Attracting, preparing, and sustaining quality teachers in early education. This project aims to address the chronic shortage of early childhood teachers in Australia, which is compromising quality and return on investment in early education. The project expects to generate new understandings about this specialist teacher workforce through an innovative, ecological, longitudinal design that will track early childhood teachers’ career trajectories and develop a world-first tool to assess early chi ....Attracting, preparing, and sustaining quality teachers in early education. This project aims to address the chronic shortage of early childhood teachers in Australia, which is compromising quality and return on investment in early education. The project expects to generate new understandings about this specialist teacher workforce through an innovative, ecological, longitudinal design that will track early childhood teachers’ career trajectories and develop a world-first tool to assess early childhood teacher quality. Findings are expected to inform policy— including the Australian Government-endorsed 10-year national Workforce Strategy and the Australian Government's Early Years Strategy— to support the future sustained supply of a quality early childhood teacher workforce and improve outcomes for young children.Read moreRead less
REACH: Randomised Trial Of EArly Rehabilitation In Congenital Hemiplegia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$972,777.00
Summary
Infants with asymmetric brain lesions are at high risk of congenital hemiplegia. This study compares modified CIMT to an equal dose of bimanual training in 150 infants recruited at 3-6 months. Both therapies will be parent-delivered supported by experienced clinicians. Outcomes include use of the impaired hand in bimanual tasks, cognitive and motor development at 12 and 24 months c.a. with measures of neural structure and functional connectivity at 24 months. Early interventions that attenuate
Discovery Indigenous Researchers Development - Grant ID: DI0775813
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$70,000.00
Summary
Bringing indigenous knowledge into early childhood settings. This project will produce a negotiated model of Indigenous teaching and learning in early childhood settings by documenting the diversity of Indigenous knowledge from the Northern Territory. This model will be suitable for sharing with Indigenous and non-Indigenous children within the early childhood sector. Through this sharing there can be a greater recognition and acceptance of the knowledge Indigenous children bring to early chil ....Bringing indigenous knowledge into early childhood settings. This project will produce a negotiated model of Indigenous teaching and learning in early childhood settings by documenting the diversity of Indigenous knowledge from the Northern Territory. This model will be suitable for sharing with Indigenous and non-Indigenous children within the early childhood sector. Through this sharing there can be a greater recognition and acceptance of the knowledge Indigenous children bring to early childhood programs, a facilitation of understanding in non-Indigenous children and assist in the maintenance of this knowledge for future generations. Read moreRead less
Discovery Indigenous Researchers Development - Grant ID: DI0775799
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$99,000.00
Summary
How young (2-4 years) Indigenous learners come to know and not know early mathematical language and processes. The project focuses on strengthening Australia's social and economic fabric by developing new knowledge about effective ways to prepare young Australian Indigenous children for mathematics success in school. Low Indigenous mathematics performance is a national shame - many school leavers have limited employment and life chances. A theory that explains 2-4 years old Indigenous students' ....How young (2-4 years) Indigenous learners come to know and not know early mathematical language and processes. The project focuses on strengthening Australia's social and economic fabric by developing new knowledge about effective ways to prepare young Australian Indigenous children for mathematics success in school. Low Indigenous mathematics performance is a national shame - many school leavers have limited employment and life chances. A theory that explains 2-4 years old Indigenous students' cognitive, affective and sociocultural development of the necessary number language and processes to ensure school entry with similar number knowledge and practices to same age non-Indigenous students has the potential to reduce unemployment and the reliance on welfare that has led to many of the social and health problems of Indigenous communities.Read moreRead less
Examining play-based approaches to teaching and learning in early childhood education and care. Children's learning in pre-school settings is important to their current and later educational success. This project offers a significant opportunity to examine how teachers teach, and children learn, through different approaches to play. It is anticipated that the conceptually-sustaining approach to play will support children's learning outcomes more so than other forms of play. Knowing about this ap ....Examining play-based approaches to teaching and learning in early childhood education and care. Children's learning in pre-school settings is important to their current and later educational success. This project offers a significant opportunity to examine how teachers teach, and children learn, through different approaches to play. It is anticipated that the conceptually-sustaining approach to play will support children's learning outcomes more so than other forms of play. Knowing about this approach to play will help teachers better understand the relationship between teaching, play and learning, instead of focussing only on play and learning. This will also help the field interpret the forthcoming Australian Early Years' Learning Framework, which advocates for the role of play in early childhood education.Read moreRead less
Learning about social and moral values for active citizenship: Educational policy and practice in early education. It is economically sound to invest in quality early education programs to ensure productive engagement for individuals in society. In particular, the early years are considered to be a significant period for learning moral and social values necessary to ensure a tolerant and cohesive society. This study will provide an evidence base for how educational policy and practice, informed ....Learning about social and moral values for active citizenship: Educational policy and practice in early education. It is economically sound to invest in quality early education programs to ensure productive engagement for individuals in society. In particular, the early years are considered to be a significant period for learning moral and social values necessary to ensure a tolerant and cohesive society. This study will provide an evidence base for how educational policy and practice, informed by teacher beliefs, do (or do not) support children's moral and social learning about active citizenship.Read moreRead less
Risky spaces: Children experiencing governance across school, home and community sites. Children's lives are being increasingly governed through adult policy and practices designed to protect children, but about which children themselves have hitherto had little say. This project invites young children to account for their experiences in managing risky spaces in everyday interactions at school, home and community. Risky spaces refer to those potentially dangerous social, political and economic ....Risky spaces: Children experiencing governance across school, home and community sites. Children's lives are being increasingly governed through adult policy and practices designed to protect children, but about which children themselves have hitherto had little say. This project invites young children to account for their experiences in managing risky spaces in everyday interactions at school, home and community. Risky spaces refer to those potentially dangerous social, political and economic sites of childhood. This is the first Australian project to investigate children's understandings of these matters. Outcomes will inform national educational and social policy directions and provide strategies for educators and human service providers working with young children and their families.
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Managing Risk in Primary Schools: Teachers' Professional Identity and Work Practices. This study seeks to investigate the ways that primary school teachers' identities and practices are being shaped in the context of differing State government mechanisms for risk management in relation to the care of children. The study will identify appropriate risk response conduct as it is understood by teachers from government and non-government schools in rural and urban locaions in Queensland and New South ....Managing Risk in Primary Schools: Teachers' Professional Identity and Work Practices. This study seeks to investigate the ways that primary school teachers' identities and practices are being shaped in the context of differing State government mechanisms for risk management in relation to the care of children. The study will identify appropriate risk response conduct as it is understood by teachers from government and non-government schools in rural and urban locaions in Queensland and New South Wales. It will then analyse these data to show how risk response practices are impacting on pedagogic work and professional identity,including any context-specific variations that may exist in such practices.Read moreRead less
From The Laboratory To The Classroom: Validation Of An Innovative Laboratory Model Of Adolescent Impulsivity And Alcohol Use Using A School-based Randomised Controlled Trial
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$399,267.00
Summary
I am a psychologist focused on understanding how different psychosocial approaches to reducing adolescent alcohol use actually work. I will achieve this using a new laboratory model I have developed to determine the “active ingredients” of different interventions. Using a randomised controlled trial, I will then test whether combining these ingredients produces better outcomes in the prevention of teenage drinking.
Australian Laureate Fellowships - Grant ID: FL220100137
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$3,320,000.00
Summary
10,000 Hours: Time in early education and care for better life opportunity. An Australian child spends up to 10,000 hours in early care and education programs prior to school. These hours are a developmental opportunity. Their potential to improve life chances is well documented. Yet many programs do not deliver on this promise. Nearly 1 in 4 Australian children enter school developmentally vulnerable. This study aims to interrogate the meaning of quality in early education and care programs wit ....10,000 Hours: Time in early education and care for better life opportunity. An Australian child spends up to 10,000 hours in early care and education programs prior to school. These hours are a developmental opportunity. Their potential to improve life chances is well documented. Yet many programs do not deliver on this promise. Nearly 1 in 4 Australian children enter school developmentally vulnerable. This study aims to interrogate the meaning of quality in early education and care programs with focus in communities experiencing the greatest challenges. The expected result is understanding of the mechanisms that limit delivery of the highest quality learning opportunities and outcomes for children. The benefit will be for children attending early education and care programs, their families and the nation’s future.Read moreRead less