International Research: Australia

In this week's post I was given the opportunity to explore early childhood research internationally. I chose to find out more about Autstralia's efforts in the field. To guide my search I focused on these guiding questions:

• What are some of the current international research topics?
• What surprising facts/insights/new ideas about early childhood did you gain from exploring this international early childhood website?
• What other noteworthy information did you find on this website?

 In Australia some of the current research topics are how to teach children sustainability practices, how to teach children positive behavior and the importance of play and the quality of play.I was very intrigued by the work being done to integrate a strong understanding of the importance of our environment and how to sustain it. I have a friend who is currently working on a masters in Australia in the field of environment protection and sustainability. Through his experiences I have learned more about the general perspective of Australians regarding the environment and the research that is being done. So, I was pleased to learn that the influence is trickling down to the children, educating them so that as they grow up sustainability practices are the norm rather than a hassle. I certainly believe the U.S. should adopt similar practices.While visiting the website I learned that the organization produces a publication that explains and summarizes recent research findings in language that is clear and free of jargon for any child care providers to read including parents and professionals. I often find that many of the latest findings in our  field remain within the field rather than being shared with the general public so that they may also make use of the new knowledge in their daily practices with children. I am pleased to see that there is a forum for new research to be shared with the general public.