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Complete a surveyEngaging researchers and practitioners from across Australia.
The consortium has been invited to actively engage in this process and includes academic researchers from nine higher education institutions, consultants, service leaders, practitioners, and acknowledged experts, illustrating a cross-section of sector colleagues recruited for their individual expertise and ability to inform this work including jurisdiction and national representation.
We have brought together an outstanding, nationally represented team of highly experienced early childhood and school age specialists, including members with knowledge of Aboriginal, Torres Strait and South Sea Islander histories and cultures, culturally linguistically diverse groups, and children, young people and families with children who have additional needs.
This project will capture stakeholders' views across Australia, including children and young people's voices, on the EYLF and MTOP frameworks to ensure the recommended updates are meaningful and grounded in both contemporary research as well as practice.
Core Writing Group — researchers and practitioners
The Core Writing Group consists of the tripartite leadership team - Associate Professor Fay Hadley and Professor Linda Harrison from Macquarie University, Professor Sue Irvine from Queensland University of Technology (QUT), and Associate Professor Lennie Barblett from Edith Cowan University (ECU). The Core Writing Team is strengthened with the addition of Dr Francis Bobongie-Harris (QUT) and Dr Jennifer Cartmel (Griffith University).
The Core Writing Group is paired with a leading practitioner – 'practice buddy' – to ensure that contextual practice is at the fore. The Core Writing Group is supported by a larger Knowledge and Practice group comprising 20 researchers, 5 practitioners and service leaders.
The Core Writing Group of researchers will work closely with ACECQA, the Early Childhood Policy Group (ECPG), and the ALFs Steering Committee to work through the consultation stages and agreed deliverables. Biographies of the core writing group researchers are below.
Associate Professor Fay Hadley, Macquarie University
Fay Hadley is an Associate Professor of Early Childhood Education at the School of Education, Macquarie University. Fay’s work in early childhood education spans over three decades and she began her career as an early childhood teacher and Director in early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings in NSW and the ACT. She has also worked in outside school hours care (OSHC) services and is very passionate about the diversity of ECEC & OSHC sectors. Her work includes supporting leadership, professional learning and career pathways for early childhood professionals and partnerships with diverse families. Fay is well known in the ECEC/OSHC sector and her work focusses on translating research to inform practice.
Professor Linda Harrison, Macquarie University and Adjunct, Charles Sturt University (CSU), Bathurst, NSW
Linda Harrison is a Professorial Research Fellow in the School of Education, Macquarie University and Adjunct Professor of Early Childhood, Charles Sturt University, Australia. Her early childhood career began in playgroups, Occasional Care, and Family Day Care, which led to a life-long interest in quality education for children under 3. Linda has since become one of Australia’s foremost early childhood researchers. Her record includes the development of Belonging, Being and Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia, the design of the child care components of Growing Up in Australia: The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children, and many collaborative research projects with government departments and early childhood education and care organisations.
Professor Susan Irvine, Queensland University of Technology
Susan Irvine is Professor and Head of the School of Early Childhood and Inclusive Education at Queensland University of Technology. She is an early childhood teacher with diverse work experience including leadership roles in ECEC service provision, ECEC policy and higher education. Susan’s expertise in ECEC public policy is widely recognised and she continues to work with government and sector colleagues to support informed policy and professional practice. Her research interests build on her work experience and include: policy and quality standards, curriculum and pedagogy, leadership and workforce development, and health promotion in ECEC. She has an impressive track record of collaborative projects with government and sector colleagues, spanning centre-based ECEC and family day care.
Associate Professor Lennie Barblett, Edith Cowan University
Lennie Barblett is an Associate Professor in the School of Education at Edith Cowan University. She has had diverse teaching and leadership roles in early childhood and tertiary education. Her areas of expertise follow her areas of research in the implementation and evaluation of quality programs for social justice. In addition, she works with both prior to and at school settings where leadership, managing change and policy development and implementation have been areas of focus. Lennie is a Board member of the WA School Curriculum and Standards Authority . She is a co-author of a book called Early Childhood Leadership in Action, co –author of the ECA Code of Ethics and is currently revising the WA Kindergarten Curriculum Guidelines.
Dr Francis Bobongie-Harris, Queensland University of Technology
Francis Bobongie-Harris is a lecturer with the School of Early Childhood and Inclusive Education and the co-chair of the Indigenous Education Research Program for the Centre for Inclusive Education at Queensland University of Technology. She is an early childhood professional with diverse work experience which includes over 20 years of work as an educator and administrator in both government and independent schools in Australia and New Zealand. Her research interests include building partnerships between Traditional Owners, Communities and Schools. She applies a wide range of qualitative research approaches with experience working both independently and in collaboration in narrative, ethnographic, community and participatory research. Francis is an Early Career Researcher who has the ability to connect with and build upon current ties and networks within community.
Dr Jennifer Cartmel, Griffith University
Jennifer Cartmel is Senior Lecturer in Child, Youth and Family Practice at Griffith University. Jennifer foreground critical reflection as both a research approach and a tool for professional development. Jennifer’s research contributes to increasing professionalisation across the school-age childcare workforce, working closely with state governments and peak associations to deepen understanding about the features of outside school hours care services. Her research about social and emotional development of children (birth to twelve years) has expanded to the role as Chief Investigator Education Lead with the interdisciplinary team -Griffith University Intergenerational Practice Project. Jennifer’s expertise spans the early childhood and middle childhood periods, and she has an extensive professional network spanning policy and practice in children’s services.
Knowledge and Practice Group — researchers and practitioners
This group of researchers, practitioners and sector leaders have demonstrated expertise and experience in a particular area of practice to lead thinking and work in that area. The work of this group will be strategic in nature, and will include:
- informing the literature review
- utilising members’ strengths and experience in survey design, focus groups, gathering children’s and young people’s voices and the Delphi method
- shaping the consultation and engagement strategy, including the discussion paper
- harnessing members’ extensive sector connections to promote engagement and ensuring a wide variety of stakeholders’ views are collected across Australia
- informing and supporting the analysis and synthesis of findings across multiple data sets
- informing and reviewing the updated ALFs.
Trans-disciplinary Advisory Group
This group will offer advice on the proposed methodology, tailoring of tools to optimise engagement by diverse groups and individuals, and overarching analysis and synthesis of findings. Furthermore, they will be kept informed of findings and give advice on how to present and disseminate for different audiences.