Rate My Professor Kelly Bittner

Dr. Kelly Bittner is a Senior Lecturer in Early Childhood in the Faculty of Education at Southern Cross University, where she serves as Post Graduate Course Coordinator for Early Childhood Education and Care on the Main and Sydney campuses. She earned her PhD in Educational Studies (2017), Master of Early Childhood (2012), and Bachelor of Education in Early Childhood (1999) from Macquarie University. Her career encompasses diverse roles, including Lecturer and ongoing Adjunct Fellow in the School of Education at Macquarie University (2012-present), Senior Researcher at the Australian Education Research Organisation (AERO, 2022-2024), Research Fellow at the ARC Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child at the University of Wollongong (2021-2022), Moderator at the Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA, 2008-2012), and Children's Services Advisor at the Department of Community Services (2007-2008).

Kelly Bittner's research focuses on young children's learning and development, digital citizenship, mathematics and science in early childhood, early STEM/STEAM, and professional learning and development for early childhood educators and teachers, underpinned by social justice and equity of opportunity. Key publications include 'Investigating Virtual Reality as a Resource to Enhance Early Childhood Initial Teacher Education: A Scoping Review' (Early Childhood Education Journal, 2026), 'Resisting hyperreality? Talking to young children about YouTube and YouTube Kids' (Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 2025), 'Engagement and Immersion in Digital Play: Supporting Young Children’s Digital Wellbeing' (International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2021), 'Practitioner inquiry as a professional learning strategy to support technology integration in early learning centres: Building understanding through Rogoff’s planes of analysis' (Professional Development in Education, 2020), and ''More than 'more': quantity and quality of mathematical language used by educators in mealtimes with infants' (International Journal of Early Years Education, 2022). She contributes to the field as a committee member for the Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, supporting publication processes and conferences, and previously as editorial assistant for the International Journal of Early Years. Her scholarship advances early childhood pedagogy, play, equity, digital technology integration, and STEAM education.