ASE 2027 Annual Conference

Research provides a means for exploring teaching and learning in classrooms and other contexts, with some studies suggesting new ways of working. Every year many science education Masters, PhD and EdD students develop an expertise in a specific area of science education which can provide useful insights into how science works in the classroom. Come along to this session to hear a range of findings arising from a number of these studies and join in discussions for those that interest you.

Join us to explore new CLEAPSS practical science activities for 4 and 5 year-olds, and how they can be used to strengthen communication and language through purposeful, hands-on learning in Reception classrooms.

Participants will engage with hands-on, developmentally appropriate activities for Reception, alongside strategies for developing scientific vocabulary and supporting early scientific thinking.

Participants will leave with age-appropriate science activities that are ready to use in their settings tomorrow, alongside the knowledge of how to use them to insure meaningful impact.

Outcomes:
Participants will be able to ask appropriate questions to prompt scientific thinking and talking with young children,
and will be able to set up meaningful practical activities for 4-5 year olds that will strengthen children’s scientific thinking and use of vocabulary.

CLEAPSS has recently expanded its support to include Reception-aged children in response to growing demand from both primary science leaders and Reception practitioners, evidenced through increased enquiries to the CLEAPSS helpline. This session is built around brand new practical science activities developed and trialled in Reception classrooms by CLEAPSS’ Reception consultant, Kathryn Horan. The activities have been written to facilitate scientific language development with very young children, providing guidance on what questions to ask, what possible learning foci might be and what outcomes might look like.

We've all seen it: the student who can't focus for ten minutes in class will happily watch twenty or thirty science videos in a row on their phones.

Online science education has grown into a high-quality, mainstream part of how young people learn, sitting alongside the classroom rather than at its edges, and the best creators are now among the most influential science educators in the country. So what do they know that those in the classroom can borrow?

This session, chaired by Dave Allen, brings together some of the most successful science educators working on YouTube, TikTok and beyond for an open Q&A. Ask them how they grab and hold attention, turn a tricky topic into something memorable, and keep the science accurate under the pressure of the feed. It's a practical, honest conversation about the craft of engagement, the quality of learning that online education can deliver, and what genuinely transfers from a phone screen to a classroom.

Research provides a means for exploring teaching and learning in classrooms and other contexts, with some studies suggesting new ways of working. Every year many science education Masters, PhD and EdD students develop an expertise in a specific area of science education which can provide useful insights into how science works in the classroom. Come along to this session to hear a range of findings arising from a number of these studies and join in discussions for those that interest you.

Is Generative AI fair for all science learners? The Department for Education names supporting personalised learning as a use case for generative AI in education, while warning that generative AI content can be inaccurate, biased or out of context. Science teachers carry responsibility for managing diversity, equity, inclusion and supporting identity formation in their classrooms. Generative AI is now sits inside that responsibility, often invisibly, as it infers things about students from their names, work, vocabulary and interests.

This accessible session widens the conversation from bias to fairness, looking at how generative AI shapes aspects such as cognitive challenge, assessment, the language and the framing different students encounter in their science learning. Building on research presented at ASE in 2026 (Hedlund, 2025) and on ongoing work into bias and fairness through names and assessment, the session turns research into practical guidance for science classrooms across all phases.

The session is built around being the informed human in the science learning loop. You will explore what to watch for, the quick wins that improve fairness, the mitigated prompts and processes that change what generative AI gives to your students, and how to model critical generative AI use to the students you teach. The session is pitched for a range of confidence levels with generative AI, and is grounded throughout in the realities of the science classroom.

Outcomes

Delegates will be able to:
• Recognise when generative AI is inferring student identity and changing science output as a result.
• Use specific strategies, prompts and processes that support fair generative AI use in their classroom.
• Model critical generative AI use to their students as part of wider digital literacy in the new Curriculum.
• Discuss the fairness implications of generative AI in science learning with colleagues, leaders and students.

Our dedicated Chair Trio invite you to drop-in to the “Chair-Chat” sessions on one of the days of Annual Conference 2027. The Chair is a vital role to the ASE, and the elected Chair provides an authoritative voice for the thousands of members that the ASE supports, along with those working within the wider science education community. Those elected remain part of our Chair Trio for 3 years.

Got a question? Ever wondered about what goes on behind the scenes? Ever thought about getting involved in Committee activities? Are you wanting to know more about Professional Registration or writing an article in one of the ASE journals? First time attending our flagship Conference?

If this is your first ASE Conference, then please come along and say Hello.

We look forward to hearing your questions and will endeavour to answer them or point you in a selection of possible right directions!

This interactive workshop will give you a grounded, practical exploration of how AI can support workload reduction without creating additional stress, unrealistic expectations, or dependence on technology.

You will explore real examples of where AI can save time, including planning support, summarising information, drafting routine communications, adapting content for different audiences, generating starting points for resources, and reducing repetitive administrative tasks. Through discussion and short practical activities, you will consider how to evaluate when AI is genuinely useful, when it may be inefficient, and where caution is needed.

A key focus will be on critical use rather than blind adoption. You will consider issues such as accuracy, bias, safeguarding, privacy, and the importance of maintaining professional oversight.

Designed for educators and professionals who are curious about AI but want realistic, manageable approaches rather than technical deep dives or exaggerated claims, this session will leave you with practical ideas, increased confidence, and a clearer understanding of how AI can support, but not replace professional expertise.

Following this session, participants hopefully will be able to:

* Identify appropriate tasks where AI may reduce workload effectively.
* Critically evaluate whether AI is the right tool for a specific task.
* Apply simple AI-supported strategies to improve efficiency in planning, communication, and organisation.
* Recognise common risks and limitations when using AI in professional settings.
* Use AI more intentionally, ethically, and with clearer professional boundaries.
* Trial at least one realistic AI workflow within their own practice.

A chance to gets hands-on, and try out some of the latest CLEAPSS practicals.  

Pop in, ask a question, chat with the CLEAPSS advisors!

For queries, please email [email protected]

This venue has been made available for primary science educators to get together and network during their scheduled lunch break.

Pop-up make and take will take place in the same space in the session following lunch at 13.35 - but it's a big room, so there's sufficient space and interest for both elements!

Grab your lunch and come along for some networking and informal chatting.

Join us to relax and unwind during lunchtime at the ASE Annual Conference. Enjoy three stunning short films showcasing fascinating wildlife and their ecosystems.

‘The Caretakers’ is a journey into the weird, wonderful and truly astonishing lives of the small yet mighty creatures who keep the world turning – beetles. They have been successful for millions of years, but they’re in serious trouble; what does the future hold for these incredibly important animals, and for us if they disappear? 21 minutes. Director – Tom Hanner

‘Creatures of the Kaleidoscope’ Explore one of natures most magical creatures, the Cuttlefish. Embark on a mesmerising journey of nature’s living kaleidoscopes. Follow these elusive creatures as this documentary delves deep into the extraordinary lives of these remarkable cephalopods, see their unique abilities as they morph into a stunning array of colours and shapes in a blink of an eye. Witness the incredible transformation from vulnerable prey to cunning predators, navigating the vast oceans ever changing surroundings and dangers. 18 minutes. Director – Hannah Jodie Alexander

‘Fascinating World of Wood Ants’ This film visualizes the lifecycle of Wood Ants and emphasizes their vital ecological role in the ecosystem. It showcases their journey, social dynamics, and ecological contributions, highlighting the importance of preserving their habitats in the face of environmental challenges. 11 minutes. Director – Siddique Salim Khan

These short films are kindly made available for viewing at ASE’s Annual Conference through ASE’s long-standing collaboration with the Museo de Ciencias of the Universidad de Navarra.

Step into a hands-on marketplace of science educators sharing ideas, where every stall offers a quick, practical science enquiry you can build, trial, and take straight back to your classroom.

From clever investigations using everyday materials to simple models that spark big thinking, each activity is designed to be low-cost, high-impact, and rooted in working scientifically.
 
Dip in and out, follow your curiosity, and leave not just inspired, but equipped with ready-to-use resources, fresh enquiry ideas, and the confidence to recreate the experience with your pupils.

With the recent changes to the National Curriculum following the Curriculum and Assessment Review, schools and subject leads are under pressure to redevelop their local curricula. However, what sort of autonomy do we have over the curriculum that we produce and is it developed with the local context in mind.

This session will provide some insights for teachers or subject leaders across any phase of school about how policy can influence the way we develop our local curriculum.

Additionally, we will aim to provoke discussions around how to avoid "policy pitfalls". Finally, as co-chairs of the policy group we would welcome your thoughts around how the Policy Group should develop work around curriculum to advocate for ASE members.

Generative AI produced images are quickly becoming part of how primary teachers prepare and run lessons, but how do we know if these images are scientifically sound? In this session we share findings from our research showing how generative AI can both reinforce known misconceptions and introduce new ones, particularly when teachers ‘personalise’ content for their pupils, which is a specified use case by the DfE for Generative AI use in education.

During the session you'll see worked examples from common primary science topics. You'll then have the chance to generate, examine and discuss images with other delegates, with prepared images available if you don't have a device.

The session is pitched for a range of confidence levels with AI, including those just starting out, while respecting that many primary colleagues already have significant generative AI expertise. You'll leave with a framework and checklist to evaluate generative AI produced images for misconceptions, plus prompt strategies to improve the science quality of what you (and your pupils) create.

Delegates will be able to:
• Recognise common misconceptions reinforced or introduced by generative AI produced primary science images.
• Use a clear framework and checklist to appraise generative AI visuals before using them in lessons.
• Apply prompting strategies that reduce the risk of misconception-rich outputs.
• Confidently discuss generative AI image quality with colleagues and pupils as part of wider digital literacy.

Background: Helen Harden, former chemistry lead on the University of York's BEST project and chemistry curriculum consultant, brings extensive expertise in primary and secondary science misconceptions. Victoria Hedlund, founder of GenEd Labs and contributor to the DfE and Chartered College's Safe and Effective Use of Generative AI in Education guidance, brings critical oversight of generative AI in classroom use. Our shared interest in this area is set out in our article “Looking deeper into AI-generated visual explanations” to be published in the July 2026 edition of SSR with a primary-focused article planned for ASE’s Primary Science journal. This forms the precursor to a larger ongoing research project.

Gardens and other ecosystems depend on pollinators, including bees. As the number of bees and other insects are declining at alarming rates worldwide (e.g., The number of recorded flying insects in the UK fell by 62.5% between 2021 and 2024 [Ball et al., 2024]; Australia is losing up to three species of native insects and other terrestrial invertebrates to extinction every week [Woinarski et al., 2024]), one in four native bee species faces extinction (Kopek & Burd, 2017). Since two-thirds of crops depend on insect pollination, these declines pose serious threats to food security and biodiversity (Feuerbacher et al., 2025).

Teachers can raise awareness of these issues and engage students with pollinators through GBL, which creates a context where students can experience and explore nature, and it offers many benefits to students (e.g., increased physical, cognitive, social-emotional, and self-care skills) (Taşçı & Keleş, 2021). As a matter of ecojustice, GBL also provides equitable access to green spaces, particularly for students from underserved communities (Authors, 2026; Schönfelder & Bogner, 2018; Taşçı & Keleş, 2021).

This presentation will showcase a new K-12 STEAM garden-based learning (GBL) curriculum that focuses on biodiversity and sustainability and was co-developed by an interdisciplinary team of classroom teachers, STEM education researchers, and scientists. We will disseminate evidence of the curriculum’s efficacy from our research with teachers and students. There will be space for questions and answers towards the end of the session.

This presentation involves sharing a new STEAM GBL curriculum with support materials and research results on the efficacy of implementation.

Outcomes: Participants will learn about and explore free, online resources that integrate social and emotional learning through the 3-H learning model (Hearts-on, Hands-on, Heads-on). Resources include 135 integrated K-12 STEAM GBL lessons, recommended children’s literature and reference books, 24 teacher and family resource sheets for sustainable gardens, citizen science projects, and 18 STEM career videos. A limited number of native bee colouring books will be available to the first arriving attendees, with online access for all participants.

Background: As a science educator and researcher with more than 40 years of experience in science education leadership, including 10 years of public-school teaching, I have led 4 transdisciplinary teams in developing curricula for K-12 students and PreK teachers, including work with National Geographic, Primrose Schools, the Ohio Department of Education, and USDA-NIFA. This session will focus on our most recent project.

The biennial Science on Stage Festival took place in Klaipeda, Lithuania in May 2026.  

The Science on Stage Festival brings together hundreds of teachers from across Europe and beyond to share and innovate strategies for teaching science at all levels, from early years through primary to secondary.  In this session, members of the Science on Stage delegation which represented the UK at the Festival will describe and demonstrate some of the best bits from Klaipeda.

This session is being co-ordinated and chaired by Stuart Farmer, Chair of the Science on Stage UK National Steering Committee, along with some of those representing the UK in Klaipeda.