EHSC newsletter LOW RES

Centre for Early Years Education
The Centre for Early Years Education Research was
developed based on the track record in research
and development activity in the field of early years
education of an Early Years Cluster which has
gained recognition both locally and nationally.
Located within the Faculty of Education, Health
and Social Care, but with membership that extends
into other faculties and includes colleagues
researching in Psychology and Child Development,
the Centre provides opportunities for integrated,
inter-professional working.
Strong areas of research concern the observation
of children’s agency. For example creative initiative
has been studied across disciplines, namely
through dialogic interactions, technology in the
early years, enquiry-based pedagogy, embodied
imagination in dance, and literacy in home-school
partnerships. Democracy, race, power and politics
in pre-schools internationally (Portugal and South
Africa) is another area demonstrating strong
scholarship. Centre members are committed to
develop research-informed teaching, and recognise
the reciprocal relationship between research and
practice for example the recent and continuing
project focussing on praxis in the use of research by
trainee and practising teachers.
The members of the cluster represent programmes
across the faculties: Education Studies (Early
Childhood); PGCE Early Years; BEd Primary
including Early Years specialists; Childhood
Studies; Childhood Youth and Community; EYITT;
Psychology and Child Development each grounded
in theoretical, empirical and practitioner research,
including students undertaking small-scale and
dissertation enquiries.
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