March 19, 2024

ECIR Report for School of Education School Board Meeting

Early Childhood Interdisciplinary Research (ECIR) Sturt Scheme 

Presented by Prof Sharynne McLeod, Co-lead ECIR 

  • https://earlychildhoodresearch.csu.domains 
  • ECIR presents a transformative research program promoting social justice for children, families and practitioners within early childhood. 
  • ECIR’s research emphasises enhancing children’s access to, participation in and outcomes from equitable, quality early childhood programs and services, workforce sustainability, children’s rights, communication rights, and transformation of the social, policy and organisational conditions that enable social justice.

We build capacity for engaging in transformative research within our group and with other researchers.

CSU Research Excellence Award Winners 

  • Research Winners: Early Childhood Interdisciplinary Research Group (ECIR) 
  • Recognises and celebrates outstanding contributions of individuals and teams who engage in research excellence that contributes to the success of Charles Sturt and drives regional outcomes with global impact. 
  • What the nomination was for: This nomination is for excellence in research capacity building. ECIR provides an internship model where early career researchers are well supported by more experienced researchers in a wide range of research activities including organising conferences, editing books, writing book chapters, running research projects, analysing data, writing journal articles, and applying for promotion and grants. Members work collaboratively on projects such as the hosting of the Early Childhood Voices Conference (ECV2022), recent submission of an edited book arising from ECV2020 presentations, and analysis of children’s drawings from across the globe. These joint projects develop knowledge, skills and experience for members to pursue their own research interests.

BOOK Early Childhood Voices (Springer)

  • Mahony, L., McLeod, S., Salamon, A., Dwyer, J. (Eds.) (in press). Early childhood voices: Children, families, professionals. Springer. https://link.springer.com/book/9783031564833 
  • Following on from the internationally successful Early Childhood Voices Conferences in 2020 and 2022 (ECV2020 and ECV2022) members of ECIR have co-edited and co-authored a book to be published by Springer in 2024 that brings together professionals across multiple disciplines from 17 countries. 
  • Here are some of the reviews: "Voice has been explored in early childhood before, but the focus of this book from a social justice perspective contextualizes voice work in a powerful way." "The interdisciplinary nature of the book is to be commended!" "The images of children and drawings by children bring the book to life and are a wonderful addition." "The book also tackles head on the diversity of experience and culture. It moves away from a privileged perspective on voice work and includes many chapters on complexity and challenges in life"

United Nations Human Rights 75 Youth Declaration

Early Childhood Voices Conference (ECV2024) 

  • 25-28 November 2024 
  • Call for abstracts opens in April 2024 
  • Opportunities for CSU staff and research students to submit abstracts, be on conference committee, attend the conference, encourage children to participate. 
  • “Children draw/create playing” will be one way children’s voices are profiled. 
  • See ECV2022 https://earlychildhoodresearch.csu.domains/early-childhood-voices-conference-2022/ The conference attracted 1,956 registrations from 72 countries as well as 6 keynote presentations and 95 oral presentations from 25 countries. During the week of the conference there were 6,431 page views from 1,358 users. In addition, there were over 3,517 YouTube views of the presentations and 243 hours of viewing. • ECV2022 was included in CSU's 2022 Sustainable Development Goals report 
  • ECV2024 website is coming soon.

The Treehouse 

  • UNDER DEVELOPMENT. Virtual and physical child-focussed space for research, teaching and the community. 
  • Building 1451 on Bathurst campus.