Australia Association for Research in Education
Early Childhood
We build submarines and the defence force. Now we must support the families who work in them
The Federal Government has plans to expand Australian Defence Forces (ADF) to a 40-year high. They hope to increase the forces by 30% (18,500 extra personnel by 2040), the biggest increase since the Vietnam War. This will inevitably lead to an increase in the number of children and parents impacted by military service. It won’t …
ECEC: Why joy at work is wonderful (but never enough)
Image courtesy of Joanna Crothers Educators voted on Wednesday to take strike action on September 7 – Early …
We refuse to value care – why sexism is at the core of our early childhood crisis
Introduction: The old, old problem The introduction of an extra year of education for three and four-year olds …
It’s one thing to extend preschool. But where is the supply of the remarkable teachers we need?
Rachael Hedger on early childhood reform: implications for our children, the sector, and the economy. This week, Victoria and New South Wales jointly announced a universal preschool year for all 4-year-old children, offering 30-hours of fully subsided ‘pre-prep’ or ‘pre-kindergarten’. Victoria plans to implement this change from 2025 whilst NSW will begin from 2030. This …
Time, money, exhaustion: why early childhood educators will join the Great Resignation
As the Omicron virus leaves thousands of families without childcare, because hundreds of early childhood services have been forced to close, early childhood educators are in demand. Previously there was around 30% turnover in the sector, but a 2021 survey of 4000 educators revealed 73% planned to leave in the next three years. A multinational …
“How are the children?” One powerful question to ask in early childhood education
A presentation from the Early Childhood SIG at #AARE2021 with Deborah Pino-Pasternak, Claire McLachlan and Dimity Franks. The Masai tribes of Africa use the traditional greeting “Kasserian Ingera,” which translates to “And how are the children?” This greeting demonstrates the emphasis Masai warriors place on the wellbeing of the children in their tribe. As early …
Want To Know How To Get Funding For Your Project? We Talked To Stakeholders. Here’s What We Discovered.
Designing a research project that engages well with stakeholders is held up as the gold star when applying …
Meet our remarkable guardians of play, protecting children from screens
Digital technologies are a prominent and integral feature of daily living and are present in our homes, educational settings and communities. This week research from the Gonski Institute for Education at UNSW revealed parents see digital devices as necessary for their kids’ learning but worry about the distraction and activities they’re missing out on. So how …
How children describe their role in organising the materials in a kindergarten classroom
Early childhood teachers have many roles in a classroom – mentor, therapist, nurse, scientist, and judge, to name …
Early childhood help for children of deployed military personnel
One parent shared with me that she was told ‘You’re just on your own until they go to …