January 2013

The World Education Research Association (WERA) held its annual Focal Meeting in conjunction with the Australian Association for Research in Education (AARE) and the Asia-Pacific Education Research Association (APERA) in Sydney, Australia. AERA leaders, including President William Tierney; Past Presidents Arnetha Ball, David Berliner, Eva Baker, and Carol Lee; and Executive Director Felice Levine, were participants at the AARE/APERA/WERA conference, held on December 2–6 at the University of Sydney.

 

Founded in 2009, WERA is an association of national, regional, international, and specialty research associations dedicated to advancing education research as a scientific and scholarly field. AERA is one of 27 member associations that established WERA. WERA’s initiatives are global in nature, transcending what any single association can accomplish in its own country, region, or area of specialization.

 

At its 2012 Focal Meeting, WERA held 26 sessions building on a wide range of theoretical and methodological perspectives, research issues, and topics of international scope and significance. Approximately 130 scholars participated in the Focal Meeting. The purpose of the focal meetings, which are held once a year, is to expand consideration of research that is worldwide in reach and to enhance international communication and collaboration. Each year the focal meeting is held in conjunction with the major conference of a WERA member association.

 

The AARE/APERA/WERA international conference included more than 1,200 paper presentations and symposia, with keynote addresses by AERA Past Presidents Berliner and Ball. In addition, there were twelve outstanding symposia designated as “invited symposia,” including an AERA guest symposium at which President Tierney spoke passionately about academic freedom. There were also two WERA invited symposia; one of them, entitled "Culture, Poverty, and Opportunity to Learn: International Cases of the Complexities of Addressing Race, Ethnicity, and Class in Education,” featured AERA Past President Lee as one of three presenters.

 

WERA held a full-day Council meeting on December 7, 2012. In attendance were AERA Past President Eva Baker, who serves as WERA past president; AERA Past President Arnetha Ball, who is the AERA representative to WERA; and AERA Executive Director Felice Levine, who is the elected WERA secretary general.

 

For further information on the 2012 WERA Focal Meeting and WERA programs, please visit the WERA website.