Principles of Early Childhood Education (5 cr)

Evaluation scale

H-5

Content scheduling

Teachers:
Tiina Suni (responsible teacher)
Noora Ahvenjärvi

Teaching on Tuesdays, weeks 3-6
Teaching in English at Salo campus

Thu 13.1.2026, 9:30 - 14:30 (Tiina)
- Course info & study assignments
- Introduction to early childhood education: The central goals of early childhood education
- The legislation concerning early childhood education and the related service system
- The competence requirements for a social pedagogue in early childhood education

Tue 20.1.2026, 9:30 - 14:30 (Tiina)
- The national core curriculum for early childhood education and care and the early childhood education plan
- Early childhood education as children’s learning environment

Tue 27.1.2026 9:30 - 14:30 (Noora)
- The development of children under school age
- Social pedagogy and pedagogical frameworks in ECEC

Tue 3.2.2026 9:30 - 12:00 (Noora)
- Course exam
- Course wrap-up & feedback

Changes are possible.

Attendance in contact teaching of the course is mandatory, which is based on the working and learning methods used in the course. The contact teaching includes interactive activities, discussions, peer learning, and workshop activities. Participation in contact teaching supports the development of the student’s professional skills and interaction abilities.

In case of absence due to illness, a compensatory assignment must be completed. The max. amount of absence is 50 % of the contact teaching. If this is exceeded, the completion of the course will be postponed to the next implementation.

Please check the prerequisites of the course. In case this course is not scheduled to your study group, please contact the responsible teacher of the course and provide them with the necessary documents.

Objective

• you are familiar with the legislation concerning early childhood education and the related service system
• you are familiar with the early childhood education plan and understand its meaning
• you know the central goals of early childhood education and have an understanding of early childhood education as children’s growth environment
• you know the learning and development process of children
• you know the competence requirements for a Bachelor of Social Services in early childhood education

Content

• the legislation concerning early childhood education and the Convention on the Rights of the Child
• the development of early childhood education and its roles in society
• the overall structure of early childhood education services
• the national core curriculum for early childhood education and care and the early childhood education plan
• the development of children under school age

Materials

National core curriculum for ECEC in Finland
The Act on Early Childhood Education and Care in Finland

Karvonen, P., Ukkonen-Mikkola, T., Fenyvesi, K., Salonen, M., Erkkilä, P., Laine, E., Storgård, E. (2022). Playful learning in early childhood education in Finland. Otava Publishing Company Ltd.

Hujala, E., Valpas, A., Roos, P. & Vlasov, J. 2016. The success story of Finnish early childhood education. Nokia, Finland: Vertikal Oy.

Järvinen-Taubert, J., Valtonen, P. & Chukhlantseva, E. (Eds) 2021 What, why and how – Finnish education in practice. Malta: Kite.

Teaching materials

Teaching methods

Individual work, pair work, group work
Literature-based, lecture-based and learning assignment-based work

Completion alternatives

If you have a Finnish degree on educational field and at least two years working experience from Finnish early childhood education, you have a possibility to complete the course by recognition. In this case, please contact the responsible teacher for further details.

Student workload

Learning diary in pair work 4 ECTS
Participation in contact teaching 1 ECTS

Evaluation methods and criteria

Course exam (F-5)
- course exam 3.2.2026 9:30-10:30 (Noora)
- 1st retake exam 10.2.2026 8:30 - 9:30 (Tiina)
- 2nd retake exam 24.2.2026 8:30 - 9:30 (Noora)

Failed (0)

Student:
- is not sufficiently familiar with the legislation governing early childhood education and care and the early childhood education service system in Finland.
- does not sufficiently know the basics of the Early Childhood Education Plan and understand its significance in early childhood education.
- does not know the key goals, objectives or basic task of early childhood education and is not familiar with early childhood education as a child's growth environment.
- does not sufficiently know the learning and development process of the child.
- has not participated in contact teaching according to the requirements
- has not completed all the learning assignments of the course

Assessment criteria, satisfactory (1-2)

Student:
- has some knowledge of the legislation governing early childhood education and care and the early childhood education service system in Finland.
- has some knowledge of the basics of the early childhood education plan and some understanding of its significance in early childhood education.
- knows some of the key goals, objectives and basic tasks of early childhood education and is slightly familiar with early childhood education as a child's growth environment.
- knows a little bit about the child's learning and development process.

Assessment criteria, good (3-4)

Student
- is familiar with the legislation governing early childhood education and care and the early childhood education service system in Finland.
- knows the basics of the early childhood education plan and understands its significance in early childhood education.
- knows the key goals, objectives and basic task of early childhood education and becomes familiar with early childhood education as a child's growth environment.
- knows the child's learning and development process.

Assessment criteria, excellent (5)

Student:
- is well acquainted with the legislation governing early childhood education and care and the early childhood education service system in Finland.
- is well acquainted with the basics of the early childhood education plan and understands its significance and applicability in early childhood education.
- knows well the key goals, objectives and basic task of early childhood education and understands the significance of early childhood education as a child's growth environment.
- knows well the child's learning and development process.

Qualifications

Students can start optional customer group-specific studies when they have completed at least 60 credits.

The modules in early childhood education must be completed in order: first the basic studies (Module 1) and then the advanced studies (Module 2). Exceptions can be made if it is justified from the perspective of the student’s personal study plan (HOPS) and the student has at least one year of work experience in early childhood education tasks in Finland or previous higher education studies in early childhood education that have been accredited in their studies at Turku University of Applied Sciences.