Annual Report 2012, Cadiz

Thanks to all the colleagues who contributed so generously to ECER 2012 in Cadiz, especially those who chaired, discussed, presented and stayed awake!
For ECER 2013 in Istanbul, we anticipate an even higher attendance, with corresponding pressure on slots. The convenors will therefore be thinking about how to make sessions more exciting and the whole teacher education research strand more user-friendly. This means:
1)    Raising the standard for papers. Although the standard in Cadiz was high, we emphasise that papers should be of international interest, with attention paid to comparative aspects of research, a wide range of literature and so on. Reviewers will be looking for originality, critical perspectives and relevant conclusions. Teacher education is not an exact science and we will reject papers, which use inappropriate methods to give the impression of rigour without the substance. Papers should not describe new courses or methods without a strong argument as to their originality and without a critical perspective on their success, or otherwise. For example, in discussing pre-service teachers’ beliefs, it is important to show why they hold those beliefs, and how their beliefs might affect their practice as teachers.
2)    In parallel, we will limit the number of papers to the number of available sessions, taking account of the need to keep parallel sessions to three or less, and with no more than three papers in a session.
3)    Symposia are encouraged, but we will stringently apply the three country minimum requirement for authors. Symposium organisers should ensure that presentations should fit the accepted maximum, i.e. no more than 60 minutes for presentations and at least 30 mins for discussion. Discussants should take no more than 10 mins (and preferably 5 or less) to present a summary and key issues, and should not use the opportunity to make lengthy presentations of their own. Symposia should not be used as venues for internal project meetings, but should have a genuine transnational or transdisciplinary focus.
4)    Workshops featuring interactive components are most welcome. Workshops should be entirely different to symposia and we will work with the local organisers, if necessary, to provide suitable rooms and equipment. Workshop sessions should not involve powerpoint presentations. Proposals for workshops outside the normal conference venues will be considered favourably.
5)    Interactive poster sessions will be available and are encouraged, as an alternative to conventional papers.
6)    Author requests for different slots to those originally allocated will not be granted, since this causes major complications in the planning process. Please ensure that your travel arrangements allow for presenting at any time during the conference. We do not anticipate a repeat of the accommodation & travel problems experienced in 2012.
7)    We hope the above guidance is helpful and look forward to reading submissions and meeting colleagues in Istanbul, 2013! Please also read the section on the Thematic Research Field of Network 10, on the ECER/EERA website.