Bachelor's Programme in Early Childhood Education and Care Programme description

The programme description for the Bachelor’s Programme in Early Childhood Education and Care is based on the National Curriculum Regulations for Kindergarten Teacher Education adopted by the Ministry of Education and Research on 4 June 2012, the National Guidelines for Kindergarten Teacher Education of 17 October 2018, the Kindergarten Act adopted by the Ministry of Education and Research on 17 June 2005, and the National Qualification Framework for Lifelong Learning adopted by the Ministry of Education and Research on 15 December 2011.

The Early Childhood Education and Care programme at OsloMet aims to educate responsible, energetic and reflective ECEC teachers. The programme is profession-oriented, wide-ranging and builds on research-based knowledge. The programme qualifies students for work in today’s ECEC centres and on further developing the ECEC centres of tomorrow. The study programme forms the basis for further competence development, and qualifies students for further studies at master’s degree and PhD level.

The education shall take account of ECEC centres’ role in children’s formative development, and how they attend to all aspects of children’s development. The education emphasises the increasing diversity in ECEC centres, and the importance of cooperation, a mutual understanding and dialogue with the home and other bodies responsible for children’s upbringing.

The programme includes participation in the INTERACT: ‘The Same Child – Different Arenas’ initiative. INTERACT is part of a big initiative at OsloMet, the aim of which is to give students the knowledge and skills required to interact with other professions that work with children and adolescents, such as child welfare officers and health personnel. Participation in INTER1100, INTER1200 and INTER1300 is specified in the course descriptions.

General information for students

Changes are constantly taking place that affect students’ everyday lives, and OsloMet’s students have a responsibility to keep up to date. Important information channels include OsloMet’s website, StudentWeb and the university’s digital learning platform. Students are also expected to use their student email.

The programme description is the most important information document for everyone who has been accepted for the Early Childhood Education and Care programme, and all students have a duty to familiarise themselves with the programme description for their study programme.

All qualified applicants who wish to work as an ECEC teacher or educational supervisor in an ECEC centre.

Prosjektarbeid er en vesentlig del av studiet. Undervisningen er progresjonsbasert, fra felles grunnleggende oppgaver til selvstendig valgte tema.

Emnet forutsetter stor grad av tilstedeværelse i verksteder og aktiv deltakelse i undervisningen. I studiet brukes det arbeidsformer som forelesninger, seminarer, veiledning og faglige debatter. Dette har til hensikt å utvikle studentens kunnskaper, idéer, praktiske ferdigheter, faglige forståelse og uttrykksevne. Det forventes at studenten selv innhenter relevant fagstoff utover pensum i emnet og det oppfordres til å bruke læringssentrene og de ressursene som tilbys der. Felles presentasjoner og utstillinger vil danne grunnlag for drøfting og vurdering av studentarbeid.

Individuell skriftlig eksamen under tilsyn. Omfang: 6 timer.

Ny/utsatt eksamen arrangeres som ved ordinær eksamen.

The programme consists of the following knowledge areas and courses – in total 180 credits:

Areas of knowledge

• Children`s development, play and learning (BULL) 20 credits
• Nature, health and movement (NHB) 20 credits
• Art, culture and creativity (KKK) 20 credits
• Society, religion, life philosophies and ethics (SRLE) 20 credits
• Language, text and mathematics (STM) 20 credits
• Leadership, cooperation and development work (LSU) 15 credits

Other courses

• Supplementary subject (20 credits)
• Specialisation subject (30 credits)
• Bachelor`s thesis (15 credits)

The programme is structured as follows:

First year:

• Children`s development, play and learning (BULL) (20 credits)
• Nature, health and movement (NHB) (20 credits)
• Art, culture and creativity (KKK) (20 credits)
• Practical training 40 days, 20 days in the autumn semester and 20 days in the spring semester

Second year:

• Society, religion, life philosophies and ethics (SRLE) (20 credits)
• Language, text and mathematics (STM) (20 credits)
• Supplement to KKK, NHB og STM (20 credits)
• Practical training 35 days, 20 days in the autumn semester and 15 days in the spring semester

Third year:

• Specialisation (30 credits)
• Leadership, cooperation and development work (15 credits)
• Bachelor`s thesis (15 credits)
• Practical training 25 days in the spring semester

The knowledge areas are research-based and profession-oriented, and they integrate educational and didactic knowledge that is adapted to the ECEC centre’s subject areas. The organisation and contents of the individual knowledge areas are outlined in the course descriptions.

The first five knowledge areas in the study programme, and Leadership, cooperation and development work in the last semester, are compulsory and identical for all students taking the full-time programme. Supplementary and specialisation subjects based on the knowledge areas are offered in the fourth and fifth semesters. The bachelor’s thesis shall be profession-oriented and thematically based on the knowledge areas, the supplementary subject or the specialisation subject.

Educational theory is incorporated into each knowledge area and is particularly important in relation to ensuring progress and making the study programme profession-oriented. Educational theory shall contribute to the students’ formative education and development of leadership skills, and to the integration of theory and practice.

The practical training shall be supervised, varied and subject to assessment, and it shall be an integral part of all the knowledge areas and the specialisation subject. There must be progress in the students’ teaching practice.

The training is particularly intended to strengthen the students’ competence in educational supervision and will gradually help the students to be perceived as professional practitioners by children, parents, colleagues and other partners.

General topics and academic profile

Cities, diversity and inclusion

OsloMet shall reflect urban environments and their diversity. Children, parents and staff bring different experience and different abilities and backgrounds to ECEC centres. Values such as democracy and equality shall characterise the study programme. Diversity shall be highlighted and valued. The programme shall enable the students to safeguard children’s rights, recognise different cultural expressions and make use of the many opportunities the city offers. The education shall promote students’ understanding of Sami culture and emphasise the status and rights of indigenous peoples.

Leadership and cooperation

ECEC teachers have a broad leadership responsibility. Educational supervision in an ECEC centre entails managing both groups of children and staff, and includes planning, organisation, implementation, documentation and evaluation. The programme shall teach the students about and give them experience of different forms of leadership in different types of ECEC centres. Throughout the programme, the students will gradually develop assurance, self-confidence and a reflective attitude to their future role as leaders. ECEC teachers supervise children’s learning and formative processes, manage personnel, participate in the management and development of the organisation and cooperate with parents and external parties.

Cooperation between the home and the ECEC centre is decisive for the children’s well-being, learning and formative development, and important in relation to the centre’s activities. Throughout the programme, the students will develop skills in communicating and cooperating with different people and families.

The students will learn about cooperation with other professions and institutions, for example primary schools, child welfare services, health services, cultural institutions and businesses.

The youngest children (0–3 years)

The youngest children now make up a large proportion of children in early education and care, and the programme is intended to give students special expertise in educational work with this age group. The expertise shall be based on research-based knowledge about and experience of the youngest children’s needs, care for the youngest children and children’s play, exploration, creativity, learning and formative development.

Innovation

The students will learn about and gain experience of creative processes and innovation that is relevant to their future professional practice. Through student-active learning methods, such as group work, practical activity in workshops, seminars and practice in the professional field, the students will gain insight into and experience of how creativity, fresh thinking and innovation can contribute to competence-raising in ECEC centres. The programme aims to promote students’ understanding of ECEC centres as learning organisations and important institutions in society.

Sustainable development

Sustainable development is about environmental protection and about solidarity with and equality between all people. People are part of nature, and we need nature to carry on our social and cultural traditions and practices. ECEC centres are intended to promote children’s ethical reflection and commitment to sustainability, and thereby contribute to sustainable development for future generations.

Bestått KDM1100 Idéutvikling og grunnleggende emneområder eller tilsvarende.

En intern og en ekstern sensor.

Alle hjelpemidler er tillatt så lenge regler for kildehenvisning følges.

Gradert skala A-F.

Assessment is an important element in qualifying students for the profession. It is based on coursework requirements, exams and practical training. It shall be possible to test the students in relation to the expected learning outcomes.

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The students will be subject to different forms of assessment during the course of their studies. They will be tested by written, oral and practical forms of assessment. The different forms of assessment are intended to contribute to the students progressing in their education and to take account of the fact that students have different backgrounds, abilities and needs. Detailed descriptions of assessment forms are provided in the individual course descriptions.

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Continuous assessment is based on the expectations and goals defined for the course/knowledge area as part of the learning process. Such assessments can be oral or written, formal or informal. The final assessment measures and approves the achieved learning outcome, and is related to exams and practical training.

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The students are responsible for familiarising themselves with the different exam dates and any changes relating to exams. The students are responsible for ensuring that they have registered for the exam.

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Examiners

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To provide an external perspective on all assessments, an external examiner or a programme supervisor will take part in the different assessments in the programme. A programme supervisor is an external examiner appointed to evaluate the assessment arrangement for a course or the study programme as a whole. The evaluation is documented in a report in which any proposals for changes to the assessment form or process are outlined.

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Qualitative assessment criteria

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The following general national assessment criteria form the basis for assessments:

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A – Excellent: An excellent performance, clearly outstanding. The candidate demonstrates excellent judgement and a high degree of independent thinking.

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B – Very good: A very good performance. The candidate demonstrates sound judgement and a very god degree of independent thinking.

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C – Good: A good performance in most areas. The candidate demonstrates a reasonable degree of judgement and independent thinking in the most important areas.

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D – Satisfactory: A satisfactory performance, but with significant shortcomings. The candidate demonstrates a limited degree of judgement and independent thinking.

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E – Sufficient: A performance that meets the minimum criteria, but no more. The candidate demonstrates a very limited degree of judgement and independent thinking.

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F – Fail: A performance that does not meet the minimum academic criteria. The candidate demonstrates an absence of both judgement and independent thinking.

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Rights and obligations in connection with exams

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The exam candidates’ rights and obligations are set out in the Regulations Relating to Studies and Examinations at OsloMet. The regulations describe, among other things, the conditions for resit/rescheduled exams, the right to appeal and what is considered cheating in an exam. The candidates are obliged to familiarise themselves with the provisions of these regulations. A description of each exam is found in the relevant course description.

Suitability assessment

Teacher education institutions are responsible for assessing whether students are suited to the teaching profession. Suitability assessments are carried out on a continuous basis throughout the study programme, and will be included in the overall assessment of the student’s professional and personal suitability for the teaching profession. A student who represents a potential threat to the life, physical or mental health, rights and security of children is not suited to the profession. Students who demonstrate little ability to master the profession of ECEC teacher must be informed of this at the earliest possible stage of the programme. They will be given supervision and advice to enable them to meet the requirements for suitability for the teaching profession, or be advised to leave the programme. The suitability assessment takes place continuously throughout the programme.

For further information about suitability, see http://www.oslomet.no/Studier/Skikkethetsvurdering.

Study progress

Pursuant to Section 3 of the National Curriculum Regulations for Kindergarten Teacher Education (Ministry of Education and Research, 2012), educational theory shall be a central and connective subject that is incorporated into each area of knowledge, and is particularly important in relation to ensuring progress and making the programme profession-oriented. According to the comments on the regulations, this means that knowledge about educational theory shall ensure a common, integrated professional foundation for all the knowledge areas and the specialisation subject, and thereby serve as a shared professional and scholarly platform in a coherent and integrated study programme. Furthermore, it is underlined in the comments that educational theory shall, in particular, contribute to the students’ formative development, personal growth and development, analytical skills, integration of theory and practice, insight into scientific thinking, and ethical reflection.

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The responsibility for progress and professional orientation will be attended to by ensuring that key aspects of everyday life in ECEC centres are linked to relevant topics in each of the six knowledge areas.

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Organisationally, the same aspects will be discussed in light of new perspectives in the field. Seminars will be held that focus on everyday life in ECEC centres. The intention of holding such seminars is to help the students, by repeatedly discussing the same topics and concepts in light of new perspectives that constantly arise in the field, to develop a deeper understanding of and insight into professional issues that concern everyday life in an ECEC centre. For the students, this repetition and recognition will entail taking part in formative processes that can be developed further through specialisation and work on the bachelor’s thesis, where the knowledge is applied in a scholarly and profession-oriented context.

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Progress requirements

Normal progress for a full-time student is 60 credits in the course of an academic year. The Early Childhood Education and Care programme at OsloMet is subject to special progress requirements. This means that the students must meet the following requirements in order to be allowed to start the final year of the programme:

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• The student must have passed all knowledge areas from the first year in order to start the final year of the programme.
• The student must have earned at least 80 credits by the end of the second year of the programme in order to start the final year.
• The practical training period must be approved before the student can continue to the next year of the programme.

Students who do not meet the progress requirements must take a year out from their studies to resit exams / retake supervised practical training.