| CODE | EPE3008 | ||||||||
| TITLE | Quality in the Early Years, Multidisciplinary Teamwork and Leadership in Early Childhood Educational Setting | ||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 03 - Years 2, 3, 4 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 6 | ||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 6 | ||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Early Childhood and Primary Education | ||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit addresses the manner in which leaders, managers, school management teams, educators, other professionals and para-professionals contribute towards and shape the experiences that foster young children’s learning and development in different early childhood education and care environments. The study-unit also aims to sharpen students' sensitivity of the challenges and issues concerning the concepts of collaboration, communication, teamwork and reflective practice that shape the dynamics between parents, educators and other individuals during their practice. This, with a focus on increasing awareness about the multi-faceted nature of the ethical issues and the strategies involved when early years educators work with and alongside others in the best interests of young children and their families. Participants are expected to engage with knowledge and issues connected with the multi-agency collaborative work needed to address children's interests and needs across settings, centres and environments that cater for the education and care of young children. In tandem with this, participants are also expected to acquire a deeper understanding of the values, knowledge and skills connected with: leadership and management; parental involvement; and the importance of good pedagogical leadership within early years centres, settings and other early years environments. The study-unit also tackles quality in early years settings, the national quality standards and their implications to early years professionals. Study-Unit Aims: This study-unit aims to challenge participants to become aware of the need for collaborative work in order to engage with the complexity of the dynamics involved when meeting the individual needs of children. In order to achieve this, students need to locate their own leadership roles within scenarios and situations where they will very often have to act as advocates for children and families. Consequently, this course illustrates the importance of working collaboratively with parents, other professionals, para-professionals and others to support children’s healthy holistic development and learning. The course focuses on highlighting the sensitive nature of each individual story of each and every child within educational settings. In this way, professionals can focus on the holistic development of the children in their care and positively shape their development and learning. The study-unit also aims to promote a culture of quality in early years education settings, where quality standards guide practitioners as well the drive the experiences that young children are provided with are highlighted. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Engage with the issues of quality and equity in relation to early years leadership; - Acknowledge and engage with the knowledge that leadership cannot be separated from issues of quality and increasingly equity; - Engage with the multifaceted nature of strengths, needs and challenges that children and their families experience; - Acknowledge the importance of the support of parents or guardians for the child’s well-being, development and learning; - Criticise their own roles as leaders and advocates in support of children's and families needs; - Locate and collaborate with the variety of professionals that can support educators in understanding and addressing the strengths and needs of individual children; - Understand the benefits and and examine the processes associated with co-teaching for children with diverse needs; - Articulate the meaning of leadership within the early childhood setting; - Identify the early years leadership literature; - Articulate ideas and concepts that promote and nurture leadership strategies within an early childhood setting; - Understand the processes associated with collaborating with others as part of a team; - Examine the quality of early years leadership processes; - identify and explain the national quality standards in early childhood education as set by government. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Recognise the diverse needs of children that require multi-professional and multidisciplinary support; - Develop effective listening and feedback giving skills; - Develop collaborative relationships with parents, other staff in class and other professionals engaged in supporting children’s development and learning; - Engage in teamwork with other staff and professionals in assessment and organisation of learning activity; - Adopt and adapt processes that establish, sustain and develop quality of early years strategies and behaviours associated with early years leadership, as well as, nurture collaboration with other professionals for the benefit of children; - develop ways and methods which reflect a quality culture as is indicated in the National quality standards. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: - Aubrey, C. (2011). Leading and Managing in the Early Years. Sage. - Jones, C. & Pound, L. (2009). Leadership and Management in the Early Years. Berkshire: McGraw-Hill. - Lacey, P. (2006). Support partnerships: Collaboration in action. London: David Fulton. - McDowell, C. R. and Murray, J. (2012). Reconceptualizing Leadership in the Early Years. McGraw Hill. - Moyles, J. (2006). Effective Leadership and Management in the Early Years. Leamington Spa: Scholastic Publications. - Rodd, J. (2009). Leadership in Early Childhood. Berkshire: Open University Press. - Siraj-Blatchford, I & Hallet, E. (2013). Effective and Caring Leadership in the Early Years. Sage Publications. Reading Pack containing articles from leading journals. Availability of reports and peer-reviewed journal articles through the VLE. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture | ||||||||
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| LECTURER/S | Charmaine Bonello Mario Cutajar Denise Gatt Jacqueline Vanhear |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2023/4. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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