POET programme interviews

Pedagogies of Educational Transitions [POET] (described in the introductory Comment to this issue of Early Childhood Folio) brings together a wealth of expertise from the five countries involved. The staff exchange programme sets up a series of reciprocal interactions, among both researchers and their research projects. Each of the participating researchers is involved in existing programmes of research in their own country. In this final section Sarah Boyd presents interviews from two of the POET researchers. Hrönn Pálmadóttir gives a brief overview of the POET work in Iceland and reflects on the methodological issues of using video to research young children’s experiences. Vanessa Paki was a co-researcher on the foundation POET project in New Zealand, a 3-year Teaching and Learning Research Initiative, with Sally Peters, Keryn Davis, and a team of teacher researchers. Vanessa highlights the importance of deepening understanding and familiarity with the language, the culture and identity of Māori and engaging with Māori communities in order to support the transition experiences of Māori children and whānau. Finally, Professor Aline-Wendy Dunlop introduces three interrelated themes within a focus on Transitions as a Tool for Change, which underpin the POET research in Scotland.