Microorganisms are omnipresent companions of the human organism and are part of the living world of pupils without, however, being directly tangible. Therefore, pupils' ideas about microbes and microbial processes are primarily based on imagination. Microbes are often reduced to pathogens, an idea that is reinforced by the media and often also by biology lessons. Within the framework of didactic reconstruction with the linking of scientific and learner perspectives, I develop possibilities for fruitful and sustainable learning in biology lessons that characterise microorganisms not as attackers and enemies of humans, but as independent organisms with diverse life processes that have a wide variety of often random effects on the microbial habitat of humans.

Studied biology and Catholic theology in Bonn and Lawrence/Kansas (USA) as a secondary school teacher. Since May 2003, doctoral candidate researching "Pupils' perceptions and professional ideas about microorganisms and microbial processes in humans". Since July 2003 Georg-Christoph-Lichtenberg scholarship holder and participant in the interdisciplinary doctoral degree programme "Didactic Teaching and Learning Research - Didactic Reconstruction".

I completed my doctorate in October 2007

From 2009 to 2011 I was a member of staff in the Sachunterricht department at the University of Münster. Since 2011, I have been working as an academic counsellor in the Biology Department at the Freiburg University of Education.

Hörsch, C. (2004). How did the world come into being? Creationism and evolutionary theory in American schools. In: Gropengießer, Harald, Janßen-Bartels, Anne, Sander, Elke (eds.), Lehren fürs Leben. Didactic reconstruction in biology, Aulis Verlag Deubner, 180-189.

Hörsch, C. (2005). SARS - Confronting the danger of an epidemic. Teaching Biology 29: 301, 21-30.

Hörsch, C. (2005). Students' perceptions of microorganisms and microbial processes in humans. In: Vogt, H. et al. (eds.). Path of knowledge in biology didactics. Papers presented at the 7th Spring School of the Biology Didactics Section of the VdBiol in Göttingen.

Hörsch, C. (2007). Understanding biology: Microorganisms and microbial processes in humans. Beiträge zur Didaktischen Rekonstruktin 19. Oldenburg: Didaktisches Zentrum.