For more details visit the conference website

The MPTL14 Workshop will be held from 23-25 September 2009 in Udine, Italy. The Workshop are an opportunity where different communities involved
in Multimedia (MM) in Physics Education can meet and share ideas and
experience. Many activities are undertaken: comparison, production,
analysis and research for the Multimedia in Physics Education, as
described in the website www.mptl.eu.

In the website www.fisica.uniud.it/URDF/mptl14 you will find a brief description of the workshop, general information and deadlines for registration.
Please take note that deadline for registration has been postponed until
1st June and deadline for submission of abstracts shifts until 7th June.

Moreover a section regarding the opportunity to ask for financial support
has been added. The Action Committee on Conferences of the European Physical Society has agreed to recognize the MPTL14 as an Europhysics Conference and that the EPS Grants' Committee has therefore agreed to grant 3 supports to young scientist. For further information about financial support please visit the website www.fisica.uniud.it/URDF/mptl14/financial.htm.

The special edition of IJMSE focuses on the PISA project now it has completed a full cycle of administration – reading, mathematics and science – to look at the how PISA has been used in participating countries and with what consequences, and to identify research potentials and policy directions emanating from this international assessment initiative.

More information (pdf)

At the Department of Science Education, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, a position as Associate Professor (or alternatively Assistant Professor) within the field of Science (or Mathematics) Education with reference to University Pedagogy, is open to appointment from September 1, 2009 (or as soon as possible).

The Associate Professor's core duties will be teaching, development, and research in the area of university pedagogy and science education, including mathematics education, mostly at the tertiary level. Candidates should have a research record at an international level within science or mathematics education, while preference will be given to candidates whose research addresses issues related mostly to university teacher training.
Applications must be submitted by email by May 27, 2009

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The conference is held in Berlin - GERMANY next Friday, May 29, 2009 at the Berlin-Brandeburg Academy of sciences.

The conference program is available at www.pollen-europa.net/conference.

Following several European conferences on science education (Amsterdam 2004, Stockholm 2006, Grenoble 2008), this conference intends to contribute to the international agenda on science education in primary school and to provide concrete illustrations of successful initiatives. We hope to create a space for outstanding contributions from different points of view and contexts, reflecting the significance and diversity of innovative actions in science education across Europe.

Leaflet (pdf)

Deadline for sending applications: May 29, 2009

The conference will be held in Hualien, Taiwan on 19-22 January, 2010. The conference theme is “Envisioning the Future: The Role of Curriculum Materials and Learning Environments in Educational Reform”.

The conference website

The Academic Committee invites researchers in Biology Didactics to take part in the Eighth Conference of European Researchers in Didactics of Biology (ERIDOB). The aim of the conference is to give researchers in Biology Didactics the opportunity to present and discuss their research work and results. The Conference will be held at the Institute of Education, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal from the 13^th to the 17^th July 2010. The conference theme is: ‘Authenticity in Biology Education: Benefits and Challenges’.

Proposals should be submitted by 1st October 2009.

The conference web-site

Flyer

More information

You are invited to the campus of the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana for the tenth conference of the International History and Philosophy of Science Teaching Group.

Proposals are welcomed in all areas and periods of history and philosophy of science with implications for theoretical and pedagogical issues in science and mathematics teaching. Philosophers of Education are also invited to contribute to these same issues.

Proposals (250 words) should be submitted by email as an attached file (MS Word, or RTF) to : ihpst09@nd.edu by March 23rd, 2009

For more information about the IHPST 2009 Conference

In 2009, Rosa Maria Sperandeo-Mineo's term of office as an Executive board member comes to an end. The nomination procedure for a new board member opened on March 1, 2009. Click here for the nomination form. Candidates are asked to provide up to 250 words in support of their candidature and a photograph. Please note that all nominations must be supported by a proposer and seconder who are both Personal Members of the Association and who are nationals of different European countries from each other and from the candidate.

Timetable for the election

2010 Bremen Symposium on Chemistry and Science Education 23/2/2009

The 20th Symposium on Chemistry and Science Education taking place at the University of Bremen in May 2010 continues a long tradition of symposia stretching back to 1981.

Flyer
www.chemiedidaktik.uni-bremen.de/symp2010

The Austrian Educational Competence Centre Biology (AECC Biology) together with the Faculty of Life Sciences of the University of Vienna is announcing the position of a Full Professor of Didactics of Biology expected to start as soon as possible.

More information

The conference will be held in Modena, Italy, April 21-23 2009. The website is: http://www.fisica.unimore.it/STE/index_en.php

In August 2009 Oregon State University will host an invitational international conference specifically designed to examine the opportunities, challenges and barriers to developing cross-cutting research questions and paradigms that better reflect current understandings of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) learning as lifelong, life-wide and life-deep and to propose a range of new visions for possible future research directions.

For information and details on how to apply to participate in this international meeting, please visit:

oregonstate.edu/conferences/2020vision

Announcement (pdf)

Special Issue Editor: Dr. Michael Allen
Deadline for submissions: August 31, 2009
Journal Website: www.ejmste.com (for author guidelines and more information about the journal). All correspondence regarding this call should be directed to Dr. Allen.

There exists a variety of different reasons why practical work is included in the curricula of different countries. For instance, some curricula emphasise using practicals to teach pupils how to act and think like scientists (e.g. the UK). Others might marginalise practical work in the classroom and rely more on teacher demonstrations, sometimes for good reasons such as a lack of funding to provide for apparatus.

We would like to present a global snapshot of the current state of affairs regarding the use of practical work in schools, with contributors from around the world giving the different rationales for inclusion in their country's own science curriculum, and also making comment on how they see the situation developing in the future.

We would be pleased to receive submissions of quality manuscripts on issues related to this theme. Note that practical work for the purposes of this special edition is defined as any hands-on activity where learners are actively involved in their own experiments and observe physical phenomena.

University of Gothenburg is looking for somebody with scientific competence as well as the interest and ability to actively contribute to the further development of a complete academic team, preferably within the areas of mathematics, the extended notion of literacy, and/or the natural sciences/technology, where aspects of education, research and outreach interact and support one another. You are expected to stimulate and contribute to a broad discussion regarding subject matter education across domains and to collaborate with other research teams within and outside of the department as well as throughout the university and with other universities. Other duties involve engaging in applying for research grants in collaboration with others, participating in teaching, course development as well as in supervision and examination of PhD, Masters’ and Bachelors’ theses.

More information

Silke Mikelskis-Seifert, Ute Ringelband, Maja Brückmann (Eds.)
2008, 272 pages, pb., € 29,90
ISBN 978-3-8309-2018-2

• the applicants’ names and institutions
• the names of the organising committee
• the proposed location of the conference (with a description of the venue)
• previous involvement of the organisers in ESERA events (particularly previous summer schools in bids to host the Summer School 2012)
• a rationale (500-1000 words) indicating why the bid should be chosen.

The successful bids will be announced in March 2009.

IOSTE og Siauliai University invite you to the international regional VII IOSTE Symposium for Central and Eastern Europe Countries „Development of Science and Technology Education in Central and Eastern Europe", which will take place 14 – 18 June 2009 in the Conference centre of Siauliai University in Siauliai, Lithuania. Symposium websites: http://agora.guru.ru/display.php?conf=ioste_symp_LT-2009

Eastern Mediterranean University is pleased to announce the first international conference on undergraduate science education; Frontiers in Science Education Research 2009 (FISER’09). The aim of FISER’09 is to provide a scholarly environment for promoting discussions in contemporary topics of undergraduate science and mathematics education research. FISER’09 is open to professional science and mathematics education researchers, educators, students and all others who are interested. During FISER’09, topics that will be covered will extend from education technologies to faculty development and from undergraduate curricula designs to the Bologna Process. FISER’09 will take place during 22 – 24 March 2009 in Famagusta. The official language of the conference is English. Papers in all fields of undergraduate science and mathematics education research are invited.

Confirmed Keynote Speakers: Professors Lillian McDermott, David Hestenes and Cedric Linder.

FISER’09

The Faculty of Sciences at the University of Geneva has an opening for two positions at the level of professor (two positions as full, associate, or tenure track assistant professor) in Science Didactics (preferably in Biology, Chemistry, or Physics with an opening in other disciplines taught by the Faculty of Sciences).

Further information and French version

Dear Colleagues and Fellow Science Educators

We are pleased to announce the invitation to participate in the ESERA 2009 Conference which will be held in Istanbul. Istanbul is a very exciting city, so we hope the conference will be too! As the local organizing committee we are making sure that all the preparations are in place so that we can host you at this wonderful event.

Three Turkish universities are hosting the conference this time: Gazi University, Hacettepe University, and Yeditepe University. Science education in Turkey is enjoying a rapid growth. Every year dozens of doctorates are being awarded in several Turkish Universities and many PhD are joining the group in Turkey by earning their degrees abroad. Nowadays you may see more articles in international science education journals originating from Turkey. We strongly believe that this conference will bring more excitement to all of us.

The conference web site is now open and we will post information in due time about the developments. Please do not forget to check the web site at http://www.esera2009.org (flyer) from time to time and also inform your colleagues in your institutions and countries.

We wish you a refreshing and rewarding conference and looking forward to meeting you all in Istanbul!

M. Fatih Tasar, Chair of the ESERA Conference 2009
Esra Akgul
Gultekin Cakmakci

Congratulations to ESERA member Nasser Mansour who has been given the Best Paper Award of the European Educational Research Association Postgraduate and Young Researchers Pre-Conference 07. His paper is entitled 'Religious beliefs: A hidden variable in the performance of science teachers in the classroom'.

More information

Katrina Emmett, PhD student
Supervisors: Prof. Dr Harrie Eijkelhof and Dr Kees Klaassen
Institution: Utrecht University, Netherlands
Visiting: Prof. Joan Bliss, Sussex University, United Kingdom

Angela Fitzgerald, PhD student
Supervisor: Prof. Mark Hackling and Dr Vaille Dawson
Institution: Edith Cowan University, Australia
Visiting: Prof. Kirsti Klette, Marianne Ødegaard and Nina E. Arnesen, University of Oslo, Norway

Roberto Greco, PhD student
Supervisor: Prof. Mauro Marchetti
Institution: Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Italy
Visiting: Prof. Chris King, Keele University, United Kingdom

Clas Olander, PhD student
Supervisor: Prof. Björn Andersson
Institution: University of Gothenburg, Sweden
Visiting: Prof. John Leach, Leeds University, United Kingdom

Dra Mariá Teresa Guerra-Ramos, reader-researcher
Institution: Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados Unidad
Monterrey, Mexico
Visiting: Prof. John Leach and Dr Jim Ryder, University of Leeds, United Kingdom

The University of York, UK and IPN in Kiel, Germany have published a
series of books on science education:

Bennett et al.: Making a difference
Nentwig & Waddington: Making it relevant
Waddington et al.: Making it comparable

Science education, and the declining numbers of young people choosing to pursue the study of science in Europe, have recently been the focus of considerable attention. "Science Education in Europe" reports on the findings of two Nuffield-funded London seminars which drew together a group of leading science educators from across Europe. The report highlights the major issues confronting formal secondary science education, identifies similarities and differences between countries, and makes a series of recommendations for improvement in key areas.

Read the report (pdf)

Dear Member of ESERA

The journal Science & Education will be publishing a special anniversary issue(s) to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the original publication of On the Origin of Species in 1859 and, coincidently, the 200th anniversary of Darwin's birth. Researchers working on areas related to Darwinism and evolution education are invited to contribute. More information about the special issue. Please note that a science education perspective is welcome but not necessary.

The due date for submissions has been set for over a year from now on 31 Dec 2008 so as to encourage high quality contributions from as many scholars as possible. (As with other special issues, notification of intent to submit and subject matter are greatly appreciated as it assists with the coordination and planning of the issue.)

Sincerely, David Rudge & Kostas Kampourakis

Guest editors, Special Journal Issue: Darwinian Anniversary Year, 2009, Science & Education

As many of you know, I am interested in young children’s scientific development or Emergent Science (science for young children aged between 0 and 8 years of age). Over the last year, I have set up an Emergent Science electronic network which incorporates early childhood and science education professionals, researchers and interested groups and individuals from many different countries and affiliated to different professional and research associations.

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The ESERA Selected Contributions book “Contributions from Science Education Research” is ready for distribution from Springer Science Business Media B.V. This book includes 37 edited papers from the most outstanding contribution in the ESERA Conference held in Barcelona in 2005.

Members of ESERA, participants of the ESERA Conference in 2005 and/or 2007 can obtain the book at a reduced price: 23,70€ plus shipping costs (5€ within Europe/ 10€ rest of the world), by filling an order form.

Order form

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Edited by Sandra K. Abell University of Missouri/Columbia &
Norman G. Lederman Illinois Institute of Technology

This state-of-the art research handbook provides a comprehensive, coherent, current synthesis of the empirical and theoretical research concerning teaching and learning in science and lays down a foundation upon which future research can be built. Structured to highlight recent trends in the field, the volume is organized around five themes:

• Science Learning
• Culture, Gender, and Society and Science Learning
• Science Teaching
• Curriculum and Assessment in Science Teacher Education

More details can be found at: http://www.routledge.com/9780805847147

Handbook of Research on Science Education (pdf)

The Rocard Report on Science Education 24/07/2007

In April 2006, Michel Rocard (former French Prime Minister, and MEP) contacted the EU Commissioner for science and research, Janez Potocnik to draw attention to a European initiative which he considered as showing enormous potential for increasing young people's interest in science and mathematics.

Mr Rocard's concern, and indeed that of policy makers across Europe, was that the declining interest for certain science studies among young people will stand in the way of the emergence of a truly knowledge-based society, both in terms of Europe's need for more scientists, and the need to ensure that all young people develop key analytical skills at school that will prepare them for the future - whatever they choose to do.

Mr Rocard, was therefore invited to chair a small group of experts to see what action could be taken. The ESERA president, Doris Jorde participanted in the expert group.

The work of this group is now accomplished, and the report is available to download. It makes a number of recommendations ranging from the need for collective action, how improvement in science teaching can be brought about, and what could be done at all levels: local, national and European. The main message, however, is that we need to radically revise the way that science is taught in our schools.

The report is being widely disseminated and it is hope that it will stimulate debate and a commitment for real action among policy makers at the highest levels within the European Union. Other language versions shall be available shortly.

Science Education NOW - A Renewed Pedagogy for the Future of Europe

A new version of the Bibliography STCSE (Students' and Teachers' Conceptions and Science Education) may be downloaded from: www.ipn.uni-kiel.de/aktuell/stcse/stcse.html

Philip Bell (University of Washington) has started a new blog dedicated to research developments related to the science of learning. It is a stream of relevant studies, books, articles, and resources.http://how-we-learn.blogspot.com

A new report has been published by EURYDICE. The report focuses on science teaching in 30 European countries at primary and general lower secondary level. It was carried out during 2004/5. The report provides a comparison of the regulations and official recommendations concerning initial teacher education: programme content and accreditation criteria, and the qualifications and experience of trainers in training establishments and in schools (for practical placement and final 'on-the-job' qualifying phase). The main learning activities and objectives of school curricula are examined, as well as the content of standardised evaluation of science pupils. The projects and debates relating to the development of this type of evaluation are reviewed. A summary of research results on learning science subjects and the practices and training of science teachers rounds off the study.

The report, to which ESERA members including Martine Meheut and Edgar Jenkins took part is available at: Eurydice.org

SensePublishers offer an interesting series of books on Mathematics and
Science Education and related subjects.The series editors Kenneth Tobin and Wolff-Michael Roth welcome proposals to publish in the series.

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CSSE invite you to contribute to scholarly discussions in relation to
cultural studies in science education on the BLOG: blogs.springer.com/csse

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Are student enrolments in Science and Technology studies really going down? What are the factors that affect students’ choices? What are the mechanisms that can be implemented to influence such choices? The OECD Global Science Forum has just released a concise policy-level report, featuring findings and recommendations for the different stakeholders in S&T education and describing the main quantitative and qualitative aspects of this problem.

Report on the Evolution of Student Interest in Science and Technology Studies

This is a course for science education professionals who wish to develop their practice and enhance student learning. Academic research and hands on experience at an international centre for teaching and research in science and education.

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Science Activities is a peer reviewed journal targeted at practitioners- providing specific, inquiry-based science lessons for educators at the K-12 level.

Call for papers
Author guidelines