Education and Care Program Design in Early Childhood Setting Assignment 2022

Running head: EDUCATION AND CARE PROGRAM DESIGN
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Education and Care Program Design in Early Childhood Setting
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation

EDUCATION AND CARE PROGRAM DESIGN
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Education and Care Program Design in Early Childhood Setting
Introduction
In education, continuous quality improvement is a regular process of improving the
delivery of the curriculum. The success and effectiveness of early childhood education (ECD)
depends on the level of implementation; however, other factors such as documentation,
pedagogy, planning, and method of assessment are equally critical (Rosenkvist, 2010). It is
paramount to often think about how these factors impact the quality of learning at the
preliminary level of education. In Australia, ECD is a special stage of learning that gives
fundamental insight into the subsequent levels (Australian Government Task Force on Child
Development, Health, and Wellbeing, 2003). About 61% of children are between 3 – 4 years old,
which also indicates that this percentage attend different programs under Childhood Education
and Care (ECEC) framework (Tayler et al., 2016). In this case, the state and territory
departments have been keen to ensure that the quality standards have been upheld to local and
international requirements. There is a range of studies focused on how curriculum design plays a
critical role in ECD (Rosenkvist, 2010). In most cases, the improvement of the learning
experience is focused on activities, processes, and challenges to enhance the learning process.
The same theme has become the center of scholarly reflections and evaluations. While different
changes have occurred in the recent decade, there are several key characteristics that dominate
the assessment method, pedagogy, planning, and documentation aspects of the Australian ECD
as illustrated in this paper.

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Documentation
The process of documentation of ECD in Australia is a shared responsibility that trickles
down along the leadership chain. The ECD workforce incorporates different professionals based
on the roles they play in the entire system from the state to territorial level. Currently, the ECD
workforce in the country includes coordinators, managers, teaching assistants, teachers, childcare
experts, intervention workers, and social welfare personnel. Based on the scope of their roles,
they are required to keep in touch with the existing record maintenance practices. The
documentation practices in Australian ECD take Ferraris’ theoretical framework. In this case,
there are some key factors that inform the documentation process (Ferraris, 2013). Data
regarding the progress and interaction of the learners with the existing curriculum design is
expected to be up-to-date across all level, which implies that teachers are central players in ECD
documentation. At the same time, the visibility of the interactions in term of recorded evidence
paves the way for interpretation and assessment. Apart from the curriculum framework,
Australian ECD relies on policies, which are equally part of the documentation elements (Tayler
et al., 2016). ECD teachers in the country have ensured that the progress of learners is captured
including the emerging insights, which are later incorporated in curriculum improvement and
policy development.
It is important to highlight that ECD documentation in Australia has been a central
practice that has inspired quality implementation (Elliott, 2006). Teachers and other ECD
workforce professionals attest to the significant role of documentation in Australian ECD.
Through this process, professionals are able to plan for developments and improvement of
teaching practices. Pedagogical implementations also rely on documentation to track progress
and initiate monitoring and evaluation. A properly managed documentation process ensures that

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the ECD curriculum is child-centered. Occasionally, the available data has been used to
determine the level of inclusivity and participation, which also provides the baseline for
improvement or change. Although the country has a robust documentation plan and guidelines,
there are several elements that feature out in scholarly reflections. Teachers and other ECD
professionals in Australia face critical challenges that impede effective documentation (Tayler et
al., 2016). Some teachers and other workforce personnel lack skills and the technical experience
that are essential for the systematic collection and evaluation of practice, participation, and
experience of learners. The nature of the learning methods, as well as limited time, also affects
the achievement of comprehensive documentation of early childhood education and care
practices in the country. Such issues require immediate attention to revitalize the change process
in ECD in the country (Australian Government Task Force on Child Development, Health, and
Wellbeing, 2003).
Planning
The process of planning and implementation of ECEC in Australia is multifaceted. It
entails the legislation and delegation aspects of management. The current legislations are
categorized into Commonwealth and Queensland subordinate legal frameworks. The legislations
provide the guidelines and policies that define the scoop and practice in early childhood affairs.
However, the duties of implementation require proper instruments and bodies. The portfolios of
education and training of instructors and learners receive their authority from the existing laws
and other legislative instruments. The allocation and use of funds criteria are defined in the
finance delegation manual, which defines the authority of how financial appropriations are
conducted and approved. Apart from legislation and delegations, the Australian ECEC also
depends on the national quality standard as a key benchmark in planning and implementation.