Speakers:

• Jacqui Ward – Early Learning Coordinator, Department of Education
• Nicci McDowell – Early Learning Advisor

[Music]

Jacqui Ward

Welcome to another Early Learning Matters podcast. This is the first podcast in the updated Early Years Learning Framework podcast series. My name is Jacqui Ward and I'm the Early Learning Coordinator at the Department of Education.

Nicci McDowell

And my name is Nicci McDowell, and I'm an Early Learning Advisor with the Department of Education.

Jacqui

So today we're talking about the key changes that have happened in the updated learning framework, some of the reasons why, and what that means for your practice. So, we'll start off with that saying, well, why has the Early Years Learning Framework been updated in the first place? And that's really a really important thing to talk about.

First, all of our curriculum documents and frameworks need to reflect contemporary practice. They also need to reflect changes in the evidence, research, contemporary understandings, and other changes to mandated frameworks, such as the National Quality Framework.

Nicci

That's right. And it's really important to know that the updated framework hasn't actually been rewritten, that these revisions to the framework are an update or a refresh rather than that whole rewrite. So, some of the key changes that have happened in this update are both structural and conceptual. The changes include strengthening of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives throughout the framework.

The vision for children's learning has been updated and some of the concepts have been clarified. There's been a refining and a clarification of new and guiding principles. There's been refining and clarifying to the practices, including aligning guidance of the planning cycle to the National Quality Standard. There's been some strengthening around the learning outcomes. And there's been an expansion to the glossary, and this is really to support a common understanding of the terms used throughout the whole framework.

Jacqui

That was awesome. That's a great summary. And I think that's the point of this podcast, isn't it, Nicci? That if you haven't had an opportunity to read through the changes yourself because you're a busy educator working with children, we've put together this first podcast just to be a little bit of an overview and an opportunity for you to feel informed about the changes if you haven't had a chance to review them.

Nicci

Yeah, absolutely, Jacqui. And I think as a busy educator, the first thing that everyone really wants to know, is when do we need to start implementing these updates? And I think, in the communication about the framework, there's plenty of time to make this transition to the updated Early Years Learning Framework, and there's also a phased approach.

So, phase one begins this year in 2023. Here at the Department of Education, we are calling that the Engage phase. Then we move on to phase two of the implementation of these updated changes, and this will commence in 2024. And we are referring to this as the phase we call Enact. And then beyond this, because it's really important that you don't just stop engaging with this framework in 2024, so beyond 2024 is when you really begin to Embed those changes that have happened.

And it's really important to know that the original learning framework will remain in operation, and that as an educator you can actually refer to both of the frameworks, so the original and the updated, until February 2024. But I think when you are thinking about how you're going to make this transition to this updated version, it's really important to become familiar with the updated framework as early as practical for you in 2023, Jacqui.

Jacqui

Yeah, that's a really good point, Nicci. Because I think there's been lots of chatter about the changes are minimal, or this hasn't changed much, or that has changed or all those sorts of things. But the main thing is that educators take some time and really engage with the changes, because it's a really good opportunity to come back to the framework itself anyway, and really check in that your practices are really aligned with all of the ideas, and the concepts and the guidance in the updated frameworks. And I also forgot to mention a little bit earlier on, that this process has been led by Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) with a consortium of academics who've contributed to reviewing the literature and what's current now, what are current understandings, and seeking lots and lots of educator feedback.

Over 5,000 people across the country have had an opportunity to input. And there's also been, the frameworks have been trialled in some services across the country as well. So it's something that has been really well thought out in my opinion. I guess, what I was trying to search for the words to say, is that having had some time to really read through and start engaging myself and with our team, Nicci, in order to develop some resources and things that to support educators to go through it, is that I can really see that there's been a really, what's the word? Rigorous approach.

Nicci

Absolutely. And yeah, I completely agree with that, Jacqui. And I think as we go through the updates and some of the changes that have been made, I hope that's really clear to the sector that this is a very rigorous and well thought out approach that's been taken.

Jacqui

Yeah, that's awesome. Let's start off with, and we're not going to go through every single change in a lot of detail because it's a podcast, so we want to make it short and snappy, but we thought we would review section by section the changes and let you know the high-level bits and pieces that you need to know. So, first of all, the vision. So, the vision has been expanded to emphasise that all children are successful as lifelong learners, and active and informed community members with knowledge and understanding of Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander perspectives, which again, is a really important and contemporary practice, I guess, that acknowledgement of our First Nations peoples.

And it's also been expanded to recognise the diversity of children, families and communities, and the opportunities that diversity brings to know more about the world. So, I think, again, that's a really nice inclusive approach. The overarching themes, there's been a bit of modification there. But one thing I really wanted to call out is that particularly recognising that belonging recognises children as global citizens now. Which again, I think that's a big change I guess from when the earliest Learning Framework was first published in 2009.

Our world has changed a lot. We're a lot more globally connected. And then we've got children's learning and just really strengthening the descriptions on play-based learning to support educators in explaining the validity of play-based learning, but also to include more contemporary understandings of play-based learning.

Nicci

Yeah, that's right, Jacqui. And I think the other update that's been made in relation to the vision is the introduction of the planning cycle and how that links to that vision.

So thinking about all those things that Jacqui's just mentioned, how can educators bring that back to their continuous cycle of planning, and implementation, and critical reflection and assessment and evaluation? And I think that the vision really calls that out. It makes that reference to the link between the expanded vision and children as global citizens, and all those things that Jacqui's mentioned and how that impacts on the planning cycle.

Jacqui

Yeah, that's really awesome. And I think anytime that we strengthen educators' understanding of the planning cycle and that planning cycle being equally acknowledged in the National Quality Framework as well as the Early Years Learning Framework, I think is really important.

Nicci

Absolutely. And I guess just too, that having that planning cycle there really emphasises that high quality programs for children have a strategic and a reflective approach in the way that they're developed.

Jacqui

So, there's new principles. So, the principles have had some updated names as well as the introduction of some new ones. They've been reordered and the numbers removed so that it's not about one's more important than the other. There's eight altogether now. And as we've said along, but just reiterating it, that they're a reflection of contemporary theories, perspectives, and research evidence, and they're essential for understanding how you do early childhood pedagogy, really. And the first one of the three new principles is Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives. Nicci, do you want to elaborate a little bit more on that?

Nicci

Yeah, absolutely. I think it can go without saying that the introduction of this perspective, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspective principle is absolutely necessary. It brings the framework up to contemporary thinking, and evidence and research. And I think it's really important that when you do have time to sit, and read and engage with the framework, that you take the time to read the description of this principle and think about why this is so fundamental and one of the fundamental themes in this updated Early Years Learning Framework.

Jacqui

That's a really good point. And we've also got a new principle on sustainability, which is a great one as well. Do you want to talk a bit about that?

Nicci

Yeah, absolutely. I think this sustainability principle is about going beyond the environmental sustainability that everybody immediately thinks of when they hear sustainability. It's more about being sustainable around not just environmental issues, but social issues and economics sustainability too. So, there's some really quite abstract concepts to start to think about, but I think over time it will be really important for educators to reflect on how they can do this in their practice.

Jacqui

And I think it really pulls out, whereas before environmental responsibilities was mentioned as a key component of outcome number two, but it really brings that thread of ideas through to say, well, actually, it's more important than, well, not more important, but it's framed as something that you hold as a guiding idea about your practice, and then that supports children's learning and understanding about sustainability.

Nicci

Absolutely.

Jacqui

And then we've got the last one, which is probably one of my favourite inclusions, because I always thought it was missing, which is collaborative leadership and teamwork. So, I think we could have used a lot of the other principles to guide how we work together as teams and how we lead each other. But I think calling it out there, and one of my most favourite things about it is the idea that it really highlights professional accountability and that shared responsibility, because working in a service that has legislative and quality standards has inherently professional accountabilities. Whether you like it or not, that's the reality of it.

Nicci

Yes.

Jacqui

So some guidance on the way we work together and the way we lead is a really important thing as well. And then I think the last one is just that final clarification around instead of having multiple terms for reflection, reflective practice, critical reflection, there's a real emphasis on that your reflective practice or your reflection should be critical. And again, I would agree that they almost always are. If you're reflecting on something, you are critiquing things, you are being critical and analysing an idea of thoughts. That's a really nice one.

Nicci

Yeah. And I think what I like about that too, is that it's made really clear in that updated version around using critical thought and critical thinking when you are reflecting.

Jacqui

Yeah, that's awesome. So, moving on to the practice changes. There's been a reduction in the practices, which is nice too to know that the review has been about looking for opportunities to consolidate as well as opportunities to add some more content. So there used to be eight, now there's seven because of the combination between play-based learning and intentionality.

But what I wanted to start with is what I think again is probably one of my favourite changes, because I think it was not always really super clear, is holistic approaches has been updated in regard to that it's now about holistic integrated and interconnected approaches to practices. And that it really talks about that thinking, and looking and talking about not just learning outcomes, but the overarching themes, the principles, and the practices and how they all work together to promote children's learning and how they influence your pedagogy.

Nicci

Yeah, absolutely. And I think thinking about these practices, for me, I think it's really important to call out that one of the most significant updates to the practices has been a shift in language. So cultural competence has been removed and renamed cultural responsiveness. And I think that really sets the tone and guides educators to engage really deeply around what that means for them, and I think too, teams and educators will need to take time to unpack that.

But having that practice there is really important, because then it goes hand in hand with that introduction of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander principle that's been introduced. But then again, even further, it also aligns to the recognition of the Alice Springs Education Declaration at the very beginning of the framework too. I think that theme that's running through the document is there from the very first page, right the way through to the end.

Jacqui

Yeah, that's a really good point. So just the last section that we'll talk about is probably the one that educators often rush to first, so the learning outcomes. And interestingly, at first glance, you might go, well, there haven't been too many changes around the outcomes, probably with the exception of learning outcome number three, which now has a key component.

So decompressing, there was a lot of content in those two key components. And now there's the introduction of mental and physical health and personal safety, which I think is really important, leading on to those conversations that happen later in school as children get older around consent, and child protection and all those sorts of things, child safe standards. It's a really nice call out to all of those sorts of things. And while the outcomes haven't changed per se, there've been lots of tweaks and updates to the examples within the documents, this learning is evident when children, and so there's been lots more things added to there, and then lots more things added to, and this is how you promote this type of learning as an educator, which I think is always helpful because that's good advice.

Nicci

Yeah, absolutely. They're subtle changes, but they're there. And I think going back to just what I mentioned about that theme running through the entire of the document, that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives. So when you actually begin to look at the outcomes and begin to look at the evidence and guiding points there around how you can evident children's learning, then you begin to see that for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives, there's new ways to promote these perspectives, I think for everyone. But there's also an addition on how you can support learning for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and their families in particular. So, I think that's a great call out, too.

Jacqui

Yeah, really good inclusion. All right, well keep out your eye out for more of these podcasts. Thanks, Nicci. It was really great talking to you about this. I think everyone's probably can tell that we're keen on the Early Years Learning Framework.

Nicci

Absolutely. It's just so great to finally have this updated version and to bring it into line with contemporary thinking.

Jacqui

That's awesome. Thanks. Bye.

Nicci

Bye.

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