Jane Johnston has recently retired as a Reader in Education at Bishop Grosseteste University, Lincoln. She has extensive teaching and writing experience in early years science, coordinates the international emergent science research network, is co-editor of the Journal of Emergent Science and coordinator for the early years special interest group of the European Science Education Research Association (ESERA). In 2006 she was one of the first of five teachers to be awarded Chartered Science Teacher status in the UK.