一本道

Ms Deirdre Grogan

Professor Of Practice

一本道 Institute of Education

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Personal statement

As a principal knowledge exchange fellow I lead the development of play within a range of early years settings from ages 3-8, across a variety of Local Authorities delivering Continual Professional Development to teachers and educators to enable them to be confident in delivering child led learning.聽 I have been very successful in securing a range of funding to improve impact of the following :聽

  • Creating effective learning environments for young children
  • Engagement and Interaction
  • Documenting young children's learning
  • Literacy and the young child
  • Pushing Play into P2
  • Reflections and Developments聽

My focus in Knowledge Exchange has its foundations in strong, active and innovative networks that operate in local, regional and national contexts. This character is a strength and essential to the pedagogic, collaborative and research aims that underpin it.聽 Within these contexts, I have a strong and recognised track record specifically in the field of early years education. This has resulted in successfully securing a range of contracts, including in this academic year, which are clearly set to development further across Local Authorities in Scotland. My reputation is as an academic who develops new knowledge exchange programmes driven by robust research methodologies and innovative techniques. Over the last 3 years (2016-2019) I have worked closely with a research assistant to ensure that key findings are embedded in my training.聽

I have tracked different methods of documenting young children's learning within the nursery sector and early primary to establish the effect on children's thinking. I work with educators to continually develop new creative ways of documenting learning - successful examples include learning walls, documentation stories, profiles.

I have been commissioned by various Local Authorities to deliver key note presentations focussing on my research into play based learning.聽聽

My training and research combines to impact early years education in Scotland.聽

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Publications

, , Murray Jane, Evans Erica, , Bowes Charlotte
Children鈥檚 Voice and Agency in Diverse Settings International Research and Perspectives (2024) (2024)
One-ery Approach West Dunbartonshire (2021) (2021)
(2021)
,
The Early Years Foundation Stage Theory and Practice (2021) (2021)
, Lamb Christie, Milligan Kayleigh, Connor Nicola,
SERA Research Education Bulletin, pp. 44-50 (2020)
Crichton Vicky, Carwood-Edwards Jean, Ryan Janine, McTaggart James, Collins Janice, MacConnell Mary Pat, Wallace Lesley, Diamond Catherine, , , MacAulay Liz, Shaw Nicky, Gill Catriona, Johnston Kathleen
(2020)

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Professional Activities

Speaker
10/6/2026
Speaker
22/4/2026
Speaker
25/3/2026
Speaker
22/1/2026
Speaker
22/1/2026
Speaker
18/10/2025

Projects

Grogan, Deirdre (Principal Investigator)
This online session was specifically designed for all staff new to play pedagogy. The session is presented in four chapters to allow a development of thought to support all staff implement play. The balance sheets at the end of the session were designed as a bridge between theory and practice.
09-Jan-2026 - 09-Jan-2026
Grogan, Deirdre (Principal Investigator)
Presenting key finding from my scholarship project on 'The Child's Curriculum' A framework has been designed from the data collected in Spateston ELCC to allow practitioners to revisit and review their own practice.
01-Jan-2026 - 01-Jan-2026
Grogan, Deirdre (Principal Investigator)
Documentation and Evidence of Learning Support 鈥� A bespoke two-session programme designed for early years settings, focusing on effective documentation practices and capturing children鈥檚 learning. The sessions support practitioners to develop meaningful approaches to observation, assessment, and documentation that celebrate children's experiences, inform planning, and communicate learning with families and stakeholders
21-Jan-2026 - 17-Jan-2026
Grogan, Deirdre (Principal Investigator)
This online session examines the progression of play pedagogy for children into the first level to allow educators to develop challenge and also collaboration. example from the field were used to support key discussions and next steps.
20-Jan-2026 - 20-Jan-2026
Grogan, Deirdre (Principal Investigator)
This webinar was designed for the Centre of Innovation to explore how play can be implemented across the primary stages. A flow-chart was created to focus on key element to support the design of play across early, first and second level.
25-Jan-2026 - 25-Jan-2026
Grogan, Deirdre (Principal Investigator)
This session focuses on the powerful role of language in supporting, extending, and deepening children's thinking through play. Participants will explore how intentional interactions, effective questioning, and active listening can enhance children's curiosity, creativity, problem-solving skills, and capacity for sustained shared thinking.

Through reflection and discussion, participants will consider the language used within their own settings and examine how practitioner-child interactions can influence learning outcomes. Particular attention will be given to creating environments where children feel heard, valued, and empowered to express their ideas, theories, and perspectives.

A reflective audit tool and accompanying diagram have been developed to support participants in evaluating current practice within their own setting. These resources provide a framework for examining the quality of interactions, identifying strengths, and highlighting opportunities for further development. Participants will be encouraged to use the tool collaboratively with colleagues to promote professional dialogue and continuous improvement.

Clear links are made throughout the session to How Good Is Our School? (HGIOS 4) and How Good Is Our Early Learning and Childcare? (HGIOELC?) quality indicators, enabling practitioners to connect the learning directly to self-evaluation, improvement planning, and professional standards. Participants will explore how high-quality interactions contribute to positive outcomes for children and support key aspects of leadership, learning, teaching, and assessment.
10-Jan-2026 - 02-Jan-2026

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Contact

Ms Deirdre Grogan
Professor Of Practice
一本道 Institute of Education

Email: d.grogan@strath.ac.uk
Tel: 444 8055