Early Years Education

This module explores key elements of effective practice, guiding learners to engage with contemporary and potential future challenges related to professional contexts.

You will reflect upon competing ideologies which shape and influence policy visions. By linking theory and practice, learners will develop strategies to address real-world challenges within a range of settings. The reflective nature of the module makes it highly relevant for professionals across various disciplines.

In the last 40 years, Early Childhood Education and Care has become a priority for governments and international organisations around the world, as research has demonstrated the importance of the years from 0–8 for later life. Yet your conceptions of what childhood is and the lived experiences of young children may vary depending on cultural, social, and historical influences. This module invites you to explore the connections between global and local perceptions and expectations of childhood, and to consider the impact of international influences on the lives and outcomes of young children around the globe.

You will evaluate measures to improve wellbeing and reduce inequalities in the lives of children, such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. You will also investigate key themes relating to the current provision of Early Childhood Education and Care, including globalisation, schoolification, advocacy, and children’s rights. The module will draw upon recent research and case studies to enable you to consider and critically evaluate the implications of these themes for young children, early years professionals, and policy makers around the world.

This module will focus on the study of leadership and management in early years across a range of local, national, and international contexts. You will develop the knowledge and skills required to become an agent of change within your own setting and beyond. You will enhance your personal and professional career development as an early years leader, with a focus on leading and managing provision in contexts such as PVIs, Baby Rooms, and School-Based Nurseries.

You will be introduced to some of the key theories of leadership and management as they apply to early years settings and will develop a conceptual understanding of different leadership styles. You will examine various functional approaches to leadership analysis and critically apply different leadership styles in the context of working with a range of professionals within a teamworking environment.

The application of leadership styles will be explored in contemporary contexts such as leadership for learning, multi-professional leadership through working with families and communities, and self-evaluation leading to improvement in provision and practice when working with children in the 0–8-years age range. These themes will be explored through a critical examination of the skills and attributes you need as a leader or manager in early years contexts. You will also consider a range of development and improvement mechanisms, including staff development, practical problem-solving, and quality assurance tools and processes.

This module explores a range of methodologies and methods frequently used in social science research, examining their potential strengths, limitations and the associated ethical considerations.

During the module, you will develop your understanding of research concepts such as reliability, validity, trustworthiness, credibility and generalisability You will also consider how to plan research using a suitable methodological approach, whilst taking into account the ethical issues you may encounter.

The module will facilitate learning and teaching in research skills. The module will lead to competence and confidence in what determines personal and professional standards for postgraduate research requirements.

The module develops you as an ethical researcher who will be able to undertake a suitable research project, develop realistic plans for disseminating your research findings to the wider academic and/or professional community. In addition, you will be supported to extend and deepen their understanding of the chosen area of investigation and will be able to design and carry out projects that are useful to your professional development and/or interests, and employability.