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
-
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.
-
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.
-
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
2010
Book Chapter
Changing policy conceptualisations of ECEC: implications for research and evaluation
Thorpe, K., Cloney, D., and Tayler, C. (2010). Changing policy conceptualisations of ECEC: implications for research and evaluation. International encyclopaedia of education. (pp. Unknown-Unknown) New Delhi, India: APH Publishing.
2010
Other Outputs
Starting School: the role of teachers
Thompson, S., Staton, S. and Thorpe, K. (2010, 01 01). Starting School: the role of teachers AMBA Magazine
2010
Conference Publication
Being similar, being together - levels of conflict, warmth and shared play in twin versus single-born sibling dyads
Staton, S. and Thorpe, K. (2010). Being similar, being together - levels of conflict, warmth and shared play in twin versus single-born sibling dyads. International Society for Study of Behavioural Development (ISSBD), Lusaka, Zambia, July 2010.
2010
Journal Article
Starting school: in the classrooms
Thompson, C., Staton, Sally and Thorpe, Karen (2010). Starting school: in the classrooms. AMBA Magazine.
2010
Conference Publication
Fitting in and coming to belong: promoting school attendance of Indigenous Australian children
Thorpe, K., Staton, S. and Bell-Booth, R. (2010). Fitting in and coming to belong: promoting school attendance of Indigenous Australian children. International Society for Study of Behavioural Development (ISSBD), Lusaka, Zambia, July 2010.
2010
Conference Publication
Investing in early childhood
Thorpe, Karen (2010). Investing in early childhood. Annual general meeting Crèche and Kindergarten Association of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia, 2010. Brisbane, QLD, Australia: Crèche and Kindergarten Association of Queensland.
2010
Book Chapter
Managing medical advice seeking in calls to child health line
Butler, Carly W., Danby, Susan, Emmison, Michael and Thorpe, Karen (2010). Managing medical advice seeking in calls to child health line. Communication in healthcare settings: Policy participation and new technologies. (pp. 31-47) edited by Alison Pilnick, Jon Hindmarsh and Virginia Teas Gill. United Kingdom: Wiley-Blackwell. doi: 10.1002/9781444324020.ch3
2010
Conference Publication
Building on social strengths: engaging children in the culture of education in an indigenous Australian community
Thorpe, K., Tayler, C., Staton, S., Thompson, C., Bell-Booth, R. and Devine, M. (2010). Building on social strengths: engaging children in the culture of education in an indigenous Australian community. Lifespan resilience and social inclusion: Studies with children, adolescents, and adults from a variety of cultural backgrounds. International Society for the Study of Behavioural Development, Lusaka, Zambia, 2010.
2010
Conference Publication
Finding my way: The role of familial, community and educational relationships in two Indigenous boy’s transition to school
Bell-Booth, R., Thorpe, K., Staton, S., Thompson, C., Tayler, C. and Devine, M. (2010). Finding my way: The role of familial, community and educational relationships in two Indigenous boy’s transition to school. APS Psychology of Relationships Interest Group Conference, Brisbane, QLD Australia, 2010.
2010
Journal Article
Starting school: parental decisions
Thompson, C., Staton, Sally and Thorpe, Karen (2010). Starting school: parental decisions. AMBA Magazine.
2009
Journal Article
Accounting for quality in Australian childcare: A dilemma for policymakers
Ishimine, Karin, Tayler, Collette and Thorpe, Karen (2009). Accounting for quality in Australian childcare: A dilemma for policymakers. Journal of Education Policy, 24 (6), 717-732. doi: 10.1080/02680930903207695
2009
Journal Article
Managing medical advice seeking in calls to Child Health Line
Butler, Carly W., Danby, Susan, Emmison, Michael and Thorpe, Karen (2009). Managing medical advice seeking in calls to Child Health Line. Sociology of Health and Illness, 31 (6), 817-834. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-9566.2009.01179.x
2009
Other Outputs
Compromised or Competent: The inter-twin relationship
Danby, S. and Thorpe, K. (2009, 01 01). Compromised or Competent: The inter-twin relationship KidsLife (Australian Scholarships Group)
2009
Other Outputs
Communities for Children Mt Isa evaluation report
Thorpe, K., Tayler, C., Thompson, C., Staton, S. and Bell-Booth, R. (2009). Communities for Children Mt Isa evaluation report. Canberra, ACT Australia: Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs.
2009
Other Outputs
Calling for help: a responsive evaluation of Child Health Line
Danby, S., Thorpe, K., Emmison, M., Ferguson, R., Butler, C. and Daveson, N. (2009). Calling for help: a responsive evaluation of Child Health Line. Queensland: Queensland University of Technology.
2009
Conference Publication
Does the inter-twin relationship impede social interactions with others?
Staton, S., Thorpe, K., Thompson, C., Lockyer, J. and Danby, S. (2009). Does the inter-twin relationship impede social interactions with others?. APS Psychology of Relationships Interest Group Conference, Brisbane, QLD Australia, 2009.
2009
Journal Article
Academic views: friendly start to life
Danby, S. and Thorpe, Karen (2009). Academic views: friendly start to life. Education Views.
2009
Conference Publication
'Returning to work? Preferences and decisions of first-time mothers about engagement in paid work and care of their child'
Boyd, W., Thorpe, K. and Tayler, C. (2009). 'Returning to work? Preferences and decisions of first-time mothers about engagement in paid work and care of their child'. Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) Biennial Meeting, Denver, CO, United States, April 2009.
2009
Conference Publication
Measuring inter-twin relationships
Thorpe, K. and Staton, S. (2009). Measuring inter-twin relationships. APS Psychology of Relationships Interest Group Conference, Brisbane, QLD Australia, 2009.
2009
Journal Article
Compromised or Competent: The inter-twin relationship
Thorpe, K. (2009, 01 01). Compromised or Competent: The inter-twin relationship Australian Twin Registry Newsletter
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
-
Doctor Philosophy
Same Educator, Different Day
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Sally Staton, Dr Sandy Houen
-
Master Philosophy
The dilemma in the career development of international early childhood teachers in Australia
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Laetitia Coles
-
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
-
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
-
Doctor Philosophy
Early Sleep Interventions to Improve Outcomes in Children with Neurodisability
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Jasneek Chawla
Completed supervision
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
Need help?
For help with finding experts, story ideas and media enquiries, contact our Media team: