ASE 2025 Annual Conference

This session will explore how plant contexts can enrich the teaching of microscopy. It will discuss the challenges students face when learning microscopy and suggest ways in which these can be overcome. The starting point will be about relating what we see under a microscope to the ‘everyday’ world around us, followed by looking beyond the power of the naked eye. It will discuss the development of students’ understanding of both microscopy procedures (e.g. staining) and interpretation of what we see under the microscope (e.g. a 3-D optical slice).
You’ll see plants in a new light and leave with concrete ideas to use in your teaching.

BERG: This is an interactive session exploring how to use generative AI (especially Microsoft Copilot) to prepare and teach the biology curriculum from 14-18. It requires no specialist prior experiences. The session will use ideas from Pedagogy AI, an approach that explores how students might use generative AI productively in their biology lessons.

A laptop with access to Microsoft Copilot (https://copilot.microsoft.com) will be a useful pre-requisite for the course.

Pedagogy AI is introduced at https://www.neilingram.co.uk/pedagogy-ai/ and https://www.ai-in-education.co.uk/resources/pedagogy-ai and

This session introduces curriculum-linked nuclear physics resources for GCSE and A-level physics (and Scottish and international equivalents), including cutting-edge research and real-world applications. Try out practical activities suitable for use with or without nuclear sources.

A free loan scheme is available to all UK schools to access the equipment demonstrated.

Find out more at bindingblocks.org.uk.

What do your genes say about your food preference? Research behind bitter taste has been ongoing for over 100 years. The ability to taste the bitter compound PTC is inherited and can be determined by genotyping. Get hands-on experience teaching Mendelian genetics and genotyping in this workshop which you can easily bring to your classroom. In this scenario, help a non-bitter taster understand her family genetics - She is the only non-bitter taster in her family! Look at Punnett Squares to make a prediction, then run DNA samples to see the genotypes of the family members. See how bitter taste genotype and phenotype are linked, and how it can play a role in your fondness for certain foods!

This session is sponsored by Embitec / MiniOne Systems

The Daffodil DNA Project continues to grow organically as schools wish to bring cutting-edge science into the classroom. This session will share the project journey, the impacts on students, teachers and scientists, and the scientific outputs achieved by these collaborations.

A talk showcasing a series of new and old Biology practicals, and discussion about how to ensure they work and how to get the best out of them in lessons

What have some of the best minds in science education had to say about teaching and learning science, and what might it mean for your classroom?  You could read all the books yourself, but if you don’t have time, come and listen to what I have found of value from reading as many books and papers as I have been able to over the last 25 years. From abstracted wisdom to practical ideas and all points in between. This session will give you an overview of some of the most useful writing over the last 40 or more years, an annotated bibliography and maybe some free books.

During a practical activity students will be developing their substantive, disciplinary and procedural knowledge. When deciding on the purpose of a practical activity teachers need to consider all three of these areas of knowledge and how they develop over time. The Deconstructed Practical is a strategy for identifying and isolating the knowledge needed for, and developed during, a practical activity. This session outlines the strategy and supports delegates in putting the theory into practice.

By the end of this session delegates will have a better understanding of the importance of purpose in practical work and a strategy for developing disciplinary and procedural knowledge over time.

Mathematical and data sciences are everywhere, and their influence is growing. Our education system must adapt’ – A new approach to mathematics and data education, Royal Society 2023. Using authentic scientific data sets this workshop will give delegates experience of how they can use free technology in the classroom to help their students explore and understand data sets from the natural world.

This ASE event is being run in partnership with the Advanced Mathematics Support Programme, with support from the Department for Education.

A chance to gets hands-on making equipment and carrying out the latest CLEAPSS practicals  

How far can we go: Benefits of International Collaboration – based on a Bulgarian experience.
The presenters will describe their research project, which was carried out in collaboration by academics from the UK and Bulgaria and an International education consultant all of whom are members of the ASE. This project came about from cooperation which developed at recent ASE conferences in Sheffield and Northampton.
Our project title was ‘Towards a pedagogy of learning: investigating how the changes in pedagogy impact the teaching and learning of science in Bulgarian secondary schools.’

The Research questions were:

-What are the pedagogical changes in science education in secondary schools since 2020 and how does it align with the government's aims for teaching in schools in Bulgaria?

-Is there evidence that the changes to online pedagogy improve students’ engagement and attitude to learning in science classrooms?

-To what extent is inquiry learning promoted among secondary schools in Bulgaria and its impact on teaching and learning?

Exploring the challenges faced by science education at the secondary school level in Bulgaria has been a collaborative passion that the researchers shared and decided to investigate. The challenges range from issues of curricula improvement, assessments and teacher professional development as they may impact how students are assessed in their learning. For example, students in Bulgaria perform lower than their peers across all subjects in OECD countries in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), such as in reading and science (OECD, 2019). The OECD advises that to sustain growth alongside a shrinking working-age population, Bulgaria will need to improve investment in education to address skill mismatches and ensure that more young people are prepared to succeed in the labour markets of the future. This has become imminent given that the recent COVID-19 made issues worse.

The research is mixed method and data will be collected through interviews, questionnaires and lesson observations and analysed appropriately.
The presenters will discuss their findings and possible ideas for improving science learning in classrooms and laboratories. This is a chance to be involved in a collaborative learning opportunity and learn from the amazing skills and knowledge of the ASE community. You are welcome to attend this presentation and learn as well as share your knowledge and experience with newer members of the profession. Delegates will have an opportunity to discuss successful ways of

•increasing student motivation and engagement
•effectively carrying out practical activities with limited space and resources
•using new technologies in science learning

In addition, analysis of the professional and personal benefits of international experiences will be considered and suggestions made for resources and opportunities for schools who would like to globalise their curriculum and teachers, advisers, trainers and leaders who would like to expand their horizons. This study addresses some of the UNSDGs such as 1 (no poverty), 2 (zero hunger), 4 (quality education), 8 (decent work and economic growth) and 9 (industry, innovation and infrastructure).

Whilst there is plenty of existing research on microscale chemistry and its benefits, much of this focusses on logistics of how and the why. Currently, no research exists on what pupils actually think of it. This led us to a pupil-voice research project on practical work on the microscale.
Students have performed the same practical both full-scale and microscale, and have discussed their views on the process: how easy it is, how useful it is, whether it aids their understanding, and most importantly, whether they prefer it! Both qualitative and quantitative data has been collected using focus groups, lesson observations and % positive response surveys.

This session aims to:
Provide the background of the research project
Discuss early findings of the students' perspectives
Suggest how to make the most out of microscale practical work in your lab

This session relates to the book on Microscale Chemistry sold by ASE/Millgate House

Drop-in anytime to try our reliable practicals demonstrating core biological principles. Discover relevant, engaging and affordable practicals covering a range of key curriculum topics. Try something new or troubleshoot an old favourite, join us for ten minutes or two hours. Inspiration guaranteed!   (For 11-19 teachers and technicians; ITE and trainees)

This session relates to the ASE Book Teaching Secondary Biology - click here to be directed to the resource in the ASE Bookshop and explore further details

Join us on this hands-on workshop where we will unlock the secrets of Sickle Cell Disease. We will explore the genetics of sickle cell disease and genetic testing. Extend the narrative by becoming medical geneticists conducting newborn screenings for SCD to determine disease inheritance and susceptibility. We can wrap up with modern therapies now available for SCD.

In this session we will be looking at the specific practical skills in the GCSE specifications and implications for assessment in our examinations.

We will be using examples from our assessments to support the development of students GCSE practical skills in the classroom.

The session will present details of a successful University of East Anglia (UEA) science outreach widening participation project called Bringing Scientists To You. This innovative programme, for students in Year 8 and Year 9, involves UEA academics and PhD students delivering hands-on practical workshops in school classrooms. These link to a diversity of science subjects available at Higher Education (HE) and careers, involving topics and concepts that are familiar to the students from their current studies and relatable real world examples.

This talk will include details of the content used for demonstrating Biology, Chemistry, Pharmacy, Environmental Science, Computing and Mathematics in practical workshops. The programme is run at three host schools/colleges across Norfolk, over four days. The session will reveal how UEA delivers the workshops to around 400 students from up to 22 local schools each year whose pupils are from the most underrepresented groups in HE. It will be discussed how this project is part of a number that pupils can receive throughout their education journey with UEA and how it aims to build their science capital. Feedback from the programme and how it can be built upon will be shared.

While the talk will focus on the conference theme of practicals in a classroom, some of the other themes will be incorporated such as how professional journeys that students might take are communicated through the use of role models, the research that has taken place on the project to establish success and how sustainability, climate change and environmental issues are linked into some of the sessions.

Participating delegates, whether they are linked to schools or university, will be able to use the information and format presented, to produce a similar project of their own.

A chance to gets hands-on making equipment and carrying out the latest CLEAPSS practicals  

Many secondary science leaders have progressed quickly into middle leadership, or into other roles of responsibility within science.  This role brings many challenges not encountered as an effective classroom practitioner but this transition often happens with little or no support on leading teams and managing change specifically in science.

This session is designed to support new and aspiring secondary science leaders in developing a range of skills needed to be an effective science leader. Strategies and tips will be shared to help to build teams and to lead change effectively, including both quick tips and longer-term strategies to embed.

This session will also consider how science leaders can evaluate their leadership quickly and effectively to support prioritising and action planning. The final part of the session will focus specifically on managing workload, with the opportunity to ask questions and share good practice.

Intended outcomes:

•consider the various aspects of science leadership and self-evaluate in key areas
•plan strategies to lead teams and bring about successful change using key research principles
•Identify ways to reduce and manage workload, sharing practice with peers

The relationship of mathematics to science subjects continues to evolve; from the 2010 SCORE report, the ASE’s Language of Mathematics in Science, through advanced qualification reforms, and General Mathematical Competences in the T-levels.

The Royal Society’s Mathematical Futures Programme proposed a greater focus on Domain Specific Competences, imagining that with a more mathematically literate workforce, all teachers will become teachers of Mathematical and Data Education. This session will trace these developments and consider what they mean for science education in the future.

Drop-in anytime to try our reliable practicals demonstrating core biological principles. Discover relevant, engaging and affordable practicals covering a range of key curriculum topics. Try something new or troubleshoot an old favourite, join us for ten minutes or two hours. Inspiration guaranteed!   (For 11-19 teachers and technicians; ITE and trainees)

This session relates to the ASE Book Teaching Secondary Biology - click here to be directed to the resource in the ASE Bookshop and explore further details

Aimed at practicing secondary school chemistry teachers, this talk will highlight innovative AI tools and techniques that can save time in a busy teacher’s chemistry classroom. Participants will leave equipped with actionable insights and strategies to integrate AI into their teaching practices, ultimately enabling them to spend more time on impactful teaching. This includes exploring lesson planning and the possibility of automating tasks such as marking. Real-life examples of AI applications that have successfully enhanced classroom management and student engagement will be shared, using examples for GCSE and A-level chemistry. Some examples of successes and failures will be shared so that practices can be used in their own classrooms immediately.

Our project assesses the ability of Generative AI in two key areas.
1. How well does Generative AI construct evidence based scientific text compared to humans? Our assessment includes the impact of different of AI tools, length of prose and few-shot prompting.
2. How well can AI grade and provide feedback against a set of criteria when compared to human assessors. This includes an evaluation of the ability of AI to assess its own product.

A chance to gets hands-on making equipment and carrying out the latest CLEAPSS practicals  

This workshop will share practical ideas about how, when starting a new topic, teachers can quickly and easily find out what their students already know and what misconceptions they may hold.  It will then consider what can be done with these insights and how subsequent progress can be demonstrated.   This session has links to the book Understanding Children's Ideas in Science sold by ASE/Millgate House

Summary and discussion of recent research into factors affecting the job satisfaction and career intentions of physics teachers in their first five years of teaching. This study was conducted by Dr Mark Whalley of the University of Chester and Ian Horsewell of the Institute of Physics and explores the reasons for the high rate of attrition of early career physics teachers, and how they differ from the teacher population as a whole. Strategies that may address this at a school and MAT level will be discussed as well as broader policy implications.

Drop-in anytime to try our reliable practicals demonstrating core biological principles. Discover relevant, engaging and affordable practicals covering a range of key curriculum topics. Try something new or troubleshoot an old favourite, join us for ten minutes or two hours. Inspiration guaranteed!   (For 11-19 teachers and technicians; ITE and trainees)

This session relates to the ASE Book Teaching Secondary Biology - click here to be directed to the resource in the ASE Bookshop and explore further details

Are microscopes overlooked and undervalued in school science? In this session Andy will present four years of data from trainee science teachers on out of school experiences of using microscopes and the challenges of and opportunities for using microscopes in the classroom. Then, Andy will present the argument that microscopes are a gateway instrument to increasing Science Capital and lifelong engagement in STEM activities, as a hobby or as a career. Therefore, early positive informal and formal experiences of using a light microscope at home and at school should be optimised to improve engagement with STEM and uptake of STEM careers.
This will be followed by small group discussion of key questions and an opportunity to critique and develop these ideas.

Outcomes for delegates include engagement with new research data on the challenges and opportunities of using microscopes in secondary school and at home, considering the evidence within the frame of Science Capital, and contributing to discussion on experiences, perspective and solutions. Andy hopes that delegates will be able to engage in lively and thought-provoking conversation that could lead to real changes in practice.

"Borderless Microchemistry", stemming from the fusion of the UK's student-centric approach and the strategic use of microscale experiments, transcends national borders, offering a model for European educators. The comparative analysis between the Bulgarian and the British educational system serves as a microcosm, revealing challenges and presenting a flexible framework for science education on an international scale. At its core is its adaptability to diverse contexts, addressing common challenges faced by schools across Europe with limited resources. Microscale investigations requiring minimal resources can become a guide for educators seeking effective, resource-conscious strategies.

This project, emerging from the synthesis of the UK's student-centric approach and the strategic use of microscale experiments, transcends national boundaries, offering a blueprint for educators across Europe. The comparative analysis between the educational systems in Bulgaria and the UK serves as a microcosm, shedding light on challenges faced by diverse nations and providing a versatile framework to enhance science education on an international scale.

A cornerstone of this project is its adaptability to various contexts and settings. The microscale investigation, designed for implementation with minimal resources, aligns seamlessly with the realities confronted by schools across Europe. Common challenges, such as limited access to equipment, chemicals, and dedicated laboratory spaces, find innovative solutions within this project. It becomes a beacon of hope for educators seeking effective, resource-conscious strategies that can be tailored to their specific environments.

In this student-focused initiative, participants utilise samples of metals, salts, acids, hot and cold water, as well as alkali solutions to conduct an investigation. The primary aim is to discover which of the provided metals exhibits the highest reactivity. This hands-on approach empowers students to harness their investigative skills and apply the scientific method. Working in small teams, they independently plan the investigation, formulate predictions or hypotheses, select variables, and meticulously collect and analyse data.

Crucially, the project places a strong emphasis on cultivating transferable skills like analytical thinking, critical analysis, and teamwork. These skills, honed through the practical application of the scientific method, transcend cultural and linguistic boundaries. In an era where global collaboration is paramount, fostering these skills is not merely about preparing students for scientific endeavours but equipping them to navigate the complexities of an interconnected world. Teachers from diverse European countries can adopt and adapt these pedagogical approaches, contributing to the development of a generation capable of thriving in an international landscape.
The project's integration of environmentally conscious practices aligns with the growing global awareness of sustainability, a value deeply ingrained in the European commitment to environmental responsibility. By showcasing eco-friendly methodologies, such as the use of microscale experiments to minimize chemical waste, the project resonates with educators seeking to incorporate sustainable practices into their teaching methodologies.

A chance to gets hands-on making equipment and carrying out the latest CLEAPSS practicals  

Step into the role of a crime scene investigator and explore potential clues left behind at the murder scene of Dr. Ward, such as hair, fingerprints, and DNA.
Can you use these pieces of evidence to help solve the mystery and identify the culprit? Join us for an engaging session where we will analyse evidence and conduct gel electrophoresis to find out WHODUNNIT!

Drop-in anytime to try our reliable practicals demonstrating core biological principles. Discover relevant, engaging and affordable practicals covering a range of key curriculum topics. Try something new or troubleshoot an old favourite, join us for ten minutes or two hours. Inspiration guaranteed!   (For 11-19 teachers and technicians; ITE and trainees)

This session relates to the ASE Book Teaching Secondary Biology - click here to be directed to the resource in the ASE Bookshop and explore further details

 
The recently published report by the Royal Society on the Science Education Tracker survey indicates that we have had a fall off in practical activities in science classrooms. The question is why has this happened when we know that hands on practical activity motivates science learners and helps them learn.

This session draws in teachers and heads of science who will speak to the practical work situation in their school and help provide evidence of why this fall off is happening – lack of resources, teacher confidence with practical activity, shortage of lab space, overloaded curriculum, reduction in teaching time, post-covid catch up????

This session links with the panel session on post Covid practical work on Saturday.