ASE 2025 Annual Conference: Full Schedule

The ASE is delighted to be hosting its Annual Conference, generously sponsored by AQA, at the University of Nottingham from 9th to 11th January 2025. International sessions are incorporated throughout the event for this year and we will have a great exhibition with lots of exclusive Conference offers. Post-16 focus-day and for those involved in leading and delivering professional development, the Teacher Developers’ Group programme is Thursday. Friday is the dedicated Technicians day and Early Career Teacher day. Sessions for both Primary and 11-19 are threaded throughout all 3 days with a focus on Research on Saturday.
Book your tickets now at https://ase2025AnnConf.eventbrite.co.uk - and remember, if you are an ASE member you will benefit from hugely discounted prices! Check out our membership here - it’s free for Early Career Teachers and only £25 for Technicians!

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09:45 GMT

Using an interdisciplinary approach to evaluate models in KS3 science

Saturday January 11, 2025 09:45 - 10:35 GMT

Physics B23

The use of models in science teaching and learning is a core practice. Given that many science concepts are abstract, too big or too small to visualise readily, models allow students to develop their knowledge of key ideas in science . Conversely, a lack of understanding about models, their uses and limitations can develop or perpetuate misconceptions across science (Education Endowment Foundation, 2018).

A lesson study is presented here, which investigates how the concept of a model can be taught by employing an interdisciplinary approach. Interdisciplinary learning is where new approaches to solving a problem, and/or new understandings of a concept are ‘synthesised’ through the benefit of integrating knowledge from different disciplines: a new way of thinking is created by considering a problem from multiple disciplinary perspectives (Simpson and Dawkins, 2023). The lesson study used examples of models from chemistry, biology, physics, maths, geography, and English alongside teaching practices designed to facilitate the integration of these different disciplinary perspectives. The presentation includes an analysis of feedback from the students in the lesson and their teachers. This study has been approved by the University of Birmingham Humanities and Social Sciences Ethics Review Committee (ERN_0808-Jun2023).

Delegates will have the opportunity to hear about a successful collaboration between a secondary school and university, and an opportunity to reflect on the impact of bringing practicing teachers, teacher educators and researchers together. Given the importance of interdisciplinary approaches in international curricula, including the International Baccalaureate , this presentation will also be of interest to both UK and international audiences. Delegates will understand better the concept of interdisciplinary learning through this lesson study approach and will hopefully be inspired to develop their own cross-disciplinary learning opportunities in their school or educational setting. All delegates will benefit from the opportunity to discuss, reflect on, and debate the shared difficulties in teaching students the role of models in science.

References
Education Endowment Foundation. 2018. Improving Secondary Science. https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/education-evidence/guidance-reports/science-ks3-ks4
Simpson, M., Dawkins, D. (2023). A framework for interdisciplinary learning in science education. SSR in Depth, 104(388), 13-18. https://www.ase.org.uk/resources/school-science-review/issue-388/framework-interdisciplinary-learning-in-science-education

Speakers

Donna Dawkins

Principal Investigator, University of Birmingham

Matthew Simpson

Lead Investigator

Saturday January 11, 2025 09:45 - 10:35 GMT
Physics B23

11-19

Theme Research
Key Stage / Audience Type ECTs, Global, Selected by Research Group, Teacher Developers, 11-14, Advisors/Consultants, Trainees, ITEs

12:15 GMT

CLEAPSS: Science Ninja's - giving children a choice

Saturday January 11, 2025 12:15 - 13:05 GMT

Physics B23

Scientific enquiry is well recognised as an integral part of primary-aged science learning. However, there is debate about the extent to which children should be guided to design and carry out their own enquiries or be provided with instructions to follow. In this session the CLEAPSS Primary/King’s College London team will talk about the classroom research they have done, and the enquiry focused professional learning program they are running. We hope to explain our rationale and the methodology we are using, sharing some of the successes and challenges of our journey.

Creating the opportunity for some choice instigates powerful feelings of autonomy that help children take ownership of the activity and engage with their learning. Our aim is to help teachers feel comfortable about giving their children decision-making opportunities during practical enquiry activities and for their children to increasingly think of enquiries as theirs. The CLEAPSS/KCL Team will share some schools' early successes and welcome a shared discussion about their recent findings and reflections.

Speakers

Maria Pack

Primary Science Consultant, CLEAPSS

Lucy J Wood

Lecturer in Chemistry Education, Kings College London

I am a Lecturer in Chemistry Education at King’s College London with a research focus on practical work across primary and secondary settings. I have a passion for bringing scientific enquiry into the curriculum and have been closely involved in supporting professional development... Read More →

Jason Harding

Primary Section Leader, CLEAPSS

Saturday January 11, 2025 12:15 - 13:05 GMT
Physics B23

Primary

Theme Research
Key Stage / Audience Type Selected by Research Group, ECTs, Global, Industry, Teacher Developers, 7 to 11, Selected by Teacher Developers' Group
Twitter feed @CLEAPSS_Primary

13:15 GMT

Developing literacy through secondary science

Saturday January 11, 2025 13:15 - 14:05 GMT

Physics B23

The need to improve literacy skills is widely recognised, not only as a way to support outcomes in science but also to support pupils more widely as a lifelong skill. Evidence also shows that literacy is a major barrier for disadvantaged learners making more progress in science (https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/education-evidence/evidence-reviews/science/), hence literacy has become a focus for most schools.

In a packed curriculum, tackling literacy can feel like another job to do and so this session explores how we can integrate the development of literacy skills with building both substantive and disciplinary knowledge in secondary science.

Many schools now have a whole school approach to developing literacy, with suggested strategies sometimes feeling that they don’t quite lend themselves to the science classroom. Science teachers may also lack confidence in their ability to develop literacy when faced with whole school approaches developed by ‘literacy experts’. Having a science-led approach can promote buy in of both staff and students in overcoming the barriers to literacy.
This session explores how we can take ownership of literacy development either within our own classroom or across a department, gain confidence in approaches and ensure that activities enhance the science as well as the literacy.

Practical, science-relevant strategies will be shared to develop a range of aspects of language and literacy, including at word, sentence and paragraph level. Links will also be made to reading comprehension and application in an unfamiliar context, still a challenge for many learners at KS4.

Intended outcomes

•Consider the challenges and barriers to developing literacy in secondary science
•Develop approaches to improving a range of literacy skills whilst also building knowledge and understanding in science
•Develop confidence in overcoming barriers to literacy in science

This session is sponsored by Collins.

Speakers

Tracey Baxter

Educational Consultant, Tracey Baxter Consultancy Services

Tracey is an Independent Science Consultant with extensive experience in supporting secondary schools, with a focus on leadership, teaching and learning, curriculum development and assessment in science.She is an accredited Senior Professional Development Leader with STEM Learning... Read More →

Sponsors

Collins

Collins’ range of market-leading science resources support pupils throughout every stage of their education, from early years to A level. Visit us at stand 72 to learn how our resources can support you in delivering an impactful science curriculum.For primary schools, the updated... Read More →

Saturday January 11, 2025 13:15 - 14:05 GMT
Physics B23

11-19

Theme Curriculum and New Teaching Approaches
Key Stage / Audience Type ECTs, Global, Teacher Developers, 11-14, 14-16
Twitter feed @TracyBConsult

15:30 GMT

How can we harness creative skills when thinking like a scientist?

Saturday January 11, 2025 15:30 - 16:20 GMT

Physics B23

This session presents the findings from one of thirteen action research projects that took place during Year 2 of the Penryn Creative Collaboratives program. The program was launched in 2021 and was funded by the Arts Council with the generous support from the Freelands foundation. The research partner is the University of Exeter. The findings from Year 2 can be found in the research report Crickmay et al (2023).

Delegates will develop an understanding of the action research during the session, it will be presented by the Science teacher who conducted the research from Penryn College Secondary School in Cornwall. Delegates will also hear the thoughts and perspectives of the Head of Science. In the first year the action research involved a class of Year 8 students. The industry partner was The Leach Pottery, St Ives, Cornwall who provided a real-life example of where the scientific process is used in a creative industry. Potters use glaze trials as part of the creative process of making pots. During this process, one variable is changed (the metal salts used to colour the glaze) while many variables are kept the same (eg. kiln temperature, clay body, shape and size of the tiles). This is similar to the independent and control variables in a science investigation.

During science lessons the project explored how we can harness creative skills to encourage students to think like scientists. Students came up with their own ideas for investigations and the action research focused on the student's use of the creative skills of dialogue and collaboration and honing and developing ideas while planning and conduction the investigations. The findings from this research are reported in van Veen, E. (2023) and delegates will come away with an understanding of how these findings were reached.

The use of the creative skills in science investigations was extended in a second piece of action research that involved Year 7 and 8 students in all science lessons across the school.. The creative skills were frequently referred to while the students planned and carried out semi open ended investigations and the research looked at how we can assess those creative skills when they are being used in the service of a science investigation.

The session will be led by the science teacher who conducted the action research and the teacher who was the Head of Science during the action research. Delegates will develop an understanding of the two pieces of action research, how the workshop from the Leach Pottery worked and also how the Creative Skills wheel can be used as a tool to help students understand the importance of Creative Skills to the scientific process.

Speakers

Eleanor van Veen

Secondary science teacher and Primary partnership science co-ordinator,, Penryn College

I am a secondary school science teacher in Cornwall. I was an Environmental Chemist in industry and academia. Talk to me about our primary science partnership. I am also very interested in educational research and how to get it published.

Claire Stamper

Head of Science, Penryn College

Saturday January 11, 2025 15:30 - 16:20 GMT
Physics B23

All

Theme Research
Key Stage / Audience Type Selected by Research Group, ECTs, Global, Industry, Teacher Developers, 7 to 11, 11-14, 14-16