This volume consists of selected refereed papers from the fourth annual conference on Australian Research in Early Childhood Education. The papers represent a cross-section of research interests in the field of early childhood education, care, and development. Differing methodologies are also featured in this issue. The papers are: (1) "Ethics in Early Childhood Field Experiences" (Coombe and Newman); (2) "The Teacher's Role in Outdoor Play: Preschool Teachers' Beliefs and Practices" (Davies); (3) "Some Implications of Popularity at Age Four" (Dockett and Degotardi); (4) "Intertextuality and Beginning Reading Instruction in the Initial School Years (Harris and Trezise); (5) "Love, Care and Politics in Low Income Early Childhood Settings: The Process of Constructing a Professional Identity" (Hill and Veale); (6) "Directors of Early Childhood Services: Experience, Preparedness and Selection" (Hayden); (7) "Teachers Coping with Changes: The Stories of Two Preschool Teachers" (Kelly and Berthelsen); (8) "A Teaching and Learning Initiative Using Audiographics Conferencing: Some Emerging Issues" (Perry and others); (9) "An Enforceable Code of Ethics: What Do Practitioners Think?" (Pollnitz); (10) "Creativity: What Does It Mean in the Family Context?" (Tennent and Berthelsen); (11) "How Family-Centred are Early Intervention Services Staff and Parent Perceptions?" (Dempsey and Carruthers); (12) "An Examination of a Young Child's Response to Performance: Implications for Arts Curricula" (Suthers and Larkin); and (13) "Teaching Dilemmas and Employment Relationships in Child Care Centres" (Burton). Each article contains references. (EV)