Past reflections and future horizons

Past reflections and future horizons

by | 30 Years of EERA, NW 8 Health and Wellbeing Education

EERA is celebrating 30 years in 2024, and as part of our anniversary celebrations, we have invited people who have been at the heart of the association to share their memories and reflections. In a series of blog posts, which will run throughout 2024, we will share those precious memories, from the people who helped foster the global EERA community.

Professor Venka Simovska, the first link-convenor of Network 8, Health and Wellbeing Education, and co-author of an EERA / Springer publication on wellbeing and schooling, thinks back on her years with EERA, the role of Network 8, and the new phase that EERA is entering.

As we mark the 30th Anniversary of the European Educational Research Association (EERA), I reflect on the incredible journey since the establishment of Network 8, Health and Wellbeing Education, in 2010. As the first link-convenor of this network in the period 2010-2017, and a member of the convenor group since then, my experience has been both fulfilling and transformative, providing me with unique insights into the role that EERA plays in shaping the landscape of educational research and the community of educational researchers.

Acknowledging the profound influence of education on the development and wellbeing of children and young people, and recognizing the interconnectedness between education and wellbeing, Network 8 was established to serve as a platform for researchers to engage in examining the complexities, tensions and ambiguities associated with health and wellbeing in schools. Our open and inclusive approach to research acts as a catalyst for collaboration crossing different disciplines and research paradigms, fostering critical examination of various conceptualizations, theoretical framings, and research methodologies related to school-based health and wellbeing.

I have vivid memories of ECER in Berlin in 2011 where Network 8 had its first slot in the conference agenda. The invigorating atmosphere of that conference has stayed with me throughout the past years and, remarkably, has even intensified in subsequent conferences. Year by year, I have had the pleasure of reconnecting with colleagues from Europe and beyond and creating new connections in this dynamic academic community. Another strong trace in my reflections is ECER in Budapest in 2015, marked by the refugee crisis in Europe, and the sense of solidarity and activism that the EERA community demonstrated. Fast forward to ECER 2021, the landscape shifted dramatically as the conference was held online due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the physical disconnect, the virtual setting provided a meaningful platform for researchers to stay connected during extraordinary times.

The following year, in a transition from the purely virtual experience, ECER 2022 was organized as a hybrid format. We were presented with the option to either travel to Yerevan or participate remotely. Carole Faucher, a distinguished member of the convenor group for Network 8, delivered a keynote in Yerevan. Her presentation addressed the global-local dichotomy in knowledge production, a topic that is a central focus of our network’s interests, and a theme we are dedicated to strengthening in the future. Finally, ECER 2023, hosted by the University of Glasgow, emerged as a milestone with a record-breaking number of participants. This resonated not only within Network 8 but across all EERA networks, highlighting the indispensable role of this research community on a global scale. In my view, this record-setting conference, as well as the evolving nature of ECER conferences, from the challenges of the refugee crisis to the adaptability demanded by a global health pandemic, underscores the resilience of the EERA community and its dedication to advancing research in the field of education.

Furthermore, EERA’s commitment to developing educational research is distinct in its support and nurturing of more than 30 thematic research networks like Network 8. This not only enhances the quality and diversity of educational research but also contributes to the professional development of researchers at various stages of their careers. By prioritizing both established thematic networks and the promotion of emerging scholars, EERA contributes to the vitality, capacity, and quality of educational research in times marked by neoliberal societal tendencies that can be inhospitable to research in humanities and social sciences.

Through its engagement in ECER, Network 8 has contributed to shaping fresh research agendas and fostering research cooperation. One significant outcome is manifested in the partnership with the Emerald Journal Health Education, resulting in several special issues portraying the state-of-the-art research in the field. One of the most recent collaborative research outcomes is the publication of the book “Wellbeing and Schooling: Cross-Cultural and Cross-Disciplinary Perspectives” in 2022 within the EERA Book Series by Springer. Co-edited by Ros McLellan, Carole Faucher, and myself, and with contributions from about 20 scholars from the network, this book revisits, challenges, and rearticulates taken-for-granted wellbeing conceptualizations, policies, and intervention frameworks.

As I turn towards the future, reflecting on the challenges Network 8 has confronted and navigated over the years, in the domains of reviewing, publishing, presenting, and debating research—a clear appeal emerges for EERA to strengthen its commitment to explicit acknowledgement and incorporation of diverse ethico-onto-epistemologies in the research presented at ECER and other EERA practices. The historical influence of Eurocentrism, rooted in the dominance of Western perspectives, has shaped the trajectory of academic research, often marginalizing non-European ways of knowing. By embracing a broader spectrum of cultural, social, and indigenous knowledge systems, EERA can not only enhance the quality and relevance of research but also contribute to challenging entrenched power imbalances within academia. This is not just a matter of intellectual diversity; it is a dedication to fostering a truly pluralistic and democratic scholarly landscape.

Marking three decades of existence, EERA is now entering a new phase characterized by maturity, resilience, accumulated experience, and a strong sense of community. As we celebrate this milestone, I am confident that EERA can be at the forefront of cultivating a research environment where diverse epistemological, ontological, methodological, and ethical perspectives are not only recognized but also celebrated, contributing to knowledges that reflects the richness of our global intellectual heritage. In embracing this transformative shift, collectively we can set the stage for a future where academic discourse is genuinely reflective of our complex, diverse and interconnected world.

Professor Venka Simovska

Professor Venka Simovska

Danish School of Education, Aarhus University, Copenhagen

Venka Simovska is a Professor in School Development, Learning, and Wellbeing at the Danish School of Education (DPU), Aarhus University, located in Copenhagen, Denmark. Her research interests lie at the intersection of educational theory, psychology, and health and wellbeing promotion in schools.

Simovska‘s scholarly work is characterized by qualitative and plural research methodologies, embracing interpretive and (post)critical paradigms. She is currently leading a research project funded by the Independent Research Fund Denmark (DFF), titled: “Paradoxes of Learning to be Well: Re-examining the Curriculization of Wellbeing” The project critically examines wellbeing discourses and practices in primary and lower secondary schools in Denmark.

In addition to her research, Simovska has recently co-edited the book “Wellbeing and Schooling: Cross-Cultural and Cross-Disciplinary Perspectives” alongside Ros McLellan and Carole Faucher. This publication is part of the EERA Book Series – Transdisciplinary Perspectives in Educational Research published by Springer.

Past reflections and future horizons

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EERA and ECER – nostalgic reflections of a past love affair

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Silent heroes – Celebrating Peru’s Early Childhood Educators in times of crisis

Silent heroes – Celebrating Peru’s Early Childhood Educators in times of crisis

by | BERA, NW 10 Teacher Education Research, NW 14 Communities, Families, and Schooling in Educational Research

We are counsellors, we are nurses, we are legal helpers, even parish priests, we are multifaceted.

Maria

Leader/Teacher, Peruvian public school

These are the words of a Peruvian public-school early childhood educator/leader, as she described how her role morphed into one of holistic accompaniment, not just to her young students, but to their families as well during the extended period of school closures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. They highlight one of the many challenges thrust upon a previously maligned and disenfranchised workforce in a moment of crisis, but much more than this, they offer us a glimpse into the lives of early childhood education(ECE) stakeholders in Peru during this period. 

The Peruvian Context

Life in Peru was severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent social distancing requirements, which meant that education institutions were closed to in-person teaching for more than 18 months. Educational outcomes, whilst seeing an upward trend in the years leading up to the pandemic in terms of PISA scores, were still below the OECD average (OECD, 2018). The system was still considered to be struggling in terms of providing equal access to quality teaching and learning experiences as ‘poor, rural, indigenous girls are 91% more likely to be left behind in quality education than their wealthier, urban, non-indigenous peers’ (Alcázar et al., 2020, p12).

Public school teachers are historically perceived as having low prestige and relatively low pay in comparison to other professions (Saavedra & Gutierrez,2020), a significant contextual consideration when we ponder the critical role they not only played in ensuring educational opportunities for children, but also in support and guidance for families.

The challenges faced by early childhood educators

Within this complex context, initial findings from my multiple case study doctorate research project, where semi-structured interviews were conducted with parents, leaders and teachers at four early childhood settings, suggest that early childhood educators across private, public, rural, and urban areas faced several significant challenges. These included increased workload burdens, adaptation to the use of technology, their own emotional well-being, connecting in meaningful ways with children, and dealing with the day-to-day uncertainty. And from the outset of the strict social distancing measures put in place, they were bombarded with the demands of work.

If, for example, they did not have their child’s next call scheduled, or they didn’t know the questions to ask them, or they had a problem sending their evidence, there would be messages at midnight or at one in the morning… even at four in the morning, the phone rang. It didn’t matter if it was Friday, Saturday, or Sunday, the same. 

Catalina

Teacher, Peruvian public school

Significantly, access to high-quality internet and devices in Peruvian homes is limited, so online lessons were not an option for many families. Instead, they relied on sending and receiving messages, usually via WhatsApp or SMS texts, which resulted in early childhood educators being the first point of call for parents, reframing their role in society.
And our role was more emotional accompaniment for the families, not only with children, with families too
Almudena

Teacher, Peruvian public school

If educators were able to connect virtually with children, they were faced with the challenges of adapting their pedagogical approach to foster relationships and engage young children through screens. A task that was initially faced by just the educators working in the private sector but soon by many in the public sector too.

It has been a very difficult time. For me, as a professional, no? Because in spite of having made every effort to bond with my students, it’s a dehumanising process, you are in front of a computer and have no contact with them.

Rosario

Teacher, Peruvian private school

Implications and conclusions

This blog post, rather than endlessly listing the challenging circumstances faced by early childhood educators in Peru during the pandemic, seeks to draw attention to their resilience and achievements, providing a voice to those often overlooked in vulnerable communities.

Resilience in educators was evident in the mere fact that ECE was able to be adapted and continued regardless of the extreme and unprecedented challenges faced. However, as Gu (2014) states, resilience in educators is not merely coping in the face of adversity; it encompasses a moral and vocational-like commitment to make a difference and support learning. Critical to this dedication was their ability to develop positive interactions with parents and foster supportive relationships with peers, as they shared online teaching practices and provided emotional accompaniment. These coping strategies are underpinned by collaboration, which was key in bringing the ECE community together, and ensuring the best outcomes for children.

This has significant implications for the future as the relationships forged between parents and teachers, alongside the new professional and personal skills developed by teachers, can be vital in addressing learning gaps and bridging inequalities. In highlighting these issues, there is the potential for the profession’s low prestige in Peruvian society to be changed or at least challenged.

Key Messages

  • Celebrating the efforts and dedication of early childhood educators during the pandemic provides a voice to those often overlooked in vulnerable communities
  • Resilience in educators includes a moral and vocational-like commitment to make a difference and support learning
  • The development of positive interactions with parents was critical, as was the fostering of supportive relationships with peers
  • The relationships forged, and the professional and personal skills developed by teachers during the pandemic, can be vital in addressing learing gaps and bridging inequalities.
Tom Chalmers

Tom Chalmers

PhD Student at the University of Greenwich, UK

Tom Chambers is an early career researcher studying a part-time PhD at the University of Greenwich, London. His research is focused on exploring the impact of the pandemic on the key stakeholders associated with early childhood education (ECE) in Peru. The research will not only have implications for educational policy and practice but also highlight the inequalities in accessing high-quality ECE in countries in the Global South.

He has recently completed a two-year period of part-time volunteer work as a desk researcher with La Fundación Baltazar y Nicolás, a Peruvian NGO involved with supporting parents of young children in Peru. Tom is an experienced early years/primary educator and holds a Master’s in Education also from the University of Greenwich

Twitter/X: @TomChambers1984 LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/tom-chambers1984 ORCID: 0009-0000-4439-9592

Other blog posts on similar topics:

References and Further Reading

Alcázar, L., Bullard, M., &Balarin, M. (2020). Poor education and precarious jobs in Peru: Understanding who is left behind and why. Southern Voice, 64. https://southernvoice.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Education-Jobs-Peru-Alcazar-Bullard-and-Ballarin-2020.pdf

Gu, Q. (2014). The role of relational resilience in teachers career-long commitment and effectiveness. Teachers and Teaching: Theory and Practice, 20(5), 502–529. https://doi.org/10.1080/13540602.2014.937961

OECD. (2018). Programme For International Student Assessment (PISA) Results From PISA 2018. In OECD COUNTRY NOTE. https://www.oecd.org/pisa/publications/PISA2018_CN_PER.pdf

Saavedra, J., & Gutierrez, M. (2020). Peru: A Wholesale Reform Fueled by an Obsession with Learning and Equity. In F. M. Reimers (Ed.), Audacious Education Purposes: How Governments Transform the Goals of Education Systems. Springer.

Peru: A Wholesale Reform Fueled by an Obsession with Learning and Equity | SpringerLink

Growing (with) EERA Network 14

Growing (with) EERA Network 14

by | 30 Years of EERA, NW 14 Communities, Families, and Schooling in Educational Research

EERA is celebrating 30 years in 2024, and as part of our anniversary celebrations, we have invited people who have been at the heart of the association to share their memories and reflections. In a series of blog posts, which will run throughout 2024, we will share those precious memories, from the people who helped foster the global EERA community.

Joana Lúcio, former Link Convenor of Network 14, reflects on her time with EERA, and how the growth of the network went hand in hand with her professional and personal growth. 

I attended my first ECER in 2010, during the second year of my doctorate. I presented two papers – one pertaining to my PhD and another related to a smaller group research project I was involved in at the time – both within Network 14, and in the context of a session chaired by then-Link Convenor Rune Kvalsund. Rune was (and has been) a very generous and engaging chairperson, and kindly invited me to attend the Network meeting the following day. I remember feeling very welcome and “at home” within that plural and international group of researchers. I was immediately keen to engage with the Network to the best of my ability. At the end of the following year’s conference, in Berlin, Rune and Linda Hargreaves (another one of NW14’s longest-serving convenors, and former Link Convenor) inquired about my availability to take over the role of Link Convenor in 2012, when Rune planned to step down. I was in equal parts thrilled and terrified by that invitation and the inherent responsibility. The following year, shadowing Rune Kvalsund and learning the ropes of EERA and ECER – while also completing my PhD – was one of much professional, academic and personal growth.

Network 14 thankfully experienced exponential growth during my tenure as Link Convenor (2012-2015). We grew from a group of 5-6 reviewers assessing 20-30 submissions a year, to a team of over 18 reviewers going through over 90 submissions annually, while also promoting collaborations (joint calls or sessions) with other networks. It was one of the most hectic, exciting, enriching and unforgettable experiences of my life!

Stepping down as Link Convenor after three years was an organic process, as it was in line with what previous Link Convenors had done. Nevertheless, I remained as connected with the Network as before. In 2015, I co-edited a special issue of the European Educational Research Journal with John I’Anson (Network 25), featuring contributions from a joint two-part symposium that took place at ECER 2013 (Istanbul). For ECER2015 (Budapest), I co-authored NW 14’s special call for papers. Later, I co-edited a special issue of the Australian and International Journal of Rural Educating, featuring contributions resulting from a special call for ECER 2016. I have remained a convenor (reviewing and moderating) and a participant in Network 14’s activities, both before, during, and in the aftermath of ECER.

Between special calls for papers, handbooks, edited journal issues, seasonal schools, etc., Network 14 has remained one of the most prolific, while also one of the longest-established networks within EERA.

In recent years, the number of submissions received annually by Network 14 has stabilized at around 60-70. Our convenor team continues to evolve, welcoming new collaborators whenever (or wherever, topic-wise) necessary. This is a testament to how the Network continues to foster young and less-experienced researchers, as it did for me fourteen years ago. It is just as much a testament to how the issues of schooling, communities and families remain pertinent within educational research. Finally, it is a clear indication that evidence-based research (in fields such as rural/urban schooling, place-conscious education, educational trajectories and transitions, school-family-community links, parental and familial involvement in schools, etc.) is, and should be, at the forefront of European and international agendas.

Past reflections and future horizons

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Growing (with) EERA Network 14

As part of our 30 years of EERA celebrations, Dr Joana Lúcio reflects on her time as Link Convenor of Network 14, and her professional and personal growth.

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Pleasure, confusion, and friendship – 30 years of EERA

EERA’s first Secretary General and founding editor of the EERJ, Professor Martin Lawn, looks back at the sometimes rocky road of EERA, the developments into the organisation it is today, and considers where the journey should go next.

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EERA and ECER – nostalgic reflections of a past love affair

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Dr Joana Lúcio

Dr Joana Lúcio

Dr. Joana Lúcio (PhD) holds a Doctorate in Education Sciences by the University of Porto (PT), with a thesis focused on the Educating Cities movement, through the lens of social and educational mediation. She has conducted and/or been a part of several research-intervention projects in the field of Local Development, with a particular interest on non-formal and informal educational processes, and the roles of citizens’ associations, local government and SMEs.

In 2018, she finished a post-doc in Sociology of Education, at the Institute of Education of the University of Minho, Braga (PT). She is currently a researcher at CIEd – Research Centre in Education, University of Minho, Braga (PT) and a convenor for Network 14. Communities, families, and schooling in Educational Research, at the EERA.

Hope and Community – A community of practitioners for social change

Hope and Community – A community of practitioners for social change

by | Emerging Researchers' Group

Thriving communities of practice necessitate cultivating and adopting a shared repertoire of communal resources, such as stories, tools, and symbols, that encapsulate the collective knowledge of the community. Essentially, the community shares practices – approaches and tools collectively embraced by its members.

In pursuing their interest in their domain, it is important to provide members with the opportunity to engage in joint activities and discussions, help each other, and share information (Wenger-Trayner & Wenger-Trayner, 2015). Through offering and receiving help, we gain awareness of the richness of the community and build an expectation that we can contribute to others and that others reciprocate in some way. As Wenger (2000, p. 241) notes, “Identity needs a place where a person can experience knowing as a form of social competence.”

Could summer schools, workshops, and training sessions be this place for early career researchers to shape their identities as researchers?

To find out, the EERA summer school was organised at the Faculty of Philosophy, University in Belgrade, with the support of UNICEF Serbia. Under the title “Inclusive Approaches To Educational Research,” more than 30 early career researchers from over 20 countries gathered from July 12th to 14th, 2023, to explore and embody progressive and just methodologies in the field of education.

Inspired by the World as Classroom (bell hooks, 1994), we swayed from classrooms at the Faculty of Philosophy and the Institute for Philosophy and Social Theory, along the Sava Quay, through the socialist heritage of New Belgrade blocks, to the school courtyard in Ledineneighbourhood on the outskirts of Belgrade.

Our goal was not only to raise pivotal questions that shape our understanding of research but also to foster a close-knit community of early career researchers. We’re all passionate about finding answers that can make educational research more inclusive. As Tijana aptly describes, it guided us from isolation to a sense of belonging.

From ‘isolation’ to ‘belonging’

The EERA Summer School brought together a young group of researchers from diverse educational backgrounds. Despite the differences in our research topics, we all shared some common challenges, from finding the appropriate literature, writing, and conducting research to publishing. During our workshops, we agreed that creating a support group of peer young researchers in the field of education would help us overcome the various challenges, just as the Summer School provided us with the space to discuss them and share valuable advice. Moving from the position of an isolated researcher to a community of like-minded people helps us broaden our perspective and spark new ideas.

Tijana Gasi

University of Belgrade, Serbia

Using dialogue, walks, presentations, discussions, mental mapping, reflective logs, artistic expressions, and many other techniques, participants formed a community of learners, together with the organising team of tutors, lecturers, and volunteers. There was a heatwave this summer in Belgrade, but there was also a genuine need among us to merge academic with real–life knowledge from the ground and from the local communities. Together we asked:

 What constitutes meaningful research? How can we create research methodologies that align with our shared values? What is the relationship between change and hope? Where do we find spaces of freedom, and where are the sources of marginalisation?

For many of us, participating in a summer school was something completely new, so we were even more surprised by how quickly we became an accepting and supportive community:

“As for me, I haven’t experienced such a strong sense of belonging to engaged and thoughtful people for years. Our shared engagement for the process of inclusion in education and society led to an almost tangible synergy manifested in mutual inspiration, cooperation, and enthusiasm we kept and took back home. The EERA Summer School provided me with a Socratic sense of how little I know about participatory research and how much I still have to learn. I felt the need to recognize and appreciate the diversity, perspective, and competence of children or minority groups at our concern. And I was confronted with some new ethical issues; now I feel committed to address them honestly whenever they arise.” 

Jana Pleskotová

Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem, Czech Republic

The keynote speakers inspired our discussions, developing our critical awareness of our participation in the summer school, as well as the participation of others in research, education settings and local communities. We experienced how participatory, caring workshop spaces can facilitate transdisciplinary collaboration and hopeful horizons for research.

Collaboration, community, and change

…through discussions, keynote presentations, and workshops, I learned about new research methods and began to consider how I could incorporate them into my study. Often, our approach to the world and to research is prescribed; we repeat the same patterns that are present in our nearest environment. As researchers, we need to learn new ways to be present in the world; we should try to do things differently, to evolve. This kind of opportunity helps us find partners who have the skills we lack so that we can become agents of change in our own communities.

Gamze Uçak Ersizer

Boğaziçi University, Turkey

A patchwork of experiences

In the realm of education, the term “professional learning community” has frequently been employed to denote any conceivable alliance of individuals sharing a common interest in education with a specific focus on the learning process rather than mere practice, as noted by DuFour (2004). However, the question that arises is: How do we truly transform into a community? Addressing this question involves drawing upon Wegner’s (1998) notion of learning as a social and situated process, predominantly derived from our engagements in various communities of practice.

Putting theory into practice

Part of our programme involved visiting local neighbourhoods. In one, New Belgrade blocks, our guide described the dynamic histories of the local area, and brought their research about critical utopianism to life, by intertwining personal memories with the architectural landscape. We visited the apartment blocks, designed to look like sails amongst the urban sea of Belgrade. We discussed transformations of these spaces, from shared spaces inherited during socialism (terraces, laundry rooms, spaces for leisure and relaxation), to illegal privatisations during the 1990s aimed at shrinking common good, to reconquesting it, and reimagining it today.  

The other visit was to the local community Ledine, where the collective Škograd/Schoolcity has been working since 2016. Part of their efforts have involved trying to overturn the segregation trend taking hold in the local primary school, where there is harsh marginalisation of Roma and other minorities, and mitigating the effects of poverty, under-education and violence.

Moving around to move to

Walking through Belgrade’s scorching streets led to a profound reflection on the “community of learners” and the “community of practice.” The former involved sharing ideas and experiences, often failing to translate them into action in our contexts. The latter, “community of practice,” emphasised hands-on learning and collaboration, celebrating diversity as a strength. It highlighted the power of collaboration to turn inspiration into action, promoting change in our communities.

Bojana Milosavljević

University of Belgrade, Serbia

“It is imperative that we maintain hope even when the harshness of reality may suggest the opposite”.

Paulo Freire (1996)

In Ledine, a neighborhood in Belgrade, the sign on a trash can says, “I dream”.

Ledine, a neighborhood in Belgrade, the sign on a trash bin says, “I dream”

At Škograd, we could see tangible collaborations between researchers, children, and families. The artwork, games, and gardening, alongside the use of spaces, inspired us to question how we can promote inclusive community spaces and build meaningful collaborations with the local communities. As one participant said:

It was a completely new experience to deeply explore how the research is connected with the local community and expresses the hope visually. Witnessing the hope emanating from the pupils’ artworks in the “Imagine a Dream Path” project was truly inspiring. These remarkable pieces vividly demonstrate how the researcher’s involvement has ignited the children’s creativity.

Yupei Wei

University of Edinburgh, Scotland

Engaging in an open dialogue about the research journey, we witnessed and felt the joys and the challenges of participation, and recalibrated around the importance of researching with communities for social justice. This visit was an illuminating opportunity to engage with the local community, to attentively absorb their narratives, and to experience the intimate and respectful collaboration between researchers, children, and families.

I discovered more about different countries and contexts, where ‘Inclusion’ and inclusive practices were influenced by a range of legislation changes, socio-cultural factors, and how they can be implemented in various ways. Despite these differences, the summer school highlighted the ways in which our field of education connects us all. It was clear that we had a strong pursuit for social justice, and an intense curiosity for community-based learning. We came away with a sense of purpose in our field. I felt empowered, inspired and rejuvenated as the time during the summer school connected us as one community of researchers across the world.

Katherine Gulliver

Plymouth Institute of Education, Plymouth University, United Kingdom

Overall, the EERA Summer School was an embodied learning experience that is difficult to summarise. We carry this experiential learning forward in our souls and our actions, nourished by connecting, and empowered to embed participatory and inclusive approaches in our own research practice.

How the community can shape us, and how do we shape the community

Throughout Summer School, the emphasis on values was strong. The shared values of curiosity, collaboration, and respect guided our interactions and discussions. This commitment to values created an environment where learning was not just about acquiring knowledge but also about personal growth and ethical engagement…

The EERA Summer School was not just a one-time event; it was a catalyst for a habit of continuous lifelong learning. The knowledge transfer during those days in Belgrade planted seeds that continue to grow. We left with a renewed commitment to education and a network of colleagues and friends dedicated to making a positive impact. We came as individuals and became a Community of Learners, intending to become a Community of Practitioners for Social Change.

Adna Sokolović

COI Step by Step, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Conclusion and final reflections

Image: Ledine, neighborhood in Belgrade, “Vlada Obradović Kameni” school courtyard, open classroom codesigned with children

The process of evolving into a community of practice or community of practitioners, as outlined by Wenger (1998), revolves around shared interests of personal or professional significance. Our community, rooted in a collective perspective on education, perceives it as a vital social practice and research in education as a catalyst for transformative change capable of recalibrating power dynamics.

The shared values among us have cultivated a common purpose– the pursuit of social change. Bojana encapsulated this sentiment by stating that the summer school highlighted the power of collaboration to turn inspiration into action – resulting in change in our communities.

Key Messages

  • Often, our approach to the world and to research is predetermined; we often replicate the same patterns found in our immediate surroundings. Therefore, you need to move around to move from.
  • Despite the differences in our research topics, we all encountered common challenges, ranging from finding suitable literature and conducting research to the process of publication.
  • Our community influences us, and in turn, we contribute to shaping the community.
  • We observed firsthand how participatory, supportive workshop environments can foster transdisciplinary collaboration and inspire optimistic research prospects.
  • Researchers and research have the potential to instigate change, or at the very least, offer hope for the possibility of change.

Authors

 *We choose a circular representation of authorship in order to display different, but equally valuable contributions each of us made in writing this blog. Our affiliations are:

Adna Sokolović, COI Step by Step, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bojana Milosavljević, University of Belgrade, Serbia

Gamze Uçak Ersizer, Boğaziçi University, Turkey

Jana Pleskotová, Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem, Czech Republic

Jelena Joksimović, Škograd, Serbia; Faculty of Education, Jagodina, University of Kragujevac

Julia Dobson, Institute of Education, University College London, United Kingdom

Katherine Gulliver, Plymouth Institute of Education, Plymouth University, United Kingdom

Tijana Gaši, University of Belgrade, Serbia

Yupei Wei, University of Edinburgh, Scotland

Olja Jovanović, University of Belgrade, Serbia

Other blog posts on similar topics:

References and Further Reading

Add your list of references here. Use [1], [2], [3]… to mark where they are used in the text above.

The ERIKA Project to explore Ukrainian scholars’ digital mastery

The ERIKA Project to explore Ukrainian scholars’ digital mastery

by | NW 1 Professional Learning and Development, NW 9 Assessment, Evaluation, Testing and Measurement, UERA

In the ever-evolving landscape of academia, the intersection of the digital realm with traditional research methodologies underscores the pressing need for scholars to embrace evolving competencies. This blog post navigates the digital horizon, emphasizing the imperative integration of open science principles, data literacy, and research competencies for researchers to thrive in the dynamic academic ecosystem. Focusing on the insights gleaned from the 2022-2023Enhancing Empirical Academic Research in Ukraine (ERIKA) project, this exploration sheds light on a critical digital skills gap among Ukrainian academics.

The need for digital competency among researchers

As society transitions into an era where data shapes an intangible reality, the transformative role of science and innovation becomes evident (Lagoudakis et al., 2022; Tavares et al., 2022). Acknowledging that the very entities driving digital transformations must undergo significant changes (Ayris et al., 2018; European Commission, 2020a, 2020b), the expert community underscores the core competencies of a modern “Digital Scholar,” including Open Science practices, adherence to FAIR principles, and proficiency in data management (Van Petegem et al., 2021; Weller, 2018).

International studies further reveal a global lack of digital competencies among researchers, emphasizing the need for enhanced professional training programs and continuous education to meet the demands of the digital age (Cabero-Almenara et al., 2021; Dias-Trindade & Albuquerque, 2022; EU DGRI, 2017, 2020; Suyo-Vega et al., 2022; EU DGRI & EOSC EB, 2021).

Regrettably, the situation in Ukraine mirrors this global trend. Compared to many other countries, comprehensive studies assessing the digital competencies of researchers in Ukraine are notably limited (Hladchenko et al., 2018; Hladchenko, 2022). The absence of such research poses a significant challenge, as it inhibits our ability to identify specific areas of weakness and design targeted interventions to uplift the digital skills of Ukrainian academics.

The ERIKA project

The ERIKA project, conducted in 2023, provides a noteworthy snapshot of the digital competencies among Ukrainian scholars. This initiative, supported by the Ukrainian Educational Research Association and the European Educational Research Association, aimed to enhance empirical academic research capabilities in Ukraine.

The ERIKA project engaged over 50 participants from 13 Ukrainian regions, representing 29 higher education institutions. The participants, ranging from senior lecturers to professors, covered diverse disciplines and career levels, providing a comprehensive view of the academic landscape.

 The training sessions, held in March and October 2023, facilitated in-depth discussions and insights into the digital competencies of Ukrainian academics. The multifaceted and nuanced responses of participants shed light on the challenges and opportunities within the country’s academic community.

The competency gap revealed by the ERIKA survey

It was found that 80% of surveyed respondents demonstrated only superficial awareness of open science principles. A further 40% needed to be made aware of the FAIR guidelines, underlining the urgent need for initiatives that promote open science literacy.

In a world dominated by vast datasets and interconnected information, only 19% of Ukrainian academics exhibited proficiency in working with common data file formats like CSV and JSON. The need for more understanding regarding metadata, reported by 71% of respondents, raises concerns about the effectiveness of data-sharing practices.

A significant gap exists in the awareness of available national open data resources, hindering the potential for impactful research studies that utilise real-world data. This knowledge gap is detrimental to the nation’s academic community, limiting their ability to engage in cutting-edge research.

The survey uncovered deficiencies in basic research skills, such as crafting focused search queries, applying Boolean operators, and locating relevant datasets. These fundamental skills are the building blocks of impactful, evidence-based research.

While most respondents demonstrated awareness of the risks associated with predatory publishing, only 15% could independently assign Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs) to enhance the discoverability of their research outputs. This finding is concerning, especially considering the increasing requirement for DOIs in academic publishing after 2022 (due to National regulations).

The survey revealed a need for more utilisation of reference management tools, with 63% of respondents admitting to never using platforms like Zotero, Mendeley, and EndNote. Additionally, 71% had minimal legal and ethical understanding regarding use of personal data in research studies.

 Encouragingly, despite these challenges, nearly half of the surveyed researchers who had yet to gain prior grant application experience expressed eagerness to build expertise in this area. This enthusiasm bodes well for the future, as acquiring grant-writing skills opens avenues for accessing national and international funding opportunities.

The development of a training program on data skills for academics

The ERIKA project highlights the pressing need for tailored programs to build digital competencies among Ukrainian academics. Bridging the identified gaps in open science, data handling, and research fundamentals is crucial to unlocking the nation’s scientific potential and integrating it into the global and European research ecosystem. In this context, the importance and urgency of creating well-designed professional training programs at educational institutions is evident, and a more centralized approach under the Ministry of Education and Science Leadership could be the best choice.

The “ERIKA” case is a successful example of a professional training program. The final assessment results demonstrated that the topics proposed in the “ERIKA” course (Koblianska & Kostetska, 2023), their content, and the training organization help address the outlined problems and improve researchers’ competencies.

 The project entails developing and teaching an integrated educational course with two modules:

1) “Data Collection for Academic Research” (3 ECTS)

2) “Academic Research in EU Countries: Institutional, Organizational and Motivational Dimensions” (3 ECTS)

The first module covers open science principles and its role in modern research; data collection, analysis, and management in academic research, including legal and ethical components; skills for finding scientific information and formulating search queries; and practical data work aspects.

The second module examines organizing academic research in EU countries, particularly the scientific personnel training system, graduate and doctoral program structures, establishing academic communication, publishing research results, review procedures, and motivational factors affecting researcher productivity. The “ERIKA” experience could be scalable.

Conclusion

As we navigate the increasingly digital and data-intensive academic world, sustained monitoring and responsive training programs are pivotal for ensuring researchers’ success in Ukraine. The collaboration between the Ukrainian Educational Research Association and the European Educational Research Association exemplifies the importance of such initiatives in enhancing research capabilities and quality. By addressing the digital skills gap, Ukraine can position itself as a formidable force in the global academic arena, contributing substantively to advancing knowledge and innovation. Bridging the digital divide is not just a necessity; it is a pathway to unlocking the full potential of Ukrainian scholarship on the world stage.

The post image was generated via Dream Studio AI

Key Messages

  • Digital Competency Urgency. In the evolving landscape of academia, there is a pressing need for scholars to embrace evolving digital competencies, emphasizing the integral role of skills like open science principles and data literacy.
  • Global Digital Competency Trends. International studies reveal a pervasive lack of digital competencies among researchers globally, sparking discussions on the necessity of enhanced professional training programs and continuous education.
  • Ukraine’s Digital Skills Gap. We shed light on the concerning trend in Ukraine, mirroring the global situation, where comprehensive studies assessing the digital competencies of researchers are notably limited, posing a significant challenge.
  • ERIKA Project Results. The ERIKA project in 2023 provides a snapshot of digital competencies among Ukrainian scholars, engaging participants from diverse disciplines and career levels, offering insights into challenges and opportunities within the academic community.
  • Survey Insights and Concerns. Surprising survey findings indicate gaps in open science principles awareness, proficiency in working with data file formats, and deficiencies in basic research skills, emphasizing the need for tailored programs.
  • Call to Action. The need for tailored programs to bridge identified gaps in open science, data handling, and research fundamentals, is urgent, positioning Ukraine as a formidable force in the global academic arena.
Dr Inna Koblianska

Dr Inna Koblianska

Associate Professor of the Department of Economics, Entrepreneurship, and Business Administration of Sumy State University

Dr Koblianska is an Associate Professor of the Department of Economics, Entrepreneurship, and Business Administration of Sumy State University. Her scientific interests include sustainable development, regional development, spatial economy, and logistics management. She is the laureate of the award of the President of Ukraine for young scientists (2019).

She is ERIKA Project Executor, responsible for the development and teaching of the Data Collection for Academic Research module.

Internship: Sustainable Farming Assessment (2017, Bern University of Applied Sciences); School of Agricultural Economics (IAMO, Halle (Saale), 2019); Educational training session on data collection (Statistics Germany and University of Applied Sciences Weinstein-Triesdorf, 2019); DAAD projects (University of Applied Sciences Weienstefan-Triesdorf, 2018-2022); Applied econometric analysis using R (German-Ukrainian Agricultural Policy Dialogue and IAMO, 2021).

She is the author of numerous scientific works.

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7844-9786 https://econ.biem.sumdu.edu.ua/en/inna-koblianska

Dr Iryna Kostetska

Dr Iryna Kostetska

Senior Lecturer, Department of Economic Theory, Management and Marketing, National University of Ostroh Academy

Dr Kostetska is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Economic Theory, Management and Marketing, National University of Ostroh Academy. Her scientific interests include business planning in agricultural enterprises and strategic planning of the development of rural areas.

She is ERIKA’s project manager, responsible for the development and teaching of the educational module Academic research in EU: institutional, organizational and motivational dimensions.

Internship under the programs of the French Agricultural Institute (SevrEurope de Bressuire, l’IREO de Bressuire, France 2009, 2010), the Polish-American Freedom Foundation (Lane Kirkland Program, Poland 2018-2019), the Polish UNESCO Committee (Poland 2019), the Visegrad Foundation (2021-2022). She worked on economic and regional development projects with the support of USAID, the British Council in Ukraine, and the Czech Republic.

She is the author of numerous scientific works.

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5340-0145

Other blog posts on similar topics:

References and Further Reading

Ayris, P., Lopez de San Roman, A., Maes, K., & Labastida, I. (2018). Open Science and its role in universities: A roadmap for cultural change. LERU. https://www.leru.org/publications/open-science-and-its-role-in-universities-a-roadmap-for-cultural-change (access date: 10.09.2023)

Cabero-Almenara, J., Guillén-Gámez, F. D., Ruiz-Palmero, J., & Palacios-Rodríguez, A. (2021). Digital competence of higher education professor according to DigCompEdu. Statistical research methods with ANOVA between fields of knowledge in different age ranges. Education and Information Technologies, 26(4), 4691–4708. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-021-10476-5

Dias-Trindade, S., & Albuquerque, C. (2022). University Teachers’ Digital Competence: A Case Study from Portugal. Social Sciences, 11(10), 481. https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci11100481

EU DGRI & EOSC EB. (2021). Digital skills for FAIR and Open Science: Report from the EOSC Executive Board Skills and Training Working Group. European Commission. Directorate General for Research and Innovation. EOSC Executive Board. Publications Office. https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2777/59065

EU DGRI. (2020). Country sheets analysis: Report from the EOSC Executive Board Working Group (WG) Landscape. Directorate-General for Research and Innovation (European Commission). Publications Office of the European Union. https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2777/568900

EU DGRI. (2017). Providing researchers with the skills and competencies they need to practise Open Science.European Commission. Directorate General for Research and Innovation. Publications Office. https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2777/121253

European Comission. (2020a). Digital Education Action Plan (2021-2027). European Education Area. https://education.ec.europa.eu/node/1518 (access date: 10.09.2023)

European Comission. (2020b). Research and innovation strategy 2020-2024. https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/strategy/strategy-2020-2024_en (access date: 10.09.2023)

Hladchenko, M. (2022). Implications of Publication Requirements for the Research Output of Ukrainian Academics in Scopus in 1999–2019. Journal of Data and Information Science, 7(3), 71–93. https://doi.org/10.2478/jdis-2022-0016

Hladchenko, M., Dobbins, M., &Jungblut, J. (2018). Exploring Change and Stability in Ukrainian Higher Education and Research: A Historical Analysis Through Multiple Critical Junctures. Higher Education Policy, 33. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41307-018-0105-9

Lagoudakis, M. G., Gkizeli, M., Fotiou, A., Fragkedaki, D., &Kollnig, S. (2022). Teaching and Research in the Digital World. BHM Berg- Und HüttenmännischeMonatshefte, 167(10), 489–494. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00501-022-01283-7

Koblianska I., Kostetska I. (2023). Enhancing Empirical Academic Research in Ukraine: training materials. Zenodo. 124 p. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7817137

Suyo-Vega, J. A., Meneses-La-Riva, M. E., Fernández-Bedoya, V. H., Ocupa-Cabrera, H. G., Alvarado-Suyo, S. A., da Costa Polonia, A., Miotto, A. I., & Gago-Chávez, J. de J. S. (2022). University teachers’ self-perception of digital research competencies. A qualitative study conducted in Peru. Frontiers in Education, 7. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2022.1004967 (access date: 10.09.2023)

Tavares, M. C., Azevedo, G., & Marques, R. P. (2022). The Challenges and Opportunities of Era 5.0 for a More Humanistic and Sustainable Society—A Literature Review. Societies, 12(6), Article 6. https://doi.org/10.3390/soc12060149

Van Petegem, W., Bosman, J., De Klerk, M., & Strydom, S. (2021). Evolving as a Digital Scholar: Teaching and Researching in a Digital World. Leuven University Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv20zbkk0

Weller, M. (2018). The Digital Scholar Revisited: The Digital Scholar: Philosopher’s Lab, 1(2), 52–71. https://doi.org/10.5840/dspl20181218

Improving the quality of education – EERA Network 11 through the years

Improving the quality of education – EERA Network 11 through the years

by | 30 Years of EERA, NW 11 Educational Improvement and Quality Assurance

EERA is celebrating 30 years in 2024, and as part of our anniversary celebrations, we have invited people who have been at the heart of the association to share their memories and reflections. In a series of blog posts, which will run throughout 2024, we will share those precious memories, from the people who helped foster the global EERA community.

In this blog post, Dr Samuel Gento, Honorary Link Convenor of Network 11, reflects on the activities of the network to improve the quality of education in Europe and beyond.

The celebration of the 30th Anniversary of the European Educational Research Association (EERA) is an important event to be enjoyed by all of us who are concerned with the study and improvement of education in Europe and in the rest of the world. Education is a fundamental factor in humanity’s progress and development of all human beings, wherever they are. In general, the contributions of EERA extend to different areas and responsible people, such as the following:

  • Quality of education in itself;
  • Professors from universities and other educational institutions;
  • Educators, in general (in their various positions and intervention modalities);
  • Researchers, in general, and, especially, those dedicated to the improvement of education;
  • Universities and other educational institutions;
  • Educational systems in countries around the world;
  • Progress of all countries, consolidated by a good education;
  • Interpersonal human relationships, optimized with a good educational level;
  • Democratic organizations, strengthened by their members’ good education.

Although the European Educational Research Association (EERA) has its headquarters and its priority field of activities in Europe, the impact of its research extends to all areas and countries of our planet, as has been demonstrated by participants from other continents, such as Asia, Africa, America, Australia and Oceania.

EERA Network 11 – part of the EERA family

In my role as convenor and link-convenor of Network 11, Educational Improvement and Quality Assurance, I have received the invaluable help provided by the Association, in general, and, in particular, by its components such as:

• The EERA Office in Berlin
• The Executive Board, with its President, General Secretary, Treasurer and their staff members
• The EERA Council
• The co-convenors, especially those from Network 11
• The reviewers of proposals, proceeding from all continents
• The presenters of papers, symposia, posters, round tables, etc.
• The participants in the different sessions, especially those of Network 11

My first presentation at the Association Conferences (ECER) took place in 1999 at the Conference held in Lahti (Finland).

After successive presentations, I was designated as ‘link convenor’ of Network 11 in 2007, at the ECER held in Ghent (Netherlands), a position previously implemented by Dr. Jan van Damme, from Holland).

With the support of Network co-convenors, I acted as Link Convenor’ until 2014, when I presented my resignation at the ECER held in Porto (Portugal).
In 2018, I was designated ‘Honorary Link Convenor, a position I continue to hold today.

After my resignation as Link Convenor, other co-convenors were appointed to this position in Network 11:

  • Linn Grant McMahon, from Scotland (from 2015 to 2016)
  • Heidi Flavian, from Israel (from 2016 to 2021)
  • Ineta Luka, from Latvia (from 2021 to 2024)

The purpose and activities of Network 11 over the years

The fundamental purpose of Network 11 has been to improve quality of education at its different levels and modalities. To this aim, we propose to investigate the procedures and strategies that contribute to a constant improvement of education. This will have an impact on an improvement in situations and conditions of every person, both in their personal sphere, as well as in the social, economic and stability ones in their particular context.

In the activities carried out by Network 11, we have received the aforementioned aid of EERA. In implementing interventions in conferences (ECER) we have had, in particular, the collaboration of Network 7,  Social Justice and Intercultural Education, and Network 26, Educational Leadership.

We have had to overcome some challenges in operating Network 11, such as the designation of successive link-convenors. This difficulty results from the increased responsibility and dedication that the coordination of the network requires. We also changed the name of the network itself. The initial name of ‘educational effectiveness’ was changed to ‘educational improvement’, by understanding that the quality of education requires a continuous and endless process of continuous improvement.

Beyond EERA – Network 11 in the educational research community

In addition to the activities of network 11 within EERA, we have carried out some initiatives aimed at research and improvement of education in various contexts. Among them, we may mention the following:

  • The creation of the ‘Leadership and Quality in Education’ network www.leadquaed.com
  • The constitution of the ‘European Association of Leadership and Quality in Education’, registered in the Spanish Ministry of Internal Affairs
  • The collaboration with several European universities for the delivery of a Master’s Degree (Universities of Spain -UNED-, Latvia, Germany, and the Czech Republic)
  • The promotion of the Journal of Quality in Education
  • The publication of the book From Pedagogy to Quality Assurance in Education: An International Perspective, 2020, Heidi Flavian (ed.), Emerald Publishing Limited
  • The publication of various articles in education journals
  • Participation in conferences held in different countries of Europe and America.
Dr Samuel Gento

Dr Samuel Gento

Emeritus Professor at the UCJC (University of Camilo José Cela), in Madrid

​Brief professional and academic history

  • Primary School teacher in rural and urban schools.
  • Secondary Education teacher in different provinces in Spain.
  • Education Inspector of the Spanish Ministry of Education.
  • Secretary of Inspectorate Counsel in Burgos and Madrid.
  • Associate Professor at UNED (National University of Distance
  • Education), in Madrid.
  • Lecturer at the UNED.
  • Full Professor at the UNED.
  • Emeritus Professor at the UCJC (University of Camilo José Cela), in Madrid.
  • Doctor Honoris Causa from the University of Latvia (in Riga).
  • Link Convenor from Network 11 of the EERA.
  • Honorary Link Convenor of Network 11 of EERA.
  • Founder and President of the ‘European Association of
  • Leadership and Quality of Education’ (registered at the Spanish Interior Ministry).
  • Honorary President of the ‘European Association Leadership and Quality of Education’.

University academic positions

  • Curriculum Coordinator of the UNED.
  • First Vice Dean at the Faculty of Education of UNED.

 

Lines of research and professional development

  • Member of Spanish Delegation in international conferences and seminars, especially those organized by UNESCO.
  • Coordinator of research projects on: organization of educational institutions, teaching of foreign languages (especially English) and in-service teacher training (particularly in special education).
  • Professor of Didactics, School Organization, Educational School Supervision, and Special Education.
  • Promoter and director of the ‘European Joint Master on Educational Treatment of Diversity (120 ECTS)’, imparted by UNED (University of Distance Education) and Universities of Latvia (in Riga), Karlova (in the Czech Republic) and Reutlingen (in Germany).
  • Coordinator and publisher of 24 modules of Official Master’s Degree of Educational Treatment of Diversity.
  • Counsellor of the ‘State Education School Council’.
  • Presentations at conferences, seminars and courses in different Universities in Latvia, the United States and Latin America (especially in Argentina, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Mexico and Venezuela).
  • Presentations at international conferences, mainly those organized by the ‘AERA (American Association of Research in Education)’, ‘EERA (European Association of Research in Education)’, ‘World Curriculum Council’, ‘EADTU (European Association of Distance Teaching Universities)’ and ‘EDEN (European Distance Education Network)’.
  • Organization of 11 International face to face Conferences on ‘Educational Treatment of Diversity’ in Madrid and Palma de Mallorca (Spain), and 2 virtual ones.
  • Organization of the First International Conference on ‘Leadership and Quality of Education’.
  • Member of the scientific committee of education journals such as: Bordón (from the Spanish Society of Pedagogy), Participación Educativa (from the State Education School Council) and ‘Quality Assurance in Education’ (from the United Kingdom).
  • Founder and president of the ‘European Association of Leadership and Quality of Education’.
  • Participation in: English teacher training, evaluation of educational institutions, improvement of the quality of institutions, educational leadership and educational treatment of diversity.
  • Publications in books and scientific magazines on topics such as: organization of educational centres, quality of educational institutions, indicators and predictors of quality of educational institutions, pedagogical or educational leadership, special education, educational treatment of diversity, therapeutic pedagogy, adult training, educational inspection, school supervision, management and supervision of educational centres.

Past reflections and future horizons

Read More

Growing (with) EERA Network 14

As part of our 30 years of EERA celebrations, Dr Joana Lúcio reflects on her time as Link Convenor of Network 14, and her professional and personal growth.

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Pleasure, confusion, and friendship – 30 years of EERA

EERA’s first Secretary General and founding editor of the EERJ, Professor Martin Lawn, looks back at the sometimes rocky road of EERA, the developments into the organisation it is today, and considers where the journey should go next.

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Improving the quality of education – EERA Network 11 through the years

To celebrate EERA’s 30th anniversary, Dr Gento takes a look at the activities of Network 11 to improve the quality of education, within EERA and in the wider educational research community.

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Serendipity in Action: Being a link convenor for the ERG was a vibrant thread in the vast tapestry of my academic life

For the 30th anniversary celebrations of EERA, Dr Patricia Fidalgo reflects on her time as Link Convenor of the Emerging Researchers’ Group, and the joy this fulfilling role brought her.

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A Transformative Journey: Nurturing Emerging Researchers at the European Conference for Educational Research.

In our blog series celebrating 30 years of EERA, Professor Fiona Hallett reflects on the sense of belonging within a supportive community of scholars.

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EERA and ECER – nostalgic reflections of a past love affair

In this blog post, Dr Peter Gray takes a rather light-hearted yet nostalgic look back over the meetings and encounters of EERA and ECER, and wonders whether the spark of a past love affair can be rekindled.

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Maturing an association – EERA turns 30

For our series on 30 years of EERA, Associate Professor Emeritus Lejf Moos reflects on his involvement in EERA and ECER, and his time as EERA President from 2009 to 2014.

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30 years of EERA – It’s the people who make EERA

For our series on the 30th anniversary of EERA, Dr Jani Ursin, reflects on his experiences as a Networks’ Representative on the EERA council, and the inclusive community of researchers he has engaged with over the years. #30YearsEERA #EdSci

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Embracing the Future of Environmental and Sustainability Education: Perspectives from Emerging Researchers

Embracing the Future of Environmental and Sustainability Education: Perspectives from Emerging Researchers

by | NW 30 Environmental and Sustainability Education Research, ESER

At ECER 2023 in Glasgow Network 30, the Environmental and Sustainability Education Research (ESER) network celebrated its 10th anniversary.

Our network was initiated in 2013 in Istanbul, where we ran the first full programme of contributions from members across Europe and beyond. This means that 2023 was the 10th anniversary of our network, and it presented a seminal moment to reflect on where we started and where we are going with research into education’s role in this critical and urgent challenge of the 21st Century. 

As part of this stock-taking, we convened two groups to address the whole network at key points during the conference. Our overarching goal for the linked events that we convened is to develop the network in respect of its geopolitical and generational diversity and representation to ensure that the research in our network remains relevant and world leading. 

The first group was a panel of established researchers who have been participating in ESER for the last decade. They talked from their own perspectives, both within and outside of Europe, on critical ESE research topics and approaches. The second was a group of emerging researchers who we encouraged to take a creative approach to inspiring thinking about the future of the field. We are using the material from those events to write two linked blogs about ESE research in and beyond Europe. 

As an aside, it is worth noting that at ECER 2023 there was also a MOOT in the form of a panel discussion organized by EERA’s journal (European Education Research Journal) that focused on Education in the Anthropocene: ‘Is it Time for Green Education in Europe?’. This event, which was not arranged as part of our network, is indicative of the way that ESER’s field of study has taken root across the range of topics that we in ESER have focused on for the past decade through the network, and for many years before that in different contexts. 

In this blog we will focus on the emerging researcher inputs, in the next instalment we will focus on the input from the established academics’ panel. 

The event for emerging researchers took the form of 30 minutes of ignite talks (5 minutes each), followed by 30 minutes of open discussions. Each talk was inspired by a material or creative object. Here we draw across the five submissions to elucidate the themes that these up-and-coming researchers indicated as important for the future of our field. 

Saskia Weijzen,Wageningen Universit, Netherlands

With this poem, Saskia seeks to illuminate the importance of communicating our message beyond the boundaries of our network, and the boundaries of academia itself. She talks about how significant our work is NOW, but that our message is lost because of the way we use language and discourse that is not widely accessible. So, the significance of our criticality is lost to the wider world about which we talk. Despite us being critical of the system in which we are embedded, our very existence as researchers is a symptom of that system. She implores us to break from convention.

Annelie Ott, Oslo Metropolitan University, Norway

Saskia’s perspective was built on by Annelie Ott from Oslo Metropolitan University, Norway, in her quite stark and somewhat jarring presentation that incorporated the use of placards on brown cardboard that we have all become very familiar with as they have been used in so many recent protest movements, including youth green protest movements.

Annelie asks us “How can anarchism be relevant for environmental and sustainability education?” This is a somewhat arresting question to ask, especially in the context of broader political and educational policies, and it leads us to reflect further on our embeddedness within such a system. 

Sarah Sharp, University of Cambridge, UK

Two emerging researchers, Rosalie Gwen Mathie from the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Norway and Sarah Sharp from the University of Cambridge, UK, both with artistic backgrounds, delved into the importance of art and creativity in the field of Environmental and Sustainability Education Research.

Sarah focused on a mindset shift from reductionist learning to relational learning in Environmental and Sustainability Education, and asked the question, “How do we do relational learning in accessible educational spaces – i.e. schools?” and “For us as researchers, what are the relational methodologies needed to create a relational pedagogy?” She used the smoothie as a metaphor for explaining interconnectedness and learning in schools in her presentation. The smoothie symbolizes a complex mixture of different ingredients that cannot be separated and she emphasized that the learning process is like a smoothie, individual elements come together to create a blended experience.

Rosalie Gwen, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Norway

Rosalie, in her talk, also highlighted the division in our way of learning and research methodology; specifically, she emphasized the disconnection between art and science. She noted that we need more time and space to foster creativity and collaboration within education, not only for students but also for adults. She brought some art materials (colorful pens) in her presentation to get researchers thinking about what individuals learn to recognize as art and what this might do for their creativity, and thus their capacity to problem-solving in the future. Overall, she highlighted the necessity of providing more time and space for nurturing creativity and collaboration in our educational settings.

Maria Kondratjuk, Dresden University of Technology, Germany

Lastly, Maria Kondratjuk from Dresden University of Technology, Germany, built her talk on her impressions from indigenous culture. She gave an example from a philosophical perspective called Ubuntu which comes from southern African societal traditions. This perspective focused on the one’s connectedness to the whole in the world.

As Maria noted, “I am part of a family, a group, a community, a peer-group, a region, a city, a country, a culture, a nation, the world”. Maria’s talk pointed out the need to find a balance between human beings and nature in order to create a sustainable life. For this purpose, she emphasized that individuals need to act responsibly to contribute to well-being and sustainability of the whole system.

Summary – and a call to action

These five emerging researchers from our network have highlighted the importance of crossing the boundaries in academia and in society, interconnectedness in the learning process, creativity and cooperation in environmental and sustainability education and living meaningfully and becoming with nature for a sustainable world.

We would like to thank all the presenters for sharing their valuable thoughts and insights, which have provided inspiration for the future direction of the environmental and sustainability education field.

We hope that readers can carry these insights into their own areas.

Key Messages

  • It is important that we are critical researchers and ensure our research findings are communicated beyond academia
  • We must question conventional perspectives and advocate alternative and marginalized principles in environmental and sustainability education.
  • We need a relational pedagogy in order to develop interconnected approaches in Environmental and Sustainability Education.
  • We need to foster creativity and collaboration across learning, teaching and research environments.
  • It is critical that we rediscover our (human) place within nature for the wellbeing of all forms of life on Earth
Dr. Elsa Lee

Dr. Elsa Lee

Senior Lecturer, Anglia Ruskin University, UK

Dr Lee’s work focuses on the intersection of education, environmental justice, arts and curriculum.  She has led externally funded research projects investigating these issues, and this informs her teaching on undergraduate Education degrees and her doctoral supervision.  Dr Lee convenes the Environmental Sustainability Education Research network and is an executive editor of the National Association of Environmental Education (NAEE) journal.  She also convenes the Education and Environmental Justice Reading and Research Collective.

Dr. Güliz Karaarslan Semiz

Dr. Güliz Karaarslan Semiz

Associate Professor of Science Education, Ağrı İbrahim Çeçen University, Türkiye

Dr. Güliz Karaarslan-Semiz is an Associate Professor of science education at Ağrı İbrahim Çeçen University, Türkiye. Her research interests are centered around education for sustainable development in teacher education, systems thinking skills, and whole school approach to sustainability. She has a co-convenor role at Network 30, Environmental and Sustainability Education Research (ESER).

Researchgate Profile

Annelie Ott

Annelie Ott

Lecturer in Social Studies and Social Studies Education, Oslo Metropolitan University, Norway

Annelie Ott is a Lecturer in Social Studies and Social Studies Education at Oslo Metropolitan University. She initiated the Norwegian research network for environmental and sustainability education, and she is also a convenor of the same network. Currently, Annelie is working on finishing her doctoral thesis where she is looking into theoretical and critical approaches to environmental and sustainability education. She has become especially interested in the semiotics of Charles Sanders Peirce and anarchism.

 

Dr. Maria Kondrajtuk

Dr. Maria Kondrajtuk

Professor, Organisational Development in Education, Dresden University of Technology, Germany

Dr. Maria Kondrajtuk holds professorship for Organisational Development in Education at Dresden University of Technology at the Faculty of Educational Science. Her research interests are socio-ecological transformation and education for sustainable development, professionality & professional action in pedagogical fields of action, organisational development in educational systems and decolonising and transforming education.

Rosalie Gwen Mathie

Rosalie Gwen Mathie

PhD candidate, Norwegian University of Life Sciences

Rosalie Gwen Mathie is a PhD candidate at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences working with sustainability-oriented Professional Development. Her main expertise and interests are concerning the role of reflexive and participatory processes in whole institution staff professional development, and co-developing methods to support sustainability-oriented education and institutional transitions.

 

Sarah Sharp

Sarah Sharp

Phd candidate, University of Cambridge, UK

Sarah Sharp is a PhD Candidate at the University of Cambridge. Her research centres around beyond-anthropocentric stories and their pedagogic potential in environmental education. Sarah uses theories of entanglement and relationality to consider approaches to exploring ways we live with the world in school settings.

In addition to previously teaching Drama and Theatre Studies, Sarah is a practicing theatre maker and co-founder of the environmental arts organisation, One Step Theatre. She has supported a range of research in the environmental education field including for the Education and Environmental Justice Research Group and is an Associate Fellow at the Centre for Climate Change and Sustainability Education at UCL.

Saskia Weijzen

Saskia Weijzen

PhD candidate, Wageningen University, Netherlands

Saskia Weijzen is a pedagogical scientist and PhD candidate at Wageningen University in the Netherlands. Her research focusses on regenerative higher education, and on transcending educational and societal paradigms in this regard. She is an actionable researcher working on transformation as part of her reserach. She invites people within higher education to engage with the arts, nature and spirituality in order to generate knowledge while shaping new relations and new options for higher education to become.

Other blog posts on similar topics:

References and Further Reading

Add your list of references here. Use [1], [2], [3]… to mark where they are used in the text above.

Children’s Rights and Crises: A Child-centred Perspective

Children’s Rights and Crises: A Child-centred Perspective

by | NW 25 Research on Children's Rights in Education

Recognising the needs of children during a crisis

Within literature, children are frequently labelled as being in ‘crisis’, a term which broadly refers to a significantly threatening and seemingly unresolvable situation [1] [2]. Children are often considered to be one of the most vulnerable social groups affected by crises due to their need for a safe and stable environment to promote healthy development [3]. They are usually disproportionately impacted during times of economic depravity [4], political conflict [5] and natural disasters [6] due to infringements placed on their rights to access education and to participate in decisions which affect their lives [7].

Despite this, understanding how children interpret adverse experiences is vastly under-researched, and their capacity for knowledge about difficult events is consistently undervalued [8]. Research has found that children often have a unique interpretation of policy which affects them, and they can feel that their voices are being disregarded within decision-making [9]. However, post-crisis interventions designed for children have been shown either to be ineffective [10] or suffer from a high drop-off rate [11] [12], reflecting the adult-centric lens through which they are developed. As such, an urgent examination of how children are being shaped by their experiences of devastation and disaster is of critical importance.

A failure to protect the participatory rights of children

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), and its near universal ratification by state parties of the United Nations (UN), has promoted developmental, survival, protection and participation rights as fundamental for children [13]. Subsequently, the UNCRC has gained recognition in education systems and curricula. However, when it comes to a crisis, the obligation of adults to uphold children’s rights to provision and protection seemingly ‘overwrites’ children’s participatory rights [7].

Fundamentally, child-centred research strives to respect the child as a person with rights and entitlement to participation [14]. This necessitates that children are placed at the centre of research about and in relation to them [15]. Reframing children as active citizens in learning from and rebuilding following a crisis event may, therefore, help them to address their experience, stimulating post-crisis growth [16].

Aims and study design

The following study aimed to investigate how children attribute meaning to the term, ‘crisis’ through their narrative discourse. Two secondary aims were; firstly, to encourage children to evaluate the support systems which may provide aid to them during a crisis; and secondly, to delineate what children perceive to be their role within crisis management.

To understand the unique perspective of children, this qualitative, exploratory study deployed semi-structured focus groups with 37 UK primary school children (aged 9-11). Data was analysed through a mixture of thematic analysis and narrative inquiry, with a particular focus on how meaning is co-constructed in children through discussing individual narratives [17].

A collaboratively constructed meaning of crisis

The study found that children demonstrated the capacity to build a collectivist understanding of crisis as a scalable and deeply personally affecting event. Specifically, children emphasised that the phenomenon of a crisis can be distinguishable based on several distinct markers. These included the number of deaths caused, the publicity an event received, its personal significance and the length of time it lasted. These factors were described to have variable and intermingling effects upon how easy a crisis was to overcome, with the most severe examples, such as war, terrorist attacks and health epidemics being characterised as resistant to recovery and something which is learned to be lived with.

Child agency within crisis management

Children demonstrated disillusionment with the authorities who they viewed as disregarding the true needs of children in times of crisis. However, these feelings did not automatically translate into a desire for more involvement within organising crisis management. Instead, children primarily sought greater inclusion within discussions about difficult events as they played out. Children often attributed their stress during a crisis as being higher and less manageable when they felt under-informed about why certain events were occurring and what impact they could realistically have in controlling them. It was assumed that adults should bear the responsibility of deciding how much to share with children with sensitive consideration of their age and emotional resilience. Overall, children perceived that information about difficult events was generally being unnecessarily and indiscriminately withheld from them to the detriment of their mental health.

Reconceptualising children as active social agents within crisis management

These findings paint the picture of children as active social beings, desperately seeking out reasons to attribute meaning to the difficult events they have experienced. Rather than protecting the ‘best interests of the child’ by perpetuating their ignorance, adults may, in fact, be eliciting unnecessary stress in children by avoiding troubling yet important conversations. In light of this research, post-crisis intervention programmes for children should create careful guidelines to direct adults on how to sensitively hold these discussions with children. The priority must be to educate in order to address misinformation and help them to anticipate potential future outcomes [18]. Doing so is likely to encourage children to feel a shared sense of responsibility with adults for tackling crises, thereby reducing stress-inducing helplessness.

Overall, this study further highlighted the need for a theoretical shift in the tradition of viewing children as objects of inquiry, towards including them as social actors with a unique perspective to adults [19]. Children are disempowered from becoming active participants in resolving crises which may reflect propagated narratives that children are unknowledgeable, vulnerable and incompetent [20]. Subsequently, policy which campaigns for child participation rights is being compromised and requires reform to better actualise children’s participatory rights.

Key Messages

• There is no clear conceptualisation of what it means to be a child ‘in crisis’, despite them often being one of the most vulnerable social groups affected.

• Current crisis response interventions appear ineffective at mitigating the damaging impacts on children.

• Children value their own inclusion within conversations regarding crises, mandated by adults in an age-appropriate manner.

• Children’s participatory rights, as cited by the UNCRC, are being compromised in times of crisis and require reform to be actualized.

Alex Bidmead

Alex Bidmead

Assistant Psychologist, Psychology of Education MSc graduate (University of Bristol)

Alex Bidmead is a Psychology of Education (MSc) graduate from the University of Bristol and is currently an Assistant Psychologist at an independent specialist school. Her professional background in residential childcare has involved cultivating safe and therapeutically supportive environments for children and young people with complex SEMH needs, utilizing principles of trauma-informed care.

Ms Bidmead’s research interests lie in evaluating the actualization of child agency and advocacy, with a focus on vulnerable children and young people. She presented her research on Children’s Rights and Crises: A Child-centered Perspective via an online portal through Edge Hill University on 7th December 2023: https://www.edgehill.ac.uk/event/childrens-rights-and-crises-a-child-centred-perspective/

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/alex-bidmead-baab46a5

Other blog posts on similar topics:

References and Further Reading

[1] Boin A, Ekengren M and Rhinard M (2020) Hiding in plain sight: Conceptualizing the creeping crisis. Risk, Hazards & Crisis in Public Policy 11(2): 116-138. 

[2] MacNeil Vroomen J, Bosmans JE, van Hout HP and de Rooij SE (2013) Reviewing the definition of crisis in dementia care. BMC Geriatr 13: 10.

[3] Agrawal N and Kelley M (2020) Child Abuse in Times of Crises: Lessons Learned. Clinical Pediatric Emergency Medicine 21(3): 100801. 

[4] Lawrence JA, Dodds AE, Kaplan I and Tucci MM (2019) The Rights of Refugee Children and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Laws 8(3).

[5] Jones L (2008) Responding to the needs of children in crisis. Int Rev Psychiatry 20(3): 291-303. 

[6] Curtis T, Miller BC and Berry EH (2000) Changes in reports and incidence of child abuse following natural disasters. Child Abuse & Neglect 24(9): 1151-1162. 

[7] Harper C, Jones N and McKay A (2010) Including children in Policy responses to economic crises. Report no. Report Number|, Date. Place Published|: Institution|.

[8] Hohti R and Karlsson L (2014) Lollipop stories: Listening to children’s voices in the classroom and narrative ethnographical research. Childhood 21(4): 548-562.

[9] Perry-Hazan L and Lambrozo N (2018) Young children’s perceptions of due process in schools’ disciplinary procedures. British Educational Research Journal 44(5): 827-846.

[10] Thabet AA, Vostanis P and Karim K (2005) Group crisis intervention for children during ongoing war conflict. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 14(5): 262-269.

[11] Hendricks-Ferguson VL (2000) Crisis intervention strategies when caring for families of children with cancer. J Pediatr Oncol Nurs 17(1): 3-11. 

[12] Rhoades H, Rusow JA, Bond D, et al. (2018) Homelessness, Mental Health and Suicidality Among LGBTQ Youth Accessing Crisis Services. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 49(4): 643-651.

[13] Assembly UNG (1989) Convention on the Rights of the Child. Available at: (accessed 3).

[14] Merriman B and Guerin S (2006) Using children’s drawings as data in child-centred research. The Irish journal of psychology 27(1-2): 48-57. 

[15] Toros K, Tiko A and Saia K (2013) Child-centered approach in the context of the assessment of children in need: Reflections of child protection workers in Estonia. Children and Youth Services Review 35(6): 1015-1022. 

[16] Mutch C (2011) Crisis, curriculum and citizenship. Curriculum Matters 7: 1-7.

[17]Savin-Baden M and Niekerk LV (2007) Narrative inquiry: Theory and practice. Journal of geography in higher education 31(3): 459-472.

[18] Harmey S and Moss G (2021) Learning disruption or learning loss: using evidence from unplanned closures to inform returning to school after COVID-19. Educational Review. DOI: 10.1080/00131911.2021.1966389. 1-20. 

[19] Brady L-M and Davey C (2011) NCB Guidelines for Research With Children and Young People.

[20] Oakley A (2002) Women and children first and last: Parallels and differences between children’s and women’s studies. Children’s Childhoods. Routledge, pp.19-38.