EECERA Special Interest Groups (SIGs)

EECERA members, who wish to engage in cross-national collaborations around a particular theme, form Special Interest Groups (SIGs). These collaborations can be simply for dialogue and deliberation or have a particular focus such as a research bid or an intended publication.

EECERJ has already published several monographs or themed journal editions produced and edited by EECERA SIGs. If SIG Convenors need support in realising such goals, they can ask for support from the Coordinating Editor.

SIGs have at least two convenors (of different nationalities), who are responsible for facilitating the work of the SIG.

There is no additional cost for EECERA members wishing to belong to a SIG. SIGs meet at programmed periods during Conference each year and sometimes organise additional meetings during the year.

Information for Convenors about SIGS and their Formation

Current SIGS

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Birth to Three

Purpose:
Bringing together international perspectives on children birth to three, to:

  • Promote the wellbeing of children birth to three, and their families
  • Support, share and disseminate SIG members' research on birth to three and related aspects
  • Explore and debate emerging curricula and pedagogy, in relation to children birth to three
  • Contribute to debates about birth to threes training, employment and professional development, in relation to the wellbeing of children and adults
  • Strengthen understanding of integrated services for children and their families.

Contact:

Kaye Colmer, Australia kayec@gowrie-adelaide.com.au
Felicity Norton, UK fnorton@northampton.gov.uk

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Equity and Respect for Diversity

Purpose:

The Equity and Diversity SIG will provide a framework in which views and individual perspectives on key issues regarding diversity and equality within early years care and education can be shared and troubled. In turn, this will facilitate the formulation of objectives and a common stance on issues in this important area at the core of future conferences. It aims to:

  • Foster awareness about diversity and equality issues within the EECERA network;
  • Stimulate discussion;
  • Improve knowledge and understanding of diversity, equality, equity and discrimination issues;
  • Further understanding as to why diversity and equity policies and practice are important and relevant to children services;
  • Generate new ideas for discussion;
  • Gain new skills to support all levels of work on diversity and equity issues

Marie-Nicole Rubio, Director Le Furet, France marienicole.rubio@lefuret.org
Dr Rose Drury, Open University, England R.A.Drury@open.ac.uk

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Leadership and Integration

Purpose:

  • Promote the importance of leadership of multi-professional, multi-sector services for young children and families
  • Support, share and disseminate SIG members' research on leadership and integrated services
  • Explore and debate emerging theories, concepts and professional practices, in relation to leadership and integrated services
  • Contribute to debate about leadership training, employment and professional development, in relation to the development of integrated services
  • Strengthen the understanding of leadership of integrated services for children and their families.

Contact:

Professor Dr João Formosinho, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal acrianca@clix.pt
Dr Margy Whalley, Director of Pen Green Research Base MWhalley@northamptonshire.gov.uk

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Leadership Mentoring for Early Years Services.

Purpose:

The Leadership Mentoring in Early Years SIG provides a forum for EECERA members to share expertise and develop new understandings internationally and to undertake joint research relevant to mentoring leaders of those involved in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC). This is in line with EECERA aims and principles of developing quality by encouraging research linked to improving practice.

Contact:

Mike Gasper mgasper1@hotmail.com
Paul Watling paul.watling@blueyonder.co.uk
Kathleen Tuite kathleent@ncna.ie

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Learning and Participation

Purpose:

The UN Convention of Children's Rights emphasizes children's participation and agency. Many national and local curriculum in early childhood education have incorporated these principles. The realization of these principles depend, among other things, on research which critically investigates the conception of learning both theoretically and in early childhood education practice. The role of the adult will be different in learning processes where childrens' participation rights are respected. Therefore, we welcome EECERA members with teaching and research interests that focus on teachers' (staff) learning and children's learning.

Taken from the brochure prepared for the Stavanger Conference 2008.

Contact:

Jo Brownlee j.brownlee@qut.edu.au
Berenice Nyland Berenice.nyland@rmit.edu.au
Liv Gjems liv.gjems@hive.no
Berit Bae Berit.Bae@lui.hio.no

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Outdoor Play and Learning

Purpose:

The Outdoor Play and Learning SIG provides an academic and rigorous forum at European and international level to develop and disseminate high quality research on outdoor play and learning. It aims to coordinate and disseminate international research on the international discourse in this emerging field. It intends to create a space for shared thinking and for creating synergies between participants from a wide range of professional and scientific contexts to encourage a clearer articulation and understanding of early childhood pedagogy, policy and practice in relation to outdoor play and learning.

Contact:

Ellen Beate H. Sandster Queen Maud's College, Norway ebs@dmmh.no
Eva Ärlemalm-Hagser Malardalens Hogskola, Sweden eva.arlemalm-hagser@mdh.se
Shirley Wyver, Macquarie University, Australia, shirley.wyver@mq.edu.au
Prof Trisha Maynar, Swansea University, Wales t.maynard@swansea.ac.uk
Tim Waller, University of Wolverhampton, England t.waller@wlv.ac.uk

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Mathematics Birth to Eight Years

Purpose:

The main aims for the SIG are to offer the opportunity for collaboration amongst both mathematics educational researchers and Early Years researchers across countries and continents. We strive to clarify what mathematics might mean to the educator, the child and the researcher. What is early mathematics? What is an appropriate structure for an early years' mathematics curriculum? How do we train our early years' educators in mathematics and is it appropriate? These and other questions will be explored by the group including methodological and theoretical perspectives in researching young children's mathematics.

Contact:

Marc Wantz from the University of Luxemburg Marc.Wantz@uni.lu
Judy Sayers from the University of Northampton, England Judy.sayers@northampton.ac.uk

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Professionalism in Early Childhood Education and Care

Purpose:

In many countries of the world, the expansion and further development of the early childhood care and education system is linked to a terminology of 'profession'. Curricula, or national pedagogical frameworks, have been introduced as a means to foster professional practice. Qualifications, in-service training/education and an increasing number of university degrees are contributing to the notion that there is a profession in early childhood and an associated need for 'professional' development.

Yet (at least from our point of view), there is far less understanding about what 'profession' in Early Childhood is all about. Do we really understand what it means to act 'professionally?'

  • in a rapidly changing society where settings and situations are continuously changing, in social contexts and groups which tend to be chaotic as they organize and re-organize themselves, continuously forming patterns and relations which cannot be predicted or controlled?
  • with a broad variety of people (children and adults) who pursue various interests?
  • when we know that teachers act first as human beings with a personal history and generate their 'actionable knowledge' (Argyris) everyday.

The SIG on professionalism in early childhood wants to address these (and other relevant) questions. We suggest paying special attention to the development of what might be called a professional habitus. And while we find that these questions can be cross-nationally addressed and reflected upon, we must be aware that 'acting' as a professional can only be done in the specific local context.

Under these conditions, the SIG can be a place for 'shared thinking' and for creating synergies rather than for producing universally valid outcomes.

Contact:

Dr. Carmen Dalli, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand carmen.dalli@vuw.ac.nz
Dr. Mathias Urban, Cass School of Education, University of East Londonm.urban@uel.ac.uk

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Transitions

Purpose:

To bring together international perspectives on transitions in early childhood to:

  • Promote the wellbeing of young children and their families
  • Support, share and disseminate SIG members' research on transitions and related aspects
  • Explore and debate emerging research, professional practices and theories in relation to transitions
  • Contribute to debates about transitions in relation to the wellbeing of children and adults
  • Strengthen understanding of transitions for children and their families.

Contact:

Sue Dockett, Charles Sturt University, Australia: sdockett@csu.edu.au
Wilfried Griebel, Germany: wilfried.griebel@extern.lrz-muenchen.de

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Young children's perspectives

Purpose:

  • To generate critical reflection on children's perspectives and children's rights
  • To support and encourage cross-national perspectives on seeking children's perspectives
  • To support SIG members' research in a collaborative and cooperative manner
  • To share innovative and reflexive research on children's perspectives and children's rights.

Contact:

Associate Professor Deborah Harcourt Deborah_harcourt@bond.edu.au
Professor Johanna Einarsdottir joein@khi.is

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