser, J. (2006). From Parents to Partners: Building a Family-Centred Early Childhood Program. St Paul: Redleaf. - Reyes, I., Da Silva Iddings, A. C., & Feller, N. (2016). Building relationships with diverse students and families: A funds of knowledge perspective. Journal of Early Childhood Literacy, 16(1), 8-33. Supplementary Readings: - Abela, A. & Grech Lanfranco, I. (2016). Positive Parenting: National Strategic Policy 2016-2024. Ministry for the Family and Social Solidarity. https://familja.gov.mt/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/National-Parenting-Policy-EN-8.02.17.pdf. - Bronfenbrenner, U. (1992). Ecological systems theory. Jessica Kingsley Publishers. - Camilleri Grima, A. (2013). A select review of bilingualism in education in Malta. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 16, 553鈥�569. - Milton, J. (2021) Identity and Language as Experienced by Student Teachers in Maltese Primary Schools, p175-186. The Bloomsbury Handbook of Culture and Identity from Early Childhood to Early Adulthood. Bloomsbury. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture | ||||||
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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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