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:
- 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
2017
Conference Publication
Supporting sleep development in early childhood: What role does childcare play?
Staton, S., Pattinson, C., Smith, S., Irvine, S. and Thorpe, K. (2017). Supporting sleep development in early childhood: What role does childcare play?. 18th European Conference of Developmental Psychology, Utrecht, Netherlands, 2017.
2016
Journal Article
Supporting sleep in early care and education: an assessment of observed sleep times using a sleep practices optimality index
Staton, Sally, Marriott, Annette, Pattinson, Cassandra, Smith, Simon, Sinclair, Dominique and Thorpe, Karen (2016). Supporting sleep in early care and education: an assessment of observed sleep times using a sleep practices optimality index. Sleep Health, 2 (1), 30-34. doi: 10.1016/j.sleh.2015.12.005
2016
Journal Article
What parents want: parent preference regarding sleep for their preschool child when attending early care and education
Sinclair, Dominique, Staton, Sally, Smith, Simon S., Pattinson, Cassandra L., Marriott, Annette and Thorpe, Karen (2016). What parents want: parent preference regarding sleep for their preschool child when attending early care and education. Sleep Health, 2 (1), 12-18. doi: 10.1016/j.sleh.2015.11.002
2016
Journal Article
Environmental light exposure is associated with increased body mass in children
Pattinson, Cassandra L., Allan, Alicia C., Staton, Sally L., Thorpe, Karen J. and Smith, Simon S. (2016). Environmental light exposure is associated with increased body mass in children. PLoS One, 11 (1) e0143578, e0143578. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0143578
2016
Other Outputs
The importance of sleep for preschool children’s learning. Implications for practices in early education settings
Thorpe, K., Pattinson, C., Staton, S. and The Sleep in Early Childhood Research Group (2016, 01 01). The importance of sleep for preschool children’s learning. Implications for practices in early education settings Bedrock
2016
Journal Article
What parents want: sleep, rest and relaxation for pre-schoolers
Staton, Sally, Thorpe, Karen and The Sleep in Early Childhood Research Group (2016). What parents want: sleep, rest and relaxation for pre-schoolers. Belonging Early Years Journal, 5 (2), 12-14.
2016
Other Outputs
Sleep Practices in Early Childhood: Report on research and translation for babies and toddlers aged birth to 3 years
Staton, S., Thorpe, K., Smith, S.S., Irvine, S., Pattinson, C., Sinclair, D., Hassell, S. and Wihardjo, K. (2016). Sleep Practices in Early Childhood: Report on research and translation for babies and toddlers aged birth to 3 years. Brisbane, QLD Australia: Department of Education, Queensland Government.
2016
Conference Publication
Group napping patterns in relation to duration of mandatory naptimes in childcare settings
Staton, Sally, Smith, Simon, Hurst, C., Pattinson, Cassandra and Thorpe, Karen (2016). Group napping patterns in relation to duration of mandatory naptimes in childcare settings. SLEEP, Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, Boston, MA USA, 2016.
2016
Conference Publication
Sleep when the baby sleeps: infant daytime sleep predicts maternal depressive symptomology
Thorpe, K., Staton, S., Cockshaw, W., Pattinson, C. and Smith, S. (2016). Sleep when the baby sleeps: infant daytime sleep predicts maternal depressive symptomology. Conference of the American Sleep Physicians Association, Denver, CO, United States, June 2016.
2016
Conference Publication
Day and night sleep duration as predicators of children’s weight status
Pattinson, C., Staton, S., Thorpe, K. and Smith, S. (2016). Day and night sleep duration as predicators of children’s weight status. Conference of the American Sleep Physicians Association, Denver, CO, United States, June 2016.
2015
Journal Article
The sleeping elephant in the room: practices and policies regarding sleep/rest time in early childhood education and care
Staton, Sally, Irvine, Susan, Pattinson, Cassandra, Smith, Simon and Thorpe, Karen (2015). The sleeping elephant in the room: practices and policies regarding sleep/rest time in early childhood education and care. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, 40 (4), 77-86. doi: 10.1177/183693911504000410
2015
Conference Publication
Physiological consequences of light exposure in preschool children
Pattinson, Cassandra, Allan, Alicia, Staton, Sally, Thorpe, Karen and Smith, Simon (2015). Physiological consequences of light exposure in preschool children. 27th ASM of Australasian Sleep Association and Australasian Sleep Technologists Association, Melbourne, VIC Australia, 22 – 24 October 2015. London, United Kingdom: Springer . doi: 10.1111/sbr.12132
2015
Conference Publication
Children’s sleep patterns on days attending and not attending childcare
Staton, Sally, Pattinson, Cassandra, Smith, Simon, Wihardjo, Kylie and Thorpe, Karen (2015). Children’s sleep patterns on days attending and not attending childcare. 27th ASM of Australasian Sleep Association and Australasian Sleep Technologists Association, Melbourne, VIC Australia, 22–24 October 2015. London, United Kingdom: Springer . doi: 10.1111/sbr.12132
2015
Conference Publication
Awaking the sleeping elephant in the room: Translating sleep science into sleep practice in Early Childhood Education and Care
Staton, S., Smith, S., Pattinson, C., Irvine, S., Theobald, M., Nothard, M. and Thorpe, K. (2015). Awaking the sleeping elephant in the room: Translating sleep science into sleep practice in Early Childhood Education and Care. Improving Children's Lives: Translating Research for Practice, Policy and Community Conference, Wollongong, NSW, Australia, September 2015.
2015
Journal Article
Napping, development and health from 0 to 5 years: a systematic review
Thorpe, Karen, Staton, Sally, Sawyer, Emily, Pattinson, Cassandra, Haden, Catherine and Smith, Simon (2015). Napping, development and health from 0 to 5 years: a systematic review. Archives of Disease in Childhood, 100 (7), 615-622. doi: 10.1136/archdischild-2014-307241
2015
Journal Article
“I Have to Rest All the Time Because You are Not Allowed to Play”: exploring children’s perceptions of autonomy during sleep-time in long day care services
Nothard, Michaela, Irvine, Susan, Theobald, Maryanne, Staton, Sally, Pattinson, Cassandra and Thorpe, Karen (2015). “I Have to Rest All the Time Because You are Not Allowed to Play”: exploring children’s perceptions of autonomy during sleep-time in long day care services. International Journal of Early Childhood, 47 (3), 423-442. doi: 10.1007/s13158-015-0143-z
2015
Conference Publication
Meeting the National Quality Standards for sleep and rest
Staton, S., Thorpe, K., Irvine, S. and Smith, S. (2015). Meeting the National Quality Standards for sleep and rest. C&K Queensland Early Childhood Conference, Brisbane, QLD Australia, May 2015.
2015
Journal Article
Mandatory naptimes in child care and children's nighttime sleep
Staton, Sally L., Smith, Simon S., Pattinson, Cassandra L. and Thorpe, Karen J. (2015). Mandatory naptimes in child care and children's nighttime sleep. Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, 36 (4), 235-242. doi: 10.1097/DBP.0000000000000157
2015
Journal Article
"Do I really need a nap?": the role of sleep science in informing sleep practices in early childhood education and care settings
Staton, Sally L., Smith, Simon S. and Thorpe, Karen J. (2015). "Do I really need a nap?": the role of sleep science in informing sleep practices in early childhood education and care settings. Translational Issues in Psychological Science, 1 (1), 32-44. doi: 10.1037/tps0000011
2015
Conference Publication
Navigating the minefield: Sleep and rest times within the context of the National Quality Standard
Staton, S., Thorpe, K. and Irvine, S. (2015). Navigating the minefield: Sleep and rest times within the context of the National Quality Standard. Early Childhood Australia, North Coast Annual Conference, Kingscliff, NSW Australia, March 2015.
Funding
Current funding
Supervision
Availability
- Associate Professor Sally Staton is:
- Available for supervision
Before you email them, read our advice on how to contact a supervisor.
Available projects
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Sleep development in young children
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Sleep Development
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Physical Environments in Early Childhood Services
Supervision history
Current supervision
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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
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
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
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
Towards a Critical Post-humanist Symphony of Children-Deaths
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Rebecca Olson
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Doctor Philosophy
Towards a Critical Post-humanist Symphony of Children-Deaths
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Rebecca Olson
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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
An Ecological Case Study of Early Childhood Education and Care in Normanton
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Karen Thorpe, Dr Azhar Potia
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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
The Significance of Nap Cessation for Children's Social-emotional Functioning
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Peter Rankin, Professor Karen Thorpe, Professor Simon Smith
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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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