Theme: The Human Element in STEM Education: Community, Innovation, and Sustainability

Dates: Thursday, 11th June & Friday, 12th June 2026

Location: Dublin City University, St Patrick’s Campus, Drumcondra, Dublin 9, Ireland

Hosted by: CASTeL (Centre for the Advancement of STEM Teaching and Learning)

Thank you!

Thank you sincerely to everyone who participated in SMEC 2026, our 11th CASTeL SMEC conference. Your engagement, insights, and vibrant discussions made this year’s conference a great success!

Share Your Feedback

We would deeply appreciate your insights to help us improve future SMEC conferences and events. Please take a few moments to complete our brief feedback form: Complete the SMEC 2026 Feedback Form

SMEC 2026 Conference Proceedings

For delegates who delivered a paper presentation during the conference, we formally invite you to submit a full paper for the official SMEC 11 proceedings.

Submission Guidelines

  1. Template: Papers must use the official SMEC template and conform strictly to the guidelines and heading structures outlined within it.

  2. Format & Naming Convention: Submissions must be uploaded to ConfTool in both .docx and .pdf formats using the following exact naming convention:

    • Author_shortPaperTitle_SMEC2026

  3. Reciprocal Peer Review: Mirroring the conference abstracts, all submissions will undergo peer review by other submitting authors.

  4. Reviewer Load: All co-authors may be asked to review up to two papers.

  5. Publication Requirement: Only authors who actively participate in this peer-review process will have their submissions published in the final proceedings.

Important Dates

  • Paper Submission Deadline: July 10th, 2026

  • Reviewer Feedback Deadline: August 7th, 2026

  • Author Revisions: Authors will have 3 weeks following the reviewer deadline to submit their revised papers.

[Log in to the SMEC 2026 ConfTool Portal to Submit]

Available Materials

Conference Keynote Speakers

Professor Wouter van Joolingen

Wouter van Joolingen is a professor of science and mathematics education at the Freudenthal Institute, Utrecht University. His work focuses on teaching and learning science, including the development of scientific literacy and scientific thinking. Examples are modeling, systems’ thinking and mechanistic reasoning. Prominent in his work is the application of digital technology in support of inquiry-based learning and modeling. These applications include computer simulations, modeling tools, as well as augmented and virtual reality. Central is the alignment of human and computer-based instruction with the envisaged learning process. Recent projects include the application of Lesson Study as a means to engage teachers in the design process of science education. In such settings, teams of teachers design lessons together with researchers based on theoretical and practical insight. When teaching the lesson, the focus is on student learning. This approach both leads to deep insights into student learning and improves inclusion as students’ individual needs surface in the observations. Wouter has applied Lesson Study in multiple studies, including those into systems thinking, model-based reasoning and sustainability education. In Wouter’s view, teachers are always also researchers of their teaching.

Dr Ulrika Sultan

Dr. Ulrika Sultan is a researcher and university lecturer specialising in technology education and girls’ interest in STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). She is a Visiting Research Fellow in Engineering Education Research at Chalmers University of Technology.

She is particularly engaged in issues of gender equality and inclusion within technical and engineering education. Her research highlights how norms and perceptions influence girls’ self-image and participation in STEM fields. In addition to her academic work, she is actively involved in several national and international initiatives to increase diversity in the technology sector. She has also received multiple awards for her efforts to promote young women’s engagement in technology and innovation.

Professor Lucy Avraamidou

Lucy Avraamidou is a Professor of Science Education and the Director of the Centre for Learning and Teaching at the University of Groningen. She currently serves as the President of the European Science Education Research Association. Her research is associated with theoretical and empirical explorations of what it means to widen and diversify STEM participation in school and out-of-school settings through the lenses of intersectionality and identity with a focus on equity and social justice.

About the 2026 SMEC STEM Education Conference

Addressing global challenges requires all STEM Education disciplines to act together, with other disciplines and with our broader communities. We are living through a defining moment for our planet. We face converging crises of climate breakdown and biodiversity loss, alongside the challenges and opportunities presented by technological advancements and AI.

In a world of fast-moving information cycles, STEM literacy in the general population is critical. All of these require STEM skills to be combined with a social focus; STEM Education has never been more important, or more complex.

This year, we explore how STEM Education – in the form of scientific inquiry, mathematical reasoning, engineering design, and technological innovation – can come together to foster a resilient and hopeful future, in partnership with our learners and our communities.

How do we equip learners with the knowledge to understand and navigate complex systems, the skills to engineer sustainable solutions, and the empathy to protect and steward our environment and community?
We welcome submissions from educators, researchers, and practitioners across Early Years, Primary, Post-Primary, Further Education, and Higher Education.

Conference Themes & Integrated Strands

1

STEM Education for Planetary Health & Action

Focus: Applying STEM Education knowledge to real-world environmental challenges.
  • Nature & Biodiversity: Fostering ecological literacy, nature restoration education, and nature-based learning.
  • Climate Solutions in Education: Engineering design, sustainable systems, and climate science.
  • Data for the Planet: Using data and modelling to develop student understanding of decision-making related to environmental change, supporting democratic structures and facilitating community-based action.
  • Social Responsibility: Ethics, climate justice, and socioscientific issues in education.
2

Digital Horizons & Innovation in Education

Focus: The tools we use and how we use them.
  • Positive Tech Solutions: Educational applications of AI, remote sensing, and digital tools to monitor and protect the environment.
  • The Human-Digital Interface: Educating for balance – navigating AI and screen time while maintaining connection to the physical world. Ethical dimensions of technological tools in education.
  • Future Skills: Preparing learners for a rapidly changing technological landscape, digital literacy, and cyber resilience.
3

Inclusive Communities & Identity in Education

Focus: The people behind STEM Education.
  • Broadening Participation: Strategies for equity, retention, and diversity in all STEM Education fields.
  • Identity & Agency: Helping learners view themselves as capable “STEM people” and changemakers.
  • Collaborative Inquiry: How classrooms and communities work together.
4

Innovative Pedagogies & Practice

Focus: The craft of teaching and learning.
  • Interdisciplinary Approaches: STEAM and cross-curricular learning (e.g., Math + Art, Engineering + History).
  • Discipline-Based Educational Research: Investigations, interventions, and innovations from STEM disciplines.
  • Active Learning: Maker education, design- and problem-based learning, and training.
  • Assessment: New strategies for assessing competencies, critical thinking, and practical skills.
  • The Education Continuum: Transitions and progressions from Early Years to Adult Education.

Submission Types & Guidelines

Submissions for SMEC 2026 (Call Now Closed)

Thank you to everyone who submitted their work!

You can still access the SMEC 2026 ConfTool portal here to log in for peer review

(Please note: The guidelines, templates, and format details below remain available for reference during the peer review phase.)

Final Submission & Formatting Requirements

To ensure a consistent look for the conference proceedings, all final versions of accepted work must adhere to the following:

Final versions must include all author names, institutional affiliations, and contact emails as laid out in the templates above.

All abstracts should include 1–3 references formatted in APA 7th Edition.

All content must showcase a connection to research/practice in the field of STEM Education and outline key findings or conceptual approaches

The Peer Review Process

SMEC 2026 utilises a collaborative peer-review model. To support the STEM education community, we operate on a reciprocal basis: all lead authors submitting an abstract are requested to peer review at least two other abstracts.

  • Guidance: A formal Reviewer Guidance Document will be provided to all authors.
  • Oversight: The process is moderated by the Organising and Scientific Committees to ensure the integrity of the conference themes.

Proceedings: Conference proceedings will follow the conference for those with accepted abstracts who wish to contribute.

All abstracts must showcase a connection to research in the field of STEM Education and outline key findings. Please choose from the following formats:

Submission Formats

  • Oral Presentation: 300 words max.
  • Poster: 300 words max.
  • Lightning Talk: 300 words max. (7-minute pre-recorded video).
  • Symposia: 600 words max.

Registration & Fees

Registration for SMEC 2026 is Now Open!

Please select the appropriate rate below. Early Bird rates are available until Thursday, 30th April 2026. Full price applies from 1st May 2026.

1. General / Academic Registration

2. Reduced Rate (Student/Teacher/Global South)

(Please read the eligibility definitions below before booking this rate)

Full-Time Student

This rate is strictly reserved for individuals whose primary occupation is as a student.

  • Eligible: Students currently enrolled in a full-time undergraduate or postgraduate programme (e.g., B.Ed., PME, MSc, or PhD).

  • Ineligible: Professionals who are working full-time and completing a part-time course/degree qualification.

  • Requirement: You may be asked to provide a valid Student ID or a letter from your registrar/supervisor confirming your full-time status.

Practising Teacher

This rate is intended to support the professional development of active classroom educators.

  • Eligible: Teachers currently practising in Early Years settings, Primary schools, or Post-Primary (Secondary) schools.

  • Requirement: Applicants must provide the name of their current school.

  • Note: This rate is for school-based practitioners. Higher Education lecturers and academic researchers should register under the General/Academic rate.

Global South Participants

In our effort to foster international collaboration and equity in STEM education, a reduced rate is available for participants travelling from the Global South.

  • Eligible: Researchers, practitioners, and project partners currently based in low and middle-income countries.

Note: This rate is specifically for school-based practitioners. Higher Education lecturers and full-time academic researchers should register under the General/Academic rate.

Key Dates & Details

Abstract Submission Deadline: Closed Thursday, 19th February 2026.

Review Process: Feedback will be provided by reviewers to all authors by 13th April 2026

Student Pre-Conference: A pre-conference for students will be held on the evening of Wednesday, 10th June 2026. Details to follow.

Proceedings: Conference proceedings will follow the conference for those with accepted abstracts who wish to contribute.

Registration: Now open

Mailing List: Join our conference mailing list here

Unsubscribe from our Mailing List: here