"Teachers’ views on experimentation in biology lessons"

The content and skills involved in scientific inquiry form the core of science education. Experimentation is a key aspect of scientific inquiry. Pupils should learn how scientific knowledge is acquired and what characterises scientific methodology and findings.

A number of studies have examined the question of what conceptions pupils hold regarding the experimental method. They show that pupils believe that experimentation means trying things out and making discoveries. They do not envisage experimentation as a goal-oriented activity and often believe that the aim of an experiment is to achieve a particular effect, rather than to test hypotheses and clarify causes.

This research focuses on lecturers and investigates how they design experimental lessons in the subject of biology – when these are intended to reflect the scientific way of thinking and working – and what ideas underlie the lecturers’ approach.

Biology lessons taught by experienced lecturers at lower secondary level are first video-recorded and analysed. These lessons are intended to incorporate pupil experiments and reflect the scientific way of thinking and working. Subsequently, stimulated recall sessions are conducted with the lecturers in individual interviews. In addition, the pupils of the lecturers interviewed will be asked to complete a written questionnaire regarding the video-recorded lessons.

The research framework is based on the model of didactic reconstruction for teacher training.

2005 to 2010 Studied the subjects of biology and chemistry for the teaching profession at grammar schools at the University of Oldenburg.

Since April 2010 scholarship holder in the doctoral programme "Processes of subject-didactic structuring in school practice and teacher training"(ProfaS) at the University of Oldenburg.