Professor Maria Tsitiridou Evangelou is an internationally respected leader in the field of early childhood interventions and their design and evaluations, specialising in children’s language and literacy development and parenting.

She was elected as a Professor of Early Childhood Interventions in the Department of Early Childhood Education and Care at the International Hellenic University in February 2022. She is also an Honorary Research Fellow at our Department, where she worked from 2000 until 2018. She co-supervises two doctoral students at the OUDE.

Her research interests address curriculum development; educational effectiveness; quality of early childhood environments; and the role of evidence-informed practices in education. Her methodological expertise covers longitudinal studies; evaluations; trials, quasi-experimental designs; mixed methods and systematic reviews. She has led many large grants evaluating local, national and international parenting programmes including the Early Learning Partnership Project (ELPP).

She was one of the Principal Investigators of the Evaluation of Children’s Centres in England, leading the parenting strand funded by the Department for Education (DfE).  Since 2008 she has been involved in a number of projects that address professional development and work with practitioners. They have focused on the professional development of early-years teachers and professionals in inclusive early childhood environments or in supporting children’s language and literacy development. In 2017 she led the parenting strand of the ISOTIS project funded by Horizon 2020.

Publications

  • Sammons, P., Sylva, K., Hall, J., Evangelou, M., & Smees, R. (2022). Challenges facing interventions to promote equity in the early years: exploring the ‘impact’, legacy and lessons learned from a national evaluation of Children’s Centres in England. Oxford Review of Education, 1-22.
  • Gregoriadis, A., & Evangelou, M. (2022). Revisiting the Home Learning Environment: Introducing the Home Learning Ecosystem. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, 18369391221099370.
  • Krousorati, K., Gregoriadis, A., Tsigilis, N., Grammatikopoulos, V., & Evangelou, (2022). Introducing the Home Learning Environment Questionnaire and examining the profiles of home learning environments in Greece. In Frontiers in Education(p. 731). Frontiers.
  • McLean, K., Lake, G., Wild, M., Licandro, U., & Evangelou, M. (in press). Perspectives of play and play-based learning: What do adults think play is? Australasian Journal of Early Childhood.
  • McLean, K., Edwards, S., Katiba, T., Bartlett, J., Evangelou, M., Henderson, M., Nolan, A., & Skouteris, H. (under review).  Beneficial outcomes and features of playgroup participation for children and adult caregivers: A systematic review of the literature. Educational Research Review
  • Τουλουμάκου, Α., Αδαμοπούλου, Ε., Τσιτιρίδου Ευαγγέλου, Μ. (in press). Αντίξοες εμπειρίες κατά την παιδική ηλικία: Προεκτάσεις για ένα ευαισθητοποιημένο σχολείο στις ψυχοκοινωνικές και μαθησιακές ανάγκες των μαθητών Ψυχολογία
  • Gkolia, A., Tsigilis, N., Evangelou, M., & Koustelios, A. (2022). Factorial Validity and Measurement Invariance of the Principal Leadership Questionnaire in Greek Educational Context. Psychological Reports125(4), 2292-2311.
  • Hall, J., Sylva, K., Sammons, P., Smees, R., Evangelou, M., Smith, T., & Goff, J. (2021). Investigating the reliability and validity of the Toddler Home Learning Environment (THLE) scale. In Frontiers in Education(p. 222). Frontiers.
  • Burton, L., Nunes, T., & Evangelou, M. (2021). Do children use logic to spell logician? Implicit versus explicit teaching of morphological spelling rules. British Journal of Educational Psychology91(4), 1231-1248.
  • Simone Lehrl, Maria Evangelou & Pam Sammons. (Eds.). (2020). The home learning environment and its role in shaping children’s educational development, School Effectiveness and School Improvement, 31:1, 1-6, doi: 1080/09243453.2020.1693487. [Impact factor: 1.504]
  • Baron, A., Malmberg, L.E., Evangelou, M., Nesbitt, K., & Farran, D. (2020). The play’s the thing: Analyzing the associations between make-believe play and self-regulation in the Tools of the Mind early childhood curriculum. Early Education and Development. 31:1, 66-83, doi: 10.1080/10409289.2019.1613327. [Impact factor: 1.367]
  • Lake, G. & Evangelou, M. (2019). Let’s Talk! An interactive intervention to support children’s language development. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 27(2),221-240, doi: 1080/1350293X.2019.1579549. [Impact factor: 1.075]
  • García-Carmona, M., Evangelou, M. & Fuentes-Mayorga, N. (2019). ‘Hard-to-reach’ parents: immigrant families’ participation in schools and the views of parent association leaders in Spain and the United States. Research Papers in Education, 1470-1146 (Online) doi: 1080/02671522.2019.1568532 [Impact factor: 2.062]
  • Hall, J., Sammons, P., Smees, R., Sylva, K., Evangelou, M., Goff, J., Smith, T. & Smith, G. (2019). Relationships between families’ use of Sure Start Children’s Centres, changes in home learning environments, and preschool behavioural disorders. Oxford Review of Education, 45(3), 367-389, doi: 1080/03054985.2018.1551195. [Impact factor: 1.421]
  • Soukakou, E., Evangelou, M. & Holbrooke, B. (2018). Inclusive Classroom Profile: a pilot study of its use as a professional development tool. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 22(10),1124-1135, doi: 1080/13603116.2017.1416188. [Impact factor: 1.480]
  • Wang, J., Evangelou, M., & Xu, S. (2018). The effect of the audience on the spoken narrative of Chinese children. Narrative Inquiry, 28(2), 301-329, doi: https://doi.org/10.1075/ni.17011.wan.
  • Talaee, E., Sylva, K., Evangelou, M., & Norouzi, O. (2018). Longitudinal impacts of home computer use on primary school children’s Reading and Mathematics Achievement, International Electronic Journal of Elementary Education, 11(2), doi: 10.26822/iejee.2019248586.
  • McLean, K., Edwards, S., Evangelou, M., & Lambert, P. (2017). Supported Playgroups in Schools: Bonding and bridging family knowledge about transition to formal schooling. Cambridge Journal of Education, 15(3), 227-237, doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/0305764X.2016.1268569. [Impact factor: 2.070]
  • Baron, A., Evangelou, M., Malmberg, L. E., & Melendez-Torres, G. J. (2016). Protocol for a Systematic Review: The Tools of the Mind Curriculum for Improving Self-Regulation in Early Childhood: A Systematic Review, The Campbell Collaboration, 1-28, doi: 4073/csr.2017.10.
  • Hall, J., Sammons, P., Sylva, K., Evangelou, M., Eisenstadt, N., Smith, T., & Smith, G. (2016). Disadvantaged families are at greatest risk from austerity cuts to children’s centres. British Medical Journal BMJ, 352, i897, doi: 1136/bmj.i897. [Impact factor: 20.785]
  • Evangelou, M. (2015). International perspectives on transition to school: reconceptualizing beliefs, policy and practice. British Journal of Educational Studies, 63(1), 114-115, doi: 10.1080/00071005.2015.1006966. [Impact factor: 1.716]
  • McLean, K., Edwards, S., Evangelou, M., Skouteris, H., Harrison, L.J., Hemphill, S.A., Sullivan, P., & Lambert, P. (2015). Playgroups as sites for parental education. Journal of Early Childhood Research, 13(3), doi: 10.1177/1476718X15595753.
  • Hall, J., Eisenstadt, N., Sylva, K., Smith, T., Sammons, P., Smith, G., Evangelou, M., Goff, J., Tanner, E., Agur, M, and Hussey, D. (2015). A review of the services offered by English Sure Start Children’s Centres in 2011 and 2012, Oxford Review of Education, 41(1), 89-104, doi: 10.1080/03054985.2014.1001731. [Impact factor: 0.927]
  • Goff, J., Evangelou, M., and Sylva, K. (2012). Enhancing parents’ ways of supporting their children’s early learning through participation in an early-intervention project in the UK: The Early Learning Partnership Project, ZEITSCHRIFT FUR FAMILIENFORSCHUNG, 24(2), 160-177.
  • Evangelou, M., Coxon, K., Sylva, K., Smith, S. & Chan, L.S. (2013). Seeking to Engage ‘Hard-to-Reach’ Families: Towards a Transferable Model of Intervention, Children and Society, 27(2), 127-138, doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1099-0860.2011.00387.
  • Boag-Munroe, G. and Evangelou, M. (2010). From Hard to Reach to How to Reach: A Systematic Review of the Literature on Hard to Reach Families. Research Papers in Education. 27(2), 209-239, doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/02671522.2010.509515.
  • Evangelou, M. (2010). Book review: Supporting Language and Literacy Development in the Early Years MARIAN WHITEHEAD Early Years, 22(1), 69-70.
  • Evangelou, M. and Boag-Munroe, G. (2009). A Systematic Review of the Literature on how ‘hard-to-reach’ families might be engaged to reduce social exclusion. British Educational Research Association (BERA), Research Intelligence, (108), 22-23.
  • Evangelou, M., Brooks, G. and Smith, S. (2007). ‘The Birth to School Study: evidence on the effectiveness of PEEP, an early intervention for children at risk of educational under-achievement’. Oxford Review of Education, 33(5), 581-609, doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/03054980701476477.
  • Evangelou, M. and Sylva, K. (2007). Evidence on Effective Early Childhood Interventions from the United Kingdom: An Evaluation of the Peers Early Education Partnership (PEEP). Early Childhood Research and Practice, 9(1), 1-19.
  • Evangelou, M. (2004). PEEP: Supporting Parents as First Educators, Literacy Today, 38, 15.
  • Evangelou, M. and Scollo, P. (2004). Book review: Studying Teachers in Early childhood Settings. Saracho, O.N, & Spodek, B. (Eds.). British Journal of Educational Studies, 52(3), 330-332.
  • Nunes, T., Malmberg, L.E., Evans, D., Sanders-Ellis, D., Baker, S., Barros, R., Bryant, P., Evangelou, M. (2019). Onebillion Evaluation Report and Executive Summary, London: Education Endowment Foundation. https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/public/files/Projects/Evaluation_Reports/onebillion.pdf
  • Nunes, T., Barros, R., Evangelou, M., Strand, S., Mathers, S., Sanders-Ellis, D. (2018). 1stClass@Number Evaluation Report and Executive Summary, London: Education Endowment Foundation. https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/public/files/1stClass@Number_evaluation_report.pdf
  • Cadima, J., Nata, G., Evangelou, , Anders, Y. (Eds.). (2017). Inventory and Analysis of Promising and Evidence-based Parent- and Family Focused Support Programs Document Identifier D3.2 Report on inventory and analysis of good practices in family support programs, ISOTIS: HORIZON 2020. http://archive.isotis.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/ISOTIS_D3.2-Inventory-and-Analysis-of-Promising-and-Evidence-based-Parent-and-Family-Focused-Support-Programs.pdf
  • Anders, Y., Cadima, J. Evangelou, M., Nata, G. (2017). Parent and family focused support to increase educational equality CENTRAL ASSUMPTIONS AND CORE CONCEPTS: 1 Report on literature review WP3, ISOTIS: HORIZON 2020. http://archive.isotis.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/ISOTIS_D3.1-Parent-and-family-focused-support-to-increase-educational-equality_CENTRAL-ASSUMPTIONS-AND-CORE-CONCEPTS.pdf
  • Sammons, P. Hall, J. Smees, R. Goff, J with Sylva, K. Smith, T. Evangelou, M. Eisenstadt, N. Smith, G. (2015). Evaluation of Children’s Centres in England (ECCE). Strand 4: The Impact of Children’s Centres: Studying the Effects of Children’s Centres in Promoting Better Outcomes for Young Children and their Families, Research Report, DFE-. London: DfE-RR495. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/485346/DFE-RR495_Evaluation_of_children_s_centres_in_England__the_impact_of_children_s_centres.pdf
  • Sammons, P. Hall, J. Smees, R. Goff, J with Sylva, K. Smith, T. Evangelou, M. Eisenstadt, N. Smith, G. (2015). Evaluation of Children’s Centres in England (ECCE). Strand 4: The Impact of Children’s Centres: Studying the Effects of Children’s Centres in Promoting Better Outcomes for Young Children and their Families, Research Brief, London: DfE-RB495. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/485347/DFE-RB495_Evaluation_of_children_s_centres_in_England__the_impact_of_children_s_centres_brief.pdf
  • Sammons, P. Smees, R. Hall, J. Goff, J with Sylva, K. Smith, T. Evangelou, M. Eisenstadt, N. Smith, G. (2016). Evaluation of Children’s Centres in England (ECCE). Strand 4: Changes in Resourcing and Characteristics of Children’s Centres, Additional Research Report, London: DfE-RR494. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/485362/DFE-RR494_Children_s_centres_changes_in_resourcing_and_characteristics.pdf
  • Sylva, K, Goff, J., Eisenstadt, N, Smith, T, Hall, J, Evangelou, M., Smith, G, Sammons, P. (2015). Evaluation of Children’s Centres in England (ECCE, Strand 3): Organisation, Services and Reach of Children’s Centres, Research Report, London: DfE-RR433A. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/433853/RR433A_-_Organisation_Services_and_Reach_of_Childrens_Centres_.pdf
  • Sylva, K, Goff, J., Eisenstadt, N, Smith, T, Hall, J, Evangelou, M., Smith, G, Sammons, P. (2015). Evaluation of Children’s Centres in England (ECCE, Strand 3): Organisation, Services and Reach of Children’s Centres, Research Brief, London: DfE-RB433. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/433854/RB433_-_Organisation_Services_and_Reach_of_Childrens_Centres_.pdf
  • Sylva, , Goff, J., Eisenstadt, N., Smith, T., Hall, J., Evangelou, M., Smith, G. and Sammons, P. (2015). Evaluation of Children’s Centres in England (ECCE, Strand 3): Organisation, Services and Reach of Children’s Centres, Technical Appendices, London: DfE-RR433B. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/433855/RR433B_-_Organisation_Services_and_Reach_of_Childrens_Centres_Techbical_appendices.pdf
  • Evangelou, M., Goff, J., Hall, J., Sylva, K., Eisenstadt, N., Paget, C., Davis, S., Sammons, P., Smith, T., Tracz, R., and Parkin, T. (2014). Evaluation of Children’s Centres in England (ECCE) Strand 3: Parenting Services in Children’s Centres, Research Report, London: DfE-RR368. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/330276/Final_draft_-_ECCE_Strand_3_Parenting_Services_Study_Report_FINAL.pdf
  • Evangelou, M Goff, J., Hall, J., Sylva, K., Eisenstadt, N., Paget, C., Davis, S., Sammons, P., Smith, T., Tracz, R., and Parkin, T (2014). Evaluation of Children’s Centres in England (ECCE) Strand 3: Parenting Services in Children’s Centres Research Brief. London: DfE-RB368. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/330284/Final_Draft_-_ECCE_Strand_3_Parenting_Services_Study_Research_Brief_FINAL.pdf
  • Goff, J., Hall, J., Sylva, K., Smith, T., Smith, G., Eisenstadt, N., Sammons, P., Evangelou, M., Smees, R. Chu, K. (2013). Evaluation of Children’s Centres in England (ECCE) –Strand 3: Delivery of Family Services by Children’s Centres, Research Report, London: DfE-RR297. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/224096/DFE-RRpdf
  • Goff, J., Hall, J., Sylva, K., Smith, T., Smith, G., Eisenstadt, N., Sammons, P., Evangelou, M., Smees, R. Chu, K. (2013). Evaluation of Children’s Centres in England (ECCE)Strand 3: Delivery of Family Services by Children’s Centres, Research Brief, London: DfE-RB297. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/224045/DFE-RBpdf
  • Maisey, R., Speight, S. and Haywood, S. with Hall, J., Sammons, P., Hussey, D., Goff, J., Evangelou, M., Sylva, K. (2013). Evaluation of Children’s Centres in England (ECCE) – Strand 2: Baseline Survey of Families Using Children’s Centres in the Most Disadvantaged Areas, Research Report, London: DfE-RR260. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/191007/DFE-RRpdf
  • Maisey, R., Speight, S. and Haywood, S. with Hall, J., Sammons, P., Hussey, D., Goff, J., Evangelou, M., Sylva, K. (2013). Evaluation of Children’s Centres in England (ECCE) – Strand 2: Baseline Survey of Families Using Children’s Centres in the Most Disadvantaged Areas Research Brief, London: DfE-RB260. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/221777/DFE-RBpdf
  • Edwards, A. & Evangelou, M. (2013). Developing Preventative Services in Oxfordshire, Research Report, Oxford: Department of Education.
  • Tanner, E., Agur, M., Hussey D., Hall, J. with Sammons, P., Sylva, K., Smith, T., Evangelou, M., Flint, A. (2012). Evaluation of Children’s Centres in England (ECCE) – Strand 1: First Survey of Children’s Centre Leaders in the Most Deprived Areas, Research Report, London: DfE-RR230. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/184027/DFE-RRpdf
  • Tanner, E., Agur, M., Hussey D. and Hall, J. with Sammons, P., Sylva, K., Smith, T., Evangelou, M., Flint, A. (2012). Evaluation of Children’s Centres in England (ECCE) – Strand 1: First Survey of Children’s Centre Leaders in the Most Deprived Areas. London: Research Brief, London: DfE-RB230. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/194722/DFE-RB230__Brief.pdf
  • Evangelou, M., Sylva, K., Wild, M., Glenny, G., Kyriacou, M. (2009). Early Years Learning and Development Literature Review, Research Report, Nottingham: DCSF-RR176. https://dera.ioe.ac.uk/11382/2/DCSF-RR176.pdf
  • Boag-Munroe, G. & Evangelou, M. (2009). From Hard to Reach to How to Reach: A Systematic Review of the Literature, Research Report, London: British Educational Research Association (BERA).
  • Evangelou, M., Taggart, B., Sylva, K., Melhuish, E., Sammons, P. and Siraj-Blatchford, I. (2008). Effective Pre-school, Primary and Secondary Education 3-14 Project (EPPSE 3-14): What Makes a Successful Transition from Primary to Secondary School? Research Report, Nottingham: DCSF-RR019. https://dera.ioe.ac.uk/8618/1/DCSF-RR019.pdf
  • Evangelou, M., Taggart, B., Sylva, K., Melhuish, E., Sammons, P. and Siraj-Blatchford, I. (2008). Effective Pre-school, Primary and Secondary Education 3-14 Project (EPPSE 3-14): What Makes a Successful Transition from Primary to Secondary School? Research Brief, Nottingham: DCSF-RB019 https://dera.ioe.ac.uk/8618/7/DCSF-RB019.pdf
  • Evangelou, M., Sylva, K., Edwards, A., Smith, T. (2008). Supporting Parents in Promoting Early Learning: The Evaluation of the Early Learning Partnership Project, Research Report, Nottingham: DCSF-RR039. https://www.researchconnections.org/childcare/resources/14905
  • Evangelou, M., Sylva, K., Edwards, A., Smith, T. (2008). Supporting Parents in Promoting Early Learning: The Evaluation of the Early Learning Partnership Project, Research Brief, Nottingham: DCSF-RB039. https://www.researchconnections.org/childcare/resources/14906
  • Evangelou, M., Coxon, K., Sylva, K. (2008). Sutton Trust Evaluation Project (STEP): Phase 3 An Evaluation of PEEP Provision for “excluded” families: Room to Play, Research Report, Oxford: Department of Education.
  • Evangelou, M., Coxon, K. Sylva, K. (2008). Sutton Trust Evaluation Project (STEP): Phase 3 An Evaluation of PEEP Provision for “excluded” families: Room to Play, Research Brief, Oxford: Department of Education
  • Evangelou, M., Smith, S. Sylva, K. (2006). Evaluation of the Sutton Trust Shopping Centre Project Room to Play, Research Report, Oxford: Department of Education.
  • Evangelou, M., Brooks, G., Smith, S., Jennings, D. Roberts, F. (2005). The Birth to School Study: a longitudinal evaluation of the Peers Early Education Partnership (PEEP) 1998-2005, Research Report, London: DfES-SSU/2005/FR/017. https://www.researchconnections.org/childcare/resources/7213
  • Evangelou, M., Brooks, G., Smith, S., Jennings, D. Roberts, F. (2005). The Birth to School Study: a longitudinal evaluation of the Peers Early Education Partnership (PEEP) 1998-2005, Research Brief, London: DfES-SSU/2005/FR/017. https://www.researchconnections.org/childcare/resources/7214
  • Sylva, K., Evangelou, M., Taylor, R., Rothwell, A., Brooks, G. (2004). Enabling Parents: the role of PEEP in supporting parents as adult learners, Research Report, Oxford: Department of Education.
  • Evangelou, M., Sylva, K. (2003). The Effects of the Peers Early Educational Partnership (PEEP) on Children’s Developmental Progress, Research Report, London: DfES-RR489. https://www.researchconnections.org/childcare/resources/7223
  • Evangelou, M., Sylva, K. (2003). The Effects of the Peers Early Educational Partnership (PEEP) on Children’s Developmental Progress, Research Brief, London: DfES-RB489. https://www.researchconnections.org/childcare/resources/7378

Website

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