![Professor Karen Thorpe](/sites/default/files/profiles/17707.jpeg)
Overview
Background
Karen Thorpe is Australian Research Council, Laureate Professor and Group Leader in Child Development, Education and Care at the Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland. Her research is grounded in the understanding that early learning experiences shape brain development and are critical in establishing trajectories of health, social inclusion and learning across the lifespan. A particular focus of her work is early care and education environments including parenting, parent work, quality of care and education, and the early years workforce.
Karen leads a multi-disciplinary team of developmental scientists undertaking large scale longitudinal studies with embedded studies to explicate mechanisms that enable or limit children’s life chances. She was Foundation Psychologist on the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children at the University of Bristol, UK; led the evaluation of the Preparing School Trial for Queensland Government; led the Queensland team of the E4Kids study of quality in Australian Early Education and Care and a recent data linkage project with Queensland Government to track participants through their school journey. In partnership with Queensland Government, Goodstart Early Learning and the Creche and Kindergarten Association she led a large population study of the Australian ECEC workforce (ARC Linkage). Her current research, as a chief investigator on the ARC Centre of Excellence for Children and Families across the life course, and through an ARC Laureate fellowship, is to examine barriers to providing high quality early learning services in developmentally vulnerable communities.
In 2013 and again in 2019 Karen was named by the Australian Financial Review as among Australia's 100 Women of Influence for the impacts of her research on educational and family policy. In 2020 she was recognised by Australian Government, Advance Global Awards for her international contribution to education. Karen chairs the Australian Early Years Reference Council for Evidence for Learning, Australia whose remit is to build a strong evidence-base in early childhood education and care with focus on translation into policy and practice. She is also director on the board of the Australian Research Council for Children and Youth and advisor to the national board of Beyond Blue – Be You.
Availability
- Professor Karen Thorpe is:
- Available for supervision
- Media expert
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Doctor of Philosophy, University of Bristol
Research interests
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Effects of experiences in the early years of life
Karen Thorpe is Australian Research Council, Laureate Professor and Group Leader in Child Development, Education and Care at the Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland. Her research is grounded in the understanding that early learning experiences shape brain development and are critical in establishing trajectories of health, social inclusion and learning across the lifespan. A particular focus of her work is early care and education environments including parenting, parent work, quality of care and education, and the early years workforce.
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Longitudinal studies
Karen was the Foundation Psychologist on the British Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children - a study of 14,000 children tracked from pregnancy in 1991 until the present day. This unique study was the first to combine genetic, biological and social data collections to understand the influences on children' s life course development. She continues to analyse data from this study and collaborate with colleagues in at the University of Bristol where these data are housed. Since returning to Australia in 2002 Karen has applied her expertise in longitudinal studies to create longitudinal data sets focused on early education and care experiences. She has established 4 large Australian data sets focussed on ECEC and in 2023 will commence another longitudinal study focused of ECEC in disadvantaged Australian communities funded by an Australian Laureate fellowship.
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Early Childhood Education and Care
Karen's work focuses on 4 domains that influence children's experiences in their early childhood learning environments - Policy - the funding mechanisms and social and educational policies directed towards access and quality of ECEC Provider - the effects of the mixed market of provision and enablers and constraints that influence allocation of available funds and types of provision Place - the social setting and circumstances that enter the ECEC service and room that can affect children's needs and everyday experiences People - the ECEC workforce and their capacity to support children and families given the resources within their setting A key focus is the potential of ECEC to redress social inequities and identifying ways to remove barriers to this aim
Works
Search Professor Karen Thorpe’s works on UQ eSpace
2013
Conference Publication
Examining the responsiveness of current sleep practices in early childhood education and care settings to children’s social, emotional and physical needs
Staton, S., Pattinson, C., Smith, S. and Thorpe, K. (2013). Examining the responsiveness of current sleep practices in early childhood education and care settings to children’s social, emotional and physical needs . Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth Conference: Infant & Early Childhood Social & Emotional Wellbeing Conference, Canberra, Australia, October 2013.
2013
Conference Publication
Parent preference for sleep in childcare for their preschool child
Sinclair, D., Staton, S., Pattinson, C., Smith, S. and Thorpe, K. (2013). Parent preference for sleep in childcare for their preschool child. Sleep Down-under, Australasian Sleep Association, Brisbane, Australia, October 2013.
2013
Other Outputs
Using digital technologies at home
Danby, S., Davidson, C., Theobald, M., Scriven, B., Cobb-Moore, C., Houen, S. and Thorpe, K. (2013, 01 01). Using digital technologies at home Cascades Newsletter
2013
Conference Publication
Access, uptake and engagement: Accounts from families with refugee status of accessing early education and care programs
Thorpe, K., Vromans, L. and Leske, R. (2013). Access, uptake and engagement: Accounts from families with refugee status of accessing early education and care programs. Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth Conference: Infant & Early Childhood Social & Emotional Wellbeing Conference, Canberra, Australia, October 2013.
2013
Conference Publication
The Thorpe Interaction Measure (TIM) as a brief observational assessment of interactions in non-parental settings
Thorpe, K. (2013). The Thorpe Interaction Measure (TIM) as a brief observational assessment of interactions in non-parental settings. Society for Research in Child Development, Seattle, WA, United States, April 2013.
2013
Conference Publication
Sleep policy, sleep practice and child sleep behaviours in early childhood settings: An observational study of 3-5 year olds
Pattinson, C., Staton, S., Smith, S. and Thorpe, K. (2013). Sleep policy, sleep practice and child sleep behaviours in early childhood settings: An observational study of 3-5 year olds. Society for Research in Child Development, Seattle, WA, United States, April 2013.
2013
Conference Publication
Observing emotional climate of sleep time in early childhood education and care settings: application of the CLASS
Pattinson, C., Staton, S., Smith, S. and Thorpe, K. (2013). Observing emotional climate of sleep time in early childhood education and care settings: application of the CLASS. The Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD), Seattle, WA United States, 2013.
2013
Conference Publication
Children’s accounts of sleep time in child care settings
Northard, M., Staton, S., Pattinson, C., Smith, S. and Thorpe, K. (2013). Children’s accounts of sleep time in child care settings. Sleep Down-under, Australasian Sleep Association, Brisbane, Australia, October 2013.
2013
Conference Publication
How do current sleep practices in early childhood education and care settings reflect current knowledge about good sleep habits and environments?
Marriott, A., Staton, S., Thorpe, K., Pattinson, C. and Smith, S. (2013). How do current sleep practices in early childhood education and care settings reflect current knowledge about good sleep habits and environments?. Sleep DownUnder 2013, River of Dreams, 25th ASM of Australasian Sleep Association and Australasian Sleep Technologists Association, Brisbane, QLD, Australia, 17–19 October 2013. London, United Kingdom: Springer. doi: 10.1111/sbr.12028
2013
Conference Publication
Early Childhood Education and Care Environments in Australia: Emerging evidence from the E4Kids study
Thorpe, K. (2013). Early Childhood Education and Care Environments in Australia: Emerging evidence from the E4Kids study. Crèche and Kindergarten Association of Queensland Annual Conference, Brisbane, Australia, 2013.
2013
Conference Publication
Access, uptake and engagement: Accounts from families with refugee status of accessing early education and care programs
Leske, R., Vromans, L. and Thorpe, K. (2013). Access, uptake and engagement: Accounts from families with refugee status of accessing early education and care programs. Society for Research in Child Development, Seattle, WA, United States, April 2013.
2013
Journal Article
Going online: young children and teachers accessing knowledge through web interactions
Danby, S., Houen, S., Grant, S., Thorpe, K. and Davidson, C. (2013). Going online: young children and teachers accessing knowledge through web interactions. Educating young children: learning and teaching in the early childhood years, 19 (3), 30-32.
2013
Conference Publication
Napping in preschoolers: staff beliefs and experiences in early childhood centres
Inglis, J., Staton, S., Smith, S., Pattinson, C. and Thorpe, K. (2013). Napping in preschoolers: staff beliefs and experiences in early childhood centres. Sleep DownUnder 2013, River of Dreams, 25th ASM of Australasian Sleep Association and Australasian Sleep Technologists Association, Brisbane, QLD, Australia, 17–19 October 2013. London, United Kingdom: Springer.
2013
Journal Article
The role adults play in engaging children with digital technologies
Thorpe, K., Danby, S., Davidson, C., Theobald, M., Scriven, B., Cobb-Moore, C. and Houen, S. (2013, 01 01). The role adults play in engaging children with digital technologies Cascades Newsletter
2013
Conference Publication
The child’s perspective of sleep time in full-day child care centres
Northard, M., Staton, S., Pattinson, C., Smith, S. and Thorpe, K. (2013). The child’s perspective of sleep time in full-day child care centres. Sleep DownUnder 2013, River of Dreams, 25th ASM of Australasian Sleep Association and Australasian Sleep Technologists Association, Brisbane, QLD, Australia, 17–19 October 2013. London, United Kingdom: Springer. doi: 10.1111/sbr.12028
2013
Conference Publication
Problem sleepers in childcare settings
Neil, E., Staton, S., Pattinson, C., Smith, S. and Thorpe, K. (2013). Problem sleepers in childcare settings. Sleep Down-under, Australasian Sleep Association, Brisbane, QLD, Australia, October 2013.
2013
Conference Publication
The effects of child-centred versus compulsory sleep practices in childcare: a salivary cortisol study
Staton, S., Pattinson, C., Smith, S. and Thorpe, K. (2013). The effects of child-centred versus compulsory sleep practices in childcare: a salivary cortisol study. 16th European Conference on Developmental Psychology, Lausanne, Switzerland, 3-7 September 2013.
2013
Conference Publication
Parental preferences towards daytime sleep for preschool aged children in early childhood education and care settings
Sinclair, D., Staton, S., Smith, S., Pattinson, C. and Thorpe, K. (2013). Parental preferences towards daytime sleep for preschool aged children in early childhood education and care settings. Sleep DownUnder 2013, River of Dreams, 25th ASM of Australasian Sleep Association and Australasian Sleep Technologists Association, Brisbane, QLD, Australia, 17–19 October 2013. London, United Kingdom: Springer. doi: 10.1111/sbr.12028
2013
Conference Publication
Carers beliefs about the value of sleep time in childcare settings
Inglis, J., Staton, S., Pattinson, C., Smith, S. and Thorpe, K. (2013). Carers beliefs about the value of sleep time in childcare settings. Sleep Down-under, Australasian Sleep Association, Brisbane, QLD, Australia, October 2013.
2013
Conference Publication
The social accomplishment of young children’s web searching in pre-school classrooms
Danby, S., Houen, S., Davidson, C., Theobald, M., Thorpe, K., Hansen, J. and Given, L. (2013). The social accomplishment of young children’s web searching in pre-school classrooms. International Pragmatics Association (IPrA), New Dehli, India, 8-13 September 2013.
Funding
Current funding
Supervision
Availability
- Professor Karen Thorpe is:
- Available for supervision
Before you email them, read our advice on how to contact a supervisor.
Supervision history
Current supervision
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Doctor Philosophy
Same Educator, Different Day
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Sally Staton, Dr Sandy Houen
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Doctor Philosophy
The Signifiance of Nap Cessation for Children's Social-emotional Functioning
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Peter Rankin, Associate Professor Sally Staton, Professor Simon Smith
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Doctor Philosophy
Can attachment theory be applied in early education and care environments? Theorising and measuring qualities of child-educator relationships
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Sandy Houen, Associate Professor Sally Staton
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Doctor Philosophy
Early Sleep Interventions to Improve Outcomes in Children with Neurodisability
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Jasneek Chawla
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Master Philosophy
The dilemma in the career development of international early childhood teachers in Australia
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Laetitia Coles
Completed supervision
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2024
Doctor Philosophy
Why mealtimes matter: food provision and practices in childcare centres serving low-income communities.
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Adjunct Professor Robyn Littlewood, Associate Professor Sally Staton
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2022
Doctor Philosophy
Pride and Prejudice: The claiming and contesting of male participation in Early Childhood Education and Care
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Laetitia Coles
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2019
Doctor Philosophy
Bridging the theory to evidence gap: a systematic review and analysis of individual × environment models of child development
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Mark Western
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2021
Doctor Philosophy
Relaxation and Unrest: A Crystallization of Children's Experiences in Early Childhood Education and Care
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Sally Staton
Media
Enquiries
Contact Professor Karen Thorpe directly for media enquiries about:
- child development
- childcare
- childcare educators work conditions
- children
- children's sleep
- early education and care
- early years workforce
- ecec
- educational policy
- longitudinal studies
- parenting
- preschool
- school readiness
- twins
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