Recently, Cambridge researcher Elinor Lieber attended the British Educational Research Association (BERA)’s annual conference for the first time. In this blog, Elinor describes her experiences and details some of the key takeaways from the event from a newcomer's perspective.
I recently attended the British Educational Research Association (BERA)’s conference, which was hosted by the University of Manchester between 8-12 September 2024. To mark BERA’s 50th anniversary, this year’s conference was held in conjunction with the World Education Research Association (WERA) focal meeting. This was BERA’s largest conference yet, attended by over 2,000 delegates from across the globe.
This was my first time attending an education research conference. As someone who has spent her entire academic career in the field of criminology, I knew very little about assessment when I began working as a researcher at Cambridge University Press & Assessment’s Research Division nearly a year ago. One valuable resource that helped me build a foundation in the area was the A101: Introducing the Principles of Assessment course offered by The Assessment Network. While BERA is not an assessment specific conference, it nevertheless seemed like a great opportunity to see how the theoretical constructs I had learned in the course applied across different real-world educational contexts.
With a densely packed programme – some days consisting of 46 parallel sessions – deciding which presentations to attend was quite challenging. Looking back, though, I can see some clear themes in sessions I gravitated towards:
Inclusivity and social justice
Many of the sessions revolved around issues of fairness, highlighting how marginalisation still shapes educational experiences, from access to resources and the content of the curriculum, to the ways in which both students and teachers are assessed and supported. Some of the standout talks, for example, explored how inclusive practices can in fact perpetuate the exclusion of students with autism, how the inclusion of indigenous knowledge in the curriculum can serve as “political deception”, and how racism shapes the experience of Black teachers in the UK.
Climate change and sustainability education
Is it sufficient to teach and assess scientific knowledge about climate change, or should the priority be assessing whether students use the knowledge to take tangible action to tackle climate change? Given the urgency of the climate crisis, these are critical questions to consider."
As climate change education (CCE) has been a focus of my work here at Cambridge University Press & Assessment, I found the discussions at BERA on CCE approaches, curricula, and assessment particularly thought-provoking. For example, one session spotlighted Ruskin Modules – a collection of interdisciplinary sustainability modules developed by Anglia Ruskin University. These modules are compulsory as part of the University’s undergraduate programme.
The debates surrounding CCE brought up significant questions of validity, purpose, and impact. Is it sufficient to teach and assess scientific knowledge about climate change, or should the priority be assessing whether students use the knowledge to take tangible action to tackle climate change? Given the urgency of the climate crisis, these are critical questions to consider.
Unconventional and innovative forms of assessment
A few sessions presented introduced ideas for alternative assessment methods, such as collaborative testing. This involves small-group discussions in which students work through the exam questions together. Their discussions are recorded and later marked by a teacher. A study evaluating collaborative testing found it contributed to students’ conceptual understanding and metacognition.
Other presentations focused on the use of technology in various aspects of the assessment cycle, such as generating test items and checking for assessment material errors. Another presenter shared an AI-enabled virtual reality platform developed to reduce high-stakes exam anxiety. The platform allows students to familiarise themselves with the exam room and access mock papers and quizzes, helping them feel more comfortable and prepared.
Overall, I very much enjoyed my time at BERA and am already looking forward to next year’s conference. It can be easy to get caught up in the day-to-day of education as a job. But stepping back into the role of student - sitting in a classroom, taking notes, learning something new - was a lovely reminder of who this work is ultimately for, and why it matters.
Links relating to some of the talks mentioned by Elinor:
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