Associate Professor Christine Woodrow

Associate Professor Christine Woodrow

Biography

Assoc Professor Christine Woodrow is an academic, teacher educator and researcher in early childhood at the University of Western Sydney. She is a member of the leadership team in the consortium recently appointed by the Australian Government to develop a National Early Years Learning Framework and has had a signficant expereince in early childhood curriculum and policy, locally, nationally and internationally.

Christine is the Australia researcher in a 7 country international study of conceptualisations of professionalism in early childhood contexts. This links to her research interest in early childhood leadership, professional ethics and practitioner research as a strategy for building leadership capacity. Her other current research includes a study of school readiness and the role and effectiveness of the supported playgroup model in effective transitions to school.

Christine is the project leader of the pilot project 'Futuro Infantil Hoy' in the North of Chile which is being supported by Fundacion Minera Escondida (FME) and JUNJI.

Qualifications

DipTeach (deLissaCAE), BEd (SA), MEd (Flinders), PhD (CQU)

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Areas of Research / Teaching Expertise

Early childhood curriculum, Early childhood policy, professional identity, leadership, transition to school, early literacy, ethics.

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Grants / Current Projects

Co- Investigator with L. Newman and R. Elliott -2008-2009  Standing tall on shifting grounds: Local early childhood professionals, children, families and managers addressing quality in times of global paradigm shifts. UWS Partnership Grant with Penrith City Council

Chief Investigator Connections for Learning- Supported playgroups and transition to school
Chief investigator 'A Day in the Life of...' 2007-2009
Christine Woodrow is the Australian member of an international research team exploring professional identities in early childhood.(England, Finland, Germany, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, USA, Poland, Sweden and Israel).

Chief Investigator Researching Practitioner Enquiry 2007-2009
Project funding from seed grant (with Dr J. Skattebol, Dr L.Arthur & Dr L. Newman)

Woodrow, C (CI) UWS. (2006) Partnerships in Learning: Linking children, families and early childhood services. UWS Partnership Grant

Woodrow, C. (CI) (2005-2006) An Early Childhood Journey into Blended Learning - UWS. This grant resourced the development of an innovative blended learning model for course delivery and enabled the development of a range of electronic web based resources for student learning. (with L.Newman & R.O'Reilly)

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Awards and Recognition

Jean Denton Memorial Scholar, 1999.

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Publications

Chapters

Press, F. & Woodrow, C. (in press) The Giant in the playground: Investigating the reach and implications of the corporatisation of childcare provision. In D. King & G. Meagher (eds) Paid Care in Australia: profits, purposes and practices. University of Sydney Press

Fasoli, M. Scrivens, C. & Woodrow, C. (2007) Challenges for Leadership in New Zealand and Australian Early Childhood Contexts, in L.Keesing-Styles & H. Hedges (eds) Theorising Early Childhood Practice: Emerging Dialogues, Sydney: Pademelon Press.

Woodrow, C. (2004) Contested Territory: Early childhood curriculum in the Australian context, in W. Fthenakis and P. Oberhuemer (eds) Fruhpadagogik international: Buildungsqualitat ImBlikpunkt (Early childhood curriculum issues: International perspectives) Munich: Staatsinstitut fur Fruhpadagogik.

Woodrow, C. & Brennan, M. (2001) Interrupting dominant images: Critical and ethical issues, in J. A. Jipson & R. T. Johnson (eds) Resistance and representation: Rethinking childhood education, New York: Peter Lang.

Journal Articles

Woodrow, C. (2008) Discourses of professional identity in early childhood: Movements in Australia , European Early Childhood Research Journal Vol 16, (2) pp 269-280.

Woodrow, C. & Busch, G. (2008) Repositioning early childhood leadership as action and activism European Early Childhood Education Research Journal. Vol 16 (1) pp83-93.

Ashton, J., Woodrow, C., Johnston, C., Singh, L., & James, T. (2008) Partnerships in Learning: Linking early childhood services, families and schools for optimal development Australian Journal of Early Childhood Vol 33, (2)

Woodrow, C. (2007) W(h)ither the early childhood teacher: Tensions for early childhood professional identity between the policy landscape and the politics of teacher regulation Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood 8 (3) 233-243.

Sawyer, W., Singh, M., Woodrow, C., Downes, T., Johnston, C. & Whitton, D. (2007). Robust Hope and teacher education policy Asia Pacific Journal of Teacher Education 35 (3) 227-242

Woodrow, C. & Press, F. (2007) (Re)Positioning the child in the policy politics of early childhood. Educational Philosophy and Theory 39 (3) 312-325.

Fasoli, M. Scrivens,C. & Woodrow, C. (2007). Challenges for Leadership in New Zealand and Australian Early Childhood Contexts. In L.Keesing-Styles& H. Hedges (eds).Theorising Early Childhood Practice: Emerging Dialogues Pademelon Press. Sydney.

Press, F. & Woodrow, C. (2005) Commodification, Corporatisation and Children's Spaces. Australian Journal of Education 49 (3) 278- 297.

Woodrow, C. (2004) Contested Territory: Early childhood curriculum in the Australian context. In W. Fthenakis and P. Oberhuemer,(Eds). Fruhpadagogik international: Buildungsqualitat ImBlikpunkt (Early childhood curriculum issues: International perspectives.) Staatsinstitut fur Fruhpadagogik Munich

Woodrow, C. & Brennan, M. (2001) Interrupting dominant images: Critical and ethical issues. In J. A. Jipson & R. T. Johnson (Eds.), Resistance and representation: Rethinking childhood education . 23-44. New York: Peter Lang

Woodrow, C (1999). Revisiting images of childhood in early childhood: Reflections and reconsiderations- Australian Journal of Early Childhood 24 (4) 7-14

Woodrow, C. & Brennan, M. (1999) Marketised positioning of early childhood education: New contexts for curriculum and professional development in Queensland, Australia. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood 1 (1) 79-95

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