Postgraduate Diploma in Education (Early Childhood Education)

This course explores children, families and the contexts in which they live. You will explore a range of aspects that influence the values and beliefs that are held as important within diverse family constructs, as well as the profound effects those can have on the life experiences of children.   In this course, you will examine the ways culture and society shape relationships within families. A critical appraisal of literature, both from New Zealand and internationally, enables you to consider your own beliefs and values about children, their families and the wider community.  You will reflect on what family means to you, and in turn how your values shape your perspectives of family and the relationships that are formed within an early childhood education context.

Authentic leadership is a holistic concept that takes into account the whole person, including their emotions, spirituality, and sense of self. The notion of authentic leadership has recently become increasingly popular, since it promotes having a clear moral purpose and is driven by core values and beliefs. In this course you need to critically engage with the course literature to help construct your notion of being an authentic leader, since being authentic implies being fully engaged and present, and most importantly, being yourself. Realising one’s authenticity is essential in early childhood education, since leaders are constantly making decisions that are guided not only by one’s own personal values and beliefs, but also by professional codes of conduct and standards. To further complicate this process, such decisions must be made in consideration of the particular context, which may actually constrain or enable one’s claim to being authentic. Being an authentic leader in early childhood education implies having a strong commitment to high quality professional practices.

In this course you will explore concepts of communities of learning in early childhood education from the situated perspectives of teachers, student teachers, children and their family and whānau. This course establishes the theoretical concepts and the underlying principles and values that support a social learning approach. We look at empirical examples of communities of learning with teachers and children, and examine a number of key constructs which contribute to social learning theory.

In this course you will acquire the tools and techniques to effectively read, evaluate and design your own research. This course focusses on the application of a range of research methods to answer meaningful questions of early childhood theory and practice. Through your engagement with research, both as a consumer/reader and producer, you will develop an understanding of the value of research to inform and reflect on practice.

There are three threads woven into this course. These are personal arts experience, theoretical perspectives and educational research. You will reflect on your cultural identity within your personal engagement with one of the arts, consider arts education in the early childhood sector through involvement in research and critically discuss arts education theories. The selection of an individual pathway through dance, drama, music-sound arts or visual arts is encouraged. This personal arts-making journey and reflective process occurs alongside the observation and analysis of an infant’s, toddler’s or young child’s arts learning within an early childhood setting.

This course examines the practical roles and responsibilities of an effective manager in an early childhood education context. In this course, you will study aspects of early childhood education service management, finances and legislative obligations, through the lens of values-based decision making. Managing an early childhood education service is complex and involves working with children, colleagues, family/whānau, the community and governmental agencies. Individuals who work together well, will enhance outcomes for all concerned. This course provides you with information and perspectives across a range of areas that you will encounter as a manager.  You are encouraged to focus on your personal and professional values and vision, as these relate to the everyday practical application and operations of being an effective manager.