Department of Early Childhood Care &Education
1.About the Department
The Department of Early Childhood Education & Care belongs to Faculty of Health & Welfare Professions (S.E.Y.P) TEI Epirus. The Department originates from Nipiokomon School (P.I.K.P.A), since 1955. The academic year 1984-1985, the Faculty joined the TEI of Messologi as Department of Early Childhood – Ioannina Branch – Presidential Decree no. 462/1984, 166/1984 Government Gazette Vol. A’. In 1994 with Nos. 343 Presidential Decree in Early Childhood Department is part of the TEI of Epirus, which was founded on 31-10-1994.
2.Department’s Goals
Τhe Department of Early Childhood Education & Care aims to:
- to promote the development and dissemination of scientific knowledge and applied practices in early childhood care and education;
- to provide their students with the necessary skills to ensure excellent training for scientific and professional careers in ECC&E; and
- to offer a curriculum that is structured properly so that it can provide all the required knowledge and skills regarding the development and care of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers.
Specifically, the goals and objectives of the curriculum are as follows:
- to provide education and care for preschool-age children from 2 months up to entry in primary education (or whatever period is dictated by the state);
- to be able to establish and manage infancy or preschool centers;
- to partake in various professional activities that arise mainly as a result of the changing profession in terms of the expanding field of study as well as socio-economic and political forces;
- to navigate the exercise of the profession in light of various changes at the state and national level;
- to be able to engage in research as team members according to their specialization.
3.Educational Objectives
The undergraduate program in the department of Early Childhood Care and Education is a four-year program for students preparing to work with children, from six months to two years of age, in preschool settings. The program enables students to create and maintain optimal settings in order to help young children to develop optimally to their fullest potential based on the multiple challenges of child development knowledge and its relevance as a determinant of educational objectives and pedagogic practices in early childhood care and education.
The educational objectives of the program are:
- An understanding of the child’s developmental needs and protection procedures
- An understanding of how developmentally appropriate childhood and childcare practices can influence the child’s development
- An understanding of how practice in childcare and early learning can be informed by theoretical perspectives
- An understanding of applications of research methods in the context of early care and education, case study and action research approaches, appropriate research design, locating and reviewing literature in appropriate fields, methods of data collection and techniques of analysis and ethics of research in professional context
- Knowledge of legislation and policy in relation to child services, family and environmental factors and their relationship to meet children’s needs and methods of intervention with children and with adults.
