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Dr Jane Dorrian

Profile summary

Web links

Professional biography

I started my career as a primary school teacher in the south Wales valleys and worked for several years in a nursery school before taking a secondement to be the LEA advisory teacher for early years. At the end of the secondment I took up a lecturing role on the Education and Early Childhood Studies degree programmes at University of Wales, Newport and during my time there I completed my doctorate. I then moved to Cardiff Metropolitan University where I worked as the Deputy Head of Department in the School of Education and Social Policy whilst contining to teach on the Early Childhood Studies and Primary Education programmes. In this role I was responsible for overseeing the implementation of a new personal tutoring programme within the school, and I also set up a fully equipped early education classroom that was used as a teaching resource for students.  In 2018 I became a Staff Tutor at the Open University.

Research interests

My doctoral thesis looked at the professional identities of early years practitioners and this is still an area that I am interested in. I am also involved in projects that explore physical literacy in the early years.

Impact and engagement

Podcast exploring the implications of the new Welsh Curriculum for teacher training

https://nape.org.uk/nape-podcast 

Mini-article for OU OpenLearn

https://ounews.co/education-languages-health/childhood-youth/teach-your-child-through-creative-play/ 

Video and mini-article for OU OpenLearn

https://www.open.edu/openlearn/health-sports-psychology/sport-fitness/how-help-your-child-become-future-olympian

External collaborations

External evaluator for the Early Years Wales 'Welsh Active Early Years' programme Welsh Active Early Years | Early Years Wales  

Publications

Rethinking the Design of School Readiness Assessments (2022-02)
Dorrian, Jane
In: Betts, A. L. and Thai, K-P. eds. Handbook of Research on Innovative Approaches to Early Childhood Development and School Readiness. Advances in Early Childhood and K-12 Education (AECKE) (pp. 96-112)
ISBN : 9781799886495 | Publisher : IGI Global | Published : Hershey, Pennsylvania


Evaluation of the HAF/Welsh Active Early Years Programme (2022-04)
Dorrian, Jane
Early Years Wales (In Press)