東部理工學院

A passionate, skilled and qualified early childhood teacher has an important role in the learning and development of infants, toddlers and young children. The early years of a young child’s life lay the foundation for life-long learning.

This programme will allow you to undertake study to attain a teaching qualification while being employed or working voluntarily in an early childhood setting. On completion of the Bachelor of Teaching (Early Childhood Education) you will be ready to apply for registration as a professionally certificated ECE teacher with the Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand.

Outline

The Bachelor of Teaching (ECE) offers you the opportunity to gain a professional qualification as an Early Childhood Teacher leading directly to employment opportunities. This is a field-based teacher education programme which provides a balance between theory, research and practice. Field-based education enables you to regularly apply your classroom learning. It allows you to undertake study and attain a teaching qualification while in employment or working voluntarily in an early childhood setting. This qualification prepares you for further postgraduate study should you choose to do so.

You will attend classes two days a week and undertake a minimum of 12 hours per week in a licensed early childhood education service. The programme is normally studied full-time over three years.

The teaching and learning areas you’ll study will include:

• Human learning and development
• The social and political contexts of early childhood education
• Professional inquiry in practice
• Nga tangata whenua o Aotearoa
• Curriculum in action
• Teachers as researchers

Career Opportunities and Outcomes

An internationally recognised degree in early childhood education gives a professional qualification that enables opportunities to work in a range of vocations.

Career opportunities include teaching in: kindergartens, early childhood education and care settings, home-based services, and special education.

This qualification also prepares you for further postgraduate study.