Note: As a subsidiary of Te Pūkenga - New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology, UCOL Te Pūkenga is committed to providing the best learning outcome for you. As part of this, all programmes are currently being reviewed to make them portable, consistent, and closely aligned with the needs of the industry. When published, this course information is correct, but the courses offered may change over time. If you have any questions call an Enrolment Advisor on 0800 468 265.

From 2023, UCOL Te Pūkenga and the programme you have enrolled in will become part of Te Pūkenga. So, if you join UCOL Te Pūkenga in 2023, you will be awarded Te Pūkenga certification. And, if you are a current learner graduating in 2023, you will be awarded a co-branded certificate.

This programme consists of 360 Credits. The course includes;

Year 1

Child Development (15 Credits)
This course will introduce you to the theoretical perspectives of child development (from birth to six years) relevant to the context of Aotearoa New Zealand.

Education and Society (15 Credits)
This course examines underlying social and cultural contexts in education including Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the implications for early childhood education in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Professional Inquiry in Practice 1: Professional and Reflective Practice (15 Credits)
This course will introduce you to the knowledge, practice, values, and attitudes required to be an effective professional teacher in early childhood education.

Professional Inquiry in Practice 2: Communication and Relationships (15 Credits)
This course will further develop your knowledge, practice, values, and attitudes as required to be an effective professional teacher in early childhood education.

Te Puna Reo (15 Credits)
This course will introduce you to te Reo Māori me ngā Tikanga and their relevance to early childhood services.

Play, Curriculum, and Pedagogy (15 Credits)
This course will introduce the early childhood curriculum Te Whāriki and explore the concept of play as a curriculum in early childhood education in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Artistic Languages of Children (15 Credits)
This course will help you develop curriculum knowledge, skills, and an understanding of effective learning and teaching processes and strategies in visual arts, music, and movement.

Educational Approaches (15 Credits)
This course will help you understand historical and contemporary educational ideas, philosophies and approaches that inform early childhood education in Aotearoa New Zealand.


Field Base Experience Placement
Learners will need to source an early childhood service to support their Field base experience placement, prior to the course start date.

They will be required to complete a total of 14 weeks (12 hours per week) in semester one and 10 weeks (12 hours per week) in semester 2. Totaling 288 hours for the year. These hours are completed over 2 days in a week, either on a Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday.

Practical Experience Placement
Learners will be placed in an early childhood setting organised by UCOL Te Pūkenga to complete 120 hours (4 weeks) of work experience in semester 2. Practical experience placements and successful completion of the programme are dependent on a satisfactory police check and our (UCOL Te Pūkenga) ability to place learners successfully.

Year 2

Infants and Toddlers: First 1000 days (15 Credits)
This course will critically examine the requirements for providing education and care for infants and toddlers in early childhood settings.

Equity & Diversity (15 Credits)
This course will help you understand historical and social issues connected to diversity and the achievement of educational equity for infants, toddlers, young children, and their families in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Professional Inquiry in Practice 3: Assessment for Learning and Teaching (15 Credits)
This programme will provide you with the skills and knowledge to assess learning in early childhood settings.

Professional Inquiry in Practice 4: Personal and Professional Identity (15 Credits)
This course will help you develop a reflective practitioner's professional knowledge, skills, and attitudes within early childhood settings.

Te Puna Tikanga (15 Credits)
This course will enable you to apply concepts and knowledge of Tikanga Māori to reflective teaching practice, planning, implementation, and evaluation of early childhood curriculum.

Emergent Literacies (15 Credits)
This course will help you develop content knowledge, skills, and understanding of effective learning and teaching approaches for developing and supporting young children’s emerging literacies.

Early Mathematical and Scientific Concepts (15 Credits)
This course will help you understand how infants, toddlers, and young children learn mathematical and scientific concepts and apply this theoretical knowledge in meaningful ways within early childhood settings.

Introduction to Educational Research (10 Credits)
This course will introduce you to educational research methods and develop the skills, knowledge, and attitudes required to be an effective practitioner-researcher.

Field Base Experience Placement
Learners will need to source an early childhood service to support their Field base experience placement, prior to the course start date.

They will be required to complete a total of 9 weeks (12 hours per week) in semester one and 14 weeks (12 hours per week) in semester 2. Totaling 276 hours for the year. These hours are completed over 2 days in a week, either on a Monday, Tuesday, or Friday.

Practical Experience Placement
Learners will be placed in an early childhood setting organised by UCOL Te Pūkenga to complete 150 hours (5 weeks) of work experience in semester 1. Practical experience placements and successful completion of the programme are dependent on a satisfactory police check and our (UCOL Te Pūkenga) ability to place learners successfully.

Year 3

Holistic Wellbeing of Teachers (10 Credits)
This course will critically explore contemporary issues that impact teacher well-being.

Pedagogy, Policy, and Practice (15 Credits)
This course will help you apply critical reflection and analysis of societal structures and processes to complex political issues that affect the early childhood education sector in Aotearoa New Zealand and internationally.

Professional Inquiry in Practice 5: Professional Leadership (15 Credits)
This course will provide you with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes required to fulfil leadership roles and responsibilities within early childhood settings.

Professional Inquiry in Practice 6: Collaborative Partnerships (20 Credits)
This course will focus on blending the professional skills, knowledge, and attitudes of a graduating early childhood teacher.

Te Puna Mātauranga (15 Credits)
This course will help you understand Mātauranga Māori and its implications for future teaching practice.

Environments and Learning (15 Credits)
This course will critically explore early childhood learning environments and the influence of historical and contemporary perspectives in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Whakatōpū Arotakenga (15 Credits)
This course will consolidate prior learning and demonstrate the skills, knowledge, and competencies of an effective reflective practitioner.

Teacher as Researcher (15 Credits)
This course will provide you with an opportunity to plan and implement an action research project in an early childhood education setting.

Field Base Experience Placement
Learners will need to source an early childhood service to support their Field base experience placement, prior to the course start date.

They will be required to complete a total of 9 weeks (12 hours per week) in semester one and 7 weeks (12 hours per week) in semester 2. Totaling 192 hours for the year. These hours are completed over 2 days in a week.

Practical Experience Placement
In the third year, learners will complete a 7 week practicum in Semester 2. In 5 of these weeks, learners will be placed in an early childhood setting organised by UCOL Te Pūkenga to complete 150 hours of work experience. For the last 2 weeks, Learners will complete 60 hours of work experience in their field base service. Practical experience placements and successful completion of the programme are dependent on a satisfactory police check and our (UCOL Te Pūkenga) ability to place learners successfully.

Graduates of this three-year Bachelor of Teaching (Early Childhood Education) (Level 7) degree will have the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values to be competent, registered teachers in early childhood settings in New Zealand. Employment options may include:

Kindergarten
Early childhood centres
Home-based settings
Or staircase to further study
To find out more about possible job prospects and salaries for Teachers, see careers.govt.nz

Course Information