My current and recently completed projects can be organised under the three key strands that comprise my core research interests:

1. Understanding young children's social worlds
2. Statistics and quantitative methods in educational research
3. Promoting effective interventions for children

1) Understanding young children's social worlds

In June 2007, BBC Northern Ireland broadcast a one-hour documentary based on a groundbreaking survey I directed of the attitudes and experiences of 9-10 year old children in Northern Ireland. See the BBC website for State of Minds - The Children for full details on the findings of the report together with video clips of me explaining some of the attitudinal tests used with the children.

I am currently undertaking further analysis of a major baseline survey of 1,000 3-4 year old children drawn from 56 preschool playgroups across Northern Ireland conducted in 2005. The survey attempted to examine how the continuing political divisions within Northern Ireland have impacted on young children's awareness and attitudes.

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2) Statistics and quantitative methods in educational research

In August 2007 I published a major new textbook: Quantitative Data Analysis in Education: A Critical Overview Using SPSS aimed at students, researchers and academics in education.

I am currently working on a book entitled 'Randomised Controlled Trials in Social Research' (with Routledge) that aims to provide an accessible but thorough introduction to the design and analysis of randomised controlled trials, including step-by-step guides to analysis using screenshots from SPSS and MLwiN (specialised software for analysing hierarchical data).

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3) Promoting effective interventions for children

My current work within this strand falls into four main areas:

a) Evaluations of interventions for children

Much of my time at present is taken up with directing the NFER at Queen's Centre for Educational Research. My Centre is currently running a number of major randomised controlled trials funded as a result of significant investments being made in the island of Ireland by Atlantic Philanthropies as part of its Disadvantaged Children and Youth Program.

The key randomised controlled trials currently being run include:

• An evaluation of a pupil mentoring scheme being run by Business in the Community Northern Ireland involving 850 9-10 year old children from 50 different primary schools across Northern Ireland;
• An evaluation of the Media Initiative for Children being run by NIPPA - The Early Years Organisation and involving nearly 2000 3-4 year old children selected from 80 preschool settings across Northern Ireland and two counties in the Republic of Ireland.
• An evaluation (in collaboration with the Institute of Child Care Research) of 'Growing Child', a parent-directed child-centred programme aimed at improving outcomes for children between birth and 5 being run by the Lifestart Foundation. This trial will involve 500 parents across Ireland.
• We are also in the process of planning two further major trials (in collaboration with the National Children's Bureau Northern Ireland and the School of Psychology at Queen's University Belfast) evaluating new services being developed by NIPPA - The Early Years Organisation aimed at increasing preschool children's eagerness to learn and also their physical and emotional wellbeing respectively.

Further details on the above trials and also on a number of baseline surveys currently being conducted with the aim of informing the development of children's services can be found of the NFER at Queen's Centre's website.

b) The Queen's Initiative for the Promotion of Effective Interventions for Children

As Founding Chair of the Queen's Initiative I have played a leading role in developing a major programme of inter-disciplinary research aimed at supporting the development, delivery and rigorous evaluation of children's services in education, health and social care. What makes this programme of research particularly distinctive is the commitment to locating this work within a strong children's rights framework.

The Queen's Initiative has been successful in attracting initial investment of £2.7 million and is currently in the initial phase of being established. Further information on this Initiative will be available shortly.

c) Joint Learning Initiative on Children and Ethnic Diversity (JLICED)

As Founding Co-Director of the JLICED (with Prof. Tony Gallagher) I am also playing a leading role internationally in promoting an evidence-informed approach to the development, delivery and rigorous evaluation of early childhood diversity programmes in ethnically divided and/or conflict-affected areas. This ambitious six-year programme aims to bring together leading international experts to share and disseminate existing knowledge and practice and to make a major contribution to this evidence base by supporting the development and evaluation of new early childhood programmes in a number of developing countries characterised by ethnic divisions.

Having recently secured significant funding from the Bernard van Leer Foundation, the JLICED is currently in the process of being established and further information on this initiative will be available early in 2008.

d) Other projects associated with developing and evaluating early childhood diversity programmes

I am currently Director of Research for the production of a major new 20-episode local production of Sesame Street in Northern Ireland called Sesame Tree. The series is due to be broadcast early in 2008. Click here for more information.

In May 2007 I published a book I co-wrote with Jacqueline Hayden and Diane Levin: From Conflict to Peace Building: The Power of Early Childhood Initiatives - Lessons from Around the World. This book represents the accounts of early childhood professionals developing innovative programmes in areas affected by conflict.

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