Challenges around environmental education, post-16 transitions for young people with special educational needs, learning differences and disabilities, plus questions of identity are among the topics that will be explored by academics and PhD candidates from ECS at the annual BERA conference.

The event from 12 to 14 September will also hear about a range of ECS research focusing on how intersectionality affects higher education, and researchers will share preliminary findings around the role of curiosity in learning science and on Chinese students’ motivations to continue learning science in post-compulsory education contexts.

The full programme of ECS contributions to the annual conference is:

• 12 Sept, 11am-12.30pm: What Role Does Curiosity Play in the Science Classroom? Report on a Pilot Study – Chris Reid in session ‘Illustrating Science in different mediums’.
• 12 Sept, 11am-12.30pm: What now? What next?: exploring the views of education professionals who work with young people with SEND/LDD on their post 16 transitions – Meg Maguire, Sharon Gewirtz, Christopher Winch, Sait Bayrakdar, Charlotte Mcpherson, Alice Weavers, in session ‘Informal Education and Post-16 Transitions’.
• 12 Sept, 1.30-3pm: Critical Perspectives on Educational Policies and Professional Identities: Lessons from doctoral studies [symposium] – Meg Maguire.
• 13 Sept, 9-10.30am: Challenging Success: Exploring LGBT+ Volunteering – Pippa Sterk in session ‘Intersectional Praxis: Gender and Sexuality in Schools and Higher Education’.
• 13 Sept, 9-10.30am: Exploring Chinese Students' Motivations for Post-Compulsory Science Subject Choice: An Analysis of Policy, Cultural and Societal Factors – Ye (Catherine) Cao, also chair of the session ‘Widening Participation in Stem’.
• 13 Sept, 9-10.30am: (Language) Goals using Music in English Language Teaching – Anja Stumpf in session ‘Approaches to supporting English language learners’.
• 13 Sept, 11am-12.30pm: How did they do that?! Adventures in reversing university degree-award gaps – Ratha Perumal in session ‘Educational Challenges’.
• 13 Sept, 1.30-3pm: Are we making space for change? How an expansive approach to environmental and sustainability education is limited by its context – Sophie Perry in session ‘Spaces and contexts of climate change and sustainability education’.
• 13 Sept, 3.30-5pm: Degrees of Difference: 'BAME' Awarding and Attainment Gaps in Higher Education [symposium] – Ratha Perumal and Ayo Mansaray.
• 14 Sept, 11am-12.30pm: What, who and where next for teacher identity research? Identifying priorities for the field from a systematic review of the literature [workshop] – Sarah Steadman and Emma Towers.

Anja Stumpf, PhD candidate in ECS, said: “The BERA conference brings together leading experts in the field of research into education and so offers a fantastic opportunity for us to share our findings and learn about relevant studies at other institutions that might help to inform our work.”

Find out more and register to attend via the BERA website.

King's PGR students wishing to attend can apply for a grant from the Faculty of Social Science & Public Policy.