Professor Marilyn Fleer

Biography

Marilyn Fleer holds the foundation chair for early childhood education at Monash University. Currently she is the Research Director, Faculty of Education, Peninsula Campus, Monash University. She is also the Research Leader for the Early Childhood Faculty Research Group

Marilyn has worked in education for 25 years. She began her career as an early childhood teacher. Later she was seconded to the Department of Education, Aboriginal Education Branch, as an advisor, later as a Curriculum Officer and finally as a Research Officer (shared with the University of Western Australia). In 1988 she took up an appointment as lecturer at the University Canberra, remaining there until 2001 as Professor of Education. In 2002 she commenced her new position at Monash University as Professor of Early Childhood Education.

Research interests

• Marilyn has a diverse range of research interests and has won grants of nearly 3 million Australian dollars.
• Her particular research interests and expertise include: cross-cultural research, family studies, early childhood science education, technology education, and the building of new theoretical tools to support early childhood development and education.

Selected publications

Publications 2010:

Books:

• Fleer, M. (2010) Early learning and development: Cultural-historical concepts in play. Cambridge University Press. 243 pages
• McLachlan, C., Fleer, M., and Edwards, S., (2010). Early childhood curriculum. Planning, assessment and implementation. Cambridge University Press: New York, USA. 229 pages.

Chapters:

• Fleer, M. (2010) Conceptual and contextual intersubjectivity for affording concept formation in childrens play. In Suzy Edwards and Liz Wood, Engaging Play. Open University Press. Berkshire, UK. (pp. 67-79).
• Fleer, M., (2010) Cultural-Historical Activity Research Framing intellect and Action in Design and Technology Education, in A. Jones, and M de Vries. (eds.) Handbook for Research and Development in Technology Education. (International Technology Education Series). Sense Publishers: Rotterdam (pp. 669-682).
• Fleer, M., and Quiones, G., (2010) Assessment of childrens technological funds of knowledge as embedded community practices, in A. Jones, and M de Vries. (eds.) Handbook for Research and Development in Technology Education. (International Technology Education Series). Sense Publishers: Rotterdam (pp. 477-492).
• Jane, B. Fleer, M. and Gipps, J. (2010) The role of ICTs in primary science education in developing a community of learners to enhance scientific literacy, In S Rodrigues (Ed.) Multiple literacy and science education. ICTs in formal and informal learning environments. Premier reference source. Information Science Reference, USA. (pp. 103-122).
• Fleer, M. and Raban, B. (2010) Literacies in early childhood: The preschool period. In Penelope Peterson, Eva Baker and Barry McGaw (Eds.).International Encyclopedia of Education (Third Edition, Volume 2). Elsevier, Oxford, UK.

Articles:

• Fleer, M., and Hedegaard, M., (2010) Childrens development as participation in everyday practices across different institutions: A childs changing relations to reality. Mind, Culture and Activity, 17 (2) April-June, 149-168.
• Fleer, M., (2010). The re-theorisation of collective pedagogy and emergent curriculum, Cultural Studies of Science Education, 5 (3), 263-576.

GRANTS:

2010

• The Victorian Department of Education and Early Childhood Development. Evaluation of Early Start Kindergarten Program (Mindy Blaise (co-director), with Marie Hammer and Joseph Agbenyega) ($160,555)
• The Victorian Department of Education and Early Childhood Development. The Design and delivery of a professional development program in contemporary child development theory for early childhood educators (co-director: Mindy Blaise, with Joseph Agbenyega, Marie Hammer, Jane Bone, Jill Robbins, Corine Rivalland, Avis Ridgway, Hilary Monk, Chris Peers, Joce Nuttall)($499,218)
• Plan China and Plan Australia. Evaluation of Early Childhood Care and Education services within China (Marilyn Fleer and Liang Li) ($35,640)

2011-2013

• ARC Discovery: Conceptual play: Foregrounding imagination and cognition during concept formation in early years science education ($100,000)

See Marilyn Fleer in the Monash Research Directory

Supervision

Marilyn supervises PhD students in early childhood development and education (theory and practice), new pedagogical approaches, curriculum development theory, science education, environmental education, and technology education. In addition, a small group of PhD students are researching family practices across a range of cultural and sociocultural contexts.

Professional associations

Marilyn is the World President of the International Society for Cultural Activity Research

She is a member of the:

European Early Childhood Education Research Association

Australasian Science Education Research Association

Australian Early Childhood Association

International Research in Early Childhood Education Association

Community service

Marilyn has worked at the international, national and local levels in the development of evidence based policies and practices. At the international level she has been a member of the OECD Thematic Review of Early Childhood Education and Care Policy, Australian Background Report Committee (2000-2001), and a member of PLAN International, Technical Advisory Committee for Early Childhood (since 2001- ongoing). At the national level she was a Research Fellow for the Australian Government (Department of Education, Science and Training) in 2000, Australian Bureau of Statistics Conceptual Framework Consultative Committee (2001), and Preschool Profile Development Committee, Indigenous Branch, Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs (2000-2004). At the local level she was a member of the Ministerial Advisory Committee on Public Education in the ACT (1992-1994) and the Victorian Premiers Childrens Advisory Council in 2004. Marilyn won the Advocacy Award in 2000 (Australian Early Childhood Association)