Bachelor 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 amendment to the regulation on the National Curriculum Regulations for Kindergarten Teacher Education amended by the Ministry of Education and Research on 30 June 2023, 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 kindergarten teachers. The programme is profession-oriented, practice-focused and builds on research-based knowledge. The programme qualifies students for work in the kindergartens of today and on further developing the kindergartens 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 adopt a holistic pedagogical approach to play, care, learning, and formative development. The education shall emphasise the increasing diversity in kindergartens, the importance of cooperation, understanding, and dialogue with the children’s homes and other bodies responsible for children's upbringing. The Early Childhood Education and Care programme shall emphasise pedagogical leadership and contribute to inclusive practices in the kindergarten.

The programme shall qualify students for the profession of a kindergarten teacher by offering a holistic education that promotes connections between pedagogy, practice, subject didactics, areas of knowledge, professional formative development, and cross-disciplinary professional topics. Pedagogy is a central and unifying subject and is particularly important for ensuring progression and making the education profession oriented. Educational theory and professional supervision shall contribute to the students' formative development processes, development of leadership competence, and integration of theory and practice. Interdisciplinary activities are included in the education, in which pedagogy as a unifying subject will be incorporated.

The programme also 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.

Successful completion of the programme leads to the award of a Bachelor`s degree in Early Childhood Education and forms the basis for the candidate to apply for, among other things, the Master's program in Early Childhood Education at OsloMet, which can further qualify them to apply for a PhD in Educational Science for Teacher Education.

General information for students

Changes are continually taking place that affect students` daily lives, and it is the responsibility of OsloMet`s students to keep up to date. Key channels for important information include OsloMet’s website, Studentweb and the university’s digital learning platform. Students are also expected to actively use their student email accounts.

The programme description is the primary source of information for all students admitted to the Early Childhood Education and Care programme, and all students are required to familiarise themselves with the programme description for their course of study.

All qualified applicants who wish to work as a kindergarten teacher or educational supervisor in a kindergarten.

The Higher Education Entrance Qualification or prior learning and work experience.

After completing the programme, candidates are expected to have achieved learning outcomes in accordance with the learning outcome descriptions in the National Curriculum Regulations for Kindergarten Teacher Education. The learning outcomes are the foundation for educational work in kindergartens. See also the course descriptions for learning outcomes’ descriptions in the individual areas of knowledge.

Knowledge

The candidate

• has knowledge of kindergarten in Norway, including their distinctive nature, history, social mandate, legal basis and governing documents
• has broad knowledge of pedagogy and subject didactics, knowledge about leading and facilitating educational work and about children’s play, care and learning
• has broad knowledge of children’s formative development, modern childhood, children’s culture, different conditions under which children grow up, backgrounds and social development in a society characterised by linguistic, social, religious/life stance and cultural diversity
• has broad knowledge of children’s linguistic development, multilingualism, social, physical and creative development and early digital, reading, writing and mathematical skills
• is familiar with national and international research and development work of relevance to the ECEC teaching profession and is capable of updating their knowledge in the field
• has broad knowledge of children’s rights and what characterises an ECEC environment that prioritises inclusion, equality, health promotion and learning
• shall have knowledge of children in difficult life situations, including knowledge of violence and sexual abuse of children and how to implement necessary measures in accordance with applicable legislation

Skills

The candidate

• can use their professional skills and relevant research and development results to lead and promote children’s play, sense of wonder, learning and development, and to justify their choices
• can assess, stimulate and support different children’s all-round development in cooperation with the home and other relevant parties
• can use their professional skills to promote improvisation in play, learning and communication
• can assess, stimulate and support different children’s skills and take into account differences in their backgrounds and abilities
• can promote creative processes and cultural and nature-based experiences, focusing on children’s creative activities, overall learning and sense of mastery
• can use relevant professional tools, strategies and forms of expression in their own learning processes, in educational work, in cooperation with the home and with relevant external parties
• can identify special needs in individual children and quickly implement measures based on a professional assessment
• can lead and supervise co-workers, reflect critically on their own practice and adjust it under supervision
• can find, assess and refer to information and specialist literature and present it in such a way that it elucidates an issue
• can identify special needs in individual children, including identifying signs of violence or sexual abuse. Based on professional assessments, the candidate shall be capable of establishing cooperation with relevant interdisciplinary partners in the best interests of the child.

General competence

The candidate:

• has insight into ethical dilemmas in the profession, especially in relation to responsibility, respect and power perspectives
• can plan, lead, carry out, document and reflect on educational work related to the content and duties of the kindergarten sector, in accordance with ethical requirements and guidelines, and based on knowledge acquired through research and experience
• masters the Norwegian language, both bokmål and nynorsk, at a qualified level and in a professional context
• can draw on global, national, regional, local and multicultural perspectives, characterised by respect and tolerance, in work in ECEC centres
• has change and developmental competence, is capable of leading educational development work and contributing to fresh thinking and innovation processes in the ECEC centres of the future
• can present important subject matter orally and in writing, participate in professional discussions in different areas of the programme and share their knowledge and experience with others

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) (30 credits)
• Society, Religion, Worldviews and Ethics (SRLE) (20 credits)
• Language, Text and Mathematics (STM) (20 credits)
• Management, Cooperation and Development Work (LSU) 15 credits

Other courses

• Pedagogy and the Kindergarten Teaching Profession (PEDPROF) (10 credits)
• Specialisation (30 credits)
• Bachelor`s Thesis (15 credits)

The structure of the programme is as follows:

First year:

• Children`s Development, Play and Learning 1 (BULL1) (10 credits)
• Children`s Development, Play and Learning 2 (BULL2) (10 credits)
• Nature, Health and Movement (NHB) (20 credits)
• Society, Religion, Worldviews and Ethics (SRLE) (20 credits)
• Supervised placement study 40 days, 20 days in the autumn semester and 20 days in the spring semester

Second year:

• Pedagogy and the Kindergarten Teaching Profession (PEDPROF) (10 credits)
• Language, Text and Mathematics 1 (STM1) (10 credits)
• Language, Text and Mathematics 2 (STM2) (10 credits)
• Art, Culture and Creativity (KKK) (30 credits)
• Supervised placement study 35 days, 20 days in the autumn semester and 15 days in the spring semester

Third year:

• Specialisation (30 credits)
• Management, Cooperation and Development Work (15 credits)
• Bachelor`s Thesis (15 credits)
• Supervised placement study 25 days in the spring semester

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

The six knowledge areas in the study programme and the course Pedagogy and the Kindergarten Teaching Profession are compulsory and identical for all students enrolled in the full-time programme. Specialisation courses based on the knowledge areas are offered in the third year. The bachelor’s thesis shall be profession-oriented and thematically based on the knowledge areas, the course Pedagogy and the Kindergarten Teaching Profession or the specialisation course.

The practical placement study shall be supervised, varied and subject to assessment, and it shall be an integral part of all the mandatory knowledge areas and the course Pedagogy and the Kindergarten Teaching Profession. There must be progress in the students’ practical placement study.

The practical placement study is particularly intended to strengthen the students’ competence in interaction and educational supervision and will gradually help the students to be perceived as professional practitioners by children, guardians, the staff and other partners in the kindergarten. Refer to the national guidelines for kindergarten teacher education for detailed descriptions of the progression of pedagogical leadership and practice.

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 kindergartens. Values such as democracy and equality shall characterise the study programme. 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. OsloMet shall educate kindergarten teachers who are equipped to meet and include children and families with varied cultural, social, and linguistic backgrounds. In response to our diverse society, globalization, migration, and the geographic mobility of people across borders, multicultural perspectives are integrated throughout the kindergarten teacher education programme. Relevant international perspectives are also addressed in the programme. The education shall promote students’ understanding of Sami culture and emphasise the status and rights of indigenous peoples.

Pedagogical leadership and cooperation

Kindergarten teachers have a broad leadership responsibility. Educational supervision in a kindergarten entail 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 kindergartens. Throughout the programme, the students will gradually develop assurance, self-confidence and a reflective attitude to their future role as leaders. Kindergarten teachers supervise children’s learning and formative processes, alongside professional process leadership in collaboration with the staff. Educational leadership also includes the development of the kindergarten as a learning organisation. The education shall emphasise the importance of cooperation, understanding and dialogue with the children's homes, as well as other parties responsible for children's upbringing.

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, and fresh thinking can contribute to competence-raising in kindergartens. The programme aims to promote students’ understanding of kindergartens as learning organisations and important institutions in society.

Sustainable development

Sustainable development encompasses nature, economy, and social relations and is a necessity for taking care of life on Earth. People are part of nature, and we need nature to carry on our social and cultural traditions and practices.

The programme shall contribute to knowledge about sustainable development and kindergartens are intended to promote children’s ethical reflection and commitment to sustainability among the students, and thereby contribute to sustainable development for future generations.

The different learning arenas used in the study programme will vary throughout the programme, depending on what knowledge and skills the students are to acquire. The teaching shall be organised in a way that ensures that it is perceived as coherent by the students. The work and teaching methods shall be inclusive, student-active and relevant to activities in kindergartens.

In order to ensure a democratic learning environment, students shall be guaranteed dialogue and participation in the teaching, and shall take part in the planning, practical execution and evaluation of the education. The work methods shall help the students to develop the ability to actively seek knowledge and investigate different sources critically. Binding cooperation between the students, the kindergartens in which they undergo training, OsloMet and the university-affiliated kindergartens is necessary to ensure overall professional competence. The study programme is responsible for making appropriate arrangements for students from different backgrounds and for endeavouring to ensure that the students’ diverse experience background is a resource for the learning environment.

The programme will establish arenas for binding cooperation between the educational institution and the professional field. The work and teaching methods used shall help the students to acquire professional knowledge, skills and attitudes. This will form the basis for the students’ action competence and ability to critically reflect on their own and the kindergarten’s educational practice.

In the course of their studies, the students shall develop self-confidence and independence in their oral and written presentation skills, creative skills and cooperation skills. The students shall acquire interpersonal, written, oral, practical, aesthetic and digital skills that are relevant in a professional context.

Courses/instruction on academic reading, writing, and thinking are mandatory throughout the programme.

Profession-related digital competence and judgment

The students shall acquire digital competence through creative, inventive and reflective use of digital tools and media during their studies.

The digital skills ECEC teachers need include the use of ICT (information and communications technology) as educational tools in documentation work in the kindergarten and in communication with homes and the society. The kindergarten's digital practices shall contribute to children's play, creativity, and learning. The use of digital tools in educational work should support children's play and learning processes and help fulfill the curriculum's guidelines for a rich and varied learning environment for all children. The student shall learn to facilitate children's exploration, play, learning, and creation through digital forms of expression.

The courses in digital tools are compulsory throughout the study programme.

Programplanen er utarbeidet ved OsloMet etter forskrift til rammeplan for praktisk-pedagogisk utdanning, fastsatt av Kunnskapsdepartementet 21.desember 2015 med hjemmel i lov 1.april 2005 nr. 15 om universiteter og høgskoler (universitets- og høyskoleloven) § 3-2 annet ledd.

Praktisk-pedagogisk utdanning i design, kunst og håndverk, deltid er et profesjonsstudium på 60 studiepoeng, organisert over to år. Hovedområdene i utdanningen er pedagogikk (30 studiepoeng) samt fagdidaktikk (30 studiepoeng). I tillegg har studenten undervisningspraksis i både grunnskole og videregående skole.

Fagfeltet forvalter viktig og samfunnsrelevant kunnskap, der både innovasjon, entreprenørskap og bærekraft står sentralt. Lærere i design, kunst og håndverk bruker visuelle virkemidler i undervisningen for å gi barn og unge en mulighet til å utvikle skaperevne og estetisk sans. Læreren tar i bruk ulike materialer, redskaper og teknikker slik at elevene lærer om sammenhenger mellom materialer, tradisjon og kultur gjennom praktisk-estetisk og skapende arbeid.

PPU i design, kunst og håndverk retter seg mot kunstnere, designere og arkitekter som ønsker å kvalifisere seg for undervisningsarbeid i grunnskole og videregående skole, samt undervisningsarenaer som kulturskole, folkehøgskole, museer, gallerier og andre institusjoner.

Required coursework and participation in certain teaching activities must be approved before the student can take the exam. The purpose of coursework requirements and academic activities with compulsory participation described in the individual course descriptions is to provide a sufficient basis to ensure that students receive academic follow-up relating to the contents of the course, and to assess the degree to which learning outcomes have been achieved.

The students must complete the required coursework specified in the individual course descriptions. This is intended to ensure active student participation and clear requirements as regards study effort and the achievement of learning outcomes.

Required coursework must be submitted/completed and approved within the deadlines set in the teaching plan. If not, the student will not be permitted to take the exam.

Coursework requirements are assessed as 'Approved' or 'Not Approved.' All students have two attempts at a coursework requirement. A student who receives the assessment 'Not Approved,' fails to submit by the deadline, or does not show up at the scheduled time for the completion of a coursework requirement, has used one attempt, regardless of the reason. Students who have not had a coursework requirement approved after two attempts will be withdrawn from the exam in the subject and must retake the coursework requirement the next time it is offered.

Some coursework requirements in the programme may be partially or fully replaced with an international coursework requirement carried out in collaboration with the programme's international partners, such as a digital learning activity. The institution will offer the international coursework requirement as an optional component to students and will organize it in a timely manner before implementing the coursework requirement outlined in the course plan. The framework for workload and documentation in an international alternative should mainly be the same as the coursework requirement it replaces.

More information about coursework requirements is available in the individual programme/course descriptions.

Teaching activities with compulsory 100 percent participation

Through their studies, the students shall develop cooperation competence and skills that are important to the knowledge areas. Experience sharing and the development of practical skills, communication and relational competence are important parts of the learning. Such skills and competence cannot be acquired through self-study, but must be learned through interaction, practice and dialogue with, among others, fellow students and teachers, and through participation in teaching.

Which activities are subject to a participation requirement is clear from the course descriptions and specified in the teaching plan. In the event of absence, students must primarily attend the teaching session at another time or take part in an alternative academic arrangement.

Requirement of 70 percent attendance in all lectures

The attendance requirement for all teaching activities is 70 percent. The programme is structured around work and teaching methods that involve collective learning processes, which cannot be replaced by individual study forms.

Absence over 30 percent results in the student losing the right to take the exam in the pertaining subject, regardless of the reason for the absence. This normally leads to the student’s progress being delayed, as it is not possible to meet the 70 percent attendance requirements for courses offered simultaneously in different years of the study programme.

The programme was established under the Act relating to Universities and University Colleges and the Regulations relating to Studies and Examinations at OsloMet – Oslo Metropolitan University.

Candidates who pass the programme will be awarded the degree Master of Health Sciences (Norwegian: Master i helsevitenskap) in accordance with Section 3 of the Regulations concerning Requirements for the Master's Degrees. A specialisation in one of the following 15 specialisations forms part of the master’s degree programme:

Specialisations for applicants with backgrounds in health or social care:

• Health Sciences
• Empowerment and Health Promotion
• Mental Health and Addiction
• Rehabilitation and Habilitation

Specialisations for applicants who are authorised health personnel in the specified professional fields:

• Nutrition for Health Personnel
• Occupational Therapy
• Physiotherapy for Children and Adolescents
• Physiotherapy for the Older Adult
• Physiotherapy for Musculoskeletal Health
• Psychomotor Physiotherapy
• Advanced Nursing Practice
• Public Health Nursing
• Cancer Nursing
• Nursing – Clinical Research and Professional Development

Specialisations for applicants from the professional field of nutrition:

• Public Health Nutrition

The specialisation will also be stated on the diploma alongside the name of the degree: Master of Health Sciences.

The master’s degree programme has a scope of 120 ECTS credits. Some of the specialisations are taken full-time over two years, while others are taken part-time over three or four years.

The programme comprises compulsory common courses, compulsory specialisation courses and elective courses, in addition to the master’s thesis. A more detailed overview of the programme’s structure for each specialisation is given under the section Content and structure.

According to the UN Agenda 2030, a prerequisite for achieving sustainable development is that everyone is able to live healthy lives. The Master’s Degree Programme in Health Sciences is primarily aimed at the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3, Good Health and Well-being, while SDGs 4, 5 and 10 on ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all, and achieving gender equality and reducing inequality, are also relevant. The 17 SDGs must be seen as a whole, however, where each goal is seen in conjunction with the others. The purpose of the programme is therefore to educate candidates who are qualified to help to ensure good health and promote quality of life for everyone, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, education, sexuality and functional ability, while also attempting to address considerations relating to sustainability, including life-long learning.

The students taking the programme can choose a specialisation in health promotion, illness prevention, treatment, palliative care and (re)habilitation work. The programme teaches the students to handle professional problems at the individual, group and system level in close cooperation with other professions, patients, users, next of kin and other services. The candidates should also be able to contribute to safe, effective, holistic and integrated services with good use of resources, and to innovation, improvement work and systematic user involvement.

Relevance to working life

Possible fields of work and careers after completing the programme include:

• research and development in the health sciences
• teaching, development and advisory functions in the guidance, administration and dissemination of knowledge in the health professions
• clinical work that is based on specialised expertise
• health and social care management positions

Relevance to further education

Students taking the Master's Degree Programme in Health Sciences who choose to write a master’s thesis worth 50 ECTS credits can apply for admission to the research programme for health sciences while taking the master’s programme. This is taken in parallel to and as an extension of the master’s programme. The research programme develops researcher expertise over and above that provided during the master’s programme and results in a research work that can later form part of a PhD-level work.

Candidates with a Master's Degree in Health Sciences are qualified to apply for admission to PhD programmes, including the PhD Programme in Health Sciences at OsloMet.

Specialisations

The Master's Degree Programme in Health Sciences has a number of specialisations that candidates can choose. Applicants must choose and apply directly for the specialisation they wish to take when applying for the master’s programme. The specialisations are subject to different admission requirements. However, the students will take a significant part of the programme together with students from the other specialisations, partly through compulsory common courses and partly through elective courses across the specialisations. More information about this is found in the section Content and structure.

MAKLI: Nursing – Clinical Research and Professional Development

The Specialisation in Nursing – Clinical Research and Professional Development focuses on scientific thinking and research methods. The students will analyse key areas of nursing research and the consequences of different views of knowledge, where emphasis is placed on understanding the nurse’s ethical and theoretical basis for practical action. Knowledge development and research on nursing can be related to patient groups, next of kin and health personnel at the individual and system level. Clinical research is seen from a broad perspective that includes innovation and development work and an understanding of people’s need for health care in different contexts. Scientific nursing research must address and be up-to-date in relation to the increasingly large group of patients who, due to age, impairment, cultural, ethnic or religious reasons, do not receive satisfactory help from the health services. The specialisation will help students to develop academic autonomy, critical awareness and political engagement related to nursing. In close cooperation with the clinical field, the student should be able to improve and develop the knowledge base in the field of practice.

The target group is students with a bachelor’s degree in health or social care who want to work on professional development and/or participate in research in their field, and potentially conduct clinical work in their chosen specialisation. The programme is a relevant additional education to a number of health and social care programmes.