Re-Imagining Research in 21st Century Science Education for a Diverse Global Community

As conference program chair my intent by setting this conference theme was to place emphasis on the need for our association to look forward imaginatively, courageously, and comprehensively while engaging in science education research for a global community characterized by diversity. I believe this is truly a momentous time in the history of our association to re-examine our research and to engage in refreshing re-conceptualizations of studies in science education by both veteran and new scholars. The quality of our electronically submitted proposal submissions of papers, posters, and symposia (nearly 900, total), as assessed via masked review, was exceptional. I am pleased to share that we were able to accept a record breaking 78%. I look forward to thanking personally at the conference all the many NARST members who donated generously their expertise (in submissions as well as proposal review and strand scheduling of sessions) and also our association’s support staff who collectively brought to fruition the dream of the conference through many hours of hard work. Thank you.

Our keynote speakers who will speak to our conference theme come from both outside and within our association’s membership. From the mathematics education research community, we will hear from Paul Cobb, Vanderbilt University, USA, and Kara Jackson, McGill University, Canada. From our science education research community we will hear from Okhee Lee-Salwen, New York University, USA. Plus we also will have many symposia and research sessions related to this theme.