Kathy's presentations at AARE

Congratulations to A/Prof Kathy Cologon who presented three papers at the recent AARE conference - https://www.aareconference.com.au/ in Newcastle, NSW: 

• Beyond Words: Anti Ableist Pedagogies and Children's Participation Through Inclusive Arts - Olivia Karaolis and Kathy Cologon
• From Lived Experience to Systemic Change: Children’s Perspectives as the Foundation for Equity Education - Kathy Cologon, Zinnia Mevawalla, Timothy Cologon, Jackie Fulton, Jane Catlin

She was invited to present the Sue Grieshaber Commemorative Lecture (2/12/25) 
Anti-ableist pedagogy: A necessary foundation for inclusion

Abstract: Despite national and international commitments, legislative requirements, policy, human rights, and a deep moral imperative, inclusion remains an elusive phenomenon for most children. In this commemorative lecture I argue that realising inclusion requires an explicitly anti-ableist pedagogy built with, and accountable to, children. I invite us to reflect on where we have come from and explore what inclusion, disability, and exclusion mean from the perspectives of young children. This includes considering:

• Ontological inclusion recognising disability as a valuable and fundamental aspect of human diversity.
• Epistemic justice valuing diverse ways of knowing and communicating as legitimate sources of educational knowledge and decision-making.
• Design justice treating access as essential to design, across spaces, routines, assessment, and policy.
• Relational accountability centring children’s agency and interdependence, and moving from “voice” to influence in everyday practice and governance.
• Structural responsibility shifting inclusion from personal “goodwill” to enforceable, and resourced obligations.

Drawing on research exploring individual, family, and collective experiences, we learn from children the necessity of anti-ableist pedagogy as the foundation of all educational experiences – from the early years onwards. In conversation with AARE’s 2025 theme of New Connections and Directions for Educational Research, how can we connect and collaborate with children in generative ways to address individual, systemic and structural barriers and create a more inclusive future for every child?

AARE seminar - Impact of Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) on STEM

I learned a lot from attending the Australian Association of Research in Education (AARE) seminar titled "Impact of Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) on STEM (Science, technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Research and Education Practice from Early to Primary years" 

Here is the description: 

STEM education research has received enormous attention all over the world because the 21st century requires STEM-skilled humans. CHAT emphasises that children’s learning and development process, from lower form to higher mental functions, requires valued social or cultural experiences (Vygotsky, 1997). While STEM education has been researched in many ways, CHAT offers a unique/ valuable theoretical perspective because it helps to understand children’s conceptual (STEM) learning and development as a dynamic process (Vygotsky, 1987) where conceptual learning occurs in everyday contexts. To provide participants with insight into the value of using CHAT in STEM education research, this seminar (finishing with a Q&A), will provide: a background on CHAT examples of how this theory can be used when researching STEM education. The seminar combines presentations from a research expert and two PhD students to offer diverse perspectives on using CHAT in STEM education research. 

• Presentation 1: Laureate Professor Marilyn Fleer, Monash University, Australia Rising to the concrete: Concept development of children from infancy to end of primary school in Conceptual PlayWorlds (Laureate Professor Marilyn Fleer) 

 

 

• Presentation 2: Ms Jenny Dwyer, Charles Sturt University, Australia How can children’s mathematical graphics provide a steppingstone for children’s development of everyday and scientific (mathematical) concepts? (Ms Jenny Dwyer, PhD Candidate) 

• Presentation 3: Ms Winnie Chen, University of Canterbury, New Zealand Exploring the potential use of cultural-historical activity theory to unpack early childhood teachers pedagogical practices regarding children’s digital play. (Ms Winnie Chen, PhD Candidate) 
• Moderators: Dr Shukla Sikder, Senior Lecturer, Charles Sturt University, Australia and Dr John Cripps Clark, Senior Lecturer, Deakin University, Australia 
  

Australian Association of Research in Education (AARE) Conference

Congratulations to Belinda Downey who presented two papers from her PhD at the Australian Association of Research in Education Conference (AARE), Melbourne, Australia 

1. Downey, B., Letts, W., McLeod, S., & Gibbs, L. (2023, November). Building early childhood educator retention through connections [Oral presentation]. Australian Association of Research in Education (AARE), Melbourne, Australia. 

2. Downey, B., Letts, W., McLeod, S., & Gibbs, L. (2023, November). 2023 HDR Colloquium - Staying in early childhood. [Oral presentation]. Australian Association of Research in Education (AARE), Melbourne, Australia.