The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia (EYLF) guides teaching and learning for children aged from birth to five years. The document is deliberately open-ended to provide early childhood (EC) educators with latitude in child-centred practice, but assumes that educators possess relevant pedagogical content knowledge. However, recent research reports that since the introduction of the EYLF in 2009, child outcomes assessed in the first year of formal education have remained remarkably stable. Bidirectional proximal processes within a preschool environment are highly influential on children’s learning, and these remain influential as children transition to formal schooling.
We synthesise findings from two studies. Science is mentioned in the EYLF, so we investigated what types of initial teacher education qualifications include a focus on science education by examining publicly available course handbooks. Engineering is not named in the EYLF and so we employed engineering-related search terms to examine the EYLF. We found that preparation to teach science varies along a continuum from not at all, to a discipline-specific focus. While the terms “engineering” and “engineer(s)” are not used in the EYLF, engineering skills and professional attributes of engineers are woven through the framework. No stand-alone engineering subjects were found in EC ITE courses. We propose that this (in)visibility of science and engineering impacts ITE and consequently EC educators’ ability to support science and engineering learning. This in turn, has implications for supporting the continuity of learning as children transition into formal school education due to the cumulative nature of learning. Teachers’ preparation to facilitate science and engineering learning in the early years of school is similarly variable, raising concerns about equitable access to learning in these crucial STEM disciplines.
We will draw attention to the need for systematic vertical alignment of frameworks and curriculum documents to support pedagogical practice and positive transitions to school.

Keywords: Early childhood education, STEM, Science, Engineering.