The arguments for the importance of science education are varied and relate to the individual, society, and economics. Recent curriculum development work in England has built on such purposes, to identify key ideas around which to centre children’s biological education in the classroom. In parallel, others have examined the conceptual frameworks which underpin biology education research, aspiring to identify both cognitive and disciplinary frameworks that have utility in underpinning research focusing on living systems. In this presentation, I explore these arguments, drawing on the work of others, and completing the presentation (if time!) with one or two words about why our profession is increasingly essential to inform research-informed policy and practice in biology education, reflecting on recent teacher education policy in England.

Positive students, positive teachers, positive schools

If biology teachers are to be successful, they need both to plan for students’ learning, but also to design their learning approaches to foster students’ engagement, and in turn, their motivation. Examining motivation through a number of different lenses can be helpful to generating a positive learning environment in the classroom. Self-determination theory provides a helpful framework through which to examine how important autonomy is to allow both students and teachers to thrive in school. In this presentation, I explore these arguments, drawing on the work of others, to identify why autonomy is one key defining factor in generating positive learning environments in schools.