About Dr. Perlman

Michal Perlman is a Professor in the Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development at OISE, University of Toronto. She is the current director of the Dr. R.G.N. Laidlaw Research Centre at the Jackman Institute for Child Studies at OISE.

Michal studies issues related to quality in early childhood education and care (ECEC) including how it should be defined and measured as well as the links between different aspects of ECEC program quality and child outcomes. She has worked with different levels of government to explore how ECEC quality measurement can be used for monitoring and quality improvement purposes. She is also studying how education systems need to support children given the changing nature of work due to disruptive technologies

Michal brings her experience studying educational settings and outcomes to bear on assessing the efficacy of current policies intended to support future workers. In other areas of her research, she also studies parenting and family environments and their effects on childhood development.

Michal has published in a variety of peer-reviewed journals and practitioner/policy-oriented outlets. Her research has been funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the McCain Foundation among other government organizations and foundations.