Every year, ESERA Summer Schools for science education PhD students are held. At a summer school, students present their research work to a small group of seven other PhD students and to two experienced science education researchers (mentors). They then have opportunities to discuss their work in depth over the course of a week. They also hear about the other PhD projects in their group and contribute to the discussion about them. There is also a poster session where everyone discusses their work with all who are interested and where they get written feedback on their poster from a group of science education researchers as well as their peers. Workshops are also provided by experienced educators – and there are social events.
The maximum number of students attending a summerschool is 49, with no more than 18 staff members. If more than this number apply, then participants are selected following specifically defined criteria to ensure diversity of countries and research traditions. Also, in order to create optimal opportunities for discussion, and to enable the summer school to contribute to students’ progress, applicants should not be too near the beginning or end of their PhD work. Applications are welcome from any PhD student who is a member of ESERA.
Experienced researchers and supervisors can apply to attend the summer school as mentors. Their roles will include co-coaching a group of seven students, providing feedback to poster presentations and/or conducting a workshop. All mentors participating in the summer school must be members of ESERA. Previous experience at PhD supervision is a desireable qualification, but staff do not need to currently have a PhD student under their supervision.
The first Summer school was held in Zeist, the Netherlands, in 1993. A second Summer school took place the following year, 1994, in Thessaloniki, Greece. Since then, Summer schools have been held at two year intervals until 2017 when by vote of the membership, yearly summer schools were tried. The trial was in České Budějovice, Czechia at the site of the 2016 summer school with the same organizing group and facilities. The goal was to test the viability of a yearly summer school without the added confounding of a new location. Since then ESERA Summer School takes place every year and it is crucial event in ESERA society.
ESERA summer schools
- 2024 Tartu, Estonia
- 2023 Neustadt an der Weinstraße, Germany
- 2022 Utrecht, the Netherlands
- 2021 Poznań (online), Poland
- 2020 Oxford (online), United Kingdom
- 2019 Crete, Greece
- 2018 Jyväskylä, Finland
- 2017 České Budějovice, Czechia
- 2016 České Budějovice, Czechia
- 2014 Kapadokya, Turkey
- 2012 Bad Honnef, Germany
- 2010 Udine, Italy
- 2008 York, United Kingdom
- 2006 Braga, Portugal
- 2004 Mülheim, Germany
- 2002 Radovljica, Slovenia
- 2000 Gilleleje, Denmark
- 1998 Marly-le-Roi, France
- 1996 Barcelona, Spain
Two Summer Schools were organized before the ESERA association was officially founded in 1995:
- 1994 Thessaloniki, Greece
- 1993 Zeist, the Netherlands (Report)
