Bachelor of Teaching (Early Childhood Education)

Guide young minds at the very start of their educational journey as an inspiring early childhood teacher.

Adelaide University's Bachelor of Teaching (Early Childhood Education) is a future-focused program designed to give you the skills to excel in the modern classroom. You'll discover how childhood development influences how kids grow and learn. Explore a range of education philosophies and teaching approaches to find your own unique teaching style. Learn how to encourage learning through engaging play-based activities. Create safe, inclusive and culturally responsive spaces that support every child's learning.

With 80 days of professional placements, you'll gain practical skills and graduate eligible to work as a teacher in early childhood and care sites, including long day care centres and preschools.

You can also choose to study this program at our regional campuses inAdelaide and Mount Gambier.

What you'll learn

The Bachelor of Teaching (Early Childhood Education) prepares you to become a nurturing and effective early years educator, ready to provide exceptional teaching experiences to children from birth to 5 years.

Over the three-year program, you'll build skills that go beyond traditional teaching - ensuring you're adaptable to the evolving demands of modern education. You'll gain a comprehensive understanding of childhood growth and development. Develop leadership and advocacy skills, learning to support children and families in diverse and challenging circumstances. Explore the histories and philosophies of early education, investigating both contemporary and alternative approaches. Learn effective methods for teaching and promoting early literacy and numeracy.

In your first year, you'll learn to plan, implement and document play-based learning activities. Explore how language works, how it develops and how children use it. In the second half of the year, you'll complete your first 10 days of professional work placement in a real-world setting.

Your second year focuses on teaching early literacy, engaging young learners, and establishing social harmony and respect in the classroom. Learn to create inclusive classrooms that support children of all abilities and backgrounds and explore First Nations perspectives to inform culturally responsive teaching. You'll also discover how to nurture children's creative expression through music, dance, drama and visual arts. This year includes a 35-day preschool placement to expand and consolidate your skills.

In your final year, you'll develop strategies for teaching reading and mathematical concepts. Learn how to teach science, technology, languages and humanities in ways that help children understand and engage with their world. After completing your coursework, you'll undertake another flexible 35-day placement working with children from birth to 5 years of age.