Sandra is part of the Child Development and Learning research group. Her main research interests are the quality of early education and its effects on child development, early language development and professional development.
She began her career as a primary school teacher, and her work remains strongly practice and policy-focused. In addition to her research, Sandra is a Trustee of the charity Early Education and a regular adviser to local and national policy-makers. For example, she recently served as a member of the Department for Education Expert Panel on early years language, literacy and communication apps (2019) and on the proposed revisions to the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum (2017-18).
Current research projects
- Murphy, V. with Mathers, Nag & Hodgkiss. Investigating the home language environment for disadvantaged UK families speaking EAL (John Fell Fund, £55,199, 2021-22)
- Dockrell, J., Law, J. and Mathers, S. Empowering Staff to enhance oral language in the early years (Nuffield Foundation, £357,257, 2019-20)
- Miner, S., Black Country Consortium Members, Mathers, S., Williams, C. Ryders Hayes School – Strategic School Improvement Fund Round 3 Project (Language First) (£745,517, 2018-20)
- Curtis, L., Mathers, S. & Williams, C.Everton. Nursery School and Family Centre – Strategic School Improvement Fund (SSIF) Round 3 Project (Language Leaders) (£498,634, 2018-20)
- Murphy, V., Mathers, S. & Eynon, R. Learning for Families Through Technology (LiFT) (Ferrero, £500,000, 2017-20)
Previous research projects
- Barlow, J., Lindsay, G., Sylva, K., Mathers, S., Solomon, E., Summerbell, C., Glover, V. and Bick, D. Fulfilling Lives: A Better Start Evaluation (BIG Lottery Fund, £5.5m, 2013-2019)
- Mathers, S., Siraj., I., Evangelou, M. and Williams, C. Using Research Tools to Improve Language in the Early Years (Intervention Study) (Education Endowment Foundation, £907,544, 2015-19)
- Mathers, S. and Sylva, K. Evaluation of the Oxfordshire Leaders of Early Learning Programme (Oxfordshire County Council, £51,102, 2015-19)
- Mathers, S. & Broome., E. Starting Out Right: Early education and looked after children (Nuffield Foundation, £44,483, 2015-16)
- Sylva, K., Mathers, S. & Eisenstadt, N. Sound Foundations: What do we know about quality for under-threes and what are the implications for policy? (Sutton Trust, £30,869, 2013)
- Mathers, S. Quality and Inequality: Do Children from Deprived Areas Experience Lower Quality Preschool Provision? (Nuffield Foundation, £32,723, 2012-14)
- Mathers, S., and Singler, R. Improving Quality in the Early Years: University of Oxford, Daycare Trust and A+ Education Ltd (Nuffield Foundation, £79,672, 2011-12)
- Mathers, S. and Sylva, K., Evaluation of the Graduate Leader Fund (Quality study) (Sub-grant to main DfE grant held by the National Centre for Social Research. Sub-grant: £766,000; main grant: £1,244,794 to all partners)
Research
Book chapters
MATHERS, S. (2019). Early education as an intervention for children in care. In P. McNamara, C. Montserrat, & S. Wise (Eds.), Early Education in Out-of-Home Care: International Perspectives on Policy, Practice and Research. Springer International Publishing.
Mathers, S., & Ereky-Stevens, K. (2017). Quality of Early Childhood Education and Care for Children under Three: Sound Foundations. In L. Miller, C. Cameron, C. Dalli, & N. Barbour (Eds.), SAGE Handbook of Early Childhood Policy. SAGE Publications.
Mathers, S., Roberts, F., & Sylva, K. (2013). Quality in Early Childhood Education. In G. Pugh & B. Duffy (Eds.), Contemporary Issues in the Early Years. SAGE Publications Limited.
Mathers, S., Roberts, F., & Sylva, K. (2013). Quality in early childhood education. In G. Pugh & B. Duffy (Eds.), Contemporary Issues in the Early Years (pp. 55-72). Sage Publications.
Roberts, F., Mathers, S., Joshi, H., Sylva, K., & Jones, E. (2010). Childcare in the pre-school years. In Children of the 21st Century: The First Five Years (pp. 131-152).
Journal articles
Kupiec, K., Malmberg, L.-E., & Mathers, S. (2022). The effectiveness of museum intervention on parent-child conversations: a meta-analysis. Visitor Studies, 26(1), 82-101.
Mathers, S. (2022). Considerations when using rating scales to support teacher professional development: a commentary on Weadman, Serry and Snow (2022). First Language, 42(4), 588-591.
Dockrell, J., Forrest, C., Law, J., Mathers, S., & Charlton, J. (2022). Screening for language difficulties in disadvantaged populations on entry to early years education: challenges and opportunities. Frontiers in Pediatrics, 10.
Mathers, S., & Siraj, I. (2021). Researching pre-school teachers’ knowledge of oral language pedagogy using video. Frontiers in Education, 6.
Booton, S., Wonnacott, E., Hodgkiss, A., Mathers, S., & Murphy, V. (2021). Children’s knowledge of multiple word meanings: which factors count and for whom?. Applied Linguistics, 43(2), 293-315.
Booton, S., Hodgkiss, A., Mathers, S., & Murphy, V. (2021). Measuring knowledge of multiple word meanings in children with English as a first and an additional language, and the relationship to reading comprehension. Journal of Child Language, 49(1), 164-196.
Mathers, S. (2020). Using video to assess preschool teachers’ pedagogical knowledge: explicit and higher-order knowledge predicts quality. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 55, 64-78.
MATHERS, S. (2020). What are the features of effective professional learning?. Early Education Journal.
Mathers, S., & Tracz, R. (2018). Early education as an intervention for children looked after. International Journal of Birth and Parent Education, 5(2), 7-10.
Barlow, J., Beake, S., Bick, D., Bryson, C., Day, L., Gilby, N., Glover, V., Knibbs, S., Leyland, A., Lindsay, G., Mathers, S., McKenna, K., Petrou, S., Purdon, S., Sylva, K., Summerbell, C., Tudor, F., Wheeler, A., & Woolgar, V. (2017). Initial protocol for a national evaluation of an area-based intervention programme (A Better Start) on early-life outcomes: a longitudinal cohort study with comparison (control) cohort samples. BMJ Open, 7(8).
Sammons, P., Sylva, K., Hall, J., Siraj, I., Melhuish, E., Taggart, B., & Mathers, S. (2017). Establishing the effects of quality in early childhood: comparing evidence from England. Early Education.
Mathers, S., Sylva, K., Eisenstadt, N., Soukakou, E., & Ereky-Stevens, K. (2014). Supporting early learning for children under three: Research and practice. Journal of Children’s Services, 9(2), 177-187.
MATHERS, S., & Smees, R. (2014). Quality and Inequality in Early Years Provision. Early Education Journal.
Mathers, S., Linskey, F., Seddon, J., & Sylva, K. (2007). Using quality rating scales for professional development: Experiences from the UK. International Journal of Early Years Education, 15(3), 261-274.
Mathers, S. (n.d.). Comparing parent-child interaction during wordless book reading, print book reading and imaginative play. Journal of Child Language.
Dobinson, K., MATHERS, S., Forrest, C., Charlton, J., & Dockrell, J. (n.d.). The quality of universal language supporting provision in maintained nursery classrooms in economically disadvantaged areas of England: identifying strengths and areas for development. Child Language Teaching and Therapy.
Reports
Nunes, T., Barros, R., Evangelou, M., STRAND, S., MATHERS, S., & SANDERS-ELLIS, D. (2018). 1st Class @ Number Evaluation Report. Education Endowment Foundation.
Mathers, S., Hardy, G., Clancy, G., Dixon, J., & Harding, C. (2016). Starting out right: early education and looked after children. In Starting out right : early education and looked after children. University of Oxford/Family and Childcare Trust.
Mathers, S., & Smees, R. (2014). Quality and Inequality : do three-and four-year-olds in deprived areas experience lower quality early years provision. Nuffield Foundation.
Mathers, S., Eisenstadt, N., Sylva, K., Soukakou, E., & Ereky-Stevens, K. (2014). Sound Foundations: A review of the research evidence on quality for early childhood education and care for children under three. Implications for policy and practice.
Mathers, S., Linskey, F., Woodcock, J., & Williams, C. (2012). Mapping the Family Child Care Environment Rating Scale to the EYFS 2012. ECERS.
Mathers, S., Linskey, F., Woodcock, J., & Williams, C. (2012). Mapping the Infant Toddler Environment Rating Scale to the EYFS 2012. ECERS.
Mathers, S., Linskey, F., Woodcock, J., & Williams, C. (2012). Mapping the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale to the EYFS 2012. ECERS.
Mathers, S., Singler, R., & Karemaker, A. (2012). Improving Quality in the Early Years: a comparison of perspectives and measures. University of Oxford, Daycare Trust and A+ Education.
Karemaker, A., Mathers, S., Hall, J., Sylva, K., & Clemens, S. (2011). Evaluation of the Graduate Leader Fund: factors relating to quality: findings from the baseline study
. In Graduate Leader Fund: evaluation. Department for Education.
Mathers, S., Ranns, H., Karemaker, A., Moody, A., Sylva, K., Graham, J., & Siraj-Blatchford, I. (2011). National Evaluation of the Graduate Leader Fund: Technical Report. DfE.
Mathers, S., Ranns, H., Karemaker, A., Moody, A., Sylva, K., Graham, J., & Siraj-Blatchford, I. (2011). National Evaluation of the Graduate Leader Fund: Impact Study Final Report. DfE.
Mathers, S., Linskey, F., & Nelson, A. (2009). ECERS-EYFS map.
Mathers, S., & Linskey, F. (2009). UK addendum to the ECERS-R.
Smith, R., Purdon, S., Mathers, S., Sylva, K., Schneider, V., La Valle, I., Wollny, I., Owen, R., Bryson, C., & Lloyd, E. (2009). Early Education Pilot for Two Year Old Children Evaluation. DCSF Publications.
Mathers, S., Sylva, K., & Joshi, H. (2007). Quality of Childcare Settings in the Millennium Cohort Study. DfES.
Mathers, S., & Sylva, K. (2007). National Evaluation of the Neighbourhood Nurseries Initiative: The Relationship Between Quality and Children’s Behavioural Development. DfES.
