Capacity Building in Early Childhood Education Research in a Regional Australian University

ABSTRACT

This article presents a case study of successful research capacity building in the field of early childhood education in a non-research intensive, regional Australian university. In a context characterised by substantial political, economic and structural constraints, it illustrates a creative, strategic, and to some extent, transgressive approach to research capacity building inspired, in part, by concepts proffered by social theorist Gilles Deleuze.

Keywords:

• research capacity building
• early childhood education
• political economy
• Deleuze

Acknowledgements

Without the collegiality, support and sheer hard work of a great many people, the achievements of the early childhood research group would not have been possible. I would especially like to thank Professor Ian Goulter (Vice Chancellor), Professor Susan Thomas (Deputy Vice Chancellor Research), Professor Toni Downes (Dean, Faculty of Education), Professor Tom Lowrie, Director, Research Institute for Professional Practice, Learning and Education, Associate Professor Linda Harrison and Dr Frances Press. The views expressed in this article are my own. Thanks also to Dr Sandie Wong for responding to the article from an early career researcher perspective, and to two anonymous reviewers for their particularly helpful feedback on an earlier version.

Notes

¹ An exception is the funding stream, primarily for commissioned research, through the National Centre for Vocational Educational Research. In 1994, the Innovative Links between Universities and Schools for Teacher Professional Development, an action research based professional development programme for teachers, was established. While it operated successfully for several years, it was not a research capacity-building programme per se.

² A total of AUD $5.4 m (£3.5 m) for three years from mid-2011.

³ AUD $20 K (£13 K) typically used for an annual residential writing retreat, one of the very few opportunities for all early childhood researchers to meet face-to-face each year; skills development; in situ mentoring at academic conferences through symposia presentations and shared group accommodation; inter-campus travel; hosting short visits by key international researchers; and travel by senior researchers to meet with policy makers and other potential funding bodies.

⁴ The Rudd Government was facing growing scepticism about its capacity to deliver its reform agenda.

⁵ A national non-profit organisation that aims to contribute to the well-being of children and youth by building collaborations with researchers, policy makers and practitioners from a broad range of disciplines. Its ‘grass root’ research networks scheme has no connection to the multi-million dollar Collaborative Research Network scheme.