Monday 7th – Tuesday 8th December 2026
Blended (online as well as located in-person) Symposium
Register online for the CAR Symposium.
Download flier to share with colleagues including Graduate Students about the Contemporary Approaches to Research Symposium 2026.
The CAR Symposium is a highly successful annual event that started in 1993 and continued to 2005 and again from 2010 to this year.
This year is our 30th CAR Symposium and 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, qualitative inquiry, quantitative and qualitative methods, and interviewing – which are discussed in a lively, informal setting. The symposium in 2026 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 2026, 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 present Eve Mayes and Jodie Miller and Danielle Armour as our the Keynotes for 2026 CAR Symposium.
The Keynotes
Eve Mayes
Dr Eve Mayes is a Senior Research Fellow and Associate Professor (Pedagogy and Curriculum) in the School of Education at Deakin University, living and working on unceded Wadawurrung Country. Since 2022, she has worked alongside an intergenerational team of young climate justice advocates on the Australian Research Council-funded Striking Voices project. She has co-convened the activist-scholar Earth Unbound collective since 2021, and co-edited the collective’s open-access book Planetary Justice: Stories and Studies of Action, Resistance, and Solidarity (with Michele Lobo & Laura Bedford). Eve’s work focuses on 1) young people’s differing lived experiences of interconnected environmental, social & educational injustices; 2) young people’s everyday activism(s); & 3) the possibilities of justice-oriented climate change education across & between mainstream & informal educational spaces. Her research with young people and educators, across mainstream school settings, social movements and cultural institutions, is shaped by critical participatory and affective methodologies.
Title: Political methodologies: Critical research in climates of distrust
Abstract: coming soon
Jodie Miller and Danielle Armour
Associate Professor Jodie Miller is a non-Indigenous researcher at The University of Queensland whose work centres on evidencing teaching and learning practices to engage primary school students in mathematics and STEM education. Specialising in early algebraic thinking and mathematical representations, her research predominantly involves teachers and students at risk of marginalisation from the school curriculum, including Indigenous students, English language learners, and those from low socio-economic backgrounds. Jodie’s current work is grounded in relational methodologies, co-constructed with Indigenous communities and guided by principles of reciprocity and respect. She is committed to collaborative research that supports community-led priorities, working alongside Aboriginal academics and educators to challenge dominant paradigms and foster equity in education. [https://about.uq.edu.au/experts/20273]
Dr Danielle Armour is a proud Kamilaroi woman from northern New South Wales and a Senior Lecturer in the School of Education at the University of Queensland. Her research focuses on Aboriginal education, with a particular interest in the intersections of Indigenous and Western knowledge systems within educational contexts. Danielle has led and contributed to longitudinal studies and major government initiatives in teaching and curriculum development. She has worked extensively with Elders and community members, co-constructing curricula that embed Indigenous knowledges and perspectives. Her work critically examines the complexities and opportunities of integrating these knowledge systems to create culturally responsive and inclusive education. Before entering academia, Danielle worked as a teacher across urban, rural, and very remote settings, giving her a deep understanding of diverse educational landscapes. Her commitment to equity and cultural integrity continues to shape her scholarship and practice, influencing policy and pedagogy at local and national levels. [https://about.uq.edu.au/experts/34012]
Title: Co-Constructing Research with Indigenous Communities: Relational Methodologies for Equity and Empowerment
Abstract:
This presentation explores the relational methodologies underpinning collaborative research with Indigenous communities, drawing on our experiences as Aboriginal and non-Indigenous academics working in partnership. We foreground the importance of co-construction—where research is not done on or for communities, but with them—emphasising reciprocity, cultural safety, and shared authority throughout the research process. Through co-constructing research, we examine how trust-building, deep listening, and community-led priorities shape every stage of our work, from design to dissemination. We discuss the tensions and possibilities that arise when academic protocols intersect with Indigenous ways of knowing, being, and doing, and how these intersections can lead to more ethical, impactful, and transformative research outcomes. Our approach challenges dominant paradigms by centring Indigenous voices and sovereignty, and calls on researchers to critically examine their positionality, power, and purpose. This session will be of interest to those seeking to engage in respectful, relational, and community-driven research with Indigenous peoples.
The Symposium
At the symposium, presentations will be grouped into sessions with two to four presentations with a similar theme or methodological foci, designed to promote substantive discussion of a common 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 Wednesday 21st October 2026.
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 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 program will be shared early in November (including each presentations methodological focus and abstract).
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 7 are due on the 18th December 2025. Accepted chapters are due 17th February 2026. Guidelines for chapter preparation will be forwarded to authors.
Methodological Approaches to STEM Education Research – Volume 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 will be showcased at the 2026 CAR Symposium (Volume 7 will be launched at a special event on Tuesday – at the conclusion of the program).
CAR Coordinators
Associate Professor Peta White, Deakin Distinguished Professor Russell Tytler, Dr. Joe Ferguson, Dr. John Cripps Clark, and Associate Professor Jill Brown
Enquiries: please email Peta White (peta.white@deakin.edu.au)
Organised by the MSET Education Research Group in conjunction with Research for Educational Impact (REDI).
Posted Nov 21, 2025
Deakin Downtown and online