The FOAE Early Childhood Research Group conducts research focusing on children (birth-eight years) and pedagogy, profession, and curriculum in early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings (e.g., preschools, family day care, playgroups and integrated child and family programs), and the early years of school.

This group brings together a critical mass of early childhoodresearchers (academics, HDR students, research assistants), with the aim of building research capacity, establishing or expanding collaborations and networks, and supporting funding application success. The group also aims to cultivate a positive collegial environment that will help develop the full potential of researchers at all stages of their careers.

The Early Childhood Research group builds on existing research strengths in FOAE that include:

Children: Speech, language and literacy, including in diverse cultural, linguistic and geographical contexts; children’s inclusion and participation; infants and toddlers; child emotional, social and cognitive development, resilience and complex needs; children’s participation in research.

Pedagogy: Family-school partnerships; relationships; learning readiness and transition to school.

Profession: Early childhood educator well-being; workforce sustainability; quality; policy; leadership; professional development, interprofessional collaboration.

Curriculum: STEM education in ECE; arts and technology.

Reflecting this expertise, Charles Sturt University has recently earned an ERA rating of “above world standard” for Field of Research 1301 Education Systems, which encompasses: early childhood education; and 1302 Curriculum and Pedagogy, which encompasses: creative arts, media and communication curriculum and pedagogy, curriculum and pedagogy theory and development, mathematics and numeracy curriculum and pedagogy.

Early Childhood research in FOAE is aligned to Charles Sturt’s goals of developing “Resilient People” and “Flourishing Communities”. The group uses a wide and innovative range of theoretical and methodological approaches, influenced by the members’ different disciplinary expertise.