Dear visitors,

Dear students,

Welcome to the website of the Department of Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) of the University of West Attica. Here you will find information about the organization of the Department, the content of the undergraduate and postgraduate studies, the research work carried out, as well as the administrative services for students of the Department.

The main teaching and research areas of the Department are the education and care of infants and young children, which is defined as the formation of appropriate conditions for their typical development, the prevention of developmental problems and early intervention.

The primary objective of the Department is quality in the education provided and the research activity, through integrated studies in the field of psychological development and education of infants and young children. The training aims to prepare future early childhood educators who will be theoretically and practically equipped and trained to meet the demands of early childhood education and care environments and social conditions.

In October of the academic year 2021-22, the reformed undergraduate program is will be activated in order to respond to the full range of disciplines related to the education, training and care of young children. The undergraduate program has been updated in accordance to the current scientific developments and frames the interdisciplinary character of the Department as it is reflected in the four clusters of courses (Pedagogy – Psychology – Sociology of Education, Administration and Economics in Education – Aesthetic Education and Culture), as required by international standards both in Higher Education, in general, as well as in the sciences of education and care for children from birth to the beginning of their compulsory pre-school education.

The Department emphasizes the further scientific development of students and graduates by providing opportunities for specialization through postgraduate and research programs, and activities of the three established Laboratories, two of which operate at the Department level (Laboratory for Research on Early Childhood Psychopedagogy, Laboratory of Psychological Development of Infants and Toddlers) and one at the faculty level (The Leadership & Innovation Laboratory). The scientific-research activity of the academic staff of the Department is intense with a high number of research papers published in reputable scientific journals, participation in Greek and international conferences, as well as in research projects funded by Greek state and the European Union. In addition, the Department collaborates and seeks to further develop partnerships with institutions abroad through the Erasmus+ program in order to promote the mobility of students and staff, while efforts are being made for the initiation of summer schools.

The Department also develops collaborative activities with various community institutions serving the education and care of infants and toddlers through participation in local government education initiatives and memoranda of understanding.

Even today, when conditions make it difficult for universities to do their work, the staff of the Department continues its efforts unabated to ensure that the Department is a learning community with its own academic and social identity that distinguishes it as a member of the University community. With the high academic performance, the scholar achievements and the meritocracy in mind we are continuing the Department’s journey towards Excellence.

The Head he Department of Early Childhood Education & Care

Konstantinos Petrogiannis MSc Strathclyde, PhD Cardiff, CPsychol BPS

Professor of Developmental Psychology