TCHR3001: Early Childhood Matters

Assessment 2: Position Paper

Summary

Title: Assessment 2

Type: Position paper

Due Date: Friday, April 10th at 11:59 pm AEST/AEDT (end of Week 6)

Length: 1500 words

Weighting: 50%

Submission: Word document submitted to Turnitin (do NOT submit PDF documents)

Unit Learning Outcomes

This assessment task maps to the following ULOs:

• ULO1: Identify a range of issues important to early childhood education and care.
• ULO2: Analyse a range of positions highlighted in authoritative literature on contemporary issues related to early childhood education and care.
• ULO3: Critically reflect on their personal approach/philosophy of learning, development and teaching within early childhood education and care in relation to contemporary issues.
• ULO4: Argue a position on current issues in early childhood education and care, in relation to the literature

Rationale

As an early childhood teacher your beliefs form the basis of your early childhood philosophy. How you implement this philosophy within your teaching practice will be influenced by a range of issues within your local and broader community.

Task Description

This task requires you to analyse and evaluate the various positions of the contemporary issues presented in Module 4 – 6. Include a personal reflection that explains your own position on a selected issue and critically analyse and justify your personal position in relation to current, scholarly literature.

Task Instructions

Drawing on the unit learning materials, unit tutorials and a range of relevant and current scholarly literature, select one issue addressed in Module 4 to 6 of this unit and:

1. Part 1: Analyse and evaluate the positions put forward on this issue within the unit materials and discussions. (500 words)
2. Part 2: Reflect on and synthesise your personal position on the issue explaining why and how it is relevant to you personally as a teacher/educator working with children, families, and other relevant stakeholders in the Australian early years sector (500 words).
3. Part 3: Justify your personal position on the issue using a range of relevant and current scholarly literature. (500 words).

Please note:

• Part 2 and Part 3 of this task can be written in first (“I” statements) or third person, however you need to be consistent over the task in the tense and person you use.
• All areas of your responses to this task need to be supported by relevant and current literature. This means you need to cite relevant and current (within the last 10 years) literature that supports what you are saying throughout your writing.
• Please refer to your rubric for the literature that you MUST include in your responses to each part of this task.
• Please remember that you must use scholarly literature in this task.

Please refer to the following documents to support you in addressing this task:

General:

• How to Incorporate Evidence into Your Writing – https://www.scu.edu.au/media/scudep/current-students/learning-zone/quickguides/how_to_incorporate_evidence_into_your_writing.pdf
• Summarising and Paraphrasing – https://www.scu.edu.au/media/scu-dep/currentstudents/learning-zone/quick-guides/summarising_and_paraphrasing.pdf

Part 1:

• You MUST refer to the unit learning materials and discussions in the recorded tutorial session/s that address the issue you select.
• Look at the meaning of ‘analyse’ and ‘evaluate’ in the following document – https://www.scu.edu.au/media/scu-dep/current-students/learning-zone/quickguides/common_instruction_words.pdf

Part 2:

• Read this document about Reflective Writing – https://www.scu.edu.au/media/scudep/current-students/learning-zone/quick-guides/reflective_writing.pdf

Part 3:

• Look at the meaning of ‘justify’ in the following document – https://www.scu.edu.au/media/scu-dep/current-students/learning-zone/quickguides/common_instruction_words.pdf
• Writing Paragraphs (PEEL method) – https://www.scu.edu.au/media/scu-dep/currentstudents/learning-zone/quick-guides/writing_paragraphs.pdf
• Planning and Writing Body Paragraphs (using the PEEL method) – https://www.scu.edu.au/media/scu-dep/current-students/learning-zone/quickguides/planning_and_writing_body_paragraphs.pdf

Formatting and style

APA 7 formatting is required for this task.

• Include a cover page that contains:
  1. The title of the task in bold
  2. Your name (as author),
  3. Your faculty (Faculty of Education)
  4. The unit code and name (TCHR3001 Early Childhood Matters)
  5. Your unit assessor’s name (Kelly Simpson)
  6. The due date
• Include a title or the prompt at the start of each response.
• Students may use headings that align with the task instructions to organise their responses.
• Indent the first line of each new paragraph.
• Use 12-point Arial font.
• Double line space your writing and your reference list.

Referencing

• APA Referencing style is required to be used for this task.
• Include one reference list for all responses on a new page at the end of your task. Place the title References in bold in the centre at the top of this page.
• At a minimum, your sources for this task will include the EYLF (AGDE, 2022), the NQF (ACECQA, 2023), a range of unit materials, and broader current scholarly literature.
• Broader literature may include textbooks, peer reviewed articles, and published newspaper and/or media articles by reputable sources (for example, the ABC, The Conversation, Early Childhood Australia)
• You need to include at least 8 scholarly references in your response to this task as well as the unit learning materials and the EYLF (AGDE, 2022) and NQS, (ACECQA, 2023).

Resources

• Academic Integrity – https://www.scu.edu.au/about/leadership/executive/academicportfolio-office-apo/academic-integrity-framework/
• SCU Student Learning Zone – https://www.scu.edu.au/current-students/learning-zone/
• The Early Years Learning Framework – https://www.acecqa.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-01/EYLF-2022-V2.0.pdf
• National Quality Standard – https://www.acecqa.gov.au/nqf/national-quality-standard
• Guide to the National Quality Framework (including the National Quality Standards) – https://www.acecqa.gov.au/nqf/about/guide

Referencing Style Resource

Please refer to the APA 7th Referencing Guide for this task – https://libguides.scu.edu.au/apa

Task Submission

Your task should be submitted using the submission point in the Turnitin folder titled Assessment 2: Position Paper in the assessment section of the unit site.

Play-based learning supports cognitive growth by allowing children to experiment and solve problems in engaging ways. Educators integrate intentional teaching within play to enhance skill development without limiting creativity. Research shows this method improves social skills and emotional regulation in young learners. Pyle and Danniels highlight the teacher’s role in balancing play and instruction for optimal outcomes. Pyle, A. and Danniels, E., 2017. A continuum of play-based learning: The role of the teacher in play-based pedagogy and the fear of hijacking play. Early Education and Development, 28(3), pp.274-289.

References

• Bassok, D., Latham, S. and Rorem, A., 2019. Is kindergarten the new first grade? AERA Open, 5(1), pp.1-31. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/2332858415616358
• Lillard, A.S., Lerner, M.D., Hopkins, E.J., Dore, R.A., Smith, E.D. and Palmquist, C.M., 2018. The impact of pretend play on children’s development: A review of the evidence. Psychological Bulletin, 144(1), pp.1-28. DOI: 10.1037/bul0000231
• Pyle, A., DeLuca, C. and Danniels, E., 2020. A scoping review of research on play-based pedagogies in kindergarten education. Review of Education, 8(2), pp.311-356. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1002/rev3.3179
• Weisberg, D.S., Hirsh-Pasek, K., Golinkoff, R.M., Kittredge, A.K. and Klahr, D., 2019. Guided play: Principles and practices. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 25(3), pp.177-182. DOI: 10.1177/0963721416645512