School: Education

This unit information may be updated and amended immediately prior to semester. To ensure you have the correct outline, please check it again at the beginning of semester.

Please note that given the circumstances of COVID-19, there may be some modifications to the assessment schedule promoted in Handbook for Semester 1 2020 Units. Students will be notified of all approved modifications by Unit Coordinators via email and Unit Blackboard sites. Where changes have been made, these are designed to ensure that you still meet the unit learning outcomes in the context of our adjusted teaching and learning arrangements.

  • Unit Title

    Science for Young Children
  • Unit Code

    SCE6120
  • Year

    2020
  • Enrolment Period

    1
  • Version

    1
  • Credit Points

    15
  • Full Year Unit

    N
  • Mode of Delivery

    On Campus
    Online
  • Unit Coordinator

    Dr Pauline Kim ROBERTS

Description

This unit focuses on fundamental knowledge, skills and aptitudes required to effectively teach science to young children. Approaches to teaching pedagogies will be critiqued to assist students to use approaches that will enhance the teaching of content knowledge, skills and attitudes needed to be an effective learner of science. Further, students will develop their own scientific literacy as well as the strategies to encourage life long scientific literacy in children in their future classrooms. The students will gain a detailed understanding of the process skills and scientific method employed in the science content area and in execution of other integrated learning experiences. An essential element of this unit will be the focus on the everyday nature of science and the requirement of classroom teachers to listen to and use their students questions as provocations for real-world, problem-focused investigations.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Critically analyse seminal and current literature on approaches to learning scientific concepts such as intentional teaching, play and inquiry-based pedagogies.
  2. Provoke, question and investigate scientific explorations to facilitate the beginning of scientific literacy in young children in a range of learning contexts.
  3. Apply knowledge skills and ideas to transmit to others the importance of fostering the acquisition and understanding of scientific language and processes for young children.
  4. Research and apply appropriate content, experiences and materials to support the learning of science in early childhood in safe learning environments.
  5. Critique resources (including the ethical use of ICT) and literature available to support the teaching of science in early years contexts.
  6. Demonstrate specialised cognitive and technical skills in the management, organisational, planning, teaching, moderating and assessment strategies using relevant curriculum documents.

Unit Content

  1. Effective approaches to effectively teach science in the early years.
  2. Critical reflection on personal perceptions and beliefs about young children and science to demonstrate an awareness of the need for ongoing professional development in scientific teaching and learning.
  3. The advanced concepts, skills and processes that form the basis of science teaching, learning, moderation and assessment in the early years informed by previous research and best practice.
  4. Learning experiences to meet the diverse needs of children from different cultural backgrounds and with a range of abilities.
  5. Appropriate resources (including the ethical use ICT), materials and equipment to support planned experiences for a range of learning contexts including safe indoor and outdoor environments.
  6. Theories and practices in planning and preparing an active safe learning environment.
  7. Scientific language for children.
  8. Methodologies for planning, moderating, assessing and reflection using the most appropriate curriculum documents and guidelines relevant to their teaching setting.

Learning Experience

ON-CAMPUS

Students will attend on campus classes as well as engage in learning activities through ECU Blackboard.

JoondalupMount LawleySouth West (Bunbury)
Semester 2Not Offered10 x 1 hour lectureNot Offered
Semester 2Not Offered10 x 2 hour tutorialNot Offered

For more information see the Semester Timetable

ONLINE

Students will engage in learning experiences through ECU Blackboard as well as additional ECU learning technologies.

Additional Learning Experience Information

A combination of lectures, workshops, guest speakers, videos, required readings and group and individually assigned work are used to achieve the unit outcomes. Students are required to become independent learners, who can adapt to the roles of practitioner or learner as they contribute to workshops as competent team members.

Assessment

GS1 GRADING SCHEMA 1 Used for standard coursework units

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant Board of Examiners.

ON CAMPUS
TypeDescriptionValue
AssignmentCritique of resource50%
ProjectReflective activity50%
ONLINE
TypeDescriptionValue
AssignmentCritique of resource50%
ProjectReflective activity50%

Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005)

For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), inherent requirements for this subject are articulated in the Unit Description, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the support for students with disabilities or medical conditions can be found at the Access and Inclusion website.

Academic Misconduct

Edith Cowan University has firm rules governing academic misconduct and there are substantial penalties that can be applied to students who are found in breach of these rules. Academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to:

  • plagiarism;
  • unauthorised collaboration;
  • cheating in examinations;
  • theft of other students' work;

Additionally, any material submitted for assessment purposes must be work that has not been submitted previously, by any person, for any other unit at ECU or elsewhere.

The ECU rules and policies governing all academic activities, including misconduct, can be accessed through the ECU website.

SCE6120|1|1

School: Education

This unit information may be updated and amended immediately prior to semester. To ensure you have the correct outline, please check it again at the beginning of semester.

Please note that given the circumstances of COVID-19, there may be some modifications to the assessment schedule promoted in Handbook for this unit. All assessment changes will be published by 27 July 2020. All students are reminded to check handbook at the beginning of semester to ensure they have the correct outline.

  • Unit Title

    Science for Young Children
  • Unit Code

    SCE6120
  • Year

    2020
  • Enrolment Period

    2
  • Version

    1
  • Credit Points

    15
  • Full Year Unit

    N
  • Mode of Delivery

    On Campus
    Online
  • Unit Coordinator

    Dr Pauline Kim ROBERTS

Description

This unit focuses on fundamental knowledge, skills and aptitudes required to effectively teach science to young children. Approaches to teaching pedagogies will be critiqued to assist students to use approaches that will enhance the teaching of content knowledge, skills and attitudes needed to be an effective learner of science. Further, students will develop their own scientific literacy as well as the strategies to encourage life long scientific literacy in children in their future classrooms. The students will gain a detailed understanding of the process skills and scientific method employed in the science content area and in execution of other integrated learning experiences. An essential element of this unit will be the focus on the everyday nature of science and the requirement of classroom teachers to listen to and use their students questions as provocations for real-world, problem-focused investigations.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Critically analyse seminal and current literature on approaches to learning scientific concepts such as intentional teaching, play and inquiry-based pedagogies.
  2. Provoke, question and investigate scientific explorations to facilitate the beginning of scientific literacy in young children in a range of learning contexts.
  3. Apply knowledge skills and ideas to transmit to others the importance of fostering the acquisition and understanding of scientific language and processes for young children.
  4. Research and apply appropriate content, experiences and materials to support the learning of science in early childhood in safe learning environments.
  5. Critique resources (including the ethical use of ICT) and literature available to support the teaching of science in early years contexts.
  6. Demonstrate specialised cognitive and technical skills in the management, organisational, planning, teaching, moderating and assessment strategies using relevant curriculum documents.

Unit Content

  1. Effective approaches to effectively teach science in the early years.
  2. Critical reflection on personal perceptions and beliefs about young children and science to demonstrate an awareness of the need for ongoing professional development in scientific teaching and learning.
  3. The advanced concepts, skills and processes that form the basis of science teaching, learning, moderation and assessment in the early years informed by previous research and best practice.
  4. Learning experiences to meet the diverse needs of children from different cultural backgrounds and with a range of abilities.
  5. Appropriate resources (including the ethical use ICT), materials and equipment to support planned experiences for a range of learning contexts including safe indoor and outdoor environments.
  6. Theories and practices in planning and preparing an active safe learning environment.
  7. Scientific language for children.
  8. Methodologies for planning, moderating, assessing and reflection using the most appropriate curriculum documents and guidelines relevant to their teaching setting.

Learning Experience

ON-CAMPUS

Students will attend on campus classes as well as engage in learning activities through ECU Blackboard.

JoondalupMount LawleySouth West (Bunbury)
Semester 2Not Offered10 x 1 hour lectureNot Offered
Semester 2Not Offered10 x 2 hour tutorialNot Offered

For more information see the Semester Timetable

ONLINE

Students will engage in learning experiences through ECU Blackboard as well as additional ECU learning technologies.

Additional Learning Experience Information

A combination of lectures, workshops, guest speakers, videos, required readings and group and individually assigned work are used to achieve the unit outcomes. Students are required to become independent learners, who can adapt to the roles of practitioner or learner as they contribute to workshops as competent team members.

Assessment

GS1 GRADING SCHEMA 1 Used for standard coursework units

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant Board of Examiners.

ON CAMPUS
TypeDescriptionValue
AssignmentCritique of resource50%
ProjectReflective activity50%
ONLINE
TypeDescriptionValue
AssignmentCritique of resource50%
ProjectReflective activity50%

Core Reading(s)

  • n.d. (2018). C. Campbell, W. M. Jobling, & C. Howitt (Eds.), Science in early childhood (3rd edition.). Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press. Retrieved from https://ecu.on.worldcat.org/oclc/1043794981

Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005)

For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), inherent requirements for this subject are articulated in the Unit Description, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the support for students with disabilities or medical conditions can be found at the Access and Inclusion website.

Academic Misconduct

Edith Cowan University has firm rules governing academic misconduct and there are substantial penalties that can be applied to students who are found in breach of these rules. Academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to:

  • plagiarism;
  • unauthorised collaboration;
  • cheating in examinations;
  • theft of other students' work;

Additionally, any material submitted for assessment purposes must be work that has not been submitted previously, by any person, for any other unit at ECU or elsewhere.

The ECU rules and policies governing all academic activities, including misconduct, can be accessed through the ECU website.

SCE6120|1|2