Lars Burghardt

Prof. Dr. Lars Burghardt is a Professor of Educational Sciences with a focus on Childhood at the Department of Social Work, Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences, Hamburg University of Applied Sciences since October 2024. Previously, he served as an acting Professor of Early Childhood Education at Rhineland-Palatinate University of Technology Kaiserslautern-Landau (2023-2024) and as an Akademischer Rat auf Zeit at Otto-Friedrich University Bamberg (2019-2024).

His educational background includes a Doctorate in Education from Otto-Friedrich University Bamberg (2019), a Master of Arts in Educational Science with a focus on Early Childhood and Family Education (2013), and a Bachelor of Arts in Educational Science with a focus on Childhood & Adolescence from Johann Wolfgang Goethe University Frankfurt am Main (2011).

Dr. Burghardt's research focuses on gender representations and diversity in picture books, quality development in early childhood education institutions, use of early childhood care facilities, promoting sector-specific competencies in childcare, and analyzing effects of early childhood care. His work bridges theoretical educational science with practical applications in early childhood settings.

His recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on gender diversity in children's literature, early childhood education quality assessment, and the impact of early childcare on child development. His research employs both qualitative and quantitative methodologies, often in collaborative projects with national and international research teams.

Dr. Burghardt is an active member of several professional organizations including the German Society for Educational Science (DGfE), the European Association for Research on Learning and Instruction (EARLI), and the Society for Empirical Educational Research (GEBF). He regularly presents his research at national and international conferences and has been invited to speak on topics related to gender diversity in early childhood education.