According to sociocultural theory, children’s learning is situated within t...

Belonging to “a family, a cultural group, a neighbourhood and a wider community ” (Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations [DEEWR], 2009, p. 7) is integral to children’s early development and learning. Acknowledging families as “children’s first and most influential educators ” (DEEWR, 2009, p. 7), DEEWR notes that, “as children participate in everyday life, they develop interests and construct their own identities and understandings of the world ” (Ibid). So, when children transition from the family context to participate in early education, establishing and maintaining partnerships with families and community members is essential to early childhood pedagogy. The Early Years Learning Framework acknowledges, “Belonging is central to being and becoming in that it shapes who children are and who they can become ” (Ibid). While an important component of education, professional topics such as partnerships can be given less priority in university subjects that focus on curriculum components. To “bridge perceived gaps between subject theory and professional practice ” (Errington, 2010, p. 17) professional topics can be explored through scenario-based learning. This paper presents findings about the understanding and implementation of partnerships through scenario-based learning in a third year, online early childhood education subject, “Early Childhood Education and Care 2”. The research question was, “How can scenario-based learning be implemented to increase students ’ understanding an