Early Childhood Education
Early Childhood Education at BTI
Choose the pathway that fits your goals—prepare to become a registered early childhood teacher or deepen your professional practice.
Applications for BTI’s 2027 Early Childhood graduate diploma intakes are now open to international applicants.
Graduate Diploma in Teaching
Early Childhood EducationOverview
Prepares caring, confident educators to become registered early childhood teachers in Aotearoa New Zealand.
You will develop
- Character, knowledge, and practical teaching skills
- Relational and responsive teaching practice
- The ability to nurture children’s learning and wellbeing
- Confidence across diverse early childhood settings
Career pathways
Teaching roles in early childhood education settings.
Professional outcome
This programme leads to eligibility to apply for teacher registration with the Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand.
Graduate Diploma in Education
Early ChildhoodOverview
Designed for professionals wanting to deepen their knowledge and impact in early childhood education.
You will develop
- Understanding of Te Whāriki
- Inclusive and culturally responsive practice
- Child development knowledge
- Reflective and professional inquiry skills
Career pathways
- Leadership and management
- Education support services
- Community and family services
- Professional development and training
Please note
This programme does not lead to teacher registration.
“BTI helps you to put your learning into practice.”
Courtney Stead – student teacher studying towards a BTI Early Childhood Education Teaching degree.
BTI’s Teacher Education programmes are approved and accredited by the NZQA and can lead to registration and provisional certification with the Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand.
Study Enquiry Form
Use this form to enquire about studying at BTI. Enquiries are sent to the BTI admissions team for follow-up.
Why study ECE at BTI?
- Full and part-time study options
- Learn in small groups onsite or field-based (based around an ECE centre)
- Be part of a relational learning community
- Only Christian-based ECE degree provider in NZ
- Staff take time to get to know who you are
- Staff walk alongside you as you study, offering great learning support
- Educators draw on the latest research and teaching practice
- Career opportunities in kindergartens, centres and home-based care.
Graduates with skills for great practice
Graduates of ECE Teacher Education at BTI will have the skills necessary to:
- Articulate and justify a personal sense of vocation and vision for their professional practice
- Develop educational practice that is relational, responsive and transformative
- Draw on their developing personal philosophy and knowledge of learning and teaching for planning and implementing wise, innovative and effective ethical practice
- Engage with research and contextual evidence as a basis for their ongoing professional inquiry and resultant practice
- Notice, recognise and respond as they gather, analyse and evaluate evidence of student learning in order to be accountable for that learning
- Communicate effectively to a range of audiences through verbal, written, or visual media, including information and computing technologies
- Design and organise rich learning experiences that maximise learning opportunities within a differentiated and nurturing environment
- Include ngā tikanga Māori, te reo Māori and ngā toi into their practice in an authentic and respectful manner
- Make theoretically and philosophically informed decisions to maximise their students’ learning
Field-based Programme Overview
| Year 1 | TFND 5111fb Teacher as Reflective Leaner |
|---|
| TFND 5115fb Education in Aotearoa |
| TFND 511fb The Intentional Teacher Pedagogy of Play |
| TFND 5117fb Professional Experience Placement: Pedagogy of Play |
| TFND 5121fb Being and Becoming Culturally Aware |
| TFND 5122fb Human Development |
| TFND 5125fb The Intentional Teacher: Noticing, Recognising and Responding |
| TFND 5126fb Professional Experience Placement: Noticing, Recognising and Responding |
| Year 2 |
|---|
| CRPD 6215fb Being and Becoming Culturally Responsive |
| CRPD 6216fb Thinking and Exploring: Maths, Science and Technology |
| CRPD 6217fb Assessment, Planning and Evaluation in the ECE Context A |
| CRPD 6218fb Assessment, Planning and Evaluation in the ECE Context B |
| CRPD 6225fb Social Competence and the Compassionate Teacher |
| CRPD 6226fb Language, Literacy and the Arts |
| CRPD 6227fb Education and Care for infants and Toddlers |
| CRPD 6228fb Professional Experience Placement: Infants and Toddlers |
| Year 3 |
|---|
| INTP 7311fb Being and Becoming Culturally Competent |
| INTP 7315fb Inclusive Practices in Aotearoa: Additional Learning Support Needs |
| INTP 7316fb Stewardship and Sustainability in the ECE Context |
| INTP 6315fb Teaching as inquiry: Integrated Practice |
| INTP 7322fb Teaching as inquiry: Research Project |
| INTP 7325fb Leading and Managing in the ECE Context |
| INTP 7326fb Professional Experience Placement: Full Responsibility |
ECE Education Team
Gayle Te Kani: Head of School of Teacher Education
Karyn Robertson: ECE Programme Leader
Denice Morgan: Educator
Jocelyn Flett: Educator
Linda Stuart: Educator