Diversity in Early Childhood Education and Care

Diversity is an interdisciplinary course with the following disciplines:

Social studies, Religion & lifeview, Language, and Pedagogy.

The Norwegian Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) is characterized by increasing linguistic, cultural, and religious diversity, but also an increased awareness of neurodiversity and different family constellations and conditions of upbringing. Professional practitioners in ECEC need advanced knowledge to meet this diversity and be aware of how this affects children's everyday life and the cooperation between ECEC and the homes.

In this course, the students are challenged to recognize, accommodate, and include diversity in ECEC-practice, and to work to prevent racism, discrimination, and abuse. The students gain competence in diversity management and in reflecting on their own role in creating an inclusive community.

After completing the course, the student will have achieved the following learning outcomes:

Knowledge

The Student

• has advanced insight into challenges and possibilities related to diversity in ECEC, as a basis for identity formation, inclusion, and exclusion.
• has extended knowledge of the languages, cultures and traditions of the Saami people and other national minorities.
• has advanced knowledge of differences in ways of organising family life, including diversity in upbringing.
• has advanced knowledge of leadership in a learning organization, with in-depth insight into political regulations, challenges, and possibilities related to diversity in ECEC.

Skills

The Student

• can analyse and critically reflect on theories, methods and discourses connected to leadership and diversity and lead knowledge development in ECEC.
• can use knowledge of diversity to facilitate an inclusive practice in ECEC.
• can analyse, reflect on, and evaluate independent work based on methods related to "narrative method and analysis”.

General competence

The Student

• can contribute to rethinking and innovation in ECEC.
• has a deep understanding of pedagogical leadership and diversity in the ECEC institution, and can a combination of research-, theoretical- and experience-based knowledge and skills to critically reflect on practical and theoretical perspectives, and to implement advanced assignments and projects.
• can analyse and communicate relevant academic-, professional- and research-ethical challenges with colleagues, parents and other collaborators.

The course provides research knowledge and insights needed to observe and analyse the diversity of ECEC and gives a broader insight into the Norwegian Framework Plan’s learning area of Local Community and Society. The students will be challenged to exercise value-based leadership and to recognize, accommodate, and include diversity in the ECEC’s work with the pedagogical content in the learning areas.

The course focuses on social-change processes, and how different life views and religions interacts in the child's education. The purpose is to strengthen the student’s individual and professional awareness in a way that develops the integrity and courage needed to make diversity visible and counteract alienation, and to be a reflective and critical contributor in demanding situations.

A combination of one (1) online - and three (3) campus-based teaching sessions. Each session lasts for two (2) days.

In this course, Problem-Based Learning (PBL) is the main teaching method. Forms of teaching include lectures (online), seminars, PBL in small group work, workshops, counselling, self-study and observation and analysis tasks in ECEC.

The following work requirements must be met within the stated deadlines in order to take the exam in this course:

1. Mandatory attendance in compulsory class sessions. This will be specified in the course plan and at the start of the semester. Mandatory attendence is 70%, cf. program description. The rationale behind mandatory attendance is based on a sociocultural learning view, which views the students as participating in each other’s learning processes.
2. A written individual assignment of 1500 words using a narrative method and analysis. The assignment is to be based on conversations/interviews with children/colleagues or parents in ECEC and analysed with reference to the research literature. The assignment will investigate the different types of diversity in the student’s own workplace/ECEC.
3. An individual or group oral presentation to the class (approx. 10 minutes) of a written assignment, during which time is allotted for comments and input from fellow students.
4. A written, individual reflection after the response from fellow students, 200 words (+/- 10 %).

If the work requirement is not approved, the student will have one additional opportunity in the same semester to submit a revised coursework requirement.

English

Norwegian and Scandinavian languages upon application

There are no ordinary periods of internship in the course. Some of the coursework requirements will be implemented in ECEC.

Norwegian students will execute coursework requirements in their own workplace. For international students arrangements will be made for internships in a Norwegian ECEC institution (‘LU-barnehage’) throughout

the course.

Students should expect to pay for excursions within Bergen.

For international students there will be additional instructions and guidance on campus in Bergen. They will also have their PBL-groups and mentoring located on campus, to secure them a good study environment and student integration.