Topic of the dissertation: "Understanding the units of nature"

Brief description

What are ecological units? For example, do communities and ecosystems exist as such in nature? There are two approaches to answering such questions in ecology: holistic and reductionist. Accordingly, different answers can be found. One of the most controversial questions relates to the necessity of the term 'ecosystem'. Are there any such relationships in nature that require a further biological level of organisation, namely that of the ecosystem? The lack of clarity within the scientific community points to a difficulty with regard to the selection of content for ecology lessons: Which ecological perspective should be selected for ecology lessons?

Within my dissertation project, I am interested in both the structuring of the guidelines for ecology lessons (focussing on ecosystems) and the lifeworld background of the experiences in the ideas. The latter is to be analysed in greater depth in the pupils' ideas on the basis of an intercultural comparison (Germany, Slovakia). The theoretical framework for the study is the "Model of Didactic Reconstruction"

Trnka, A., Jelemenská, P. (1998). Laboratórna technika a ucebné pomôcky v biológii. Trnava: Trnavská univerzita.

Jelemenská, P. (1998). Organizácia pedagogickej praxe centrom pre školskú prax na univerzite Vieden. Acta Fac. Paed. Univ. Tyrnaviensis, Ser. D, no. 2, 51 - 57.

Jelemenská, P. (2000). Predstavy študentov ucitelstva o vyucovaní. Acta Fac. Paed. Univ. Tyrnaviensis, Ser. D, no. 2, 51 - 57.

Hügel, B., Jelemenská, P. (2001). Cooperation between the Catholic University of Eichstätt and the Faculty of Education of Trnava University. Acta Fac. Paed. Tyrnaviensis, Ser. D, no. 5, 21 - 23.

Jelemenská, P. (2002). Students' perceptions of "unity in nature". In Vogt, Retzlaff-Fürst (eds.). Erkenntnisweg Biologiedidaktik, Rostock: University of Rostock, 53 - 62.

Jelemenská, P., Sander, E., Kattmann, U. (2003). Model didaktickej rekonštrukcie. Impulz pre výskum v odborových didaktikách. Pedagogika (2), 190 - 201.

Jelemenská, P. (2003). Life-world experiences and perceptions of "units in nature". A research project within the framework of the Didactic Reconstruction model. In Bauer, Bayrhuber et al. (Eds.). Development of knowledge and competences. International Conference of the Biology Didactics Section of the VDBiol, Kiel: IPN, 167 - 170.

Jelemenská, P. (2004). Lifeworld experiences and the understanding of units in nature. In Gropengießer, H.; Janssen-Bartels, A. & Sander, E. (Eds.). Teaching for life. Didactic reconstruction in biology. Cologne: Aulis, 60 - 69.

Sander, E.; Jelemenská, P. & Kattmann, U. (2004). Where does oxygen come from? Reflections on the geological-biological imbalance, Unterricht Biologie 299, 20 - 24.

Jelemenská, P. (2005). What is an ecosystem? In: H. Bayrhuber et al. (eds.). Bildungsstandards Biologie: Internationale Tagung der Sektion Biologiedidaktik im VDBiol. Kiel: IPN, 21 - 24.

Jelemenská, P. (in press). Empirical recording of ideas about "units in nature". University of Salzburg.

Jelemenská, P.; Sander, E. & Kattmann, U. (in press). Towards a better understanding of ecology. Results of two studies conducted within the framework of the Model of Educational Reconstruction. Proceedings of the Vth ERIDOB-Conference.

Vierte Frühjahrs-Schule der Sektion Biologie-Didaktik im Verband Deutscher Biologen (vdbiol), from 22 - 24 March 2002, Rostock - Warnemünde (Lecture: Die lebensweltlichen Vorstellungen von SchülernInnen zur Einheit in der Natur.).

Fünfte Frühjahr-Schule der Sektion Biologie-Didaktik im Verband Deutscher Biologen (vdbiol), in Salzburg 2003: (Lecture: Empirische Erfassung von Vorstellungen zu "Einheiten in der Natur".).

International conference of the Section for Biology Didactics in the vdbiol "Development of knowledge and competences in biology teaching", 14 - 19 September 2003, Berlin (Lecture: Lifeworld experiences and ideas about "units in nature". A research project within the framework of the Didactic Reconstruction model).

Fifth conference of european researchers in didaktik of biology (ERIDOB), September 21st - 25th 2004, Patras - Greece (oral presentation: Jelemenská, P., Sander, E. & Kattmann, U., Towards a better understanding of ecology.).

International conference of the Biology Didactics Section of the VDBiol, "Bildungsstandards Biologie", 27 February - 4 March 2005, Bielefeld (oral presentation: "Was ist ein Ökosystem?).