Study Programmes 2015-2016
PEDA0007-4  
Training of professionals in the field of infancy, Partim 1
Duration :
20h Th, 15h Pr
Number of credits :
Master in education (120 ECTS)4
Master in education (120 ECTS)4
Master in education (120 ECTS)4
Master in education (120 ECTS)4
Lecturer :
Florence Pirard
Language(s) of instruction :
French language
Organisation and examination :
Teaching in the first semester, review in January
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite :
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Course contents :
Training early childhood professionals requires to develop skills that are both specific to the field and cross-cutting to education and training. It concerns both those who are likely to be involved in this specific field (advisor in education, trainer, coordinator, mentor to professionals in the field of early childhood) as well as others involved in professioinnalization challenges in the field of education.
This course offers a critical view of the dynamics and current challenges in the field of initial training in education and care in the Federation Wallonia - Brussels and in Europe. It brings up the question of professional nature of an activity  that is improperly combined with an exclusively female 'mothering'. It tackles with the problem in its historical and political-administrative context. It studies the challenges of professionalization and specifically targets crucial training challenges.
Learning outcomes of the course :
By the end of the course, each student will be able to:


  • identify the main challenges of professionalization in the sector and the variety of required methods needed to reach this goal,
  • observe educational situations (care (meals, nappy time, bedtime) ou periods of play) in ECEC services and discuss them with practioners,
  • analyse training situations in terms of professionalization aims.
Prerequisite knowledge and skills :
P :PEDA0069-Ab 
Planned learning activities and teaching methods :
From the beginning of the course, students will get in touch with practioners and lead an interview with them. The purpose is to identify the required competences in the field.The results of this first enquiry will be shared with other students and will serve as basis to develop critical thinking.
The lecturer will sustain a debate in regard with the most accurate results of research.
Either individually or in pairs, students will contact an ECEC team in order to get to know how to observe educational practice in daily situations. The lecturer will provide a list of teams and later prepare and analyse observations with the group of students.
The lecturer organizes seminars about professionalization challenges with the contribution of experts in the field.
Mode of delivery (face-to-face ; distance-learning) :
  • seminars led by the lecturer,
  • team works
  • reading and analysis of articles and mains references or training documents
  • non participative observation on the field and interview of practitionners
In addition to observations on the field and seminars, students will have the possibility to take part in study days.
Recommended or required readings :
A reading file including articles, legal texts, source as well as bibliographic references providing a deeper look into the subject will be placed at students' disposal (on line, e-campus). This will be a central reference  for the course as well as necessary to carry out practical work.
Assessment methods and criteria :
Personal interview based on a report that will be written on the basis of the data collected during practical work. Students will mobilize skills experienced during the class and discuss related concepts / notions.
Criteria:
  • documentary richness,
  • relevance of the event identified in terms of professionalization difficulties in the sector,
  • relevance and detailed analysis of the gathered data (interviews, transcriptions, written documents, etc.), of the talking points in regard to professionalization challenges,
  • relationship between theory and practice.
Work placement(s) :
15h of practical work focused on professional interviews and a non participative observation of educational situations in ECEC services (see planned learning activities)
Organizational remarks :
Cursus accessible to the students of 2nd master (Sciences of Education).
Contacts :
Florence Pirard, lecturer, contact preferably by email: florence.pirard@ulg.ac.be (B32, 2nd floor, office opposite the lift)
Marie Housen, assistant, contactable by preference by email marie.housen@ulg.ac.be (B32, 2nd floor, office 2.1)
Jasna Vorgic, secretary, jasna.vorgic@ulg.ac.be (B32, 2nd floor, office 2.4b)