This group has concluded its research and projects. This content remains available for reference purposes.
POET is an international collaboration involving
The European partners have been funded (€224 000) under the Marie Curie IRSES scheme to travel to New Zealand and Australia over 4 years to undertake a coherent program of staff exchanges focused on the development of research skills and expertise around transition to school research. Reciprocal visits to the European countries also occur in each of these four years.
The final work package was held in Albury in February 2016. This work package aimed to look to the future for the POET members, as well as reflecting on the journey since the first work package in 2012.
During the final days of the work package, a Starting School Conference was held in Canberra, where the Australian team presented preliminary findings from one of their research projects, Continuity in curriculum and pedagogies as children start school. The four other POET counties also presented some of their contexts and research about starting school. The keynote presentation was by Professor Gestur Guðmundsson, from University of Iceland, entitled The Nordic Welfare System.
You can find copies of each of the conference presentations under the Starting School Conference heading below.
You can find more information about the Australian project (Continuity and change in curriculum and pedagogies as children start school) on our Current Projects page.
The aims of the POET program emphasise:
Each group that forms the POET alliance has a focus project or projects, incorporating many integrated themes. These themes have been used to guide the various POET workshops held in each country. Charles Sturt has several focus projects:
More information about each project can be found on our current projects page.
Below is a map of the various focus projects and themes of each group.
University of Strathclyde, Scotland - July 2012
Introduction
Charles Sturt University, Australia - March/April 2013
Mapping transition research and practice
Mälardalen University, Sweden - September 2013
Diversity and inclusion
University of Waikato, New Zealand - March 2014
Indigenous approaches
University of Iceland, Iceland - September 2014
Curriculum and continuity
University of Waikato, New Zealand - March 2015
Transition journeys
University of Strathclyde, Scotland - September 2015
Transitions as a tool for change
Charles Sturt University, Australia - February 2016
Into the future
As part of work package 8, a Starting School conference was held in Canberra on February 25th. Each of the five countries presented on their research and context in relation to starting school. Country presentations are below.
Australia
Starting school: Connecting policy and practice
Sue Dockett, Bob Perry, Jessamy Davies - Charles Sturt University
Keynote
Education in the Nordic model
Gestur Guðmundsson - University of Iceland
New Zealand
Transition in Aotearoa New Zealand - Bicultural Journeys
Sally Peters, Margie Hohepa - University of Waikato
Iceland
Challenges in Starting School in Iceland
Hrönn Pálmadóttir and Kristín Karlsdóttir - University of Iceland
Scotland
Star'ng School in Scotland "The bairns are daein' fine!"
Aline-Wendy Dunlop, Marion Burns, Rob Mark, Lynn McNair - University of Strathclyde
Sweden
Sweden School Transitions and the Rites of Passage Concept
Professor Anders Garpelin - Mälardalen University