The lecture deals with the question of current perspectives on extracurricular learning and educational processes and asks for suitable theoretical and methodological approaches to analyse these scientifically. At the same time, however, it also discusses the question of what it means to subject this part of the world of children and young people to a learning and educational perspective and, in part, to school logics. This also leads to the question of what 'effects and side effects' may be associated with such an approach to research and how a connection between school and non-school perspectives can be established.

Expectations of school laboratories are high and often euphoric: with modern equipment, they should enable self-directed learning with head, heart and hand, introduce pupils to authentic science, contribute to career guidance and sustainably increase interest in science and technology.

But how do school labs manage to fulfil these high expectations? What processes take place in the pupils on a cognitive and emotional level and, linked to this, on an action level? And how are these supported by the learning centres? In order to investigate these questions and to understand the complexity of school laboratories, the processes involved are analysed in detail using empirical methods. Pupils are observed during their visits to the laboratory, interviewed during and after the visit and their assessments are collected using questionnaires.

The event provides insights into various research projects by doctoral students from Hanover and Oldenburg. At the end of projects, they are cooperating with technical and scientific student laboratories in north-west Lower Saxony, Bremen and Hanover. In some cases, the findings will be used as a basis for further developing and re-researching the investigated programmes together with the learning venue operators so that the potential of the learning venues can be better exploited.

How can extracurricular and school-based learning opportunities be interlinked in such a way that they support and enrich pupils' thinking and learning? And how can empirical research contribute to recognising the potential of linked learning opportunities? These key questions of the event will be presented on the basis of two research projects that invite discussion.

Philosophising as a teaching principle

For some time now, there has been discussion as to whether and how philosophising with children should be followed as a teaching principle (cf. Michalik & Schreier 2006) in various school subjects. The core of this is to tie in with children's questions that transcend school subject boundaries. Against this background, Caroline Kather presents the methods that can be used to stimulate children's questions at extracurricular learning centres. One place of learning with which she cooperates is the Universum Bremen®, where children are encouraged to ask questions and philosophise using the exhibits there. Empirical methods are used to record how this happens and which processes lead to which questions. The questions that arise at the extracurricular learning centre are brought back to school, where the children are encouraged to philosophise in depth and systematically.

Diagnostics of creativity

In the extracurricular Jugend forscht competition, which is often encouraged in a school context, young people can work largely independently on a scientific or technical project. Creativity is a prerequisite and should also be encouraged through the project work. Swantje Müller's article asks whether participants prove to be more creative as a result of taking part in the competition than comparable pupils who do not take part. In order to obtain empirical evidence, certain diagnostic methods are used to analyse divergent thinking in particular; this is an important component of creativity.

Michalik, K. & Schreier, H. (2006). How would it be to kiss a frog? Philosophising with children of primary school age. Brunswick: Westermann.

The frequently well-attended exhibitions and science centres indicate a strong interest on the part of many people in voluntarily engaging with scientific and technical content(free-choice learning). One of the factors that certainly contributes to this intrinsic motivation of visitors is that no expense or effort is spared at the learning centres in constructing impressively designed exhibition objects that create a stimulating learning atmosphere. So far, however, there have been no comparable efforts to find out more about what learning processes exhibits trigger in visitors and whether the themed content is at all comprehensible to laypeople. This is why visitor learning in many exhibitions and science centres is still not understood.

Didactic research can reduce this deficit: In four didactic research projects, methods and procedures are being developed to find out how visitors interact with exhibits, what they learn by using them and to what extent what they learn is in line with the objectives of the exhibition planners. On the other hand, a technical analysis of the themed content is carried out in order to be able to adapt the content to the cognitive requirements of the visitors in a professional manner. The research results enable the targeted further development of exhibits so that the intended learning objectives can be better achieved, better related to each other or even new learning objectives can be pursued.

How can learning in the sense of education for sustainable development be implemented and further developed outside of school? How can schools learn from extracurricular places of learning and even integrate their programmes? And where do non-formal learning environments reach their (educational) limits? These questions arise if extracurricular sustainability education is to become more important. Three research projects are investigating these questions empirically. Lena Beyer's project examines regional learning on a farm. Annegret Jansen's project examines how political judgement on the topic of agriculture is formed through direct encounters with regional actors in schools. And Claudia Gorr's project analyses how pupils discover systemic climate aspects by combining school lessons with a visit to an adventure exhibition (Klimahaus in Bremerhaven), a school laboratory (MARUM in Bremen) and a science centre (Universum in Bremen).