Bachelor of Education (Primary / Early Years)
Course Overview / Course Structure
| Course Name | Bachelor of Education (Primary/Early Years) |
| Level | Undergraduate |
| Type | Full-time or part-time |
| Mode | On-campus |
| Duration | 4 years (full-time equivalent) |
| Credit Points | 400 |
| Starting Semesters | 1 & 2 |
| Course Code | ED15 |
| CRICOS Code | 056902K |
| Host School | Education and Humanities |
Course Specific Enquiries
Ph: +617 3347 7900
Email: enquiries@chc.edu.au
Credit for Prior Study Enquiries
Ph: +617 3347 7900
Email: enquiries@chc.edu.au
Admissions, Enrolments & General Enquiries
Ph: +617 3347 7900
Email: enquiries@chc.edu.au
General Information
The Bachelor of Education (Primary/ Early Years) course is a four-year fulltime course, or part-time equivalent, which provides initial teacher education for people who wish to work in primary and early years school classroom settings. The course is available via on-campus study only.
Career Outcomes
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Teacher – Primary/ Early Years (generally Prep through to Year 7) |
Professional Recognition
Provisional registration with the Queensland College of Teachers
Attendance
Attendance rules may vary from school to school and course to course. Students have a responsibly to ensure that they are fully aware of the attendance policies which apply to the schools to which their units belong.
It is the School of Education and Humanities’ aim that, in the process of higher education studies, students become responsible disciples and self-directed learners, and internalise the culture and values of Christian scholarship in general and of their chosen profession in particular. Such aims have a bearing upon the administration of attendance requirements. Students need to accept responsibility for maximising their learning and engaging in the learning opportunities and activities of the course.
Prescribed attendance requirements for individual units will be published in the outlines provided to students at the beginning of each semester. Lecturers will keep records of student class attendance. Students may place their semester results in jeopardy or even fail a unit because of an inability to satisfy the course attendance requirements as described below:
1. Students are expected to attend all scheduled classes and to be punctual in their attendance at CHC activities. The School of Education and Humanities requires students to attend at least 80% of class time unless a reason for absence (such as illness, traffic hold-ups, mechanical breakdown, attendance at family ceremonies) has been accepted by the unit lecturer. Students who are unable to attend classes should phone the CHC Reception to advise of their absence. To substantiate reasons for absences of more than two days, students are to provide documentation (such as a medical certificate) for that period.
2. Should students be absent at a time when they are on formal Professional Experience activities, they are to phone the school or organisation concerned by 8.00 am and leave a message for their mentors. If students are unable to do this, they are to phone the School of Education and Humanities Professional Experiences Program Coordinator at CHC after 8.30 am. A medical certificate is required after two consecutive days’ absence from formal Field Studies/Professional Experience activities. Should a student be absent for more than one day during formal Professional Experience activities, special arrangements are to be made with the Professional Experience Program Coordinator to make up these days.
Combined Degrees
Bachelor of Arts/ Bachelor of Education (Primary/Early Years)
BA/BEd (Pri/EY), Program code: CC20 CRICOS code: 056904G
Workload for the Course
The Bachelor of Education (Primary/ Early Years) course requires a total of 400 credit points for completion.
Each credit point indicates an expected student involvement of one hour per week for one semester. A standard unit carrying a weighting of 10 credit points normally involves 10 hours of study and research per week. Fulltime students normally undertake four units per semester with a weighting of 50 credit points and an expectation of 50 hours of work per week over a semester. Part-time students normally undertake three or fewer units per semester, with an equivalent workload per unit. Students who wish to undertake more than a normal fulltime load are to consult the Course Coordinator; this is only approved in unusual circumstances.
Students must also fulfil other requirements as relevant to their course of enrolment, including Student Teacher Embedded Practice (STEP), Professional and Community Experiences (PACE) and Senior First Aid, CPR and Lifesaving certification.
Students may apply for transfer of credit from previous studies. Application for transfer of credit should be made at the time of entry into the course, although later applications will be accepted. However, students should be aware that transfer of credit will not be granted for units in which students are currently enrolled. During their course of study, students may also apply to engage in cross-institutional study towards the requirements of the course. A maximum of 50% of the course may be undertaken through transfer of credit and/or cross-institutional study.
Course Structure
The BEd (Pri/EY) course consists of five strands:
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Christian Studies |
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Education Studies |
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Early Years |
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Curriculum Studies |
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Professional Experience |
Strands consist of units which are at both introductory and advanced levels of study. Generally, advanced units have prerequisite conditions which allow the sequencing of units to achieve a logical progression in content, experiences and levels of difficulty. Unless special permission has been received from the Course Coordinator, students will not be allowed to enrol in advanced units unless all prerequisite conditions have been successfully fulfilled.
Credit Point Structure
The table below indicates the credit point structure of the courses, including credit points by strand.
| Christian Studies Education Studies Professional Experience Curriculum/Discipline Studies Early Years Studies TOTAL |
40 credit points 120 credit points 60 credit points 140 credit points 40 credit points 400 credit points |
Christian Studies
The Christian Studies strand develops the biblical and theological foundations necessary to a Christian understanding of education, and addresses a range of aspects of Christian belief as a basis for the development and application of a Christian worldview.
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Christian Studies units CS100 - Christian Discipleship CS120 - Introduction to the Bible CS200 - Christianity and Worldviews CS300 - Christian Spirituality and Philosophy |
Education Studies
The Education Studies strand includes studies in developmental psychology, sociology and the philosophy of teaching and learning. It provides a basis for the development of a professional understanding of education and emphasises the development of the personal, professional and practical skills of the teacher, including the development of higher education study, research and writing skills. Units in the strand cover teaching skills and process, approaches to classroom organisation and management, curriculum development, and children in inclusive classrooms.
Primary/Middle Years Studies
The Primary/Early Years Studies strand provides insight into relevant knowledge and issues appropriate to particular periods of human lifespan development.
Curriculum/Discipline Studies
The Curriculum/Discipline Studies strand addresses the development of teaching strategies and methods in various curriculum and/or discipline areas. The units which comprise the strand differ according to the particular course of enrolment.
Students in the BA/BEd (Pri/EY) course complete Curriculum Studies units, comprising both Core Key Learning Areas units and Elective Studies units, as indicated in the table below.
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| Elective Studies Units | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Units in the Curriculum/Discipline Studies strand develop an understanding of current Australian and Queensland curriculum contexts and frameworks, teaching approaches and strategies, and extend students' knowledge of the structure, content, processes, skills and affective components of the school curriculum. It includes both compulsory and elective units.
Students are advised to choose elective units carefully. Some employers will expect graduates to have included units in the Arts, Health and Physical Education and Technology in their preservice program.
The Elective units in the Curriculum/Discipline Studies strand may be selected from other CHC schools or undertaken from other higher education providers on a cross-institutional basis. Students are to choose their Elective units according to the rules of the course in which they are enrolled to ensure that they fulfil all course requirements. Information regarding Elective units and course rules are available from the Preservice Course Coordinator.
Students in the Primary/Early Years course should be aware that the choice of four Christian Studies units as Elective units, in addition to the four core Christian Studies units in the Preservice Education courses, will constitute a major in Christian Studies. Details of Christian Studies Elective units are available from the Christian Studies Program Coordinator.
Professional Experience Units
The Professional Experience strand provides extensive opportunities for students to put their teaching skills into practice in schools and other community settings. It contains a series of components which comprise a body of experience totalling at least 130 days.
STEP/PACE (Student Teacher Embedded Practices/Professional and Community Experiences)
20 days of professional experiences, observations, investigations and activities undertaken in non-contact time, and community-based experiences.
School-based Professional Experiences units
Four-week blocks of formal classroom contact, normally at the commencement of Terms 2 and 4 of the school year, in Semesters 3, 5, 6 and 7 of the course.
School-based Internship Program
At least six weeks (30 days) of formal classroom contact, normally completed as a block placement at the commencement of Term 4 of the school year, in Semester 8 of the course.
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School-Based Internship Program unit SP404 - School-Based Internship Program (20 credit points) |
Course Overview
Click here to download Course Overview.
Course Rules - Majors and Minors
The rules for the completion of a Major are as follows:
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A Major consists of eight units of study in a single discipline area, or approved cross-disciplinary areas. |
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A maximum of three units may be undertaken at introductory level (100-level). |
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A minimum of five units are to be undertaken at advanced level (200- and 300-level), of which at least one unit is to be completed at the 300-level of study. |
The rules for the completion of a Minor are as follows:
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A Minor consists of four units of study in a single discipline area, or approved cross-disciplinary areas. |
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A maximum of two units may be undertaken at introductory level (100-level). |
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A minimum of two units are to be undertaken at advanced level (200-level). |
Alternatively, students in the BEd (Pri/EY) course may choose to complete an Extended Major of 120 credit points. In addition to the rules which govern Majors described above, each unit which is added to a Major to create an Extended Major must normally be at the advanced level (200- or 300-level).
Year-Level Themes
Year level themes guide the work of student teachers in each year of their studies, and provide a mechanism for sequencing the units and other requirements being undertaken during each semester of the course.
Year 1 – Learning To Learn
The focus of Year 1 is to extend or confront and challenge the learning which students have developed in their prior formal education, so as to provide a suitable rationale for coursework and study which inducts students into tertiary study and life. It provides them with the knowledge, tools, skills and experiences at the 100-level of study to enable them to develop a secure foundation upon which further studies can be developed.
Year 2 – Learning To Teach
Year 2 provides students with foundational knowledge, tools, skills and experiences to assist them to begin developing their professional understandings and personal practices of teaching. Many of these are necessarily quite experiential and teacher-centred, as student teachers begin to develop the strategies, tactics and skills for a confident start to teaching.
Year 3 – Teaching For Learning
As students commence Year 3, they will have developed foundational knowledge, tools, approaches, skills and experiences. The focus of Year 3 is to encourage student teachers to progress to more child/student-centred approaches, where teaching is more focused on learning.
Year 4 – Teaching For Transformation
Year 4, with its emphases on the preparation for and implementation of the School-based Internship, requires students to begin to make the transition from student teaching to beginning teaching. The focus of Year 4 is to assist students to become professional beginning teachers. It is intended not only that this transition occur, but also that there be radical transformation of students’ understanding and mastery of experiential and experimental approaches to teaching that promote learning.
