Dept. of Early Childhood Education
Welcome to the Department of Early Childhood Education, National Pingtung University of Education. This was, is and will be a beautiful place for those who love young children.
History
Our department was established in 1992 to train professional teachers who will receive a general education in preparation to teach in kindergartens. Formerly, during 1984-1991, it had been a two-year college program. Since 2004, we have provided not only an undergraduate program but also a master program for those who would like to pursue advanced studies. Originally, the bachelor program enrolled one class of 40 students; and since1996, the number of students has doubled. Currently, we have 301 undergraduate students and 21 graduate students.
Mission statement
The primary mission of our department is to help early childhood teachers acquire professional knowledge, ethics and skills of early childhood education. We believe that an artistic and reflective teacher preparation program will enhance the development of professionals working with young children in the 21st century.
Faculty and staff
Our department has 13 full-time teachers, including 2 professors, 6 associate professors, 5 assistant professors ; 12 of our teachers hold Ph.D. degrees(3 with a director is license). Besides, we have several part-time teachers. In addition to teaching and research, our teachers are also dedicated to community service. On the one hand, we provide accreditation and consultation for kindergartens and family involvement activities in schooling in Pingtung and Kaohsung areas (in southern Taiwan). On the other hand, we offer on-the-job training and advanced study for kindergarten teachers. Furthermore, since 2000, we have supported a Website where kindergarten teachers can build their constructive community since. We're proud that our faculty is diverse and well balanced in interests, expertise, and professional experiences in the field of early childhood education. Please refer to our website for the details.
Programs of study
Undergraduate Program
Goal
Our program is intended to prepare:
l the early childhood teacher
l the early childhood researcher
l the early childhood manager and leader
¡@The interrelated areas of early childhood education are inclusive : curriculum and instruction, educational research, professional leadership, management and consulting.
Features
l Intensive field-based experience
l Rich, open, and supportive learning environment
l Emphasizing research on the local early childhood education.
l Underscoring the liberal arts and professional ethics to enhance students' respect for their work.
l Intensive, supportive, and with supervision throughout program
Admission Requirements:
Successful completion of high school courses and passing the entrance examine. (Applications from other countries, under certain conditions, may be considered in the future.)
Course description
¡@The completed bachelor degree requires 129 credits, including 20 credits of the education profession, 60 credits of early childhood specialty, 29 credits of educational specialty, and 20 credits of liberal arts education.
¡@The following areas of expertise are currently available in our department: Child development, psychology and counseling, research methods, administration, curriculum and instruction, art education, and others. Under the free and lively curriculum design, students obtain professional teaching skills and academic knowledge.
Perspectives
l Strengthening the local and diverse early childhood professional abilities
l Fostering students' second specialty and exploring their professional competency.
l Preparing for Ph.D. programs to meet the needs of academic research of southern Taiwan and to foster researchers in this field.
l Setting up a picture book library to serve the university and community
Students' Learning and Career
Graduates of our program enter careers as teachers of early education and primary school, researchers in state agencies, directors of early childhood programs or day care centers, and child development consultants. Most of our graduates take higher positions in the early childhood field and their good reputations prove their efforts and excellent performance.
Vision
We pride ourselves on the close professional relationship and collaboration with university colleagues, local school districts, and community agencies. Our faculty always has worked, and will continue to work, hard together to provide a higher quality program where by our graduates are cultivated to be artistic and reflective professionals impacting the education of our young children in the long run.