Millard Oakley STEM Center
Southeastern STEM Education Research Conference
January 13 & 14, 2023
The 17th Annual Southeastern STEM Education Research Conference brings together researchers and educators to discuss STEM education studies and how they are applied in K-20 learning environments.
The 17th Annual Southeastern STEM Education Research Conference, will be held Friday, January 13-Saturday, January 14, 2023 at the Tennessee Tech University Campus in Cookeville, TN. This will be an in-person event.
Also, please be aware that the Call for Proposals will be much earlier this year as to allow more time to prepare posters and presentations. We hope this will make the proposal process go more smoothly and be more convenient for participants. The deadline to submit your proposal will be September 9, 2022 at 5:00 pm CST.
The goals of this conference include:
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Share methods, data, and current research questions within disciplinary and interdisciplinary STEM contexts
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Facilitate discussions between researchers and educators
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Encourage local, state and national STEM education collaboration and partnerships
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Develop improved teaching methods for STEM topics
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Produce networking opportunities across stakeholder communities
This conference will include addresses from national leaders in STEM education research, visual and oral presentations, and informal sessions to support collaborations. We encourage submissions across all STEM education research areas, both traditional and emerging, as well as at any educational level.
Early Career Panel
The Early Career Panel Event has been a part of the Southeastern STEM Education Research conference since 2021, and its purpose is to give early-career individuals a space to discuss what is involved with building a career in STEM education. One of the priorities of this conference is to be welcoming to those at all levels of their career, and we are happy to host this event for graduate students, post-doctoral researchers, and those entering a new phase of their career. The event will consist of a panel of STEM education researchers at various points in their career and a roundtable discussion with other event attendees. We hope this event is an opportunity for those at an early stage in their career to ask questions, network, and kick off the conference by supporting and connecting with other junior and senior researchers.
This year's panelists are:
- Dr. Olena James (Biology, Belmont University)
- Amanda Lake Heath (Mathematics, Middle Tennessee State University)
- Dr. Brenna Tucker (Chemistry, University of Alabama at Birmingham)
Research
The Southeastern STEM Education Research Conference (S²ERC) is a primary research dissemination venue for STEM Education researchers and partners. The conference committee defines research as a process of systematic inquiry that entails collection of data; documentation of critical information; and analysis and interpretation of that data/information, in accordance with suitable methodologies set by specific professional fields and academic disciplines. The committee encourages submissions from educational researchers within the individual disciplines of science education, technology education, engineering education, and mathematics education, and is especially interested in submissions from researchers who are working to cross boundaries between STEM disciplines. A goal of the conference is to support interdisciplinary collaboration and to foster integrated STEM education research across the region. We encourage submissions from researchers studying all levels of STEM education, including preK-12 STEM education, undergraduate STEM education, and graduate STEM education. Moreover, the conference is intended as a welcoming environment for feedback and exchange among all levels of STEM education, including early-career educational researchers and graduate students.
Keynote Speaker
We are very excited to introduce our Keynote Speaker for this year's conference:
Tessa Andrews, PhD
Dr. Andrews is an Associate Professor of Genetics at the University of Georgia. She specializes in biology education research and aims for her research to inform and support the effective and widespread implementation of evidence-based teaching strategies in undergraduate STEM classrooms. Dr. Andrews studies faculty and the specialized teaching knowledge they use to plan and carry out evidence-based teaching. She also studies the systems in which faculty work, such as departments and institutions, and how these systems can be reformed to better encourage, incentivize, and reward evidence-based teaching. Dr. Andrews’ work has been funded by multiple grants from the National Science Foundation, including a CAREER award. Her contributions as a teacher have been recognized by awards from the Morehead Honors College, University of Georgia, and the University System of Georgia. Dr. Andrews is a Monitoring Editor for CBE-Life Sciences Education and a Working Group Leader for the Accelerating Systemic Change Network. She earned a BS in Psychology, a PhD in Biological Sciences, and a Certificate of College Teaching from Montana State University.
Her Keynote address titled, Making the Most of Active Learning: The Role of Teaching Expertise will focus on the specialized teaching knowledge that faculty use to plan and carry out active-learning instruction in large classes. Though active-learning instruction can be highly effective at supporting student learning and reducing opportunity gaps, the results instructors achieve vary considerably. Dr. Andrews will present results from a series of published papers and ongoing research. These results reveal teaching knowledge that facilitates effective active-learning instruction and teaching knowledge that may limit the impact of active learning on students.
The research conference will take place in the new 160,0000- square-feet Lab Science Commons. Our TN Tech interactive campus map may be helpful. Below will be additional directions as well as hotel recommendations.
- Submit a Proposal
Guidelines for Proposal Submission
The deadline to submit your proposal will be September 9, 2022 at 5:00 pm CST.
Abstract Submission Instructions
Abstracts should be limited to two single spaced pages, not including references. Include in the abstract a brief overview of the background literature, the significance of the research, the research question(s), data analysis procedures, and summary of findings.
Please use the format below to create a PDF document of your abstract submission and upload it at
https://www.tntech.edu/education/stem/tennessee-stem-education-research-conference.php. (Scroll down and select the “Speaker Information” Menu bar.)
Abstract Example
The primary goal of professional development programs is to support teachers in increasing student achievement. In many cases, this requires a significant change in how mathematics is taught (Sowder, 2007). In turn, this demands not only a change in teachers’ beliefs (Pajares, 1992) but also a new vision for what mathematics teaching entails (Ball & Cohen, 1999). Unfortunately, professional development often fails to support teachers in making these changes as it does not provide opportunities for teachers to view reform-oriented teaching practices with students similar to their own (Santagata, 2011).
With this limitation of professional development in mind, we designed our professional development project to include demonstration lessons. In demonstration lessons, project participants (who were middle grades mathematics teachers) visited a school site where a fellow participant taught. Within this participant’s classroom, project staff members taught mathematics lessons to the participant’s students while visiting project participants observed the lessons.
Project staff members included mathematics education faculty and graduate students from the university. Through this experience, project participants not only had the opportunity to observe reform-oriented teaching practices but also observed this work with students who were very similar to their own. Project participants attended three demonstration lessons during a single academic year. Recognizing the unique opportunity this provided, we sought to document the impact of these demonstration lessons by gaining insights into the participants’ views. Specifically, the following research questions were posed.
1. How does viewing reform-oriented demonstration lessons impact teacher practice as reported by teachers?
2. What are teachers’ perceptions of the benefits of demonstration lessons in established classes?
Researchers have indicated that teachers need opportunities to observe reform-oriented instruction (Borasi & Fonzi, 2002; Santagata, 2011). Including observations of reform-oriented instruction in professional development programs seems to be a logical means for providing these needed opportunities. The significance of this study rested in its examination of demonstration lessons as a setting for observing reform-oriented instruction and the potential demonstration lessons held as a viable option for supporting teacher learning in professional development.Five participants were selected for interviews. Interviews consisted of a set of open ended questions that primarily focused on the transfer of information from demonstration lessons to the individual classrooms of the teachers. Transcripts of the interviews were analyzed utilizing an open-coding process. Results indicated that observing demonstration lessons provided participants with a vision of reform-oriented instruction that could be transferred into their own classrooms. As a result of these observations, participants reported that they returned to their classrooms with a goal of improving their questioning techniques and supporting their students in thinking deeply about mathematics. Meeting this goal was supported by their use of the demonstration lessons.
References
Ball, D. L., & Cohen, D. K. (1999). Developing practice, developing practitioners: Toward a practice-based theory of professional education. In L. Darling-Hammond & G. Sykes (Eds.), Teaching as the learning profession: Handbook of policy and practice (pp. 3–32). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Borasi, R., & Fonzi, J. (2002). Professional development that supports school mathematics reform. Foundations series of monographs for professionals in science, mathematics, and technology education. Arlington, VA: National Science Foundation.
Pajares, M. F. (1992). Teachers’ beliefs and educational research: Cleaning up a messy construct. Review of Educational Research, 62, 307-332.
Santagata, R. (2011). From teacher noticing to a framework for analyzing and improving classroom lessons. In M. G. Sherin, V. R. Jacobs, & R. A. Philipp (Eds.), Mathematics teacher noticing: Seeing through teachers’ eyes (pp. 152–168). New York: Routledge.
Sowder, J. T. (2007). The mathematical education and development of teachers. In F. K. Lester, Jr. (Ed.), Second handbook of research on mathematics teaching and learning (pp. 157-224). Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing.
Interested in speaking? Follow our speaker proposal button below.
Poster Presentation Guidelines
The poster size should be 30” x 40” and can be displayed landscape or portrait. Posters should NOT be trifold. Posters will be displayed on tripods, which will be provided.
Information from the submitted abstracts should be used to guide the content of the poster. Posters should include the research question, data, findings, and other information needed to convey research to others. Abstracts on the poster should be 100-200 words in length. Poster text should be legible from a few feet away.
We encourage individuals presenting posters to stand at or near their poster for 60 cumulative minutes during the poster session to facilitate discussion and questions. Posters should convey the research clearly during times the presenter is away.
Posters will be presented Friday evening, January 13, 2023
at Tennessee Technological University in the Roaden University Center. Poster setup is from 12:00 – 4:00pm and the Poster Session will be from 4:00 – 6:00pm.
Instructions for Proposal Submission
Disclaimer: Registering on this website does NOT register you for attendance at the Tennessee STEM Education Research Conference 2023. This is only registering for proposal submission.
BEGINNING OF INSTRUCTIONS1. Go to https://mtsuorsp.awardsplatform.com/
2. To submit your proposal, you must register on the website by entering your information in the middle fields as shown below. Your email and password will be used to log back into the site.
3. After you have filled out all of the required fields, you will be taken to a portion of the site that looks like this:
• The first thing that you will notice is that at the top of the screen, there is a list of dates for different events.
• Underneath you will see a notification that looks like this:
You MUST go into your email and click on the verification email to continue registering
• The email that will be sent to you will look like this:
You will need to click on the link that is in the email and it will take you back to the website. Your account is now verified.
4. Once you have arrived back to the website, you will now have access to start your official proposal submission application.
Here you will use the drop down tab under “Event” and select the Tennessee STEM Education Research Conference 2023. Enter your name and click “Save + Next.”
As you fill out the application, each time you click “Save + next,” your work to that point is saved to your account. You may begin your application and come back later to complete it without starting over again. Simply log back into your account using the email and password you created at the beginning.
5. After providing all required information and attaching your proposal as a PDF, complete the process by clicking the “Submit Application” button on the “Attachments” tab.
You have now successfully completed the submission process for the Tennessee STEM Education Research Conference 2023 and will be notified when judging is finalized. If you have any questions or problems, please contact the Tennessee STEM Education Center at MTSU at tsec@mtsu.edu or call (615) 898-5762.
You can submit your proposal here:
- Registration
See Registration Fees Below:
Attendee $100
Student $70
Banquet Guest $35
*Banquet guest price is for a guest of an attendee during the banquet ONLY. Banquet guests do not attend the conference.
Late Registration Fees:
After December 5th registration fees increase to the following amounts:
Attendee $150
Student $100
Banquet Guest $45
Vendors
Information coming soon!
Register here
Registration FAQ
How do I register?
Just click the yellow "register" button above to fill out your registration form.
What do I register under?
If you are attending the conference or are a student please register as such. Banquet guests may be added on to a registration. Banquet guests can only attend the banquet but not the conference. Vendors must specify what level they want to register under according to the level of acknowledgment they want.What does my registration include?
Your registration includes access to everything listed in the agenda above. This includes all content sessions, poster presentations, and keynote speakers. Breakfast, lunch, and a banquet ticket are provided.What forms of payment do you accept?
We accept American Express, Discover, DinaCard, BC Cart, Visa, and Master Card.Can I obtain a receipt for my registration?
Yes, you will receive a receipt via email when you register.Can I obtain a certificate of participation?
Yes, just notify us at the conference and a certificate will be provided. - 2023 Conference Agenda
The Southeastern STEM Education Research Conference will be held in both the Roaden University Center and the Laboratory Science Commons on Tennessee Tech's campus.
Friday, January 13, 2023
12:00pm Registration at Roaden University Center
12:00pm-4:00pm Poster Set up
1:00pm-2:30pm Early Career Panel
1:30pm-3:30pm Refreshments
2:45pm-3:45pm Session 1
4:00pm-6:00pm Poster Session
6:00pm-9:00pm Dinner Banquet & Keynote Speaker
Saturday, January 14, 2023
7:30 am Registration at Lab Science Commons
8:00am-9:00am Breakfast at Lab Science Commons
9:00am-10:30am Session 2
10:30am-10:45am Break
10:45am-12:15pm Session 3
12:15pm-1:30pm Lunch at Lab Science Commons Lobby
1:30pm-3:00pm Session 4
* Printed comprehensive schedules will not be available during the conference. If you would like a comprehensive schedule please download and print using the button above. - Hotel Information
Hotels
Enjoy these special booking rates by calling the hotel and mentioning you are attending the Southeastern STEM Education Research Conference at TTU.
TownPlace Suites
1250 Sams St, Cookeville, TN 38506
931-548-0950
$119/ night- Rate available until Dec 30th
Holiday Inn
1091 South Willow Avenue, Cookeville, TN 38501
931-559-4539
$109/ night
- Directions
From Nashville
Take Interstate 40 East to exit 286. Turn left onto S Willow Ave. Continue on S Willow Ave for 3 miles. Turn right onto University Drive. At the four way stop (pedestrian walkway) turn right onto Stadium Drive. The Laboratory Science Commons building will be on your left before the dorms.
From Knoxville
Take Interstate 40 West to Exit 290. Turn right onto E Spring Street into Cookeville. Continue on E Spring Street for 3 miles. Keep right onto E Broad Street when the road splits. Continue on E Broad Street for half a mile. Turn right onto N Dixie Ave. Continue on N Dixie Ave for 0.6 of a mile. Take a left at the Cookeville Pregnancy Center. Follow W 7th Street and take a right onto Stadium Drive after half a mile. The Laboratory Science Commons building will be on your right after the dorms.
From Chattanooga
Follow US-27 N and TN-111 N towards Cookeville. Take the Cookeville/ Monterey exit off TN-111 N. Turn left onto E Spring Street. Continue 1.3 miles on E Spring Street. Keep right onto E Broad Street when the road splits. Continue on E Broad Street for half a mile. Turn right onto N Dixie Ave. Continue on N Dixie Ave for 0.6 of a mile. Take a left at the Cookeville Pregnancy Center. Follow W 7th Street and take a right onto Stadium Drive after half a mile. The Laboratory Science Commons building will be on your right after the dorms.
Addresses
Tennessee Tech University
1 William L Jones Dr, Cookeville, TN 38505
Roaden University Center
1000 N Dixie Ave, Cookeville, TN 38505
Laboratory Science Commons
803 Stadium Dr, Cookeville, TN 38501
Parking Instructions:
Friday (RUC):
Before 4:30 PM - You may park on any RED or
PURPLE lot
AFTER 4:30 PM - You may park on any RED, PURPLE,
OR GOLD lots
Saturday (LSC):
You may park on ANY color lot
*Shuttles will be provided to and from the purple lot on Friday - Volunteer
