Conference of the EARLI Special Interest Group (SIG) 18 “Educational Effectiveness and Improvement”

Promoting Educational Quality: The Contribution of Educational Effectiveness and Improvement Research

Important dates:

First call for submissions: 10 October 2023

Submission opens: 20 October 2023

Submission deadline: 15 February 29 February 2024

Registration opens: 15 March 2024

Notification of acceptance: 31 March 8 April 2024

Early bird deadline: 15 June 2024

Final deadline for presenters’ registration: 31 June 2024

SIG conference: 23–25 August 2024

 

Conference topic

Promoting Educational Quality: The Contribution of Educational Effectiveness and Improvement Research

The last years have seen radical changes in our world: from the global pandemic that has changed (at least temporarily) the ways of socializing and interacting inside and outside of schools, to ongoing wars and conflicts in different places of the planet that have spurred massive migration, to the more recent advancements in artificial intelligence whose impact on our everyday lives is yet to be understood. In such a world in which “everything changes rapidly, and nothing stands still for even a moment”—to paraphrase ancient philosopher Heraclitus—it is always beneficial to pause for a while, reflect on what we have collectively accomplished in the past, and consider how we might want to move on in the future.

Almost sixty years after the publication of two reports that have challenged the role of schools and teachers in promoting student learning and which have, in essence, given birth to the field of educational effectiveness and improvement, the time seems ripe to engage in such a reflection. As a field we seem to have made significant steps at different levels for which we can cherish: generating theoretical constructs and models to study and understand educational effectiveness and improvement; developing and utilizing advanced methodological approaches to study the effects of schooling on student learning; utilizing data-driven and evidence-based practices to implement strategies and interventions that have been scientifically proven to enhance learning outcomes; developing a renewed focus on educational equity; combining quality and equity to better understand the relation between the two and how they can be concurrently pursued; expanding the types of learning outcomes considered; and embracing more complex models that attend to the role of different contextual factors on student learning—to name a few. Despite these advancements, the field still has several open questions and challenges, especially in a world that has recently taught us that the typical modes of teaching and learning should not be taken for granted.

The 9th biannual conference of EARLI SIG 18 on Educational Effectiveness and Improvement is intended to offer an opportunity to look back at our collective achievements to date and to focus on the future with hope. We invite you to reflect on the contribution of educational effectiveness and improvement research in promoting educational quality and equity and to consider how this field can evolve in the future to serve its main goal: to offer quality education for all students. Hosted in Cyprus, this conference will provide us with an opportunity to gather, discuss, and reflect on current key issues, trends, successes and challenges in our field and, building on them, consider how we might address future challenges and opportunities. With a history that dates back at least tens of thousands of years and a present affected by the global socio-political challenges, Cyprus offers a unique place to inspire dynamic conversations, adopting such a Janus-faced approach, both looking back at our accomplishments as well as looking forward to future possibilities and opportunities.

We therefore welcome proposals that examine and critically reflect on the past, present, and future of educational effectiveness and improvement research having in mind its ultimate goal to offer quality educational experiences to all students.

More specifically, we welcome theoretical, methodological or empirical contributions which focus on classroom, school, or system-level approaches and improvement efforts that ultimately result in higher quality, more equitable, and sustainable educational outcomes. In line with the main topics of EARLI SIG 18 “Educational Effectiveness and Improvement” such studies may focus on:

• factors influencing classroom, school, and system effectiveness, including mediating and moderating variables;
• large-scale evaluation of classrooms, schools, programmes, and educational systems, including the nature and extent of the equity gap in achievement for different student groups;
• theoretical modelling of the relationship between educational evaluation, accountability, and school improvement;
• attempts to bring together issues of quality and equity at a theoretical, methodological, or empirical level;
• design of external evaluation and accountability systems of schools and teachers (e.g., concerning reliability and validity), their relation to internal evaluation systems as well as the impact of such systems on equal opportunities in education, school improvement, teaching and learning in the classroom and student achievement;
• empirical methods to address research questions within these main topics (e.g., longitudinal multilevel modelling, quasi-experimental approaches, regression discontinuity, randomised experiments).

We also actively encourage the presentation of various types of research approaches, including quantitative, qualitative, mixed-methods, meta-analysis, and synthesis studies.

We look forward to welcoming you to the island of Cyprus with its rich archaeological sites, wonderful beaches, hospitable people, and delicious cuisine to reflect on our common interests while interacting both inside and outside of the conference venue. See you in Nicosia!

 

Submission guidelines

We invite submissions of individual papers, symposia, posters, and innovative formats. The guidelines for the different submission types are specified below. Proposals need to be submitted in English via the website: https://www.easyacademia.org/earlisig182024/. An account has to be created for submission.

General submission guidelines as well as guidelines for each submission type can be found here: https://cyprusconferences.org/sig18-2024/submission-guidelines/.

Proposals for all submission types consist of an abstract and an extended summary (for details see below). All submissions should be done completely anonymously to ensure a fair review process. Please do not include your name in your uploaded documents.

You cannot present more than one proposal as first author. In addition, you can act once as the chair of a symposium and once as the discussant. Lastly, you may participate as a non-presenting co-author as many times as you like.

The submission opens on October 20, 2023.

 

1.     Individual Papers

Individual papers will be grouped in paper sessions according to their themes and keywords. Paper sessions (90 minutes each) consist of three to four papers, followed by questions and a discussion with the audience. We welcome empirical, theoretical, and methodological papers. For empirical papers, it is important to include at least preliminary results in order to be accepted. Research which is at an earlier stage of progress is suitable for poster presentations.

Submission guidelines for individual papers:

Paper submissions consist of an abstract (max. 200 words) and an extended summary (max. 1000 words, including references). Please provide information on the following points:

• Title of the paper (max. 20 words)
• Author(s): Name, affiliation, and e-mail address
• Abstract (max. 200 words): The abstract should describe the paper concisely and must be self-contained.
• Keywords: Indicate 4 keywords that describe the paper.
• Extended summary (600-1000 words): Please describe the paper with respect to:

(i) Objectives and purposes

(ii) Theoretical framework and background

(iii) Research questions and/or hypotheses

(iv) Data, methods, and modelling approaches

(v) Results and discussion

(vi) Significance of the study

Theoretical or methodological papers will include information that is equivalent to element (iv) for those genres of scholarly work.

 

2.     Symposia

Symposia provide opportunities to present papers that coherently address one research topic. A symposium comprises three to four thematically grouped papers, each of which will be presented in 15-20 minutes. After the paper presentations and a few minutes for questions, a discussant will synthesise and review the papers (10-15 minutes). The symposium is concluded by an open discussion with the audience (10-15 minutes). Each symposium lasts 90 minutes and is led by a chairperson.

Submission guidelines for symposia:

Symposia submissions consist of a short session abstract (max. 200 words) and an extended session summary (400-600 words, including references) which describe the session as an ensemble.

Please provide information on the following points:

• Title of the symposium (max. 20 words)
• Chair: Name, affiliation, and e-mail address
• Discussant: Name, affiliation, and e-mail address
• Session abstract (max. 200 words): The abstract should describe the symposium concisely and must be self-contained.
• Extended session summary (400-600 words, including references) which should refer to the following:
  • Objectives and purposes of the session
  • Overview of the presentations
  • Significance of the topic
• Keywords: Indicate 4 keywords that describe the session.

Moreover, for each individual paper, a title (max. 20 words), an abstract (max. 200 words), and an extended summary (max. 1000 words, including references) has to be submitted.

• Title of each individual paper (max. 20 words)
• Abstract of each individual paper (max. 200 words): The abstract should describe the paper concisely and must be self-contained.
• Extended summary of each individual paper (600-1000 words): Please describe the paper with respect to:
  • Objectives and purposes
  • Theoretical framework and background
  • Research questions and/or hypotheses
  • Data, methods, and modeling approaches
  • Results and discussion
  • Significance of the study

3.     Posters

This format is ideal for visually presenting developing research and/or preliminary results of research studies. The poster session provides a platform for in-depth discussions on research designs and methodologies.

A short oral presentation of about 2 minutes for each poster is given to the audience gathered as a group. After the authors’ brief presentation, an in-depth discussion between them and the audience follows. The poster sessions offer presenters the opportunity for interaction and discussion with the audience.

Submission guidelines for posters:

Poster submissions consist of an abstract (max. 200 words) and an extended summary (max. 1000 words, including references). Please provide information on the following points:

• Title of the poster (max. 20 words)
• Author(s): Name, affiliation, and e-mail address
• Abstract (max. 200 words): The abstract should describe the poster concisely and must be self-contained.
• Keywords: Indicate 4 keywords that describe the poster.
• Extended summary (600-1000 words): Please describe the poster with respect to:
  • Objectives and purposes
  • Theoretical framework and background
  • Research questions and/or hypotheses
  • Data, methods, and modeling approaches
  • (Expected) results and discussion
  • Significance of the study

4. Innovative Formats

We also encourage the contribution of innovative formats. Aside from the traditional presentation formats (individual papers, symposia, posters), key issues relevant to the EARLI SIG 18 community could also be taken up and addressed in such innovative-format sessions. An innovative-format session lasts 90 minutes and is organized by one or more people. The session’s title, content, and design are the responsibility of the organizers.

Submission guidelines for innovative formats:

Submissions under this category consist of an abstract (max. 200 words) and an extended summary (max. 1000 words, including references). Please provide information on the following points:

• Title of the innovative format (max. 20 words)
• Author(s): Name, affiliation, and e-mail address
• Abstract (max. 200 words): The abstract should describe the innovative format concisely and must be self-contained.
• Keywords: Indicate 4 keywords that describe the innovative format.
• Extended summary (600-1000 words): Description of the objective, content and planned format of the session.

 

Review criteria

The International Program Committee (IPC) including the local organising committee, the SIG 18 coordinators, as well as the scientific committee will be involved in the review process. Each of the submitted contributions will be reviewed by at least two reviewers. Depending on the format and type of submission, the proposals will be reviewed according to the following criteria:

Individual papers (empirical)

• Relevance to the domains of the EARLI SIG 18
• Significance for theory, policy, and practice
• Theoretical framework, conceptual rationale, or pragmatic grounding
• Research method and design for both quantitative and qualitative approaches
• Clarity of results and conclusions
• Overall quality and scientific originality

Individual papers (theoretical)

• Relevance to the domains of the EARLI SIG 18
• Significance for theoretical debate
• Theoretical framework, conceptual rationale, or pragmatic grounding
• Embeddedness in relevant literature
• Clarity and robustness of the theoretical argument
• Overall quality and scientific originality

Individual papers (methodological)

• Relevance to the domains of the EARLI SIG 18
• Significance for methodological debate
• Theoretical framework, conceptual rationale, or pragmatic grounding
• Embeddedness in relevant literature
• Clarity and robustness of the methodological argument and/or proposed approach
• Overall quality and scientific originality

Symposia

• Relevance to the domains of the EARLI SIG 18
• Significance for theory, practice, and policy
• Theoretical perspective, conceptual rationale, or pragmatic grounding
• Organisation and internal logic of the whole symposium
• Overall quality and scientific originality

Each symposium paper will be reviewed as an individual paper using the criteria outlined above.

Posters

• Relevance to the domains of the EARLI SIG 18
• Significance for theory, policy, and practice
• Theoretical framework, conceptual rationale, or pragmatic grounding
• Research method and design for both quantitative and qualitative approaches
• Clarity of results and conclusions
• Overall quality and scientific originality

Innovative Formats

• Promise of the proposal for raising and addressing key and novel topics in educational effectiveness and improvement.

 

Conference venue

The conference will take place at the Old Campus of the University of Cyprus. The full address is: Kallipoleos 75, Nicosia 1678 (https://goo.gl/maps/4uWFvrJUNd8mJ2UW6).

More information on how to reach the venue can be found on the conference’s website.

 

General information and contact

• For queries regarding the conference, please contact us via e-mail: earlisig18-2024@easyconferences.eu
• Please find further information about the conference on the webpage: https://cyprusconferences.org/sig18-2024/
• Further information on hotels and accommodation will be made available on the webpage at a later stage.
• Detailed information on the registration procedure, early bird and regular conference fees will be published on the conference website by December 15, 2023.

 

Conference Committees

The conference is organised by the Department of Education of the University of Cyprus, and it is supported by the European Association for Research on Learning and Instruction (EARLI).

 

Conference Chair

Charalambos Y. Charalambous, Associate Professor, Department of Education, University of Cyprus

Email: cycharal@ucy.ac.cy

Conference Coordinators

Easy Conferences

Email: info@easyconferences.eu

Phone: +357 22591900

 

Organising Committee

Local Organizing Committee

• Charalambos Y. Charalambous, Associate Professor, Department of Education, University of Cyprus (Chair)
• Panayiotis Antoniou, Assistant Professor, Department of Education, University of Cyprus
• Maria Eliophotou-Menon, Professor, Department of Education, University of Cyprus
• Leonidas Kyriakides, Professor, Department of Education, University of Cyprus
• Evi Charalambous, Special Scientist (Research and Teaching), Department of Education, University of Cyprus
• Maria Vrikki, Special Research Scientist, Department of Education, University of Cyprus
• Maria Anastasou, PhD Student, Department of Education, University of Cyprus
• Nicolas Antoniades, PhD Student, Department of Education, University of Cyprus
• Demos Michael, PhD Student, Department of Education, University of Cyprus
• Tryfonas Papadamou, PhD Student, Department of Education, University of Cyprus
• Maria Perikli, PhD Student, Department of Education, University of Cyprus
• Sergios Sergiou, PhD Student, Department of Education, University of Cyprus

EARLI SIG 18 Organising Committee

• Anna-Katharina Praetorius, Professor, Institute of Education, University of Zurich
• Jerich Faddar, Assistant Professor, Department of Educational Sciences, Free University of Brussels
• Hannah Bijlsma, Researcher Dutch School Inspectorate

 

Scientific Committee

• Charalambos Y. Charalambous, Associate Professor, Department of Education, University of Cyprus (Chair)
• Panayiotis Antoniou, Assistant Professor, Department of Education, University of Cyprus
• Hannah Bijlsma, Researcher Dutch School Inspectorate
• Maria Eliophotou-Menon, Professor, Department of Education, University of Cyprus
• Anastassios Emvalotis, Professor, Department of Primary Education, University of Ioannina
• Jerich Faddar, Assistant Professor, Department of Educational Sciences, Free University of Brussels
• Tobias Feldhoff, Professor, Institute for Educational Science, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz
• Vasilis Grammatikopoulos, Professor, Department of Early Childhood Education and Care, International Hellenic University
• Athanasios Gregoriades, Associate Professor, Department of Early Childhood Education, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
• Aikaterini Kasimati, Professor, Department of Education, School of Pedagogical and Technological Education (ASPETE)
• Leonidas Kyriakides, Professor, Department of Education, University of Cyprus
• Iasonas Lamprianou, Department of Social and Political Sciences, University of Cyprus
• Ariel Lindorff, Associate Professor, Department of Education, University of Oxford
• Katharina Maag Merki, Professor, Institute of Education, University of Zurich
• Michalis Michaelides, Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Cyprus
• Daniel Muijs, Professor, School of Social Sciences, Education and Social Work, Queen’s University Belfast
• Petros Pashiardis, Professor-Rector, Open University of Cyprus
• Anna-Katharina Praetorius, Professor, Institute of Education, University of Zurich
• David Reynolds, Emeritus Professor, School of Education, University of Exeter
• Pamela Sammons, Emeritus Professor, Department of Education, University of Oxford
• Ioulia Televantou, Lecturer, Department of Educational Sciences, European University Cyprus
• Maria Tsitiridou-Evangelou, Professor, Department of Early Childhood Education and Care, International Hellenic University
• Adrie Visscher, Professor, Faculty of Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences, University of Twente