Bachelor of Teaching (Early Childhood Education)

Practical courses connect theory with practice and are strongly aligned with sector needs to ensure work-ready graduates equipped with skills and knowledge required for ECE teaching positions or for further study at postgraduate level.

This qualification will prepare you for a career as an early childhood teacher within a range of ECE settings including, kindergartens, education and care centres, teacher-led home-based care agencies, and puna reo or other language immersion settings. Graduates of the programme are eligible to apply to the Teaching Council Aotearoa for Teacher Registration

What you will learn:

Graduates of the programme will have the skills to:

• Demonstrate an in-depth understanding and knowledge of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, te reo Māori and tikanga Māori in early childhood education settings to support tamariki Māori to enjoy educational success as Māori
• Utilise skills for engaging appropriately and effectively with tamariki, their parents, families and whānau, aiga, as well as colleagues, stakeholder professionals and external organisations supporting early childhood education settings.
• Critically analyse effective practices for planning, differentiating and implementing learning and teaching practices for tamariki and rangatahi of diverse backgrounds and which meet specific learning needs across the full range of abilities in early childhood education settings
• Utilise current research on tamariki development in the physical, social, intellectual, emotional and cultural domains to facilitate accurate and useful planning, programming and assessment of learning and for learning in early childhood education settings
• Demonstrate learning gained in multiple, varied early childhood practicum opportunities with the support of accomplished mentors
• Apply critical reflection to continually improve teaching knowledge and skills, and collaborate effectively with professional colleagues within and beyond their early childhood education context.

 Programme Delivery

You will access courses online with academic support from academic staff members. Contact with your academic staff members and other students will occur at regional workshops, noho marae, tutorials and during practicums over the course of your study.

 Noho marae

Noho marae are held at urban and rural marae around New Zealand and give you the opportunity to build your skills and knowledge required to teach effectively in a bicultural context.

For ākonga enrolled in Tō Tātou Tiriti courses, below are the dates and locations of the noho marae offered in the first half of 2024 (details for noho marae offered in the second half of 2024 will be posted once confirmed). Please note that while these dates and venues are as confirmed as they can be, a change might occasionally be required.

• Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland: 11-12 May 2024, Ngā Kete Wānanga Marae, MIT
• Rotorua: 18-19 May 2024, Tangatarua Marae
• Te Awa Kairangi ki Uta/Upper Hutt: 13-14 April 2024, Ōrongomai Marae
• Ōtautahi/Christchurch: 4-5 May 2024, Ōnuku Marae
• Ōtepoti/Dunedin: 25-26 May 2024, Puketeraki Marae

Workshop Schedule

Trimester 2 workshop schedule

Workshops and Noho Marae under COVID-19

In-person workshops and noho marae will be reinstated from Trimester 1 2023 for some courses. Times, dates and venues will be in the Workshop Schedule.

Practicum

During the programme you will gain teaching experience in five assessed practicums, totalling 120 days in a number of approved licenced early childhood centres. Each practicum offers you the opportunity to work alongside children and qualified early childhood teachers to integrate your learning in relation to everyday teaching experiences. You will attend practicum workshops each year to prepare you for the practicum experience.

 During each practicum:

• you will have support from an associate teacher working in the early childhood centre and your regional lecturer.
• you will be part of all aspects of the centre’s programme during this time.

This programme's enrolment dates differ from our standard dates.

New learners need to apply five weeks before their preferred start date. Re-enrolling learners can follow the standard enrolment dates for this programme. 

Please use this table for specific enrolment close dates for new learners: