This unit of study is the first part of Education I and provides a general introduction to education and teaching. The unit integrates the following themes: knowledge, culture and the curriculum; teaching as a process and way of life; and, teachers as life-long learners and researchers. Within this unit, students are also mentored by more experienced students during their first semester transition to the university. At the conclusion of the unit students should have developed and demonstrated an understanding of the complex character of teachers' work.

This unit EDUF1019, which is the second part of Education I, introduces students to the study of human development, including a critical overview of current theory, research and practice in human development, with particular emphasis on the development of early childhood through to adolescence. A core assumption of the unit is that the study of human development is inter-disciplinary, and that developmental theories, past and present, are open to question and debate. Students are therefore encouraged to engage in this study with critical and creative minds. The content of the Unit focuses on the processes and products of human development, related to cognitive, physical, emotional, social, cultural, and language development. The classical theories are considered and examined in the light of contemporary theory and research. From these perspectives, the lectures consider the impact of history, culture, and social context on learning and development. The seminar programme of the Unit is concerned with the teaching of values in schools and early childhood education settings, including the creation of values-based learning environments, and with each participant¿s development as a human self, focusing in particular on the development of participants¿ professional skills and personal values.

This unit provides students with a critical introduction to early childhood education as a discipline and as a profession in contemporary Australia. Students will explore the historical and socio-political influences that have shaped the development and provision of early childhood education in Australia, and critically examine theoretical, ethical and social justice underpinnings of early childhood policy and practice. In addition to developing a foundational understanding of their role as a teacher of children aged birth to five years, students will explore how this role extends beyond the classroom, requiring the development of authentic, supportive partnerships with families and collaborations with community networks. Students will become familiar with legal and ethical accountabilities, and critically consider their own development as a professional early childhood teacher. Students' successful transition to university will also be supported through a focus on images of children and childhoods and associated academic literacy tasks.

An in-depth knowledge and understanding of the nature, context and role of play in the lives of children from birth to five years is essential for early childhood teachers. This unit enables students to develop knowledge of children's play, and skills in observing, guiding and supporting young children as they develop and learn through play. Students will recognise every child's right to play and become advocates for the value of play in early childhood. They will be introduced to a range of traditional and contemporary theories of play and play-based pedagogy and will apply these to examples of early childhood practice. Students will develop awareness of the relevance of social, cultural and physical contexts for children's play and begin to explore their role as early childhood teachers in supporting children's play.

This unit of study explores the promotion of infants', toddlers' and preschoolers' health and wellbeing in early childhood education settings. Legislative requirements, multiple theoretical perspectives, current research, and the positioning of early childhood teachers as autonomous and ethical professionals will be used to critically consider issues such as immunisation, childhood obesity, the provision of 'safe' early learning environments, nutrition, child protection and infection control. Consideration will be given to supporting children's health and wellbeing in ways that promote the rights, needs and best interests of young children and their families. Upholding duty of care in the context of 'risk society' and families' diverse values, beliefs and cultural practices will also be critically explored.

The unit provides a foundational overview of the theoretical perspectives that have contributed to the history and philosophy of early childhood education. It examines philosophies, theories and theorists over time that have helped shape views about children and children's learning, curriculum development and the role of the teacher. The unit will enable students to recognise the importance of philosophy in early childhood education as they read research and engage with philosophical ideas. Students will also begin to develop a broad knowledge of curriculum approaches, including Froebel, Montessori, Steiner and Reggio Emilia that are implemented across Australia in contemporary early childhood settings.

This unit of study is the first part of Education II. Its aim is to provide a general introduction to educational psychology. The important issues of the unit include constructivist and other approaches to learning, critical thinking skills, problem solving, technologically supported learning and motivation. This unit plays an important role in supporting later teaching and curriculum studies in the Bachelor of Education degree. At the end of this unit of study, students will have made substantial progress towards understanding the utility of research in psychology for educators. They will have the capacity to describe learning and teaching activities in terms of their psychological efficacy, especially as it relates to young people. Similarly they will have been introduced to the theory and practice of assessment and evaluation in educational settings, and the impact of assessment on learning and motivation. They will have had training in two Department of Education and Community policies, Good Discipline and Effective Learning, and Student Welfare.

This unit is part of the Education I-IV program which provides students with a foundation in the social scientific study of education. The aim of this unit is to critically examine the social, political and economic contexts of education. Key issues concerning difference and inequality in education are explored through sociological and historical approaches. These include social class, gender and cultural diversity in education, as well as the schooling market, school systems, and globalisation. At the end of this unit of study, students should have the capacity to discuss the impact of a range of educational practices and policies on schools, students and families. Similarly, students will be familiar with broad movements in contemporary educational reform and their association with national and global economic change. As a result of working on a substantial project students will develop a range of research skills. Through policy analysis tasks and workshop activities, students will be familiar with NSW Department of Education and Communities policies and procedures relating to gender, Indigenous education, and cultural diversity.

This unit of study explores the many and varied aspects of diversity evident amongst the Australian population, including a specific focus on the lives and wellbeing of Indigenous children, and the significance of diversity for early childhood education. Class, ethnicity, culture, disability, gender, religion, and other social categories have an impact upon infants', toddlers' and young children's development. For the creation of inclusive classrooms, early childhood teachers must have an understanding of the significance of the personal and social attributes that children bring to an early childhood setting. The establishment of positive engagement with children and families is essential in creating an inclusive environment and curriculum. This unit will explore current theories of diversity, social education and inclusion in the early childhood context. An investigation of the social and historical context of diversity in Australia provides a framework for the discussion and focuses on issues of disadvantage, family engagement, attitudes and the promotion of interagency collaboration. Throughout this unit of study, students will be encouraged to examine their own beliefs and values in the consideration of the issues above, as well as the ideas of others.

This unit of study enables you to begin to develop understandings, knowledge and skills about the language development of young children. It will explore how young children begin to make meaning from the moment they are born as they learn to talk, listen and interact with those around them and the implications for early childhood teachers. Through lectures, workshops, readings, and other activities, you will examine the theoretical ideas and practical knowledge required to guide young children's learning of language and emerging literacy practices. You will learn how to listen carefully to young children's language so you can analyse their development intelligently. The unit also emphasises the centrality of providing rich language arts experiences including quality literary texts in early childhood settings. The intersections between play and language development are carefully explored. As pre-service early childhood teachers you will be encouraged to further develop your own interest in language and literature, and to reflect on how you can partner with parents and caregivers to help children learn through and about language.

The unit emphasises the centrality of providing rich Creative Arts experiences in early childhood settings. Young children are creative naturally, and if this is nurtured, this creativity will grow and expand. Through quality arts experiences and activities young children will refine their skills, enrich their life experiences and develop their understandings of the world (Early Years Learning Framework). This unit of study explores the fundamental importance of the Arts in the ongoing development of young children's imagination and creativity. Through creative workshops, readings, observations and other activities, you will examine the theoretical underpinnings, research literature and practical knowledge required to help young children build on their innate love of music, movement, song, art, dance and drama. A focus on young children' s engagement with the creative arts through their spontaneous play is an important feature of this unit.

This unit is the first of four professional experience units that provides opportunities for students to gain teaching experience in early childhood education and care settings. It will enable students to apply the theories and strategies covered in other units of study and allow them to reflect on the links between theory and practice. This, the first Professional Experience placement, consists of observation of practices and routines of the setting, and the completion of observations of young children (3-5 years) as they go about their daily activities. Based on their observations, students will prepare and present a range of learning experiences with individual and small groups of children based on observed strengths, interests and needs. Students will be encouraged to implement play-based experiences and age appropriate teaching strategies drawn from contemporary curriculum models aimed at strengthening individual, as well as group learning, fostering creativity, healthy self-concepts, wellness, and a regard for others. This professional experience will enable students to gain an understanding of the world of early childhood education and care which will form the foundation for their subsequent professional experiences.

Power, entitlement, social justice and ethical discourses are all concepts with which early childhood teachers must familiarise themselves and act upon when undertaking a leadership or teaching/caregiving role with children under 5 years of age. This unit enables students to become aware of and to develop reflective understandings about morals and ethics, professional accountability, professional conduct, responding ethically, communicating ethically with people from a wide and diverse population, and conflict and issue resolution. Students will examine a range of legal and ethical mandates and guidelines associated with the role of the professional in early childhood environments. This unit looks at globalism, social justice in a diverse world, and issues of parternship and power. It also enables students to appreciate how ethical values develop in young minds, how this is related to the infant brain and how early childhood educators can assist in developing children's ethical values awareness. It also allows students to explore their own ethical precepts and to consider a range of options for working with young children and their families to foster socially just, morally acceptable and ethically appropriate early childhood environments.

This unit offers a critical overview of current theory and practice in the study of child development during the first two years of life. Infants and toddlers begin exploring their environment and making sense of their world from birth, constantly developing new skills over their first two years of life as they move from dependence to independence during that time. Early childhood teachers have a responsibility to ensure that the development of infants and toddlers takes place in a safe, secure and supported environment where they can become knowledgeable and confident, autonomous learners, able to interact purposefully and respectfully with others according to their age and stage of maturity. This unit supports preservice early childhood teachers¿ understanding of the unique developmental characteristics of infants from birth. It views infants and toddlers as capable and resourceful, pre-disposed to form relationships and ready and enthusiastic to learn.

This unit of study supports students' developing knowledge, skills and understanding of the cognitive development of infants, toddlers and young children and in particular the way understandings about number, patterns, measurement, spatial awareness and other mathematical concepts are supported in the early childhood context. The unit provides students with the ability to help young children gain a beginning understanding and knowledge of ordering, seriation, temporal and numerical order, ordinal number, classification, and one to one correspondence leading to the relationship between logical concepts and mathematics.

This unit addresses issues relating to the education of children and students with special education needs. They include the impact of the philosophy and principles of inclusive education and current legislation; universal design for learning; evidence based approaches to curriculum, teaching and learning practices for students with special education needs. A specific focus is given to supporting students with challenging behaviours in a range of settings.

This unit focuses on the professional organisation and management of dynamic early childhood education and services which are responsive to children's, families' and communities' needs and which operate with good business and human resources. Specifically it outlines the management and leadership issues involved for both nominated supervisors and teaching staff in organising and sustaining early childhood services, and helps foster an awareness of the social and political context within which services are operating. The unit highlights the legal and other responsibilities of qualified early childhood teachers and looks at the development of sustainable policies for maintaining safe and responsible early childhood centres. Early childhood teachers must be competent leaders and advocates for change in the early childhood field and must be able to encourage team building, enthusiasm, good communication skills and harmonious work environments in addition to keeping up to date with mandatory management and governance practices and the mandatory responsibilities associated with these. Teachers need to be able to work with other staff in services to develop shared philosophies and visions for early childhood through individualised, organisational contexts.

Infants, toddlers and young children are naturally curious about the world around them, questioning, making assumptions and conducting experiments through play to determine how things work. This unit of study assists students to develop knowledge and skills in the teaching of science at the early childhood level. It provides students with the ability to help infants, toddlers and young children gain a foundational understanding of scientific concepts such as physics, biology, astronomy and technology as part of their everyday world. Understanding the importance of care and sustainability of the environment should begin at an early age and students need to foster environmental awareness in young children to promote lifelong care attitudes. Through lectures, workshops, readings and other activities, students will examine the theoretical underpinnings and practical knowledge required to guide the learning of infants, toddlers and young children and to encourage essential lifelong scientific reasoning skills such as hypothesis, inference, prediction and estimation, as they investigate the natural and created world. Mathematics, logical thinking and problem solving, and the use of language and literacy in communicating findings, participating in discussions, and representing experiences will be integrated into the science unit. Students will be encouraged to examine their own scientific experiences, conceptions, and knowledge as means to better understand the emerging scientific conceptions of young children.

This is the second of four Professional Experience units in the Bachelor of Education Early Childhood (birth-5 years). This unit focuses on the education and care of infants and toddlers in a dedicated classroom with children birth-2 years of age. It focuses on observing and documenting the development of infants and toddlers across all domains, and on the preparation of quality learning experiences and curriculum designed to meet the caregiving and learning outcomes for infants and toddlers in partnership with their families. Sensitivity to children's and families' unique cultural, linguistic, community and social characteristics will be considered and students will be expected to incorporate an understanding of these into their work with this age group. As students will have completed units on Play, as well as most curriculum units (e.g. Language Arts, Mathematics, Science and Creative Arts) they will be expected to demonstrate how the learning of infants and toddlers can be enhanced through play-based experiences in these areas. Students complete a 15 day Professional Experience placement, normally undertaken in a block (plus 1 day of lead-up visit) with children aged birth to 2 years in an early childhood setting. During this period they also undertake a number of administrative and leadership tasks linked to EDEC3004 Management and Administration in Early Childhood.

This unit of study is designed to provide you with the opportunity to practice and develop the skills associated with (a) making sense of and making use of educational research, including research carried out by academics, by practitioners, by think tanks, and by or at the behest of governments; and (b) engaging in classroom inquiry as a teacher. The aim of the unit is to help you efficiently and correctly to interpret, analyse, evaluate and synthesise research from a range of sources, and to assess its implications for practice. You will be encouraged to develop an appreciation of the broad range of research topics in education and their associated forms of systematic inquiry and to develop your capacity to make links between research, policy, teaching and learning. The unit will provide opportunities for you to become more familiar with the relationship between research and practice so that you can locate, critically analyse and use published material to investigate, understand and enrich your own practice and, in the future, exercise leadership in the encouragement of effective schooling more broadly. A series of expert lectures in the production and use of educational research will be complemented by workshops and assessments designed to encourage you to synthesise different kinds and sources of research-based knowledge about students, teachers, schools, classrooms and communities. In preparing an individual research proposal, you will draw upon the research literature to develop your topic and to select a form of inquiry that is suited to it.

This unit provides an introduction to the Honours Program and the nature of educational research. Students develop an understanding of a range of education research methodologies through participating in seminars and by attending lectures. They demonstrate their emerging understanding of their chosen field of research in the process of conducting a detailed literature review and designing a research proposal, which will include carefully constructed research questions and an appropriate research methodology. This Unit leads to a research project that will be conducted under the supervision of an academic member of staff in Unit EDUF4021.

Central to quality in early childhood services is recognition that families are the most important contributors to their children's care, welfare, social and educational outcomes. Families¿ perspectives on the education and care of infants, toddlers and young are central to planning early childhood programs. Early childhood services are most beneficial to children, families and the broader community when teachers partner with families and both understand and apply the concept of partnership. When working in partnership, families and early childhood professionals develop a shared appreciation of each child's home and early childhood service contexts. Family partnerships are built on mutual trust over time as families' interests and concerns about their children are shared with educators and as families and educators collaborate to create culturally rich and responsive learning environments. Early childhood teachers also have a reciprocal responsibility to share their knowledge and expertise with families to promote children's development and learning. In this unit students develop communication skills, leadership qualities, and relationship building skills as they relate to quality education, care and service provision in early education and care settings.

This unit is designed to enable students to refine and extend their knowledge and skills in planning and implementing curriculum for young children and their families, and to deepen their critical understanding of early childhood pedagogy . Using the principles and practices of the Early Years Learning Framework as the basis of their reflective explorations, students will explore research and practitioner literature on the following aspects of early childhood pedagogy: Reflective practice and building a learning community; Teacher/child relationships and behaviour guidance; Inclusive education; Assessment; Partnerships with families. Students will have the opportunity to develop individual interest projects to deepen their learning, and to work in a learning community within the unit tutorials.

Professional Experience Early Childhood 3 is the third Professional Experience unit in the Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood). This unit focuses on curriculum development and models, the importance of partnering with families in early childhood settings, working with other educators, and planning and programming. Students will be expected to take increasing responsibility as the primary educators for children in the three to five year age group, to demonstrate their knowledge of a range of early childhood curriculum approaches and ways of initiating and sustaining partnerships with families to provide the best possible education and care outcomes for children. Students will increasingly be asked to demonstrate their ability to undertake a range of administrative and management tasks associated with the centre, in consultation with the primary educator of children in the three to five years age group, the centre's Educational Leader and/or other Nominated supervisors.

This unit of study focuses on the importance of supporting young children's developing understanding of a range of literacies in multiple modes in the years prior to school and in the transition phase between home and preschool/child care and school. Children bring understandings of multiliteracies (in languages other than English, literacy as social practice, visual literacies, film and music based literacies, community literacies and digital literacies) with them as they commence school and yet many of these go unrecognised and are often undervalued by both early childhood educators and primary school educators. In this unit students focus on multiliteracies and how they can extend young children's literacy understanding and growth. In particular they explore the impact of popular culture, critical literacy and digital technologies. For young children's optimal development, transitions between early childhood contexts and transitions to school should be as seamless as possible. Ways of supporting and fostering partnerships between families, early childhood services and schools through the transitions process will be highlighted.

The role of the professional in early childhood services is multifaceted and complex. In this unit students explore what it means to strong advocates for young children and their families. While organisational and management structures of early childhood services vary, early childhood professionals must generally be able to quickly assume responsibility for the overall education, care and general well-being of young children from diverse socio-cultural backgrounds, in addition to being responsive to families, supervising staff, and conforming to legislative requirements. Many become essentially managers of small businesses accountable for all management, financial and WH&S matters associated with the day to day running of an early childhood service. In an environment of increasing integration of essential services associated with young children and their families, they typically must also work with a range of ancillary services linked together in community hubs. Early childhood teachers must be leaders in their field, irrespective of the role they assume in a service. They must be socially and politically aware and ready to access and critique current philosophical and educational trends with confidence for the promotion of high quality programs for infants, toddlers and young children. Early childhood professionals must be strong advocates for the health, care, education and well-being of children, vocal proponents for the provision of highly qualified educators and effective lobbyists for both the profession and the quality and provision of services for children and their families.

This unit enables students to experience the professional work of early childhood teachers over a sustained period- 30 days in an early childhood setting With the support and guidance of a qualified supervising arly childhood teacher students will build, consolidate and apply their growing knowledge, skills and understandings around early childhood teaching and learning. They will explore the legal, social and ethical responsibilities associated with being an early childhood teacher and consider their role and responsibilities as teachers and leaders in local, national and global early education teaching communities. This unit requires students to demonstrate growing independence as a critically reflective early childhood professional and to evaluate these experiences in relation to on-going professional growth. The student will build to a teaching load of five days per week (or equivalent) with the balance of the time focused on developing a teacher-led research project designed to explore and/or improve an aspect of pedagogy, curriculum or child development.

In this unit, under the supervision of an academic member of staff, and possibly as part of a research team, students undertake a research project developed as part of EDUF4020. In undertaking the research project, students are required to demonstrate a breadth and depth of knowledge of the discipline studied, autonomy and imagination in applying that knowledge, proficiency and skill in the research methods used and a critical and insightful analysis of the results. They will also be required to demonstrate an understanding of relevant ethical issues. Under the direction of their supervisor, students will develop a research report for examination and dissemination to the wider research field.

This unit of study dissects the role played by youth sport and sport in Australian society from an historical and socio-cultural perspective. Youth sport in this unit encompasses physical education, school sport, organised community sport as well as any organised youth physical activity. This unit endeavours to place greater emphasis on theories that have emerged regarding youth sport and sport issues. These include how youth sport and sport in general have been constructed over time and how each relates to themes such as class, gender, age, ethnicity, sexuality, social identity, policy, politics commercialism, nationalism and racism. This unit will encourage students to critically analyse how sport is both constructed and is produced in the context of particular social values and beliefs. The unit is structured in a way to encourage the development of arguments and ideas through tutorial presentations, research projects and a portfolio which relate to these topic areas. This unit of study is designed to encourage student-based multi-disciplinary inquiry as laid out by the Education III design. It is designed also to encourage students to become informed citizens and life-long learners.

The unit emphasis is on the underpinning global education trends of the developed world. A number of themes are dealt with in this global context. These include Indigenous education issues in Australia, the USA and New Zealand, the emergence of international curriculum and assessment and a number of education system case studies. These case studies will include the education systems of France, Great Britain, Brazil, China and India. The unit will appeal to students who are likely to work in the increasingly global world of teaching and may be involved in latter years in working in organizations such as UNESCO, the OECD or the World Bank.

Mentoring is a complex activity which juxtaposes support and challenge in both transitional situations and in on-going learning of both the mentee and the mentor. In schools, mentoring is a critical attribute of professional teaching practice. It is integral to leading the provision of quality classroom teaching and learning through the essential support for ongoing professional learning of preservice, beginning and more experienced teachers. Students who have a specialisation in a particular learning area of strategic importance, for example primary mathematics or science, will be well placed to mentor the ongoing professional learning of their colleagues.
This unit of study will examine dispositions and skills necessary for the mentoring of enriched pedagogical practices in schools. Students use a range of sociological theories and constructs and engage in intensive reading of research in order to develop a critical understanding of mentoring as professional practice and to devise a mentor program suitable for implementation in an educational setting related to their area of specialisation. Models of distributed leadership and collaboration play an important part in effective mentoring. For this reason the learning and teaching in this unit of study is facilitated through collaborative teams. These teams promote interdependence between members of the team. They also emphasise individual accountability as each student is required to develop the leadership qualities required to lead their peers toward critically engaging with learning about their practice.

Curriculum is an essential component to all schools and all education systems. Understanding what, why and how curricula are constructed is an important skill for all teachers. The unit also examines controversial issues in curriculum including the teaching of values in schools and the role of values education documents for NSW schools. Many recent developments in curriculum are reviewed including NAPLAN, national assessment and MySchool. Evaluation and assessment are often misunderstood concepts. Cultural, social and political influences drive decisions about who, what and how will be evaluated. Evaluation and assessment are often conflated with large scale testing regimes because they can lead to easily quantifiable results. A broader and more accurate understanding of these terms is important for all educators.

Contemporary educational paradigms and pedagogies advocate theories of learning that conceptualise education as a process of participatory research, where children are active agents and teachers are facilitators and co-constructers of meaning. As such, it is critical that teachers are well versed in child-focused research. This unit investigates the ways teachers can engage in and critique ethical and political research with children birth - eight years. Underpinned by social justice principles of participation, inclusion and equality, this unit aims to provide students with knowledge about a) critical research theories; b) participatory methods, instruments and processes for researching with young children; c) ethical considerations in conducting research with diverse and/or marginalised children; d) research as a mechanism for social justice and social change in early childhood education, that is, the role of teachers as researchers in informing public policy, advocacy and activism; and e) research as an evaluative toolkit for reflection, accountability, and sustainable early childhood teaching.

This unit of study explores relationships between education, poverty and development in international contexts, particularly in what is increasingly referred to as the ?global South?. It acknowledges the importance of a broad-ranging view of international development, including its economic, political, and cultural dimensions. The unit examines key indicators related to poverty and education, and explores the educational implications of global social policies like the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We investigate the roles of multilateral, bilateral and non-state agencies in educational development to discuss the multiple actors in global development and the politics of aid. Using case studies of educational development processes in specific countries, we contextualise the key issues explored in the unit and provide students with an understanding of how international development reforms are experienced and contested at local, regional, and national levels. The unit is especially designed for those who have an interest in international and global dynamics, particularly those identified as ?developing? countries, and who may be teaching or writing about international development issues, or who may be interested in careers in international and development education, whether in Australia or overseas.

This unit of study examines research on information processing and the design of instructional materials and activiities which have significant implications for enhancing learning outcomes. In addition to lectures, students present the results of their collaborative self-directed research in a series of presentations held in the last two weeks of the unit of study. At the completion of the unit students should be able to analyse, synthesise, and draw conclusions from theory and research, derive educational implications and applications for an educational level (e.g. primary, secondary), demonstrate the skills involved in collaborative and self-directed learning, and demonstrate competence in oral and written communication skills.

How can we explain the ideas, practices and institutions which make up the modern Australian school? This unit looks for the answers in the history of Australian education and educational ideas more broadly. Why is schooling compulsory? Why are there separate primary and secondary schools? Why do teachers need university degrees? Why do so many children and young people attend religiously-affiliated schools? What are the origins of current school funding regimes? Understanding the histories of current educational arrangements helps us better understand the present and offers useful knowledge for shaping the future of schooling. The unit looks at the history of Australian schooling within an international context, with a particular emphasis on the period from the 1950s to the early C21st.

This unit explores the place of creativity and teacher artistry in learning, curriculum and schools. Throughout this unit students will be given the opportunity to practically engage with ideas of creativity, learning and teacher artistry to develop theory and practice for 21st century schooling. Through seminars, international case studies and intensive site based workshops students will have the opportunity to develop their own practices in creativity and teacher artistry to support student learning and knowledge creation across the curriculum.

The focus of this UoS is exploring, experiencing and reflecting upon the transformative effect of Aboriginal community engagement on schools, early childhood education settings, teacher professional learning, curriculum and pedagogy. To do this, students participate in local Aboriginal cultural immersion activities and critically reflect on the contribution these make to their teaching/learning practices. The development and design of culturally responsive relationships-focussed pedagogies and curriculum with the aim of improving Aboriginal student outcomes will contribute significantly to the project of 'closing the gap' between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal students. Critical analysis of diverse community contexts and representations of Aboriginal people, culture and communities is crucial in rejecting deficit views and discourses. Consequently, students will critique and reflect upon the notion of a pedagogical cultural identity as an important aspect in the development of an activist professional identity in order to transform teaching practices, curriculum, schools, early childhood education settings and individuals in socially just ways.