Annual Report 2017, Copenhagen
Conference program at ECER 2017
The conference program of Network 9 at ECER 2017 in Copenhagen consisted of 27 sessions with a total number of 83 contributions (this number includes joint contributions submitted to other networks). The network keynote was held this year by Leonidas Kyriakides (University of Cyprus) on the topic “The Dynamic Approach to School Improvement: Main Features and Impact on Promoting Quality and Equity in Education”. The sessions attracted a varied audience due to the range of different topics presented. Most sessions were attended by 10 to 20 people. Single sessions such as the joint symposia with other Networks attracted up to 50 participants. The network keynote, as highlight in the conference program, had an audience of more than 80 participants. The Network 9 program and its organization once again comprised an international body of researchers with authors from 32 countries, chairpersons and discussants from 20 countries, and reviewers from 21 countries.
Three symposia were organized in the conference program of Network 9. They addressed the following topics:
- Improving Measures of Socio-Economic Status to Support Educational Research in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (Symposium organizer: Petra Lietz)
- Towards Explaining Achievement: Findings from International Comparative Achievement Studies (2 sessions)(Symposium organizers: Wilfried Bos, Eugenio Gonzalez, Martin Goy, Monica Rosén, Jana Strakova and Heike Wendt)
- Evidence from TIMSS on Teacher and School Characteristics and Changes in Mathematics Achievement from 2011 and 2015 (Symposium organizers: Agnes Stancel-Piatak and Trude Nilsen)
Furthermore, the program of Network 9 included 25 paper sessions on the following topics (in alphabetic order):
- Analyzing and Discussing the Dynamic School Effectiveness Model
- Assessing and Investigating Problem Solving
- Comparing Computer- and Paper-Based-Assessment
- Creativity Development, Cognitive Styles and Financial Literacy
- Discussing Assessment Related Education Policy and Research
- Discussing Social Impact in Education Research and Assessment Related Education Policy and Research
- Early Literacy Interventions and Development in Pre- and Primary School: Results from Longitudinal Studies
- Exploring Teacher Attitudes towards Education Standards and Standardized Assessment
- Exploring the Role of Teachers in Assessment Practices
- Exploring Trends and Equity with PIRLS/TIMSS
- Insights into Learning, Emotions, Well-Being and Self-Image
- Investigating Affective Outcomes in the STEM-Field at Primary and Secondary School Level
- Investigating Outcomes in the STEM-field at Primary- and Lower Secondary School Level
- Investigating School Composition Effects
- Investigating Student Attitudes on Assessment and Evaluation Practices
- Investigating the Validity of Assessment and Grading Practices and Their Effect on Student Achievement
- Investigation Factors that Affect ICT-Competencies
- Issues in Assessing Reading and Language Competencies in Mother Tongue, Second and Foreign Language
- Issues in Linking Large-Scale-Assessments
- Issues in Measurement and Sampling in Large Scale Assessments
- Relating Classroom-, School- and System-Level-Factors to Achievement
- Relating Homework Practices and Opportunities to Learn to Educational Achievement
- Relating Teacher Beliefs and Practices to Student Outcomes
- Social Networks and Professional Cooperation
- Teaching and Teacher Characteristics: Findings from Large Scale Assessments
In addition to these sessions, two sessions were jointly organized with Network 10 (Teacher Education Research and Network 20 (Research in Innovative Intercultural Learning Environments) on the following topics:
- Perceptions and Learning Opportunities of Beginner Teachers on Assessment (with Network 10: Teacher Education Research)
- Challenges to Measurement and Assessment in Inter- and Multicultural Education (with Network 20: Research in Innovative Intercultural Learning Environments)
Further Network 9 offered two Tuesday morning workshops aiming at Capacity building on the following topics:
- Multilevel Modeling (MLM) with MPlus using Large-Scale Assessment Data (Agnes Stancel-Piatak)
- Advanced Data Analysis Using the IEA’s IDB Analyzer (Eugenio Gonzalez)
The workshops are of high value and relevance for the network’s goal of building the professional capacities particularly for emerging researchers. The workshops were well-attended and, based on feedback from workshops organizers and participants, were considered to be highly worthwhile additions to the programme at ECER. As an idea for possible developments of this session format it was mentioned that the timeframe for the workshops (four hours) was considered to be quite short. Network 9 had requested to be allowed arranging research workshops before the ECER Main Conference for years to meet the demand for building research and methods capacities and so having this option now was considered a very good development. Network 9 would be grateful if they were given the opportunity to conduct such workshops again in 2018 and, if possible, also be allowed a longer timeframe for these sessions (a full day, if possible).
At ECER 2017 three posters were presented in Network 9.
The overall intake of initial submissions of proposals for contributions to Network 9 at ECER 2017 ranges once again high among the EERA networks, with 110 submissions before redirections, rejections and withdrawals (this number does not include those joint contributions with other networks that were initially submitted to the other networks and not to Network 9). The number of contributions finally to be presented in Network 9 was considerably lower due to the selection process in the review of submissions and also due to a number of authors withdrawing their submissions shortly before the conference. Lack of travel funds as well as unforeseen work commitments and urgent personal reasons were among the reasons given for those late withdrawals. Beyond these reasons it was also visible that the new rule by EERA to withdraw contributions if the authors did not register for the conference by a stated deadline had an effect on the final contribution numbers in Network 9.
As in previous years, Network 9 supported the Emerging Researchers’ Conference (ERC) by participating in the review process and by serving in chairing sessions in the ERC. Network 9 considers this a matter of inter-network courtesy and also as an opportunity for offering feedback to those researchers who start out in the Emerging Researchers Group and join our network later on.
For further details on the work and activities in Network 9 see the minutes of the network meeting at ECER 2017 (on the right) and the different sections of the website of Network 9.