TCHR2002 Assessment 1
TCHR2002 CHILDREN, FAMILIES & COMMUNITIES
ASSESSMENT 1: Portfolio
Summary
Title: Assessment 1: Portfolio of short responses to unit content
Due Date: Monday 22nd July (WEEK 4) @ 11:59pm AEDT
Length: 1500 words excluding references
Weighting: 50%
Academic Integrity and GenAI – see below
Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) tools, such as ChatGPT, are permitted for the preparation of Assessment Task, within university guidelines. If you use GenAI tools, you must use these ethically and acknowledge their use. To find out how to reference GenAI in your work, consult the APA 7th referencing style for your unit via SCU Library referencing guides.
Submission: 1 Word document saved as a PDF and submitted to Turnitin.
No resubmissions of assignments are permitted in this unit.
Unit Learning Outcomes (ULO)
You will demonstrate the following Unit Learning Outcomes (ULO) on the successful completion of this task:
• ULO 1: Compare and critique historical and contemporary constructions of childhood and families, including those pertaining to Indigenous childhoods.
• ULO 2: Identify ways to ensure children feel that they are belonging, being, and becoming.
Rationale
Working with and supporting children and families within the context of their community is a vital consideration for teachers as this reflects the lives and learning of children. Knowing children, families, and communities therefore presents opportunities and challenges, and being able to identify, compare, and critique the diversity of issues that children and families experience in contemporary communities in Australia is a vital skill.
Assessment Description
The aim of this assessment is for pre-service teachers to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding regarding the historical and diverse issues facing children and families in contemporary communities. This assessment aligns with the unit learning modules 1-3 and requires you to reflect upon key issues presented in the unit content and complete three (3) x 500-word responses to the following topics.
Topic 1: Historical childhood influences
Think about one or two issues that influence children’s lives today and how this has changed over the last 20-50 years. With reference to the unit content, compare and critique how contemporary life may enhance or hinder outcomes for children and families compared to how life influenced them in the past. Pay attention to the ideas about how contemporary childhoods are constructed in an Australian or global context. Frame your answer using the levels in Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Model, including an understanding of the concept of proximal processes.
Topic 2: Indigenous childhoods
Culturally responsive educators are knowledgeable of each child and family’s context, including how to embed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives in the curriculum. Make relevant links to the Early Years Learning Framework (AGDE, 2022) in your discussions.
• Discuss the importance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children being able to see themselves, their identities, and cultures reflected in their learning environment.
• Identify why creating an intercultural space is important for all children and families.
Topic 3: Gender equity scenario
You are employed as the teacher in an early childhood education setting where a new family has recently enrolled their four-year-old son Jacob. You have planned a cooking experience with the children when Jacob states, “cooking is the girl’s job, boys should not cook!” Discuss the following points with reference to the unit content:
• What specific language and strategies would you use to address the children’s being, belonging, and becoming in this situation?
• Give examples of how you can teach gender equity as part of an anti-bias curriculum that has been outlined in the unit content, with children aged 3-5 years.
• How could you communicate the principles of an anti-bias curriculum and gender equity with families?
Assessment Instructions
Formatting and style
APA 7 formatting is required for this task.
• Include a cover page that contains:
o The title of the task in bold
o Your name (as author) and Student ID
o Your faculty (Faculty of Education, Southern Cross University)
o The unit code and name (TCHR2002 Children, Families, and Communities)
o Your unit assessor’s name (Tracy Young)
o The due date
• Include clear headings for the topics you are responding to
• Indent the first line of each new paragraph
• Use 12-point Arial font
• Use a 1.5- or double-line space for your writing and your reference list
Referencing
• APA 7 Referencing style is required for this task. Please refer to the APA 7th Referencing Guide for this task – https://libguides.scu.edu.au/apa
• Create a reference list on a new page at the end of the task with a minimum of ten references, although you may use more.
• At a minimum, your sources for this task will include the unit required text, unit readings, EYLF (AGDE, 2022), and broader literature.
• Broader literature may include textbooks, peer-reviewed articles, and other authoritative sources.
• If you have used an AI tool or technology in the process of completing your assessment (for example, brainstorming, understanding concepts, generating examples, summarising readings), an acknowledgment of how you have used AI tools or technologies is required. You can create this acknowledgment by adding a declaration at the end of your reference list. For example: I acknowledge the use of ChatGPT to brainstorm concepts for this assessment as a starting point for initial research before writing my assessment.
Assessment Submission
• Submit using the submission point in the Turnitin folder in the Assessments Tasks and Submission section on the Blackboard TCHR2002 site.
• Label your final submission with your surname and initials and the assessment task’s name, e.g., SmithJ_PortfolioTask1.doc.
• You are strongly advised to undertake your own SIMILARITY CHECK via Turnitin, PRIOR to the due date, to identify and resolve any academic integrity issues before submitting – see SCU Academic Integrity and Turnitin. You can submit up to three times and receive the similarity match report immediately – after three attempts, you will need to wait 24 hours.
• It is your responsibility to ensure that you have submitted the correct file and the final version of your assessment for marking before the due date/time.
• Turnitin does not generate an automatic email receipt. If you have successfully uploaded your assessment, a green bar will appear at the top of the screen that says: Submission uploaded successfully: Download digital receipt. Use the hyperlink to download your digital receipt and store this with your assignment file.
• If you have any difficulty submitting your assignment, log a job with Technology Services by email so you have evidence of your attempted submission. To avoid any last-minute problems, make sure you submit well before 11:59pm on the due date.
Academic Integrity
Southern Cross University academic integrity means behaving with the values of honesty, fairness, trustworthiness, courage, responsibility, and respect in relation to academic work. The Southern Cross University Academic Integrity Framework aims to develop a holistic, systematic, and consistent approach to addressing academic integrity across the entire University. For more information, see the information in Blackboard, the recorded assessment overview, and refer to the SCU Academic Integrity Framework.
Generative AI
For the assessments in this unit, students are permitted to use Generative AI (e.g., ChatGPT) to:
• clarify concepts, theories, ideas, etc., discussed in class
• generate preliminary ideas for writing
• edit a working draft of the assessment
• read and summarise research and supporting evidence for the assessment
Students are not permitted to use Generative AI to:
• generate definitions or writing used in their final submission.
• produce arguments or refine thinking on their final submission.
Any of these actions will constitute and be treated as a breach of academic integrity. Do not post confidential, private, personal, or otherwise sensitive information into these tools. If you use these tools, you must be aware of their limitations, biases, and propensity for fabrication. Your use of AI tools must adhere to the SCU Academic Integrity Framework, including upholding honesty, ethics, professionalism, and academic integrity.
Special Consideration
Students wishing to request special consideration to extend the due date of an assessment must submit a Request for Special Consideration form via their My Enrolment page as early as possible and prior to the original due date for that assessment task, along with any accompanying documents, such as medical certificates. Please refer to the Special Consideration section of the SCU Policy – https://policies.scu.edu.au/document/view-current.php?id=140
Late Submissions & Penalties
Except when special consideration is awarded, late submission of assessment tasks incurs a late penalty in accordance with the SCU Late Submission & Penalties Policy – https://policies.scu.edu.au/view.current.php?id=00255
Penalties will be incurred after the assessment submission due date/time.
• A penalty of 5% of the available marks will be deducted from the actual mark.
• A further penalty of 5% of the available mark will be deducted from the actual mark on each subsequent calendar day until the mark reaches zero.
Grades & Feedback
Grades and feedback will be posted to the ‘Grades and Feedback’ section on the Blackboard unit site using the following rubric for the marking criteria and grading standards. Please allow 7 -10 days for grades to be posted.
Assessment Rubric
Marking Criteria and Allocation High Distinction+ (100%) High Distinction (85-99%) Distinction (75-84%) Credit (65-74%) Pass (50-64%) Marginal Fail (35-49%) Fail (0-49%) Not Addressed (0%)
Criteria 1 Historical influences and changes to childhood
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Historical Childhood Influences: Comparing Past and Present
This essay examines key issues influencing children’s lives today and how these have evolved over the past 20-50 years. Utilising Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Model, it compares and critiques how contemporary life impacts outcomes for children and families relative to historical influences.
At the microsystem level, family structures and parenting approaches have undergone significant transformations. The traditional nuclear family model has given way to more diverse family compositions, including single-parent households, blended families, and same-sex parents (Bennett, 2022). This shift has both enhanced and hindered children’s outcomes. On one hand, increased acceptance of diverse family structures has led to greater social support and reduced stigma for children in non-traditional families. Conversely, the rise in divorce rates and single-parent households has presented challenges related to economic stability and parental availability.
Within the mesosystem, the interaction between home and school environments has evolved dramatically. The advent of digital technology has blurred the boundaries between these spheres, with online learning platforms and communication tools facilitating greater parental involvement in education (Hendershot, 2018). While this increased connectivity can enhance academic support, it has also led to concerns about children’s privacy and the intensification of academic pressures.
At the exosystem level, changes in work patterns and policies have had profound effects on children’s lives. The rise of dual-income households and flexible work arrangements has altered the dynamics of childcare and family time. While these shifts have potentially increased household income and parental career satisfaction, they have also led to concerns about work-life balance and the quality of parent-child interactions (Thorne, 2020).
The macrosystem has seen significant shifts in societal attitudes and policies regarding childhood. The recognition of children’s rights and the emphasis on child-centred approaches in education and healthcare have led to improved protections and opportunities for children. However, the increasing awareness of global issues such as climate change and political instability has introduced new sources of anxiety and uncertainty for young people (Bennett, 2022).
Finally, the chronosystem perspective highlights how historical events and social changes have shaped childhood experiences. The digital revolution, for instance, has fundamentally altered how children learn, play, and socialise. While this has opened up unprecedented access to information and global connectivity, it has also raised concerns about screen time, cyberbullying, and the erosion of traditional forms of play and social interaction (Hendershot, 2018).
The concept of proximal processes, central to Bronfenbrenner’s model, emphasises the importance of consistent, reciprocal interactions in shaping development. In contemporary contexts, these processes have been both enhanced and challenged. Digital technologies, for example, have introduced new forms of interaction but may also disrupt face-to-face engagement crucial for social and emotional development (Thorne, 2020).
In conclusion, the construction of childhood in contemporary Australian and global contexts reflects a complex interplay of social, technological, and cultural factors. While many changes have led to improved outcomes for children, such as greater recognition of rights and diverse family structures, others present new challenges, including digital-age concerns and increased global awareness of complex issues. Understanding these shifts through the lens of Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Model provides valuable insights for educators and policymakers in supporting children’s development in an ever-changing world.
References
Bennett, J. (2022). The transformation of childhood: Nature, nurture, and culture in a postmodern world. Routledge.
Hendershot, P. (2018). How childhood changed: A historical overview of children’s lives. Oxford University Press.
Thorne, B. (2020). Childhoods: A social, cultural, and historical exploration. Polity Press.
Topic 1: Historical childhood influences
1. Bennett, J. (2022). The transformation of childhood: Nature, nurture, and culture in a postmodern world. Routledge.
2. Hendershot, P. (2018). How childhood changed: A historical overview of children’s lives. Oxford University Press.
3. Thorne, B. (2020). Childhoods: A social, cultural, and historical exploration. Polity Press.
Topic 2: Indigenous childhoods
1. Collard, M., & Mohr, L. (2021). Culturally responsive pedagogy in the early years: Rethinking curriculum for reconciliation. Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, 50(2), 113-125.
2. Dudgeon, P., & Walker, K. (2023). Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children’s wellbeing: A review of the literature. Children Australia, 48(2), 142-153.
Topic 3: Gender equity scenario
1. Farber, A. S. (2019). Boys and girls playing fair: The importance of gender equity in early childhood education. Journal of Early Childhood Education, 40(2), 181-193.
2. Mac an Ghaill, M. (2020). Early childhood education and gender: Promoting equality and challenging stereotypes. SAGE Publications Ltd.
3. Watt, S., & Keating, J. (2018). Promoting gender equity in early childhood settings: A practical guide. ACARA. 8. Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority (2023) Quality Area 3: Health and safety. https://www.acecqa.gov.au/
1. Australian Government Department of Education, Skills and Employment (2023) Quality Area 1: Educational program and practice. https://www.acecqa.gov.au/nqf/national-quality-standard/quality-area-1-educational-program-and-practice
Grieshaber, S. V., & Taylor, A. R. (2022). The impact of technology on children’s play and development: A critical review of the literature. Children and Youth Services Review, 130, 106228.
Nakata, Y., & Langton, M. (2020). Respecting children’s agency in early childhood education and care settings: Towards culturally responsive pedagogies for Indigenous children. International Journal of Early Childhood, 52(3), 279-296.
Flood, M., & Pringle, R. (2021). Early childhood educators’ responses to young children’s gender non-conformity. Gender and Education, 33(2), 189-208.
