EUB106 Early Childhood Pedagogy, Curriculum and Play-Based Learning
To view more information for this unit, select Unit Outline from the list below. Please note the teaching period for which the Unit Outline is relevant.
| Unit code: | EUB106 |
|---|---|
| Credit points: | 12 |
| Timetable | Details in HiQ, if available |
| Availabilities |
|
| CSP student contribution | $592 |
| Domestic tuition unit fee | $3,816 |
| International unit fee | $4,932 |
Unit Outline: Semester 1 2026, Kelvin Grove, Internal
| Unit code: | EUB106 |
|---|---|
| Credit points: | 12 |
| Coordinator: | Shelley Radanovic | shelley.radanovic@qut.edu.au |
Overview
This unit introduces key concepts about effective pedagogy, curriculum, and play-based learning in early childhood education settings. Theories and approaches that inform best practice in early childhood education will be explored and evaluated. Further, these will be applied to plan learning experiences based on understandings of learners, curriculum sources, teaching, and assessment strategies.
This unit will also introduce national and state curricular and policy documents, including the Early Years Learning Framework, the Queensland Kindergarten Learning Guideline, and the National Quality Standard.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:
- Design learning experience plans with clear learning goals that align with the curriculum and are responsive to young children who are learning to manage their feelings and behaviours appropriately.
- Apply a range of teaching, assessment and behaviour guidance strategies to plan creative, engaging and age-appropriate learning experiences.
- Critically reflect on early childhood theories and approaches that inform practice in the early years.
- Reflect on the value of working within a code of ethics for educators engaging with diverse children, families and other professionals.
Content
This unit will cover:
- early childhood curriculum, pedagogical principles, and approaches to assessment and behaviour guidance in early childhood education settings;
- the context, purpose, and structure of the national Early Years Learning Framework and related Queensland Kindergarten Learning Guideline, with consideration of the broader policy context and roles of government and education departments;
- the design and management of age-appropriate, play-based learning activities that build on children's strengths, interests, and self-regulation; and
- early childhood theories and approaches that inform contemporary curriculum and pedagogical practices.
Learning Approaches
A range of teaching and learning strategies will be used including:
- lectures,
- tutorials,
- online materials,
- professional readings and recordings.
Feedback on Learning and Assessment
Feedback in this unit is provided to you in the following ways:
- feedback from peers during group discussions
- unit coordinator and tutor comments to the cohort
- formative assessment tasks, and
- summative assessment tasks.
Assessment
Overview
There are two assessment tasks in this unit:
- Teaching Philosophy Concept Map-
- Learning Experience Plan - This task draws on your understanding of early childhood pedagogy, curriculum, and play-based learning to plan a lesson for kindergarten aged children.
- Teaching Philosophy Interview - This task connects your learning about early childhood theories and approaches to your developing professional identity and practices.
Unit Grading Scheme
7- point scale
Assessment Tasks
Assessment: Teaching Philosophy Concept Map
You will develop your early childhood teaching philosophy drawing on the theories and/or approaches in a concept map.
This will provide a useful resource to support planning in subsequent unit assignments and in future professional experience placements.
This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.
The ethical and responsible use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools is authorised in this assessment. See the relevant assessment details in Canvas for specific guidelines.
Assessment: Learning Experience Plan
You will design a teaching and learning plan for children aged 3 to 5 years in a kindergarten setting. The learning experience plan will address at least one of the learning and development areas in the Queensland Kindergarten Learning Guideline.
Your learning experience plan will outline clear learning intentions, explicit links to the curriculum, teaching and assessment strategies.
This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.
The ethical and responsible use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools is authorised in this assessment. See the relevant assessment details in Canvas for specific guidelines.
Assessment: Teaching Philosophy Interview
You will be interviewed for ten minutes individually where you will answer four key questions which will address how your teaching philosophy is reflected in your developing practice based on the material you have explored thus far.
This assignment is NOT eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.
The ethical and responsible use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools is authorised in this assessment. See the relevant assessment details in Canvas for specific guidelines.
Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is a commitment to undertaking academic work and assessment in a manner that is ethical, fair, honest, respectful and accountable.
The Academic Integrity Policy sets out the range of conduct that can be a failure to maintain the standards of academic integrity. This includes, cheating in exams, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion and contract cheating. It also includes providing fraudulent or altered documentation in support of an academic concession application, for example an assignment extension or a deferred exam.
You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.
Breaching QUT’s Academic Integrity Policy or engaging in conduct that may defeat or compromise the purpose of assessment can lead to a finding of student misconduct (Code of Conduct – Student) and result in the imposition of penalties under the Management of Student Misconduct Policy, ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.
Resources
The following resource materials will be used throughout this unit.
Resource Materials
Recommended text(s)
Arthur, L., Beecher, B., Death, E., Dockett, S., & Farmer, S. (2020). Programming and planning in early childhood settings (8th ed.). South Melbourne, VIC: Cengage Learning.
Risk Assessment Statement
There are no out-of-the-ordinary risks associated with general participation in this unit. Workplace Health and Safety protocols associated with computer use will apply.
Standards/Competencies
This unit is designed to support your development of the following standards\competencies.
Australian Professional Standards for Teachers
1 Professional Knowledge: Know students and how they learn
- Understand how students learn
Relates to: Teaching Philosophy Concept Map, Learning Experience Plan
2 Professional Knowledge: Know the content and how to teach it
- Content and teaching strategies of the teaching area
Relates to: Teaching Philosophy Concept Map, Learning Experience Plan - Content selection and organisation
Relates to: Learning Experience Plan - Curriculum, assessment and reporting
Relates to: Learning Experience Plan
3 Professional Practice: Plan for and implement effective teaching and learning
- Establish challenging learning goals
Relates to: Learning Experience Plan - Plan, structure and sequence learning programs
Relates to: Learning Experience Plan - Use teaching strategies
Relates to: Learning Experience Plan - Select and use resources
Relates to: Learning Experience Plan
4 Professional Practice: Create and maintain supportive and safe learning environments
- Support student participation
Relates to: Learning Experience Plan - Manage classroom activities
Relates to: Learning Experience Plan - Manage challenging behaviour
Relates to: Learning Experience Plan
5 Professional Practice: Assess, provide feedback and report on student learning
- Assess student learning
Relates to: Learning Experience Plan
7 Professional Engagement: Engage professionally with colleagues, parents/carers and the community
- Meet professional ethics and responsibilities
Relates to: Teaching Philosophy Concept Map
Course Learning Outcomes
This unit is designed to support your development of the following course/study area learning outcomes.ED34 Bachelor of Early Childhood Education (Birth to Five)
- Knowledgeable: Integrate theory, curriculum and context to plan, implement and evaluate learning and teaching.
Relates to: ULO1, ULO2, Learning Experience Plan - Reflective: Critically reflect on practice to engage in continuous quality improvement in early childhood contexts.
Relates to: ULO3, Teaching Philosophy Concept Map - Professional: Apply policy, legislative requirements, codes of conduct and ethical principles to early childhood practice.
Relates to: ULO4, Teaching Philosophy Concept Map
ED39 Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood)
- Knowledgeable: Apply professional knowledge to learning areas, learning and learners.
Relates to: ULO1, ULO2, Learning Experience Plan - Scholarly: Consider the ways in which educational theory and research inform and impact teaching practice.
Relates to: ULO3, Teaching Philosophy Concept Map - Innovative: Create innovative future-focused learning.
Relates to: ULO2, Learning Experience Plan - Ethical: Engage ethically and respectfully with learners, colleagues, parents/carers and community from diverse backgrounds.
Relates to: ULO4, Teaching Philosophy Concept Map
Unit Outline: Semester 1 2026, Online
| Unit code: | EUB106 |
|---|---|
| Credit points: | 12 |
Overview
This unit introduces key concepts about effective pedagogy, curriculum, and play-based learning in early childhood education settings. Theories and approaches that inform best practice in early childhood education will be explored and evaluated. Further, these will be applied to plan learning experiences based on understandings of learners, curriculum sources, teaching, and assessment strategies.
This unit will also introduce national and state curricular and policy documents, including the Early Years Learning Framework, the Queensland Kindergarten Learning Guideline, and the National Quality Standard.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:
- Design learning experience plans with clear learning goals that align with the curriculum and are responsive to young children who are learning to manage their feelings and behaviours appropriately.
- Apply a range of teaching, assessment and behaviour guidance strategies to plan creative, engaging and age-appropriate learning experiences.
- Critically reflect on early childhood theories and approaches that inform practice in the early years.
- Reflect on the value of working within a code of ethics for educators engaging with diverse children, families and other professionals.
Content
This unit will cover:
- early childhood curriculum, pedagogical principles, and approaches to assessment and behaviour guidance in early childhood education settings;
- the context, purpose, and structure of the national Early Years Learning Framework and related Queensland Kindergarten Learning Guideline, with consideration of the broader policy context and roles of government and education departments;
- the design and management of age-appropriate, play-based learning activities that build on children's strengths, interests, and self-regulation; and
- early childhood theories and approaches that inform contemporary curriculum and pedagogical practices.
Learning Approaches
A range of teaching and learning strategies will be used including:
- lectures,
- tutorials,
- online materials,
- professional readings and recordings.
Feedback on Learning and Assessment
Feedback in this unit is provided to you in the following ways:
- feedback from peers during group discussions
- unit coordinator and tutor comments to the cohort
- formative assessment tasks, and
- summative assessment tasks.
Assessment
Overview
There are two assessment tasks in this unit:
- Teaching Philosophy Concept Map-
- Learning Experience Plan - This task draws on your understanding of early childhood pedagogy, curriculum, and play-based learning to plan a lesson for kindergarten aged children.
- Teaching Philosophy Interview - This task connects your learning about early childhood theories and approaches to your developing professional identity and practices.
Unit Grading Scheme
7- point scale
Assessment Tasks
Assessment: Teaching Philosophy Concept Map
You will develop your early childhood teaching philosophy drawing on the theories and/or approaches in a concept map.
This will provide a useful resource to support planning in subsequent unit assignments and in future professional experience placements.
This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.
The ethical and responsible use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools is authorised in this assessment. See the relevant assessment details in Canvas for specific guidelines.
Assessment: Learning Experience Plan
You will design a teaching and learning plan for children aged 3 to 5 years in a kindergarten setting. The learning experience plan will address at least one of the learning and development areas in the Queensland Kindergarten Learning Guideline.
Your learning experience plan will outline clear learning intentions, explicit links to the curriculum, teaching and assessment strategies.
This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.
The ethical and responsible use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools is authorised in this assessment. See the relevant assessment details in Canvas for specific guidelines.
Assessment: Teaching Philosophy Interview
You will be interviewed for ten minutes individually where you will answer four key questions which will address how your teaching philosophy is reflected in your developing practice based on the material you have explored thus far.
This assignment is NOT eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.
The ethical and responsible use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools is authorised in this assessment. See the relevant assessment details in Canvas for specific guidelines.
Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is a commitment to undertaking academic work and assessment in a manner that is ethical, fair, honest, respectful and accountable.
The Academic Integrity Policy sets out the range of conduct that can be a failure to maintain the standards of academic integrity. This includes, cheating in exams, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion and contract cheating. It also includes providing fraudulent or altered documentation in support of an academic concession application, for example an assignment extension or a deferred exam.
You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.
Breaching QUT’s Academic Integrity Policy or engaging in conduct that may defeat or compromise the purpose of assessment can lead to a finding of student misconduct (Code of Conduct – Student) and result in the imposition of penalties under the Management of Student Misconduct Policy, ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.
Resources
The following resource materials will be used throughout this unit.
Resource Materials
Recommended text(s)
Arthur, L., Beecher, B., Death, E., Dockett, S., & Farmer, S. (2020). Programming and planning in early childhood settings (8th ed.). South Melbourne, VIC: Cengage Learning.
Risk Assessment Statement
There are no out-of-the-ordinary risks associated with general participation in this unit. Workplace Health and Safety protocols associated with computer use will apply.
Standards/Competencies
This unit is designed to support your development of the following standards\competencies.
Australian Professional Standards for Teachers
1 Professional Knowledge: Know students and how they learn
- Understand how students learn
Relates to: Teaching Philosophy Concept Map, Learning Experience Plan
2 Professional Knowledge: Know the content and how to teach it
- Content and teaching strategies of the teaching area
Relates to: Teaching Philosophy Concept Map, Learning Experience Plan - Content selection and organisation
Relates to: Learning Experience Plan - Curriculum, assessment and reporting
Relates to: Learning Experience Plan
3 Professional Practice: Plan for and implement effective teaching and learning
- Establish challenging learning goals
Relates to: Learning Experience Plan - Plan, structure and sequence learning programs
Relates to: Learning Experience Plan - Use teaching strategies
Relates to: Learning Experience Plan - Select and use resources
Relates to: Learning Experience Plan
4 Professional Practice: Create and maintain supportive and safe learning environments
- Support student participation
Relates to: Learning Experience Plan - Manage classroom activities
Relates to: Learning Experience Plan - Manage challenging behaviour
Relates to: Learning Experience Plan
5 Professional Practice: Assess, provide feedback and report on student learning
- Assess student learning
Relates to: Learning Experience Plan
7 Professional Engagement: Engage professionally with colleagues, parents/carers and the community
- Meet professional ethics and responsibilities
Relates to: Teaching Philosophy Concept Map
Course Learning Outcomes
This unit is designed to support your development of the following course/study area learning outcomes.ED34 Bachelor of Early Childhood Education (Birth to Five)
- Knowledgeable: Integrate theory, curriculum and context to plan, implement and evaluate learning and teaching.
Relates to: ULO1, ULO2, Learning Experience Plan - Reflective: Critically reflect on practice to engage in continuous quality improvement in early childhood contexts.
Relates to: ULO3, Teaching Philosophy Concept Map - Professional: Apply policy, legislative requirements, codes of conduct and ethical principles to early childhood practice.
Relates to: ULO4, Teaching Philosophy Concept Map
ED39 Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood)
- Knowledgeable: Apply professional knowledge to learning areas, learning and learners.
Relates to: ULO1, ULO2, Learning Experience Plan - Scholarly: Consider the ways in which educational theory and research inform and impact teaching practice.
Relates to: ULO3, Teaching Philosophy Concept Map - Innovative: Create innovative future-focused learning.
Relates to: ULO2, Learning Experience Plan - Ethical: Engage ethically and respectfully with learners, colleagues, parents/carers and community from diverse backgrounds.
Relates to: ULO4, Teaching Philosophy Concept Map