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An exploratory cluster trial of a sustainable capacity building intervention to promote positive child mental health in Family Day Care. Rarely is solution-oriented intervention research built and conducted with rigorous research designs in communities of extreme disadvantage. This study builds on the enthusiasm of a leading child welfare organisation in its commitment to contribute to evidence for practice-oriented solutions. The research will serve as a model for the Family Day Care and childc ....An exploratory cluster trial of a sustainable capacity building intervention to promote positive child mental health in Family Day Care. Rarely is solution-oriented intervention research built and conducted with rigorous research designs in communities of extreme disadvantage. This study builds on the enthusiasm of a leading child welfare organisation in its commitment to contribute to evidence for practice-oriented solutions. The research will serve as a model for the Family Day Care and childcare sectors. The study is an essential step in the development of an intervention prior to a large-scale evaluation. With a strong evidence base, this program may be implemented widely within the sector nationally, thus addressing a key area of children's health inequalities - mental health.Read moreRead less
Babies, ethnographies of belonging in 'at risk' communities, and the new compulsory Early Years Learning Framework. This project will develop new understandings about how a sense of belonging can be fostered in early childhood education settings, especially for babies and their families in marginalised communities. It will produce rich accounts of belonging to assist early childhood educators to implement the new compulsory national early childhood curriculum.
Investigating mobile technologies in young children's everyday worlds. This project will seek to understand how young children access benefits of learning/ play through mobile internet-connected technologies in homes, preschools and communities. It will provide empirical evidence of everyday practices to inform policy development about smart technology use in the early years to support early childhood educators and families.
Interacting with knowledge, interacting with people: web searching in early childhood. This study investigates the extent of pre-school children's Web searching, what they access and in what social contexts. Findings will inform educators and families about Web use for socially interactive learning and knowledge-building.
Building executive function in imaginary play. This project aims to develop a sustainable, play-based program to increase the executive functions of children in the year prior to school. Executive functions (EF) are cognitive processes that control an individual’s behaviour and cognition and include processes such as working memory, inhibitory control and attention. There is evidence that EF skills are critical to a successful transition to formal learning environments and future academic achiev ....Building executive function in imaginary play. This project aims to develop a sustainable, play-based program to increase the executive functions of children in the year prior to school. Executive functions (EF) are cognitive processes that control an individual’s behaviour and cognition and include processes such as working memory, inhibitory control and attention. There is evidence that EF skills are critical to a successful transition to formal learning environments and future academic achievement, and that they are amenable to early intervention. Improving children’s EF skills in the year prior to school could produce lasting benefits across the school years, particularly for more vulnerable children. This project intends to inform professional development programs in early childhood education.Read moreRead less
Engagement in early childhood education in the context of disadvantage. This research responds to enduring inequalities in children’s participation in high quality early childhood education and care (ECEC). Contemporary families face precarious labour markets and a childcare system with stringent workforce participation requirements. This project will illuminate the affordances of everyday life for families most challenged by these emergent conditions and develop understandings of how to calibr ....Engagement in early childhood education in the context of disadvantage. This research responds to enduring inequalities in children’s participation in high quality early childhood education and care (ECEC). Contemporary families face precarious labour markets and a childcare system with stringent workforce participation requirements. This project will illuminate the affordances of everyday life for families most challenged by these emergent conditions and develop understandings of how to calibrate services accordingly. Findings will support universal ECEC access through knowledge translation about contemporary disadvantage to policy and practice forums. A strong Indigenous component contributes to researcher training and knowledge about effective practice for Indigenous children and their families.Read moreRead less
Changing relationships between children's moral reasoning for inclusion and epistemic beliefs in early years primary school classrooms. This project examines how children's beliefs about knowledge influence their reasoning about moral values and how these change as they progress through the early years of school. This study will generate new knowledge about how to promote effective moral education for promote cohesive, inclusive societies.
The developmental significance of sleep transition in early childhood. This project aims to advance understanding of sleep functioning as children transition from many naps, to one nap, then none. Through an intense, objective longitudinal study of sleep from age one to five years, the project seeks to examine the interplay of sleep, care environment and ongoing child development. The project is expected to deliver much needed evidence to address the controversy surrounding care practice in fami ....The developmental significance of sleep transition in early childhood. This project aims to advance understanding of sleep functioning as children transition from many naps, to one nap, then none. Through an intense, objective longitudinal study of sleep from age one to five years, the project seeks to examine the interplay of sleep, care environment and ongoing child development. The project is expected to deliver much needed evidence to address the controversy surrounding care practice in family and early childhood education and care contexts. The expected benefit for parents and educators is improved knowledge and confidence in supporting children’s sleep. The expected benefit for children is positive development, given the known impacts of sleep on ongoing learning, behaviour and health.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE150100731
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$361,744.00
Summary
Contextual supports for the early development of self-regulated learning. How do young children develop critical learning behaviours that are the key for their future academic success? What kinds of environments support this development? This project aims to answer these questions by investigating the development of regulatory behaviours (with a specific focus on self-regulated learning) during the first two years of schooling, and identifying critical contextual variables at home and at school ....Contextual supports for the early development of self-regulated learning. How do young children develop critical learning behaviours that are the key for their future academic success? What kinds of environments support this development? This project aims to answer these questions by investigating the development of regulatory behaviours (with a specific focus on self-regulated learning) during the first two years of schooling, and identifying critical contextual variables at home and at school impacting on this development. Findings from this research will provide crucial information for the design of family and practitioner-based interventions helping to improve the educational outcomes of young Australians.Read moreRead less
Digital mediation of children’s interactions with the more than human world. This project aims to investigate how children deploy digital devices to interact with the "natural" world and how this influences their literate practices, emotional engagement and identities. The project intends to examine these issues longitudinally across Australia and Finland, and in relation to key contextual issues of social class, material conditions, and pedagogical approach. Expected outcomes include identifyin ....Digital mediation of children’s interactions with the more than human world. This project aims to investigate how children deploy digital devices to interact with the "natural" world and how this influences their literate practices, emotional engagement and identities. The project intends to examine these issues longitudinally across Australia and Finland, and in relation to key contextual issues of social class, material conditions, and pedagogical approach. Expected outcomes include identifying ways of educating students through mobile digital technologies that connect them in emotional, creative and engaging ways with the "natural" world. This should provide significant benefits as children contribute as co-researchers in establishing a set of protocols for using digital technologies to both maximise learning in "nature" and mitigate harm to the environment.Read moreRead less