Dr Emma Cooke
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Institute for Social Science Research
+61 7 344 31036
Researcher biography
Dr Emma Cooke is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Institute for Social Science Research (ISSR) and the Centre for Children's Health Research (CCHR) at the University of Queensland. She is a sociologist with expertise in the sociology of childhood and qualitative research, and she works in interdisciplinary teams. She researches Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC), early childhood discourses, children's rights, and the lived experiences of children, educators and families – with a focus on relaxation, sleep, gender, and wellbeing.
At ISSR, Dr Cooke is based in the Child Development, Education and Care Group and she is working on the Evaluation of the Queensland KindyLinQ Pilot Program. As a Research Fellow in the ARC Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child, she is currently researching educators' experiences of using Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in ECEC settings. At CCHR she works with doctors and nurses to research families' experiences of having a child with Down Syndrome and sleep difficulties.
In her PhD thesis, Dr Cooke utilised a crystallization methodological framework to gain multifaceted insights into children's relaxation and unrestful experiences in ECEC. She has extensive experience interviewing children and adults across a range of contexts, and uses different qualitative analysis methodologies, including thematic analysis, discourse analysis, and creative analytical practices. She is a member of 'DRAW: Departing Radically in Academic Writing' and is interested in exploring how to 'show and not tell' research and engage in research translation.
Publications
Book Chapter
Cooke, Emma, Brady, Michelle, Alipio, Cheryll and Cook, Kay (2018). Researching the experiences of young children using graphic elicitation: A case study of the use of drawing diaries in semi-structured interviews. SAGE Research Methods Cases Part 2. London, United Kingdom: SAGE Publications. doi: 10.4135/9781526439208
Journal Articles
Cooke, Emma, Zheng, Zhaoxi, Houen, Sandy, Thorpe, Karen, Clarke, Andrew, Oakes, Candice and Staton, Sally (2020). Discursive tensions: Outcomes and rights in educators’ accounts of children’s relaxation. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 146394912098348. doi: 10.1177/1463949120983480
Oakes, Candice, Staton, Sally, Houen, Sandra, Cooke, Emma, Pattinson, Cassandra, Teo, Sue-Lynn and Thorpe, Karen (2020). Correction to: “Did my child sleep today?”: communication between parents and educators in early childhood education and care settings (Child & Youth Care Forum, (2019), 10.1007/s10566-019-09527-3). Child and Youth Care Forum, 49 (2), 285-286. doi: 10.1007/s10566-019-09531-7
Cooke, Emma, Thorpe, Karen, Clarke, Andrew, Houen, Sandy, Oakes, Candice and Staton, Sally (2020). “Lie in the grass, the soft grass”: Relaxation accounts of young children attending childcare. Children and Youth Services Review, 109 104722, 104722. doi: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2019.104722
Oakes, Candice, Staton, Sally, Houen, Sandra, Cooke, Emma, Pattinson, Cassandra, Teo, Sue-Lynn and Thorpe, Karen (2019). “Did my child sleep today?”: communication between parents and educators in early childhood education and care settings. Child & Youth Care Forum, 49 (2), 265-283. doi: 10.1007/s10566-019-09527-3
Marston, Greg, Zhang, Juan, Peterie, Michelle, Ramia, Gaby, Patulny, Roger and Cooke, Emma (2019). To move or not to move: mobility decision-making in the context of welfare conditionality and paid employment. Mobilities, 14 (5), 1-16. doi: 10.1080/17450101.2019.1611016
Gehret, Hannah, Cooke, Emma, Staton, Sally, Irvine, Susan and Thorpe, Karen (2019). Three things I learn at sleep-time: children’s accounts of sleep and rest in their early childhood education programs. Early Years, 41 (5), 1-18. doi: 10.1080/09575146.2019.1634010
Cooke, Emma, Brady, Michelle, Alipio, Cheryll and Cook, Kay (2019). Autonomy, fairness and active relationships: children’s experiences of well-being in childcare. Children and Society, 33 (1), 24-38. doi: 10.1111/chso.12294
Conference Papers
Cooke, Emma, Houen, Sandy, Zheng, Zhaoxi and Staton, Sally (2020). The importance of understanding children’s perspectives: research with children. Paediatric Sleep Medicine Research Group (PSMRG) Research Mentorship Program Clinical Nurses Introduction Day, Queensland Children's Hospital, 19 October 2020.
Cooke, Emma (2020). Playfully rethinking the pandemic’s pivot imperative. Departing Radically in Academic Writing (DRAW)ing, our zeal, Virtual, 7-10 July 2020.
Oakes, C., Staton, S., Houen, S., Cooke, E., Pattinson, C., Teo, S.-L. and Thorpe, K. (2019). “Did my child sleep today?”: communication between parents and educators in childcare settings. 15th World Sleep Congress, Vancouver, Canada, 20-25 September, 2019. Amsterdam, Netherlands: Elsevier . doi: 10.1016/j.sleep.2019.11.1070
Staton, S., Rankin, P., Thorpe, K., Oakes, C., Houen, S., Cooke, E. and Smith, S. (2019). Improving sleep health in early childhood: pilot rct of an educator professional development program to improve sleep practices in childcare services. World Sleep 2019, Vancouver, Canada, 20-25 September 2019. Amsterdam, Netherlands: Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/j.sleep.2019.11.1013
Cooke, Emma, Thorpe, Karen, Clarke, Andrew, Houen, Sandy, Oakes, Candice and Staton, Sally (2019). “I like relaxing on the trees when the leaves are falling”: children’s experiences of relaxation in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC). International Society for Child Indicators, Tartu, Estonia, 27-29 August 2019.
Cooke, Emma (2019). Children’s experiences of relaxation and spiritual well-being in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC). Emerging Scholars Workshop at the International Society for Child Indicators conference, Tartu, Estonia, 26 August 2019.
Houen, Sandy, Cooke, Emma, Kraemer, E., Oakes, Candice, Thorpe, Karen and Staton, Sally (2019). Experiences of relaxation: the voices of early childhood education and care educators. Australian Association for Research in Education, Brisbane, QLD, Australia, 2-5 December 2019.
Cooke, Emma, Houen, Sandy, Thorpe, Karen, Oakes, Candice and Staton, Sally (2019). Methodological observations on the secret life of children's play: children's subversive behaviour during mandated sleep times in prior to school classrooms. EECERA Conference, Thessaloniki, Greece, 20-23 August 2019.
Oakes, Candice, Staton, Sally, Houen, Sandy and Cooke, Emma (2019). "Did my child sleep today?": communication between parents and educators in childcare settings. World Sleep Conference, Vanouver, BC, Canada, 21-25 September 2019.
Cooke, Emma, Thorpe, Karen, Clarke, Andrew, Houen, Sandy, Oakes, Candice and Staton, Sally (2019). Experiences of relaxation: the voices of young children in early education and care. Australian Association for Research in Education, Brisbane, QLD, Australia, 2-5 December 2019.
Cooke, Emma (2018). 'Play outside with no one': engaging with children to understand their experiences and protect their rights to relaxation in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC). HDR Scholar Masterclass facilitated by Professor Phil Scraton, Sydney, NSW Australia, 4 December 2018.
Cooke, Emma, Brady, Michelle, Alipio, Cheryll and Cook, Kay (2018). Police and nurses’ children’s experiences of wellbeing in their childcare arrangements. Addressing Childcare Flexibility Symposium, Melbourne, VIC Australia, 19 November 2018.
Cooke, Emma (2018). 'Lie in the grass, the soft grass': children’s experiences of relaxation in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC). The School of Social Science Postgraduate Conference , Brisbane, QLD Australia, 2 November 2018.
Cooke, Emma, Cook, Kay and Brady, Michelle (2018). Power dynamics at play in graphic elicitation interviews with children. International Sociological Association (ISA) World Congress, Toronto, Canada, 15-21 July 2018.
Cooke, Emma (2017). The need for a mentoring program in the Bachelor of Arts Honours year. Bachelor of Arts Conference, Brisbane, QLD Australia, 25-26 September 2017.
Cooke, Emma, Brady, Michelle, Cook, Kay and Alipio, Cheryll (2016). Children of nurse and police shift workers’ perspectives on their care. The Australian Sociological Association, Melbourne, VIC Australia, 28 November-1 December 2016.
Thesis
Cooke, Emma (2021). Relaxation and unrest: a crystallization of children’s experiences in early childhood education and care. PhD Thesis, Institute for Social Science Research, The University of Queensland. doi: 10.14264/e3db069
Video Document
Newspaper Articles
Cooke, Emma (2019, 09 16). Guest Post: A First-Time EECERA Conference Attendee’s Experience and Learnings European Early Childhood Education Research Association (EECERA) Blog
Cooke, Emma, Brady, Michelle, Alipio, Cheryll and Cook, Kay (2019, 01 14). Children’s experiences of childcare in Australia Sociology Lens
Cooke, Emma, Staton, Sally, Houen, Sandy, Thorpe, Karen and The Choosing Rest Research Team (2019, 01 01). What exactly is rest-time in childcare? Childmags.com.au
Cooke, Emma, Houen, Sandy, Staton, Sally, Thorpe, Karen and The Choosing Rest Research Team (2018, 01 01). “Get all cosy…. it’s like chill out”: children’s perspectives on relaxation in early childhood education and care Reflections Gowrie Australia Publication 1-2.
Research Reports
Staton, S., Thorpe, K., Smith, S.S., Irvine, S., Pattinson, C,, Rankin, P., Oakes, C., Teo, Y. and Cooke, E. (2017). Professional development package and resources for guiding sleep practices in early childhood education and care services in Queensland - Phase 2 Follow-up Final Report. Brisbane, QLD Australia: Department of Education, Queensland Government.