ECCE 179: Professional Practice II builds directly on the foundational learning of ECCE 178, advancing students’ understanding of professional identity, ethics, and practice within complex historical, socio-cultural, and political contexts. Students will critically examine how personal values, cultural perspectives, and images of the child and educator shape early childhood care and education. Drawing on socio-cultural, post-developmental, reconceptualist, Indigenous, and posthumanist perspectives, the course invites students to question dominant discourses—including developmentalism, “quality,” play, and child-centred practice—while exploring inclusive, anti-bias, and decolonizing approaches.
By the end of the course, students will integrate theory, documentation, and advocacy skills to articulate a cohesive professional philosophy and identify strategies for leadership and activism in the sector. This course emphasizes deep reflection, collaborative dialogue, and the development of professional commitments that are responsive to children, families, and communities in diverse and evolving contexts.
- Teacher: Veronica Maclean