Our annual research conference and event presentations

Annual research conference 2023

Norland held its 2023 annual research conference on 27 June 2023. The theme of the conference was ‘The competent child’.

The Norland research conference provides an opportunity for Norland students and staff to share their research with invited leading early years experts. The event was organised by Viki Bennett–Kane, Principal Lecturer, and Dr Alex Morfaki, Early Years Lecturer.

The 2023 conference marked the launch of the Norland Educare Research Centre which has been established to support, promote, oversee, coordinate and monitor all research undertaken within and in the name of Norland in the field of early childhood education, care and professional practice. Its newly published Norland Educare Research Journal is the world’s first research journal dedicated to advancing and enhancing knowledge in home-based early childhood education and care.

The 2023 conference programme, abstracts and speaker biographies can be viewed below.

Annual research conference 2021

Norland held its 2021 annual research conference on 19 June 2021.

The event opened with a keynote address from one of the world’s leading experts in infant brain development, communication and emotional health. Professor Colwyn Trevarthen, Emeritus Professor of Child Psychology and Psychobiology at the University of Edinburgh, gave a keynote talk entitled ‘joy and pride for play with friends from birth’.

Leading experts at Norland and from across the UK spoke on a range of topics including a review of different approaches to infant sleep, the development of a therapeutic intervention framework for young autistic children, the benefits of outdoor activities, the development of curious minds, the benefits of virtual practical training for developing professional skills, what makes home-based childcare distinctive, and on teaching and assessing early years undergraduate students.