About the ECE LAB:
Led by Dr. Kristy Timmons, the Early Childhood Education Lab at Queen’s University is a research lab interested in improving understanding of the processes that influence young children’s learning, engagement, and self-regulation. Our research examines early childhood education from the perspective of social determinants of health and learning. This perspective perspective of early childhood education and care stresses the importance of “early experiences in lifelong health and well-being for individuals and for populations” (SECD, 2023). The first 2000 days of life is the most critical period for social, emotional, and physical development and essential to establishing successful life-time trajectories (SECD, 2021). Our research examines the processes that influence young children’s learning and self-regulation as a means of optimizing health and learning outcomes of children 0-5 with a particular focus on children who are historically and continuously marginalized. The overarching goal of our research is to advance equity in early childhood education through enhancing policies and programs that promote improved learning outcomes in the early years and beyond.
We carry out research with children, families, early childhood educators, and pre- and in- service teachers. Our research activities employ a team approach involving community partners, educators and not-for-profit organizations. We use multiple and mixed methods of inquiry to examine questions related to three streams of research:
1. Examining the influence and impact of educator expectations on children’s learning in kindergarten
2. Improving understanding of self-regulation and self-regulation assessment practices
3. Building educator and parent capacity to support learning in the early years