Learning Resources
British Columbia. Ministry of Education, British Columbia. Ministry of Children and Family Development, British
Columbia, British Columbia. Ministry of Health, British Columbia Government EBook Collection, & British
Columbia. Early Learning Framework Advisory Group. (2019). British Columbia early learning framework.
British Columbia.
Child Care Human Resources Sector Council (n.d), Occupational Standards for Early Childhood Educators.
Government of Canada’s Sector Council Program.
Early Childhood Educators of British Columbia. (2021), Code of ethics. ECEBC.
Child Care Licensing Regulations: Community Care and Assisted Living Act
Kirova, A., Prochner, L. W., Massing, C., & Bloomsbury Collections: All Titles. (2020;2019;). Learning to teach
young children: Theoretical perspectives and implications for practice (1st ed.). Bloomsbury Academic.
https://doi.org/10.5040/9781350037823
All other Course Reading will be provided and embedded in the Moodle Course Shell
Detailed Course Content, Topics, and Sequence Covered
1. 1. Historical Developments of Childcare and Early Childhood Education in Canadian. Developmentalism vs. Critical Reconceptualist approaches. The emergence of Post-developmental Perspectives.
2. 2. Historical and cultural contexts shape approaches to child guidance. Core principles of behaviorist, constructivist, and post-structuralist theories. How each theory informs guidance practices in ECEC settings.
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3. Historical and ongoing impacts of colonial policies and practices on Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) in Canada. Historical and contemporary contributions of key socio-cultural theorists to the field of Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC). Personal values and beliefs in relation to socio- cultural theories.
4. 4. Historical and theoretical foundations of the ECEBC Code of Ethics, the Feminist Ethics of Care, the UNCRC, and BC ECEC Occupational Competencies, and explain their relevance to professional early childhood practice in Canada. Analyze ethical dilemmas in early learning contexts using the ECEBC Code of Ethics and a Feminist Ethics of Care lens to determine appropriate, culturally responsive, and rights-based actions. Apply the four guiding principles of the UNCRC (non- discrimination, best interests of the child, right to life/survival/development, and right to be heard) to develop inclusive and participatory strategies for everyday ECE practice. Evaluate how the BC ECEC Occupational Competencies align—and at times conflict—with contemporary care ethics and rights-based frameworks, proposing updates or enhancements where appropriate.
5. 5. Purpose, scope, and key provisions of the Community Care and Assisted Living Act and the Child Care Licensing Regulation. BC Child Care Licensing Regulation to analyze case scenarios, recognizing how licensing standards guide daily practices in health, safety, staffing, programming, and facility operations. Evaluate the relationship between minimum licensing requirements and high-quality, rights-based, and ethical practice, using the ECEBC Code of Ethics and UNCRC to extend beyond compliance.
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6. Historical development of the BC Early Learning Framework, including the influence of the Investigating Quality project BC ELF’s vision, principles, and structure through post-developmental and post-structuralist theoretical lenses. BC ELF principles and pathways to design or adapt curriculum approaches that are inclusive, inquiry- based, culturally responsive, and rights-a rming.
7. 7. Historical origins, philosophical principles, educator roles, and learning environments of key ECE program models. Cultural assumptions and ethnocentric biases embedded in these models. Opportunities for integration between traditional program models and the BC Early Learning Framework’s inclusive, inquiry-driven, and culturally responsive principles. Required Reading: Government of British Columbia. (2019). British Columbia early learning framework (2nd ed.). https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/education/early- learning/teach/earlylearning/early_learning_framework.pdf Focus: Principles (pp. 14–15), Living Inquiries (pp. 64–91), and sections on Cultural and Linguistic Diversity.
8. 8. Interpret and apply the BC Child Care Licensing Regulation, BC Early Childhood Educator Occupational Competencies. Demonstrate leadership skills—rooted in distributed and ethical leadership models—through collaboration, conflict resolution, and policy development in ECEC settings. Develop and maintain documentation and policies that are both legally compliant and pedagogically meaningful. Integrate the ECEBC Code of Ethics, Feminist Ethic of Care, and UNCRC into daily administrative and pedagogical decision-making to create inclusive, culturally safe, and rights-based learning environments.
9. 9. Identify and analyze multiple "images of the child" and "images of the educator" from personal, cultural, and theoretical perspectives. Reflect on how these images shape relationships, pedagogy, and professional identity. Engage with BC ELF (2019) and scholarly literature to articulate an active, research- informed image of the educator. Challenge reductive notions of care and embrace a complex, vibrant, and ethical view of early childhood practice.
10. 10. How knowledge in ECEC is socially constructed through relationships, discourse, and materials (Dahlberg et al., 2013; Moss, 2014). Educator’s role as a researcher, drawing from Canadian practice narratives (Kirova, Prochner, & Massing, 2019; Rinaldi, 2006). Inherited cultural images of educators influence their own professional identity (Malaguzzi, 1994; Maclean, 2024). Pedagogical documentation cycle that connects observation to interpretation and future action (Rinaldi, 2006). Linking work to BC’s professional frameworks and ethical commitments (BC Ministry of Education, 2019; ECEBC, 2021; ECPN, n.d.).
11. 11. Define and differentiate advocacy, activism, and social justice within the BC early childhood education and care (ECEC) context. Recognize and analyze how everyday actions and decisions can serve as acts of advocacy and social change in early learning environments. Identify and describe the role of Indigenous pedagogies in fostering agency, belonging, and equity. Engage with the idea of communities of practice to understand how collective action amplifies advocacy and strengthens professional identity.
12. 12. Foundational principles from the BC Early Learning Framework, the ECEBC Code of Ethics (2021), the Child Care Licensing Regulation, and the ECE Occupational Standards to inform professional identity. Purpose and function of a living manifesto as a dynamic, evolving tool that articulates ECEs pedagogical commitments and professional practice. Key commitments from multiple frameworks into a coherent, personalized statement that reflects ECEs image of the child, their image of the educator, and their guiding principles for practice. Concept of "living knowledges" to ensure ECEs pedagogical stance is responsive to children, families, and communities across diverse contexts.
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13. Setting the Stage
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14. As you step forward into your journey as early childhood educators, this module invites you to pause, imagine, and reflect: What comes next? What truly matters? In whose name are we teaching and learning?