Program Overview

EPT125 Child Development: Foundation to Year 6

This subject introduces students to the physical, socio-emotional, and intellectual development of children during the primary school years. Students explore how these major domains interact to influence learning. Students are required to review contemporary educational research, collect data, and write a research report. Major theories of development (cognitive, constructivist, behavioural, and ecological) will be examined and applied to educational contexts. An embedded professional experience in a school setting will provide an opportunity to: systematically observe children's learning, use formal and informal assessment data, and develop effective verbal and non-verbal listening/communication skills.

Availability

• Session 2 (60)
• On Campus
  • Albury-Wodonga Campus
  • Bathurst Campus
  • Dubbo Campus
  • Port Macquarie Campus
  • Wagga Wagga Campus

Subject Information

Grading System

• HD/FL

Duration

• One session

School

• School of Education

Incompatible Subjects

• EED108, EED109, EED417

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this subject, students should:

• have gained knowledge of contemporary educational research that examines how children learn and be able to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of important variables that influence learning
• gain knowledge and understanding of the major developmental and learning theories such as knowledge of behavioural theories, constructivist theories, cognitive theories, and systems theories
• know and understand the physical, socio-emotional, and cognitive processes that underpin learning
• understand contemporary Australian families and the different parenting (discipline) styles that exist
• understand the development of self-regulation, how socio-emotional learning (SEL) is promoted in the classroom, and how the use of cognitive, meta-cognitive, and memory strategies improve learning

Syllabus

This subject will cover the following topics:

• Major contemporary theories of learning including behavioural theory, constructivist theories (Piaget and Vygotsky), Information Processing Theory, theories of socio-emotional development, and ecological (systems) theory
• Neurobiological development during the primary school years
• Families, parenting styles, community resources, and effective communication
• Socio-emotional development and the self
• Children's language and cognitive development from the Foundation year to Year 6
• Intelligence, motivation, and achievement in the academic domains
• Moral development, lying, and discipline
• High incidence disorders of childhood, resiliency, and bio/psycho/social explanatory models of high incidence childhood disorders
• Peer relationships, peer statuses, empathy, and school bullying

Workplace Learning

This subject contains a 7 to 10 days Compulsory Workplace Learning component. The subject has an embedded professional experience requiring attendance at a local primary school (for 6 hours a day in each session). During this experience, students will focus on the systematic observation of children, the use of formal and informal assessment data, and apply effective verbal and non-verbal communication/listening skills to support engagement with learning.