- Room 508, Rolle Building, Drake Circus, Plymouth, PL4 8AA
- +44 1752 585308
- verity.campbell-barr@plymouth.ac.uk
Profiles
Dr Verity Campbell Barr
Director of Plymouth Institute of Education
Plymouth Institute of Education (Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business)
Dr Verity Campbell Barr can be contacted through arrangement with our Press Office, to speak to the media on these areas of expertise.
- Preschool
- Childhood
- Early education
- Child-centred pedagogy
- Nurseries
- Childminder sustainability
- Families
Email publicrelations@plymouth.ac.uk to enquire.
Biography
Biography
I am an Associate Professor in Early Childhood Studies and the Associate Head of Research at Plymouth Institute of Education. I teach on the BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies, the MA Education and the EdD, along with supporting PhD students. I am the strategic lead for research within Plymouth Institute of Education, as well as the lead for our Children and Families Research Excellence Node. I am also the UoA23 (Education) Coordinator for the Research Excellence Framework (REF).
I am an active researcher, currently undertaking a project exploring Child-centred Diversity in Quality Early Childhood Education and care, which has been extended to look at developing a child-centred competences framework. I am also the Principal Investigator on a project looking at graduate qualifications for working in Early Childhood Educations and Care in England and another looking at childminder sustainability.
Prior to this I was a European Research Fellow in the Faculty of Child and Adult Education at the University of Debrecen, Hungary. Whilst in Hungary I conducted a research project on the Knowledge, Skills and Attitudinal Competences for Quality Early Childhood Education and Care.
Qualifications
- BSc in Sociology, University of Plymouth
- MA in Gender Culture and Modernity, Goldsmiths College, University of London
- PhD 'The Economy of Childcare' Canterbury Christ Church University
Key publications
(2010) Providing a context for looking at quality and value in early years education. Office for National Statistics Newport Office for National Statistics
(2014) 'Constructions of Early Childhood Education and Care Provision: negotiating discourses' Contemporary Issues in Early childhood (1) 5-17
(2012) 'Early years education and the value for money folklore' EUROPEAN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION RESEARCH JOURNAL 20, (3) 423-437 , DOI
(2011) 'Exploring alternative approaches to child outcome assessments in Children's Centres' Early Child Development and Care 182, (7) 859-874 Publisher Site , DOI
(2009) 'Care and business orientations in the delivery of childcare: an exploratory study' 7, (1) 76-93
Research
Research
Research interests
Professional knowledges for working in early childhood education and care
International interpretations of child-centred practice
The mixed economy of childcare and early years education provision
The role of childcare in supporting employment and the welfare to work agenda
Qualitative research methods
Research groups
Research degrees awarded to supervised students
Mehmet Mart - A Comparison of English and Turkish Early Years Kindergarten Teachers' Understandings of and Practices in Outdoor Activities
Louise Webber - Mature Women and Higher Education: Reconstructing Identity and Family Relationships
Current Students:
Tom Cowan - The identification of dispositions and their contribution towards ITE and future primary school teachers
Kathrin Paal - Learning a(l)lot - The impact of school gardening on pre-schoolers´ environmental attitudes, behaviour, and knowledge
Ramazan Merk - The effects of school policies regarding inclusive education on early childhood teacher’s beliefs and practices: A multiple case study in England
Clare Colton - An exploration into the language of social work and how this develops in social work students: Is it the language of power?
Grants & contracts
Current Research:
- Child-centred Diversity in Quality Early Childhood Education and Care - Funded by the European Commission
- Childminder Sustainability in England and Wales - Funded by Pacey
- A Systematic Review of Early Years Degrees and Employment Pathways - Funded by the Nuffield Foundation and undertaken in partnership with EPI
Past Projects have included:
- ‘Knowledge, Skills and Attitudinal Competences for Quality Early childhood Education and Care’ – Funded by the European commission under the Marie Curie European Research Fellow Scheme, 109 679 Euro https://ececworkforce.wordpress.com/
- Two-Year-Olds in England: and exploratory study - Funded by Tactyc
- Key Attitudinal Competences for Early Childhood Practitioners: Exploring Global Approaches to Teaching and Learning - Funded by Pedrio
- ‘Investigate the role of Early Years Professionals in leading communities of quality practice in early years settings in Devon’ – Funded by Plymouth University
- Teaching Fellowship Award: Connecting Across Boarders (with Valerie Huggins and Steve Wheeler) - Funded by Plymouth University
- Parent Initiated Training (with Karen Wickett, Caroline Leeson and Jocey Quinn) - funded by Somerset County Council
- Quality Measurement Framework: Value for money comparison of public and third sector provision of pre-school childcare and education. - Funded by The Office for National Statistics
- Parents and Childcare: A Literature Review - Funded by the Equality and Human Rights Commission and being written in association with the Daycare Trust
Local Authority Use of Childcare Sufficiency Assessments. - Funded by Government Office South West - Employment Retention and Advancement Evaluation - Department of Work and Pensions
- New Deal Pilots: A Qualitative Evaluation of Quarterly Work Focussed Interviews, Work Search Premium and In Work Credit - Funder Department for Work and Pensions
- Camden Sufficiency Assessment – Camden Council
- Paid Officials and Community Engagement in Governance – Joseph Rowntree Foundations
- The Economy of Childcare – Kent County Council.
Publications
Publications
Key publications
(2010) Providing a context for looking at quality and value in early years education. Office for National Statistics Newport Office for National Statistics
(2014) 'Constructions of Early Childhood Education and Care Provision: negotiating discourses' Contemporary Issues in Early childhood (1) 5-17
(2012) 'Early years education and the value for money folklore' EUROPEAN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION RESEARCH JOURNAL 20, (3) 423-437 , DOI
(2011) 'Exploring alternative approaches to child outcome assessments in Children's Centres' Early Child Development and Care 182, (7) 859-874 Publisher Site , DOI
(2009) 'Care and business orientations in the delivery of childcare: an exploratory study' 7, (1) 76-93
Key publications are highlighted
Journals
Articles
(2023) 'Quality Early Childhood Education and Care in a Time of COVID-19' Journal of Early Childhood Research , DOI
(2020) 'More than Words for Working with Children and Families' Global Education Review 7, (2) 1-7 Open access
(2020) 'Professional development opportunities for early years teachers using social media: the case of England and Turkey' Education 3-13 1-16 , DOI Open access
(2019) 'The Reggio Approach in Motion. Documenting Experiences, Reflecting upon Practice and Disseminating the Ideas' Journal of Childhood Studies 44, (5) 1-12 , DOI Open access
(2019) 'workforce: human capital: Adding value to the early years' Nursery World 2019, (22) 32-33 , DOI
(2019) 'The occurrence of pretend play in early childhood education in Romania – an investigative study' Early Child Development and Care 1-11 , DOI Open access
(2019) 'Professional Knowledges for Early Childhood Education and Care' Journal of Childhood Studies 44, (1) 134-146 , DOI Open access
(2017) 'The Silencing of the Knowledge-base in Early Childhood Education and Care Professionalism' International Journal of Early Years Education 26, (1) , DOI Open access
(2017) 'Interpretations of Child Centred Practice in Early Childhood Education and Care' Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education , DOI Open access
(2017) 'Global to local perspectives of early childhood education and care' Early Child Development and Care 187, (10) 1461-1470 , DOI Open access
(2017) 'Turkey's childcare services facing unique challenges' Early Years Educator 19, (Sup4) 14-16 , DOI
(2017) 'Editorial' European Early Childhood Education Research Journal 25, (4) 477-482 , DOI Open access
(2017) 'German childhood services emphasise social pedagogy' Early Years Educator 19, (3) 14-16 , DOI Open access
(2016) 'Quality early childhood education and care – the role of attitudes and dispositions in professional development' Early Child Development and Care 187, (1) 45-58 , DOI
(2015) 'The role of Higher Education in forming loving early childhood educators in Hungary and England' Hungarian Educational Researcch Journal 2015, (4) , DOI
(2015) 'The role of Higher Education in forming loving early childhood educators in Hungary and England' Hungarian Educational Research Journal Publisher Site
(2015) 'Developing Professional Early Childhood Educators in England and Hungary: Where Has All the Love Gone?' European Education (4) 311-330 Publisher Site , DOI
(2015) 'Can we have an international approach to child-centred early childhood practice?' Early Child Development and Care 1-18 , DOI Open access
(2014) 'Losing sight of the child? Human capital theory and its role for early childhood education and care policies in Finland and England since the mid-1990s' Contemporary Issues in Early childhood (4) 346-359 Publisher Site
(2014) 'Providing choice? A comparison of UK and Ireland's family support in a time of austerity' Journal of International and Comparative Social Policy 1-14 , DOI
(2014) 'Constructions of Early Childhood Education and Care Provision: negotiating discourses' Contemporary Issues in Early childhood (1) 5-17
(2013) 'Childcare markets: can they deliver an equitable service?' Early Years 33, (4) 431-432 , DOI
(2013) 'Limitations of ‘Students as Producers’ in Web 2.0: a reflective account' Journal of Teaching and Learning with Technology 2, (2) 5-20
(2013) 'The financial crisis and recent family policy reforms in Finland, Germany and the United Kingdom. Is there a connection?' Journal of Comparative Social Work (2013/2)
(2012) 'Early years education and the value for money folklore' EUROPEAN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION RESEARCH JOURNAL 20, (3) 423-437 , DOI
(2012) 'Leading for quality improvement: a comparative research agenda in early childhood education in England and Hong Kong' International Journal of Leadership in Education: Theory and Practice,
(2011) 'Exploring alternative approaches to child outcome assessments in Children's Centres' Early Child Development and Care 182, (7) 859-874 Publisher Site , DOI
(2010) 'Exploring the interplay of leadership and quality improvement in early years settings in England and Hong Kong' JOURNAL OF EDUCATION FOR TEACHING 36, (3) 333-335 , DOI
(2010) 'Quality Improvement in Early Years Settings in Hong Kong and England: a Framework for Comparative Studies' International Journal of Early Years Education 3, (18) 241-256 , DOI
(2009) 'Rewarding responsibility? Long-term unemployed men and the welfare-to-work agenda' Environment and Planning C: Government and Policy 27, (6) 975-990 , DOI
(2009) 'Care and business orientations in the delivery of childcare: an exploratory study' 7, (1) 76-93
(2009) 'Contextual issues in assessing value for money in early years education' National Institutes Economic Review 207, 90-101 , DOI
(2005) 'Quality early education—quality food and nutrition pracices? Some initial results from a pilot research project into food and nutrition practices in early years settings in Kent, UK' International Journal of Early Years Education 13, (3) 197-213 , DOI
Books
(2016) Quality and Leadership in the Early Years Research, Theory and Practice. SAGE
Georgeson JM; Campbell-Barr V (2015) International Perspectives on Early Years Workforce Development. Northwich Critical Publishing
Chapters
(2021) 'The Provision, Protection and Participation of Children’s Rights in Professional Practice' Young Children in the World and Their Rights Springer International Publishing 221-233 , DOI
(2018) 'Can we have an international approach to child-centred early childhood practice?' Early Childhood Pedagogies Routledge 148-165 , DOI
(2017) 'Qualifications, knowledge and preparedness for working with two-year-olds' Places for Two-year-olds in the Early Years: Supporting Learning and Development 75-92 , DOI
(2017) 'Qualifications, knowledge and preparedness for working with two-year-olds' Places for Two-year-olds in the Early Years Routledge 75-92 , DOI
(2017) 'Quality for two-year-olds' Places for Two-year-olds in the Early Years Routledge 36-49 , DOI
(2017) 'The Many Pedagogical Influences on Early Childhood Education
and Care in Britain' in Albulescu I; Catalano H Alternative Educational Methodologies Newcastle Upon Tyne Cambridge Scholars Publishing 19-29 Publisher Site Open access
(2016) 'Knowledges for the Early Childhood Education and Care Workforce' in Sorzio P Becoming an Expert Practitioner in Educational Services Italy Pensa Multi Media 23-36 Open access
(2015) 'Britain: a complex mix of philosophy and politics' in Campbell-Barr V; Georegson J International Perspectives on Early Years Workforce Development Northwich Critical Publishing
(2015) 'Investing in Our Future? The Influence of Social Investment Ideas on Family Policy Discourses in Finland, Germany, and the UK' Discursive Governance in Politics, Policy, and the Public Sphere Palgrave Macmillan US 31-46 , DOI
(2013) 'The importance of international perspecitves' in Georgeson J; Payler J International Perspectives on Early Childhood Education and Care Berkshire Open University Press 3-8
(2013) 'The quest for quality early childhood education and care: leadership in a changing political context in England and Hong Kong' in Georgeson J; Payler J International Perspectives on Early Childhood Education and Care Open University Press 103-113
(2010) 'The research, policy and practice triangle in early childhood education and care' in Parker-Rees R; Leeson C Early Childhood Studies: An Introduction to the Study of Children's Worlds and Children's Lives (Third Edition) Exeter Learning Matters 163-178
Conference Papers
Reports
(2014) TWO-YEAR-OLDS in England: an exploratory study. Tactyc
(2010) Providing a context for looking at quality and value in early years education. Office for National Statistics Newport Office for National Statistics
(2010) What Parents Want - parents and childcare: a literature review. What Parents Want - parents and childcare: a literature review Equality and Human Rights Commission Manchester Equality and Human Rights Commission
(2008) Implementation and second-year impacts for lone parents in the UK Employment Retention and Advancement (ERA) demonstration. Department of Work and Pensions DWP
(2008) Public Officials and Community Involvement in Local Services. York Joseph Rowntree Foundation
(2007) Camden: Parental Demand for Childcare. Policy Studies Institute
(2007) Implementation and first year impacts of the UK Employment Retention and Advancement (ERA) demonstration. DWP Research Report 412
(2007) Supporting an interenerational centre in London: Scoping the evidence. London Development Agency London London Development Agency
(2007) The lone parents pilots: A qualitative evaluation of quarterly work focussed interviews (12+), work search premium and in work credit. DWP Reseasrch Report No 423
Presentations and posters
'EMOTIONS AS KNOWLEDGE FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND CARE '
'FORMS OF KNOWLEDGE AND KNOWING FOR WORKING IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND CARE'
'Making the case for the local in the globalization of early childhood education and care (ECEC)'
'Preparedness For Working With Two Year Olds'
'THE CONTRIBUTION OF RESEARCH FOR UNDERSTANDINGS OF EARLY CHILDHOOD WORKFORCE TRAINING '
Other Publications
(2017) Comparative Research on the Attitudinal Competence for Early Childhood Education and Care in Europe. Sage Research Methods , DOI Open access