On 26 August 2025, Dr. Kason Cheung, Assistant Professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK), was invited to deliver the keynote speech at the European Science Education Research Association (ESERA) Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark. The ESERA conference is held twice a year and attracts more than 1,700 science educators. During his keynote, Dr. Cheung discussed the intersection between the nature of science and generative artificial intelligence (GenAI). He explained that the incorporation of GenAI in science education must consider the epistemic aspects of learning science.
Dr. Cheung discussed six studies he conducted on the intersection between the nature of science and GenAI. One of these studies, published in the Journal of Science and Education Technology, received the Best Paper Award for AI in Science Education from the U.S. National Research in Science Teaching (NARST). He argued that teaching and learning science should aim to foster students’ understanding of how GenAI generates scientific information. Additionally, he explained that different interactional experiences with GenAI can influence students’ development of epistemic understanding regarding the science-GenAI relationship.
The keynote was subsequently praised by scholars from various countries, including Singapore, Denmark, Turkey, and France. As pioneers in STEM education, colleagues from the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, EdUHK look forward to collaborating with other scholars to advance research and expand the impact of STEM education both locally and globally.