Contemporary Approaches to Research Symposium

Each year the ‘Contemporary approaches to research (CAR) in mathematics, science, health and environmental education’ symposium focuses on practical and theoretical aspects of a range of research methodologies – such as cross-cultural perspectives, activity theory, capturing complexity, classroom video analysis, quantitative methods, and interviewing – which are discussed in a lively, informal setting.

The program will include two keynote speakers and the themed sessions.

The program starts at 9.00 am and concludes at 5.00 pm each of the two days.

Presentations at the symposium will be grouped into sessions of two to four with similar methodological foci, designed to promote substantive discussion of a methodological issue. Presentations might focus on a) details and settings of the application of a methodology in ways that unpack how the methodology can operate in different contexts, or b) a particular methodological issue, problem, or strategic decision that explores or extends a methodology. The methodological issues should be broadly related to mathematics, science, health, or environmental education. The presentations should provide a grounded practitioner’s perspective.

Following each group of presentations, there will be the opportunity for extended discussion of the focus methodological issue, which may explore different approaches within the methodology (in research design, instruments, theoretical framing, or approaches to analysis), or different methodological approaches to a problem (for instance making sense of teacher practice, or tracking change in learners).

Presentations will be 12 minutes in duration and should briefly outline the research question being addressed and may include the findings or likely outcomes of the research, but should focus mainly on the research methodology. Reports on work in progress are welcome but the focus is on the methodology.

Linda Hobbs is an Associate Professor of Education (Science Education) and Associate Head of School (Research) at Deakin University. Her research interests include teaching out-of-field as a critical teacher workforce issue, STEM education, teacher learning and school change, girls’ participation in STEM, industry-education relationships, partnerships in educations, as well as evaluation of education-based initiatives. She has designed, implemented and evaluated professional learning for primary and secondary teachers of science and STEM for over twelve years. She is Vice President of the Executive board of the Australasian Science Education Research Association, associate editor of the Journal of Science Teacher Education, and convenor of the Out-of-field Teaching Across Specialisations (OOFTAS) Collective.

Justin Dillon is professor of science and environmental education at University College London. After studying for a degree in chemistry, Justin trained as a teacher and taught in London schools for 10 years. He joined King’s College London in 1989, where he worked as a researcher and teacher educator being appointed professor in 2009. In 2014, Justin was appointed Head of the Graduate School of Education at the University of Bristol. He then joined the University of Exeter in 2017 where he was Director of Research in the School of Education. He returned to London earlier this year to take a chair at UCL. Justin was President of the European Science Education Research Association (ESERA) from 2007-11 and is President of the UK National Association for Environmental Education. He edits the journal, Studies in Science Education, and is an editor of the International Journal of Science Education.

If you are interested in presenting at this symposium please register your expression of interest by Friday 11 October 2024 on the Re-Imagining Futures in STEME website (https://deakinsteme.org/) which provides online submission.

Presentations should be no longer than 12 minutes in duration (further details will be provided upon acceptance of your proposal). Presentations should briefly outline the research question being addressed, and may include the findings or likely outcomes of the research but should focus mainly on the research methodology. Reports on work in progress are welcome.

Host or Publisher The Centre for Research for Educational Impact