GDECE 101 Foundations of early childhood education Assessment 2 Assignment Sample

• Type Assignment
• Downloads561
• Pages12
• Words2890

Introduction - GDECE 101 Foundations of early childhood education Assessment 2

Resilience is delineated as the ability to recover from misfortune and change. It is based on adopting a challenging situation while experiencing emotional and mental exhaustion. Social justice has been referred to as the process which ensures that individuals fulfill their societal roles; the Western notion of social justice has set a rationale mean among vicious extremes of excess and deficiency in society (Gartland et al., 2024). Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islander Communities have been maintaining a special connection and responsibilities within the country, living with holistic belief systems that are intellectually and spiritually connected. Indigenous epistemologies have their own moral and ethical dimensions placed within ecologies and life systems (Gorman, 2023). Indigenous epistemologies and pedagogies are important in the context of Early Childhood Education [ECE] as their epistemologies are connected with sacred and secular holism. This report aims to examine the strategies for developing resilience in Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islander children along with considering the Western notion. It intends to develop an in-depth understanding of epistemologies and policy development in ECE over the last 20 years and accordingly provide recommendations. This comprehensive analysis is a valuable resource for students seeking assignment help in understanding complex Indigenous perspectives and resilience building within Early Childhood Education.

Main Body

The "GDECE 101 Foundations of Early Childhood Education Assessment 2 Assignment Sample" provides a detailed exploration of crucial concepts in early childhood education, focusing on resilience development and social justice within diverse communities. This assignment sample emphasizes the importance of understanding Indigenous epistemologies, particularly those of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and how these knowledge systems inform pedagogical approaches in Early Childhood Education (ECE). It integrates Western perspectives with Indigenous worldviews to offer a comprehensive analysis of how resilience can be nurtured in young children facing various social and emotional challenges. The sample also highlights policy developments over the past two decades, making it an invaluable guide for students seeking to deepen their understanding of ECE frameworks and cultural responsiveness. By engaging with this assignment sample, learners gain practical insights into effective strategies for promoting ethical, inclusive, and culturally sensitive education practices within early learning environments. This resource is ideal for those looking for focused guidance on completing their coursework and enhancing their academic performance in the subject.

GDECE 101 Foundations of early childhood education Assessment 2 Assignment Sample

Liked This Sample? Hire Me Now

Penny Bevan 6 Years | MSc

1-Building resilience in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children

Resilience is considered as an individual positive adaptation for experiencing adversity, the central question of resilience has been rarely questioned. The understanding of resilience has been framed in the Western understanding but they are unquestioningly has been accepted and reframed by the Indigenous community (Stanley et al, 2024). The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community resilience is strengthened by their collective experiences that are concerned with- transgenerational grief, shared resources and support structures. Resilience in early childhood education is essential as it enables children to adopt past traumas, threats and tragedies. In early year setting educators are accountable for looking upon children's abilities and specifically for Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islander children (Stanley et al, 2024). Resilience proves to be a strength-based construct that has been often proven effective for understanding the differences between health and well-being. Many educators have started to adopt Indigenous perspectives in their teaching techniques. This enables non-Indigenous to learn about Australian culture effectively.

The reconciliation agenda implied by the UN on the Rights of Indigenous people has been setting a benchmark in early-year education where Aboriginal children must have equal opportunities (Althaus et al, 2022). The reconciliation Action plan in Australia is completely committed to eradicating the gap between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous children. Look, listen and Learn [2023-2026] has been developed upon the previous ECA’s action plan aligned with respect, connect and enact [2012-2016] and the Embed, Enable and Strive [2018-2020]. The look, listen and learn is based on the belief that good attention and cooperation can lead to developing significant support for children (Australian Curriculum, 2022). Thus, the attention of Indigenous children can be gained by developing a sense of belongingness and maintaining equality in the setting. The source of resilience for Aboriginal children in the ECE context is to ensure equality for Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islander children in their early years. EYLF principle “Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives” is based on asking educators to empower themselves and move beyond learning (Early Years Learning Framework, 2022). Teaching about the culture of the Indigenous community enables children to make their perspective and higher engagement can be ensured within the setting. 

The Western notion of social justice has been embedded in the manifestation of human rights for each individual in society. Building resilience in early years can lead to supporting Aboriginal children to experience an inclusive environment where no discrimination has been done (Blewitt et al, 2020). This is considered as their human right and accordingly, no discrimination should be done against them. There are different sources of resilience that entail the Western notion of social justice and further can be implied in early-year settings. These sources are multifaced adhering to resilience frameworks such as; well-being and developing a strong sense of connection. Building resilience prepares children to face challenging situations and difficulties positively. The major sources can include traditions, cultural knowledge, practices which has been passed via different generations (Blewitt et al, 2020). The cultural resources offer the sense of stability and continuity; this can boost the belonging and identity of children. Community and family is important in providing the emotional support and nurturing the resilience and a sense of security. Therefore, forming collaboration is essential to nurture resilience capabilities.

2- Understanding the epistemologies of Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islander and how it can be used in ECE

It is highly pivotal to understand the Aboriginal’s people long-standing relationship with their land as they represent the oldest surviving culture in the world. The indigenous community is aware of the economic and social system structured on the Western epistemologies. Reconciliation is determined as the pathway that focuses on improving the health of Indigenous people (Clay-William et al, 2020). The epistemological and pedagogical approach has recently brought the change in early year setting. The early year practitioners emphasise adopting the Indigenous perception within their teaching methods. In 1987, a major element for Indigenous children's academic underachievement was found to be the conflict developed between the educational system and the family environment (Graham, 2020). This loophole was identified by the National Aboriginal Education Council. Irrespective of undermining traditional heritage Aboriginal education needs to be built in a way where cultural heritage can be promoted. the curriculum changes led to a strong identity for Aboriginal children. In order to develop a strong Australian History, there is a need to be taught about Aboriginal culture, lives and struggles (Graham, 2020). The epistemological principle of holism aligned with Indigenous pedagogies which focuses on developing human beings and enhancing the resilience of individuals.

Epistemology has been holding significant importance with respect to shaping the views of individuals on their acquired knowledge. It is impacting the attitude and learning efficacy of children along with increasing their engagement (Kearney, 2023). Epistemology has been used to promote critical thinking in children and support in reflecting on the learning process. Sharing stories regarding Aboriginal culture supports promoting cultural understanding and connection in ECE. This led to enabling children to develop empathy and self-families (Woodcock et al, 2022). The stories can be shared concerning the importance of the family community and respecting the land. For example- The story of the Rainbow Serpent can be taught to children, it supports in development connection between people, land and culture. Land-based learning incorporates outdoor activities which further encourage the connection with land and nature. This can support in developing the sense of belongingness in children towards the environment (Woodcock et al, 2022). It also supports performing one of the EYLF principles “Sustainability”. This is based on developing understanding in children regarding the environment (Early Years Learning Framework, 2022). The group activities need to be organised as they develop a sense of community and children can learn about cultural competence. The teaching practices must be culturally responsive and aligned with undertaking Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives and values in the lesson (Early Years Learning Framework, 2022). This results in developing an effectual environment in the setting which is highly important for boosting the morals of children.

3- Policy development under Early Childhood education [ECE] in past 20 years

Over the past years, there are various key policy developments and changes have been undertaken in order to promote the inclusion of Indigenous epistemologies in the early years. The National Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islander Education Strategy [2005] has been taken to enhance the Indigenous outcomes and culturally responsive teaching was promoted within the setting so that participation of Indigenous children can be increased in the ECE (Australian Government Department of Education, 2020). The Indigenous Education Strategic Initiative was undertaken to provide targeted support in using Indigenous resources and materials for promoting an inclusive environment (Australian Government Department of Education, 2020). The National Aboriginal Education Policy (2008) depicts the importance of cultural responsiveness within education that aligns with using Indigenous language, and histories along with curriculum development (Australian Government Department of Education, 2022).

The Australian Curriculum “Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islander Culture and Histories” aims to provide a distinct understanding of the Indigenous culture. This has also focused on the reconciliation process in order to increase the resilience ability in children (Australian Curriculum, 2022). The Early year learning framework is composed of varied principles and practices that have specifically focused on promoting an inclusive environment in the setting where all children especially, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children can get equal opportunity (Thorpe et al, 2020). EYLF principle “Respect for diversity” states that diverse culture needs to be promoted in a setting where each culture must be respected.

The Vision of EYLF is concerned with three main elements and those are- Belonging, being and becoming. The motive is to develop a sense of belongingness for Indigenous children so their confidence can be promoted and higher engagement can be assured in the setting (Early Years Learning Framework, 2022). The National Quality Standard has been propped by the Australian Curriculum that associates with 7 quality areas that need to be emphasised for enhancing child development. NQA 2 “Children’s Health and Safety” focuses on providing a safe environment for Indigenous children along with developing a safe and secure environment for children (National Quality Standard Quality Area, 2022). NQF refers to the National Quality Framework that focuses on undertaking quality improvement in early childhood settings. In accordance with the NQF the culture of Indigenous children has been valued and their relationship with the country has been prioritised (National Quality Standard Quality Area, 2022).

The Victorian Early Year Learning and Development framework is based on promoting Equity and diversity. VEYLF Outcome 1 “Children have a strong sense of identity” specifies that children who have a strong sense of identity are ready to experience new challenges (Australian Curriculum, 2022). Thus, it contributes to developing the resilience abilities of Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islander children.

These policies led to an increase in the representation of Indigenous children, parents and staff at the ECE. Cultural awareness and understanding have been initiated among the educators. As a result, there was an increase in using Indigenous languages and cultures within the setting for developing cultural competence (Slater et al, 2021). The cultural responsiveness proved to be enhanced and significant support was assured to the children. However, there are certain challenges witnessed and those are concerned with the limited professional development of practitioners, lack of representation of Indigenous perception and lack of access towards high-quality ECE pedagogy for Indigenous communities (Slater et al, 2021). Thus, it is highly important to develop a significant focus on this area so that corrective measures can be taken and resilience abilities for Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islander people can be developed.

4- Recommendations

Promoting resilience and representation of Indigenous perspectives-

It is important to support the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in enhancing their resilience capabilities. It should be aligned with developing a learning environment that can celebrate and reflect the languages of Indigenous culture and offer different opportunities for each child to increase cultural heritage engagement (Lamb et al, 2020). Furthermore, emphasis needs to be made on developing strong relations among the communities and families as this plays an effective role in strengthening the Indigenous children.

Increasing investment in ECE

This is based on providing additional funds to ECE so that varied kinds of activities can be organised. In order to increase cultural competence and increasing resilience capabilities. It is highly important to focus on organising different activities related to play-based learning and nature. This led to boosting the confidence in children and developing their cultural knowledge in children (Simon et al, 2021). However, a lack of investment can lead to lack of resources that further results in impacting the teaching pattern. In order to organise different activities related to cultural competence higher investment must is needed. Therefore, it is important to increase the investment in ECE.

Organising training for the professional development of educators

The training must be organised for early year practitioners so they can come to know about how support can be assured to Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islander People. The workshops might help boost the knowledge of educators and a diverse culture in the setting could be developed (Simon et al, 2021). When the practitioner has effectual knowledge then this can be implied for developing an effective environment in the setting. There is no doubt in stating that there are varied policies that have been framed for Indigenous children but the main aspect aligns with the implementation of these policies. Henceforth, it is important to organise training for early-year practitioners so they can become able to learn about the ways in which support can be assured to Indigenous children.

Pedagogical content knowledge [PCK]

The educator needs to go beyond their knowledge to teach children; this is the belief adhered with PCK (Lamb et al, 2020). This supports in developing of a sense of belongingness in children which is crucial for enhancing their engagement level. In the early years, the practitioner needs to go beyond their theoretical knowledge as the needs and requirements of each child are different and the same philosophy does not work for everyone (Lamb et al, 2020). The Indigenous children should be given additional support and they must be made aware of their historical culture. This enables them to know about the potential of their community and further motivates them to experience resilience. Thus, in this manner significant support can be assured to Indigenous children and an inclusive environment can be developed in the setting.

Thus, the above-mentioned recommendations are stating about how resilience can be developed for Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islander children in the ECE.

Conclusion

Conclusively; this can be stated that it is important to consider the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander epistemologies within the early year setting. It supports promoting resilience and social justice; with the help of this inclusive environment can be developed in the setting and equal opportunity for all children is required to be ensured. Resilience enables Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children to cope with the difficult situation. The resilience is aligned with family ties, increasing cultural identity and developing community networks. There is need to focus on developing resilience ability and an inclusive environment in the setting and therefore, it is important to focus on increasing investment in ECE, including indigenous perspective, organising training and adopting PKC.

Reference

Books and Journals

• Althaus, C., Ball, S., Bridgman, P., Davis, G., & Threlfall, D. (2022). The Australian policy handbook: A practical guide to the policymaking process. Routledge.
• Australian Curriculum, (2022). <https://v9.australiancurriculum.edu.au/>
• Australian Government Department of Education. (2020). The Alice Springs (Mparntwe) Education Declaration. Canberra: Education Council. https://docs.education.gov.au/documents/alice-springs-mparntwe-education-declaration
• Australian Government Department of Education. (2022). Belonging, being and becoming: The early years learning framework for Australia (V2.0). Australian Government Department of Education for the Ministerial Council.
• Blewitt, C., Morris, H., Nolan, A., Jackson, K., Barrett, H., & Skouteris, H. (2020). Strengthening the quality of educator-child interactions in early childhood education and care settings: A conceptual model to improve mental health outcomes for preschoolers. Early Child Development and Care.
• Clay-Williams, R., Taylor, N., Winata, T., Ting, H. P., Arnolda, G., & Braithwaite, J. (2020). Organization quality systems and department-level strategies: refinement of the Deepening our Understanding in Quality in Australia (DUQuA) organization and department-level scales. International Journal for Quality in Health Care, 32(Supplement_1), 22-34.
• Early Years Learning Framework, (2022). <https://www.acecqa.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-01/EYLF-2022-V2.0.pdf>
• Gartland, D., Nikolof, A., Mensah, F., Gee, G., Glover, K., Leane, C., ... & Brown, S. J. (2024). The Childhood Resilience Study: Resilience and emotional and behavioural well-being experienced by Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander boys and girls aged 5–9 years. Plos one, 19(4), e0301620.
• Gorman, E. R. (2023). Measuring resilience and wellbeing in young Aboriginal people: A psychometric evaluation (Doctoral dissertation, Murdoch University).
• Graham, L. J. (2020). Inclusive education in the 21st century. In Inclusive education for the 21st century (pp. 3-26). Routledge.
• Kearney, S. (2023). Teacher induction in Australia: Historical context and current challenges. Issues in Educational Research, 33(1), 118-136.
• Lamb, S., Huo, S., Walstab, A., Wade, A., Maire, Q., Doecke, E., ... & Endekov, Z. (2020). Educational opportunity in Australia 2020: Who succeeds and who misses out.
• National Quality Standard Quality Area, (2022). <https://www.acecqa.gov.au/nqf/national-quality-standard>
• Simon, S., Heck, D., Christie, M., & Farragher, Y. (2021). Leading pedagogical reform: Australian principals tell their stories. International Journal of Leadership in Education, 24(2), 266-289.
• Slater, P. J., Osborne, C. J., Herbert, A. R., & Quality of Care Collaborative Australia. (2021). Ongoing value and practice improvement outcomes from pediatric palliative care education: the quality of care collaborative Australia. Advances in medical education and practice, 1189-1198.
• Stanley, R. M., McKnight, A., Probst, Y., O’Flynn, G., Tillott, S., & Cullunghutti Aboriginal Child and Family Centre. (2024). Strong culture, healthy lifestyles: a mixed methods feasibility study for a co-created afterschool cultural programme for Australian Aboriginal children. Pilot and Feasibility Studies, 10(1), 31.
• Thorpe, K., Jansen, E., Sullivan, V., Irvine, S., McDonald, P., & Early Years Workforce Study team Thorpe Karen Irvine Sue McDonald Paula Lunn Joanne Sumsion Jennifer Ferguson Angela Lincoln Mary Liley Kate Spall Pam. (2020). Identifying predictors of retention and professional well-being of the early childhood education workforce in a time of change. Journal of educational change, 21(4), 623-647.
• Woodcock, S., Sharma, U., Subban, P., & Hitches, E. (2022). Teacher self-efficacy and inclusive education practices: Rethinking teachers’ engagement with inclusive practices. Teaching and teacher education, 117, 103802.