FOR 511: Research on Teaching and Learning Science

Basic data for this project

Description

The Research Unit is composed of the three disciplines of science education (biology, chemistry, physics) supplemented by "empirical educational research" and "instructional psychology". The research will focus on well-known deficiencies of German science education, which have been unfolded by recent international studies like TIMSS and PISA, in order to improve learning and instruction in that field. The Research Unit will work on five topics: -- basic questions of defining science literacy; -- horizontal and vertical integration of subject matter; -- teaching methods; -- teacher education; -- the role of science education in the German school system. In a first phase of three years, research will be conducted for a deeper understanding of causes and effects in these five problem areas. In a second phase of three years, the more descriptive results of the first phase will be used for developing and evaluating specific intervention programs. In a third phase of two years, the results of the second prescriptive phase will be transferred to and implemented in teacher education and further education programs. The work of the research group is embedded in a larger context which consists, in addition to the research group itself, of a junior research group and a doctorate program of a graduate school which focuses on the same topics. Thus, there is an expanded basis for both doing research and training young scientists.