Early childhood education & care (ECEC) | Australian Education Research Organisation

Browse AERO’s resources for early childhood education and care settings.

Guides & resources (10+)

Smiling early childhood teacher or educator and child reading picture book together.

Practice resource

Early childhood learning trajectories

This collection of AERO’s Early Childhood Learning Trajectories is designed for teachers and educators working in early childhood education and care (ECEC) services for children in the years before school. It can support ongoing professional learning for individuals and entire ECEC services and teams.

Introduction to Early Childhood Learning Trajectories

This video introduces AERO's Early Childhood Learning Trajectories, freely available evidence-based resources for use alongside the EYLF 2.0 assessment and planning cycle. Early childhood education and care service teams can use these resources to support children’s learning, development and wellbeing.

Social and emotional learning: Trajectory

This Early Childhood Learning Trajectory video outlines children’s progress in social and emotional learning. It can be used alongside the EYLF 2.0 assessment and planning cycle to support children’s learning, development and wellbeing.

Research (10+)

Two educators sit at a desk smiling and pointing at a folder open in front of them

Discussion paper

Insights into implementation in early childhood education and care 2025

AERO has been working alongside ECEC services to increase our understanding of implementation of evidence-based practices in ECEC. This insights paper shares our learnings from the 2023 and 2024 iterations of the ECEC Learning Partner project.

Three women sitting around a desk in an office environment.

Research report

National early career teacher mentoring and induction support

This report considers the appropriateness of national early career mentoring and induction support for early childhood education and care (ECEC) teachers.

Three professional women sitting outdoors and looking at a laptop.

Research report

National professional practice network for educators and teachers

This report considers the appropriateness of a national professional practice network for teachers and educators working in early childhood education and care and outside school hours care.

Summaries & explainers (8)

Research summary

Professional learning research insight: Motivations for schools participating in external professional learning

Professional learning is a common strategy for influencing and supporting the use of evidence-based practices in schools and early childhood education and care (ECEC) services and enhancing learning outcomes for children and young people. The Australian Education Research Organisation (AERO) is exploring how best to deliver professional learning in the Australian education context. This research summary outlines early evidence from one of our research projects on coaching.

Research summary

Professional learning research insight: Building professional coaching relationships

This research summary provides an overview of how professional learning can influence and support the use of evidence-based practices in schools and early childhood education and care (ECEC) services, to enhance learning outcomes. It outlines early evidence from one of our research projects on coaching.

Research summary

Sharing professional learning via peer mentoring

This research summary provides an overview of a study on peer mentoring for professional learning conducted by AERO in partnership with ALNF.

Other (10+)

ECEC implementation insights

Deliberate and structured approach the key to embedding evidence-based practice in early education.

Five women sit on stage in front a screen, in the foreground an audience watch their presentation

Supporting early childhood teachers through mentoring and induction

Findings from a literature review into early career teacher mentoring and induction support conducted by AERO and Deakin University.

Dr Sarah Wight (left) and Rowena Shirtcliff, presenting at the 2025 Early Childhood Australia National Conference

Tackling the complexity of access in regional, rural and remote communities

Accessing quality early childhood education and care in regional, rural and remote Australia remains a significant challenge, with high stakes.