Monday 20th – Tuesday 21st November 2023
Blended (online as well as located in-person) Symposium
Register online for the CAR Symposium.
Download the Contemporary Approaches to Research Symposium 2023 flier to share with your colleagues/HDR students.
The CAR Symposium is a highly successful annual event that is now in its 27th year (starting in 1993 to 2005 and again from 2010 to this year).
We look forward to many more!
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 symposium in 2023 will focus on practical and theoretical aspects of research methodology (as usual).
The program will include two keynote speakers and themed sessions with short presentations and longer discussions. We do not host concurrent sessions. We all enjoy rich, friendly discussions about each presentation. In 2023 we are hoping to, once again, host the event in person (located) as well as online. This blended offering will be open to all. Registration is here.
Our Keynote Speakers have been selected to provide challenging perspective on methodology providing insights into new methodological approaches and ontologies. We are pleased to have Professor Andrea Nolan and Associate Professor Alberto Bellocchi as our the Keynotes for 2023 CAR Symposium.
Andrea Nolan Professor of Early Childhood Education, Deakin University
Andrea Nolan is Professor of Early Childhood Education at Deakin University. Andrea is the founder and Chair of the Victorian Early Childhood Research Consortium (VECRC), a group of 83 cross-disciplinary researchers from a number of Victorian universities who come together to support research capacity in early childhood.
Alberto Bellocchi, Associate Professor of Education, Queensland University of Technology
Alberto Bellocchi is Associate Professor of Education at Queensland University of Technology (QUT). Alberto investigates the complexities of science teaching and learning in high school and pre-service teacher education settings through the analysis of classroom interactions.
The Symposium
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.
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.
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).
The program starts at 9am and concludes at approximately 5pm each of the two days. We will host an informal book launch of the CAR Book Series at the end of the first day. All are welcome. We will also go for a meal (at own expense) at the end of the first day.
We will offer an opportunity to evaluate this symposium. The link to the online survey will be emailed during the last day of the symposium.
Expression of Interest to Present
The closing date for expressions of interest is 26th October 2023.
If you are interested in presenting at this symposium please submit your expression of interest using the form below. All submissions will be acknowledged upon receipt and reviewed by the end of October. Expressions of Interest to Present form
Presentations
Presentations are to be 12 minutes long (please be respectful by keeping to time). They 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.
You may choose to pre-record presentations. This is essential for all online presenters. The links will be included in the program and the recording will be played on the day. During the presentation the chat feature of Zoom can be used to start the conversations. Questions can be addressed by typing in the chat and in the following discussion. A feature of the CAR Symposium program is the rich and collegial discussion that follows the presentations in the session.
Program
The CAR Symposium Program 2023 can be downloaded here (abstracts included).
Monday 20th November 2023
Zoom Link for day (Meeting ID – 850 7383 4287 and Passcode – 72680313)
| 9-9.30am | Sign In and Prepare for the Day if online Arrive at Deakin Downtown if in-person | ||
| 9.30–9.40am | Welcome and Opening Remarks | Russell Tytler | |
| 9.40–10.40am | Keynote: Complementarity of Theory and Method for Studying Emotion in Science Education Settings Abstract: Emotions research has become an increasingly vibrant field of inquiry in science education internationally. As our field embraces this important, yet under-represented, topic through research, it is inevitable to encounter a range of theoretical and methodological choices that one must address for empirical inquiry. After 14 years of continuous and on-going research on emotions in science education, in this presentation, I consider the importance of alignment between theory and method and reflect on the affordances and challenges associated with the study of emotion in naturalistic settings. These ideas are brought to life through examples from my research and the on-going work we conduct in the Learning Science and Innovation Laboratory at the Queensland University of Technology. | Alberto Bellocchi, Associate Professor of Education, Queensland University of Technology Alberto Bellocchi is Associate Professor of Education at Queensland University of Technology (QUT). Alberto investigates the complexities of science teaching and learning in high school and pre-service teacher education settings through the analysis of classroom interactions. Chair: Russell Tytler | |
| 10.40-10.55am | Break – Morning tea | ||
| 10.55–12.15pm | Tracking complex constructs | Chair: John Cripps Clark | |
| Promoting and tracking student agency | Russell Tytler, Peta White, Joe Ferguson, Amrita Kamath, and Lisa Wajngarten | ||
| Developing initial teacher education students’ evidentiary practices in scientific reasoning View Presentation | Sarah Digan, Louise Puslednik, Wade Naylor, and Vince Geiger | ||
| What challenges are in analysing changes of students’ conceptual metaphor about cosmetics in SSI instructions? | Gahyoung Kim, Jun-Ki Lee and Hyojeong Hwang | ||
| Playfully Play: A semiotic exploration of theory and methodology of Play in science | Saeed Salimpour, Russell Tytler, and John Cripps Clark | ||
| 12.15–12.55pm | Research-practice interactions | Chair: Peta White | |
| Realising opportunities for mathematics research in a school alliance: Working as a collaborative team to support teachers to change practice in desired ways | Joe Ferguson, Aylie Davidson, Helen Weston, Katrina MacDonald, and Kerryn Driscoll | ||
| Designing and conducting instrumental and intrinsic case studies to strengthen mathematics planning and teaching. | Aylie Davidson and Kerryn Driscoll | ||
| 12.55-1.55pm | Lunch | ||
| 1.55-2.35pm | Role of philosophy to frame research | Chair: Russell Tytler | |
| Science-Philosophy-Methodology: A golden braid How philosophy invites us to think about science education research anew. View Presentation | John Cripps Clark, Michael Tan, Hunkoog Jho, and Joe Ferguson | ||
| 2.35–3.35pm | Methodologies that challenge | Chair: John Cripps Clark | |
| More Than Numbers: Queer Embodiment and Entangled Positionalities as Methodological Rebellion in STEM Education | Phil Kairns | ||
| Following the Glows: Learning with In-depth Interviewing in Self Study Research | Bronwyn Sutton | ||
| Restoring love in Environmental Education View Presentation | Sandra Wooltorton | ||
| 3.35-3.50pm | Break – Afternoon tea | ||
| 3.50-4.50pm | Cultural historical activity theory | Chair: Joe Ferguson | |
| Using Vygotsky based theory to improve student learning | John Cripps Clark and Michael Hoover | ||
| The Fallacy of “Transferrable Skills” | Andy Blunden | ||
| Rehabilitate Defectology! A logico-semantic approach to classroom compensation for learning defect View Presentation | David Kellogg and Maria Nicholas | ||
| 4.50-5.30pm | Book Launch Methodological Approaches To STEM Education Research -Volume 4 Book Series – Contemporary Approaches to Research in STEM Education Editorial Team: Peta, Russell, Joe, and John | ||
| 6pm | Drinks and dinner (at own cost) | ||
Tuesday 21st November 2023
Zoom Link for day (Meeting ID – 882 3292 3281 and Passcode – 02691067)
| 8.30–9am | Sign In and Prepare for the Day if online Arrive at Deakin Downtown if in-person | |
| 9–9.10am | Opening Orientation | Car Coordinating Team |
| 9.10–10.10am | Keynote: Applying a Capability Approach as a Catalyst to an Expanding Research Program View Presentation (password o!UYE5^=) This presentation will trace the development of a program of research from an initial project that focused on applying a Capability Approach to identify and name what it means to be a professional early childhood teacher. In this research professional functionings were positioned as a proxy for capabilities to understand educators’ real opportunities to achieve what they had reason to value in their professional practices. Once identified, this led to exploring alignments and tensions between policy-valued professional capabilities and practitioner-valued professional capabilities in an effort to inform effective professional learning programs for the sector. This work has acted as a catalyst for further research all adding to the scholarship of teacher professionalism with implications for practice and professional growth. | Andrea Nolan Professor of Early Childhood Education, Deakin University Andrea Nolan is Professor of Early Childhood Education at Deakin University. Andrea is the founder and Chair of the Victorian Early Childhood Research Consortium (VECRC), a group of 83 cross-disciplinary researchers from a number of Victorian universities who come together to support research capacity in early childhood. Chair: Peta White |
| 10.10–10.25am | Break – Morning tea | |
| 10.25–12.05pm | Theory-practice including design based research | Chair: John Cripps Clark |
| Research to impact: A design-based approach to translating mathematical modelling curriculum elements into practice | Jill Brown, Carly Sawatzki, and Gloria Stillman | |
| English Language Affordances for Students Learning in Secondary Science Classrooms View Presentation – coming soon View Presentation | Celine Zhang | |
| The aesthetics of climate change education in an epoch of uncertainty | Peta White and Joe Ferguson | |
| The role of social labs and visual vignettes as a form of research methodology- a deep dive into the lived experiences of beginning teachers in their transition to the profession View Presentation | Renee Preval-Mann | |
| Collaborating with multiple colleagues to extend curriculum considerations | Peta White, Glenn Auld, and Jo Raphael | |
| 12.05-1.05pm | Digital tools | Chair: Russell Tytler |
| An automated review of literature in STEM education with large language models and graph-based networks | Hunkoog Jho | |
| Generative AI as a research tool | George Aranda, Seamus Delaney, and Joe Ferguson | |
| Mathematics concept inventories (MCIs) and conceptual capabilities for ITE students View Presentation | Wade Naylor, You-Gan Wang, and Sundas Rubab | |
| 1.05-2.05pm | Lunch | |
| 2.05-3.05pm | Generating large scale data | Chair: Joe Ferguson |
| The contractual, relational and theoretical dimensions of doing the Tech Schools Evaluation | Linda Hobbs, George Aranda, Peta White, John Cripps Clark, Seamus Delaney, Genée Marks, and Russell Tytler | |
| Climate change education: Methodological challenges and implications View Presentation | Sylvia Christine Almeida, Jennifer Hall, and Gillian Kidman | |
| From TOOF definition to survey | Michael Fitzgerald and Linda Hobbs | |
| 3.05-3.20pm | Break – Afternoon tea | |
| 3.20–4.20pm | Arts based research | Chair: Peta White |
| The World Cafe methodology: A novel approach for STEAM integration research View Presentation | Andrea Ng, Mark Pruyn, Sarika Kewalramani and Gill Kidman | |
| Arts-based research in STEM education: A diffractive analysis | Amanda Peters | |
| Primary school teacher candidate designs: An example of Re-use View Presentation | Zulfiye Melis Demir | |
| 4.20-4.30pm | Close of CAR 2023 (Thanks and Evaluation survey) | |
Registration
Register online at CAR Symposium 2023. Please register to attend in person before the 13th November as we need numbers for catering. Registering for the online participation is important so that we can send (email) updated information prior to the event.
Book Series – Contemporary Approaches to Research in STEM Education
All presenters are invited to submit a proposal for a written chapter of 5000 – 7000 words for consideration for publication in the Cambridge Scholars Publishing book series Contemporary Approaches to Research in STEM Education. Proposals for Volume 5 are due on the 7th December 2023. Accepted chapters are due 15th February 2024.
Methodological Approaches to STEM Education Research – Volume 1, 2, 3 and 4 will be showcased at the 2023 CAR Symposium.
CAR Coordinators
Associate Professor Peta White, Alfred Deakin Professor Russell Tytler, Dr. Joe Ferguson, and Dr. John Cripps Clark
Enquiries: please email Peta White (peta.white@deakin.edu.au)
Organised by the STEME Education Research Group in conjunction with the Research for Educational Impact (REDI) Centre.
Posted Nov 25, 2022
Deakin Downtown and online