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, School of Education, University of South Australia Adelaide kayec@gowrie-adelaide.com.au
Felicity Norton, UK Pen Green Research Development & Training Base Leadership Centre 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

Contact

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.

Contact

Jo Brownlee Queensland Univeristy of Technology, Austarlia j.brownlee@qut.edu.au
Berenice Nyland Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Australia Berenice.nyland@rmit.edu.au
Liv Gjems Vestfold University College, Faculty of Education, Tønsberg, Norway. liv.gjems@hive.no
Berit Bae Oslo University College, Norway Berit.Bae@lui.hio.no

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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 University of Luxemburg Marc.Wantz@uni.lu

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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, Canterbury Christ Church University, Wales trisha.maynard@canterbury.ac.uk
Tim Waller, University of Wolverhampton, England t.waller@wlv.ac.uk

Google site

Outdoor Play and Learning Google site.

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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 London m.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, State Institute of Early Childhood Education and Research, Munich, Germany: wilfried.griebel@extern.lrz-muenchen.de

Latest news

The Transition to School: Position Statement was developed by a group of international researchers, many of whom participate in the Transitions SIG. The document was launched internationally at the AGM by Sue Dockett, co-chair of the Transitions SIG. EECERA President, Chris Pascal and Board Trustee, Tony Bertram congratulated the Transitions SIG on the release of the document. It can be accessed at: http://www.csu.edu.au/research/ripple/research-groups/etc/.

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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

Professor Deborah Harcourt, Australian Catholic University Deborah.Harcourt@acu.edu.au
Professor Johanna Einarsdottir University of Iceland joein@khi.is

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Working With Parents and Families

Purpose

• To share international research, experiences and understandings of the role of the family in early childhood education
• To discuss, reflect and challenge the power relationships between families and workers in research studies and work with parents and families.
• To provide a forum for the voice of parents and families in educational research
• To support the development of appropriate methodologies for research with parents and families to investigate how families support their children’s growth and development.
• To explore workforce issues that arise through the development of different ways of working with parents and families across a number of disciplines e.g. early childhood education and family work

Contact

Kate Hayward Pen Green Research Base, UK khayward@northamptonshire.gov.uk

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