Early Childhood Studies (Top-Up)BA (Hons)

Establishing Professional Identity

This module provides students with the opportunity to build on their professional development from Level 4 – Emerging Professional Identity and Level 5 – Consolidating Professional Identity module. It extends to explore different professions related to early years as options for future career plans. They will continue to advance this plan to develop the skills needed for future progression.

They will reflect upon the success of their strategies to develop further strengths and skills, competencies and attributes and build on these through reflection, openness and self-awareness, through target setting and professional development planning.

Further professional attributes such as self-confidence, work ethic, dependability, adaptability, responsibility, accountability, maturity and technical skills, as well as self-awareness, communication and interpersonal skills, teamwork, initiative, motivation, will be addressed to form the basis of their professional identity development.

The aim is for the student to recognise how they are more independent, resilient, responsible and pragmatic and to establish their professional identity with a sense of pride.

Reflection, and reflexivity, involving communicating with others, based upon their own and others' skills, beliefs, understandings and views, will underpin consolidating their professional identity.

The student will be able to demonstrate empathy and active listening skills.

Activities to develop and expand, key academic skills such as engagement, individually or with others, in analysing, critically thinking, problem-solving and research will help expand their entrepreneurial experience and prepare for a range of potential career opportunities.

Aims:
To become self-confident and recognise their own skills, competencies and attributes.
To be able to reflect upon and evaluate their personal development plan-setting targets to support professional identity growth in their chosen area.
To reflect, and be reflexive, in evaluating their professional identity progress.
To establish some key professional attributes, including work ethic, dependability, adaptability, responsibility, accountability, maturity and technical skills.

International Perspectives of Children and Childhood

This module aims to examine a range of theories relating to international social constructions of childhood and the implications of this for early years practice. It will consider representations of children and childhood, including those in the media. The module will consider a range of historical, cultural, philosophical and theoretical perspectives on early childhood such as critical race theory, feminism, transgender and issues post-modernity.

By the end of the module, you will:

1. Examine social constructions of infancy and childhood and the implications of these for early years practice.

2. Critically evaluate how infants, children and childhood are represented internationally through a number of different discourses.

3. Consider the global, cultural, historical and economic context of early childhood and how issues of discrimination and inequality impact on young children’s lives.

Leading Professional Practice

This module aims to examine a range of theories relating to leadership and management styles and approaches in a range of settings with an early years focus. It explores approaches to developing and leading inclusive and diverse teams within a legislative context. A range of subjects will be explored including: creating a shared vision, managing change and concepts of quality and evaluating provision.

The role of a range of professions and disciplines involved in the provision of early years services will be identified and the benefits and challenges will be examined.

There will be consideration of a range of stakeholders involved in provision for children and families and their role in contributing to and supporting quality.

Students will:

• Examine a range of theories in relation to leading and managing practice in a variety of settings with a focus on developing and supporting teams.
• Explore a range of professionals involved in the provision of early years services and explore some of the challenges and barriers faced when working with other professionals.
• Explore their own continuous professional development in relation to leading and managing practice and provision in a chosen discipline.
• Reflect on, and critically analyse provision and practice in relation to young children’s and families well-being and consider its role in relation to quality development.
• Critically evaluate concepts of families and parenting in a historical and socio-cultural context and how this informs provision and practice from a leadership perspective.

Research and Dissertation

This module offers an opportunity for independent study and aims to enable you to:

1. Develop further academically and / or professionally by pursuing a line of study which arises out of an interest that you have in relation to early childhood.

2. Extend your academic / or professional competence by developing a critical understanding of the relationship between theory and issues relating to early childhood practice.

3. Gain experience of the processes, methodological and ethical issues involved in conducting and completing a piece of research.

4. Design, execute and evaluate a small-scale research project supervised independent study of an extended nature.

5. Develop some of the skills required for post graduate study.