Child Development and Learning

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The Child Development and Learning (CDL) group develops and drives cutting-edge research in: children’s language, literacy and mathematics learning with a focus on both typical and atypical development; the quality of provision and curriculum; parents’ engagement with their children and the professional development of staff.

About

CDL’s innovative and influential research is recognised worldwide as outstanding for its theoretical advances, methodological rigour and applications to early years, primary and secondary education. Some of our work synthesises cross-linguistic and cross-cultural trends in the study of children’s learning and is redefining traditional conceptualisations about education and the developing child. Our research has had impact on educational policies in the UK and other high-, middle-and low-income countries. Our research group’s work may be explored within four broad themes. Below you can also explore our publications and seminars linked to these themes.

This group is convened by Sonali Nag.

Theme 1: Learning and development

We focus on ways in which within-child factors and contextual factors shape learning and development. We are interested in gathering descriptive, correlational and causal evidence. Our programme of research spans: Language, Communication and Literacy, Executive Functions, Mathematical Reasoning and Cognitive Development, and Social Emotional Learning, Motivation, Engagement and Wellbeing.

Theme 2: Measurement, assessment and research infrastructure

We disseminate best practice on methodology especially for surveys, corpus-, video- and conversation analysis, micro- and longer-scale longitudinal studies, case studies, and RCTs, and in designing, implementing and evaluating interventions. Our research includes: Tool Development, Innovations in Measurement and Assessment, and Development of Research Infrastructure.

Theme 3: Learning environments

We apply state-of-the-art quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods research to examine the supporting and not-so-supporting role played by the settings where children learn. We are interested in what makes children thrive and flourish and what slows down learning and development. Our research includes: Home Learning Environments, Classroom Climate and School Climate, and Informal Learning Environments and Third Places.

Theme 4: Systems, policy and the question of impact

We are firmly committed to social justice and the promotion of wellbeing and potential realisation for all children. Our research bridges the gap between theory and practice because it is focused on questions of wellbeing and achievement that matter to policymakers, teachers, families and children. Our systems level work has focused on: Workforce Preparation, Continuous Professional Development, Local, Regional and National Evaluations of Interventions, and Reflections on Policies that Impact the Developing Child.

Selected Publications

Language, communication and literacy

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Executive functions, mathematical reasoning and cognitive development

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Social emotional learning, motivation, engagement and wellbeing

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Measurement, assessment and research infrastructure

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Home, class, school and informal learning environments

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Systems, policy and the question of impact

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Seminars

Language, communication and literacy

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Self regulation, mathematical reasoning and cognitive development

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Social emotional learning, motivation, engagement and wellbeing

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Measurement, assessment and research infrastructure

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Home, class, school and informal learning environments

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Systems, policy and the question of impact

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Study with Us

Taught courses

Examples of current DPhil projects

Abdul Karim Ismail: Quantitative Assessment of Student Psychological States using Physiological Measurement Devices
Haoran Luo: Exploring Mathematics Pedagogical Interactions in Chinese Kindergartens: A Conversation Analytic Approach
Henry Tsz Fung Lo: Fluctuation and association between affective, contextual, and cognitive construct in real-world classrooms: Multilevel Dynamic structural equation analysis of Ambulatory Assessment Data
Olivia Lutwak: A Mixed Methods Analysis of Increased School Safety Procedures on Students’ Self-Perceptions and Academic Outcomes
Siyu Ma: Siblingship, Home Environment, and Child Development across SES groups: A Study of Second-born Children under the Chinese Two-child Policy
Rahel Warnatsch: The Preschool Home Learning Environment in Families Living with Disadvantages: Parents’ Perspectives on Resources and Challenges
Zhen Zheng: The role of oral form, written form, and meaning in Chinese children’s learning of English vocabulary

Examples of completed DPhil projects

Dominik Bulla: Achievement emotions in Rwanda: an intensive longitudinal study of predictors and correlates of emotions amongst primary students in Rwanda
Lauren Burton:The spelling of a word does not always parallel with the way it sounds: the importance of teaching children morphological spelling rules
Yu Chan:Cross-linguistic transfer of phonological awareness in Chinese children receiving English instruction: an intervention study
Kyle Davison: Academic peer help-seeking and help-giving at Key Stage 2
Rachel Gardner:Efficacy of a whole class early oral language intervention; impact on language, literacy and educational outcomes
Haoran Liu:A comparative study of primary school teachers’ identities in state school and private schools in China
Tiarnach McDermott:An investigation of learning transfer and motivation to transfer from virtual environments in preschool children, and the effects of feedback on these learning characteristics
Bai Li: Learning to Read the Complex Manchu Writing System: A Mixed Methods Study of Novice Learners in a Chinese University
Anushay Mazhar: Pakistani Children’s Social-Emotional Skills: Associations to Early Childhood Education Classroom Quality and Academic Skills
Aneyn O’Grady: Capturing the Interconnected and Interpersonal Nature of Emotion Concepts: Implications for Social-Emotional Learning

Impact

Research conducted by this group on the ‘Reasoning First’ programmes have been taken up by more schools in the last year and continue to have an impact through the National Centre for Excellence in Mathematics Teaching (NCETM). The NCETM was a partner for one of the group’s previous EEF grants to assess the effectiveness of the programme Mathematical Reasoning in Year 2; 160 schools participated in this project and used the programme. The NCETM is now using it as a preparation for their Mastery Teaching in Mathematics. This approach is being tested in 50 schools.

Some of our research aims to understand how deaf children learn to read and write and learn mathematics in primary school.

Members of our group work in partnership with Oxfordshire County Council to support Early Years staff in improving practice in their own centres along with practice in nearby settings. The programme centres on the use of observations to improve practice, including the use of the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-E (ECERS-E) and the Sustained Shared Thinking and Emotional Well-being Scale (SSTEW).

Research on early childhood education has helped shape policy and practice in the UK and beyond. Major longitudinal studies – Effective Preschool, Primary and Secondary Education Study (EPPSE) 1997-2016) and its follow up Study of Early Education and Development (SEED) – demonstrated the long-term benefits of early education, identified effective pedagogy, and illustrated the power of the home learning environment. Evidence generated has helped shape government initiatives such as the provision of free early childhood education to millions of 2-4 year olds. This has fed into the Department of Education initiative, ‘Hungry Little Minds’ – a suite of freely downloadable resources for parents to stimulate their child’s cognitive and linguistic development at home. Internationally, governments and early education providers in Australia, Hong Kong, Norway and Japan have used the tools and findings from the research to improve the early education provision of tens of thousands of children.