Network Meeting 2018, Bolzano

Network 10 enjoyed a successful conference in Bolzano! We received over 200 submissions and through the first and second round of reviews maintained our acceptance rate while supporting early career researchers and ensuring the inclusion of a wide range of voices from different theoretical perspectives and geographical regions.

We continue to expand the number of colleagues involved in the reviewing process and this year 71 reviewers were engaged in the process providing feedback on submissions – an increase of 24% from last year. Having more reviewers’ means that the network can be more active, more responsive to European wide projects and calls and engage colleagues from more institutions across a wider geographical area. We are especially proud to report that our reviewers came from 18 different countries and 6 different regions. 

All submissions were subject to a double-blind review process and where there was a difference between the reviews, one of the networks convenors performed a third review. In general, reviewers make good use of the guidance materials, decisions were consistent and reviewers took the time to include detailed and helpful feedback to the authors. Feedback from both those who submitted abstracts and reviewers was that the process was helpful, supportive and encouraging and as a network we are committed to ensuring the effectiveness and support of this process.

The Network 10 Meeting was opened by the link convenor ML White, the co-convenors Anna Beck, Susann Hofbauer and Itaso Tellado Ruiz de Gauna were also present. Milosh Raykov and Rasa Nedzinskaitė could not attend ECER 2018. The convenor group welcomed 34 members from fifteen different countries – Australia, Austria, Canada, Croatia, Denmark, England, Germany, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Norway, Scotland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, – who attended the meeting.

As detailed in these materials (please find the link to the powerpoint here)  the convenors presented updates from EERA Council and EERA Office, the Network Seminar in Berlin, future conferences (2019 Hamburg, Germany, 2020, Glasgow, Scotland), and new presentation formats.

The focus of the meeting this year was to discuss network activities, and to facilitate and engage with network specific feedback in order to plan and direct future network actions.  A summary of these discussions is available.

Points of note:
The joint EERA session (with NW1 and NW6) was well attended and we received many positive comments from a number of attendees (and apologies from those who were not able to make the event). We hope to arrange another session in Hamburg @ ECER2019.

We welcomed two boards members from the Journal of Education for Teaching (JET) who ran a getting published workshop.  Following feedback, we hope to offer this workshop again in Hamburg at a time when more people are able to attend (a lunchtime session was suggested).

This year we piloted a networking breakfast (arranged by Anna Beck) which was a great success and will become a regular feature of our conference!

Actions from the network meeting:

• We will plan NW10 meeting on Wednesday (day 2) of conference.
• We will organise the programme by theme – no session titles in Hamburg
• We will offer informal meeting before the opening of the conference and continue with the networking breakfast
• We will find a way of identifying the NW10 convenor group (perhaps using badges?)
• We will offer a NW10 ‘meeting spot’ at first social event

Thank you!

Finally, it is important to note that in addition to the preparation and efforts of presenters, the quality of the conference experience is directly related to the excellent work done by the reviewers of the network and chairpersons (mobilised mostly from the reviewers’ list) in supporting and guiding discussions. This year we will again list all of the colleagues involved on the EERA Network’s website as a mark of our gratitude but also to engender future collaboration and connection.  As a network we are grateful to all those involved in ensuing the success of the conference.

ML White