Conferences
EECERA Annual Conference is the largest and most significant early years' research conference in Europe, regularly attracting more than 600 researcher delegates from all over the world. The EECERA Conference is hosted in a different European city each year by a local university or early years network and, to encourage networking and cross-national collaborations, includes a full social programme. The local knowledge and the EECERA organisational structure mean that each conference is unique but of consistent quality.
Most delegates will make a short symposium paper presentation in a themed group of three papers, but there are a number of other ways in which to participate in Conference including posters, self organised symposium, SIG symposiums or simply being a delegate.
Invitations to deliver keynotes speeches are considered highly prestigious and EECERA attracts internationally renowned leaders in their field.
Current Conference
2010, Twentieth European Conference on the Quality of Early Childhood Education
Chair: Tony Bertram
Theme: Knowledge and Voice in Early Childhood: who knows, who speaks, who listens?
Venue: The University of Birmingham
Dates: 5th - 8th September 2010
Conference website
Previous Conferences 1991 - 2009
1991, First European Conference on the Quality of Early Childhood Education
Chair: Professor Dr. Ferre Laevers, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, with support from Consortium of Institutions for Development and Research in Education in Europe (CIDREE) and University College Worcester.
Theme: 'Defining and Assessing Quality in the Education of Children from 4 -7 years'
Venue: Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium
Dates: 25th - 27th September 1991
Publications: LAEVERS F (Ed) Defining and Assessing Quality in Early Childhood Education, Leuven University Press, Leuven, Belgium
1992, Second European Conference on the Quality of Early Childhood Education
Joint Chairs: Dr A D Bertram & Professor Dr Christine Pascal, Directors, Centre for Research in Early Childhood, University College Worcester, with support from Consortium of Institutions for Development and Research in Education in Europe (CIDREE) and Katholieke Universiteit Leuven.
Theme: 'Quality Education Provision for 3-7 year Olds: Its Implications and Implementation'
Venue: University College Worcester, United Kingdom.
Dates: 27th-29th August 1992
Publications: Inaugral publication of 'European Early Childhood Education Research Journal', Volume 1, Number 1, Autumn, 1993
1993, Third European Conference on the Quality of Early Childhood Education
Chair: Professor Dr Christos Frangos, Director, Educational Research and In-service Training Centre (EDURIT) and Chair of the Department of Early Childhood Education, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki with support from Consortium of Institutions for Development and Research in Education in Europe (CIDR EE);
Theme: 'Practice Orientated Research Related to the Quality of Early Childhood Education'
Venue: The EDURIT Centre, Kriopigi, Chalkidiki, Greece,
Dates: 1st - 3rd September 1993
1994, Fourth European Conference on the Quality of Early Childhood Education
Chair: Maelis Karlsson Lohmander, Early Childhood Research and Development Centre, Department of Education and Educational Research, Goteborg University, Sweden
Theme: 'Settings in Interaction: Research and Implications'
Venue: Conference Centre, Hotel Arken, Goteborg
Dates: 1st - 3rd September 1994
Publications: KARLSSON LOHMANDER, M (Series Ed.) Researching Early Childhood: Settings in Interaction, (Volume 3, 1997), Early Childhood Research and Development Centre, Goteborg University, Molndal, Sweden.
1995, Fifth European Conference on the Quality of Early Childhood Education
Chair: Dr.Sylvie Rayna, Institut National de Recherche Pedagogique - CRESAS, Paris, France
Theme: 'What are the Educational Objectives for children aged 0-7 years?'
Venue: Sorbonne, Paris, France
Dates: 7th -9th September 1995
Publications: RAYNA S et al (EDS) 'Quels odjectifs pedagogiques pour l'Education prescholaire?', Nathan: France.
1996, Sixth European Conference on the Quality of Early Childhood Education
Chair: Dr. Julia Forminsinho, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal supported by GEDI (Grupo de Estudos para o Desenvolvimento e Educaco de Infancia)
Theme: 'Developing Adults, Developing Children
Venue: Faculdade de Cincias da Universidade Lisboa Portugal
Dates: 1st - 4th September 1998
1997, Seventh European Conference on the Quality of Early Childhood Education
Chair: Professor Dr. Dr. Dr. Vassily Fthenakis, State Institute of Early Childhood Education and Research (IFP) supported by Ludwug-Maximillians-University of Munich, the German Youth Institute Germany (DJI), and the German Educational Research Association (DGfE), Early Childhood Education Section.
Theme: 'Childhood in a Changing Society - Power, Autonomy and Early Years' Education'
Venue: Department of Psychology and Education, Ludwug-Maximillians-University of Munich, Germany
Dates: 3rd - 6th September 1997
Publications: Fthenakis, W E & Textor, M R, [Eds.], (1998), 'Qualitat von Kinderbetreung; Konzepte, Forschungsergebnisse, internationaler Vergleich', Beltz Verlag, Weinheim & Basel.
1998, Eighth European Conference on the Quality of Early Childhood Education
Chair: Professor Dr. Miguel Zabalza, University of Santiago, Santiago de Compostela with support from Galician Association of Early Childhood Teachers (AGAMEI).
Theme: 'Early Years Education: New Challenges, New Teachers'
Venue: University of Santiago, Spain
Dates: 2nd - 5th September 1998
1999, Ninth European Conference on the Quality of Early Childhood Education
Chair: Professor Juhani Hytanen, Department of Teacher Education, Kindergarten and Class Teacher Section, University of Helsinki, Finland
Theme: 'How does early education lead to life long learning'
Venue: University of Helsinki, Finland
Dates: 1st - 4th September 1999
2000, Tenth European Conference on the Quality of Early Childhood Education
Joint Chairs: Professor Peter Moss Thomas Coram Foundation, London University and Professor Helen Penn, University of East London, United Kingdom
Theme: 'Complexity, diversity and multiple perspectives in Early Childhood
Venue: Institute of Education, University of London, England
Dates: 30th August - 1st September 2000
2001, Eleventh European Conference on the Quality of Early Childhood Education
Chair: Dr Niko Fijma, Hogeschool Alkmaar, Netherlands in collaboration with the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.
Theme: 'Early Childhood Narratives'
Venue: Alkmar, The Netherlands
Dates: 29th August - 1 September 2001
2002, Twelfth European Conference on the Quality of Early Childhood Education
Chair: Loula Papachristoforou, President, Lito Papachristoforou Foundation, Nicosia, Cyprus in collaboration with the University of Cyprus
Theme: 'Strategies for Effective Learning in Early Childhood'
Venue: University of Cyprus
Dates: 30th August - 2nd September 2002
2003, Thirteenth European Conference on the Quality of Early Childhood Education
Chair: Aline Wendy Dunlop, Strathclyde University, Glasgow, Scotland
Theme: Possible Childhoods: Relationships and Choices
Venue: Strathclyde University, Glasgow, Scotland
Dates: 4th September - 7th September 2003
2004, Fourteenth European Conference on the Quality of Early Childhood Education
Chair: Valerie Sollars (University of Malta)
Theme: Quality curricula: the influence of research, policy and praxis
Venue: University of Malta
Conference website
2005, Fifteenth European Conference on the Quality of Early Childhood Education
Chair: Irene Gunning (IPPA) & Philomena Donnelly (CUB)
Theme: 'Young Children as Citizens: Identity, Belonging, and Participation'.
Venue: St Patrick's College, City University of Dublin, Drumcondra, Ireland
www.spd.dcu.ie/main/administration/president/documents/EECERA.doc
2006, Sixteenth European Conference on the Quality of Early Childhood Education
Chair: Johanna Einarsdottir (University of Iceland)
Theme: 'Democracy and Culture in Early Childhood Education'.
Venue: University of Iceland
Conference website
2007, Seventeenth European Conference on the Quality of Early Childhood Education
Chair: Zenija Berzina (Latvia), International Step by Step Association (ISSA)
Theme: Revisiting Vygotsky: Crossing Borders
Venue: Top Hotel Prague, Czech Republic
Dates: 29th August - 1st September
Conference website
2008, Eighteenth European Conference on the Quality of Early Childhood Education
Chair: Marit Alvestad (Stavanger), The Research Network 'Barnehageliv' (including the University of Stavanger, Queen Maud's University College, & Vestfold University College and Oslo University College).
Theme: Reconsidering the Basics in Early Childhood Education
Venue: University of Stavanger, Norway
Dates: 3rd September - 6th September, 2008
Conference website
2009, Nineteenth European Conference on the Quality of Early Childhood Education
Chair: Marie Nicole Rubio, le Furet
Theme: Diversity
Venue: Palais des Congrès of the European Union, Strasbourg, France
Dates: 26th August - 29th August, 2009
Conference website