Senior Lecturer in Initial Teacher Education
Dr Caralyn Blaisdell is a Senior Lecturer in Teacher Education in the Psychology, Sociology and Education Division at Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh. She is also Programme Leader for the BA (Hons) Education Studies course.
- Overview
- Research Interests
- Research Publications
- Teaching & Learning
I am an early-years pedagogue and researcher, with a strong focus on children鈥檚 rights. Before coming to higher education, I worked in early childhood education and care for 13 years in corporate, Reggio-Emilia-inspired and Froebelian settings in the United States and Scotland. I started working in early years because I enjoyed being with young children and their families, but I thought it would be temporary! In fact, I loved it and this has become the focus of my working life. When I am not at work, you might find me reading (anything and everything fictional) or going for massive, long walks.
My research focuses on two main strands. First, I explore children鈥檚 rights in early childhood, particularly participation rights and the voice of very young聽children.聽Second, I work on outdoor learning in early聽years, particularly young children鈥檚 experiences and relationships with land and place. I approach both strands from a relational perspective, looking at how young children鈥檚 lives and experiences are shaped by intergenerational relationships, attitudes toward childhood, policy/practice trends, and relationships of power. I also work on research methodology and ethical considerations in research with young children, and have drawn on approaches such as ethnography, arts-based methodologies and action research. My research has been supported by funding from the Froebel Trust, the Scottish Funding Council, and Starcatchers.
Active research interests:
- Children's rights in early childhood
- Early childhood pedagogy and practice
- Outdoor play and learning in early childhood
Research Methods:
- Qualitative methodologies
- Action research
- Ethnographic methodologies
- Arts-based methodologies
I teach across the BA (Hons) Education Studies, BA (Hons) Education Studies (Primary) and MA Education on matters related to early years, children鈥檚 rights, literacy, and outdoor play and learning.
Programme Leader:
BA (Hons) Education Studies
