Call for Papers
First Announcement and Call for Presentations
Conference epiSTEME is a biennial international event to review research in science, technology and mathematics education (STME). The conference is hosted by Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE), Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR). Initiated in 2004, the primary aim of epiSTEME conferences is to nurture and promote scholarship in STME research, a nascent area that is steadily gaining recognition in India. The conference, by bringing together leading researchers from across the globe, has been playing an important role in the development of the field in our country. Conference epiSTEME is unique in its addressal of multidisciplinary issues pertaining to the teaching and learning of science, technology and mathematics. It is arguably the flagship conference in STME research in India, an area that holds great potential owing to our huge, aspiring student and teacher population. Details of the past seven editions of the conference are available at http://www.hbcse.tifr.res.in/episteme.
Aim of the Conference
Conference epiSTEME 8 will focus on some of the core issues at the intersection of content, cognition and culture relevant to STME. In particular the conference aims to generate discussion around topics such as the role of common sense ideas in the generation of scientific and mathematical concepts, student understanding of important scientific practices, alternative conceptions in various topics, role of language in STME, insights from cognitive science and sociocultural studies, among others.
The premise of the conference is based on the ideal of science education for all and reaffirms the connection between science and humanities. As part of the conference a panel discussion on the significance and challenges of bridging the gap between science and humanities education in the Indian context is proposed. A pre-conference symposium to mark 50 years of science education reform initiatives in India is also planned.
Strands
The four different strands and various sub-themes for paper submissions are as follows:
Strand 1. Historical, philosophical and socio-cultural studies of STME: implications for education
- Theme 1: History and Philosophy of STME
- Theme 2: Socio-cultural and gender issues in STME
- Theme 3: Science and Technology Studies
- Theme 4: Science as a Liberal Art
Strand 2. Cognitive and affective studies of STME
- Theme 1: Modelling in STME
- Theme 2: Knowledge representation
- Theme 3: Affective aspects of learning
- Theme 4: Problem solving, learning and reasoning
- Theme 5: Visuo-spatial thinking
Strand 3. Language, Pedagogy and Curriculum in STME
- Theme 1: Language and learning
- Theme 2: New Media, Role of ICT in teaching-learning
- Theme 3: Classroom interaction and discourse
- Theme 4: Assessment and evaluation
- Theme 5: Professional development of teachers
- Theme 6: Educational initiatives and innovations
Strand 4. Discipline-based education research
- Theme1: Astronomy Education Research
- Theme2: Biology/Life Science Education Research
- Theme3: Chemistry Education Research
- Theme4: Physics Education Research
Invited Speakers
- Tamer Amin (American University of Beirut, Lebanon)
- Sanjay Chandrasekharan (HBCSE, TIFR, India)
- Richard Lehrer (Vanderbilt University, USA)
- Ralph Levinson (UCL Institute of Education, UK)
- Olivia Levrini (University of Bologna, Italy)
- Liping Ma (Formerly at Carnegie Foundation for Advancement of Teaching, USA)
- R. Ramanujam (The Institute of Mathematical Sciences, India)
- Marissa Rollnick (University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa)
- Manjula Sharma (University of Sydney, Australia)
Call for Submissions
Submissions must be made online in the form of full papers of 6-8 pages (maximum of 8 pages including references) (Formats: DOC, DOCX, ODT only). A template for submission is available for download here: epiSTEME 8 Paper Submission Template.
To submit a paper go to Paper submission page.
Review Process
All submissions go through a double-blind review process. Accepted papers are published in the Conference proceedings. Review talks, along with the discussions, are documented in a series of volumes titled the epiSTEME Reviews.
To enable blind review, authors' names, affiliation and contact details must be provided only on the form during submission. These and other identifiers must not be included in the main body of the paper. There are two modes of paper presentation at the Conference: oral and poster. The academic committee will assign accepted papers to one of the two modes of presentation. Authors may indicate their preference for mode of presentation at the time of submission.
Important Dates
Registration
Conference Registration Fees (Includes accommodation, all meals, conference materials):
Those who wish to participate in the conference without submitting a paper must apply for the same.
We have funds to financially support a few deserving candidates. Please write to us at episteme8@hbcse.tifr.res.in
Conference Venue
Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education
Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, India
Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (TIFR) is located at the northern end of the island city of Mumbai. Known earlier as Bombay, Mumbai is India's most cosmopolitan city, finance and business capital and home of the entertainment industry, popularly known as Bollywood. Mumbai is a vibrant, pulsating metropolis, which affords diverse sightseeing opportunities. We expect to accommodate most conference participants on the HBCSE Campus, which is also the venue for the conference.
Contact Details
CONVENERS:
Mashood K. K. (mashood@hbcse.tifr.res.in)
Tathagata Sengupta (tathagata@hbcse.tifr.res.in)
Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education,
Tata Institute of Fundamental Research,
VN Purav Marg, Mankhurd, Mumbai 88, India.
Phone: 022-25072300 Fax: 091-22-2556 6803
Email: episteme8@hbcse.tifr.res.in