Overview
Background
Dr Sally Staton is a Senior Research Fellow in the Science of Learning Research Centre at the Queensland Brain Institute, UQ. Dr Staton has a strong commitment to research that can inform and ensure positive early life experience for all children. Her research focuses on the role of early education and care settings in supporting young children’s immediate and on-going social-emotional, cognitive and physical development. Dr Staton’s research spans a range of study designs and methodologies, including evaluation studies in educational settings (applying randomised control trial and quasi-experimental designs), longitudinal studies tracking large child cohorts (>2000 children), standard observation techniques (in vivo and video), survey and individualised standard child assessment (using educational and psychological measures), as well as studies employing physiological (cortisol, actigraphy, heart rate variability) and qualitative (child, educator and parent interviews, socio-metric) designs. She has a particular expertise in the development, application and interpretation of observational measurement for educational practices and teacher-child interactions in education contexts, including early childhood settings. Dr Staton has a strong track record in research translation and community engagement, including delivery of reports for government and non-government organisations, professional development packages for early childhood professionals and teachers, presentations, workshops, videos and articles for parents, government regulatory officers and the early childhood sector. In 2016, she was named among Queensland’s Young Tall Poppy Scientists for her contribution to science translation and engagement. In 2019 her succesful research partnerships with industry and government was acknowledged in a Partners in Research Excellence Award from UQ.
Availability
- Associate Professor Sally Staton is:
- Not available for supervision
- Media expert
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Bachelor of Creative Industries, Queensland University of Technology
- Postgraduate Diploma, Queensland University of Technology
- Bachelor (Honours), Queensland University of Technology
- Doctor of Philosophy, Queensland University of Technology
Research interests
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Human Development
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Children and families
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Early Childhood Education and Care policy/practices
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Measurement of early care environments
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Child health and well-being
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Children’s sleep patterns and development
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Digital Technology use
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In-situ observation methods
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Mealtime interactions
Research impacts
Key Examples of Research Impact include:
- Implementation of the Assisting Observations Toolkit by the Queensland Government, Department of Education to inform practices of Authorised Officers responsible for Assessment and Rating of all Early Education and Care services in Queensland, Australia.
- SLEEP Professional Development Program resources cited in childcare policy and procedure documents nationally, including government (e.g. Qld, SA education departments, ACECQA) and peak childcare organisations (e.g. C&K, Gowrie, Early Childhood Australia), and in doing so shaping legislative standards and practice expectations. See detailed description below.
- Research informed national legislative changes in October 2017 (ACECQA; NQS) requiring all early childhood education and care providers to have documented policy and procedures for sleep, rest and relaxation.
- News media coverage in over 200 media outlets nationally and internationally, including: Huffington Post, BBC, Fox News, Daily Mail, NBC, Reuters, ABC Radio, and Channel 9. I have also undertaken radio (ABC Local, and National), and television (Channel 9) interviews, with media seeking my opinion on topics including children’s sleep, napping in young children and sleep practices within the early childhood sector. In 2018 I was selected as a focus scientist for the Queensland Chief Scientist Science in Queensland Social Media Campaign.
- SLEEP Program delivered (2015-2019) to >170 peak ECEC organisation leaders and >100 DoE regulatory officers in Qld, including the first pilot RCT study of the impacts of this program on educator practices and interaction quality between educators and children in ECEC services.
- Research embedded within university Early Childhood training programs in Australia and internationally (UK).
- Invitations from the Director of Research Services Qld Govt. DoE (2017 and 2018) to present the sleep project as an example of successful partnership between research and government leading to impact on educational policy and practice.
- Delivery of the State of Early Learning in Australia Report, launched at Parliament House, Canberra, November 2019, including delivery of key indicators for Australia to inform policy and practice actions.
- Research translation into oral language resources for ECEC educators, distributed nationally through the Evidence for Learning Website, Social Ventures Australia, and presented directly to early childhood teachers working in Australian communities experiencing high developmental vulnerability.
- Featured scientist in state and national science engagement events and initiatives, including The Science of Sleep. ABC Radio National, Big Ideas Program (July 2019),
- Tall Poppy Science Award for recognition of my contribution to science communication and translation and Partners in Research Excellence Award for excellence in partnerships in research with government and industry.
Works
Search Professor Sally Staton’s works on UQ eSpace
2020
Other Outputs
Building your evidence engine: five evidence-informed strategies for promoting rich conversations with young children
Houen, Sandy, Staton, Sally, Thorpe, Karen and Toon, Danielle (2020, 02 06). Building your evidence engine: five evidence-informed strategies for promoting rich conversations with young children Education Today
2020
Journal Article
“Lie in the grass, the soft grass”: Relaxation accounts of young children attending childcare
Cooke, Emma, Thorpe, Karen, Clarke, Andrew, Houen, Sandy, Oakes, Candice and Staton, Sally (2020). “Lie in the grass, the soft grass”: Relaxation accounts of young children attending childcare. Children and Youth Services Review, 109 104722, 104722. doi: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2019.104722
2020
Journal Article
COVID-19: Giving the Gift of Family Time. Report from the Understanding the Social Impacts of COVID-19 Study
Staton, S., Coles, L., Zheng, Z. and Thorpe, K. (2020). COVID-19: Giving the Gift of Family Time. Report from the Understanding the Social Impacts of COVID-19 Study. Contact Magazine.
2020
Journal Article
Essential yet discounted: COVID-19 and the early childhood education workforce
Thorpe, K., Staton, S., Houen, S. and Beatton, T. (2020). Essential yet discounted: COVID-19 and the early childhood education workforce. Australian Educational Leader, 42 (3), 18-21.
2020
Book Chapter
Twins and other multiples
Thorpe, Karen, Staton, Sally and Bekkhus, Mona (2020). Twins and other multiples. Encyclopaedia of child and adolescent development. (pp. 1-15) edited by Stephen Hupp and Jeremy D Jewell. New York, United States: John Wiley and Sons. doi: 10.1002/9781119171492.wecad219
2019
Conference Publication
“Did my child sleep today?”: communication between parents and educators in childcare settings
Oakes, C., Staton, S., Houen, S., Cooke, E., Pattinson, C., Teo, S.-L. and Thorpe, K. (2019). “Did my child sleep today?”: communication between parents and educators in childcare settings. 15th World Sleep Congress, Vancouver, BC, Canada, 20-25 September 2019. Amsterdam, Netherlands: Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/j.sleep.2019.11.1070
2019
Journal Article
Observed compliance with safe sleeping guidelines in licensed childcare services
Staton, Sally, Pattinson, Cassandra, Smith, Simon, Pease, Anna, Blair, Peter, Young, Jeanine, Irvine, Susan and Thorpe, Karen (2019). Observed compliance with safe sleeping guidelines in licensed childcare services. Archives of Disease in Childhood, 104 (12), 1193-1197. doi: 10.1136/archdischild-2019-317000
2019
Conference Publication
Improving sleep health in early childhood: pilot rct of an educator professional development program to improve sleep practices in childcare services
Staton, S., Rankin, P., Thorpe, K., Oakes, C., Houen, S., Cooke, E. and Smith, S. (2019). Improving sleep health in early childhood: pilot rct of an educator professional development program to improve sleep practices in childcare services. World Sleep 2019, Vancouver, BC, Canada, 20-25 September 2019. Amsterdam, Netherlands: Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/j.sleep.2019.11.1013
2019
Journal Article
“Did my child sleep today?”: communication between parents and educators in early childhood education and care settings
Oakes, Candice, Staton, Sally, Houen, Sandra, Cooke, Emma, Pattinson, Cassandra, Teo, Sue-Lynn and Thorpe, Karen (2019). “Did my child sleep today?”: communication between parents and educators in early childhood education and care settings. Child & Youth Care Forum, 49 (2), 265-283. doi: 10.1007/s10566-019-09527-3
2019
Conference Publication
Social impact on children's health: The role of childcare
Staton, S. (2019). Social impact on children's health: The role of childcare. World Sleep Conference, Vancouver, Canada, 21-25 September 2019.
2019
Conference Publication
“I like relaxing on the trees when the leaves are falling”: children’s experiences of relaxation in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC)
Cooke, Emma, Thorpe, Karen, Clarke, Andrew, Houen, Sandy, Oakes, Candice and Staton, Sally (2019). “I like relaxing on the trees when the leaves are falling”: children’s experiences of relaxation in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC). International Society for Child Indicators, Tartu, Estonia, 27-29 August 2019.
2019
Other Outputs
Measuring Goodstart children’s progress and outcomes
Thorpe, Karen, Azhar Hussain Potia, Rankin, Peter, Beatton, Tony and Staton, Sally (2019). Measuring Goodstart children’s progress and outcomes. Brisbane, QLD Australia: Institute for Social Science Research, The University of Queensland.
2019
Other Outputs
Test cases for using Goodstart data
Thorpe, Karen, Potia, Azhar Hussain, Rankin, Peter, Beatton, Tony and Staton, Sally (2019). Test cases for using Goodstart data. Brisbane, QLD Australia: Institute for Social Science Research, The University of Queensland.
2019
Conference Publication
Waste not, want not: a comparison of maternal feeding responses to child fussy eating in low-income food secure and food insecure households
Harris, H. A., Staton, S., Morawska, A., Gallegos, D., Oakes, C. and Thorpe, K. (2019). Waste not, want not: a comparison of maternal feeding responses to child fussy eating in low-income food secure and food insecure households. International Society of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity Conference, Prague, Czech Republic, 4-7 June 2019.
2019
Journal Article
A comparison of maternal feeding responses to child fussy eating in low-income food secure and food insecure households
Harris, Holly A., Staton, Sally, Morawska, Alina, Gallegos, Danielle, Oakes, Candice and Thorpe, Karen (2019). A comparison of maternal feeding responses to child fussy eating in low-income food secure and food insecure households. Appetite, 137, 259-266. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2019.03.005
2019
Conference Publication
Children’s sleep and fathers’ lives in the early years: a systematic review
Coles, Laetitia, Allen, Alicia, Westwood, Emily, Staton, Sally, Oakes, Candice, Hewitt, Belinda, Thorpe, Karen and Ruppanner, Leah (2019). Children’s sleep and fathers’ lives in the early years: a systematic review. Australian Father Research Consortium Symposium, Melbourne, VIC Australia, 2-3 May 2019.
2019
Journal Article
Correlates of naptime behaviors in preschool aged children
Smith, Simon S., Edmed, Shannon L., Staton, Sally L., Pattinson, Cassandra L. and Thorpe, Karen J. (2019). Correlates of naptime behaviors in preschool aged children. Nature and Science of Sleep, 11, 27-34. doi: 10.2147/nss.s193115
2019
Conference Publication
Variation and average teaching quality as a predictor of academic outcomes: extending CLASS. Society for Research in Child Development
Rankin, P., Staton, S., Beatton, T. and Thorpe, K. (2019). Variation and average teaching quality as a predictor of academic outcomes: extending CLASS. Society for Research in Child Development. Society for Research in Child Development, Poster Symposium, Biennial Meeting, Baltimore, MD United States, 21 - 23 March 2019.
2019
Conference Publication
Many naps, one nap, none: tracking the developmental significance of sleep transition in early childhood
Thorpe, K., Smith, S., Mamun, A., Staton, S., Beatton, T., Heussler, H., LeBourgeois, M., Blair, P., Coles, L., Oaks, C. and Sinclair, G. (2019). Many naps, one nap, none: tracking the developmental significance of sleep transition in early childhood. 15th World Sleep Congress, Vancouver, Canada, 20-25 September 2019. Amsterdam, Netherlands: Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/j.sleep.2019.11.1071
2019
Other Outputs
Early childhood data analysis report
Coles, L., Staton, S., Thorpe, K., Van Os, D., Westwood, E. and Menner, R. (2019). Early childhood data analysis report. Brisbane, QLD Australia: The Front Project.
Funding
Current funding
Supervision
Availability
- Associate Professor Sally Staton is:
- Not available for supervision
Supervision history
Current supervision
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Doctor Philosophy
Child sleep development in the context of family work lives
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Peter Rankin
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Doctor Philosophy
The Developmental Significance of Sleep Transitions in Early Childhood
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Dwayne Mann, 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
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Karen Thorpe, Dr Sandy Houen
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Doctor Philosophy
Same Educator, Different Day
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Sandy Houen, Professor Karen Thorpe
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Doctor Philosophy
Understanding children's constructions and experiences of death, dying and loss
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Rebecca Olson
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Doctor Philosophy
The Signifiance of Nap Cessation for Children's Social-emotional Functioning
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Peter Rankin, Professor Karen Thorpe, Professor Simon Smith
Completed supervision
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2021
Doctor Philosophy
Relaxation and Unrest: A Crystallization of Children's Experiences in Early Childhood Education and Care
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Karen Thorpe
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2024
Doctor Philosophy
Why mealtimes matter: food provision and practices in childcare centres serving low-income communities.
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Adjunct Professor Robyn Littlewood, Professor Karen Thorpe
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2023
Doctor Philosophy
Sleep in Children with Down syndrome: Improving Outcomes
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Honey Heussler
Media
Enquiries
Contact Associate Professor Sally Staton directly for media enquiries about:
- Child Development
- Childcare
- Children
- Children's Relaxation
- Children's Sleep
- Early Childhood Education and Care
- Naps
- Naptimes
- Preschool
- Sleep
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