Past Virtual Events and Webinars

Past Virtual Events and Webinars

2024

2023

2022

2021

Understanding How Black and Hispanic Students’ Career Aspirations Evolve During Middle and High School

Tuesday, November 19, 2024, 1-2 pm EST

The continued shortage of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professionals in the United States has urged researchers and educators to examine how best to increase and diversify the STEM workforce. Of utmost concern is the underrepresentation of Black and Hispanic students in the STEM workforce. Because many students begin to formulate career aspirations during adolescence, it is critical to understand how career aspirations change during middle and high school.

To this end, we conducted a survey of 1,134 beginning college students at 23 institutions in the U.S., including Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Hispanic Serving Institutions, asking students to report their career aspirations at four time points-- from the beginning of middle school to the beginning of college.

In this webinar, we will share our findings.

Organizers:
Tingting Reid, tingting.reid@cfa.harvard.edu

NARST API Townhall Meeting: Listen to API scholars and Allies

Tuesday, November 12, 2024, 8-9:30 pm EST

Sponsored by:NARST API RIG Leadership

The NARST API RIG leadership team hosts a town hall meeting to listen to API scholars’ and allies’ needs, aspirations, and concerns, so that the leadership can plan 2024-2025 RIG activities that are responsive to the ideas and concerns shared in this forum.

This event also aims to facilitate community building and networking among API scholars, allies, and beyond.

During this session, participants will be invited to choose the topic or problems that they are interested in, engage in conversation with others in breakout rooms, and generate recommendations for the NARST API RIG leadership.

In this webinar, we will share our findings.

Organizers:
Hosun Kang; hosunk@uci.edu

Teaching School Genetics in the 2020s: Why naïve Mendelian genetics has to go

Monday, November 4, 2024, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM EST

The way we teach Mendelian genetics in schools deprives school students of gaining an authentic image of both hereditary phenomena and of the nature of science. Mendelian genetics is a research program that dominated the first half of the 20th century, whereas it continued to be active during its second half despite the “molecular revolution”.

This presentation corrects the distorting stereotypical representations of Mendelian genetics and provides an authentic picture of how science is done, and also explains how the oversimplifications of Mendelian genetics were exploited by ideologues to provide the presumed “scientific” basis for eugenics. In their place, it proposes a shift in school education from teaching how the science of genetics is done using model systems to teaching the complexities of development through which heredity is materialized.

Organizers:
Kostas Kampourakis, Kostas.Kampourakis@unige.ch

View Event Video on YouTube

NARST Member Training - Navigating Your Member Portal

Monday, October 21 , 4:00 - 5:00 p.m. EST

Join us for an overview on navigating your NARST member portal.

Learn how to: 

  • Use the NARST Member Forum 
  • Set your subscription preferences 
  • Join and navigate the online groups for RIGs

Anti-blackness and Latinidad

Wednesday, October 9, 2024, 12:00 – 1:00pm ET

Sponsored by: LARIG Research Interest Group

Anti-Blackness refers to beliefs, attitudes, actions, practices, and behaviors of individuals and institutions that devalue, minimize, and marginalize the full participation of Black people. Recently, LatCrit Education scholars have emphasized the necessity to situate race in the conceptualization of Latinidad, and thus address Anti-Blackness in the Latino/a/x/e community.

During this event, invited speakers will present their work with Latino STEM students/educators, highlighting the ways in which they situate race and name anti-Blackness. Following their presentations, members of the LARIG leadership will facilitate an open discussion with webinar attendees on this topic.

Organizers:
Summer Blanco, summer.blanco@uga.edu 

International Perspectives on Multidisciplinary Research in Science Education

August 15, 2024, Thursday 9:00 - 11:00 am EST

Join us for an exciting event exploring multidisciplinary research in science education. Speakers will present projects from three global/international teams addressing global challenges in STEM/STEAM education.

Highlights include advancing wastewater testing to track COVID-19, integrating AI into science teaching and learning, and integrating science, math, and computer science using educational robotics.

This event will facilitate a rich exchange of ideas, strategies, resources, and best practices among science educators and researchers worldwide.

Speakers 
- Hunkoog Jho, Department of Science Education, Dankook University
- Sahar Alameh, STEM Education Department, University of Kentucky
- Ezgi Yesilyurt, Department of Zoology, Weber State University

Escúchame, Mi Ciencia Cuenta: Leveraging Cultural Ways of Knowing to Increase Chicana Stem Engagement

August 7, 2024, Wednesday, 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm Central Time

Sponsored by: LARIG Research Interest Group

Join Dr. Patricia Ramirez-Biondolillo for a provocative session that discusses how we may counter the standardized hegemonic science curriculum that excludes Chicanx cultural representation by utilizing the underpinnings of social justice.

In this session, we will examine how testimonios of Chicana preservice teachers can be leveraged to articulate culturally sustainable practices relevant to these teachers in the Rio Grande Valley and beyond.

Organizers:
Uma Ganesan, uma.ganesan@utrgv.edu 
Angela Chapman, angela.chapman@utrgv.edu

 

NARST Summer Writing Retreat

July 10, 2024, Wednesday, 11:00 am - 3:00 pm Eastern.

Sponsored by: Membership Committee

We are excited to announce the NARST Summer Writing Retreat organized by the Membership Committee and led by Dr. Jonathan Bowers.

The Writing Retreat will be a half-day virtual event where members can come together to write and receive feedback on their writing projects. The Writing Retreat is a collective space where members write and support each other. Writers with diverse experiences will be present to answer questions and address challenges you face in finalizing (or even getting started) your writing projects, particularly your NARST proposal.

This event is FREE and only available to our members.

Empowering Future Generations: Integrating Computational Learning Across the Disciplines in K-12 Education

June 5, 2024, Wednesday, 9:30-11:00am Pacific / 12:30-2:00pm Eastern.

This event aims to spotlight the transformative role of computational learning within the K-12 math and science curriculum, emphasizing the necessity of equipping our educators and students with the tools to navigate and influence an increasingly computational world. With a dedication to fostering equity in STEM, we will delve into discussing the need for the creation of innovative, empirically grounded learning resources designed to seamlessly integrate computational thinking and cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence into science and math teaching. This session will not only showcase models for disciplinary integration of computational learning but also offer participants to engage in an interactive discussion on what is needed to develop empirically grounded, scalable resources aimed at integrating computational thinking across the K-12 disciplines. Participants will offer insights into how we, as a community, can enhance computational learning capacities in K-12 systems.

Organizers: 

Vanessa Lujan, Lawrence Hall of Science, vlujan@berkeley.edu 

Ari Krakowski, Lawrence Hall of Science, akrakowski@berkeley.edu

What affects STEM teacher identity: The influence of high school and college experiences

May 28, 2024, Tuesday, 2:00-3:00 pm Eastern. 

Do pre-service educators see themselves as science teachers? What in-school and out-of-school factors impact STEM teacher identity? The number or type of STEM courses taken in high school or college? Education courses or teaching opportunities experienced during college? Hobbies or activities experienced outside of the classroom? To answer this question, we conducted a nationwide survey of over 1,700 pre-service educators at 62 undergraduate teacher preparation programs. In this webinar, we will share our findings.

Organizers: 

Cynthia Crockett, ccrockett@cfa.harvard.edu

Rongxiu Wu, rongxiu.wu@cfa.harvard.edu

View Event Video on YouTube

Disrupting Dominant Narratives About API Educators and Students in Science Education

May 22, 2024, Wednesday, 6:30-8:00 pm Eastern. 

Sponsored by: Asian and Pacific Islander Research Interest Group

The goals of this virtual event, hosted by the API RIG, are to (1) provide a space for API scholar-educators and allies to share their experiences and perspectives in ways that disrupt deficit-based, dominant narratives of the API community with a focus on science education, and (2) to encourage collaborations and networking among API scholars and allies in the work of advancing equity, diversity, justice, and inclusion for the API science education community through scholar-activism and research. A panel of educators and researchers will share their experiences, perspectives, and scholar-activist work in the first 40 minutes, followed by a 20 minute Q & A session. 30 minutes will be allocated for breakout sessions for API scholars to network and connect over common interests.

Organizer: Hosun Kang, hosunk@uci.edu

NARST Members Writing Retreat

March 1, 2024

Host: Membership Committee

The Writing Retreat will be a half-day virtual event where members can come together to write and receive feedback on their writing projects. The Writing Retreat is a collective space where members write and support each other. Writers with diverse experiences will be present to answer questions and address challenges you are facing in finalizing (or even getting started) on your writing projects, papers, or manuscripts. This event is free to NARST members. We look forward to a productive and collaborative writing session! Should you have any inquiries or require further information, feel free to reach out to:

Organizers: 

Tugba Yuksel, tugbayuksel@gmail.com 

Jonathan Bowers, bowersj8@msu.edu

NARST International Collaboration Series #3: Surviving and Thriving as an International Graduate Student

January 30, 2024

Host: International Committee

International graduate students face special cultural and language barriers that can affect their nascent network and their writing progress. This session will invite current and recently-completed international graduate students to reflect on how to survive and thrive in their respective programs. Expected topics include building a support structure within a community and program, building an international network through the engagement of peer support, and writing conference proposals or journal articles. This session would allow international graduate students the opportunity to meet each other and form small teams that can serve as a supportive network.

Organizer: Ranu Roy, royranu2019@gmail.com

Contemporary API Science Education Research around the World

December 12, 2023

Host: Asian Pacific Islander RIG (API RIG)

This API virtual event featured science education research related to API issues around the world and provided networking opportunities for attendees.

Panelists:

Chun-Yen Chang, Chair Professor, National Taiwan Normal University, Taiwan.
Sushma Sardana, Amity University, Noida, UP, India
Myeong-Kyeong Shin, Associate Professor, Gyeongin National University of Education, South Korea.
Shingo Uchinokura, Associate Professor,  Kagoshima University, Japan 
Jianxin Yao,  Associate Professor,  Beijing Normal University, China 
 

Integrating Computational Thinking into Science Education: Translating Research into Practice Across Grade Levels

December 11, 2023

Host: Mandy Peel, New Mexico State University; Janice Mak, Arizona State University

In this virtual event, participants had the opportunity to engage in CT-integrated science activities in order to support its integration in their contexts. Facilitators shared research-based approaches, materials, and resources for CT integration in elementary and high school science. The group discussed issues of integration, pedagogy, and learning in order to help participants translate research into practice. Group discussions were used to explore CT in middle school and connecting CT across all grade levels. As part of this virtual event, participants received free access to materials that they can use in their own teaching and research following this virtual event.

Graduate Student Committee Forum Fall Webinar: Translating Research to Practice

December 4, 2023

Host: Graduate Student Committee

The Graduate Student Committee Forum presents the annual Fall Webinar series. This webinar was an informational session where 3 NARST faculty members presented how they translate their research to the schools systems and educators they work with. Graduate students rotated through each presenter break out room so that they can ask questions in a smaller group.

Using a Validated Instrument to Assess Elementary Teachers’ Content Knowledge for Teaching about Matter and Its Interactions

December 4, 2023

Host: Jamie N. Mikeska, ETS (jmikeska@ets.org); Katherine Castellano, ETS (KECastellano@ets.org); Dante Cisterna, ETS (dcisterna@ets.org); David Torres Irribarra, Berkeley Evaluation and Assessment Research Center (david@davidti.com)

Learn more about how a newly developed, automatically scorable instrument can be used to assess science teachers’ content knowledge for teaching (CKT) in one high-leverage content area: matter and its interactions. In this virtual event, participants built their understanding of CKT and how assessment items can be designed to measure teachers’ CKT in this content area. Participants were provided with access to our newly programmed CKT matter instrument via a freely available online platform. Participants had an opportunity to set up their own account in this freely available programmed instrument, learn about and interact with some of the platform’s features, and collaboratively consider varied ways they could use this instrument and the platform’s features to support the work they do with science teachers in their own settings. Participants could use this platform and the programmed CKT matter instrument after the virtual event to assess teachers’ CKT about matter within their own teacher education and professional development settings.

NARST International Collaboration Virtual Event #2

December 1, 2023

Examining the idea of counterintuitive questions in removing science misconceptions This session focused on understanding the difference between intuition and misconceptions in science and discuss the possibility of using counterintuitive questions in removing science misconceptions by means of a panel discussion. The session included a discussion on how to implement counterintuitive questions in a science classroom. 2. Forming and maintaining cross-country research collaborations NARST members were invited to explore possible ideas for cross country research collaboration in science education.  Scholars around the world shared their experiences and discussed necessary partnership steps from writing proposals to publishing papers.

Graduate Student Committee Academic Writing Series

The GSC hosted a writing series that took a deep dive into understanding various aspects of the academic writing process. The series offered 6 sessions over a 3-week period.

The sessions included:

Oct. 24: Intro to Academic Writing
View on YouTube

Oct. 26: Setting Up Conference Proposals
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Oct. 31: Writing the Front End of a Paper
Not available

Nov. 2: Writing the Back End of a Paper
View on YouTube

Nov. 7: Constructive Feedback
View on YouTube

Nov. 9: Setting Up Presentations
View on YouTube

Amplifying the Voices of Junior and Established Asian and Pacific Islander Scholars

Sponsored by the Asian and Pacific Islander Research Interest Group (API RIG)
August 30, 2023

The API RIG promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion in science education research involving learners of Asian and Pacific Islander heritage. It also serves as an intellectual network to support and mentor emerging Asian and Pacific Islander scholars in the global science education community, as well as all NARST members who are interested in API-related research endeavors.

The API RIG will hold a series of three webinars. The goals of this first event were to (1) connect established and junior API scholars in science education, (2) provide mentoring to junior API scholars, and (3) encourage networking among API scholars. 

In the first section of this event, established API scholars in science education shared stories about their research journey, followed by a 20 minute Q&A session. In the second section, junior scholars led conversations on the successes and joys of their research journeys, along with the challenges and concerns. The event concluded with breakout room conversations led by each of the junior scholars.

Established API Scholar Panel

Dr. Edna Tan, Hooks Distinguished Professor of STEM Education, University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Dr. Bhaskar Upadhyay, Professor, University of Minnesota

Junior API Scholar Panel

Jianlan Wang, Associate Professor, Texas Tech University, USA

Soo-Won Shim, Assistant Professor, Illinois State University, USA

Muhammad Abd Hadi Bunyamin, Assistant Professor, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Malaysia

Elanur Yilmaz Na, Postdoctoral Scholar, Lakehead University/Orillia, Ontario, Canada, 

Jessica Chen, Lecturer, Teachers College, Columbia University, USA

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EAST MEETS WEST: A Candid Talk on the Pros and Cons of Using Standardized Tests as Assessment Tools of Students in Mathematics and Science; Globally,What Appears to Work and Not Work?

May 3, 2023

Dr. Patrice J. Pinder, Independent STEM Education Researcher, Jamaica, and the Bahamas, Representing the CARICOM Caribbean Islands

Provided was a global snapshot of the various standardized exams to see what appeared to be working and not working across countries. In looking at and examining students’ performances on the various standardized tests, I wanted to see if these types of testing were benefitting students worldwide from the region of Asia to Europe to North America to Central/South/Latin America and the Caribbean, were students doing well on these exams? And, which countries were the higher performers and which the lesser performers specifically in respect to mathematics and science? In examining students’ test scores on the global/generalized PISA and TIMSS assessment measures and specific country- designed standardized tests, what did the story really reveal? The “candid” and “real and honest answers” to the aforementioned questions helped in informing others within the NARST community of education researchers, graduate students, teachers, policy decision makers, testing and measuring experts. This session provided a space for an open dialogue with the NARST webinar attendees, which allowed each attendee to freely discuss what each of them saw as “real” and/or “perceived benefits,” “effectiveness”, and “usefulness” of country-specific and global standardized testing measures.

View Event Video on YouTube

Exploring an Interdisciplinary Model of Black (Im)migrant Schooling to Explain Differences in Black Students STEM Performance

April 27, 2023

Dr. Patrice J. Pinder, Independent STEM Education Researcher, Jamaica, and the Bahamas, Representing the CARICOM Caribbean Islands

Across the globe, from the very wealthy continents of North America to Europe to Australia, the phenomenon of some migrant and immigrant students outperforming some native students are observed and documented. Some migrants and immigrants from China, the Philippines, India, Russia, Africa, and the Caribbean are reportedly achieving higher test scores than their native peers. Even within the same race, achievement differences are being observed; for example, African immigrant students seem to be outperforming Afro-Caribbean immigrant students in the UK. What might account for the achievement success of one group of students over the other group especially within the same racial grouping? Are achievement differences among the (im)migrant and non-(im)migrant groups linked to only family dynamics or to socio-cultural or to psychological factors? We explored the “Interdisciplinary Theoretical Model of (Im)migrant Schooling” to effectively account for the achievement differences seen across the globe.

View Event Video on YouTube

LGBTQ-Inclusive Education: Strategies for Research and Practice in Science and STEM

February 21, 2023

Across the United States, school-centered anti-LGBTQ laws are being passed in staggering numbers, impacting an estimated 25 million children. At a time where many LBGTQ students report feeling unsafe at school and a lack of supportive teachers and positive inclusive curricula in their classrooms, a significant education challenge is how to meet the needs of these students while addressing and dismantling the way the institutions of science and STEM education continue to uphold systems of oppression.

In this Virtual Event, a panel of experts in the field of LGBTQ-inclusive STEM education discussed current research trends in curriculum, teacher preparation, and student success and well-being. Participants had an  opportunity to brainstorm research applications to practice and consider ways to contribute to LGBTQ-inclusion in their work.

View Event Video on YouTube

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View Resource Guide

Knowledge Mobilization and Translation Across Boundaries

Sponsored by the NARST International Committee
December 12, 2022

Dr. Mohamed El Nagdi, The American University in Cairo
Contextualization of Educational Experiences and Educational Transfer: STEM Education as a Model

Dr. Muhammad Abd Hadi Bunyamin, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM)
Bringing in Integrated STEM in Teacher Education: Considerations on International, National, Local, and Institutional Contexts for Quality Academic Program

Dr. Tasneem Anwar, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
Transfer of STEM Research: Positioning STEM in Pakistan’s National Curriculum of Science

View Event Video on YouTube

NARST International Collaboration Series

Monday, October 17, 2022
9:00am-10:00am EST

The NARST International Collaboration Series provides opportunities for members to connect with each other across national borders.

Contact: Gavin Fulmer (gavin-fulmer@uiowa.edu)How To Better Incorporate the Next Generation Science Standards into Informal Education Settings

How To Better Incorporate the Next Generation Science Standards into Informal Education Settings

September 21, 2022
6:30-8:00pm EST

This presentation will consist of a brief overview of the "basics" of the Next Generation Science Standards and how to apply this knowledge to create and to better align your organization's education efforts with the Next Generation Science Standards.

Contact: Stephen McCloskey (stephen.mccloskey@whales.org

Education Strategies for Educators in Science and Technology Education

August 16, 2022
10:00am WAT

By 2025, over 3.5 million new digitized jobs will be available and 65% of children entering primary schools will find themselves in occupations that do not exist. It is imperative to prepare the talent base needed for a digital economy by a fast adaptation in Science and Technology Education as the demand for IT skills and digital tools are growing and evolving. With new digital tools and transformation trends in technology, skills and knowledge are becoming accessible to all. This hands-on event will guide Science and Technology educators in the South-Eastern region of Nigeria with the instructional pedagogy and project-based learning strategies to better integrate into their classrooms for a more informed experiential learning of students.

Contact: Amanda Obidike (amandachirpy@gmail.com)

Writing a NARST Conference Proposal Review

August 11, 2022
12:00-1:30PM EDT

NARST conference proposals undergo a rigorous peer review. NARST strand coordinators Neta Shaby, Beth Lewis, and Xiaoming Zhai discuss the process for producing a high-quality NARST conference proposal review. The webinar explains review process, provides examples of constructive feedback to proposal authors, and gives tips for generating consistent and fair scores across proposals. Both new and experienced NARST reviewers may find the webinar helpful.

View Event Video on YouTube

Mid-Career Faculty Forum

March 10, 2022
5:00-6:00 PM Eastern US Time

Got tenure? Got promoted? Clinical? Tenure-Track? Industry? Not sure what’s next? Come discuss what now? And, consider your options as you continue in your career. Individuals who have taken a variety of different paths will be present to share thoughts and wisdom.

Visual Science Communication -- Talking Pictures: How Knowledge is Shared in Our Visual World

March 2, 2022
6:00-7:00 PM GMT/UTC +1
1:00-2:00 PM US EST

Every second, millions of pictures are shared on social media. Our digital spaces are filled to the brim with them.  If we step out on the streets we are surrounded by signs, adds, illustrations. We filled our world with visual information. Moving images capture our gaze. In all this white noise, the question raises if pictures are still effective tools for communicating knowledge. How can we focus on clear, precise yet playful and entertaining ways of visual communication? What possibilities are emerging on the brink of technology and immersive worlds? What stories can we tell with those pictures?

CADASE Webinar Series: Winning African Children Early for Science: Exploring the Impact of African Home/Playground Activities and Folklores 

February 17, 2022
5:00-6:30 AM Eastern US Time
more information
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Reconsidering the Goals of Evolution Education: Defining Evolution and Evolutionary Literacy

February 10, 2022
11 AM Eastern US Time
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NARST Graduate Student Committee (GSC) Webinar

Monday, December 6, 2021, at 11 am EST
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