Professor Wendy Schiller

Writer, researcher and teacher, Professor Wendy Schiller has worked in Canada, South Africa, PNG and Australia with indigenous and non-indigenous populations and taught at the tertiary level in Canada and Australia. Wendy has edited and authored 11 books, 25 book chapters and some 40 journal articles. She is currently Director of Research at de Lissa Institute of Early Childhood and Family Studies at University of South Australia, and also the Technical Director for a $1.5 million AusAID teaching project in PNG. She has also been project director of a $1.8 million international research project ‘Caravan Families’ with the Bernard van Leer Foundation, Netherlands. Recent research includes the South Australian Department of Human Services (2002/2003) study ‘Children’s perceptions of play, place and space’ the Department of Education and Children’s Services (2001/2002) ‘Preschool survey of physical activities for parents and teachers’, and ‘Better social care for rural Australians: Removing the human resource barriers and establishing a sound professional knowledge base’ (2003/2004). Wendy is a consultant to Windmill Performing Arts, Kindergym Australia, SA Minister of Education Advisory Committee ‘Active for life’, SA Department of Human Services, Australian Broadcasting Authority and Australian Sports Commission and was awarded an Order of Australia Medal (OAM) for services to early childhood education in 2003.

de Lissa Institute of Early Childhood & Family Studies Home Page

Recent Publications

Thinking through the arts

Member, Australian College of Education

Member, Australian Association for Research in Education

Dance and the Child International (UNESCO Affiliate)

Life Member, USA National Association for Education of Young Children

Member, Australian Council for Health, Physical Education and Recreation

Member, AusDance NSW

Member,Australian Gymnastic Federation (Kindergym Australia)

Member, American Alliance of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance

PhD (Macquarie)

MEd (ECE) (Alberta)

BEd, with Distinction (Alberta)

AUA (University of Adelaide)

Dip of Teaching Infants (Adelaide)

• Curriculum development
• Early childhood movement and motor development
• Creative arts
• Adult/child interaction
• Program design
• International consultancies:- AusAID Mid term review - Papua New Guinea Elementary Education (1999); AusAID/UNESCO, Black townships, South Africa (1996); Gymnaestrada, Berlin (1995)
• National Consultancies:- Australian Children's Television Foundation; Australian Broadcasting Authority; Australian Gymnastic Federation; Australian Sports Commission
• State Consultancies:- Australian Museum, NSW; NSW Art Gallery and Powerhouse Museum; Contact Inc. (NSW) for remote and isolated families and National Mobile Meets; Tertiary representative on NSW Board of Studies Creative Arts (K-6 Syllabus Committee) and Health, Personal development, Physical Education (K-6 syllabus Committee).
• Edited 5 books, co-authored 6 books, 17 book chapters, 24 journal articles, 4 conference proceedings (ed.), 13 reports to national and international bodies.

Schiller, W. & Einarsdottir, J. (2009). Listening to young children’s voices in research: Changing perspectives/Changing relationships. (Special Issue). Early Child Development and Care. December. London: Taylor & Francis. 179(2), 125 – 130.

Schiller, W. & Einarsdottir, J. (Eds) (2009). Child-adult Relationships. Special Issue: Early Child Development and Care. 179 (2). ISSN: 1476-8275 (electronic) 0300-4430 (paper)

MacDougall, C., Schiller, W., & Darbyshire, P. (2009). What are our boundaries and where can we play? Perspectives from 8-10 year old Australian metropolitan and rural children. (Special Issue). Early Child Development and Care. December. London: Taylor & Francis . 179(2).

Meiners, J. & Schiller, W. (2008). Young children, the arts and culture. International Journal of Diversity in Organisations, Communities and Nations.8 np. Available at: www.diversity-journal.com

Schiller, W. & World Wide Project Management Services (2004). Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood) Conversion Degree Program. Final Report. AusAID and GRM.

Schiller, W. & Veale, A. & Harper, J. (2005) Early childhood education and care in Australia: Approaches, issues, policies and research. In B. Spodek & O. Saracho (Eds.). International perspectives in early childhood education. Information Age Publishing : New York.

Schiller, W. (Ed.) (2004). Research at the Edge : Concepts and Challenges. Special Issue. Early Child Development and Care. London : Taylor & Francis. Vol. 174(4) May. ISSN 0300-4430.

MacDougall, C. & Schiller, W., Darbyshire, P. (2004). We have to live in the future. Early Child Development and Care. 174(4), 369 – 387.

Schiller, W. & Meiners, J. (2003). Dance: moving beyond steps to ideas. In S. Wright, (Eds.) Children, Meaning-making and the Arts. Ch. 4, 91-116. Pearson Education Australia : Sydney. ISBN 1-74103-108-7

Meiners, J., Schiller, W. & Orchard, J. (2003), Children and the arts: Developing educational partnerships between pre-school, school and tertiary sectors with the performing arts industry. British Journal of Inservice Education. Special Issue: Professional Development Schools.

Schiller, W. & World Wide Project Management Services (2003). Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood) Conversion Degree Program. Six Monthly Report of Activities. End of Semester 2: August 2003, and end of Semester 3: March 2004. AusAID and GRM.

McDowall, J., Ebbeck, M., & Schiller, W. (2002). Collaborative teacher education research: Mentoring to enhance professional understanding of literacy, learning through the expressive arts. Spencer Foundation Grant Report, 2001 – 2002.

Schiller, W. & World Wide Project Management Services (2002). Bachelor of Early Childhood Conversion Degree Program. Six Monthly Report of Activities, End of Semester 1 :2002. AusAID and GRM.

Schiller, W. (Ed.) (2001). The Power of Choice in Early Childhood : Research or Rhetoric? Special Issue. Early Child Development and Care. Vol. 170 (Part 1) and 171 (Part 2). London: Taylor & Francis. ISSN 0300-4430.

Lam, H. M. & Schiller, W. (2001), A pilot study on the gross-motor proficiency of Hong Kong preschoolers aged 5-6 years. In W. Schiller (Ed.) The power of choice in early childhood research or rhetoric? Special issue. Early Child Development and Care, Vol 171 (Part 2), 11-21. London: Taylor & Francis.

Schiller, W. (Ed.) (2000). Thinking through the arts. Amsterdam: Harwood Academic. ISBN 90-5702-496-9.

Schiller, W. (2000) 'Art, thinking, young children? : An overview '. In W. Schiller (Ed.) Thinking through the arts. Amsterdam : Harwood Academic. 1-7.

Schiller, W. & Schiller, J. (2000). Thinking with the body: Dancing ideas. In W. Schiller. (Ed.). Thinking through the Arts. Amsterdam: Harwood Academic. 191-204. ISBN 90-5702-496-9.

Telfer, R. & Schiller, W, (2000). Papua New Guinea Elementary Teacher Education Support Project. Extension Program Design (May) Government of Australia and Papua New Guinea; AusAID.

Schiller, W. (Ed.) (1999) Issues in early childhood research. Special Issue. Early Child Development and Care Vol 159 London: Gordon and Breach.

Schiller, W. (1999). Adult/Child interactions: How patterns and perceptions can influence planning. In W. Schiller, (Ed.). Issues in Early Childhood Research. Special Issue. Early Child Development and Care. 159, 75-92. London: Gordon and Breach.

Schiller, W. (1999) The landscape of research in early childhood. In W. Schiller, (Ed.). Issues in Early Childhood Research. Special Issue. Early Child Development and Care, Vol 159. London: Gordon & Breach.

Sinclair, P., Schiller, W. & Boeha, B. (1999). Papua New Guinea Elementary Teacher Education Support Project. Mid-Term Review (July) Government of Australia and Papua New Guinea; AusAID.

Fereday, J., MacDougall, C., Spizzo, M.,Darbyshire, P., & Schiller, W. (2009). There's nothing I can't do: A qualitative analysis of how children with chronic disease and their parents account for and manage physical activity. BMC Pediatrics (7845 hits since publication, Jan1, 2009. Therefore, it is listed as ‘highly accessed’). Available at http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcpediatr/ Specifically ; http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2431/9/1

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

Discipline: Early childhood education/childcare

• Dance
• Child, parent interaction