Dr Jayne Kinley

Jayne Kinley Dr Jayne Kinley

Degrees:

  • Doctor of Philosophy (UNE)
  • Graduate Diploma in Education (UNE)
  • Bachelor of Music (QCM)

Education was high on the register of family values growing up, possibly because my mother and father left school at the ages of 14 and 15 respectively to seek employment.

While I did not excel academically in secondary school I had a special talent when it came to the piano, winning numerous awards and recognition for my technical skills, emotional intelligence and interpretations of composers such as J.S.Bach, L.van Beethoven, and Bela Bartok. I wasn't too shabby at playing the clarinet either. I continued as a performer, teacher and conductor until the mid 1996 when my career changed direction to continue to explore the early childhood knowledge I had begun to explore earlier in 1990, the beginning of my relationship with UNE.

I completed the Graduate Diploma of Education (Infants/Primary) through distance education at home in Brisbane while caring for 3 children under the age of 7 years. It was very challenging yet my feelings during my trips to UNE in Armidale for the required intensive schools was a mix of sadness and guilt at leaving the family behind and excitment at meeting like-minded individuals with whom I could have adult conversations!

It was in 1996 that I decided a change of career was needed so with my interest in how young children learn, influenced by my obseravtions of my own children';s learning, I decided to venture into early childhood education. I spent many years teach and directing and managing early childhood settings, mentoring educators and encouraging alternative approaches to teaching and learning.

My specifial interest areas, early childhood teaching and learning in with and in nature, with a particular focus on children from birth to under three years of age, began to take shape at this time. My focus culminated in my acceptance to study a Masters degree at UNE.

When I had almost completed my Master of Education I successfully applied to upgrade my Masters study to PhD to more deeply investigate influences on early childhood educators' outdoor nature-based practices with children under three years of age.

I received my PhD in a ceremony in the beautiful Booloominbah grounds on 1 March 2022.

I am now teaching at UNE in the School of Education, beginning this new professional relationship as a casual academic in June 2021.