Be different at ECER 2023 Glasgow with SERA-ECR

by | Aug 2, 2023 | SERA

The Scottish Educational Research Association Early Career Researchers (SERA-ECR) invites attendees of ECER in Glasgow to participate in a fun and thought-provoking video series.

We asked Hermione Miao and Carrie Walton, SERA-ECR network co-convenors to tell us more about their August action plan at ECER.

The SERA Early-Career Researcher (ECR) Network supports ECRs in Scotland to develop their capacity and capabilities as researchers within a supportive network and to share their research and connect with colleagues in education and the broader academic community.

The network co-convenor (Hermione Miao and Carrie Walton) organise monthly SERA_ECR events, currently featuring:

  • E for Edit your writing,
  • C for Conversations with scholars,
  • R for Reading club.

As a SERA Network, we have started making short videos with scholars talking about their research in plain words, making abstract concepts more accessible. We think this is a good way of sparking conversation, making connections and learning more about educational research.

We are now proposing to continue this short video series at ECER 2023, Glasgow (21-25 August 2023) as a fringe event.

An invitation to meet us at ECER Glasgow

Where to meet us

Our proposal is that during the networking time over tea/coffee breaks at ECER, we will take the opportunity to record some short video interviews. To gather questions for the interviews from conference delegates and ECRs we have developed a padlet that is now open for your questions.

How long would it take?

If you are willing to spend 10 minutes in conversation with the SERA_ECR network during ECER, please contact us, either in advance or at the conference. Or if we approach you for an interview at the conference, please, say yes!

It won’t be too formal, and it is not a research project, we just want to make a short video series, so that more people who are interested in education and educational research can hear directly from educators and educational researchers themselves.

In recognition of your contribution, and to get an idea of the international background of delegates, we will invite you to engage with the interactive posters we made for ECER. The first collaborative poster has a colourful world map and Scotland map for you to make connections between your place(s) and Glasgow.

The second collaborative poster invites you to reflect on “the value of diversity”.

Follow us on Twitter @SERA_ECR to track this fringe event.

As a network, we are interested to see how this fringe event unfolds and the potential connections it may create.  See you at ECER Glasgow!

Hermione Miao

Hermione Miao

PhD Student

Hermione Miao (she/they) is studying for her PhD at the University of Stirling, and is nearing the finishing line to submit her thesis this autumn. Her research is about curriculum making and teacher agency. She used to teach geography in Chinese schools and international schools. She is a certified interpreter, with a passion for bridging for intercultural conversations. Since February 2023, she has started a Mapping Inspirational Women initiative. She likes organising events to connect people from diverse backgrounds and sustain these connections to improve the visibility of diverse cultures.
Carrie Walton

Carrie Walton

PhD Student

Carrie Walton is in her final year of a PhD at the University of Sunderland. Carrie also works as a Special Projects Lead for NHS Education for Scotland and is researching the professional practice of educators in the NHS. She is an avid collector of qualifications and a passionate devotee of lifelong learning and the pursuit of personal and professional development.

SERA – Early Career Researchers Network

The SERA Early-Career Researchers (ECR) Network supports ECRs to develop their capacity and capabilities as researchers within a supportive network and to share their research and connect with colleagues in education and the broader academic community. The network reflects on education within and beyond Scotland therefore we welcome ECRs from within and outside Scotland

Our ECR network includes:

  • Postgraduate students (PhD and Masters)
  • Educational practitioners researching any area of Scottish education
  • Postdoctoral researchers within 5 years (excluding career breaks/maternity or paternity leave) of completing their PhDs
  • Researchers/practitioners new to the field of educational research

Network activities:

  • Estelle Brisard Award: The prize is awarded for the best research paper written by an early career researcher based in Scotland and is presented annually at the SERA conference.
  • Writing workshops
  • Conversations with scholars (short video series)
  • Collaboration with other ECR networks (e.g. EERA and BERA).
  • Reading club (followed by conversational events with authors/editors)
  • Rapid-thesis competition (masters and doctoral students) – prize awarded for most effective presentation of dissertation/thesis in 3 minutes
  • Seminars and workshops in collaboration with members, other SERA networks, and external educational partners (e.g. ECR networks in other associations).
  • Networking events at the annual SERA conference

If you want to be involved, please join our mailing list  or contact the convenors:

Convenors

Hermione (Xin Miao), PhD candidate, University of Stirling

Carrie Walton, PhD candidate, University of Sunderland; works for NHS Education  Scotland

Our general contact email is: ecrsera@gmail.com

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ECER - European Conference on Educational Research | ECER Glasgow 2023