EduBiota at ERIDOB 2026

Lara Amorim
2 days ago
4 min read

Microbiology, Biology Education, and New Pathways for the Future

From 24 to 28 August 2026, EduBiota was represented in Ljubljana, Slovenia, at the 15th Conference of European Researchers in Didactics of Biology – ERIDOB 2026, one of the leading international meetings dedicated to research in biology education.

Under the theme “Biology education paving the way for our common future”, the conference brought together researchers from different countries to share and discuss research on biology teaching and learning. As highlighted by the organisers, at a time when science is expected to contribute to addressing major societal and environmental challenges, while scientific knowledge is also increasingly questioned, biology education has a role that extends far beyond the learning of concepts: it also involves developing the ability to evaluate evidence, think critically, understand uncertainty, and make informed decisions about the future of society and the planet.

The international scope of ERIDOB 2026 was clearly reflected in the figures presented by the organisers: 242 submissions, 290 participants from 36 countries, 619 authors, and 127 reviewers.

Beyond these numbers, the conference stood out for the high scientific quality of the work presented, the diversity of perspectives on biology education, and its excellent organisation, which created particularly favourable conditions for scientific discussion, learning, and the development of new collaborations.

It was also a great pleasure to share these days with an excellent team of colleagues — Betina Lopes, Cecília Guerra, Bento Cavadas, Bruno Sousa, Margarida Marques, Patrícia Pessoa, Joelyn de Lima, and Xana Sá-Pinto. The scientific sessions, together with the many conversations and moments of exchange throughout the week, made participation in ERIDOB especially enriching, both scientifically and personally.

Different ways of thinking about and teaching the living world

The ERIDOB 2026 programme reflected the breadth of current research in biology education, covering themes such as evolution, biodiversity, sustainability, climate change, systems thinking, conceptual change, inquiry-based learning, teacher professional development, PCK, outdoor education, and socioscientific issues.

Among the contributions that particularly caught my interest was “Rethinking Aliveness: How Students Apply Characteristics of Life Across Kingdoms”, by Benno Dünser, Ivo Ponocny, and Peter Pany, presented within the symposium “Learning to Care: Transforming Biology Education through Biodiversity Awareness”. The discussion of how students identify and conceptualise what is “alive” is especially relevant to microbiology education, where many of the organisms and processes studied fall outside the most immediate representations of the living world.

Also particularly stimulating was the poster “If There Is Plant Blindness – Are We Suffering from Fungal Forgetfulness?”, by Franziska Messenböck and colleagues, which drew attention to the limited visibility of fungi in educational contexts. This question closely relates to an important concern within EduBiota: understanding which components of biodiversity remain underrepresented or undervalued when we teach biology.

Other highlights included the symposium “Learning to Care: Transforming Biology Education through Biodiversity Awareness”, coordinated by Peter Pany and Dawn Sanders, and the symposium “Culturally Responsive Biology Education”, by Justin Dillon and Wilton Lodge, which explored the importance of students’ cultural and social contexts in shaping meaningful biology learning experiences.

Another particularly interesting moment was the keynote lecture by Miha Krofel, a University of Ljubljana researcher working in the ecology, management, and conservation of large carnivores. His research includes species such as the Eurasian lynx, brown bear, grey wolf, and golden jackal, as well as projects involving reintroduction and human–carnivore coexistence.

EduBiota at ERIDOB 2026

On 26 August, I had the privilege of presenting the oral communication “Developing Biology Teachers’ PCK Through Inquiry-Based Microbiology: Insights from a Training Programme”, within the Teacher Professionalization and PCK session.

The study, developed within EduBiota, examined how a professional development programme combining inquiry, microbiology laboratory experiences, and pedagogical reflection can support the development of secondary biology teachers’ Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK).

One of the key messages was that laboratory experience, although essential, is not sufficient: transforming it into meaningful educational practice requires teachers to interpret and adapt those experiences in relation to the curriculum, students, pedagogical strategies, and the actual conditions of schools.

Participating in ERIDOB therefore provided an important opportunity to bring microbiology education into a broader international discussion about the challenges and possibilities of contemporary biology education.

Ljubljana: sustainability beyond the conference rooms

Ljubljana added a special dimension to the ERIDOB experience. Green, welcoming, and easy to explore on foot or by bicycle, the city clearly reflects urban planning choices focused on more sustainable mobility, the preservation of green spaces, and the quality of public space. This trajectory earned Ljubljana the title of European Green Capital in 2016.

Attention to biodiversity is also visible in initiatives aimed at protecting bees and other pollinators, including urban beekeeping, awareness-raising activities, and green-space management practices designed to support pollinator-friendly vegetation. These initiatives offer a concrete example of how biodiversity conservation, education, and community engagement can be incorporated into everyday urban life.

For those working in sustainability education, it was particularly interesting to see that many of the issues discussed inside ERIDOB — biodiversity, conservation, sustainability, and relationships between people and nature — were also visible outside the conference, in the city itself.

Acknowledgements and continuity

This participation was made possible through the support of different people and institutions. Special thanks are due to the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) for supporting my doctoral research, and to the institutions associated with the development of the project: IB2Lab–LAQV-REQUIMTE, University of Porto; LEduC–CIDTFF, University of Aveiro; and Centro Ciência Viva de Vila do Conde.

A very special thank you also goes to Xana Sá-Pinto, as member of the ERIDOB Academic Committee, for her contribution to bringing the next ERIDOB conference to Portugal.

An equally special thank you goes to my supervisor Betina Lopes, co-author of the work presented, for encouraging me to take part in ERIDOB 2026 and for her support and companionship throughout the week.

At the closing of the conference, it was announced that the next ERIDOB conference, in 2028, will take place in the beautiful city of Aveiro, Portugal.

After a week of science, discussion, and new connections in Ljubljana, we return with new ideas, new questions, and renewed enthusiasm for the work ahead.