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Title / Demonstrate knowledge of, and implement, observation techniques in an ECEservice
Level / 5 / Credits / 6
Purpose / People credited with this unit standard are able to: describe the purpose of observation in an ECE service; explain the ethical and legal requirements of observation in an ECE service; describe a variety of observation techniques applicable to an ECE service; implement observation techniques in an ECE service;and evaluate the observation techniques in an ECE service.
This unit standard is designed for people who intend to work, or are working with, children in ECE services. People working in the wider education sector may also be interested in this unit standard. This unit standard will prepare people to advance to a higher level of study in ECE.
Classification / Early Childhood Education and Care > Early Childhood: Educational Theory and Practice
Available grade / Achieved
Explanatory notes
1An early childhood education (ECE) servicemay include a centre-based service, hospital-based service, or home-based service. The home-based service may be nominated by the child’s parent, be the child’s own home, or the home of the educator.
Evidence of one type of service is required.
2Three 'broad age groups' are defined in Te Whāriki for children. These are overlapping age categories and aredefined as:
infant – birth to 18 months;
toddler – one year to three years;
young child – two and a half years to school entry age.
3Candidates for this unit standard shouldbe familiar with the intent of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, which informs guidelines, procedures, and practices in the ECE sector.
4Definition
Whānau/families may be parents, guardians, or members of the extended family who have an interest in the child.
Observation techniquesmay be diary records, anecdotal records, running records, time sampling, incident sampling, learning stories, digital recording, event recording, duration recording, photographs.
5Legislation and Conventions include but are not limited to:
Care of Children Act 2004
Children, Young Persons, and Their Families Act 1989
Education Act 1989
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008
Privacy Act 1993
United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCROC) 1989
Vulnerable Children Act 2014
and subsequent amendments.
6References
Education Council New Zealand, The Education Council Code of Ethics for Certificated Teachers; available at
Ministry of Education, Kei Tua o te Pae/Assessment for Learning: Early Childhood Exemplars (Wellington: Learning Media, 2007); availableat
Hamer, Caryl.Observation: a tool for learning =Te Tirohanga, he taonga āwhina it e ako (Wellington: Open Polytechnic of New Zealand,1999).
Mutch, C. Doing educational research: A practitioner’s guide to getting started(Wellington: NZCER Press,2005).
Outcomes and evidence requirements
Outcome 1
Describe the purpose of observation in an ECE service.
Evidence requirements
1.1Description relates the purpose of observation to the provision of opportunities to create an optimum learning environment in an ECE service.
Rangeopportunities include but are not limited to – learning,health, safety, resources.
Outcome 2
Explain the ethical and legal requirements of observation of childrenin an ECE service.
Rangeevidence of one child, or of children as a whole group, is required.
Evidence requirements
2.1Ethical requirements of observing children in an ECE service are explained in terms of their purpose.
2.2Ethics of observation of children are explainedin terms of their links to the policies and practices of the ECE service.
2.3Ethics of observation of childrenare explained in terms of the values and legal rights ofa child or children and their whānau/families.
Outcome 3
Describe a variety of observation techniques applicable to an ECE service.
Rangeevidence of at least five different observation techniques is required.
Evidence requirements
3.1Observation techniques aredescribed in terms of their purpose and methodology.
3.2Observation techniques are explainedin terms of their applicability to different situations.
Rangeevidence of three situations is required.
Outcome 4
Implement observation techniques in an ECE service.
Rangeevidence of at least five different observation techniques is required.
Evidence requirements
4.1Observation techniques are implemented that match the purpose of the observation and the type of ECE service.
4.2Observation techniques are implemented to meet identified ethical and cultural requirements of the whānau/families in the ECE service.
Rangeevidence of one type of whānau/families is required.
Outcome 5
Evaluate the observation techniques in an ECE service.
Rangeevidence of at least five different observation techniques is required.
Evidence requirements
5.1Observation techniquesused in theECE service are evaluated in terms of the influence of self; and the relationship between the observation techniques and the philosophical, policy, and practice guidelines of the ECE service.
Planned review date / 31 December 2019Status information and last date for assessment for superseded versions
Process / Version / Date / Last Date for AssessmentRegistration / 1 / 26 March 1997 / 31 December 2016
Review / 2 / 25 January 2005 / 31 December 2016
Review / 3 / 17 December 2010 / 31 December 2017
Revision / 4 / 8 December 2011 / N/A
Rollover and Revision / 5 / 20 August 2015 / N/A
Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR) reference / 0135
This CMR can be accessed at
Please note
Providers must be granted consent to assess against standards (accredited) by NZQA, before they can report credits from assessment against unit standards or deliver courses of study leading to that assessment.
Industry Training Organisations must be granted consent to assess against standards by NZQA before they can register credits from assessment against unit standards.
Providers and Industry Training Organisations, which have been granted consent and which are assessing against unit standards must engage with the moderation system that applies to those standards.
Requirements for consent to assess and an outline of the moderation system that applies to this standard are outlined in the Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR). The CMR also includes useful information about special requirements for organisations wishing to develop education and training programmes, such as minimum qualifications for tutors and assessors, and special resource requirements.
Comments on this unit standard
Please contact NZQA National Qualifications Services if you wish to suggest changes to the content of this unit standard.
NZQA National Qualifications ServicesSSB Code 130301 / New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2018