Kylie Smith

Professor Kylie Smith is Professor of Early Childhood Studies in the Faculty of Education at the University of Melbourne, where she obtained her PhD from the Melbourne Graduate School of Education. Her research specializes in childhood studies, equity, and social justice within early childhood education. Smith utilizes participatory research methods to enable young children to participate in research, policy, and pedagogical practices. She holds the position of Associate Director of the Global Childhoods Research Hub in the Faculty of Education and co-leads gender equity research at the Melbourne Social Equity Institute. Currently, she leads projects funded by the Australian Research Council, the Victorian Department of Education, and the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation. Additionally, she serves as co-editor of the journal Childrenz Issues.

Smith's scholarly contributions include highly influential publications such as 'Young children's rights and public policy: Practices and possibilities for citizenship in the early years' (MacNaughton, Hughes, and Smith, 2007, cited 235 times), 'Building resilience in children and young people' (Cahill et al., 2014, cited 119 times), and 'Early childhood professionals and children’s rights: tensions and possibilities around the United Nations General Comment No. 7 on Children’s Rights' (MacNaughton, Hughes, and Smith, 2007, cited 111 times). Other significant works encompass 'Young children as active citizens: Principles, policies and pedagogies' (Hughes, MacNaughton, and Smith, 2009, cited 102 times), 'Edu-capitalism and the governing of early childhood education and care in Australia, New Zealand and the United States' (Smith, Tesar, and Myers, 2016, cited 87 times), 'Contesting early childhood professional identities: A cross-national discussion' (Arndt et al., 2018, cited 91 times), and recent publications like 'Young children's right to be heard on the quality of their education' (Lundy et al., 2024) and 'Conceptualising “the more-than-migrant child”' (2024). Her research addresses critical topics including ethical research with young children, children's agency in evaluation, gender equity in early childhood settings, and professional identities. Smith's work has shaped international discussions on children's rights, ethical practices, and equitable policies in early childhood education.

Professional Email: kylieas@unimelb.edu.au