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’s 3 days 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, kindly sponsored by Philip Harris, 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!

11:15 GMT

Research Keynote: Purposeful and effective practical work in primary science

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

Pope LT C15

Practical work can fulfil many purposes in the primary science classroom, but which should be the focus, and how do we know if practical work has been used effectively? This research project has been funded by the Nuffield Foundation and draws upon expertise from Bath Spa University (Sarah Earle and Stuart Read) and The University of Manchester (Lynne Bianchi and Julie Jordan) to consider practical work from a uniquely primary perspective.

In this session, we will explore findings from the literature, a national stakeholder survey and teacher interviews to draw conclusions about purposeful practical work. We will share draft guidance and invite discussion about how to support effective practical work in primary science.

Speakers

Julie Jordan

Visiting Researcher University of Manchester, University of Manchester

Lynne Bianchi

Professor / Director, SEERIH, University of Manchester

Vice Dean for Social Responsibility, Equality, Diversity, Inclusion & Accessibility Director of Science & Engineering Education Research and Innovation HubComino Foundation Associate Great Science Share for Schools Campaign Director Principal Fellow of the HEA RSA Fellow

Sarah Earle

Professor of Primary Science Education, Bath Spa University

Prof. Sarah Earle PhD CSciTeach FHEA FCCT (she/her)@PriSciEarleProfessor of Primary Science EducationSchool of Education Knowledge Exchange LeadEditor for the Journal of Emergent Science and Research in Science & Technological EducationProject lead for Teacher Assessment in Primary... Read More →

Saturday January 11, 2025 11:15 - 12:05 GMT
Pope LT C15

Primary

Theme Research
Key Stage / Audience Type 5 to 7, 7 to 11, Selected by Research Group
Twitter feed @PriSciEarle

12:15 GMT

Research Meet - Sharing current close-to-practice research

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

Pope A24

Research provides a means for exploring teaching and learning in classrooms and other contexts, with some studies suggesting new ways of working. Every year many science education Masters, PhD and EdD students develop an expertise in a specific area of science education which can provide useful insights into how science works in the classroom. Come along to this session to hear a range of findings arising from a number of these studies and join in discussions for those that interest you.

Details of these mini-presentations will be made available by December, as will be populated below as we hear from those presenting.

Matt Wharf: My research looks into how science investigations that incorporate some genuine form of unknown change the nature of the discussions within science lessons away from asking if they ask if they are correct, to scrutinising what they are doing. In these situations students more readily ask questions about the evidence such as validity, how representative the sample is and other data that would be useful and how all these factors may impact the conclusions being drawn, developing their epistemological understanding.

Thomas Sean Weatherby: The topic of electricity is challenging. It is abstract, requires lots of new vocabulary and is laden with misconceptions. My research draws on using analogies and colour-coding to remove the abstractions and maths. The resources are based on a successful intervention conducted in German secondary schools, which I have now trialled in English. The focus is using the idea of “electric pressure” to link to learners’ prior experiences, combating some misconceptions around potential difference. Come and chat about all things electricity: content knowledge, pedagogy and technology, as well as leave with some resources for your practice.

Ravina Winch: I wanted to find ways to broaden pupils' perceptions of STEM and support them to engage with environmental education. I, therefore, designed an eco-STEM club with aim was to bring real work issues, of living a sustainable life, into a context that pupils could understand and engage with. The results found that pupils were developing their STEM skills such as team building and problem solving. Additionally, they were developing an affective interest in the school environment. From my perspective, pupils enjoyed pursing their interests and it helped them see that STEM can be a part of their lives.

Sally Howard: My mixed and multi methods research with upper primary and lower secondary teachers, in England ( alongside analysis of Working Scientifically policy) has identified how practical inquiry-based science is understood, practiced and misunderstood. Findings indicate where opportunities to better support teachers, and enhance pupil agency can lead to enhanced pupil learning and engagement in school science at this transition point from primary to secondary #transition #practicalscience #inquirybasedscience #enquirybasedscience #workingscientifically #pupilagency.

Speakers

Alastair Gittner

Research Lead and an enthusiastic supporter of ASE for over 25 years

Sarah Earle

Professor of Primary Science Education, Bath Spa University

Sally Howard

My PhD research focused on how inquiry-based science is understood & enacted by teachers in England who follow the NC, Oxford Brookes University

My mixed-methods research for my recent PhD focussed on the transition year groups between upper primary and lower secondary (in England) and how practical inquiry (an aspect of the current national curriculum Working Scientifically) is understood (misunderstood) and practised by... Read More →

Ravina Winch

Teacher of science, Deputy SENCO, Aston Fields Middle School

Thomas Sean Weatherby

External Researcher, Goethe University, Frankfurt

Matt Wharf

Senior Lecturer, Plymouth Marjon University

Dr Matthew WharfSenior LecturerSecondary Sciences (PGCE & Bed)Plymouth Marjon University, Derriford Rd, Plymouth, PL6 8BHITT Strategy LeadSWIFT

Saturday January 11, 2025 12:15 - 13:05 GMT
Pope A24

All

Theme Research
Twitter feed @theASE, @PriSciEarle

14:15 GMT

Research Meet - Sharing current close-to-practice research

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

Pope A24

Research provides a means for exploring teaching and learning in classrooms and other contexts, with some studies suggesting new ways of working. Every year many science education Masters, PhD and EdD students develop an expertise in a specific area of science education which can provide useful insights into how science works in the classroom. Come along to this session to hear a range of findings arising from a number of these studies and join in discussions for those that interest you.

Details of these mini-presentations will be made available by December, and will be populated below as we hear from those presenting.

Darren Harman: Secondary science education traditionally adheres to a "teach-test-teach" model, characterised by discrete, discipline-specific units that often lack interdisciplinary connections or adequately prepare students to understand global challenges, such as existential threats. This exploratory case study, informed by Critical Realism, seeks to design and evaluate a novel interdisciplinary framework for Key Stage 3 science. The Wicked Problem-Based Learning (WPBL) framework is rooted in real-world contexts and leverages "wicked questions" to contextualise learning. By integrating the required National Curriculum content with meaningful project, inquiry and aims-based learning, the WPBL framework aims to foster student agency and empower learners, utilising powerful knowledge to help them understand and confront humanity's most pressing challenges.

Christopher Reid: Learning Science: What's Curiosity Got To Do With It?
Curiosity – the intrinsic motivation to learn – has been the subject of various policy initiatives. While curiosity has been shown to improve factual recall and academic attainment, concerns have been raised that children’s curiosity, as well as its expression within the classroom, undergoes a rapid decline as children age. Ultimately, very little is known about what makes school students curious about science. To rectify this deficit, my research uses the experience sampling method to investigate how curious students feel at different points during their secondary science lessons, and interviews to explore the reasons behind these feelings.

Oria Shuman: A body-based approach to secondary science learning
A growing body of evidence has identified the mind and the body as a symbiotic entity. This in turn has led to a considerable number of studies exploring the use of body-based activities in learning, notably science. Despite this, science is still taught using the traditional disembodied approach. My MA in STEM Education thesis addresses the gap between evidence-based research and practice by critically examining both science teachers' and students' perceptions toward using body-based activities at a secondary school in North London. In this session, I will discuss the findings of my case study and provide recommendations for future research.

Speakers

ASE 2025 Wicked Problem Based Learning Darren Harman pptx

Saturday January 11, 2025 14:15 - 15:05 GMT
Pope A24

All

Theme Research
Twitter feed @theASE, @PriSciEarle