PME43
WORKING GROUPS (WG)
A working group is a format of group presentation undertaken by a group of at least two researchers. The aim of a WG is that PME participants are offered the opportunity to engage in exchange or to collaborate in respect of a common research topic (e.g., start a joint research activity; share research experiences; engage in academic discourse) (see also http://www.igpme.org/index.php/annual-conference/session-types/working-group.
A working group may deal with emerging topics (in the sense of newly developing) as well as topics that are not new but possibly subject to changes. A working group needs a clear goal (outcome) and a strategy to reach this goal in collaboration with the participants. It must provide opportunities for contributions of the participants that are aligned with the goal (e.g., share materials; work collaboratively on texts; discuss well-specified questions).
A WG is not supposed to be a collection of individual research presentations (see colloquium format), but instead is meant to build a coherent opportunity to work on a common research topic. In contrast to the RF format, which is meant to present the state of the art of established research topics, WGs are designed to involve fields where research topics are evolving.
A working group (WG):
- focusses on a research topic of substantial interest within the PME community;
- has a clear goal and a strategy to reach this goal in collaboration with the participants;
- includes structural opportunities for contributions by the participants to reach the goal;
- involves only a minimum of planned presentations to stimulate the specifi collaboration or exchange;
- is provided by at least two researchers who are actively working within the research topic;
- covers 2 slots of 90 minutes each;
- is represented via a 2-page proposal in the conference proceedings; and
- will be portrayed in respect to its outcomes, after the conference, in a report to be included in the following PME newsletter.
Submission and reviewing process
Working groups are subject to review in order to ensure the fit to the goals of PME as an
organisation. The deadline for proposals (2 pages) is 1 March 2019. The IPC reviews the proposals for WGs and decides on their acceptance during the Second IPC meeting (April 2019).
Proposals must include:
• the topic, title, goal, and strategy to reach the goal of the WG;
• the names of all researchers contributing (minimum of 2);
• the name of the coordinator (corresponding researcher);
• an outline of the theoretical background of the research topic;
• an explicit statement of the way the participants are expected to engage in collaboration and/or exchange in the working group;
• an explicit statement if the working group is a new initiative or a follow up on previous PME activities, as well as an indication of tentative follow-up activities at future PME conferences (such as, further WGs, RRs or colloquia);
• a detailed description of the proposed organisation of the WG, including the matic structuring, time structuring for 2 slots of 90 minutes each, as well as descriptions of planned presentations and participants’ exchange/collaboration activities;
• opportunities to contribute by participants and details of the organisational process (if needed, organisers may use the PME communication infrastructure at http://www.igpme.org/index.php/communication.
Presentation and proceedings
Two 90-minute slots will be devoted to each working group. The conference chairs are
asked to try and schedule the Working Group slots separately to the individual presentation slots although this cannot be guaranteed. The proposals should follow the PME formatting guidelines. The total length for the proposal is 2 pages, including references. If accepted, this proposal will be included in the conference proceedings. For accepted papers to be included in the proceedings, all researchers contributing to the working group have to make a full registration by 15 May 2019, at the latest. After the presentation, each working group is required to send a report of its activities and the goals reached to the PME Administrative Manager (mailto:[email protected]) by September 2019. This report may be included in the following PME Newsletter.