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Global education trends and research to follow in 2022

Subscribe to the center for universal education bulletin, emily gustafsson-wright , emily gustafsson-wright senior fellow - global economy and development , center for universal education @egwbrookings helen shwe hadani , helen shwe hadani former brookings expert @helenshadani kathy hirsh-pasek , kathy hirsh-pasek senior fellow - global economy and development , center for universal education @kathyandro1 maysa jalbout , maysa jalbout nonresident fellow - global economy and development , center for universal education @maysajalbout elizabeth m. king , elizabeth m. king nonresident senior fellow - global economy and development , center for universal education jennifer l. o’donoghue , jennifer l. o’donoghue deputy director - center for universal education , senior fellow - global economy and development @jennodjod brad olsen , brad olsen senior fellow - global economy and development , center for universal education @bradolsen_dc jordan shapiro , jordan shapiro nonresident fellow - global economy and development , center for universal education @jordosh emiliana vegas , and emiliana vegas former co-director - center for universal education , former senior fellow - global economy and development @emivegasv rebecca winthrop rebecca winthrop director - center for universal education , senior fellow - global economy and development @rebeccawinthrop.

January 24, 2022

• 12 min read

As the third calendar year of the pandemic begins, 2022 promises to be an important one—especially for education. Around the world, education systems have had to contend with sporadic closures, inequitable access to education technology and other distance learning tools, and deep challenges in maintaining both students’ and teachers’ physical and emotional health. At the same time, not all of the sudden changes precipitated by the pandemic have been bad—with some promising new innovations, allies, and increased attention on the field of global education emerging over the past three years. The key question is whether 2022 and the years ahead will lead to education transformation or will students, teachers, and families suffer long-lasting setbacks?

In the Center for Universal Education, our scholars take stock of the trends, policies, practices, and research that they’ll be closely keeping an eye on this year and likely in the many to come.

More than ever, in 2022 it will be critical to focus on strengthening the fabric of our global education system in order to achieve positive outcomes—particularly through an increased focus on data-informed decisionmaking. We have seen a renewed focus on different forms of data that are critical to enhanced education outcomes, such as real-time performance data, which allow teachers and other decisionmakers to course-adjust to the needs of learners to better support their educational journeys. Additionally, high-quality program cost data are needed for decisionmakers to plan, budget, and choose the most cost-effective interventions.

One way we are seeing these areas strengthened is through innovative financing for education, such as impact bonds , which require data to operate at full potential. This year, pooled funding through outcomes funds—a scaled version of impact bonds—should make a particularly big splash. The Education Outcomes Fund organization is slated to launch programs in Ghana and Sierra Leone, and we also expect to see the launch of country-specific outcomes funds for education such as OFFER (Outcome Fund For Education Results) in Colombia, the Back-to-School Outcomes Fund in India, and another fund in Chile. At the Center for Universal Education, we will be following these innovations closely and look forward to the insights that they will bring to the education sector.

As we look ahead to 2022, one continued challenge for many families is navigating the uncharted territory of supporting children’s learning with a growing number of school closures . But while the pandemic forced an abrupt slowdown in modern life, it also provided an opportunity to reexamine how we can prioritize learning and healthy development both in and out of school. Moreover, the cascading effects of the pandemic are disproportionally affecting families living in communities challenged by decades of discrimination and disinvestment—and are very likely to widen already existing educational inequities in worrisome ways.

One innovative approach to providing enriching learning opportunities beyond school walls that address the inequities in our current systems is Playful Learning Landscapes (PLL) —installations and programming that promote children and families’ learning through play in the public realm. A current focus for PLL at Brookings is measuring the impact of these spaces to show that PLL works and to garner greater investment in them. To that end, Brookings and its partners developed a framework and an initial set of indicators from both the learning science and placemaking perspectives to help assess the positive effects of PLL on learning outcomes , as well as its potential to enhance social interaction and public life in revitalized spaces. The framework will continue to evolve as we learn from communities that are testing the expansion and adaptation of PLL—this important work is just beginning.

The pandemic highlighted several trends in education that promise to be the focus of future policy and practice in 2022 and beyond: the importance of skills that supplement the learning of content, systemic inequities in education systems, and the role of digital technology in the education of the future. It has become increasingly clear that the memorization of content alone will not prepare children for the jobs and society of the future. As noted in a Brookings report “ A new path for education reform, ” in an automated world, manufacturing jobs and even preliminary medical diagnoses or legal contracts can be performed by computers and robots. Students who can work collaboratively—with strong communication skills, critical thinking, and creative innovation—will be highly valued. Mission statements from around the globe are starting to promote a “whole child” approach to education that will encourage the learning of a breadth of skills better aligning the education sector with needs from the business sector.

The past year also demonstrated weaknesses and inequalities inherent in remote learning that I’ll be closely tracking in the years to come. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggested that virtual learning presents risks to social-emotional learning . Further, research suggests that academic progress during the pandemic slowed such that students demonstrated only 35 to 50 percent of the gains they normally achieve in mathematics and 60 to 68 percent in reading. The losses are not experienced uniformly , with children from underresourced environments falling behind their more resourced peers.

The failure of remote learning also raises questions about the place of digital learning in the classroom. Learning will become more and more hybrid over time, and keeping an eye on advances in technology—especially regarding augmented reality and the metaverse—will be particularly important, as both have real consequences for the classrooms.

In 2022, I’ll be focusing on one group of children in particular–refugees–who are among those children who have historically had the least access to preprimary education. The pandemic has affected them disproportionally , as it pushed them and their families into poverty and deprived them from most forms of education during the school closures.

While much more investment in early childhood education research and evaluation is needed to improve evidence and channel scarce resources effectively, there are a few important efforts to watch. A report commissioned by Theirworld last year provided an overview of the sector and focused on a critical gap and opportunity to address the inequity of access to early childhood education in refugee settings by better supporting teachers and community workers. This year, Theirworld and partners will pursue two of the report’s recommendations–making the science of early childhood brain development widely accessible in refugee communities and building the evidence base on what works in supporting early childhood education teachers and the young refugee children they teach.

The report was informed by existing initiatives including Ahlan Simsim, which in 2017 received the largest known grant to early education in a humanitarian context. While the evaluation of Ahlan Simsim will not be complete until two more years, the Global Ties for Children research center, Sesame Workshop, and the International Rescue Committee will share critical insights into their learning to date in a forthcoming episode of the podcast the Impact Room .

This coming year I’ll be focused on how education systems can prepare for future disruptions, whatever the cause, with more deliberateness. The past two years of the COVID pandemic have seen education systems throughout the globe struggle to find ways to continue schooling. Additionally, there have been other public health crises, natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, and severe storms, and wars and terrorism in different parts of the world that have gravely tested school systems’ ability to minimize the cost of catastrophes on students and teachers. Finding safer temporary learning places outside the school and using technologies such as radio, TV broadcasts, and online learning tools have helped, but quick fixes with little preparation are not effective approaches for sustaining and advancing learning gains.

In the age of broadcast and digital technologies, there are many more ways to meet the challenges of future emergency situations, but life- and education-saving solutions must be part of the way school systems operate—built into their structures, their staffing, their budgets, and their curricula. By preparing for the emergencies that are likely to happen, we can persevere to reach learning goals for all children.

By the close of 2021, a number of studies began to document the impact of COVID-19 on girls’ educational trajectories across the Global South. These studies point to promising trends –lower than expected dropout rates and reenrollment rates similar to (if not greater than) those of boys–while still highlighting the particular challenges faced by adolescent girls and girls living in poverty , conflict, and crisis .

In 2022, it will be critical to continue to generate more nuanced evidence—carefully considering questions such as “for which girls,” “where,” “when,” and “why.” And then we must put this knowledge to use to protect and promote girls’ and young women’s rights not just to education, but to participate and thrive in the world around them. Ensuring that marginalized girls and young women become transformative agents in improving their lives and livelihoods—as well as those of their families and communities—requires us to develop new strategies for learning and acting together.

At the Center for Universal Education, this means strengthening our work with local leaders in girls’ education: promoting gender-transformative research through the Echidna Global Scholars Program ; expanding the collective impact of our 33 Echidna alumni; and co-constructing a learning and action community to explore together how to improve beliefs, practices, programs, and policies so that marginalized adolescent girls’ can develop and exercise agency in pursuing their own pathways.

Going into year three of COVID-19, in 2022 I’m interested to see whether countries will transform their education systems or largely leave them the way they are. Will leaders of education systems tinker around the edges of change but mostly attempt a return to a prepandemic “normal,” or will they take advantage of this global rupture in the status quo to replace antiquated educational institutions and approaches with significant structural improvement?

In relation to this, one topic I’ll be watching in particular is how countries treat their teachers. How will policymakers, the media, parent councils, and others frame teachers’ work in 2022? In which locations will teachers be diminished versus where will they be defended as invaluable assets? How will countries learn from implications of out-of-school children (including social isolation and child care needs)? Will teachers remain appreciated in their communities but treated poorly in the material and political conditions of their work? Or will countries hold them dear—demanding accountability while supporting and rewarding them for quality work?

I’m interested in learning more about how pandemic lockdowns have impacted students. So far, we’ve only gotten very general data dealing with questions that are, in my opinion, too simple to be worthwhile. It’s all been about good and bad, positive and negative, learning loss and achievement. But I’ll be watching for more nuanced studies, which ask about specific ways increased time away from school has impacted social-emotional development. How do those results differ between gender, race, socioeconomic status, and geographic location? I suspect we’re going to learn some things about the relationship between home environment and school environment that will challenge a lot of our taken-for-granted assumptions.

In 2022, I’ll be tracking emerging evidence on the impact of the COVID-19 school closures on children and youth. Several researchers, including my co-authors and me , have provided estimates of the school closures’ impact on student learning losses, unemployment, future earnings, and productivity globally. But only recently are researchers analyzing actual evidence of learning losses , and an early systematic review finds that “Although robust and empirical research on COVID-19-related student learning loss is limited, learning loss itself may not be.”

Likewise, there is little rigorous reviews of remote learning tools’ and platforms’ impact on student learning during the school closures. After the pandemic, it is almost certain that remote and hybrid learning will continue—at a minimum occasionally and often periodically—in primary, secondary, and post-secondary education. It is urgent that we build the evidence base to help education decisionmakers and practitioners provide effective, tailored learning experiences for all students.

Finally, a key issue for education is how to redesign curricula so that this generation (and future generations) of students gain a key set of skills and competencies required for technologically-advancing labor markets and societies. While foundational literacy and numeracy skills continue to be essential for learning, a strong foundational knowledge of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics is ever more important in the 21st century, and I look forward to contributing research this year to help make the case for curricula redesign efforts.

I will be interested to see how parent-teacher relationships progress after the pandemic has (hopefully) faded into the background. COVID-19 has had an inescapable impact on the way we deliver education globally, but none more so than on how education leaders and teachers interact with students and their families.

For the past three years, I have been studying family-school collaboration. Together with my colleagues and partners, we have surveyed nearly 25,000 parents and 6,000 teachers in 10 countries around the world and found that the vast majority of teachers, parents, and caregivers want to work together more closely. Quality family-school collaboration has the potential to significantly improve educational outcomes, spur important discussions on the overall purpose of school, and smooth the path for schools and families to navigate change together. From community schools in New Mexico  to text message updates from teachers in India , new innovations are popping up every day—in every corner of the world. I’m excited to see what the future holds for family-school collaboration!

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Current Approaches in Quantitative Research in Early Childhood Education

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• Linda J. Harrison 3 &
• Cen Wang 3  

Part of the book series: Springer International Handbooks of Education ((SIHE))

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Research in early childhood education has witnessed an increasing demand for high-quality, large-scale quantitative studies. This chapter discusses the contributions of quantitative research to early childhood education, summarises its defining features and addresses the strengths and limitations of different techniques and approaches. It provides an overview of new directions and state-of-the-art approaches in quantitative research, outlined under four key topic areas: identifying and understanding naturalistic groups (i.e., chi-square analysis, analysis of variance, cluster analysis), identifying mechanisms (i.e., correlation, regression analysis, structural equation modelling), identifying causation (i.e. randomised controlled trial, regression discontinuity) and identifying trajectories and patterns of change in individual learning, development and wellbeing (i.e. latent growth curve modelling, growth mixture modelling). Each section explains the selected research methods and illustrates these with recent examples drawn from early childhood quantitative research conducted in Australia, Canada, Germany, the United States and Chile.

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Harrison, L.J., Wang, C. (2018). Current Approaches in Quantitative Research in Early Childhood Education. In: Fleer, M., van Oers, B. (eds) International Handbook of Early Childhood Education. Springer International Handbooks of Education. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-0927-7_12

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Chiang, C.J.,Jonson-Reid, M., & Drake, B. (2020). Caregiver physical health and child maltreatment reports and re-reports. Children and Youth Services Review, 108, 104671.

Baumgartner, J., & DiCarlo, C.F. (2013). Reducing workplace stress. Childcare Exchange. May/June, 60-63.

Ota, C.L., Baumgartner, J.J., & Austin, A.M.B. (2013). Provider stress and children's active engagement. Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 27, 1-13. doi: 10.1080/02568543.2012.739588

Baumgartner, J., DiCarlo, C., & Apavaloie, L. (2011). Finding more joy in teaching children. Dimensions, 39(2), 34-38.

Isbell, D. (2008) Musicians and Teachers: The Socialization and Occupational Identity of Preservice Music Teachers. Journal of Research in Music Education, 56(2). 162-178.

Child Health

Shon, E., Choe, S, Lee, L., & Ki, Y. (In Press). Influenza Vaccination among U.S. College or University Students: A Systematic Review. American Journal of Health Promotion.

Fowler L.A., Grammer A.C., Staiano A.E., Fitzsimmons-Craft E.E., Chen L., Yaeger L.H., & Wilfley D.E. (2021). Harnessing technological innovations for childhood obesity prevention and treatment: A systematic review and meta-analysis of current applications. International Journal of Obesity.

Kepper M.M., Walsh-Bailey C., Staiano A.E., Fowler L., Gacad A., Blackwood A., Fowler S., & Kelley M. (2021). Health Information Technology use among healthcare providers treating children and adolescents with obesity: A systematic review. Current Epidemiology Reports.

Staiano, A.E., Shanley, J.R., Kihm, H., Hawkins, K.R., Self-Brown, S., Hӧchsmann, C., Osborne, M., LeBlanc, M.M., Apolzan, J.W., & Martin, C.K. (2021). Digital tools to support family-based weight management for children: Mixed methods pilot and feasibility study. Pediatrics and Parenting. 4(1) doi: 10.2196/24714 PMID: 33410760

Antczak, D., Lonsdale, C., Lee, J., Hilland, T., Duncan, M.J., del Pozo Cruz, B., Hulteen, R.M., Parker, P. and Sanders, T. (2020). Physical Activity and Sleep are Weakly Related in Children: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 51, doi: 10.1016/j.smrv.2020.101278 

Olson KL, Neiberg R, Espeland M, Johnson K, Knowler W, Pi-Sunyer X, Staiano AE, Wagenknecht L, & Wing RR. (2020) Waist circumference change during intensive lifestyle intervention and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in the Look AHEAD trial. Obesity.

Kracht CL, Katzmarzyk PT, & Staiano AE. (2020) Comparison of abdominal visceral adipose tissue measurements in adolescents between magnetic resonance imaging and dual energy x-ray absorptiometry. International Journal of Obesity.

Kracht CL, Webster E, & Staiano AE. (2020). A natural experiment of state-level physical activity and screen-time policy changes: Early childhood education (ECE) centers and child physical activity. BMC Public Health.

Fearnbach SN, Johannsen NM, Martin CK, Beyl RA, Hsia DS, Carmichael CT, & Staiano AE. (2020) A pilot study of cardiorespiratory fitness, adiposity, and cardiometabolic health in youth with overweight and obesity. Pediatric Exercise Science.

Webster E, & Staiano AE. (2020) Extended heavy television viewing may impact weight long-term in adolescents. Journal of Adolescent Health.

Kepper MM, Staiano AE, Katzmarzyk PT, Reis RS, Eyler AA, Griffith DM, KendallML, ElBanna B, Denstel KD, & Broyles ST. (2020). Using mixed methods to understand women’s parenting practices related to their child’s outdoor play and physical activity among families living in diverse neighborhood environments. Health and Place.

Kracht CL, Joseph ED, & Staiano AE. (2020). Video games, obesity, and children. Current Obesity Reports.

Kracht CL, Champagne CM, Hsia DS, Martin CK, Newton RL, Katzmarzyk PT, & Staiano AE. (2020). Association between meeting physical activity, sleep, and dietary guidelines and cardiometabolic risk factors and adiposity in adolescents. Journal of Adolescent Health.

Hulteen, R.M., Waldhauser, K.J. and Beauchamp, M.R. (2019). Promoting Health-Enhancing Physical Activity: A State-of-the-Art Review of Peer-Delivered Interventions. Current Obesity Reports, 8, 341-353. doi: 10.1007/s13679-019-00366-w (invited)

Kracht CL, Chaput JP, Martin CK, Champagne CM, Katzmarzyk PT, & Staiano AE. (2019). Associations of sleep with food cravings, diet, and obesity in adolescence. Nutrients.

Joseph E, Kracht CL, St. Romain J, Allen AT, Barbaree C, Martin CK, & Staiano AE. (2019). Young children’s screen-time and physical activity: Perspectives of parents and early care and education center providers. Global Pediatric Health.

Staiano AE, Adams MA, & Norman GJ. (2019). Motivation for Exergame Play Inventory:  Construct validity and test-retest reliability. Cyberpsychology: Journal of Psychosocial Research on Cyberspace.

Hawkins KR, Apolzan JW, Staiano AE, Shanley JR, & Martin CK. (2019). Efficacy of a home-based parent training-focused weight management intervention for preschool children: The DRIVE randomized controlled pilot trial. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior.

Sandoval P, Staiano AE, & Kihm H. (2019). The influence of visual and auditory stimuli on intensity of physical activity in school-aged children. The Physical Educator.

Webster EK, Martin CK, & Staiano AE. (2019) Fundamental motor skills, physical activity, and screen-time in preschoolers. Journal of Sport and Health Science.

Staiano AE, Beyl RA, Hsia DS, Katzmarzyk PT, & Newton R.L. (2018). A 12-week randomized controlled pilot study of dance exergaming in a group: Influence on psychosocial factors in adolescent girls. Cyberpsychology: Journal of Psychosocial Research on Cyberspace.

Katzmarzyk PT, Denstel KD, Beals K, Carlson J, Crouter SE, McKenzie TL, Pate RR, Sisson SB, Staiano AE,Stanish H, Ward DS, Whitt-Glover M, & Wright C. (2018). Results from the United States 2018 Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth. Journal of Physical Activity & Health.

Staiano AE, Kihm H, & Sandoval P. (2018). The use of competition to elicit high intensity physical activity during children’s exergame play. Journal of Family & Consumer Sciences.

Flynn, R.M.,Staiano, A.E., Beyl, R., Richert, R.A., Wartella, E. & Calvert, S.L. (2018). The influence of active gaming on cardiorespiratoryfitness in Black and Hispanic youth. Journal of School Health.

Staiano, A.E., Webster, E.K., Allen, A.T., Jarrell, A.R., & Martin, C.K. (2018). Screen-time policies and practices in early care and education centers in relationship to child physical activity. Childhood Obesity.

Staiano, A.E., Martin, C.K., Champagne, C.M., Rood, J.C., & Katzmarzyk, P.T. (2018). Sedentary time, physical activity, and adiposity in a longitudinal cohort of non-obese young adults. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Staiano, A.E., Beyl, R.A., Guan, W., Hendrick, C.A., Hsia, D.S., & Newton, R.L. (2018). Home-based exergaming among children with overweight and obesity: A randomized clinical trial. Pediatric Obesity.

Staiano, A.E., Allen, A.T., Fowler, W., Gustat, J., Kepper, M.M., Lewis, L., Martin, C.K., St. Romain, J., & Webster, E.K. (2018). State licensing regulations on screen-time in childcare centers: An impetus for participatory action research. Progress in Community Health Partnerships:  Research, Education, and Action.

Heerman, W.J., Bennett, W.L., Kraschnewski, J.L., Nauman, E., Staiano, A.E., & Wallston, K.A. (2018) Willingness to participate in weight-related research among patients in PCORnet Clinical Data Research Networks. BMC Obesity.

Cohen, K.E., Morgan, P.J., Plotnikoff, R.C., Hulteen, R.M. and Lubans, D.R. Psychological, social and physical environmental mediators of the SCORES intervention on physical activity among children living in low-income communities. (2017). Psychology of Sport & Exercise, 32, 1-11. doi: 10.1016/j.psychsport.2017. 05.001

Katzmarzyk, P.T., & Staiano, A.E. (2017). Relationship between meeting 24-hour movement guidelines and cardiometabolic risk factors in children. Journal of Physical Activity & Health.

Staiano, A.E., Beyl, R.A., Hsia, D.S., Katzmarzyk, P.T., Mantzor, S., Newton, R.L., Jarrell, A., & Tyson, P. (2017). Step tracking with goals increases children’s weight loss in a behavioral intervention. Childhood Obesity

Staiano, A.E., Marker, A.M., Liu, M., Hayden, E., Hsia, D.S., & Broyles, S.T. (2017). Childhood obesity screening and treatment practices of pediatric healthcare providers. Journal of the Louisiana State Medical Society

Baranowski, T., Blumberg, F., Gao, Z., Kato, P.M., Kok, G., Lu, A.S., Lyons, E.J., Morrill, B.A., Peng, W., Prins, P.J., Snyder, L., Staiano, A.E., & Thompson, D. (2017) Getting research on games for health funded. Games for Health Journal.

Wilfley, D.E., Staiano, A.E., Altman, M., Lindros, J., Lima, A., Hassink, S.G., Dietz, W.H., & Cook, S. (2017). Improving Access and Systems of Care for Evidence-Based Childhood Obesity Treatment Conference W. Improving access and systems of care for evidence-based childhood obesity treatment: Conference key findings and next steps. Obesity.

Kihm H, Staiano AE, & Sandoval P. (2017) Project IPAL: To enhance the well-being of elementary school children. Journal of Family & Consumer Sciences 109(1) 54-56.

Staiano AE, Marker AM, Beyl RA, Hsia DS, Katzmarzyk PT, & Newton RL. (2017). A randomized controlled trial of dance exergaming for exercise training in overweight and obese adolescent girls. Pediatric Obesity. 12(2) 120-128.

Staiano AE, Marker AM, Frelier JM, Hsia DS, & Broyles ST. (2017). Family-based behavioral treatment for childhood obesity: Parent-reported barriers and facilitators. The Ochsner Journal. 17(1):83-92.

Staiano AE, Beyl RA, Hsia DS, Katzmarzyk PT, & Newton RL. (2017). Twelve weeks of dance exergaming in overweight and obese adolescent girls: Transfer effects on physical activity, screen time, and self-efficacy. Journal of Sport and Health Science.

Katzmarzyk PT, Denstel KD, Beals K, Bolling C, Wright C, Crouter SE, McKenzie TL, Pate RR, Saelens BE, Staiano AE, Stanish HI, & Sisson SB. (2016). Results from the United States of America's 2016 report card on physical activity for children and youth. Journal of Physical Activity and Health.

Staiano AE, Morrell M, Hsia DS, Hu G, & Katzmarzyk PT. (2016) The burden of obesity, elevated blood pressure, and diabetes in uninsured and underinsured adolescents. Metabolic Syndrome and Related Disorders. 14(9), 437-441.

Staiano AE, Marker AM, Martin CK, & Katzmarzyk PT. (2016). Physical activity, mental health, and weight gain in a longitudinal observational cohort of nonobese young adults. Obesity, 24(9), 1969-1975.

Staiano AE, Marker AM, Frelier JM, Hsia DS, & Martin CK. (2016). Influence of screen-based peer modeling on preschool children's vegetable consumption and preferences. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 48(5), 331-335

Mackintosh KA, Standage M, Staiano AE, Lester L, & McNarry MA. (2016). Investigating the physiological and psychosocial responses of single-and dual-player exergaming in young adults. Games for Health Journal, 5(6), 375-381

Baranowski T, Blumberg F, Buday R, DeSmet A, Fiellin LE, Green CS, Kato PM, Lu AS, Maloney AE, Mellecker R, Morrill BA, Peng W, Shegog R, Simons M, Staiano AE, Thompson D, & Young K. (2016). Games for health for children-current status and needed research. Games for Health Journal, 5(1), 1-12.

Michel, G. F., Marcinowski, E. C., Babik, I., Nelson, E. L., & Campbell, J. M. (2015). An Interdisciplinary Biopsychosocial Perspective on Infant Development. In S. Calkins (Ed.) Handbook of Infant Development: A Biopsychosocial Perspective, 427-446. 

Staiano AE, Broyles ST, & Katzmarzyk PT. (2015). School term vs. school holiday: Associations with children's physical activity, screen-time, diet and sleep. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 12(8), 8861-8870.

Staiano AE, Harrington DM, Johannsen NM, Newton RL, Jr., Sarzynski MA, Swift DL, & Katzmarzyk PT. (2015). Uncovering physiological mechanisms for health disparities in type 2 diabetes. Ethnicity and Disease, 25(1), 31-37.

Marker AM, & Staiano AE. (2015) Better together: Outcomes ofcooperation versus competition in social exergaming. Games for Health Journal, 4(1), 25-30.

Carson V, Staiano AE, & Katzmarzyk PT. (2015). Physical activity, screen time, and sitting among U.S. adolescents. Pediatric Exercise Science, 27(1), 151-159.

Pere, C., Ginn, R., Hill, N., & DiCarlo, C.F. (2015). Childhood Obesity prevention: A service-learning advocacy project. Journal for Service-Learning, Leadership, and Social Change.

Harshaw, C., Marcinowski, E. C., & Campbell, J. M. (2014). Communicating Developmental Psychobiology to the Masses: Why Psychobiologists Should Contribute to Wikipedia. Developmental Psychobiology, 56 (7), 1439-1441. 

Staiano AE, & Flynn R. (2014). Therapeutic uses of active videogames: A systematic review. Games for Health Journal, 3(6), 351-365.

Staiano AE. (2014). Learning by playing: Video gaming in education-a cheat sheet for games for health designers. Games for Health Journal, 3(5), 319-321.

Flynn RM, Richert RA, Staiano AE, Wartella E, & Calvert SL. (2014). Effects of exergame playon EF in children and adolescents at a summer camp for low income youth. Journal of Educational and Developmental Psychology, 4(1), 209-225.

Katzmarzyk PT, Barlow S, Bouchard C, Catalano PM, Hsia DS, Inge TH, Lovelady C, Raynor H, Redman LM, Staiano AE, Spruijt-Metz D, Symonds ME, Vickers M, Wilfley D, & Yanovski JA. (2014). An evolving scientific basis for the prevention and treatment of pediatric obesity. International Journal of Obesity, 38(7), 887-905.

Staiano AE, Gupta AK, & Katzmarzyk PT. (2014). Cardiometabolic risk factors and fat distribution in children and adolescents. Journal of Pediatrics, 164(3), 560-565.

Baranowski T, Adamo KB, Hingle M, Maddison R, Maloney A, Simons M, & Staiano AE. (2013). Gaming, adiposity, and obesogenic behaviors among children. Games for Health Journal, 2(3), 119-126.

Michel, G. F., Babik, I., Nelson, E. L., Campbell, J. M., & Marcinowski, E. C. (2013). How the development of handedness could contribute to the development of language. Developmental Psychobiology, 55(6), 608-20. 

Staiano AE, Broyles ST, Gupta AK, Malina RM, & Katzmarzyk PT. (2013). Maturity-associated variation in total and depot-specific body fat in children and adolescents. American Journal of Human Biology, 25(4), 473-479.

Staiano AE, Broyles ST, Gupta AK, & Katzmarzyk PT. (2013) Ethnic and sex differences in visceral, subcutaneous, and total body fat in children and adolescents. Obesity, 21(6), 1251-1255.

Harrington DM, Staiano AE, Broyles ST, Gupta AK, & Katzmarzyk PT. (2013). BMI percentiles for the identification ofabdominal obesity and metabolic risk in children and adolescents: Evidence in support of the CDC 95th percentile. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 67(2), 218-222.

Staiano AE, Harrington DM, Broyles ST, Gupta AK, & Katzmarzyk PT. (2013). Television, adiposity, and cardiometabolic risk in children and adolescents. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 44(1), 40-47.

Calvert SL, Staiano AE, & Bond BJ. (2013). Electronic gaming and the obesity crisis. New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development, 139,51-57.

Harrington DM, Staiano AE, Broyles ST, Gupta AK, & Katzmarzyk PT. (2013). Waist circumference measurement site does not affect relationships with visceral adiposity and cardiometabolic risk factors in children. Pediatric Obesity, 8(3), 199-206.

Barreira TV, Staiano AE, & Katzmarzyk PT. (2013). Validity assessment of a portable bioimpedance scale to estimate body fat percentage in white and African-American children and adolescents. Pediatric Obesity, 8(2), 29-32.

Staiano AE, Abraham AA, & Calvert SL. (2012). The Wii Club: Gaming for weight loss in overweight and obese youth. Games for Health Journal, 1(5), 377-380.

Broyles ST, Staiano AE, Drazba KT, Gupta AK, Southern M, & Katzmarzyk PT. (2012). Elevated C-reactive protein in children from risky neighborhoods: Evidence for a stress pathway linking neighborhoods and inflammation in children. PloS One, 7(9)

Staiano AE, Katzmarzyk PT. (2012). Ethnic and sex differences in body fat and visceral and subcutaneous adiposity in children and adolescents. International Journal of Obesity, 36(10), 1261-1269.

Staiano AE, & Calvert SL. (2012).  Digital gaming and pediatric obesity: At the intersection of science and social policy. Social Issues and Policy Review, 6(1), 54-81.

Staiano AE, & Calvert SL. (2011). Exergames for physical education courses: Physical, social, and cognitive benefits. Child Development Perspectives, 5(2),93-98.

Child Trauma

Kim, H., Jonson-Reid, M., Kohl, P., Chiang, C. J., Drake, B., Brown, D., McBride, T., & Guo, S. (2020).Latent class analysis risk profiles: An effective method to predict a first re-report of maltreatment. Evaluation and Program Planning, 101792.

Jonson-Reid, M., Chiang, C.J., Kohl, P., Drake, B., Brown, D., Guo, S., & McBride, T. (2019). Repeat reports among cases reported for child neglect: A scoping review. Child Abuse & Neglect, 92, 43-65.

Chiang, C. J.,& Ma, T. J. (2013). Working experiences with children witnessed domestic homicide, Taiwanese Social Work, 11, 115-144

Lee, L., Miller, C., & Caballero, J, (In Progress). Community-based, social justice-oriented experiences in ethnically, socio-economically diverse preschools: Early childhood pre-service teachers’ perspectives.

Drake, B., Jonson-Reid, M., Kim, H., Chiang, C. J., & Davalishvili, D. (2021) Disproportionate Need as a Factor Explaining Racial Disproportionality in the CW System. In Racial Disproportionality and Disparities in the Child Welfare System (pp. 159-176). Springer, Cham.

Kracht CL, Webster EK, & Staiano AE. (2019). Sociodemographic differences in young children meeting 24-hour movement guidelines. Journal of Physical Activity & Health.

Lee, L. (2018). Korean mode of color-blind perspectives on ethnic diversity: A case study of Korean Elementary teachers. International Journal of Diversity of Education, 18(1), 27-38.

Lee, L. (2016, Summer). A learning journey with Latino immigrant children: An American low-income preschool project. Childhood Explorer, 3.

Lee, L., & Misco, T. (2014). All for one or one for all: An analysis of the concepts of patriotism and others in multicultural Korea through elementary moral education textbooks. The Asia-Pacific Education Researcher. 23(1), 2-10.

Misco, T., & Lee, L. (2013). “There is no such thing as being Guamanian”: Controversial Issues in the context of Guam. Theory and Research in Social Education, 42(3), 414-439.

Misco, T.,& Lee, L. (2012).1Multiple and overlapping identities: The case study of Guam. Multicultural Education, 20(1), 23-32.

Lee, L. (2011). Language and identity in the moral domains: Minority children in education. Focus on Elementary, 23(3). 3-6.

Lee. L. (2011). Cultural awareness in beliefs and practice: An elementary teacher’s perspective on Korean children and their culture. Focus on Teacher Education, 11(2), 4-10.

ECE Professional Attrition

Chiang, C.J., Jonson-Reid, M., Kim. H., Drake. B., Pons. L., Kohl. P., Constantino. J., & Auslander. W., (2018) Service engagement and retention: Lessons from the Early Childhood Connections Program. Children and Youth Services Review, 88, 114-127. DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2018.02.028

Carson, R. L., Baumgartner, J. J., Ota, C.L., Pulling Kuhn, A. C., & Durr, A. (2016). An ecological momentary assessment of burnout, rejuvenation strategies, job satisfaction, and quitting intentions in childcare teachers. Early Childhood Education Journal, 1-8.

Educational Leadership

Nelson-Smith, K. (2009). Building Opportunities through Leadership Development (BOLD). A curriculum.

Jonson-Reid, M., & Chiang, C. J.(2019). Problems in Understanding Program Efficacy in Child Welfare. In Re-Visioning Public Health Approaches for Protecting Children (pp. 349-377). Springer, Cham.

Environment (Classroom)

Deris, A., DiCarlo, C., Wagner, D. & Krick-Oborn, K. (in press). Using environmental modification and teacher mediation to increase literacy behaviors in inclusive preschool settings. Infants & Young Children

Reames, H. & DiCarlo, C.F. (2016). Creating a learner-centered classroom. Focus on PK/K, Early Years Bulletin, 3(3), 1-3, 7.

Guan, X. & DiCarlo, C.F. (2009). Minimizing stressors in the early childhood classroom. Collaborations, 2, 22-23.

Wayne, A., DiCarlo, C., Burts, D., & Benedict, J. (2007). Increasing the literacy behaviors of preschool children through environmental modifications. The Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 22(1), 5-16.

DiCarlo, C.F., Stricklin, S., & Reid, D.H. (2006). Increasing toy play among toddlers with and without disabilities by modifying structural quality of the classroom environment. National Head Start Association Dialog, 9(1)49-62.

Behavior Guidance

Reames, H. & DiCarlo, C. (2018). Using positive reinforcement to increase attentive behavior and correct task performance for preschoolers during extra curricular activities. Journal of Teacher Action Research, 4(2), 1-9.

DiCarlo, C.F., Baumgartner, J., & Ourso, J. & Powers, C. (2016). Using least-to-most assistive prompt hierarchy to increase child compliance with teacher directives in preschool classroom. Early Childhood Education Journal, 44(6) 1-10.doi:10.1007/s10643- 016-0825-7.

DiCarlo, C. & Baumgartner, J. (2011). Promoting Positive Behavior in the Preschool Classroom. Focus on Pre-K and K, 24(1), 4-7.

Torres, A., & DiCarlo, C.F. (2008). Positive Guidance. Collaborations. 3, 14-15.

Literacy and Language

Terrusi, M. (2020).  Illustrated books without words for inclusion: Method reflections on  reading, between form and metaphor. In E.A. Emili & V. Macchia (Eds.), Reading the inclusion: Picture books and books for one and all (pp. 77-88). ETS Editions. 

Terrusi, M. (2018). Silent Books. Wonder, Silence and Other Metamorphosis in Wordless Picture Books. Proceedings, 1(9), 1 – 12. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/proceedings1090879

Terrusi, M. (2017). Child portraits. Representations of the child body in children's illustration and literature: Some interpretative categories. Magazine of history of education, 4(1),  183 – 210. http://dx.doi.org/10.4454/rse.v4i1.28

Terrusi, M. (2017). Constellation of early childhood, Gugu's firmament. A portrait of Augusta Rasponi del Sale (Ravenna 1864-1942), author of picture book. Research of education  and education, 12(2), 71 – 88. http://dx.doi.org/10.6092/issn.1970-2221/7082

Terrusi, M. (2017). Eternals, children, winged: Neoteny, lightness and literature for children. Training Studies, 20(2), 387 – 408. http://dx.doi.org/10.13128/Studi_Formaz-22195

Terrusi, M. (2017). Mute wonders: Silent book and children's literature. Carocci.  

Beach, D., & DiCarlo, C.F. (2016). Can I play, again? Using a literacy ipad app to increase letter recognition & phonemic awareness. Journal of Teacher Action Research,2(2), 70-76.

Terrusi, M. (2016). Children read great. In C.I. Salviati (Ed.), In vitro: An experimental project    to promote reading (pp. 18-21). Center for Literature and Reading. MIBAC Ministry of Artistic and Cultural Heritage.

Terrusi, M. (2016). The possible, the visible, the questionable: Unexpected (or wordless) books   at school. In E. A. Emili (Ed.), Languages ​​for an inclusive school (pp. 51-66). Free Books.

Grilli, G. & Terrusi, M. (2014). A (Visual) Journey to Italy. In E. Arizpe, T. Colomer, & C. Martinez-Roldan (Eds.), Visual Journeys Through Wordless Narratives (pp. 217-238). Bloomsbury Academic.

Grilli, G. & Terrusi, M. (2014).  Migrant readers and wordless books: Visual narratives' inclusive experience. Encyclopaideia, 18(38), 67 – 90. http://dx.doi.org/10.6092/issn.1825-8670/4508

Ota, C. L. & Austin, A.M. (2013). Training and mentoring: Family child care providers’ use of linguistic inputs in conversations with children. Early Childhood Research Quarterly 28(4), 972-983

Terrusi, M. (2013). The room of children's literature: Educators, teachers and storytellers. In C.  Panciroli & F. D. Pizzigoni (Eds.), The museum as a workshop of experiences with heritage: The example of the Mode (pp. 1-199). Quiedit.

Terrusi, M. (2013). The life of children in the figures: Gugú, a forgotten author. Childhood, 6(1), 335-339. 

Terrusi, M. (2012). Illustrated books: Read, look, name the world in children's books. Carocci

Brintazzoli, G. & Terrusi, M. (2011). At the edge of the page. Li.Ber books for children and boys, 92(1), 50 – 52.

Terrusi, M. (2011). Read the visible. The world pictured in the pages. Form and poetics of early childhood books. In E. Beseghi & G. Grilli (Eds.), The invisible literature: Childhood and children's books (pp. 143-164). Carocci.

Chung, M. & Lee, L. (2009). Critical literacy theories for media literacy education. Academic Exchange Quarterly, 13(4), 121-127.

Lee, L. (2009). Media literacy. Academic Exchange Quarterly, 13(4), 10.

Terrusi, M. (2009). Classic fairy tales with contemporary design, interview with Steven Guarnaccia. Li.Ber books for children and boys, 82(1), 60 – 61. 

Terrusi, M. (2009). The art of the three little pigs. Li.Ber books for children and boys, 82(1), 59 – 63.

Terrusi, M. (2007). Philosophers animals: whether they are feathered canids or felines, we can consider them Masters. Li.Ber books for children and boys, 74(1), 30 – 31.

Terrusi, M. (2007). Families and new conformisms: The challenge of the bourgeois mentality seen through the complex father-son dialectic: Holidays with the father by Marcello Argilli. Li.Ber books for children and boys, 73(1), 44-45. 

Terrusi, M. (2007).  Books on the road. Li.Ber books for children and boys, 76(1), 54 – 55. 

Terrusi, M. (2006). Andersen Press turns 30: from the voice of its founder, Klaus Flugge, the story of the famous English publishing house. Andersen, 224(1), 31 – 35.

Mathematics

Hendershot, S., Austin, A. M. B., Blevins-Knabe, B., & Ota, C.L. (2015). Young children’s mathematics references during free play in family child care settings. Early Child Development and Care.  186(7), 1126-1141.

Misco, T., Lee, L., & Malone, K. Goley, S., & Seabolt, P. (2012).*Using the idea of insurance to develop mathematical skills and democratic dispositions. Interdisciplinary Journal of Teaching and Learning, 2(2), 78-89.

Austin, A.M., Blevins-Knabe, B., Ota, C., Rowe, T., & Knudsen Lindauer, S. (2011). Mediators of preschoolers’ early mathematics concepts. Early Child Development and Care, 181(9), 1181-1198.

Motor Skills

Molinini, R. M., Koziol, Marcinowski, E. C., Tripathi, T., Hsu, L.-Y., Harbourne, R. T., Lobo, M. A., McCoy, S. W., Bovaird, J., & Dusing, S. C. (2021). Early motor skills predict the developmental trajectory of problem solving skills in young children with motor impairments. Developmental Psychobiology. [Early View] 

Barnett, L.M., Stodden, D.F., Hulteen, R.M. and Sacko, R. (2020). Motor Proficiency Assessment. In T. Brusseau, S. Fairclough & D. Lubans (Eds.), The Routledge Handbook of Youth Physical Activity.

Gonzalez, S. L., Campbell, J. M., Marcinowski, E. C., Michel, G. F., Coxe, S., & Nelson, E. L. (2020). Preschool language ability is predicted by toddler hand preference trajectories. Developmental Psychology, 56(4), 699-709. 

Hulteen, R.M., Barnett, L.M. True, L., Lander, N., Cruz, B.P. and Lonsdale, C. (2020). Validity and Reliability Evidence for Motor Competence Assessments in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review. Journal of Sports Sciences, 38(15), 1717-1798, doi: 10.1080/02640414.2020.1756674  

Hulteen, R.M., True, L., and Pfeiffer, K. (2020). Differences in Associations of Product- and Process-Oriented Motor Competence Assessments with Physical Activity in Children. Journal of Sports Sciences, 38(4), 375-382. doi:10.1080/02640414.2019.17 02279

Webster, E.K., Kracht, C.L., Newton, R.L., Beyl, R.A., & Staiano, A.E. (2020). Intervention to improve preschoolers’ fundamental motor skills: Protocol of a parent-focused, mobile app-based comparative effectiveness trial. Research Protocols, 9(10):e19943.

Fearnbach, S.N., Martin, C.K., Heymsfield, S.B., Staiano, A.E., Newton, R.L., Garn, A.C., Johannsen, N.M., Hsia, D.S., Carmichael, O.T., Murray, K.B., Ramakrisnapillai, S., Murray, K.B., Blundell, J.E., & Finlayson, G.S. (2020) Validation of the Activity Preference Assessment: A tool for quantifying children’s implicit preferences for sedentary and physical activities. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity

Kracht, C.L., Webster, E.K., & Staiano, A.E. (2020) Relationship between the 24-hour movement guidelines and fundamental motor skills in preschoolers. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport.

Marcinowski, E. C., Tripathi, T., Hsu, L.-Y., McCoy, S. W., & Dusing, S. C. (2019). Sitting skill and the emergence of arms‐free sitting affects the frequency of object looking and exploration. Developmental Psychobiology, 61 (7), 1035-47. 

Marcinowski, E. C., Nelson, E. L., Campbell, J. M., & Michel, G. F. (2019). The development of object construction from infancy through toddlerhood. Infancy, 24(3), 368-391. 

Campbell, J. M., Marcinowski, E. C., & Michel, G. F. (2018). The Development of Neuromotor Skills and Hand Preference During Infancy. Developmental Psychobiology, 60(2), 165-175. 

lteen, R.M., Morgan, P.J., Barnett, L.M., Robinson, L.E. Barton, C., Wrotniak, B., and Lubans, D.R. (2018). Initial Predictive Validity of the Lifelong Physical Activity Skills Battery. Journal of Motor Learning and Development, 6(2), 301-314. doi: 10.1123/jmld.2017-0036

Michel, G. F., Babik, I., Nelson, E. L., Campbell, J. M., & Marcinowski, E. C. (2018). Evolution and Development of Handedness: An Evo-Devo Approach. In G. Forrester, W. D. Hopkins, K. Hudry, & A. K. Lindell (Eds.), Cerebral Lateralization and Cognition: Evolutionary and Developmental Investigations of Motor Biases. Elsevier Inc.: Academic Press. 347-374. 

Hulteen, R.M., Morgan, P.J., Barnett, L.M., Stodden, D.F. and Lubans, D.R. Development of Foundational Motor Skills: A Conceptual Model for Physical Activity Across the Lifespan. (2018). Sports Medicine, 48(7), 1533-1540. doi: 10.1007/s4029-018-0892-6

Marcinowski, E. C., & Campbell, J. M. (2017). Building on what you have learned: Constructing skill during infancy influences the development of spatial relation words. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 41(3), 341-349. doi:10.1177/0165025416635283 

Nelson, E. L., Gonzalez, S., Coxe, S., Campbell, J. M., Marcinowski, E. C., & Michel, G. F. (2017). Toddler hand preference trajectories predict 3-year language outcome. Developmental Psychobiology, 59(7), 876-887. 

Nathan, N., Cohen, K., Beauchamp, M. W.L., Hulteen, R.M., Babic, M. and Lubans, D.R. Feasibility and Efficacy of the Greater Leaders Active StudentS (GLASS) Program on Improving Children’s Fundamental Movement Skills: A Pilot Study. (2017). Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 20(12), 1081-1086. doi: 10.1016/j.jsams.2017.04.016

Johnson, T.M., Ridgers, N.D. Hulteen, R.M., Mellecker, R.R. and Barnett, L.M. (2016). Does Playing a Sports Active Video Game Improve Young Children’s Ball Skill Competence? Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 19(5), 432-436. doi: 10.1016/j.jsams.2015.05.002

Marcinowski, E. C., Campbell, J. M., Faldowski, R. A., & Michel, G. F. (2016). Do hand preferences predict stacking skill during infancy? Developmental Psychobiology, 58(8), 958-967. 

Michel, G. F., Campbell, J. M., Marcinowski, E. C., Nelson, E. L., & Babik, I. (2016). Infant Hand Preference and the Development of Cognitive Abilities. Frontiers in Psychology, 7, 410. http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00410 

Campbell, J. M., Marcinowski, E. C., Babik, I., & Michel, G. F. (2015). The influence of a hand preference for acquiring objects on the development of a hand preference for unimanual manipulation from 6 to 14 months. Infant Behavior and Development, 39, 107-117. 

Campbell, J. M., Marcinowski, E. C., Latta, J. A., & Michel, G. F. (2015). Different assessment tasks produce different estimates of handedness stability during the 8 to 14 month age period. Infant Behavior and Development, 39, 67-80. 

Hulteen, R.M., Johnson, T.M., Ridgers, N.D., Mellecker, R.R. and Barnett, L.M. (2015). Children’s Movement Skills When Playing Active Video Games. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 121(3), 1-24. doi: 10.2466/25.10.PMS.121c24x5

Michel, G. F., Nelson, E. L., Babik, I., Campbell, J. M., & Marcinowski, E. C. (2013). Multiple trajectories in the developmental psychobiology of human handedness. In R. M. Lerner, & J. B. Benson (Eds.), Embodiment and epigenesis: Theoretical and methodological issues in understanding the role of biology within the relational developmental system Part B: Ontogenetic Dimensions. Elsevier Inc.: Academic Press, 227-260. 

Music Education

Isbell, D. (2018). Music educators consider musical futures. Contributions in Music Education. 43(1). 39-58.

Isbell, D. S., & Stanley, A. M. (2018). Code-switching musicians: an exploratory study. Music Education Research,20(2), 145-162.

Isbell, D. (2015). My Music and School Music: Formal and Informal Music Experiences. In Burton, S. and Snell, A. (Eds.), Engaging Musical Practices: A Sourcebook for Instrumental Music. Rowman and Littlefield Education Publishers, Inc.

Isbell, D. and Stanley, A. (2015) Are you a musical code-switcher?Polyphonic.org: The Orchestra Music Forum. http://www.polyphonic.org/2015/06/22/are-you-a-musical-code-switcher/.

Isbell, D. (2015)Apprehensive and excited: Music education students ’ encounter vernacular musicianship. Journal of Music Teacher Education. doi:10.1177/1057083714568020.

Isbell, D. (2014). The socialization and identity of undergraduate music teachers: A review of literature. Update: Applications for Research in Music Education.doi: 10.1177/8755123314547912.

Isbell, D. (2012). Learning theories: Insights for music educators. General Music Today 25(2). 9-23.

Isbell, D. (2009). Understanding Socialization and Occupational Identity among Preservice Music Teachers. In M. Schmidt (Ed.), Collaborative action for change:Selected proceedings from the 2007 symposium on music teacher education. Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, Inc.

Isbell, D. (2007). Popular music and the public school music classroom. Update: Applications for Research in Music Education.26(1).

Bowers, J., Cassellberry, J., Isbell, D., Kyakuwa, J., Li, Y., Mercado, E., and Wallace, E.(2019) A Descriptive Study of the Use of Music During Naptime in Louisiana Child Care Centers. Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 33(2). doi: 10.1080/02568543.2019.1577770.

National Disasters

DiCarlo, C.F., Burts, D., Buchanan, T., Aghayan, C., & Benedict, J. (2007). Making Lemonade from Lemons: Early Childhood Teacher Educators’ Programmatic Responses to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education, 28 (1), 61-68.

Outdoor Education

Terrusi, M. (2020). Children's books and outdoor education imagery: Stories and figures to tell each other. In S. Meo & M. Ognissanti (Eds.), From risk to opportunity: Outdoor education experiences in childcare and primary school services (pp. 115-118). Junior-   Children Editions.

Farné, R., Bortolotti, A., Terrusi, M. (2018) Introduction: Natural educational needs. In R. Farné, A. Bortolotti, & M. Terrusi (Eds.), Outdoor education: Theoretical perspectives and  good practices (pp. 13-24). Carocci.

Terrusi, M. (2018). Children's literature and natural imaginary. In R. Farné, A. Bortolotti, & M. Terrusi (Eds.), Outdoor education: Theoretical perspectives and good practices (pp. 183- 200). Carocci.

Terrusi, M. (2015). The green ship: natural education and reading for children. Li.Ber books for children and boys, 106(2), 40 – 42.

Terrusi, M. (2015). The teacher's shelf. Childhood, 1(4), 334 – 336.

Terrusi, M. (2014). Children's literature and natural narratives. In R. Farné & F. Agostini (Eds.) Outdoor education: Education takes care of outdoors (pp. 69-74). Junior-Spaggiari.

Grantham-Caston, M., & Perry, M. & DiCarlo, C.F. (2019). Playful Reggio Emilia. International Play Association, Spring-Fall, 20-25.

Dicarlo, C.F., Baumgartner, J.J., Ota, C.L. & Jensen, C. (2015). Preschool teachers’ perceptions of rough and tumble play vs. aggression in preschool-aged boys. Early Child Development and Care, 185(5), 779-790.

Carson, R., Lima, M. & DiCarlo, C.F. (2015). Play On! Playground learning activities for youth fitness (2nd edition). Reston, VA: American Association for Physical Activity and Recreation.

Casey, E. M. & DiCarlo, C.F. (2015). Play traditions in the Garifuna culture of Belize. International Play Association eJournal, www.Ipausa.org.

DiCarlo, C.F. & Vagianos, L.A. (2009). Preferences and play. Young Exceptional Children, 12(4), 31-39.

Popular Culture

Lee, L. (2012). Conceptualizing childhood in Korean Educational Broadcasting System (EBS): Critical analysis of Popular Picture Book, Pororo. In V. Cvetkovic & D. Olsen (Eds.), Fleeting Images: A Childhood Studies Examination of Children in Popular Culture (pp. 85-100). Lexington Press. 

Lee, L. (2012). "That's a great idea but I will think about it later": Early childhood pre-service Teachers' perceptions about popular culture in Teaching. Teacher Education and Practice, 25(1), 87-99.

Lee, L. (2010). Disney in Korea: A socio-cultural context of children’s popular culture. Red Feather Journal: An International Journal of Children’s Visual Culture, 1(2), 41-45.

Lee, L.,& Goodman, J. (2010). Romantic love and sexuality in Disney: A study of young, Korean immigrant girls’ perspectives. Education and Society, 28(1), 25-47.

Lee, L. & Goodman, J. (2009). Traversing the challenges of conducting research with young immigrant children: The case of Korean children. Interchange, 40(2), 225–244.

Lee, L. (2009). American immigrant girls’ perceptions about female body image in Disney: A critical analysis of young Korean girls. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 17(3), 363-375.

Lee, L. (2009). Marry the prince or stay with family—That is the question: A perspective of young Korean immigrant girls on Disney’s marriages in the United States. Australian Journal of Early Childhood, 34(2), 39-46.

Lee, L. (2009). Young American immigrant children’s interpretations of royalty in popular culture: A case study of Korean girls’ perspectives. Journal of Early Childhood Research, 7(2), 200-215.

Lee, L. (2008). Issues of popular culture and young children in American society: A Critical perspective. Academic Exchange Quarterly, 12(4),49-53.

Lee, L. (2008). Understanding gender through Disney’s marriages: A study of young Korean immigrant girls. Early Childhood Education Journal, 36(1), 11-18.

Parents in Education

Kepper MM, Staiano AE,Katzmarzyk PT, Reis R, Eyler A, Griffith DM, Kendall M, ElBanna B, Denstel KD, & Broyles ST (2019). Neighborhood influences on women’s parenting practices for adolescents’ outdoor play: A qualitative study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.

Baumgartner, J., McBride, B., Ota, C.L., & DiCarlo, C., (2016). How much do they need to be the same? What parents believe about continuity between home and childcare environments. Early Child Development and Care, 187(7), 1184-1193.

Professional Development

Bowers, J., Isbell, D., Stanley, A., and West, J. (in press). Attrition, (De)motivation, and “Effective” Music Teacher Professional Development: An Instrumental Case Study. Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education.

Grantham-Caston, M. & DiCarlo, C. (2019). Lights! Camera! Action! Improving your teaching through video self-reflection. Young Children, 74(4)

Grantham-Caston, M. & DiCarlo, C. (2019). The impact of video self-reflection on teacher practice. National Head Start Association Dialog, 22(2), 61-75.

Grantham-Caston, M. & DiCarlo, C. (2019). Video self-reflection. Dialog, 22(2), 99-102.

Isbell, D. and Russell, J. (2009). Perceptions of Music Educators Regarding the Practice, Impact, and Outcomes of Professional Development.  Southern Music Education Journal.

Physical Education

Ferkel, R.C.. Allen, H.R., True, L. and Hulteen, R.M. (2018). Split-Week Programming for Secondary Physical Education: Inducing Behavioral Change for Lifetime Fitness. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, 89(8), 11-22. doi: 10.1080/07303084.2018.1503118

Hulteen, R.M., Morgan, P.J., Barnett, L.M., Barton, C., Wrotniak, B., Robinson, L.E. and Lubans, D.R. (2018). Development, Content Validity and Test-Retest Reliability of the Lifelong Physical Activity Skills Battery in Adolescents. Journal of Sports Sciences, 36(20), 2358-2367. doi: 10.1080/02640414.2018.1458392

Hulteen, R. M., Smith, J.J., Morgan, P.J., Barnett, L.M, Hallal, P.C., Colyvas, K. and Lubans, D.R. (2017). Global Sport and Leisure-Time Physical Activities Participation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Preventive Medicine, 95, 14-25. doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2016.11.027

Hulteen, R.M., Lander, N.J., Morgan, P.J., Barnett, L.M., Robertson, S.J. and Lubans, D.R. (2015). Validity and Reliability of Field-Based Measures for Assessing Movement Skill Competency in Lifelong Physical Activities: A Systematic Review. Sports Medicine, 45(10), 1443-54. doi: 10.1007/s40279-015-0357-0

Physical Therapy

Harbourne, R. T., Dusing, S. C., Lobo, M. A., McCoy, S. W., Koziol, N. A., Hsu, L.-Y., Willett, S., Marcinowski, E. C., Babik, I., Cunha, A. B., An, M., Chang, H.-J., Bovaird, J. A., Sheridan S. M. (2020). START-Play physical therapy intervention impacts motor and cognitive outcomes in infants with neuromotor disorders: A multisite randomized clinical trial. Physical Therapy, 101(2), 1-11. 

Dusing, S. C., Harbourne, R. T., Lobo, M. A., Westcott-McCoy, S., Bovaird, J., Kane, A. E., Syed, G., Marcinowski, E. C., Koziol, N., Brown, S. E. (2019). A physical therapy intervention to advance cognitive skills a young child with cerebral palsy: A single subject with severe motor impairments. Pediatric Physical Therapy, 31(4), 347-352. 

Dusing, S. C., Marcinowski, E. C., Tripathi, T., Rocha, A., & Brown, S. (2018). A perspective on the importance of assessing parent-child interaction in rehabilitation using high or low tech methods. Physical Therapy Journal, 99(6), 658-665. 

Harbourne, R. T., Dusing, S. C., Lobo, M. A., McCoy, S. W., Bovaird, J., Sheridan, S., Galloway, J. C., Chang, H.-J., Hsu, L.-Y., Koziol, N., Marcinowski, E. C., & Babik, I. (2018). Sitting Together and Reaching to Play (START-Play): Protocol for a multisite randomized controlled efficacy trial on intervention for infants with neuromotor disorders. Physical Therapy, 76(1), 1-31. 

Dusing, S. C., Tripathi, T., Marcinowski, E. C., Thacker, L., Brown, L., & Hendricks-Munoz, K. (2018). Supporting Play Exploration and Early Developmental Intervention versus usual care to enhance developmental outcomes during the transition from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit to home: A pilot randomized controlled trial. BMC Pediatrics, 18(46), 1-12. 

Social-Emotional

DiCarlo, C. F., Ota, C., & Deris, A. (under revision). Social behavior in kindergarten. Journal of Early Childhood Research.

DiCarlo, C., Hebert, E. & Meaux, A. (in review). Finding the “om” in your ABCs: Mindfulness in the classroom. Child Care Exchange.

Chiang, C.J., Chen, Y. C., Wei, H. S., & Jonson-Reid, M. (2020). Social bonds and profiles of delinquency among adolescents: Differential effects by gender and age. Children and Youth Services Review, 104751

Benton, A., & DiCarlo, C. F. The impact of social stories on compliance and aggression in a kindergarten aged child. The Journal of Teacher Action Research, 4(3), 55 – 67.

DiCarlo, C.F, Ota, C.L., & Deris, A. (2020). An ecobehavioral analysis of social behavior across learning contexts in kindergarten.  Early Childhood Education Journal, DOI 10.1007/s10643-020-01103-y

DiCarlo, C.F., & Melikyan, S. (2016). Increasing the communicative behaviors of children with low levels of communicative initiations in an inclusive preschool classroom. Literacy Experiences Special Interest Group (LESIG), 46(1) 14-35.

Beckert, T., Lee, C., & Ota, C.L.  (2015). Correlates of psychosocial development for Taiwanese youth. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 46(6), 837-855.

DiCarlo, C.F., Onwujuba, C., & Baumgartner, J.J. (2014). Infant Communicative Behaviors and Maternal Responsiveness. Child and Youth Care Forum, 43(2), 195-209.

Deris, A. R., DiCarlo, C., Flynn, L. L., Ota, C.L., & O’Hanlon, A. (2012). Importance of social supports of parents of children with autism.  International Journal of Early Childhood Special Education, 4(1), 17-31.

Baumgartner, J., Burnett, L., DiCarlo, C. & Buchanan, T. (2012). An inquiry of children’s social support networks using eco-maps. Child and Youth Care Forum, doi: 10.1007/s10566-011-9166-2

Deris, A. R., DiCarlo, C. F., & Deris, T. P. (2012). Evidence-based practices: Using story-based interventions to improve social behavior in the general education setting. Focus on Inclusive Education, 10(1), 5-8.

Social Studies

Casey, E., DiCarlo, C., & *Sheldon, K. (2019). Growing democratic citizenship competencies: Fostering social studies understandings through inquiry learning in the preschool garden. The Journal of Social Studies Research. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jssr.2018.12.001

Casey, E. & DiCarlo, C.F. (2016). Social studies surprises found in the garden. Focus on PK/K, Early Years Bulletin, 4(2), 7-10. http://www.acei.org/sites/default/files/eybwinter2016.pdf

Lee, L., & Misco, T. (2016). Seeking moral autonomy in a Chinese context: A study of elementary moral education standards. Journal of International Social Studies, 6(2), 84 95.

Special Education

Deris, A., & DiCarlo, C.F. (2015). Effects of using a weighted or pressure vest for a child with autism. Autonomy, the critical journal of interdisciplinary Autism studies, 1(4).

Deris, A. R., & DiCarlo, C. F. (2013). Working with young children with autism in inclusive classrooms. Support for Learning, 28(2), 52-56.

Deris, A. R., DiCarlo, C., Flynn, L. L., Ota, C., & O’Hanlon, A. (2012). Investigation of social supports for parents of children with autism. International Journal of Early Childhood Special Education, 4(1), 17-32.

Sola, S. & Terrusi, M. (2010). Just like us. Li.Ber books for children and boys, 87(1), 50 – 51.

DiCarlo, C.F., Schepis, M., & Flynn, L. (2009). Embedding sensory preferences in toys to enhance toy play in toddlers with disabilities. Infants and Young Children, 22(3), 187-199.

Flynn-Wilson, L, & DiCarlo, C.F. (2009). Transdisciplinary intervention: What does it look like in community-based child care? Collaborations, 1, 30-32.

Sola, S. & Terrusi, M. (2009). The difference is not a subtraction: Books for children and disabilities. Lapis.

DiCarlo, C.F., Benedict, J., & Aghayan, C. (2008). Social proximity of preschoolers with disabilities in an inclusive classroom. The Journal of Early Childhood Education and Family Review

Terrusi, M. (2008). All uses of the book at all. Childhood, 4(1), 46-49.  

DiCarlo, C.F., & Reid, D.H. (2004). Increasing pretend toy play among 2-year-old children with disabilities in an inclusive setting. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis. 37, 197-207.

Reid, D.H., DiCarlo, C.F., Schepis, M.M., Hawkins, J., & Stricklin, S.B. (2003). Observational assessment of toy preferences among young children with disabilities in inclusive settings: Efficiency analysis and comparison with staff opinion. Behavior Modification, 27(2), 233-250.

Banajee, M., DiCarlo, C., & Stricklin, S. (2003). Core vocabulary determination for toddlers. Augmentative/Alternative Communication, 19, 67-73.

DiCarlo, C.F., Reid, D.H., & Stricklin, S. (2003). Increasing toy play among toddlers with multiple disabilities in an inclusive classroom: A more-to-less, child-directed intervention continuum. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 24, 195-209.

DiCarlo, C.F., Stricklin, S., Banajee, M., & Reid, D. (2001). Effects of manual signing on communicative vocalizations by toddlers with and without disabilities in inclusive classrooms. The Journal of the Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps, 26(2), 1-7.

DiCarlo, C.F., & Banajee, M. (2000). Using voice output devices to initiations among children with disabilities. Journal of Early Intervention, 23(3), 191-199. http://jei.sagepub.com/content/23/3/191.full.pdf+html

DiCarlo, C.F., Banajee, M., Stricklin, S. (2000). Circle time: Embedding augmentative communication into routine activities. Young Exceptional Children, 3, 18-26.

Teacher Education

Baumgartner, J., DiCarlo, C.F., & Casbergue, R. (in press). Service-learning in early childhood education: The Intersection of modeling developmentally appropriate teacher education & the P.A.R.E. model. Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education.

Isbell, D. S. (2020). Early Socialization and Opinions of Musicianship Among Preservice Music Teachers. Journal of Music Teacher Education,29(3), 62-76. https://doi.org/10.1177/1057083720928496

Lee, L. (2016). Infant-toddler field experience design: A developmentally and culturally relevant approach in restrictive reality. Early Years Bulletin, 4(1), 7-11.

Isbell, D. (2009) Understanding Music Teacher Preparation. Saarbrucken, Germany: VDM, Verlag Publishing, Inc

Isbell, D. (2009). Role Models and Career Commitment Among Music Education Undergraduate Students. Music Education Research International, 3.13-27

Lee, L. & McMullen, M. B. (2006). Social ideology and early childhood education: A comparative analysis of Korean early childhood teacher education textbooks written in 1993 and 2003. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 7(2), 119-129.

Ota, C.,DiCarlo, C.F.,Burts,D., Laird, R., & Gioe, C. (2006).  Training and the needs of adult learners. Journal of Extension, 44(6), Article 6TOT5.

Ota, C.,DiCarlo, C.F.,Burts,D., Laird, R., & Gioe, C. (2006).  The impact of training on caregiver responsiveness. The Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education, 27(2), 149-160

Teaching Practices

Hulin, C., DiCarlo, C., & Grantham-Caston, M. (in review). The Impact of responsive partnership strategies on the satisfaction of co-teaching relationships in early childhood classrooms. NHSA Dialog: The Research-to-Practice Journal for the Early Childhood Field.

Watson, K.J. & DiCarlo, C.F. (2015). Increasing completion of classroom routines through the use of picture activity schedules. Early Childhood Education Journal. DOI 10.1007/s10643-015-0697-2

DiCarlo, C.F. & Haney, L. (2014). Action research/evidence-based practice in early childhood. Focus on Infants & Toddlers, 1(4), 11-14.

Flynn, L., & DiCarlo, C., (2009). Using a transdisciplinary teaming service delivery approach in preschools. Focus on Inclusive Education, 6(4), 2-3.

VanDerHeyden, A., Snyder, P., DiCarlo, C.F., Stricklin, S.B., & Vagianos, L.A. (2002). Comparison of within-stimulus and extra-stimulus prompts to increase targeted play behaviors in an inclusive early intervention program. The Behavior Analyst Today, 3 (2), 189.

Teaching Adults

Ota, C., DiCarlo, C.F., Burts, D., Laird, R., & Gioe, C. (2006). Training and the needs of adult learners. Journal of Extension, 44(6) [Article No. 6TOT5].

Lee, L. (2020). Technology-augmented play materials. In D. Bergen (Ed.), Handbook of Developmentally Appropriate Toys. Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield.

Lee, L. (2019). When technology met real-life experiences; Science curriculum project with technology for low-income Latino preschoolers. In N. Kucirkova & J. Rowsell (Eds.), International Handbook of Learning with Technology in Early Childhood Theory and   Method (pp. 338-348). New York: Routledge. 

Tu, X., & Lee, L. (2019). Integrating digital media in early childhood education: A case study of using iPad in American Mid-Western preschools. Journal of Studies in Chinese Early Childhood Education. [Chinese], 54-59.

Clark, S., & Lee, L. (2018). Technology Enhanced Classroom for Low-Income Children’s Mathematical Content Learning: A Case Study. International Journal of Information and Education Technology, 9(1), 66-69.

Lee, L. & Tu, X. (2016). Digital media for low-income preschoolers’ effective science learning: A case study of iPads with a social development approach. Computer in the Schools, 33(4), 1-14.

Lee, L., & Tu, X. (2016). Mathematical learning with digital media for low income preschool children: A case study of ELL and Non-ELL. International Journal of Early Childhood Learning, 23(3), 1-10.

Lee, L. (2015). Digital media for supporting young children’s learning: A case study of American preschool children and their uses of iPads. International Journal of Information and Education Technology, 5(12), 947-950.

Lee, L. (2015). Young children, play, and technology: Meaningful ways of using technology and digital media. In D. P. Fromberg & D. Bergen (Eds.) (3rd), Play from Birth to Twelve: Contexts, Perspectives, and Meanings (pp. 217-224). New York: Routledge

Lee, L. (2012). “It is a learning Journey for all”: A lesson from American elementary teachers who used a classroom Wiki. Journal of Interactive Online Learning, 11(3).

Types of Schools (Charter, urban, rural, laboratory)

Nelson-Smith, K. & Gunn, B. (2019). Determining the Perception and Necessity for a Child Development Laboratory in Local Communities. Journal of Education and Human Development, 8(4), pgs. 1-7.

Nelson-Smith, K. (2014). Charter Schools and the Corporate Makeover of Public Education: What’s at Stake? Journal of Negro Education. Book Review. Volume 83(3).

Andrews, N., Houston, W. R., Tobe, P. F., Zhang, A., & Powers, K. (2013). United Way Bright Beginnings Program Evaluation 2012. A program of the United Way of Greater Houston and ExxonMobil. Institute for Urban Education, University of Houston.

Houston, W. R.; Tobe, P. F., Zhang, A., Francis, T. P., & Stallings, T. (2012). United Way Bright Beginnings Program Evaluation, January 2011-January 2012. A program of the United Way of Greater Houston and ExxonMobil. Institute for Urban Education, University of Houston.

Houston, W. R., Tobe, P. F., Dixon, J., & Zhang, A. (2011). United Way Bright Beginnings Program Evaluation, January 2010-January 2011. A program of the United Way of the Texas Gulf Coast and ExxonMobil. Institute for Urban Education, University of Houston.

Nelson-Smith, K. (2011). Extension Role in Urban Education: Why Aren’t We Involved? Journal of Extension,49(4). Can be found at: http://www.joe.org/joe/2011august/comm1.php

Isbell, D. (2005). Music education in rural areas: A few keys to success.  Music Educators Journal, 92(2), 30-34.

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110+ Exceptional Education Research Topics Ideas

Topics for education research usually comprise school research topics, research problems in education, qualitative research topics in education, and concept paper topics about education to mention a few.

If you’re looking for research titles about education,  you’re reading the right post! This article contains 110 of the best education research topics that will come in handy when you need to choose one for your research. From sample research topics in education, to research titles examples for high school students about education – we have it all.

Educational Research Topics

Research title examples for college students, quantitative research titles about education, topics related to education for thesis, research titles about school issues, ph.d. research titles in education, elementary education research topics, research title examples about online class, research titles about modular learning, examples of research questions in education, special education research titles.

The best research titles about education must be done through the detailed process of exploring previous works and improving personal knowledge.

Here are some good research topics in education to consider.

What Are Good Research Topics Related to Education?

• The role of Covid-19 in reinvigorating online learning
• The growth of cognitive abilities through leisure experiences
• The merits of group study in education
• Merits and demerits of traditional learning methods
• The impact of homework on traditional and modern education
• Student underdevelopment as a result of larger class volumes
• Advantages of digital textbooks in learning
• The struggle of older generations in computer education
• The standards of learning  in the various academic levels
• Bullying and its effects on educational and mental health
• Exceptional education tutors: Is the need for higher pay justifiable?

The following examples of research titles about education for college students are ideal for a project that will take a long duration to complete. Here are some education topics for research that you can consider for your degree.

• Modern classroom difficulties of students and teachers
• Strategies to reform the learning difficulties within schools
• The rising cost of tuition and its burden on middle-class parents
• The concept of creativity among public schools and how it can be harnessed
• Major difficulties experienced in academic staff training
• Evaluating the learning cultures of college students
• Use of scientific development techniques in student learning
• Research of skill development in high school and college students
• Modern grading methods in underdeveloped institutions
• Dissertations and the difficulties surrounding their completion
• Integration of new gender categories in personalized learning

These research topics about education require a direct quantitative analysis and study of major ideas and arguments. They often contain general statistics and figures to back up regular research. Some of such research topics in education include:

• The relationship between poor education and increased academic fees
• Creating a social link between homeschool and traditional schoolgoers
• The relationship between teacher satisfaction and student performance
• The divide between public and private school performance
• The merits of parental involvement in students’ cognitive growth.
• A study on child welfare and its impact on educational development
• The relationship between academic performance and economic growth
• Urbanization in rural areas and its contribution to institutional growth
• The relationship between students and professors in dissertation writing
• The link between debt accumulation and student loans
• Boarding schools and regular schools: The role these two school types play in cognitive development

Educational-related topics used for a thesis normally require a wide aspect of study and enough educational materials.  Here are some education research topics you can use for write my thesis .

• The difficulties of bilingual education in private universities
• Homework and its impact on learning processes in college education
• Dissertation topic selection: Key aspects and research obligations
• Social media research topics and their educational functions
• A detailed educational review of student learning via virtual reality techniques
• Ethnicities in universities and their participation in group activities
• The modern approach to self-studying for college students
• Developing time management skills in modern education
• Guidelines for teacher development in advanced educational institutions
• The need for religious education in boarding schools
• A measure of cognitive development using digital learning methods

A research title about school issues focuses on activities surrounding the school environment and its effects on students, teachers, parents, and education in general. Below are some sample research titles in education, relating to school issues.

• Learning English in bilingual schools
• A study of teachers’ role as parent figures on school grounds
• Addressing the increased use of illegal substances and their effects in schools
• The benefits of after-class activities for foreign students
• Assessing student and teacher relationships
• A study of the best methods to implement safety rules in school
• Major obstacles in meeting school schedules using boarding students as a case study
• The need for counseling in public and private schools: Which is greater?
• Academic volunteering in understaffed public schools
• Modern techniques for curbing school violence among college students
• The advantages and disadvantages of teacher unions in schools

As you create your proposed list of research topics in education, consider scientific journals for referencing purposes. Here are some Ph.D. research titles for education.

• The modern methods of academic research writing
• The role of colleges in advanced mental care
• The merits and demerits of Ph.D. studies in Europe and Africa
• Interpersonal relationships between students and professors in advanced institutions
• A review of community colleges: merits and demerits
• Assessing racism in academic ethnic minorities
• The psychological changes of students in higher education
• The questionable standards of student loan provisions
• The merits of personalized teaching techniques in colleges
• The wage gap between private and public university teachers
• Teacher responsibilities in private universities versus public universities

The research topics in elementary education in 2023 are very different from the elementary education research topics from five or ten years ago. This creates interesting grounds for different research titles for elementary education.

Here are some elementary education title research ideas.

• Assessing quick computer literacy among elementary school pupils.
• The role of video games in childhood brain development
• Male vs female role models in early education periods
• The advantages of digital textbooks in elementary schools
• The impact of modern curriculums on elementary education
• Lack of proper school grooming is a cause of violence.
• Should elementary school children be taught about LGBTQ?
• A review of the need for sexual education in elementary schools
• The effects of emotional dependence in early childhood learners.
• The need for constant technology supervision of elementary school students
• Advantages of computer-guided education in elementary schools

Here are some research title examples for students taking online classes.

• The academic difficulties experienced by online students.
• A study of decreased attention in online classes
• The upsides and downsides of online education
• The rising fees of online and traditional education in universities
• A detailed study on the necessity of college internships
• The need to provide college scholarships based on environmental achievements
• How online education terminates university fraternities and sororities.
• The role of academic supervisors in career selection
• Why interactive assignments improved learning capabilities during the pandemic
• Merits of education in online learning environments
• Why online lessons are the least effective for some college students

The modular learning approach focuses primarily on learning outcomes. Here are some examples of research titles about modular learning.

• Modular learning and the role of teachers in its execution
• Teaching techniques of religious institutions
• Potential risks of accelerated learning
• Modular learning on students’ future performances
• The general overview of modular learning amongst students
• The modern Advantages and disadvantages of inclusive classes
• Observing student developments in modular learning
• Music therapy for fostering modular learning techniques
• The creation of a personalized curriculum for students.
• Applications of modular learning both in home-schooling?
• The benefits of modular learning towards creating a more holistic educational system

These research title examples about education answer important questions and they can also be argumentative essay topics .

Here are some titles of research about education questions.

• What impacts do learning approaches provide for students?
• How can schools manage their increasing gender differences?
• What fosters the provision of learning needs?
• What are the best educational recruitment methods?
• How can cognitive development improve education?
• How can you assess the moral growth of institutions?
• What are the primary causes of educational differences in geographical locations?
• How can institutions address increasing mental health needs?
• Why is early intervention essential in students with mental health setbacks?
• What are the characteristics of mental health deterioration among students?
• What techniques are acceptable in regulating the violence of students in institutions

Some of the research title examples about education include:

• How do schools create more personalized learning methods?
• Evaluating mental health setbacks during education
• The impact of modern technology on special education
• The cognitive improvements via specialized learning in dyslexic children
• The psychological link between dyslexia and bullying in high school
• Impact of social isolation in special education classes
• The difficulties in providing specialized learning environments
• A study of orphan students with disabilities and their aptitudes for learning
• How special classes improve the self-esteem of disabled students.
• How to use modern teaching techniques in unique learning environments.
• A study of the application of digital games to autistic learning

Final words about education research topics

We have provided some reliable examples of a research topic about education you can use for write my thesis . You can use these research titles in education to cultivate your ideas, create inspiration, or for online research. Remember always to select a topic that you’re naturally passionate about and do diligent research, and reach out to our professional writing services if you need any help.

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5 Current Issues in the Field of Early Childhood Education

Learning Objectives

Objective 1: Identify current issues that impact stakeholders in early childhood care and education.

Objective 2: Describe strategies for understanding current issues as a professional in early childhood care and education.

Objective 3: Create an informed response to a current issue as a professional in early childhood care and education.

Current Issues in the Field—Part 1

There’s one thing you can be sure of in the field of early childhood: the fact that the field is always changing. We make plans for our classrooms based on the reality we and the children in our care are living in, and then, something happens in that external world, the place where “life happens,” and our reality changes. Or sometimes it’s a slow shift: you go to a training and hear about new research, you think it over, read a few articles, and over time you realize the activities you carefully planned are no longer truly relevant to the lives children are living today, or that you know new things that make you rethink whether your practice is really meeting the needs of every child.

This is guaranteed to happen at some point. Natural events might occur that affect your community, like forest fires or tornadoes, or like COVID-19, which closed far too many child care programs and left many other early educators struggling to figure out how to work with children online. Cultural and political changes happen, which affect your children’s lives, or perhaps your understanding of their lives, like the Black Lives Matter demonstrations that brought to light how much disparity and tension exist and persist in the United States. New information may come to light through research that allows us to understand human development very differently, like the advancements in neuroscience that help us understand how trauma affects children’s brains, and how we as early educators can counteract those affects and build resilience.

And guess what—all this change is a good thing! Read this paragraph slowly—it’s important!  Change is good because we as providers of early childhood care and education are working with much more than a set of academic skills that need to be imparted to children; we are working with the whole child, and preparing the child to live successfully in the world. So when history sticks its foot into our nice calm stream of practice, the waters get muddied. But the good news is that mud acts as a fertilizer so that we as educators and leaders in the field have the chance to learn and grow, to bloom into better educators for every child, and, let’s face it, to become better human beings!

The work of early childhood care and education is so full, so complex, so packed with details to track and respond to, from where Caiden left his socks, to whether Amelia’s parents are going to be receptive to considering evaluation for speech supports, and how to adapt the curriculum for the child who has never yet come to circle time. It might make you feel a little uneasy—or, let’s face it, even overwhelmed—to also consider how the course of history may cause you to deeply rethink what you do over time.

That’s normal. Thinking about the complexity of human history while pushing Keisha on the swings makes you completely normal! As leaders in the field, we must learn to expect that we will be called upon to change, maybe even dramatically, over time. 

Let me share a personal story with you: I had just become director of an established small center, and was working to sort out all the details that directing encompassed: scheduling, billing policies, and most of all, staffing frustrations about who got planning time, etc. But I was also called upon to substitute teach on an almost daily basis, so there was a lot of disruption to my carefully made daily plans to address the business end, or to work with teachers to seek collaborative solutions to long-standing conflict. I was frustrated by not having time to do the work I felt I needed to do, and felt there were new small crises each day. I couldn’t get comfortable with my new position, nor with the way my days were constantly shifting away from my plans. It was then that a co-worker shared a quote with me from Thomas F. Crum, who writes about how to thrive in difficult working conditions: “Instead of seeing the rug being pulled from under us, we can learn to dance on a shifting carpet”.

Wow! That gave me a new vision, one where I wasn’t failing and flailing, but could become graceful in learning to be responsive to change big and small. I felt relieved to have a different way of looking at my progress through my days: I wasn’t flailing at all—I was dancing! Okay, it might be a clumsy dance, and I might bruise my knees, but that idea helped me respond to each day’s needs with courage and hope.

I especially like this image for those of us who work with young children. I imagine a child hopping around in the middle of a parachute, while the other children joyfully whip their corners up and down. The child in the center feels disoriented, exhilarated, surrounded by shifting color, sensation, and laughter. When I feel like there’s too much change happening, I try to see the world through that child’s eyes. It’s possible to find joy and possibility in the disorientation, and the swirl of thoughts and feelings, and new ways of seeing and being that come from change.

Key Takeaways

Our practices in the classroom and as leaders must constantly adapt to changes in our communities and our understanding of the world around us, which gives us the opportunity to continue to grow and develop.

You are a leader, and change is happening, and you are making decisions about how to move forward, and how to adapt thoughtfully. The good news is that when this change happens, our field has really amazing tools for adapting. We can develop a toolkit of trusted sources that we can turn to to provide us with information and strategies for ethical decision making.

If You’re Afraid of Falling…

One of the most important of these is the NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct, which expresses a commitment to core values for the field, and a set of principles for determining ethical behavior and decision-making. As we commit to the code, we commit to:

• Appreciate childhood as a unique and valuable stage of the human life cycle
• Base our work on knowledge of how children develop and learn
• Appreciate and support the bond between the child and family
• Recognize that children are best understood and supported in the context of family, culture,* community, and society
• Respect the dignity, worth, and uniqueness of each individual (child, family member, and colleague)
• Respect diversity in children, families, and colleagues
• Recognize that children and adults achieve their full potential in the context of relationships that are based on trust and respect.

If someone asked us to make a list of beliefs we have about children and families, we might not have been able to come up with a list that looked just like this, but, most of us in the field are here because we share these values and show up every day with them in our hearts.

The Code of Ethical Conduct can help bring what’s in your heart into your head. It’s a complete tool to help you think carefully about a dilemma, a decision, or a plan, based on these values. Sometimes we don’t make the “right” decision and need to change our minds, but as long as we make a decision based on values about the importance of the well-being of all children and families, we won’t be making a decision that we will regret.

An Awfully Big Current Issue—Let’s Not Dance Around It

In the field of early childhood, issues of prejudice have long been important to research, and in this country, Head Start was developed more than 50 years ago with an eye toward dismantling disparity based on ethnicity or skin color (among other things). However, research shows that this gap has not closed. Particularly striking, in recent years, is research addressing perceptions of the behavior of children of color and the numbers of children who are asked to leave programs.

In fact, studies of expulsion from preschool showed that black children were twice as likely to be expelled as white preschoolers, and 3.6 times as likely to receive one or more suspensions. This is deeply concerning in and of itself, but the fact that preschool expulsion is predictive of later difficulties is even more so:

Starting as young as infancy and toddlerhood, children of color are at highest risk for being expelled from early childhood care and education programs. Early expulsions and suspensions lead to greater gaps in access to resources for young children and thus create increasing gaps in later achievement and well-being… Research indicates that early expulsions and suspensions predict later expulsions and suspensions, academic failure, school dropout, and an increased likelihood of later incarceration.

Why does this happen? It’s complicated. Studies on the K-12 system show that some of the reasons include:

• uneven or biased implementation of disciplinary policies
• discriminatory discipline practices
• school racial climate
• under resourced programs
• inadequate education and training for teachers on bias

In other words, educators need more support and help in reflecting on their own practices, but there are also policies and systems in place that contribute to unfair treatment of some groups of children.

Key Takeaway

So…we have a lot of research that continues to be eye opening and cause us to rethink our practices over time, plus a cultural event—in the form of the Black Lives Matter movement—that push the issue of disparity based on skin color directly in front of us. We are called to respond. You are called to respond.

How Will I Ever Learn the Steps?

Woah—how do I respond to something so big and so complex and so sensitive to so many different groups of people?

As someone drawn to early childhood care and education, you probably bring certain gifts and abilities to this work.

• You probably already feel compassion for every child and want every child to have opportunities to grow into happy, responsible adults who achieve their goals. Remember the statement above about respecting the dignity and worth of every individual? That in itself is a huge start to becoming a leader working as an advocate for social justice.
• You may have been to trainings that focus on anti-bias and being culturally responsive.
• You may have some great activities to promote respect for diversity, and be actively looking for more.
• You may be very intentional about including materials that reflect people with different racial identities, genders, family structures.
• You may make sure that each family is supported in their home language and that multilingualism is valued in your program.
• You may even have spent some time diving into your own internalized biases.

This list could become very long! These are extremely important aspects of addressing injustice in early education which you can do to alter your individual practice with children.

As a leader in the field, you are called to think beyond your own practice.  As a leader you have the opportunity—the responsibility!—to look beyond your own practices and become an advocate for change. Two important recommendations (of many) from the NAEYC Advancing Equity in Early Childhood Education Position Statement, another important tool:

Speak out against unfair policies or practices and challenge biased perspectives.  Work to embed fair and equitable approaches in all aspects of early childhood program delivery, including standards, assessments, curriculum, and personnel practices.

Look for ways to work collectively with others who are committed to equity.  Consider it a professional responsibility to help challenge and change policies, laws, systems, and institutional practices that keep social inequities in place.

One take away I want you to grab from those last sentences: You are not alone. This work can be, and must be, collective.

As a leader, your sphere of influence is bigger than just you. You can influence the practices of others in your program and outside of it. You can influence policies, rules, choices about the tools you use, and ultimately, you can even challenge laws that are not fair to every child.

Who’s on your team? I want you to think for a moment about the people who help you in times where you are facing change. These are the people you can turn to for an honest conversation, where you can show your confusion and fear, and they will be supportive and think alongside you. This might include your friends, your partner, some or all of your coworkers, a former teacher of your own, a counselor, a pastor. Make a quick list of people you can turn to when you need to do some deep digging and ground yourself in your values.

And now, your workplace team: who are your fellow advocates in your workplace? Who can you reach out to when you realize something might need to change within your program? 

Wonderful. You’ve got other people to lean on in times of change. More can be accomplished together than alone. Let’s consider what you can do:

What is your sphere of influence? What are some small ways you can create room for growth within your sphere of influence? What about that workplace team? Do their spheres of influence add to your own?

Try drawing your sphere of influence: Draw yourself in the middle of the page, and put another circle around yourself, another circle around that, and another around that. Fill your circles in:

• Consider the first circle your personal sphere. Brainstorm family and friends who you can talk to about issues that are part of your professional life. You can put down their names, draw them, or otherwise indicate who they might be!
• Next, those you influence in your daily work, such as the children in your care, their families, maybe your co-workers land here.
• Next, those who make decisions about the system you are in—maybe this is your director or board, or even a PTA. 
• Next, think about the early childhood care and education community you work within. What kind of influence could you have on this community? Do you have friends who work at other programs you can have important conversations with to spread ideas? Are you part of a local Association for the Education of Young Children (AEYC)? Could you speak to the organizers of a local conference about including certain topics for sessions?
• And finally, how about state (and even national) policies? Check out The Children’s Institute to learn about state bills that impact childcare. Do you know your local representatives? Could you write a letter to your senator? Maybe you have been frustrated with the slow reimbursement and low rates for Employment Related Day Care subsidies and can find a place to share your story. You can call your local Child Care Resource and Referral, your local or state AEYC chapter, or visit childinst.org to find out how you can increase your reach! It’s probably a lot farther than you think!

Break It Down: Systemic Racism

When you think about injustice and the kind of change you want to make, there’s an important distinction to understand in the ways injustice happens in education (or anywhere else). First, there’s personal bias and racism, and of course it’s crucial as an educator to examine ourselves and our practices and responses. We all have bias and addressing it is an act of courage that you can model for your colleagues.

In addition, there’s another kind of bias and racism, and it doesn’t live inside of individual people, but inside of the systems we have built. Systemic racism exists in the structures and processes that have come into place over time, which allow one group of people a greater chance of succeeding than other specific groups of people.

Key Takeaways (Sidebar)

Systemic racism is also called institutional racism, because it exists – sometimes unquestioned – within institutions themselves.

In early childhood care and education, there are many elements that were built with middle class white children in mind. Many of our standardized tests were made with middle class white children in mind. The curriculum we use, the assessments we use, the standards of behavior we have been taught; they may have all been developed with middle class white children in mind.

Therefore it is important to consider whether they adequately and fairly work for all of the children in your program community. Do they have relevance to all children’s lived experience, development, and abilities? Who is being left out?

Imagine a vocabulary assessment in which children are shown common household items including a lawn mower…common if you live in a house; they might well be unfamiliar to a three-year-old who lives in an apartment building, however. The child may end up receiving a lower score, though their vocabulary could be rich, full of words that do reflect the objects in their lived experience.

The test is at fault, not the child’s experience. Yet the results of that test can impact the way educators, parents, and the child see their ability and likelihood to succeed.

You Don’t Have to Invent the Steps: Using an Equity Lens

In addition to the NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct and Equity Statement, another tool for addressing decision-making is an equity lens. To explain what an equity lens is, we first need to talk about equity. It’s a term you may have heard before, but sometimes people confuse it with equality. It’s a little different – equity is having the resources needed to be successful.

There’s a wonderful graphic of children looking over a fence at a baseball game. In one frame, each child stands at the fence; one is tall enough to see over the top; another stands tip-toe, straining to see; and another is simply too short. This is equality—everyone has the same chance, but not everyone is equally prepared. In the frame titled equity, each child stands on a stool just high enough so that they may all see over the fence. The stools are the supports they need to have an equitable outcome—being able to experience the same thing as their friend.

Seeking equity means considering who might not be able to see over the fence and figuring out how to build them a stool so that they have the same opportunity.

An equity lens, then, is a tool to help you look at decisions through a framework of equity. It’s a series of questions to ask yourself when making decisions. An equity lens is a process of asking a series of questions to better help you understand if something (a project, a curriculum, a parent meeting, a set of behavioral guidelines) is unfair to specific individuals or groups whose needs have been overlooked in the past. This lens might help you to identify the impact of your decisions on students of color, and you can also use the lens to consider the impact on students experiencing poverty, students in nontraditional families, students with differing abilities, students who are geographically isolated, students whose home language is other than English, etc.) The lens then helps you determine how to move past this unfairness by overcoming barriers and providing equitable opportunities to all children.

Some states have adopted a version of the equity lens for use in their early learning systems. Questions that are part of an equity lens might include:

• What decision is being made, and what kind of values or assumptions are affecting how we make the decision?
• Who is helping make the decision? Are there representatives of the affected group who get to have a voice in the process?
• Does the new activity, rule, etc. have the potential to make disparities worse? For instance, could it mean that families who don’t have a car miss out on a family night? Or will it make those disparities better?
• Who might be left out? How can we make sure they are included?
• Are there any potential unforeseen consequences of the decision that will impact specific groups? How can we try to make sure the impact will be positive?

You can use this lens for all kinds of decisions, in formal settings, like staff meetings, and you can also work to make them part of your everyday thinking. I have a sticky note on my desk that asks “Who am I leaving out”? This is an especially important question if the answer points to children who are people of color, or another group that is historically disadvantaged. If that’s the answer, you don’t have to scrap your idea entirely. Celebrate your awareness, and brainstorm about how you can do better for everyone—and then do it!

Embracing our Bruised Knees: Accepting Discomfort as We Grow

Inspirational author Brene Brown, who writes books, among other things, about being an ethical leader, said something that really walloped me: if we avoid the hard work of addressing unfairness (like talking about skin color at a time when our country is divided over it) we are prioritizing our discomfort over the pain of others. 

Imagine a parent who doesn’t think it’s appropriate to talk about skin color with young children, who tells you so with some anger in their voice. That’s uncomfortable, maybe even a little scary. But as you prioritize upholding the dignity, worth, and uniqueness of every individual, you can see that this is more important than trying to avoid discomfort. Changing your practice to avoid conflict with this parent means prioritizing your own momentary discomfort over the pain children of color in your program may experience over time.

We might feel vulnerable when we think about skin color, and we don’t want to have to have the difficult conversation. But if keeping ourselves safe from discomfort means that we might not be keeping children safe from very real and life-impacting racial disparity, we’re not making a choice that is based in our values.

Change is uncomfortable. It leaves us feeling vulnerable as we reexamine the ideas, strategies, even the deeply held beliefs that have served us so far. But as a leader, and with the call to support every child as they deserve, we can develop a sort of super power vision, where we can look unflinchingly around us and understand the hidden impacts of the structures we work within.

A Few Recent Dance Steps of My Own

You’re definitely not alone—researchers and thinkers in the field are doing this work alongside you, examining even our most cherished and important ideas about childhood and early education. For instance, a key phrase that we often use to underpin our decisions is developmentally appropriate practice, which NAEYC defines as “methods that promote each child’s optimal development and learning through a strengths-based, play-based approach to joyful, engaged learning.” The phrase is sometimes used to contrast against practices that might not be developmentally appropriate, like expecting three-year-olds to write their names or sit quietly in a 30 minute story time.

Let me tell you a story about how professional development is still causing me to stare change in the face! At the NAEYC conference in 2020, during a session in which Dr. Jie-Qi Chen presented on different perspectives on developmentally appropriate practice among early educators in China and the United States. She showed a video from a classroom in China to educators in both the US and in China. The video was of a circle time in which a child was retelling a story that the class knew well, and then the children were encouraged to offer feedback and rate how well the child had done. The children listened attentively, and then told the storytelling child how they had felt about his retelling, including identifying parts that had been left out, inaccuracies in the telling, and advice for speaking more clearly and loudly.

The educators were asked what the impact of the activity would be on the children and whether it was developmentally appropriate. The educators in the United States had deep concerns that the activity would be damaging to a child’s self esteem, and was therefore not developmentally appropriate. They also expressed concerns about the children being asked to sit for this amount of time. The educators in the classroom in China felt that it was developmentally appropriate and the children were learning not only storytelling skills but how to give and receive constructive criticism.

As I watched the video, I had the same thoughts as the educators from the US—I’m not used to children being encouraged to offer criticism rather than praise. But I also saw that the child in question had self-confidence and received the feedback positively. The children were very engaged and seemed to feel their feedback mattered.

What was most interesting to me here was the idea of self-esteem, and how important it is to us here in the United States, or rather, how much protecting we feel it needs. I realized that what educators were responding to weren’t questions of whether retelling a story was developmentally appropriate, or whether the critical thinking skills the children were being asked to display were developmentally appropriate, but rather whether the social scenario in which one child receives potentially negative feedback in front of their peers was developmentally appropriate, and that the responses were based in the different cultural ideas of self-esteem and individual vision versus collective success.

My point here is that even our big ideas, like developmentally appropriate practice, have an element of vulnerability to them. As courageous leaders, we need to turn our eyes even there to make sure that our cultural assumptions and biases aren’t affecting our ability to see clearly, that the reality of every child is honored within them, and that no one is being left out.  And that’s okay. It doesn’t mean we should scrap them. It’s not wrong to advocate for and use developmentally appropriate practice as a framework for our work—not at all! It just means we need to remember that it’s built from values that may be specific to our culture—and not everyone may have equal access to that culture. It means we should return to our big ideas with respect and bravery and sit with them and make sure they are still the ones that serve us best in the world we are living in right now, with the best knowledge we have right now.

You, Dancing With Courage

So…As a leader is early childhood, you will be called upon to be nimble, to make new decisions and reframe your practice when current events or new understanding disrupt your plans. When this happens, professional tools are available to you to help you make choices based on your ethical commitment to children.

Change makes us feel uncomfortable but we can embrace it to do the best by the children and families we work with. We can learn to develop our critical thinking skills so that we can examine our own beliefs and assumptions, both as individuals and as a leader.

Remember that person dancing on the shifting carpet? That child in the middle of the parachute? They might be a little dizzy, but with possibility. They might lose their footing, but in that uncertainty, in the middle of the billowing parachute, there is the sensation that the very instability provides the possibility of rising up like the fabric. And besides—there are hands to hold if they lose their balance—or if you do! And so can you rise when you allow yourself to accept change and adapt to all the new possibility of growth that it opens up!

Current Issues in the Field Part 2—Dance Lessons

Okay, sure—things are gonna change, and this change is going to affect the lives of the children and families you work with, and affect you, professionally and personally. So—you’re sold, in theory, that to do the best by each one of those children, you’re just going to have to do some fancy footwork, embrace the change, and think through how to best adapt to it.

But…how? Before we talk about the kind of change that’s about rethinking your program on a broad level, let’s talk about those times we face when change happens in the spur of the moment, and impacts the lives of the children in your program—those times when your job becomes helping children process their feelings and adapt to change. Sometimes this is a really big deal, like a natural disaster. Sometimes it’s something smaller like the personal story I share below…something small, cuddly, and very important to the children.

Learning the Steps: How do I help children respond to change?

I have a sad story to share. For many years, I was the lead teacher in a classroom in which we had a pet rabbit named Flopsy. Flopsy was litter-trained and so our licensing specialist allowed us to let him hop freely around the classroom. Flopsy was very social, and liked to interact with children. He liked to be held and petted and was also playful, suddenly zooming around the classroom, hopping over toys and nudging children. Flopsy was a big part of our community and of children’s experience in our classroom.

One day, I arrived at school to be told by my distraught director that Flopsy had died in the night and she had removed his body. I had about 15 minutes before children would be arriving, and I had to figure out how to address Flopsy’s loss.

I took a few minutes to collect myself, and considered the following questions:

Yes, absolutely. The children would notice immediately that Flopsy was missing and would comment on it. It was important that I not evade their questions.

Flopsy had died. His body had stopped working. His brain had stopped working. He would not ever come back to life. We would never see Flopsy again. I wrote these sentences on a sticky note. They were short but utterly important.

I would give children the opportunity to share their feelings, and talk about my own feelings. I would read children’s books that would express feelings they might not have words for yet. I would pay extra attention to children reaching out to me and offer opportunities to affirm children’s responses by writing them down.

Human beings encounter death. Children lose pets, grandparents, and sometimes parents or siblings. I wanted these children to experience death in a way that would give them a template when they experienced more intense loss. I wanted them to know it’s okay to be sad, and that the sadness grows less acute over time. That it’s okay to feel angry or scared, and that these feelings, too, though they might be really big, will become less immediate. And that it’s okay to feel happy as you remember the one you lost.

I knew it was important not to give children mistaken impressions about death. I was careful not to compare it to sleep, because I didn’t want them to think that maybe Flopsy would wake up again. I also didn’t want them to fear that when mama fell asleep it was the same thing as death. I also wanted to be factual but leave room for families to share their religious beliefs with their children.

I didn’t have time to do research. But I mentally gathered up some wisdom from a training I’d been to, where the trainer talked about how important it is that we don’t shy away from addressing death with children. Her words gave me courage. I also gathered up some children’s books about pet death from our library.

The first thing I did was text my husband. I was really sad. I had cared for this bunny for years and I loved him too. I didn’t have time for a phone call, but that text was an important way for me to acknowledge my own feelings of grief.

Then I talked to the other teachers. I asked for their quick advice, and shared my plan, since the news would travel to other classrooms as well.

During my prep time that day, I wrote a letter to families, letting them know Flopsy had died and some basic information about how we had spoken to children about it, some resources about talking to children about death, and some titles of books about the death of pets. I knew that news of Flopsy’s death would be carried home to many families, and that parents might want to share their own belief systems about death. I also knew many parents were uncomfortable discussing death with young children and that it might be helpful to see the way we had done so.

I had curriculum planned for that day which I partially scrapped. At our first gathering time I shared the news with the whole group: I shared my sticky note of information about death. I told the children I was sad. I asked if they had questions and I answered them honestly. I listened when they shared their own feelings. I also told them I had happy memories of FLopsy and we talked about our memories.

During the course of the day, and the next few days, I gave the children invitations (but not assignments) to reflect on Flopsy and their feelings. I sat on the floor with a notebook and the invitation for children to write a “story” about Flopsy. Almost every child wanted their words recorded. Responses ranged from “Goodbye bunny” to imagined stories about Flopsy’s adventures, to a description of feelings of sadness and loss. Writing down these words helped acknowledge the children’s feelings. Some of them hung their stories on the wall, and some asked them to be read aloud, or shared them themselves, at circle time.

I also made sure there were plenty of other opportunities in the classroom for children who didn’t want to engage in these ways, or who didn’t need to.

We read “Saying Goodbye to Lulu” and “The Tenth Good Thing About Barney” in small groups; and while these books were a little bit above the developmental level of some children in the class, many children wanted to hear and discuss the books. When I became teary reading them, I didn’t try to hide it, but just said “I’m feeling sad, and it makes me cry a little bit. Everyone cries sometimes.”

This would be a good set of steps to address an event like a hurricane, wildfires, or an earthquake as well. First and foremost of course, make sure your children are safe and have their physical needs met! Remember your role as educator and caretaker; address their emotional needs, consider what you hope they will learn, gather the resources and your team, and make decisions that affirm the dignity of each child in your care.

• Does the issue affect children’s lived experiences? 
• How much and what kind of information is appropriate for their age?
• How can I best affirm their emotions?
• What do I hope they will learn?
• Could I accidentally be doing harm through my response?
• Which resources do I need and can I gather in a timely manner?
• How do I gather my team?
• How can I involve families?
• Now, I create and enact my plan…

Did your plan look any different for having used these questions? And did the process of making decisions as a leader look or feel different? How so?

You might not always walk yourself through a set of questions–but using an intentional tool is like counting out dance steps—there’s a lot of thinking it through at first, and maybe forgetting a step, and stumbling, and so forth. And then…somehow, you just know how to dance. And then you can learn to improvise. In other words, it is through practice that you will become adept at and confident in responding to change, and learn to move with grace on the shifting carpet of life.

Feeling the Rhythm: How do I help myself respond to change

—and grow through it.

Now, let’s address what it might look like to respond to a different kind of change, the kind in which you learn something new and realize you need to make some changes in who you are as an educator. This is hard, but there are steps you can take to make sure you keep moving forward:

• Work to understand your own feelings. Write about them. Talk them through with your teams—personal and/or professional.
• Take a look in the mirror, strive to see where you are at, and then be kind to yourself!
• Gather your tools! Get out that dog eared copy of the NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct, and look for other tools that are relevant to your situation. Root yourself in the values of early childhood care and education.
• Examine your own practices in light of this change.
• Examine the policies, structures, or systems that affect your program in light of this change.
• Ask yourself, where could change happen? Remember your spheres of influence.
• Who can you collaborate with? Who is on your team?
• How can you make sure the people being affected by this change help inform your response? Sometimes people use the phrase “Nothing for us without us” to help remember that we don’t want to make decisions that affect a group of people (even if we think we’re helping) without learning more from individuals in that group about what real support looks like).
• Make a plan, including a big vision and small steps, and start taking those small steps. Remember that when you are ready to bring others in, they will need to go through some of this process too, and you may need to be on their team as they look for a safe sounding board to explore their discomfort or fear.
• Realize that you are a courageous advocate for children. Give yourself a hug!

• Work to understand your own feelings. Write about them. Talk them through with your teams—personal and/or professional. 

This might be a good time to freewrite about your feelings—just put your pencil to paper and start writing. Maybe you feel guilty because you’re afraid that too many children of color have been asked to leave your program. Maybe you feel angry about the injustice. Maybe you feel scared that this topic is politicized and people aren’t going to want to hear about it. Maybe you feel scared to even face the idea that bias could have affected children while in your care. All these feelings are okay! Maybe you talk to your partner or your friends about your fears before you’re ready to get started even thinking about taking action.

• Take a look in the mirror, strive to see where you are at, and then be kind to yourself! Tell that person looking back at you: “I did then what I knew how to do. Now that I know better, I do better.”

Yep. You love children and you did what you believed was best for the children in your program. Maybe now you can do even better by them! You are being really really brave by investigating!

• Gather your tools! Get out that dog-eared copy of the NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct, and look for other tools that are relevant to your situation.

Okay! This would be an excellent time to bring out the equity lens and your other tools. Read them over. Use them.

Do your practices affirm the dignity of every child and family? Ask yourself these hard questions while focusing on, in this case, how you look at behavior of children of color. Do the choices you make affirm the dignity of each unique child? Use your tools—you can pull out the equity lens here! Are you acknowledging the home realities of each child when you are having conversations that are meant to build social-emotional skills? Are you considering the needs of each child during difficult transitions? Do you provide alternative ways for children to engage if they have difficulty sitting in circle times?

And…Do your policies and structures affirm the dignity of every child and family? Use those tools! Look at your behavioral guidance policies—are you expecting children to come into your program with certain skills that may not be valued by certain cultures? What about your policies on sending children home or asking a family to leave your program? Could these policies be unfair to certain groups? In fact—given that you now know how extremely impactful expulsion is for preschoolers, could you take it off the table entirely?

Let’s say you’re a teacher, and you can look back and see that over the years you’ve been at your center, a disproportionately high number of children of color have been excluded from the program. Your director makes policy decisions—can you bring this information to him or her? Could you talk to your coworkers about how to bring it up? Maybe your sphere of influence could get even wider—could you share this information with other early educators in your community? Maybe even write a letter to your local representatives!

• Who can you collaborate with? Who is on your team? 

Maybe other educators? Maybe parents? Maybe your director? Maybe an old teacher of your own? Can you bring this up at a staff meeting? Or in informal conversations?

• How can you make sure the people being affected by this change help inform your response?

Let’s say your director is convinced that your policies need to change in light of this new information. You want to make sure that parent voice—and especially that of parents of color—is heard! You could suggest a parent meeting on the topic; or maybe do “listening sessions” with parents of color, where you ask them open-ended questions and listen and record their responses—without adding much of your own response; maybe you could invite parents to be part of a group who looks over and works on the policies. This can feel a little scary to people in charge (see decentered leadership?)

Maybe this plan is made along with your director and includes those parent meetings, and a timeline for having revised policies, and some training for the staff. Or—let’s back it up—maybe you’re not quite to that point yet, and your plan is how you are going to approach your director, especially since they might feel criticized. Then your plan might be sharing information, communicating enthusiasm about moving forward and making positive change, and clearly stating your thoughts on where change is needed! (Also some chocolate to reward yourself for being a courageous advocate for every child.)

And, as I may have mentioned, some chocolate. You are a leader and an advocate, and a person whose action mirrors their values. You are worth admiring!

Maybe you haven’t had your mind blown with new information lately, but I’ll bet there’s something you’ve thought about that you haven’t quite acted on yet…maybe it’s about individualizing lesson plans for children with differing abilities. Maybe it’s about addressing diversity of gender in the classroom. Maybe it’s about celebrating linguistic diversity, inviting children and parents to share their home languages in the classroom, and finding authentic ways to include print in these languages.

Whatever it is—we all have room to grow.

Make a Plan!

Dancing Your Dance: Rocking Leadership in Times of Change

There will never be a time when we as educators are not having to examine and respond to “Current Issues in the Field.” Working with children means working with children in a dynamic and ever-evolving landscape of community, knowledge, and personal experience. It’s really cool that we get to do this, walk beside small human beings as they learn to traverse the big wacky world with all its potholes…and it means we get to keep getting better and better at circling around, leaping over, and, yep, dancing around or even through those very potholes.

In conclusion, all dancers feel unsteady sometimes. All dancers bruise their knees along the way. All educators make mistakes and experience discomfort.  All dancers wonder if this dance just isn’t for them.  All dancers think that maybe this one is just too hard and want to quit sometimes. All educators second guess their career choices. But all dancers also discover their own innate grace and their inborn ability to both learn and to change; our very muscles are made to stretch, our cells replace themselves, and we quite simply cannot stand still. All educators have the capacity to grow into compassionate, courageous leaders!

Your heart, your brain, and your antsy feet have led you to become a professional in early childhood care and education, and they will all demand that you jump into the uncertainty of leadership in times of change, and learn to dance for the sake of the children in your care. This, truly, is your call to action, and your pressing invitation to join the dance!

Brown, B. (2018).  Dare to lead . Vermilion.

Broughton, A., Castro, D. and Chen, J.  (2020).  Three International Perspectives on Culturally Embraced Pedagogical Approaches to Early Teaching and Learning.  [Conference presentation].  NAEYC Annual Conference.

Crum, T.  (1987).  The Magic of Conflict: Turning a Life of Work into a Work of Art.  Touchstone.

Meek, S. and Gilliam, W. (2016).  Expulsion and Suspension in Early Education as Matters of Social Justice and Health Equity.  Perspectives: Expert Voices in Health & Health Care.

Scott, K., Looby, A., Hipp, J. and Frost, N. (2017).  “Applying an Equity Lens to the Child Care Setting.”  The Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics 45 (S1), 77-81.

Online Resources for Current Issues in the Field

Resources for opening yourself to personal growth, change, and courageous leadership:

• Brown, Brenee. Daring Classrooms. https://brenebrown.com/daringclassrooms
• Chang, R. (March 25, 2019).  What Growth Mindset Means for Kids [Video] .  TED Conferences.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66yaYmUNOx4

Resources for Thinking About Responding to Current Issues in Education

• Flanagan, N. (July 31, 2020).  How School Should Respond to Covid-19 [Video] .  TED Conferences.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSkUHHH4nb8
• Harris, N.B.. (February 217, 015). How Childhood Trauma Affects Health Across a Lifetime [Video] .  TED Conferences.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95ovIJ3dsNk
• Simmons, D. (August 28, 2020). 6 Ways to be an Anti Racist Educator [Video] . Edutopia.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UM3Lfk751cg&t=3s

Leadership in Early Care and Education Copyright © 2022 by Dr. Tammy Marino; Dr. Maidie Rosengarden; Dr. Sally Gunyon; and Taya Noland is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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179 Childhood Education Research Topics & Essay Examples

📝 childhood education research papers examples, 🎓 simple research topics about childhood education, 👍 good childhood education essay topics to write about, ⭐ interesting topics to write about childhood education, 🏆 best childhood education essay titles, ❓ childhood education research questions.

• Learning Fractions Through Gameplay Researchers of the game-based learning offer a framework that evaluates the games’ support of formal studies, focusing on inquiry, communication, construction, and expression.
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• Maria Montessori and Her Three Education Theories Maria Montessori transformed early childhood education through her theories of early childhood education. Scholars consider Montessori to be among the earliest educators.
• Quality Early Childhood Program Comprehensive services are the component that improves the care given to the children within the educational facility.
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• Adolescents and Disengagement from Education One out of ten teenagers between sixteen and eighteen years old is either disengaged in education, professional training, or even employment.
• The United Arab Emirates Early Education Policy The UAE Early Education Policy will help to update the educational system so that students could acquire the necessary skills in a more efficient manner.
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• Play-Based Philosophy for Early Childhood Education Play-based educational programs use games as a context for learning, where preschoolers can explore, discover, solve problems, and experiment in playful and imaginative ways.
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• Dialogue and Its Importance in Children’s Education The most important matter in children’s education is dialogue. Furthermore, communication should be done in a respectful manner.
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• Stress in Early Childhood Education Early childhood education is crucial to the child's mental development, and the movie "No Small Matter" reveals curious insights into the topic.
• Developing Emergent Literacy in Children Emergent literacy is the basis for the further development of abilities; therefore, it should be given proper attention.
• Characteristics of Effective Early Childhood Teachers “Twelve Characteristics of Effective Early Childhood Teachers” explains the phenomenological attributes of each quality, ranging from passion to a sense of humor.
• Discussing Child Learning Strategies The article analyzes two videos reviewed are the "Visually Impaired" and "Understanding Hearing Impairments" clips.
• Praise and Encouragement in Early Childhood Education The article discusses approaching the children in school-based activities in class, which includes giving credit where it deserves by improving a child's potential.
• Early Childhood Education in India Today's preschool education system in India is designed so that parents can rest assured of their children who have been trained in such groups.
• Quality Physical Education and Obesity in US Children For the public and often the students themselves, physical education in schools is rarely taken seriously, viewed as largely a ‘filler’ subject to meet government requirements.
• Comparison of the Two Early Childhood Educational Institutions in Hong Kong This paper examines the educational and administrative management aspects of two kindergartens in Hong Kong: HKYWCA Athena and The Salvation Army Shui Chuen O Kindergarten.
• Importance of Early Childhood Study Early childhood is a great determiner of a person's future character and behavior, as children learn a lot because they can easily understand each other through games.
• Research in the Field of Childhood Literacy This paper contains an annotated bibliography of the two articles devoted to the topics of childhood literacy and education.
• Children's Skills Development and Education Decent behavior, operational interaction with others, and articulating individual needs are essential constituents of children's skills.
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• Best Practices in Early Childhood Education This paper discusses best practices in the field of early childhood education, which are based on developmentally appropriate practice (DAP).
• “The Kindergarten Program”: Visible Learning in Early Childhood Education Visible learning is particularly significant since children learn from experience and should be exposed to real-life situations.
• How Fun and Playing Helps Kids Learn The topic of childhood development via playing will be examined in depth in this study, which will cover various aspects of the topic.
• Early Childhood Education Programs Comparison Relying on the two videos on Early Childhood Education Programs, this paper compares various programs that are critical for the proper development of children.
• Early Childhood Education: Pedagogical Skills Understanding each child as a unique individual with their own psychological characteristics and structure of thinking seems to be a necessary competence of any children's teacher.
• Stages of Learning to Spell in Children Learning conventional spelling goes beyond the dry memorization of thousands of words, it is best attained by pragmatic activities.
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• Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care Framework Community-level indigenous governments have participated in framework development, resulting in the identification of service gaps these communities find important.
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• Student Behaviour in Early Childhood Settings In the development of children, problems often occur in the form of deviations from generally accepted social age expectations.
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Fact Sheet: How DHS is Combating Child Exploitation and Abuse

Every day, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) leads the fight against child exploitation and abuse. As part of the Department’s mission to combat crimes of exploitation and protect victims, we investigate these abhorrent crimes, spread awareness, collaborate with interagency and international partners, and expand our reach to ensure children are safe and protected.

DHS battles child exploitation and abuse using all available tools and resources department-wide, emphasizing its commitment in April 2023 by adding “Combat Crimes of Exploitation and Protect Victims” as its sixth core mission.

As part of the Department’s ongoing work on this mission, today DHS is announcing Know2Protect, the U.S. government’s first prevention and awareness campaign to combat online child sexual exploitation and abuse. In recognition of April’s Child Abuse Prevention Month, DHS is committed to raising awareness, preventing child exploitation and abuse, and bringing perpetrators to justice.

Between October 2022 and April 2024, DHS:

• Expanded and unified the Department’s focus on combating cybercrimes by redesignating the HSI Cyber Crimes Center as the DHS Cyber Crimes Center to enhance coordination across all DHS agencies and offices to combat cyber-related crimes and further the Department’s mission to combat online child sexual exploitation and abuse (CSEA).
• The Blue Campaign, now part of the DHS Center for Countering Human Trafficking, increased national partnerships from 43 in FY22 to 64 in FY23. The campaign hosted 194 national trainings on the indicators of human trafficking and how to report these crimes with over 19,000 participants from the federal government, non-governmental organizations, law enforcement, and the general public. In April 2024, Blue Campaign announced a partnership with rideshare company Lyft to train their drivers, who interact with millions of riders per year, on how to recognize and report human trafficking. Read more accomplishments in the DHS Center for Countering Human Trafficking’s FY 2023 Annual Report .
• Identified and/or assisted 2,621 child victims of exploitation through the work of Homeland Security Investigations and made more than 6,100 arrests for crimes involving the sexual exploitation of children. Learn more in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) ’s FY2023 Annual Report .
• Joined the Biden-Harris Administration and interagency partners to collaborate on actions to keep children and teens safe as part of the Kids Online Health and Safety Task Force and the White House Online Harassment and Abuse Task Force.
• Tasked the Department’s external advisory bodies, including the Homeland Security Advisory Council , the Homeland Security Academic Partnership Council , and the Faith-Based Security Advisory Council , to each form a subcommittee to review DHS efforts to combat online child sexual exploitation and abuse. In the coming months, they will share their findings, which will help inform the Department’s future efforts to tackle these issues.
• Began implementing a trauma-informed and victim and survivor-centered multidisciplinary workplan through the Joint Council on Combating Child Sexual Exploitation, established by President Biden and Australian Prime Minister Albanese. The Council, co-chaired by Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas, is focused on building the capacity of countries in the Indo-Pacific region to combat this crime; jointly developing policy recommendations to tackle the issue; conducting joint investigations and operations; sharing research and development efforts; preventing victimization through education and awareness campaigns; and safety-by-design.

To accomplish this work, DHS coordinates with law enforcement at home and abroad to enforce and uphold our laws, protects victims with a victim-centered approach that prioritizes respect and understanding, and works to stop this heinous crime through public education and outreach.

Enforcing Our Laws

DHS works with domestic and international partners to enforce and uphold the laws that protect children from abuse. The Department works collaboratively with the Department of Justice, the FBI, U.S Marshals, Interpol, Europol, and international law enforcement partners to arrest and prosecute perpetrators.

• Increased U.S. government and law enforcement efforts to combat financial sextortion – a crime targeting children and teens by coercing them into sending explicit images online and extorting them for money. In the past two years HSI received 4500 sextortion tips from Cote d’Ivoire and 665 children have been identified and supported by HSI. Learn more about the crime of sextortion .
• Helped deny more than 1,400 convicted, registered U.S. child sex offenders entry to foreign countries through travel notifications sent by the HSI Angel Watch Center. These efforts build international cooperation to ensure all countries are safe from predators.
• Partnered with 61 regional Internet Crimes Against Children Task Forces to investigate people involved in the online victimization of children, including those who produce, receive, distribute and/or possess child sexual abuse material, or who engage in online sexual enticement of children.
• Researched and developed modern tools and technologies that equip domestic and international law enforcement partners with advanced forensic capabilities to accomplish their mission to identify victims and apprehend child sexual abusers. For example, DHS’s Science and Technology Directorate developed the StreamView application to help law enforcement more efficiently address child exploitation cases by helping investigators aggregate, organize, and analyze investigative leads to identify the location of a crime, the victim, and bring the perpetrator to justice. Since May 2023, StreamView has led to the rescue of 68 victims, 47 arrests, eight life sentences, and dismantled eight trafficking networks having up to one million registered users.
• The U.S. Secret Service provides forensic and technical assistance to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) and state/local law enforcement in cases involving missing and exploited children. 
• U.S. Customs and Border Protection screens all unaccompanied children and other arriving minors for indicators of abuse or exploitation, human trafficking, and other crimes, and all suspected criminal cases are referred to HSI.

Protecting and Supporting Victims

DHS incorporates a victim-centered approach into all Department programs, policies, and operations that involve victims of crime. This effort seeks to minimize additional trauma, mitigate undue penalization, and provide needed stability and support to victims.

HSI’s “ Operation Renewed Hope ” mission in July 2023 resulted in the generation of 311 probable identifications of previously unknown victims, including 94 positive contacts and several confirmed victim rescues from active abuse due to their locations being discovered through materials uncovered during the investigations. The investigation also led to the identification of perpetrators of child sexual abuse material. HSI completed “ Operation Renewed Hope II ” in Spring 2024, which resulted in the generation of 414 probable identifications of previously unknown victims, and positive identification of 30 previously unknown child sexual abuse victims, which included 8 victims rescued from active abuse.

• Once victims of child exploitation are identified and/or rescued, the HSI Victim Assistance Program (VAP) supports them and their non-offending caretaker(s) by using highly trained forensic interview specialists to conduct victim-centered and trauma-informed forensic interviews. In addition, VAP’s victim assistance specialists provide other resources to victims such as crisis intervention, referrals for short and long term medical and/or mental health care, and contact information for local social service programs for young victims, and agencies to assist in the healing process.
• The Center for Countering Human Trafficking hosted its second annual virtual DHS Human Trafficking Seminar for DHS employees who are part of the Department’s mission to end human trafficking or are interested in this work. Over 900 employees from across the Department attended to learn more about DHS’s work and victim-centered approach to combating this crime.
• HSI provides  short-term immigration protections to human trafficking victims , including victims of child sex trafficking. U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS) provides victim-based or humanitarian-related immigration benefits to child victims of human trafficking, abuse, and neglect, including Special Immigration Juvenile (SIJ) classification, T visa, U visa, and VAWA immigrant classification.

Educating and Increasing Public Awareness

An integral part of this work is educating and expanding public awareness to help prevent this crime and hold perpetrators accountable. DHS does this important work every day.

• Trained more than 2,000 law enforcement officials and child advocacy personnel throughout the country to enhance their counter-child exploitation tactics.
• Educated over 186,000 kids, teens, parents, and teachers about internet safety and how to stay safe from sexual predators through the iGuardian program. DHS recently revamped Project iGuardian materials and using those materials, HSI has trained 419 special agents and completed presentations across 32 states and 8 countries. Presentations target kids aged 10 and up and their trusted guardians and focus on sharing information about the dangers of online environments, how to stay safe online, and how to report abuse and suspicious activity.
• USSS Childhood Smart Program Ambassadors educated more than 112,000 children, parents, and teachers across 31 states and the District of Columbia about how to prevent online sexual exploitation and child abduction. The Childhood Smart Program provides age-appropriate presentations to children as young as five as well as to adults. Presentations focus on internet and personal safety as well as other topics such as social media etiquette and cyber bullying.
• The HSI Human Rights Violations and War Crimes Center trained over 955 individuals across the interagency on female genital mutilation or cutting, a severe form of child abuse under federal law when done to individuals under the age of 18.
• The DHS Blue Campaign Blue Lighting Initiative, part of the Center for Countering Human Trafficking, trained over 260,000 aviation personnel to identify potential traffickers and human trafficking victims and report their suspicions to law enforcement in FY 2023. The Initiative added 31 new partners this past year, raising its total partners to 136 aviation industry organizations, including its first two official international partners.
• The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency administers SchoolSafety.gov, an interagency website that includes information, guidance and resources on a range of school safety topics. SchoolSafety.gov houses a child exploitation section and corresponding resources to help school communities identify, prevent and respond to child exploitation. Since its launch in January 2023, the SchoolSafety.gov child exploitation section has been viewed more than 17,380 times.

What You Can Do and Resources Available

• Project iGuardians™: Combating Child Predators
• Childhood Smart Program
• Visit SchoolSafety.gov for resources to help educators, school leaders, parents, and school personnel identify, prevent, and respond to child exploitation. 
• Learn more about sextortion : it is more common than you think. 
• Learn more from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children .

How to report suspected online child sexual exploitation and abuse in the United States:

• Contact your local, state, campus, or tribal law enforcement officials directly. Call 911 in an emergency.
• If you suspect a child has been abducted or faces imminent danger, contact your local police and the NCMEC tip line at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678) .
• If you suspect a child might be a victim of online sexual exploitation, call the HSI Tip Line at 1-866-347-2423 and report it to NCMEC’s CyberTipline .
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How to Do Action Research in Your Classroom

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What Causes Hoarding? New Research Suggests It Can Start in Childhood

Throwing out your kids stuff might make hoarding worse.

A lot of people think of hoarding as something extreme – a home crammed to the ceiling with possessions. However, it tends to start gradually, and research has found that it can begin in adolescence or even childhood .

The information people have about it often comes from documentaries about severe cases, focusing on overflowing piles of possessions. However, this narrow view of hoarding means people often don’t get help until the behavior is devastating their lives.

Psychologists still don’t fully understand why people hoard. It was only as recently as 2013 that hoarding disorder was added to the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, a guide used by clinicians in the US.

Early intervention could make a life-changing difference to people who struggle with hoarding behavior, their families , and the communities they live in. It could also help children with hoarding tendencies to learn how to manage their possessions.

It can start from childhood

Participants in retrospective studies of adults found that the median age at which hoarding behavior began was 11-15.

As part of my PhD research , I interviewed several people with hoarding behavior who described attachments to possessions and difficulty in discarding them from childhood.

Some participants said hoarding tendencies and behaviour had either begun, or became more difficult to manage, when they started university.

One participant felt his hoarding difficulties started when he left university. He said the responsibility that came with “the end of … student accounts” led to trouble discarding things. This was not something my PhD team and I had heard of before.

Some of our participants talked about how, in childhood, their families had encouraged them to discard possessions or had discarded them for them. This was distressing for several reasons, including the emotional attachment they had formed to these possessions.

Previous research has suggested that when children exhibit hoarding tendencies , parents may help to keep them in check. Parents may also control the child’s living space by tidying or discarding possessions for them, although the latter may make hoarding tendencies worse .

One of the hallmarks of hoarding is that the attachments to possessions can be quite similar to those that non-hoarders form, but they’re stronger and related to a wider range of things. This causes attachments to things that others would see as having little or no value. There’s always a use, a story, an emotion, or a memory attached to a possession for someone who hoards.

If we want to understand how best to help people with hoarding tendencies, we need more studies into hoarding during childhood so we can understand why it is so much harder for some children to organize and discard things.

How does it start?

There are different routes to hoarding, with some researchers suggesting that it can start in childhood with no apparent trigger. For other people, it happens later in life and is triggered by a particular event. For example, research shows a link between events such as relationship changes and the beginning or worsening of hoarding symptoms.

We do know hoarding can be associated with difficulties in processing information , early emotional deprivation , traumatic events , and the meanings that people attach to their possessions . These meanings often include valuing possessions for their future usefulness or seeing them as repositories for memory .

Before things get extreme

Hoarding behavior is a spectrum.

Early intervention is important in adults, too. One of the hallmarks of hoarding disorder is an accumulation of possessions that clutter and congest the active living areas of a person’s home, such as their kitchen or bathroom, rather than their attic or garage.

It’s understandable that psychologists use this as a benchmark given that many people gather a lot of possessions but not everyone has a hoarding disorder. And there’s no need to pathologise people who are just keen collectors .

But hoarding situations where people are unable to cook in their kitchen, wash in their bathroom, entertain friends or even live in their living room, do not happen overnight . Hoarding behaviour starts long before someone’s possessions take over their home. The longer it goes on for, the harder it is for the person to address it.

My PhD focused on understanding the processes that lead people to these kinds of situations. I used the term hoarding behavior to include less extreme circumstances.

The result of my research was a model called “ struggling to manage .” It conceptualized hoarding as a set of connected difficulties in people with managing both possessions and life.

Unlike other models which focus more on thoughts and behaviour , the struggling to manage model asked what difficulties a person has with keeping on top of their possessions while life happens around them.

It included things like undergoing life transitions where a person’s relationship with possessions might change. For example, when they move house or are navigating health challenges, and situations where lots of life events happen at once.

Hoarding behavior is a spectrum. If you’re interested to know more , there are plenty of online resources with information and support services, including community interest company Clouds End .

We need to look beyond the clutter and disorganized possessions to see what’s going on beneath the physical stuff.

This article was originally published on The Conversation by Victoria Ruby-Granger at De Montfort University . Read the original article here .

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