Four academics from the Department of Early and Primary Education within the Faculty of Education presented three collaborative
research papers at the Conference of Childhood, Education and Society held in Istanbul between 27 and 29 June 2024.
This international conference was convened by Prof Mehmet Toran and hosted by Istanbul Kültür University, Turkey. The overarching theme of the conference was Cha(lle)nging Childhoods: Reimagine Childhood in Uncertainty and Inequity.
- Dr Josephine Deguara, Dr Josephine Milton and Dr Charmaine Bonello presented the paper titled ‘Navigating educational inequalities beyond the pandemic: Parents’ perspectives on ensuring a more equitable education for children’
- Dr Rosienne Camilleri and Dr Tania Muscat were not present at the conference, however they contributed to this research project as part of the ECPE Research Group
- Dr Shirley Ann Gauci (from MCAST) and Dr Josephine Deguara presented the paper, 'Exploring educators' perspectives and positions of children in their understanding of an emergent curriculum: children's agency in pedagogical decision-making'. Dr Liz Chesworth (University of Sheffield) contributed to the study but did not attend the conference
- Dr Charmaine Bonello and Dr Anna Baldacchino presented a collaborative paper titled ‘The emergent curriculum in 21st-century early years contexts: A systematic literature review’. This research was conducted in collaboration with Prof. Carmen Dalli (Victoria University of Wellington) and Ms Nathalie Lombardi Calleja as foundational work for the upcoming Routledge book publication, ‘An Emergent Curriculum for the Early Years in Malta: Stories of Professional and Pedagogical Transformation’ (Bonello, Baldacchino & Dalli, 2024).
The Conference of Childhood, Education and Society brought together participants from 31 countries. This international dimension offered enriching presentations for sharing research and ideas leading to valuable discussions that contributed to the various insights and understandings of early childhood education and care from multiple perspectives.