SERG News Vol 1 No 2

VOLUME 1
ISSUE 2
SERG/GRES News
May 11, 2009
Looking forward to CSSE 2009!
1
Welcome
2
President‟s Message
3
Conference Chair‟s
Report
4
SERG Sessions at
CSSE
5
AGM Agenda
6
NARST Update
We have prepared this newsletter as we wait eagerly for our
2009 gathering in Ottawa. The SERG sessions at CSSE this
year offer an exciting diversity of research topics and
researchers from across Canada. Further details about the
conference and the individual sessions are included on pages
3 and 4. Please mark your calendars so that you can join us
for the Annual General Meeting, Sunday, May 24 from 11:30
a.m. – 1 p.m. 219 Tory Building and later that evening for the
Annual Science Education dinner at 6 p.m. (location to be
announced). We hope that all of these events will contribute to
growing and strengthening our science education research
community.
6
Job Listing: Memorial
University
See you soon in Ottawa!
Inside This Issue
Sincerely,
Wendy Nielsen, Azza Sharkawy, Marie-Claire Shanahan
SERG Executive 2008-2009
Nous avons préparé ce bulletin avec beaucoup d‟anticipation
pour notre rassemblement à Ottawa 2009. Les sessions de
GRES cette année offrent une diversité riche des domaines et
des chercheurs d‟un côté du Canada à l'autre. D'autres détails
sur la conférence et des sessions sont inclus sur les pages 3
et 4. Veuillez marquer vos calendriers pour cette rencontre de
l'assemblée générale, qui aura lieu dimanche le 24 mai de
11h30 jusqu‟à 13h, 219 Pavillon Tory et plus tard cette soirée
pour le dîner annuel à 18h (endroit sera annoncé). Nous
espérons que tous ces événements aideront à élever et à
renforcer notre communauté de chercheurs d'éducation en
science.
On vous attend à Ottawa!
Sincèrement,
Wendy Nielsen, Azza Sharkawy, Marie-Claire Shanahan
Directeurs 2008-2009 de GRES
PAGE 2
SERG NEWS
SERG President’s Message
Wendy S. Nielsen
University of British Columbia
A hearty welcome to the second issue of the SERG Newsletter! Once again, a big thank you to
Marie-Claire Shanahan for her work in assembling this second issue. Thank you also to all of
the contributors to both inaugural issues. To all the rest of you out there, please accept this
personal invitation to make your own contribution to a future issue. The Newsletter was initiated
as a means for our community to share events, research updates, profiles and other items of
interest to our science education research community in Canada between our annual meetings.
Last week, President Obama addressed the National Academy of Sciences and announced his
government‟s new commitments to basic scientific research, along the lines of the initiatives
President Eisenhower undertook after Sputnik. It is not a „space race‟ that motivates scientific
research now, but a failed economic model, a planet suffering from human impacts and an
education system in crisis. As our neighbors to the south rise up to the challenge of thinking
and being different in the world, it is time that we as the Canadian science education
community take up the mantle of building science education, to translate our research into
practice in learning and teaching so that the next generation of teachers, scientists and citizens
have the foundational science knowledge and attitudes to thoughtfully and effectively address
our global and societal challenges. Our community is poised to take on a greater role in the
national and international conversations now taking place that will shape our collective future. I
challenge you to be part of these conversations.
As we prepare for Congress in Ottawa in just a few short weeks time, I offer my thanks to Azza
Sharkawy for her work in serving the organization as VP and Conference Chair this year. We
all know that this is the biggest job on the SERG Executive and Azza very capably handled this
role (and didn‟t seem to mind unsolicited advice from me as past-chair!). As President, my term
is coming to an end, but Azza will not be rid of me yet, as she moves to President and I remain
in the position of Past-President for the upcoming year. It has been an absolute pleasure
working with Azza and Marie-Claire on the Executive, and my heartfelt thanks to each of you
for taking up the challenge of service to this organization. You have helped it to grow in
significant directions. I have been proud to be associated with this organization, and while my
new job at the University of Wollongong in New South Wales, Australia, will take me to the
other side of the world, Canada remains my home and to quote a famous governor, “I‟ll be
back!”
See you in Ottawa.
Wendy
SERG NEWS
PAGE 3
SERG Conference Chair Report
Azza Sharkawy
Queen‟s University
Thanks to all who sent in proposals for the upcoming CSSE conference: of the 39
proposals submitted to SERG this year, one withdrew, 37 were accepted and only one was
declined. This high acceptance rate is a good indication of the quality of proposals
submitted by our members. Congratulations to all!
A wide range of topics will be covered this year at the conference: pre-service teacher
education, technology in science education, cultural and social issues in education,
environmental education and language-based issues in science education, amongst
others. We also have representation from 8 of our 10 provinces and international
colleagues from: Abu Dhabi, China and the US. Come out and feast on the fabulous
assortment of presentations we will have on offer.
In the previous edition of our newsletter I noted my upcoming need for generous reviewers
and now I have 30 generous SERG members to emphatically thank for volunteering their
time and energy to review conference proposals. While each volunteer reviewed up to six
proposals, this extensive load did not deter them from producing topnotch reviews: clear,
detailed and thoughtful questions and comments that authors could use to strategically
improve their papers. Also, a heartfelt thank you to all those who have volunteered their
time and energy to act as chairs and discussants –your work will facilitate insightful and
focused discussion. Many thanks also to Wendy Nielsen for her very generous solicited
(as well as unsolicited) advice in preparing for the upcoming conference! I also benefited
much from the advice of: John Freeman (a non-SERG colleague at Queen‟s), Anthony
Bartley and Marie-Claire Shanahan.
On a more culinary note, I am in the process of confirming a venue for our dinner on
Sunday, May 24, 6pm. If you are from Ottawa or have been to a great restaurant an easy
drive from Carleton, feel free to send me your recommendation and I will be happy to look
into it.
Conference issues aside, I would like to take this opportunity, before signing off, to thank
Wendy Nielsen, President Extraordinaire, for her extensive contributions to SERG over the
years and to congratulate and wish her the very best in her new academic position in the
fabulous continent of Australia. Many thanks also to Marie-Claire Shanahan, SecretaryTreasurer Extraordinaire, for all the hard work she has put into coordinating and putting
together our newsletter.
I look forward to seeing you all in Ottawa.
Azza
PAGE 4
SERG NEWS
SERG Sessions at CSSE May 23-26
Saturday, May 23 / Le samedi 23 mai 2009
Multi-paper session / Plusieurs communications: Pre-service Science Teacher Education / La formation à
l’enseignement des sciences
1:15 – 2:45 p.m. / 13 h 15 – 14 h 45, 230 Tory Building / Pavillon Tory
Sunday, May 24 / Le dimanche 24 mai 2009
Poster sessions / Séances par affiches
8:30 – 9:45 a.m. / 8 h 30 – 9 h 45, 231 Unicentre (Galleria)
Annual General Meeting / Assemblée générale annuelle
11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. / 11 h 30 – 13 h, 219 Tory Building / Pavillon Tory
Multi-paper session / Plusieurs communications: Cultural and Social Issues in Science Education / Enjeux culturels
et sociaux dans l’enseignement des sciences
1:15 – 2:45 p.m. / 1 h 15 – 14 h 45, 219 Tory Building / Pavillon Tory
Multi-paper session / Plusieurs communications: Technology in Science Education / La technologie dans les cours
de science
3:00 – 4:15 p.m. / 15 h – 16 h 15, 219 Tory Building / Pavillon Tory
Panel / Groupe d‟experts: Diverse Perspectives on Evidence in Science Education / Diverses perspectives sur la
preuve dans les cours de science
4:30 – 5:45 p.m. / 16 h 30 – 17 h 45, 219 Tory Building / Pavillon Tory
SERG Dinner / Dîner GRES
6:00 – 8:30 p.m. / 18 h – 20 h 30, Location to be announced / Endroit à announcer
Monday, May 25 / Le lundi 25 mai 2009
Multi-paper session / Plusieurs communications: Language-based Issues in Science Education / La langue et les
cours de science
8:30 – 9:45 a.m. / 8 h 30 – 9 h 45, 376 Unicentre
Multi-paper session / Plusieurs communications: Environmental Education / L’initiation à l’environnement
10:00 – 11:15 a.m. / 10 h – 11 h 15, 280 Unicentre
Multi-paper session / Plusieurs communications: A Potpourri of Issues in Science Education / Un pot-pourri de
questions reliées aux cours de science
11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. / 11 h 30 – 13 h, 182 Unicentre
Tuesday, May 26 / Le mardi 26 mai 2009
Multi-paper session / Plusieurs communications: Social Issues in Science Education / Les enjeux sociaux dans les
cours de science
10:00 – 11:15 a. m. / 10 h – 11 h 15, 376 Unicentre
Roundtables / Tables rondes
4:30 – 5:45 p.m. / 16 h 30 – 17 h 45, 234 Tory Building / Pavillon Tory
SERG NEWS
PAGE 5
SERG 2009 AGM Draft Agenda
1. Approval of Agenda
2. Approval of Minutes of 2008 Meeting
3. Business arising from 2008 AGM
a) New Executive Positions come into effect now
Graduate Student Representative: To be elected
Communications/Website: Roland Van Oostveen
b) Membership fees now being collected.
64 members as of April 24, 2009 (Faculty: $10/year, Students: free)
Motion to use a portion of 2009 income for refreshments at 2010 AGM
Motion to create a grad student award for conference attendance and paper based
on student research
4. Reports
a) President: Wendy Nielsen
Initiatives over past year: language inclusion; encourage wider participation in
SERG; expand communications strategies
b) VP/Conference Chair: Azza Sharkawy
c) Secretary-Treasurer: Marie-Claire Shanahan
Newsletter
d) Communications/Website: Roland Van Oostveen
5. New Business
a) Adjustment to succession and elections process („unofficial‟ 2-year term)
b) What if SERG moved away from CSSE/CACS? Or a SIG around Science &
Technology?
CSSE conference overlaps with ACFAS and PME, so few Quebec or Math
colleagues attend
c) Are we satisfied with directions for SERG? Discussion?
d) Any other business?
6. Nominations and Elections
President: succession as per Constitution (Azza Sharkawy)
Vice President:
Secretary/Treasurer:
Graduate Student Representative:
Communications/Website:
Past President: Wendy Nielsen
7. Motion to Adjourn
PAGE 6
SERG NEWS
National Association Research in Science Teaching International
Conference
The National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST) held its annual conference
in sunny California April 17-21, 2009 and Canadian Science Education researchers were well
represented. Over 25 of the sessions included Canadians from across the country – from
Memorial University to the University of Victoria. Some sessions presented research directly
addressing Canadians contexts, such as Judging [at] a Science Fair: Dilemmas for Judges and
Organizers presented by John Lawrence Bencze (OISE/UT), G. Michael Bowen (Mount Saint
Vincent) and Nicole Arsenault (Mount Saint Vincent) and Teachers Experiences in Environmental
Education: Negotiating the Complexities, Michael Tan, Erminia Pedretti, Gabriel Ayyavoo, and
Katherine Bellomo (OISE/UT). Others represented international collaborations such as the twopart symposium Quality Research, Policy, and Practice in Service of Science Education, featuring
Stephen Norris and Linda Phillips (University of Alberta), Larry Yore (University of Victoria) and
colleagues from New Zealand, Taiwan, and the United States.
SERG would also like to congratulate two NARST award winners. Jrène Rahm (Université de
Montréal) was awarded the NARST Outstanding Paper Award. The Outstanding Paper Award is
given annually for the paper or research report presented at the Annual International Conference
that is judged to have the greatest significance and potential in the field of science education.
Wolff-Michael Roth (University of Victoria) was awarded the Distinguished Contributions to
Science Education through Research Award. It is given to recognize an individual who, through
research over an extended period of time, has made outstanding and continuing contributions,
provided notable leadership, and made a substantial impact in the area of science education.
Hope to see many of you at NARST 2010, Saturday, March 20 – Wednesday, March 24, in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Job listing
Ongoing Search
Faculty of Education, Memorial University
Memorial University's Faculty of Education invites applications for a tenure-track appointment in
science education. Candidates should have a PhD in Science Education with teaching experience
at the K-12 level and research experience in the area of science teaching. The successful
candidate will be expected to teach graduate and undergraduate (elementary and secondary)
courses in Science Education and to develop an active research and service agenda.
Candidates are invited to submit a letter of application including a current curriculum vitae, the
names of three referees (two of which should be academic references), a teaching dossier and
two examples of single-authored scholarly writing. Please include the reference number of the
position for which you are applying (e.g., EDUC-2008-00?).
Applications should be sent to: Dr. David Dibbon, Dean, Faculty of Education, Memorial
University of Newfoundland, St. John‟s, NL A1B 3X8; e-mail: [email protected]; fax: 709-7378637