FACULTY OF EDUCATIONAL STUDIES

Transcription

1 UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION, WINNEBA FACULTY OF EDUCATIONAL STUDIES DEPARTMENT OF EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE AND DEVELOPMENT DIPLOMA IN EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE AND

2 BRIEF HISTORY BACKGROUND OF EACH PROGRAMME OF STUDY Since the establishment of its, nationhood, Ghana s formal educational system has catered for children between late childhood through adolescence to adulthood, to the virtual neglect of children in t he Pre-Primary One bracket. At best early childhood education was left in the hands of private concerns and non-governmental agencies. It has, unfortunately, never been part of the formal structure established and supervised by government until the beginning of the 2007/2008 academic year. This arrangement was not the best for the development of the country s human resources as there was little chance to ensure the quality of efforts at that level. Paying attention to the Early Childhood needs through well-planned and fully supported educational programmes is far from a luxury. Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) ought to be a fundamental necessity, as through effective early childhood education, the relevant foundations would be laid for more productive education in the person s subsequent years. (Morrison, 1997; Burton, 1985) There is therefore the need to formally focus our quality development on the period of Early Childhood in order to bridge the gap between ECDE and post ECDE aimed at building a stronger foundation for formal education in the country. To achieve these objectives, well-supported and realistically planned programmes must be in place. Through these processes, professional competency level of teachers and other personnel at the Early Childhood Development Education will be achieved. It is in this direction, and in line with the University s Strategic Plan that the Department of Early Childhood Care and Development proposes to mount a Two-year Diploma Programme for prospective teachers who will specifically and professionally handle Early Childhood Development Education in the country. This will be in addition to the Certificate in Preschool Edcuation and the Bachelor of Education in ECCD. Furthermore, as the nation s teacher training colleges have been upgraded into Colleges of Edcuation and have begun offering courses in this area, we believe that ours could not have come at a better time. Unit of the institution to offer/offering each programme of study Name of Faculty: Faculty of Educational Studies Name of Department: Department of Early Childhood Care and Development Date of establishment: 2006/2007 academic year Rationale, goals and objectives of the programme of study (a) Rationale Since the inception of the bachelor of Education programme in ECCD there has some difficulty for government to support the student of the department by way granting them study leave with pay. Many students in levels 100 and 200 are without study leave and are struggling to cope up. Responses to calls on the government to grant study leave to our students have always suggested that the degree programme which takes four your years to complete be broken into two so that there will be a two-year diploma segment. This arrangement will make it easier to turn out many qualified ECCD practitioners within a relatively short period of time. The Diploma programme which will be run on sandwich basis will afford the student-teachers the opportunity to put into practice in their schools the concepts, skills and knowledge acquired form each semester s courses. It is also proposed that the programme will run in both the may-to-august holidays and the December-to-February holidays, with each holiday period constituting a semester.

3 This arrangement, it is envisaged, will shorten the period of training; which means that the students will spend exactly two years on the programme. (b) Goals and objectives The ECCD programme is designed to provide a programme of study focusing on the developmentally appropriate care and education of children from birth through age eight within various early childhood settings. It emphasises the whole child and exposes students to the scientific knowledge base regarding: (1) development of children, (2) learning theory, and (3) appropriate educational practices as well as the opportunity to develop competence in working with parents of young children. Other issues include: assessments and techniques, aspects of child development, principles of guidance, professionalism and advocacy. understand the nature of the early childhood period, defined as 0-8 years understand the diverse roles of the early childhood educator have acquired the basic concepts, knowledge and analytical skills of the variety of disciplines which contribute to an understanding of the early childhood period have acquired specific skills, knowledge and concepts in areas of liberal education drawn from the humanities, the arts and the sciences be able to design integrated curricula for children in various settings be able to implement programmes for a range of early childhood services be able to critically analyse and evaluate programme effectiveness and professional performance understand the need for continued reflection and development as a basis for professional practice in early childhood settings have acquired the skills necessary to undertake research show a commitment and sensitivity to children Progression Students who complete the Diploma in Early Childhood Care and Development with Credit or better can progress to pursue the Bachelor of Education Degree in ECCD. To pursue the Bachelor of Education in ECCD programme such students would be expected to join the regular programme at level 300. Employment prospects of Graduands Levels of Function The programmes train teachers and care givers to acquire appropriate knowledge and skills to enable them interact with children at the following levels Crèche/Day Care (0-2years) Nursery (2-4years) Kindergarten (4-5years) Others (indigenous/traditional childcare) Apart from these functions, the Department engages in outreach and advocacy activities in the communities to sensitise parents to child rights issues. Job Prospects Job opportunities are available in: Early Childhood Education establishments Establishing and /or Managing Early Childhood Care Institutions Social Welfare Operations NGOs with particular interest in Early Childhood Care and Development

4 Entry requirements for admission of students i. A Distinction or Credit in Certificate in Pre-School Education from an accredited institution OR ii. Five (5) SHS/GCE passes including English Language and Mathematics OR iii. Teachers Certificate A iv. People with higher qualifications can apply Short description of courses in the programme ECD 111: Foundations of Early Childhood Education This course is designed to be an overview of historical, philosophical and sociological influences on the field of early childhood education. It examines the historical, philosophical and sociological antecedents of educational programmes for young children. Its scope extends from the ancient Greeks to contemporary influences. The course will also highlight the relevance of major contributions of renowned theorists to the development of early childhood education. It provides early childhood educators with a context for understanding and evaluating current practices. ECD 112: Child Growth and Development This course gives the student a broad, comprehensive overview of the theory and principles of human development from conception to adolescence. Students will learn the basic research concepts and the current research findings on factors contributing to child development. Emphasis is placed on development through the stages of a child s life in the areas of physical, emotional, social, intellectual, and moral development as explained by the theories of Piaget, Vykotsky, Skinner etc. The course will also highlight the factors that affect the child s growth such as environmental, genetic, social and cultural. ECD 113: Psychology of Human Development and Learning This course focuses on developmental psychology and learning theory systems. It covers the broad spectrum of developmental issues that arise over the life span, with particular attention to childhood and adolescence. It involves a consideration of human nature and how we learn within various contexts of learning. Students will study some key developmental theorists and their impact upon human development and learning. Foundational concepts within the three major learning theory systems (behavioural, cognitive, and humanist) will be explored with a view to developing specific principles for teaching and learning. One of the class periods will be spent in an actual classroom where students will observe children in an early childhood setting to see some of the developmental characteristics ECD 114: Personal Growth and Communication Skills Interpersonal and effective communication skills are indispensable when working with children, their families, and communities. This course is, therefore, designed to assist students to develop interpersonal communication skills needed to function effectively as contributing, collaborative, helping staff members in the workplace and to present a professional image to colleagues, parents, and the public. Basic communication theory as well as receptive and responsive communication skills will be explored.

5 ECD 115: Philosophy of Education, School Curriculum, Social Change and National Development The course introduces students to the theoretical basis of the school curriculum. It examines the meaning, purposes and functions of education. It looks at the nature of social change and national development. The role of liberal education and technical education in national development are also discussed. ECD 116: Introduction to Information and Communication Technology This course is designed to expose students to the theory, tools and use of information and communication technology. Emphasis will be laid on practical hands on experience. ECD 121: Policy and Practice of Early Childhood Education This course is designed to expose student teachers to various policies enacted by national and international bodies (UNESCO, WHO, UNICEF, GNCC, GES, etc.) It will also discuss the practices of Early Childhood Education in other countries (Canada, Brazil, U.K. Malaysia etc). The course will further highlight contemporary issues that are likely to influence Early Childhood Education. ECD 122: The Family and the Young Child The course is designed to help the student teacher acquire knowledge of family systems. The student will also be assisted to better appreciate the socialization of children in family systems. To this extent, family systems will be examined. The concepts of parenting, the traditional family systems, indigenous or traditional ECD centres will be treated. Furthermore, the course will help the student teacher to be aware and ready to assume the needed responsibilities of the teacher towards the care and raising of children in the classroom and thereafter. ECD 123: Child Language Acquisition This course provides a foundation of basic knowledge regarding language development in young children. It examines the theories of language acquisition or development and important conclusions about language learning that have signification implications for teaching young children. The course emphasises phonological, morphological, syntactic, semantic and pragmatic abilities in the context of psychological, physiological, socio-cultural and cognitive development. ECD 124: Counting and Number in the Early Years Counting and the use of number are the building blocks for mathematics learning in the preschool years. The knowledge of number and the ability to count properly provide a solid foundation for the learning of mathematics in later years in school. There are various situations in which number is used and there are fundamental principles that guide counting that must be obeyed to make counting meaningful. This course is, therefore, designed to equip the student with various contexts in which number is used, the basic principles that guide the process of counting, how children use counting to solve addition and subtraction tasks and the representations of number that aid them in performing operations. ECD 125: Educational Technology This course introduces students to the use of technology to enhance teaching and learning in all educational settings.

6 ECD 126: Introduction to Special Education in Early Childhood This course is specially designed for students pursuing the 4-year B.Ed degree programme in Early Childhood Development Education. It seeks to create awareness of the existence of handicapping conditions in the ordinary preschool classroom. It will prepare the student teacher to accept such children and to use the knowledge about such handicapped children to improve teaching and learning. It covers all types of exceptionalities. ECD 127: English across the Curriculum This is a consolidation course that seeks to help students improve on their proficiency in the fundamental skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing. The course will, therefore, include intensive reading, writing and some listening practices. Written assignments and readings will be multidisciplinary in nature. Topics will, as such, cover the arts, humanities and mathematics/ science. ECD 231: Monitoring and Evaluation in Early Childhood Education This course will expose student teachers to relevant skills needed in monitoring and evaluating children at early childhood centres. The concepts and implications of monitoring and evaluation will be treated with the aims of helping the student teacher become rather equipped to work at the early childhood centres. ECD 232: Professionalism and the Early Childhood Educator This course aims at preparing the student teacher to appreciate the fact that working as a preschool/kindergarten teacher implies greater risks and choices, and many of these choices have ethical implications. Professional ethical competency must be a conscious part of all work in the school as a whole, and especially at the Early Childhood Centre of Kindergarten. A pre-school teacher must be able to explain group choices, priorities and actions towards children, parents and colleagues. Since it is believed that teaching children requires more than just having knowledge of specified subject matter and skills, student teachers will be encouraged to develop nurturing personal character and outlook. ECD 233: Language and Literacy Development in Early Childhood This course focuses on developing literacy (listening, speaking, writing, and viewing) in young children. The course will examine research which identifies the critical nature of the early years of a child s life for developing language and literacy skills. You will develop an understanding of the interrelatedness of oral language, reading and writing skills so that you can develop teaching strategies to help facilitate this growth (principles, methods, and current teaching techniques). This will include exploring the components of setting up an effective language and literacy environment and how to facilitate quality early language and literacy experiences. The role of the family in language and literacy development will also be highlighted. Learning and teaching theories will be integrated with practical applications. Theories, materials, and methods that develop literacy in developmentally appropriate environments from preschool through grade three will be discussed. Cultural and linguistic differences, English language learners, integrating play, language, and literacy, performance assessments, and adaptations for special needs children will also be explored. ECD 234: Child Health, Nutrition and Safety The course introduces students to developing basic skills in Nutrition, Menu Planning Childhood Disease and Illness and Sanitation and Safety in group settings. The course will also discuss the food we eat, the nutrients, malnutrition, meal planning, hygiene and how this affects good

7 nutrition in relation to health care throughout life. It also exposes students to the role of diet in maintaining health and disease prevention as well as treatment. Communication with health professional and parents on health, safety, and nutrition issues will be included. ECD 235: Mathematics in the Early Years This fundamental course in Mathematics will expose the student teacher to the theories underlying Mathematics. The course is aimed at preparing the student to appreciate the beauty and fun in Mathematics for themselves and more especially for the younger children whom they will be dealing with in the classrooms at the Early Childhood centres. ECD 236: Curriculum Studies in Early Childhood Education Having been exposed to EDC 115 (School Curriculum, Social Change and National Development), students in this course take a specific and critical look at current curriculum for early childhood education in Ghana. ECD 237: Art in Early Childhood Education This course will prepare the student teacher for a deeper appreciation of the Arts, including handicrafts, drawing, painting, cutting, casting and twisting. Beginning with the environment within which the teacher and student live, the course will expose student teachers to the art in creation. All these are to prepare the teacher for subsequent education of the younger pupils at the Early Childhood Stage. ECD 238: Research Methods A study of the various types of research, the logical organisation and reporting of research. In addition, which will enable them to develop a research proposal. As a prerequisite course, it is intended to equip students with relevant skills for conducting real research in Early Childhood Care and Development Education. ECD 241: Management and Administration of Early Childhood Settings This course will equip students with basic management and administrative theories and skills for effective and efficient running of or assisting in early childhood centres either as separate entities or as part of a larger school. The course covers policies, regulations, procedures, and responsibilities for the management of early childhood centres. It also includes management of facilities, budget, equipment, supplies, and arranging environment. ECD 242: Science in Early Childhood Education The pre-school child s life-his interactions with nature, nutrition, growth and development has to do with science. This course is, therefore, designed to expose the student to the basic science concepts that will enable him/her to assess the needs of the child to provide the needed assistance to groom the child into the society. These basic concepts include matter, energy, measurement, nutrition, forces etc. ECD 243: Teaching Methods in Early Childhood Education This course will help student teachers to acquire knowledge of methods used in caring for children at ECD centres. It will expose student to the general teaching methods and various methods unique and appropriate for the early childhood training and development, such as story telling, play and dramatization. The course will also equip student teachers with instruction skills at Early Childhood level, that is strategies in laying solid and firm foundation for academic success in areas such as number word, vocabulary, games, puzzles. The course involve a lot of

8 hands =- on work in schools in and around Winneba. ECD 244: Child Behaviour Management This course will introduce students to the basic principles of behaviour management as they relate to behavioural excesses and deficits, maladaptive behaviour, and special needs children. It will survey the various aspects of behaviour management with children and youth and focus on the underlying causes of behaviour. Theoretical models of behaviour management will be examined. Students will also learn how to apply selected techniques and strategies from these models in response to common behaviour problems in a variety of settings including the family, the community, and the school. ECD 245: Music, Movement and Dance This course aims at preparing the student teacher to first appreciate the various cultural expressions through Music, Dancing and other forms of creative acts. By assisting the student teacher to enjoy the beauty of music and drama, the course will prepare them to develop the appropriate skills of listening and observing artistic presentations of their younger students in the classroom. ECD 246: Teaching Practice ECD 247: Project Work/Long Essay Requirements for graduation a. Subject Requirements Pass all compulsory courses- general, faculty, or departmental b. Credits Requirements: Obtain a minimum of credits c. Other equivalent requirements -Obtain a minimum Cumulative Grade Point average of 1.0 -settle all financial and other obligations to the University Regulations governing assessment of students. Assessment of student s performance shall be by a combination of Continuous Assessment and End of Semester Examination. The weightings for the two modes of assessment are as follows: 1. Continuous Assessment. 40% Class assignments Quizzes and Test (at least two entries per semester are required. 2. End of Semester Examination. 60% 3. A student who does not earn a Continuous Assessment mark does not qualify to take part in the end of semester examination(refer to Students Handbook,2008, p16)