Dr Sonya Gaches, Our People, College of Education

Sonya Gaches Senior Lecturer (Early Childhood Education)
BSc ECE BSc ElEd (Kansas State) EdD (Arizona State)

Dunedin campus
Tel +64 3 479 8949
Email sonya.gaches@otago.ac.nz

Biography

After growing up in the heartland of the United States, I received Bachelor's degrees in both early childhood and elementary education and began my teaching career with infants and toddlers. I then continued my teaching career at a variety of early childhood levels for more than twenty years in Arizona. I decided to pursue my doctorate and move to the university after working with many teaching practicum students and feeling a pull to research. For six years, I was a teacher educator at the University of Arizona in Tucson and am now thrilled to be at the University of Otago, with the opportunity to work with many more teachers, children and families.

Teaching areas

Childhood studies, children's rights and participation
Child development
Curriculum and pedagogy in early childhood education and care
Assessment and documentation in early childhood

Research interests

Teachers' narratives of their lived classroom experiences, especially in regards to issues of social justice, inclusion and care
Children's rights and participation
Policy effects on teachers, children and families

Publications

Gaches, S., & Martin, R. (2024). “Professional conversations which lead to professional learning”: Provoking change in teacher education (and beyond) through Te Tiriti o Waitangi and mana whenua relationships. In I. Berger (Ed.), Intimately situated stories of place: Activating place-centred pedagogies in early childhood education. (pp. 245-266). Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-63034-7_12 Chapter in Book - Research

Gaches, S. (2024). ‘It's not, it's not random’: Teaching and learning in infant and toddler settings. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1177/14639491241292764 Journal - Research Article

Gunn, A. C., Carvalho, R., Gaches, S., & Gaffney, M. (2024). Influencing teacher learning with narratives of care-full teaching. Proceedings of the 32nd European Early Childhood Education Research Association (EECERA) Annual Conference. A16. [Abstract] Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

Gaches, S., Gunn, A., Gaffney, M., & Carvalho, R. (2024). Refocusing care as central to teaching within ECE. Early Childhood Folio, 28(1), 13-17. doi: 10.18296/ecf.1137 Journal - Research Article

Gaches, S., Gaffney, M., Carvalho, R., Curtis, A., & Gunn, A. (2024, February). The care-FULL work of early childhood professionals. Verbal presentation at the Performance of the Real Research Theme Interdisciplinary Conference: Performing Care and Carelessness, Dunedin, New Zealand. Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs

2024

Chapter in Book - Research

Journal - Research Article

Gaches, S., Gunn, A., Gaffney, M., & Carvalho, R. (2024). Refocusing care as central to teaching within ECE. Early Childhood Folio, 28(1), 13-17. doi: 10.18296/ecf.1137

Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs

2023

Edited Book - Research

Gibbons, A., Gaches, S., Arndt, S., Sapon-Shevin, M., Murray, C., Urban, M., & Tesar, M. (Eds.). (2023). Home in early childhood care and education: Conceptualizations and reconfigurations. Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan, 214p. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-43695-6

Chapter in Book - Research

Gaches, S. (2023). The things of home: Histories, people, stories, belonging. In A. Gibbons, S. Gaches, S. Arndt, M. Sapon-Shevin, C. Murray, M. Urban & M. Tesar (Eds.), Home in early childhood care and education: Conceptualizations and reconfigurations. (pp. 133-149). Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-43695-6_1

Gibbons, A., Sapon-Shevin, M., Gaches, S., Urban, M., Murray, C., Tesar, M., & Arndt, S. (2023). Welcome to home: An introduction. In A. Gibbons, S. Gaches, S. Arndt, M. Sapon-Shevin, C. Murray, M. Urban & M. Tesar (Eds.), Home in early childhood care and education: Conceptualizations and reconfigurations. (pp. 1-24). Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-43695-6_1

Journal - Research Article

Gaches, S. (2023). Sharing their ideas with the world: The views and voices of young children. Journal of Early Childhood Research, 21(1), 46-62. doi: 10.1177/1476718X221125593

Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

Gaches, S. (2023). Kaiako intentionality in care and education with infants and toddlers. Proceedings of the New Zealand Association for Research in Education (NZARE) Conference. 1061. Retrieved from https://nzare.org.nz/

Gaches, S., Carvalho, R., Curtis, A., & Gaffney, M. (2023). Mā te ahurei o te tamaiti e ārahi i ā tātou mahi: Let the uniqueness of the child guide our work [Panel discussion]. Proceedings of the 29th Reconceptualizing Early Childhood Education (RECE) Conference : Pathways: Where we've been, where we are, where we want to go. (pp. 8). Retrieved from https://receinternational.org/

2022

Journal - Research Article

Gaches, S. (2022). Building from At-Promise: Scholarship and mentoring for transformation. International Critical Childhood Policy Studies, 9(1), 37-48.

Gaches, S., Martin, R., Clark, B., & Paerata, M. (2022). Educating the teacher educators: Embedding Te Tiriti o Waitangi relationships in ongoing professional learning and development. Asia-Pacific Journal of Research in Early Childhood Education, 16(3), 99-121. doi: 10.17206/apjrece.2022.16.3.99

Gaches, S. (2022). Using critically reflexive ethics in practice to address issues of representation in children’s rights-based research. Global Studies of Childhood, 12(4), 374-386. doi: 10.1177/2043610620959679

2021

Journal - Research Article

Gaches, S. (2021). Can I share your ideas with the world? Young children's consent in the research process. Journal of Childhood Studies, 46(2), 20-33. doi: 10.18357/jcs462202119925

2020

Chapter in Book - Research

Betts, R., & Gaches, S. (2020). Entering unknown spaces: Tamariki and whānau from refugee backgrounds. In A. C. Gunn, N. Surtees, D. Gordon-Burns & K. Purdue (Eds.), Te aotūroa tātaki: Inclusive early childhood education: Perspectives on inclusion, social justice and equity from Aotearoa New Zealand. (2nd ed.) (pp. 72-89). Wellington, New Zealand: NZCER Press.

Gaches, S., & Gallagher, M. (2020). Children as research consultants: The ethics and rights of no research about them without consulting with them. In J. Murray, B. B. Swadener & K. Smith (Eds.), The Routledge International Handbook of Young Children's Rights. (pp. 484-503). Abingdon, UK: Routledge.

2019

Journal - Research Article

Gaches, S., & Gaffney, M. (2019). Children's rights and the draft Strategic Plan for Early Learning: Where are the children? Early Childhood Folio, 23(1), 22-27. doi: 10.18296/ecf.0064

Journal - Research Other

Gaches, S., & Gunn, A. C. (2019). (New) critical readings of Aotearoa New Zealand early childhood policy and practice. International Critical Childhood Policy Studies, 7(1), 1-5. [Editorial].

Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

Gaches, S. (2019). Powerful voices: Children as research consultants. Proceedings of the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Meeting: Leveraging Education Research in a "Post-Truth" Era: Multimodal Narratives to Democratize Evidence. Retrieved from http://www.aera19.net/

Gaches, S. (2019). Gun play, funds of knowledge, and children's rights. Proceedings of the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Meeting: Leveraging Education Research in a "Post-Truth" Era: Multimodal Narratives to Democratize Evidence. Retrieved from http://www.aera19.net/

2018

Journal - Research Article

Gaches, S., & Walli, S. (2018). ‘My mom says you’re not really a teacher’: Rhizomatic explorations of ever-shifting student teacher identities and experiences. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 19(2), 131-141. doi: 10.1177/1463949118778020

Journal - Research Other

Gaches, S. (2018). Preparing teachers to confront neoliberal discourses and to teach children equitably. Policy Futures in Education, 16(6), 645-651. doi: 10.1177/1478210318798995

2017

Chapter in Book - Research

Gaches, S. L. (2017). Time and relationship: Paternal and maternal tensions in teacher narrative. In K. Smith, K. Alexander & S. Campbell (Eds.), Feminism(s) in early childhood: Using feminist theories in research and practice. (pp. 121-133). Singapore: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-981-10-3057-4_10

Journal - Research Article

Gaches, S., & Hill, D. (2017). Power and assessment: A genealogical analysis of the CLASS. Journal of Curriculum & Pedagogy, 14(2), 125-142. doi: 10.1080/15505170.2017.1335253

Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

Gibbons, A., Sapon-Shevin, M., Tesar, M., Murray, C., Urban, M., Arndt, S., & Gaches, S. (2017). Stories, theories, and reconceptualizations of home in early childhood education: A caravan of nomadic thinking [Plenary panel discussion]. Proceedings of the Reconceptualizing Early Childhood Education Conference (RECE): Finding a Home in the World: Migration, Indigeneity, and Citizenship. (pp. 5-6). Retrieved from http://receinternational.org/archives.html#sthash.B6SVykvW.dpbs

Gaches, S., & Walli, S. N. (2017). Beyond cultural responsiveness: Teacher candidates' stories of relationships and funds of knowledge. Proceedings of the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Meeting. Retrieved from https://convention2.allacademic.com/one/aera/aera17/index.php?cmd=Online+Program+View+Paper&selected_paper_id=1178246&PHPSESSID=q45otgca82c541f0ujuha3q404

Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs

Gaches, S., & Gaffney, M. (2017, August). Collaborative close-reading of Revised Te Whāriki. Verbal presentation at the University of Otago College of Education Annual Research Hui, Dunedin, New Zealand.

2016

Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

Gaches, S. (2016). "The lessons really are the student's..." Proceedings of the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Conference. Retrieved from http://www.aera.net/Events-Meetings/Annual-Meeting

2015

Journal - Research Article

Peters, L. J., Gaches, S., & Swadener, B. B. (2015). Narratives on children’s rights and well-being. He Kupu, 4(2), 58-70.

Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

Gaches, S., Im, H., Swadener, B. B., & Blanchet-Cohen, N. (2015). Children's views and visions of education rights from the United States and Canada. Proceedings of the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Conference. Retrieved from http://www.aera.net/Events-Meetings/Annual-Meeting

Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs

Gaches, S., & Walli, S. (2015, October). Learning stories aren't just for children. Verbal presentation at the 23rd Reconceptualizing Early Childhood Education (RECE) Conference: Narratives of Difference: Translations, Transgressions, and Transformations, Dublin, Ireland.

Other Research Output

Gaches, S. (2015, June). What are you assessing? Using genealogical analysis as a critical approach to exposing power relationships in early childhood assessments. ICL Education Centre, AUT, Auckland, New Zealand. [Public Seminar].

2014

Journal - Research Other

Gaches, S. (2014). [Review of the book Stand together or fall apart: Professionals working with immigrant families]. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 15(2), 212-214. doi: 10.2304/ciec.2014.15.2.210

Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs

Gaches, S., Hill, D., & Longoria, B. (2014, November). De-CLASS-Ified: A genealogical analysis of the CLASS assessment tool. Verbal presentation at the 22nd Reconceptualizing Early Childhood Education (RECE) Conference: Spaces of Resistance: Histories and Futures, Kent, USA.

2013

Chapter in Book - Research

Swadener, B. B., Peters, L. J., & Gaches, S. (2013). Taking children’s rights and participation seriously: Cross-national perspectives and possibilities. In V. Pacini-Ketchabaw & L. Prochner (Eds.), Re-situating Canadian early childhood education: Rethinking childhood (Vol. 47). (pp. 189-210). New York, USA: Peter Lang. doi: 10.3726/978-1-4539-1039-9

Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs

Gaches, S. (2013, November). "Great expectations for children and families": Communities of practice for diverse early childhood professionals. Verbal presentation at the 21st Reconceptualizing Early Childhood Education (RECE) Conference: Reclaiming the Indigenous Child, Family, and Community: Pedagogies of Place, Nairobi, Kenya.

2012

Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs

Gaches, S. (2012, November). All we are saying: Teacher narratives for a new view. Verbal presentation at the 20th Reconceptualizing Early Childhood Education (RECE) Conference: Reconceptualizing the Field: Past, Present, and Future, State College, USA.