Dr Rod Parker-Rees

Biography

Visiting research Fellow.

Previously (to July 2017) Coordinator of Early Childhood Studies and Joint Programme Leader of BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies programme.

Qualifications

BA (Hons) English Language and Literature, (open scholarship), Class II, Magdalen College, Oxford, 1981.

PGCE (Early Years), Bristol Polytechnic,1984.

MPhil University of the West of England (Andrew Pollard, Kathy Sylva), 1993.

Nursery and Reception class teacher 1984-93 with secondments to National Primary Centre, South West, 1989-91

University of Plymouth, Faculty/Institute of Education, 1993-

Professional membership

Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

Roles on external bodies

Co-editor (1998-) of Early Years - An International Research Journal, a fully refereed academic journal published by Taylor and Francis, and hosted at University of Plymouth since September 2001.

Ex-officio member of executive committee of TACTYC (association for the professional development of early years educators) (1998-)

Member of Early Childhood Degrees Network (ECSDN) Strategy group

Referee for International Journal of Early Years Education, Journal of Education for Teaching, Studies in Higher Education and other journals

Reviewer for Blackwell, Continuum, Open University Press, Pearson Education, Routledge, Sage and Wiley-Blackwell (book and book series proposals)

Reviewer and Rapporteur for ESRC

Teaching

Teaching interests

Approaches to researching development in infancy and early childhood, with particular focuses on playfulness, communication, early movement and social learning. History of concepts of childhood. My aim is to foster enjoyment of critical enquiry by helping students to relate their own 'private' interests, concerns and experiences to 'public' research findings, theoretical models and frameworks.

Research

Research interests

Playfulness - especially as this develops into adulthood, e.g in early years practitioners' willingness to interpret constraints, policies etc.

Approaches to understanding early development, especially early communication and the place of movement and self-initiated activity in early learning.

Affective factors in early development, including approaches to promoting and maintaining a sense of community in early years settings - involving children, families and practitioners and helping to make workplaces convivial and enjoyable.

Other research

Leader of TFAS project, Developing Sustainable Student Communities, with Joanna Haynes, Mel Joyner and students from Early Childhood Studies, Education Studies and Sociology programmes, 2011-12

Leader of CARITAS (Collaborative Application of Research Into Tutoring for Autonomous Study) RiT project (TQEF funding £21,300) 2007-8.

Member of Steiner Early Years Assessment research project (with David Reynolds, John Burnett, Mary Jane Drummond, Janni Nichol, Sally Jenkinson, Sarah Rees-Elford, Jenny Willan and Sue Waites) 2007-8 and editor of resulting book - 'Meeting the child in Steiner Kindergartens' Routledge 2010.

Member of Socrates 6.1 funded project 'Working on Basic competences in Teacher Training for Pre- and Primary Education', developing materials to support student teachers in developing skills in reflection and self-assessment, 2004.

Publications

Key publications

Key publications are highlighted

Journals

Articles

Parker-Rees R & Mello S (2014) 'De nós para você para mim: a co-construção da identidade nas interações iniciais (From us to you to me: the co-construction of identity in early interactions)' Perspectiva 32, (3) 901-917 Publisher Site , DOI

Parker-Rees R & Haynes J (2012) 'Informal aspects of ‘becoming peer’ in undergraduate research: ‘still connected but going our separate ways’' Pastoral Care in Education 31, (1) 79-91 , DOI

Parker-Rees R (2007) 'Liking to be liked: imitation, familiarity and pedagogy in the first years of life' Early Years: an international journal of research and development 27, (1) 3-17 , DOI

Books

Parker-Rees ROD; Leeson C (2015) Early Childhood Studies. 4th London Sage/Learning Matters Limited 1Publisher Site

Parker-Rees R; Brooker L; Oberhuemer P (2014) Professional Issues in Work with Babies and Toddlers. Abingdon Routledge Publisher Site

Parker-Rees R, Drummond MJ, Jenkinson S, Rees S, Waite S, Nicol J, Burnett J & Mepham T (2011) Meeting the Child in Steiner Kindergartens: an exploration of beliefs, values and practices. Routledge

Parker-Rees R; Leeson C (2010) Early Childhood Studies: an introduction to the study of children's worlds and children's lives. 3 Exeter Learning Matters Publisher Site

Willan J; Parker-Rees R; Savage J (2007) Early Childhood Studies: an introduction to the study of children's worlds and children's lives. 2 Exeter Learning Matters Publisher Site

Parker-Rees R; Willan J (2006) Early Years Education. London Routledge Major Themes in Education Publisher Site

Willan J; Parker-Rees R; Savage J (2004) Early childhood studies: an introduction to the study of children's worlds and children's lives. 1 Exeter Learning Matters Publisher Site

Chapters

Parker-Rees R (2015) 'Concepts of childhood: meeting with difference' in Parker-Rees ROD; Leeson C Early Childhood Studies: an introduction to the study of children's lives and children's worlds London Sage/Learning Matters 191-203 Publisher Site

Parker-Rees R (2015) 'Developing Communication: getting to know each other' in Parker-Rees ROD; Leeson C Early childhood Studies: an introduction to the study of children's lives and children's worlds London Sage/Learning Matters 42-56 Publisher Site

Parker-Rees R (2015) 'Introduction' in Parker-Rees ROD; Leeson C Early Childhood Studies: an introduction to the study of children's lives and children's worlds London Sage/Learning Matters 1-11 Publisher Site

Parker-Rees R (2014) 'Hunting and gathering: : two distinct forms of learning from play' in Moyles J The Excellence Of Play McGraw-Hill Education (UK) 74-83

Parker-Rees R (2014) 'Playfulness and learning who we are: the co-construction of identity in the first years' in Brooker E; Blaise M; Edwards S The Sage Handbook of Play and Learning in Early Childhood London Sage 366-377

Parker-Rees R (2013) 'Collaborative Re-creation' in Lake R; Connery C Constructing a Community of Thought: letters on the scholarship, teaching and mentoring of Vera John-Steiner New York Peter Lang 172-176 Publisher Site

Parker-Rees R (2013) 'Collaborative Recreation:‘…more is learned than is taught’' in Lake R; Connery M Constructing a Community of Thought: letters on the scholarship, teaching and mentoring of Vera John-Steiner New York Peter Lang 172-176

Parker-Rees R & Rees S (2011) 'How the Steiner kindergarten environment helps adults and children to get to know each other' in Parker-Rees R Meeting the Child in Steiner Kindergartens Abingdon Routledge 41-52 Publisher Site

Parker-Rees R (2011) 'Introduction: ways of knowing children' in Parker-Rees R Meeting the Child in Steiner Kindergartens Abingdon Routledge 1-12 Publisher Site

Parker-Rees R (2010) 'Active Playing and Learning' in Parker-Rees R; Leeson C Early Childhood Studies: an introduction to the study of children's worlds and children's lives Exeter Learning Matters 27-38 Publisher Site

Parker-Rees R (2010) 'Developing Communication: enjoying the company of other people' in Parker-Rees R; Leeson C Early Childhood Studies: an introduction to the study of children's worlds and children's lives Exeter Learning Matters 39-49 Publisher Site

Parker-Rees R (2010) 'Hunting and Gathering: how play helps us to let in, as well as to get in, information about our environment' in Moyles J The Excellence of Play Maidenhead, UK Open University Press 67-79 Publisher Site

Parker-Rees R (2010) 'Introduction' in Parker-Rees R; Leeson C Early Childhood Studies: an introduction to the study of children's worlds and children's lives Exeter Learning Matters 1-10 Publisher Site

Parker-Rees R (2007) 'Primary communication – what can adults learn from babies?’' in Moyles J Early Years Foundations: meeting the challenge Maidenhead, UK Open University Press/McGraw Hill 27-39 Publisher Site

Parker-Rees R (1999) 'Protecting Playfulness' in Abbott L; Moylett H Early education transformed London Routledge 61-72 Publisher Site

Parker-Rees R (1997) 'The Tale of a task: learning beyond the map' in Pollard A; Thiessen D; Filer A Children and their curriculum London Routledge Falmer 34-48 Publisher Site

Personal

Conferences organised

Organiser of Early Education/TACTYC joint conference: ‘Helping Young Children to Understand Mathematics’, Rolle School of Education, Exmouth (19/2/00)

Profiles

Visiting Research Fellow

Plymouth Institute of Education (Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business)