Students

EDST8702 – Contemporary Curriculum and Pedagogy in Early Childhood

2026 – Session 1, In person-scheduled-infrequent, North Ryde

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit Convenor
Dr Nicole Jamison
nicole.jamison@mq.edu.au
Contact via Contact via iLearn Dialogue
25BWW 615
By appointment
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Admission to Master of Education
Corequisites Corequisites
FOAR8020 or FOAR8030
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

What does it mean to create responsive, research-informed curriculum for infants, toddlers, and young children in a rapidly changing world? This unit invites students to critically engage with contemporary theories and approaches to curriculum and pedagogy in early childhood education, with a particular focus on the first five years of life. Drawing on philosophical, psychological, and sociocultural perspectives, students will explore current issues in learning, recognising the distinctions in education and care for infant-toddlers and young children aged three to eight years. Through critical reflection and curriculum analysis, students evaluate how theory informs pedagogy and how pedagogy is enacted in diverse early childhood settings. Students will develop advanced knowledge and autonomy in interrogating pedagogical strategies that are developmentally appropriate, culturally responsive, and aligned with evidence-based practice. By the end of the unit, students will be able to identify, justify, and communicate high-quality learning experiences for infant-toddlers and young children aged three to eight years

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: Apply advanced understanding of theoretical developments in early childhood curriculum and pedagogy to interrogate and evaluate learning experiences.
  • ULO2: Analyse and justify curriculum approaches that respond to the diverse needs, interests, and capabilities of children from birth to eight years.
  • ULO3: Evaluate a range of pedagogical strategies that promote inquiry, creativity, and meaningful learning.
  • ULO4: Critically evaluate philosophical and theoretical approaches that inform pedagogy and curriculum design in early childhood education contexts.
  • ULO5: Analyse and synthesise current research and practice issues to inform curriculum development and responsive early childhood education.

General Assessment Information

General Submission Information 

Please format assessments using 12-point font and 1.5 spacing. 

All assessments must be submitted electronically. Turnitin plagiarism detection software is used to check all written assessments. It is the responsibility of all students to ensure that their submitted work is in a format compatible with Turnitin software for plagiarism checking. Submissions must meet the required file type and formatting specifications outlined in the assessment guidelines. Failure to submit work in an acceptable format may result in delays in processing your submission and potential penalties for non-compliance with assessment requirements. If you are unsure about the file format or have technical difficulties, it is your responsibility to seek assistance before the submission deadline. Students should be careful to check that they submit the correct file for an assessment as no re-submissions will be accepted after the due date and time, including instances where students upload an incorrect file. It is not the responsibility of unit staff to contact students who have failed to submit assessments. If you have any missing items of assessment, it is your responsibility to contact the unit convenor. 

Students can use Turnitin’s Originality Report as a learning tool to improve their academic writing if this option is made available in the unit. 

Word limits are strictly applied. Work above the word limit will not be marked.  

Students should be aware of and apply the University policy on academic integrity (see: https://policies.mq.edu.au/document/view.php?id=3).  

Special Consideration / Late Penalties 

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (of the total possible mark) will be applied each day to late submissions, up until the 7th calendar day (including weekends). After the 7th day, a mark of ‘0’ (zero) will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted. Submission time for all written assessments is set at 11.55pm. A 1-hour grace period is provided to students who experience a technical issue.  

Important to note: 

  • Late submission of time sensitive tasks (such as tests/exams, performance assessments/presentations, scheduled practical assessments/labs) will be addressed by the unit convenor in a Special consideration application. 

  • Students should not request an informal arrangement from their tutor, lecturer or Unit Convenor (or equivalent). 

  • Where an application for Special Consideration is approved and the outcome is an extension to the due date of a task, submissions that are received after the new due date will be subject to late penalties that are calculated from the new due date. This only applies where the outcome is an extension to the due date – see the Special Consideration Policy for a schedule of all possible outcomes. 

  • A Special Consideration outcome may result in a new question or topic. 

Applications must be made via Service Connect.  

Marking 

All assessments are marked using a rubric. 

Marking of all assessments is moderated by the Unit Convenor. 

University Policy on Grading 

Assignments will be awarded grades ranging from HD to F according to guidelines set out in the University's Grading System and University Assessment Policy.  

To attain a pass or higher grade in Professional Experience a student must obtain a satisfactory in both the Professional Experience component and a pass or higher grade in the academic component. For Professional Experience units the Professional Experience Evaluation Report is marked as Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory. The Macquarie Teaching Performance Assessment (MQTPA - in final WIL/PEx units) is marked as Not met, Met or Exceeds. 

Results 

Results shown in iLearn, or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed because they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit Service Connect. 

Withdrawing from this unit 

If you are considering withdrawing from this unit, please seek academic advice via Service Connect before doing so as this unit may be a co-requisite or prerequisite for units in the following sessions and may impact your course progression. 

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due Groupwork/Individual Short Extension AI Approach
Reflective Essay 50% No 23:55 14/04/2026 Individual No Open
An investigation into one of the curriculum topics covered in the unit, with an accompanying report and a succinct presentation on the findings of the investigation suitable for an early childhood educator and/or parent audience. 50% No 23:55 10/06/2026 Individual No Open

Reflective Essay

Assessment Type 1: Written Submission
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: 23:55 14/04/2026
Weighting: 50%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: No
AI Approach: Open

A reflective essay that critically examines how current pedagogical thinking informs and/or impacts early childhood curriculum.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Apply advanced understanding of theoretical developments in early childhood curriculum and pedagogy to interrogate and evaluate learning experiences.
  • Critically evaluate philosophical and theoretical approaches that inform pedagogy and curriculum design in early childhood education contexts.
  • Analyse and synthesise current research and practice issues to inform curriculum development and responsive early childhood education.

An investigation into one of the curriculum topics covered in the unit, with an accompanying report and a succinct presentation on the findings of the investigation suitable for an early childhood educator and/or parent audience.

Assessment Type 1: Professional task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 32 hours
Due: 23:55 10/06/2026
Weighting: 50%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: No
AI Approach: Open

2000 word report and presentation
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Apply advanced understanding of theoretical developments in early childhood curriculum and pedagogy to interrogate and evaluate learning experiences.
  • Analyse and justify curriculum approaches that respond to the diverse needs, interests, and capabilities of children from birth to eight years.
  • Evaluate a range of pedagogical strategies that promote inquiry, creativity, and meaningful learning.
  • Critically evaluate philosophical and theoretical approaches that inform pedagogy and curriculum design in early childhood education contexts.
  • Analyse and synthesise current research and practice issues to inform curriculum development and responsive early childhood education.

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • Academic Success for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation.

3 An automatic short extension is available for some assessments. Apply through the Service Connect Portal.

Delivery and Resources

Required texts

Information about the unit iLearn site   

This unit has a full web presence through iLearn. Information for students about access to the online component of this unit is available at https://ilearn.mq.edu.au/login/index.php. You will need to enter your student username and password.  

Please do NOT contact the Unit Convenor regarding iLearn technical help. Assistance is available from IT Helpdesk: via email onehelp@mq.edu.au or Ph: 9850 4357 or 1800 67 4357. On Campus: Ground floor at 18 Wally’s Walk. 

Unit Schedule

Unit Schedule

This unit is divided into 3 modules. Module 1 focuses on 'Introduction to Curriculum and Pedagogy' and covers two topics: 1) Exploring the meaning of early childhood curriculum and pedagogy and 2) Exploring diverse curricula and pedagogies. Module 2 is 'A focus on Pedagogy' and covers 3 topics: 1) Infant and toddler curriculum, 2) Language and literacy curriculum in the early years, 3) Mathematics, science (and technology) and the arts curriculum in the early years. Module 3 focuses on 'Early Childhood Education and Care Curricula Frameworks in Australia' and covers 1 topic: 1) Unpacking and critiquing the EYLF.

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit connect.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

School of Education Procedures 

In addition, the following policies and procedures for the Macquarie School of Education apply to this unit. 

Academic Progression Policy

This unit is a part of a professional course listed on Schedules 2 and 3 of the Academic Progression Policy. This course has additional requirements that are applicable for the full duration of the course, including course-specific Inherent Requirements, Fitness to Practice requirements and other compulsory course requirements. It also has rigorous academic progression standards. Inability to meet these requirements may result in a withdrawal of offer of admission and/or permanent exclusion from the course in accordance with the General Coursework Rules. 

Communication 

It is the student’s responsibility to check all electronic communication on a weekly basis.  Communication may occur via: 

  • Official MQ Student Email Address 

  • The Dialogue function on iLearn 

  • Other iLearn communication functions 

Attendance and Participation ALL Students

There are two COMPULSORY on campus sessions for this unit. Information about the dates of the on-campus sessions can be found in the university timetable. See the University timetable for information about when classes begin in this unit. Creating your timetable - Enrolling | Macquarie University, Sydney (mq.edu.au) 

Attendance at all synchronous activities, completion of non-synchronous formative/diagnostic class tasks and involvement in professional forums is expected as the Master of Education is a professional qualification. Activities completed during weekly tutorials (DAY or ONLINE DAY mode) or on campus days (INFQ mode) are essential for building the core knowledge and/or skills required to demonstrate the learning outcomes of this unit. Attendance at all tutorials and/or on campus days is expected. Make up tasks may be given if attendance is missed to ensure all content is covered to meet accreditation requirements.  

Students are required to attend the tutorial in which they are enrolled. Any changes to tutorial enrolments must be completed officially through e-Student. Please do not contact the unit convenor to request a change. 

Infrequent Attendance Students ONLY 

Information about the dates of the on-campus sessions can be found in the university timetable. Creating your timetable - Enrolling | Macquarie University, Sydney (mq.edu.au) 

  • The on-campus sessions are essential to student engagement and learning and attendance is expected.  

  • Prior to the on-campus sessions, students should have read the prescribed readings and listened to the lectures, summarise the main points, and make notes of the key terms and definitions. Prepare any discussion questions of your own that you wish to share. 

  • Please make effective use of the online component of the unit and access iLearn regularly. Keep up to date with listening to the lectures on a weekly basis. 

  • Further details and any updates about times and locations will be posted on iLearn as an Announcement during first half of the semester. 

On-line Flexible Students ONLY

Students in this mode do NOT attend in-person.

  • Students are expected to make effective use of the online component of the unit and access iLearn regularly. Keep up to date with listening to the  lectures on a weekly basis.
  • Occasional optional 'drop-in' sessions via Zoom will be provided througout the unit. Information about these sessions will be provided on i-Learn.
  • Further details and any updates about times and locations will be posted on iLearn as an Announcement during first half of the semester.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Academic Success

Academic Success provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via the Service Connect Portal, or contact Service Connect.

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/. 

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Unit information based on version 2026.03 of the Handbook