Research seminars and conferences
Autumn Research Seminar 2022
The Over Covid Research Festival: A Celebration of All Things Early Childhood
Saturday 14 May
The Institute for Early Childhood Studies’ Autumn Research Seminar was held on Saturday 14th May 2022. In recognition of how COVID has impacted in so many ways on how we teach and support children’s wellbeing and learning in ECE settings, our theme for this seminar was the Over Covid Research Festival: A Celebration of All Things Early Childhood. The seminar was held entirely online, due to the continued Omicron community outbreak and featured a great programme of presentations sharing research from some of Aotearoa New Zealand’s most experienced researchers together with some of our recent PhD and EdD graduates who presented their doctoral research.
While an online seminar, we encouraged teaching teams to register and participate together in a day that combines both opportunities for professional learning and for team building and conversation.
Autumn Research Seminar 2019
Looking Backward to Move Forward: Me Anga Whakamua
Saturday 11 May 2019
Keynote address: Helen May (Adjunct Professor Victoria University of Wellington) and Ben Clark (Northland Childspace), Lesley Rameka (Waikato University), Hoana McMillan (University of Waikato) and Tiria Shaw (Te Kohanga Reo ki Rotokawa)
This seminar offered opportunities for practitioners and researchers to consider strategies, strengths and possible priorities for the EC sector in Aotearoa in the times ahead.
Many western cultures, probably all ‘modern’ cultures assume that the future lies ahead of us and the past behind us. In the Māori concept ‘Me anga whakamua’ time and space elide—we ‘face’ our past. What if we developed policy and practice with ‘Me anga whakamua’ in mind—being in tune with our days gone, reflective of our pasts, our experiences, where we come from, who we are—would we be able to move with ease into our futures?
Seminar presenters addresed the question of strategies, strengths and possible priorities for the EC sector in the times ahead in a range of ways. Presentations traversed past, current and future priorities in and beyond Aotearoa; practice-based presentations shared experiences of a range of efforts to pursue different priorities.
Autumn Research Seminar 2018
Education for Sustainability in Early Childhood Education: Making it real
Saturday 12 May 2018
Keynote address: Professor Rangi Matamua (Waikato University) and Marina Bachmann (Collectively Kids)
This symposium explored what sustainability means for early childhood education and care in Aotearoa. UNESCO states that sustainability “has to be integrated in all curricula of formal education, including early childhood care and education.”
Sustainability means developing in the present and without exceeding available resources without causing future harm. Sustainability is not just environmental, being also social and economic.
Symposium presenters addressed sustainability in a range of ways expanding our understandings of sustainability goals in practice in ECCE in Aotearoa and emphasised some of the cultural, linguistic, social, environmental and political implications of these goals for ECCE.
Spring Research Seminar 2017
The 2017 Institute for Early Childhood Studies Spring Research Seminar was held on 14 October. The theme for this seminar was: Te Whāriki 2017: new realities and possibilities.
The seminar offered a chance to explore changes in the refreshed Te Whāriki 2017, and to investigate the new possibilities it opens up. Discussions focused on how early childhood services can deliver on the Ministry of Education aspirations for centres to:
- create a rich curriculum and be intentional about empowering each learner
- work out what matters here in my service?
- affirm identity, language and culture
- make the principles / kaupapa whakahaere the touchstones of how they work
- create a personalised pathway to school and kura.
A diversity of speakers facilitated the day.
Autumn Research Seminar 2016
The 2016 IECS Autumn Research Seminar was held on Saturday, 14 May. The theme for this seminar was Making Teaching Visible. There were two keynote speakers—Helen Hedges and Daniel Lovatt—and a selection of workshops and papers.
Autumn Research Seminar 2015
The IECS Autumn Research Seminar was held on Saturday 16 May 2015. The theme for this seminar was Diverse Diversities with two keynote speakers—Professor Marilyn Fleer and Dr Alex Gunn—and a selection of workshops and papers
Autumn Research Seminar 2014
The IECS Autumn Research Seminar was held on Saturday 10 May 2014 The theme for this seminar was Relationships: People, places and things with two keynote speakers—Anita Mortlock and A/Prof. Vanessa Green—and a selection of workshops and papers.
Winter Research Seminar 2013
To view papers presented at the 2013 Winter Research Seminar: Early Childhood Professional Learning: Growing the Profession/Growing the Community, please click here.