"How should mankind deal with nature?"
In view of the environmental crisis, this is one of the central questions of the present and future. The answers to this question often mix views on the "essence" of nature with normative statements on the right way to treat nature. Against this background, I examine descriptive elements and ethical implications in the understanding of nature by scientists and students in the context of didactic reconstruction. The focus of the study is on ideas about the stability and variability of ecological systems, which have considerable relevance for concepts of nature conservation.

I completed my doctorate in April 2018.

1st and 2nd State Examination for the teaching profession at grammar schools in the subjects biology and history; traineeship in a textbook publishing house - biology editorial department; April 2001 - March 2005 research assistant and doctoral student in the biology didactics working group, participant in the interdisciplinary doctoral degree programme "Didactic Teaching and Learning Research - Didactic Reconstruction"; currently teacher at a comprehensive school.

Sander, E. (1998) The understanding of biological equilibrium in specialised science and in the ideas of pupils. Oldenburg preprints 366. Oldenburg: Didaktisches Zentrum

Sander, E. (2002). Scientific concepts and students' conceptions of "biological balance" - A research project within the framework of the Didactic Reconstruction Model. In: Klee, R. & Bayrhuber, H. (Eds.). Lehr- und Lernforschung in der Biologiedidaktik, vol. 1. Innsbruck: Studienverlag, 61 - 73.

Sander, E. (2003). Descriptive and normative elements in learners' understanding of nature - An investigation against the background of the change of perspective in ecology and nature conservation. In: Bauer, A. et al. (Eds.). Development of knowledge and competences in biology teaching, Kiel: IPN, 183 - 186

Sander, E. (2003). Harmonious-stable or flowing nature? On the understanding of nature in ecology and among learners. In: Vogt, H.; Krüger, D. & Unterbruner, U. (Eds.). The path of knowledge in biology didactics. Contributions at the 5th Spring School of the Biology Didactics Section of the Vdbiol in Salzburg, 83 - 90.

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

Sander, E. (2018). Nature, humans and biological equilibrium: didactic reconstruction of the perspectives of learners and scientists. PhD, University of Odenburg. URL: oops.uni-oldenburg.de/3964/