World Association of Lesson Studies (WALS) International Conference 2018
23-26 November 2018, Beijing Normal University, Beijing,
People’s Republic of China
Conference theme:
LESSON STUDY AND TEACHER EDUCATION:
INTERNATIONAL DIALOGUE
I. Invitation to Conference
We are pleased to be hosting the World Association of Lesson Studies (WALS) International Conference 2018during 23-26 November 2018 at Beijing Normal University, China’s leading higher institution for educational studies and teacher education.
The theme of the WALS 2018 is Lesson Study and Teacher Education: International Dialogue. It aims to provide a platform for an international and cross-cultural dialogue through which educators and researchers from different parts of the world can contribute to a broad vision for sharing their knowledge, understanding and experience of lesson study as a form of practice-based research.
Over the past decades, Lesson Study has contributed significantly to the quality enhancement of teaching and learning, teacher education,and development of schools as learning communities.
In China, which has the largest teaching force in the world, a long tradition of lesson study has been integrated into the professional lives of teachers. Since the 1950s, lesson study as a tool of professional learning facilitated the development of a culture of teaching among Chinese teachers.For the enhancement of their teaching and professional development, Chinese teachers are engaged in “teaching research”, which is a form of lesson study organized along the disciplinary lines of school subjects and implemented by “teaching research groups” in schools. Indeed, lesson study is a commonly shared endeavor among Chinese teachers who are engaged in collective planning, studying and evaluating various kinds of lessons on a daily basis. Through time, the “teaching research group” has been developed into a system of “teaching research” that is unique to schooling in China.
In previous WALS annual conferences, educators and teachers from Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America came together to share their research findings and best practices inlesson study. This is the first time that WALS will hold its annual conference in Mainland China. WALS 2018 will provide a valuable opportunity for the exploration of ideas that will enrich the field of Lesson Study. We hope that participants from all over the world will come and share wisdom that is drawn from their own societal contexts and join us in an international dialogue that aims to achieve multi-cultural understanding of Lesson Study.
We cordially invite researchers, teachers and educators from all countries and regions to join us at the WALS 2018, which will be held on the campus of Beijing Normal University in Beijing, the capital of The People’s Republic of China, during 23-26 November 2018.
Activities of the Conference will include keynote speeches, paper presentations,topical symposia, workshops, poster presentations, and school visits.
We are proud to announce that Professor Elaine Munthe of the University of Stavanger, Norway, Professor XudongZhu of Beijing Normal University, China, and Professor Jan Vermunt of the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom, have been invited to deliver keynote speeches at the Conference.
In addition to the keynote speeches, several plenary sessions will be organized for noteworthy scholars and practitioners in the field. These sessions will elucidate important topics that are relevant to teaching and learning in schools and universities as well as critical issues in special education, pre-school education, and large-scale educational development projects.
School visits in Beijing will be planned as a main activity on the final day of the conference.
II. Call for Proposals
Strands
1. Lesson study and teacher preparation
2. Lesson study and teacher professional development
3. Lesson study in rural classrooms
4. Lesson study and school as learning community
5. History of lesson study and teaching research
6. Interdisciplinary lesson study
7. Research methodology for lesson study
8. Practical models of lesson study
9. Big data and lesson analysis
10. Online lesson study
Activities
Four types of activities will be organized for the Conference:
1. Paper presentations (30 minutes per paper)
There will be 3 paper presentations in each parallel session. Each paper will be given 20 minutes for presentation and 10 minutes for Q&A. The following types of papers are suitable for submission:
a. Research papers
Full research papers in any of the strands listed above or related areas.
b. Student papers
Research completed by students in any of the strands listed above or related areas.
c. Case studies
Case studies in any of the strands listed above or related areas.
d. Work-in-progress reports or idea papers for future research
Research in progress or ideas for future research in order to generate discussion and feedback in any of the strands listed above or related areas.
e. Reports on issues related to teaching
Reports related to innovative instructional techniques or research related to teaching in any of the strands listed above or related areas.
2. Topical symposia (1.5 hours per session)
Interested participants may propose symposiafor topics that are related to any of the aforesaid strands. 90 minutes will be allocated to each symposium. We anticipate 3 inter-related papers to be presented at a symposium. Symposium organizers should observe the deadline listed in the “Important Dates” below. They are also advised to appoint a chairperson and a discussant for each symposium session.
Examples of symposia
a. Researchers of common interests may wish to collaborate on a symposium that consists of 3 research papers covering inter-related topics.
b. A school may be interested to organize a symposium consisting of 3 presentations that draw professional insights from its school leadersand teachers.
c. Teachers serving in different schools may wish to present case studies of common interests.
3. Workshops (1.5 hours per session)
Workshops are informative, interesting and interactive sessions that are designed for general conference participants or for specific target-groups (e.g. teachers, school leaders, educators, researchers). Workshops may consist of hands-on activities, demonstration, and/or discussion. The topics of proposed workshops should be related to any of the aforementioned strands.
4. Poster presentation (1.5 hours per session)
Posters may include reports of ongoing research or case studies of professional practices. Research reports should clearly state the research topic, research question(s), and methods of data collection, data analysis and preliminary research findings. Posters of good practices should include such information as the background of school, context of case study, data analysis (where applicable), findings and recommendations. Presenters are advised to prudently use texts and graphics in the layout of their posters as space for display will be limited.
Important Dates
January31, 2018: First call for proposals
March 31, 2018: Second call for proposals
March 1, 2018:Submission begins
June 30, 2018: Submission ends
August 24, 2018: Review result announcement
May 1- August 31, 2018:Early-bird registration
September 1-October 31, 2018: Regular registration
September 1-December 31, 2018: Submission for full papers (optional)
November 23-25, 2018: WALS International Conference 2018
November 26, 2018: School visit
III. Languages of Conference
English
IV. Registration Fees
All participants are required to register prior to the conference and submit the proposal and full paper via the on-line registration and paper submission system. Please visit the conference website for detailed information:. If you have any questions regarding registration.
* Registration Fees Include conference kits, lunch, and 1 year WALS membership fee)
For student registration, scanned copy of student ID card must be attached.
Note: Conference Fees above include the bank charge and VAT (5.0%).
OPTIONAL
1. School visit = 300RMB or 45 USD
2. Social function = 300RMB or 45 USD
MODE OF PAYMENT
Credit card (a payment menu will appear after login)
V.ContactUs
The WALS 2018 Organizing Committee, Center for Teacher Education Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.
Website:
Tel:86-010-58804318