RACI Chemistry Education Division Workshop (Discipline Day)

Abstract

Purpose

Each year, the RACI Chemistry Education Division holds a Discipline Day workshop that addresses current challenges in Australian chemistry education, guided by feedback from attendees and the broader community. 

We welcome all individuals with an interest in education, including students, professional, casual, and academic staff, as well as secondary educators in chemistry or science fields. Your insights and perspectives are highly valued, and we aim for our Division to meaningfully contribute to the broader scientific community.

Workshop activity and outcomes

Our interactive workshop activity will focus on building capacity in Discipline-Based Education Research (DBER) specific to chemistry in Australia. While many chemistry educators engage in teaching-focused scholarship, DBER remains under-recognised and often under-resourced in institutional structures. This session focuses specifically on the experiences, challenges, and training needs of chemistry education researchers.

The aims of the workshop are to:

• Shape the next stage of resource development for research students engaged in DBER;
• Provide community feedback and share local practices;
• Identify gaps in support, mentoring, and training.

The workshop also offers immediate takeaways: examples of existing DBER resources under development (e.g. guides for literature reviews, research ethics, data collection methods), and discussion templates participants can adapt for mentoring students or scaffolding chemistry education research project planning.

The workshop is suitable for those currently supervising research students, interested in developing education research within their institutions, or seeking to enhance their own research training practices. Participant insights will contribute to the design of national, modular training resources to be hosted by the Australian Council of the Deans of Science (ACDS).

We would like to acknowledge the RACI Chemistry Education Division committee who volunteer their time, and without whom the Committees activities would not be achievable.