Profiles
Dr Karen Wickett
Lecturer in Early Childhood Studies
Plymouth Institute of Education - School of Society and Culture (Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business)
- Creativity
- Collaborations between the arts and cultural sector and Early Years settings
- Learning environments for children and adults
Email publicrelations@plymouth.ac.uk to enquire.
Biography
Biography
A committed, knowledgeable and capable Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) academic and practitioner; motivated by social justice and the belief that learning environments should be democratically constructed. Extensive experience in leading pedagogic practice, as an ECEC teacher and as an academic/programme lead on an Early Childhood Studies degree.
Qualifications
Qualifications
- 2020 - Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
- 2016 - Professional Doctorate in Education
- 2007 - MA in the subject of Integrated Provision for Children and Families - University of Leicester
- 2007 - EYPS - SWIfT
- 2003 - B Ed (Hons) Early Childhood Studies with QTS - University of Plymouth
- 1984 - NNEB
- 2012 - to date Lecturer in Early Childhood Studies
- 2008 - 2012 - 0.5 Lecturer Early Childhood Studies and 0.5 Children's Centre Teacher
- 2003 Sure Start Taunton Local Programme Early Years teacher. In 2007 Sure Start Local Programmes became Sure Start Children's Centre - my role was then titled Sure Start Children's Centre teacher
Roles on external bodies
Board Member for:
Teaching
Teaching
Teaching interests
Research
Research
Research interests
My research interests are:
- Transitions during the Early Years
- Arts and Early Childhood Education & Care collaborations
Other research
- 2021 Identifying collaborations between the Soundwaves Network SW Music Education Hubs and HEIs, Further Education colleges and training organisations
- 2019 Scoping activity of Plymouth Arts and Cultural organisations and ECEC setting collaborations
- 2017 Creative Elements Report- arts and ECEC leaders views of sustainable collaborations
- 2016 Beliefs and Relationships during Children's Transition to School: Parents, Practitioners and teachers Professional Doctorate in Education
- 2011 Working and being with the up to Threes (with Jan Georgeson)
- 2011 Parent Initiated Training (with Verity Campbell-Barr, Caroline Leeson and Jocey Quinn) - funded by Somerset County Council
- 2009 Community Research Awards - An evaluation of health related support services for nursery age children: The Lark Children's Centre (with Norman Gabriel, Joyce Halliday and Tina Wilkinson)
- 2008 TDA ICT in Early Years Research Project research lead Valerie Huggins
- 2007 Children’s Workforce Development Council funding – Focus of research, Contextualizing children’s learning within the local community
Grants & contracts
2022 £6000 Explore Awards University of Plymouth – to create A Pedagogical Meeting Place; for artists and early years leaders
2022 £4500 Soundwaves Network SW Take Art Ltd
2020 £994 awarded by The Bridge, University of Plymouth to fund a scoping activity to identify Early Childhood arts collaborations in Plymouth
2016 £3500 awarded by Take Art to research the ECEC arts project - Creative Elements;
2017 £5,793.56 awarded by the University of Plymouth Pedagogic Research and Teaching Innovation Fund – to explore the architecture and ECEC collaboration. Students designed and built an outdoor space for an ECEC setting.
Creative practice & artistic projects
2021 & 2022 - Devon and Cornwall's Children's University funded project - Learning and creating workshops - a collaboration between Soapbox theatre, Exim Dance, Green Arc Children's Centre and the BA ECS programme
Publications
Publications
Key publications
Key publications are highlighted
Journals
Goodall,H., Huggins, V., Webber, L. & Wickett, K. (2017) ‘From Student to Graduate: FourLearners’ Perspectives of the Professional Doctorate Journey’, Management in Education (MiE) Special Issue: Professional Doctoratesin Education: exploring tensions and opportunities for those in leadership
Campbell-Barr, V., Lavelle, M., and Wickett, K. (2011) Exploring alternative approaches to child outcome assessments in Children's Centres, Early Child Development and Care, IFirst
Wickett, K. (2019) An Empirical Approach to Preparing Children for School: Exploring the relationships between parents, practitioners and teachers, London: Routledge
Wickett, K. (2017) Environments for Listening (ch 7) In Georgeson, J. & Campbell-Barr, V. (eds) Placesfor 2 year olds in the Early Years: Supporting learning and development London:Taylor and Frances
Wickett, K. (2017) Exploring the transition to school: Are we all talking the same language? (ch12) in Dockett, S, Perry, R & Greisel, W. Families and the transition to school Springer
Huggins, V & Wickett, K (2017) Very young children's Learning in the Outdoors (ch 5) in Waite, S (ed) Children's Learning Outside the Classroom birth to eleven (2nd ed) London: Sage
Wickett, K. & Selbie, P. (2015) Providing an enabling environment in Parker-Rees, R & Leeson, C. (eds) Early Childhood Studies(4th ed)London: Sage
Hohmann, U. & Wickett, K. (2015) Action Research in Parker-Rees, R & Leeson, C. (eds) Early Childhood Studies (4th ed) London: Sage
Andrews,M & Wickett, K (2015) Observing children in Parker-Rees, R & Leeson, C. (eds) Early Childhood Studies (4th ed) London: Sage
Waite, S., Huggins, V. & Wickett, K. (2014) Preparing for and managing risky play, Maynard, T & Waters, J (Ed) Outdoor play in the Early Years
Payler, J., Georgeson, J. & Wickett, K. (2013) Early childhood education and care in the UK: piecemeal development through philanthropy, propagation, pluralism and pragmatism in Georgeson, (ch 22) J & Payler, J. (eds) International Perspectives on Early Childhood Education and Care Berkshire: Open University Press
Huggins, V and Wickett, K (2011) Crawling and toddling in the outdoors – very young children’s learning in Waite S (ed) Children Learning Outside the Classroom birth to eleven Sage publications
Wickett K and Huggins V (2011) Using the local community as part of the early years learning environment in Waite S (ed) Children Learning Outside the Classroom birth to eleven Sage publications
Hohmann, U. and Wickett, K. (2010) 'Action research' in R. Parker-Rees and C. Leeson (eds) Early Childhood Studies, (third edition) Exeter: Learning Matters
Selbie, P. and Wickett, K (2010) ‘Enabling Environments’ in R. Parker-Rees and C. Leeson (eds) Early Childhood Studies, (third edition) Exeter: Learning Matters
2019 Early Childhood Musical Collaborations: layers of relationships, ECERA, Thessaloniki, Greece;
2019 The SoundWaves Network (Plymouth Learning Community), ECSDN 2nd Research Conference London (presented with two ECS students);
2018 Soundwaves – a meeting place, Researcher in Residence conference, University of Plymouth;
2018 Elements Working together: creatve collaborations, Small Steps Big Noise, Taunton;
2015 The Transition to School a Relational Experience, ECERA, Barcelona;
2014 The Transition to school, Transitions for life and learning conference, Plymouth University;
2014 The transition to school an opportunity (or not) to talk, ECERA, Crete;
2013 What does it mean ‘to be ready’? Roundtable, IHC Postgraduate Research Student Conference;
2011 ‘Welcome back it is your turn to lead.’Post graduate conference University of Plymouth;
2010 'Exploring the use of qualitative outcome measures in Children’s Centres' with Verity Campball-Barr and Marie Lavelle, University of Plymouth Methods Conference;
2003 Early Years and Environmental Education workshop - All Winds and Weather conference Bridgwater College.
Wickett, K., Evans. K. & Gulliver, K. (2020) A review of Plymouth Early Childhood Arts and Cultural activities and collaborations, University of Plymouth
Wickett, K. (2017) Take Art Report Creative Elements -arts and ECEC leaders views of sustainable collabroations;
Wickett, K. (2015) Independent Report for London Boroughs of Merton and Richmond upon Thames Sensory Activities and Risk Assessments in Early Years Settings.
Early Childhood Practitioner Publications
Wickett, K. (2022) Arts into practice Early Years Educator (a series of three articles April, May and June)
Wickett, K (2020) Returning to and starting school in 2020 Early Education The British Association for Early Childhood Education
Wickett, K (2016) Readiness is only part of the transition Nursery World
Wickett, K. (2016) Readiness for what? Nursery WorldHowell, K., Georgeson, J. and Wickett, K. (2012) Enabling Environments: Baby Rooms - Without walls Nursery World Haymarket
Wickett K (2007) Providing appropriate risk taking in children’s play in Early Years Educator
Wickett, K (2006) Case Study Acorns Children’s Centre, DfES Standards Web Site available at http://www.foundationyears.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Somerset.pdf
Wickett K (2005) Influencing young children’s attitudes to the environment in Foundation Stage File
Presentations at practitioner conferences
2018 Creative Collaborations – Headteachers Conference, Somerset;
2014 Transitions for Two Year Olds –keynote Early Years Conference Taunton;
2014 The transition to school presentation - Take Art and InspirED partner Spaeda workshop;
2012 ‘Environments for Listening’ British Early Childhood Education Research Association
2008 Celebration of the Sticky Fingers and Toes project, Sticky Fingers and Toes Symposium –Ilminster, Somerset;
2008 A Graduates Journey, Key note speech for Flying Start Conference, Redruth Cornwall
2006 Reflecting and Developing Practice Workshop – The Environment is the Third Teacher Conference SureStart Taunton
2004 Hosted Outdoor Play conference Sure Start Taunton
Personal
Personal
Reports & invited lectures
2018 Creative Collaborations – Headteachers Conference, Somerset;
2014 Transitions for Two Year Olds –keynote Early Years Conference Taunton;
2014 The transition to school presentation - Take Art and InspirED partner Spaeda workshop;
2012 ‘Environments for Listening’ British Early Childhood Education Research Association
2008 Celebration of the Sticky Fingers and Toes project, Sticky Fingers and Toes Symposium –Ilminster, Somerset;
2008 A Graduates Journey, Key note speech for Flying Start Conference, Redruth Cornwall
2006 Reflecting and Developing Practice Workshop – The Environment is the Third Teacher Conference SureStart Taunton
Conferences organised
2019 Building Bridges: Building Early Childhood Music collaborations – a conference for early years practitioners and early childhood music practitioners (over 100 delegates attended)
Other academic activities
Additional information
2020 RIBA-sponsored MacEwan Awards – the firepit that the architecture students designed in collaboration with Early Childhood Studies students has been shortlisted for this award