Biennial Conference of The UWI Schools of Education 2026

Call for Abstracts

The Schools of Education at the three landed campuses of The University of the West Indies rotate hosting a biennial academic conference. Each conference highlights a topic or issue that holds educational significance for the Caribbean region. In 2026, the St. Augustine campus will serve as the host. The organizing committee warmly invites you to join us for this pivotal event, dedicated to exploring and advancing the theme: Learning Futures: Education for Multilateralism and Sustainability.

Theme

Within the Caribbean and beyond, how are we collectively shaping learning futures through the lenses of multilateralism and sustainability? In this unprecedented moment, shaped by the urgent challenges of post-pandemic recovery, accelerating technological transformation, climate adaptation, and shifting human migration, education emerges as a crucial force for navigating and shaping our collective future. The rapid interplay of social, environmental, and technological change compels us to rethink learning as an adaptive resource—one that not only responds to upheaval but actively designs pathways toward sustainable and equitable outcomes. For the Caribbean, these issues are particularly critical as we navigate climate vulnerability, migration issues, and the ongoing task of educational decolonization within an interconnected global landscape. Against this backdrop, the 2026 Schools of Education Biennial Conference calls scholars, practitioners, policymakers, and students into shared inquiry around these issues.

The conference theme, Learning Futures: Education for Multilateralism and Sustainability, situates the Caribbean and global educational networks at the forefront of these conversations. Linking theory to practice, education for multilateralism enables collaborative decision-making and shared responsibility among diverse nations, sectors, and communities, while education for sustainability reflects a long-term commitment to equity, economic viability, and environmental stewardship. These concepts are inherently challenged, shaped by historical, cultural, and political contexts. Yet they remain essential to re-imagining education’s purpose in our time. Education thus becomes the bridge—preparing learners not only for technological and economic change, but for participating in inclusive, just, and environmentally conscious societies that thrive on collective engagement and shared innovation. Together, these frameworks invite us to imagine education not merely as preparation for the future, but as the process through which that future is consciously created.

We welcome submissions for the 2026 Conference from students, faculty, researchers, industry professionals, and all members of the educational community. We encourage you to share empirical research, as well as position or conceptual papers, representing a variety of scholarly traditions. Your work should contribute to a vibrant culture of inquiry and innovation by questioning existing paradigms, expanding boundaries, and inspiring new approaches to teaching, learning, leadership, and community engagement.

 

Presentation Strands

The following strands provide diverse avenues for examining how innovation, equity, sustainability, and collaborative multilateral efforts converge within the field of education.

Harnessing AI: Advancing SDG4 and Beyond

Exploring how artificial intelligence can advance teaching, learning, and assessment while ensuring ethical, human-centred, and equitable adoption of emerging technologies.

Equity, Access, and Lifelong Learning

Examining pathways to inclusive education, gender equality, Universal Design for Learning, and lifelong learning systems that foster opportunity and sustainability.

Well-being, SEL and Teacher Professional Life

Addressing the human aspect of education—focusing on social-emotional learning, supporting teacher well-being, ensuring a balanced workload, and nurturing professional identity.

Education for Sustainable Transitions

Connecting with green, blue, and orange transitions that link education to environmental stewardship, the creative and cultural economies, and sustainable ways of living.

Language, Culture, and Identity in Education

Centering multilingualism, indigenous knowledge, and culturally sustaining pedagogy as cornerstones of equity and Caribbean identity.

Literacies for the 21st Century: Reading, Writing and Beyond

Rethinking foundational, digital, and critical literacies as pathways to greater equity, sustainability, and empowered citizenship.

Curriculum Change and Innovation

Highlighting transformative curriculum initiatives, context-responsive pedagogy, the integration of TVET and STEAM, entrepreneurship, and advocacy for educational change.

Education Policy and Leadership

Exploring governance, leadership, and reform that advance resilience, equity, and sustainable systems across educational levels.

Assessment, Measurement and Accountability

Examining psychometrics, competency-based, and authentic assessment approaches that foster equity, quality, and continuous improvement.

Emerging and Cross-Cutting Issues in Educational Research and Innovation

Providing a space for new and interdisciplinary research addressing contemporary priorities not captured within other strands.

Other

Research papers that investigate significant educational topics relevant to the Caribbean, which are not encompassed by any of the strands mentioned above.

Submissions that may not explicitly align with the main conference theme but hold significance for education in or about the Caribbean will also be taken into consideration.

 

Presentation formats

The presentation formats offered for our 2026 conference include the following options:

  • Paper Presentation (20 minutes). Individual speakers deliver oral presentations lasting 20 minutes each. After the presentations, a 10-minute period will be dedicated to open discussion Typically, three or four presenters will share research or insights that are connected by a central theme, allowing for an in-depth exploration of the topic within a single session.
  • Panel Presentation (60 minutes). This session features a moderator guiding an engaging conversation among a group of panelists who are experts on a particular topic. The session typically opens with each panelist offering brief introductory remarks that highlight their perspectives or research. The session is devoted to dynamic discussion, with the moderator posing thought-provoking questions and facilitating meaningful dialogue. Active participation from the audience is encouraged, allowing attendees to ask questions and contribute to the conversation, making panel presentations an interactive and insightful forum for exploring complex issues.
  • Poster presentation (20 minutes). A one-page, visually engaging display featuring images that concisely communicate your research findings. Research posters measuring 36 inches by 24 inches are welcome for presentation. Posters are mounted on boards and made available for viewing throughout the conference. Presenters are expected to be available at scheduled times to discuss their work and answer questions from attendees. Each individual researcher or single author may present only one poster. Groups or submissions with multiple authors are permitted to present up to three posters. It is possible for presenters to participate in both capacities, presenting one poster as an individual and up to three as part of a group.

 

  • Workshop (60 minutes). Workshops are interactive sessions designed to enhance teaching practice and empower educators with innovative strategies and practical skills. Each workshop should encourage substantial participant involvement and hands-on learning, incorporating a blend of engaging activities such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and reflective writing. Facilitators are encouraged to integrate demonstrations, small group work, case studies, and technology-based tools to promote collaborative learning and real-world application. Sessions should allocate time for open discussion and questions/answers, allowing attendees to ask questions, share experiences, and connect ideas.

 

  • “Research in Progress” (20 minutes). This section provides PhD students with the opportunity to showcase their ongoing research projects. Students can share their work-in-progress, gather valuable feedback from both peers and members of the scientific committee, and engage in open discussion to refine their ideas. Individual students deliver oral presentations lasting 20 minutes each followed by 10 minutes for open discussion.

 

Guidelines for submission

  1. Create a detailed title page for your submission. The title page must include:
    • Title of the submission (be sure to use proper capitalization)
    • Presentation strand (choose a presentation strand from the list)
    • Presentation format (choose one: paper presentation, panel presentation, poster presentation, workshop, research in progress)
    • For each author, list the following:
      • Full Name
      • University/Company/Organization
      • Email Address (all letters are sent via email, so accuracy is essential)
  2. Abstract of paper/poster/ research in progress must clearly identify (a) the purpose of the research, (b) research questions or hypotheses explored/investigated, and (c) findings, if available. This should be “2” because it’s after the abstract has been created that the person can email it.Selected paper abstracts may be invited for full article submission to a Special Issue of the Caribbean Curriculum
  3. Email your separate abstract (minimum 200 – 250 words) along with the described title page to STA-SOEconference2026@sta.uwi.edu
  4. Proposals for presenting a workshop must (a) identify the common theme of the workshop to be presented, and the presentation strand in which it is located; (b) establish the purpose of the workshop presentation; (c) justify the significance of the workshop to the educational community; and (d) explain how it is linked to the conference theme. Email addresses and institutional affiliations of workshop facilitators must be included. Two-three keywords should also be listed. Word limit: 400 words.
  5.  Accepted file types: PDF, WORD, or Open Office Document
    • Receipt of submissions will be acknowledged within 48 hours
    • Limit: Two contributed submissions per lead author
  6. Please label attachments as follows: biennial conference-presenter’s name

Notification

After submitting your abstract or proposal, you will receive a confirmation email. If you do not receive this confirmation within 48 hours, please send an email to STA-SOEconference2026@sta.uwi.edu with the subject line “No confirmation of submission: your name.”

 

Submission Deadline

Thursday, January 15, 2026

 

Registration Cost

Please use the following link for various registration costs: Biennial Education Conference