Date for #chemed diaries: Methods in Chemistry Education Research 20/5/16

Methods in Chemistry Education Research #micer16

Burlington House, 20th May 2016, 11 – 4 pm

This one day conference is being organised in response to a growing demand and interest in chemistry education research in the UK. The meeting will focus in particular on methods; the practicalities of how to do chemistry education research. Invited speakers with experience of completing and publishing discipline-based education research will give talks on particular methods, relating the methods to a theoretical framework, the research question, and discussing the practicalities of gathering data. Approaches to publication will be outlined. Each speaker will be followed by an extended structured discussion so that attendees have time to discuss further issues that arise. The meeting is being organised with the journal Chemistry Education Research and Practice which is free to access at the URL: www.rsc.org/cerp.

Attendance is free thanks to the support of the RSC’s Chemistry Education Research Group (www.rsc.org/cerg) and Tertiary Education Group (www.rsc.org/tertiaryeducation).

Session 1 (sponsored by the Chemistry Education Research Group)
In the first session, speakers will discuss their approach to education research with an emphasis on particular theoretical frameworks (e.g. grounded theory) and how this framework influences their method in addressing a research question.

Lunch

Session 2 (sponsored by the Tertiary Education Group)
In the second session, speakers will discuss their approach with an emphasis on gathering data (e.g. focus groups), the reasons for these approaches in the context of the research question, and the considerations in interpreting this data.

Further information and a final list of speakers will be circulated early 2016.