Dr. Natalie Brand

Biography

Natalie Brand is an early career postdoctoral researcher at Macquarie University's School of Education, contributing to the Centre for Research in Early Childhood Education. Her research focuses on toddlers' social interactions in early childhood centres, including exploring infant-toddler pedagogies that enhance interactions among young children, peers, and educators. Brand's work includes studying the use of learning-oriented language by toddlers, early childhood curriculum development, and the developmental trajectories of young children. She has a PhD from Macquarie University, where her thesis contributed to both practical and theoretical knowledge related to the learning potential of everyday conversations in early childhood centres. With extensive experience as an early childhood educator in both non-profit and for-profit settings, Brand employs various data collection techniques, such as observations and in-depth interviews, and utilizes qualitative analysis methods using NVivo. Currently, she plays a leading role in the MQ Toddler TaLK project, which aims to track the developmental trajectories of learning-oriented talk among toddlers aged 2.5 to 3.5 years, intending to increase knowledge about interaction features that promote language development in early childhood centres. Additionally, she teaches courses like EDST2120 Language Literacy Learning Early Childhood.

Research Interests