International Symposium on Teaching Einsteinian Physics
10-12 July 2025
Perth, Australia
The Symposium will follow the Australian Science Teachers Association Conference (CONASTA 72). ASTA invites Symposium delegates to participate.
Modernising school physics
The International Symposium on teaching Einsteinian physics (ISTEP) is taking place on 10-12 July 2025 at The University of Western Australia. This symposium will focus on modernising school science curricula, bringing together leading researchers, science educators, and policymakers to discuss innovative approaches to integrating modern physics concepts into school science curriculum for all students. Our topics are aligned with three of CONASTA’s themes.
Topics
- Novel teaching methods to introduce the language and ideas of quantum science, general relativity, climate science and sustainable energy.
- Research findings on school physics education and assessment
- Teacher upskilling and professional development
- Activity-based learning using toys, models, analogies, and experiments
- Mathematics for Einsteinian physics: connecting physical science with maths including Fermi estimation, chance, curved space geometry, and vectors
Key dates
Deadline for abstract submission: 31 March 2025 (closed)
Final Date for registration: 15 June 2025
Acceptance notification: 1 May 2025
Submission Portal: All proposals must be submitted through the designated registration forms submission website.
Proposal Components: Submissions should include the following:
- Author names and affiliations
- Session title
- A brief abstract (maximum 250 words)
Register to attend
Don't miss this opportunity to expand your knowledge and contribute to the future of Modern physics education. Abstract submissions have now closed, but you can still register as a non-speaking attendee to be part of this groundbreaking event in Perth, Australia.
Booking & fees
Booking is essential. The booking fees cover:
- Admission to the conference sessions, workshops, keynote presentations.
- Morning tea/coffee and lunch (in-person registrants)
- Keynote & Opening celebration
| Registration | 200 AUD |
The registration fees do not include:
- Travel expenses
- Accommodation
- Conference dinner
International Visitors
Local advisory committee
|
Shon Boublil David Wood Johanna Stalley Anastasia Lonshakova Tejinder Kaur David Blair |
International advisory committee
|
Prof. Martin Hendry |
University of Glasgow |
|
Prof. Manjula Sharma |
University of Sydney |
|
Prof. Matteo Luca Ruggeriro |
Turin Univeristy |
|
Prof. Debaratti Chatterjee |
LIGO-India mega-science project |
|
Prof. Maria Parappilly |
Flinders University |
|
Jackie Bondell |
Monash University |
|
Prof. Jill Aldridge |
Curtin University |
|
Dr. Jyoti Kaur |
University of Western Australia |
|
Emeritus Prof. David Blair |
University of Western Australia |
|
Prof. Magdalena Kersting |
University of Copenhagen |
Conference Program
Thursday: Conference Welcome
| 5:00 pm – 5:30 pm | Registrations and Networking |
| 5:30 pm – 6:00 pm | Formal Welcome |
| 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Networking |
Drinks and light refreshments provided courtesy of the UWA International Space Centre.
Friday: Day 1
| Time | Speaker | Title |
| 9:00 am | Mark Reynolds | Welcome |
| 9:05 am | Hon. Stephen Dawson MLC | Official opening |
| 9:10 am | Alan Finkel | It is time to prove the case to the curriculum authorities |
| 9:40 am | Chris Ferrie | Quantum Literacy Without The Physics |
|
Global Developments |
||
| 10:00 am | Magdalena Kersting | Upskilling Teachers in Einsteinian Physics: A Decade of Progress and Future Directions |
| 10:20 am | David Blair | Einstein-First: from Western Australia to the World |
| Morning Tea (10:40 am – 11.05 am) | ||
| Early introduction of foundational concepts | ||
| 11:05 am | Carole Haeusler | Children’s mechanistic reasoning using the particle model of matter |
| 11:25 am | Anastasia Lonshakova | Maths’s for Einstein’s Universe |
| 11:45 pm | Johanna Stalley | Teaching Modern Physics in Primary Schools: Implementing Einstein-First |
| 12:05 pm | Lisa Galvagni | Einstein’s elevator and the principle of equivalence |
| 12:25 pm | Jyoti Kaur | Eight Steps to Einstein’s Universe: Program Evaluation |
| Lunch Break (12:45 – 13:35 pm) | ||
| Motivating Students with Frontier Science | ||
| 13:35 pm | Jackie Bondell | Teaching the Dark Side of the Universe: Gravitational Waves, Dark Matter, and Beyond |
|
Teacher Reskilling in Einsteinian Physics |
||
| 13:55 pm | Jesse Santoso | Reskilling to teach Einsteinian science: preliminary results from an online micro-credential program for school teachers |
| 14:15 pm | Jill Aldridge | Upskilling Teachers: Factors Influencing the Outcomes of Professional Development Activities |
| 14:35 pm | Lachlan McGinness (Chair) | Panel Discussion with Teachers |
| Afternoon Tea (15:35 – 16:00 pm) | ||
| Teaching Einsteinian Science with Hands-on Activities | ||
| 16:00 pm | Janchai Yingprayoon | Low-Cost High-Tech Hands-on Physics Activities – Workshop |
| 6:00 pm | Symposium Dinner – University Club |
Saturday: Day 2
| Time | Speaker | Title |
| Quantum and Climate Science | ||
| 9:00 am | David Blair | The climate cruise adventure |
| 9:20 am | Anastasia Lonshakova | Quantum spin and quantum probability |
| 9:40 am | Joao Pereira* | Quantum concepts for middle school students |
| 10:00 am | Igor Bray | Quantum Physics of Atomic and Molecular Collisions |
| 10:20 am | Catrina Aniere | Agents of Climate Change |
| Morning Tea (10:40 am – 11:10 am) | ||
| Motivating Students with Frontier Science | ||
| 11:10 am | Rahul Choudhary | Factors influencing Year 9 girls’ STEM Career interests: Insights from STEM enrichment programs |
| 11:30 am | Amber Strunk* | LIGO outreach |
| 11:50 am | Pascal Elahi | Quantum Computing for High-School Students |
| 12:10 pm | Debi Chatterjee* | Communicating Gravitational Wave Science in India |
| Lunch Break (12:30 – 13:20 pm) | ||
| Teaching Einsteinian Science with Hands-on Activities | ||
| 13:20 pm | Janchai Yingprayoon | Low-Cost High-Tech Hands-on Physics Activities |
| 13:40 pm | Corey McInerney | Einsteinian Gravitational Concepts Throughout Secondary School |
| 14:00 pm | Floor Kamphorst* | Eliciting Initial Learning in Special Relativity |
| 14:20 pm | Lachlan McGinness | Making Quantum Accessible: A Seven-Category Framework for K-12 Quantum Education |
| 14:40 pm | Roberto Salgado* | Spacetime Trigonometry: a unified approach to Galilean and Special Relativity |
| Afternoon Tea (15:00 – 15:30 pm) | ||
| Global Developments | ||
| 15:30 pm | Martin Hendry* | Embedding Einsteinian physics within the High School physics curriculum in Scotland |
|
Teacher Reskilling in Einsteinian Physics |
||
| 15:50 pm | Stuart Farmer* | Subject-specific professional learning: essential elements and where to find them? |
| 16:10 pm | Christine Barit | Atoms and Heat: outcomes of teacher-implemented Year 3 trials |
| 16:20 pm | Emmanouil Chaniotakis* | What do the teachers say? Findings and lessons learned from two teacher online professional development courses in Gravitational Wave Astronomy. |
| 16:40 pm | Maria Parapilly | Empowering Out-of-Field Teachers: A Physics Skills Enhancement Micro-credential Pilot to Boost Confidence and STEM Capability |
*Online presentation
Address
Symposia Partners
