Dr Victoria Whitington

I am currently Program Director of the early childhood program the graduate entry Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood) MBCG), and senior lecturer in child development at the School of Education. The program is located at the Magill Campus of the University of South Australia. I have been a staff member at the de Lissa Institute, and then the School of Education since 1995. Prior to this time I was a staff member at the Salisbury Campus with the School of Education.

I am currently the Chair of the Management Committee at the Adelaide Lady Gowrie Child Centre at Thebarton. I spent four years living and working in Canada, teaching grade school, completing a Master of Arts degree and teaching at the University of Victoria, British Columbia. I graduated with a PhD from The Flinders University of South Australia in 2000.

I have previously worked as a teacher for a number of years in the northern and southern suburbs of Adelaide. I also taught two junior primary level classes in Canada in 1986. I have taught all years from Reception to Year 7.

Currently I am a member of the editorial advisory board for the parenting magazine 'Wondertime.' I also review journal articles for a number of journals and provide feedback to the Raising Children Network.

de Lissa Institute

• Children's social development
• Children's cognitive development
• Research with young children
• Culture and development

Member, Australian Human Development Association

Member, Early Childhood Australia

Member, OMEP (Organizacion Mundial para la Educacion Prescholar)

PhD (Education) The Flinders University of South Australia

MA (Education) University of Victoria, Canada

Grad Dip Community & School Sturt College of Advanced Education

B.Ed The Flinders University of South Australia

• Children's peer relationships
• Resilience in children
• Children's social and cognitive development
• Quality in childcare
• culture and early childhood education

Whitington, V; Glover, A & Stephenson, E (2008). Tertiary teaching and learning in Papua New Guinea – building effective intercultural learning and teaching relationships, Journal of Educational Inquiry, vol.8, no.1, pp.36-49.

Whitington, V & Floyd, I (2009). Four year old preschoolers’ development of intersubjectivity with their peers in socio-dramatic play, Early Child Development and Care, vol 179, no. 2, 143-156..

Whitington, V; Ebbeck, M: Diamond, A & Yim H (2009) Transitions between TAFESA and UniSA early childhood programs – Teaching and learning issues, Australian Journal of Early Childhood, vol. 34, no. 1, pp. 27-35.

Whitington, V. (2004) Independence and interdependence in early childhood, Australian Journal of Early Childhood, vol 29, no. 1, pp.14-21.

Whitington, V., Glover A & Harley, F (2004). Preservice early childhood students’ perceptions of lecturer feedback on their essays. Early Child Development and Care, vol. 174, no. 4, pp321-338.

Whitington, V. (2001). Is interpersonal power exercised in groups of early years school children in the classroom context? Early Child Development and Care, 170, 77-92.

Whitington, V. & Ward, C. (1998). Intersubjectivity in caregiver - child communication. In L. Berk (ed.) Landscapes of Development, California Wadsworth.

Oswald, M., Johnson, B. & Whitington, V. (1997). Classroom discipline problems in South Australian and independent schools: Is there a difference? Research in Education, 58, 59-70.

Johnson, B., Whitington, V., & Oswald, M. (1994). Teachers' views on school discipline: A theoretical framework. Cambridge Journal of Education 24(2).

Oswald, M., Johnson, B., Whitington, V., & Dunn, R. (1994). Discipline in schools: a survey of Independent Schools in South Australia. Report No. 3 in Discipline in South Australian Schools series. University of South Australia, Adelaide.

Johnson, B., Whitington, V., & Oswald, M. (1993). Teachers' theorising about school discipline. Critical Issues in Australian Education, edited by A. Reid & B. Johnson. Centre for Studies in Educational Leadership, University of South Australia, Adelaide.

I am able to provide media comment in the following areas of expertise:

Discipline: Early childhood education/childcare

• Child development; Birth-8 years
• The development of children's thinking birth to 8 years
• Children's social development birth to 8 years
• Centre-based long day childcare
• The development of self control in children
• Culture and child development
• Early childhood workforce planning
• Relationships between TAFE and University programs