Contributed by Vanashri Nargund-Joshi and Mark Bloom
The Publications Committee of the Association for Science Teacher Education (ASTE) is seeking applications for Editor or Co-Editors for the Journal of Science Teacher Education (JSTE). The duration of the appointment is for five and half years, beginning January 1, 2024, and ending June 30, 2029.The first six months of this term of service (January through June 2024) is a transition period during which the incoming editors will work with the outgoing editors; there is no compensation for this transition period. The final six months of the term (January through June 2029) is another transition period, during which the next editor(s) is/are onboarded.
JSTE is the flagship journal of the Association for Science Teacher Education. It is the only English language journal that focuses exclusively on science teacher education and serves to publish high quality articles that advance the field of science teacher education. The journal disseminates research and theoretical articles concerning science teacher education in both formal and informal educational settings. It adds to what we know about science teaching and learning and, most importantly, serves as a catalyst for thoughtful discussion of applications of theory into practice. JSTE publishes empirically based research articles that show evidence of the effectiveness of teaching strategies, interventions, model programs, new innovations in science teacher education, and theoretical papers that fuel progress in our field.
The JSTE Editor(s) must be a member in good standing of ASTE, have research expertise in science teacher education evidenced by a strong publication record in the field, as well as extensive experience reviewing manuscripts for scholarly refereed education journals. JSTE Editor(s) are expected to attend annual meetings of ASTE and serve on the ASTE Publications Committee. The editor(s) will need to work with the publisher to continue building an international reputation for JSTE.
Responsibilities for the Position:
- Maintain high academic and scholarly standards that are comparable to other highly reputable and “higher tier” journals in the field of science education.
- Identify and nominate Associate Editors and Editorial Review Board members.
- Select a competent Editorial Manager with whom you will work closely to ensure effective management of the online manuscript submission system used by the publisher, Taylor, and Francis, Inc.
- In consultation with Taylor and Francis, Inc., ensure publication deadlines are met.
- Engage in responsibilities that are consistent with serving as an Editor that includes, but are not limited to, developing policies and procedures for a) assigning manuscripts for review, b) providing productive feedback to authors and working with authors to revise their manuscripts, c) maintaining correspondence with Editorial Review Board members (including copies of review summary letters), and d) thanking outgoing Editorial Board members for their contributions.
- Serve as Ad-hoc member(s) of the Publications Committee and work closely with the Publications Committee to understand how the journal can respond to the membership of ASTE.
- Submit a JSTE report to the Publications Committee Co-Chairs for each ASTE Board of Directors’ meeting. These are held biannually and will be presented as part of the Publications Committee’s final report.
- Participate in an ASTE Publication Committee-sponsored session during the annual ASTE conference. This session should provide ASTE membership opportunities to learn about publishing in JSTE and/or reviewing for JSTE.
- During years in which a contract is negotiated with a publisher, the Editors will work with the Publications Committee in negotiating the contract with final approval by the Board of Directors.
Term of Service and Compensation:
Once the transition period has ended, compensation will be provided for the remainder of the contract (July 2024 through June 2029). Other compensation, such as conference travel, registration fees, etc., can be negotiated with the ASTE Executive Director. Substantial financial compensation, up to $13,000.00 per year, is provided to support a managing editor. Applicants should seek institutional support (e.g., course release, graduate student assistant, etc.) to complement the aforementioned compensation. As part of the application, specific details regarding the distribution of payment must be outlined in the form of a yearly budget, but final details will be negotiated with the ASTE Executive Director as part of the contractual process.
Application Materials:
Interested persons should submit a full application to the Co-Chairs of the JSTE Editor Search Committee. Full applications for the position are due by March 31, 2023, and should include:
- A cover letter of application. In this letter you should describe your expertise relevant to the responsibilities listed above, as well as your vision for the journal. In addition, please include:
- A list of Associate Editors you have confirmed will work with you and include as an appendix a 2-page CV for each person.
- Details about who will be your Managing Editor, how you will support them in the position, and a 2-page CV stating their experiences in this type of role.
- A FULL vita/vita for yourself and/or co-editor in order to show the history of your expertise in science teacher education and your editorial experience.
- A letter of support from an administrator at your institution detailing the kinds of institutional support they will provide you.
- A yearly budget describing how the compensation ASTE will provide, as well as support you will receive from your institution, will be distributed.
Please format all materials as PDFs and send via email to:
Vanashri Nargund-Joshi
Co-Chair, JSTE Editorial Search Committee
Mark Bloom
Co-Chair, JSTE Editorial Search Committee
