Chemistry Education Group

The Chemistry Education Research Group is engaged in the investigation and design of teaching and learning processes in chemistry contexts, positioning itself as an innovator of transformative science education. Drawing on empirically grounded methods of educational research, we analyze and evaluate learning environments that not only foster subject-specific competencies but also provide foundations for innovative, future-oriented chemistry teaching. Central to our work are designs that empower learners to understand complex chemical phenomena in their societal, technological, and personal contexts — an understanding that is becoming more relevant in light of global challenges.

A central concern of our work is the transfer of research findings into school practice. Accordingly, our projects are consistently directed toward concrete curriculum development and alignment with the real demands of schools. Currently, we are increasingly focusing on the competency-oriented use of digital media in chemistry teaching, with artificial intelligence technologies playing a growing role. AI-supported tools open up new possibilities for diagnostic assessment, individualized learning support, and experimental simulation — opportunities that empower both teachers and learners to actively engage in the digital transformation of education.

At the same time, the integration of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) serves as a guiding principle of our future research agenda. By incorporating ESD perspectives, we aim to create learning environments that motivate students to apply chemical knowledge to pressing questions of the future. In this sense, we also view chemistry teaching as a key arena for fostering systems thinking, judgment, and design competency — competencies that are indispensable for a responsible engagement with science and technology, particularly in the context of AI-driven developments.

Our research group therefore sees itself as a catalyst for an education that prepares learners for a complex world shaped by digitalization and sustainability and empowers them to act in a transformative and reflective manner.