Hans Niedderer - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Hans Niedderer

Journal of Baltic Science Education, 2005

During physics instruction with mini-projects, four upper secondary school girls decide to plan h... more During physics instruction with mini-projects, four upper secondary school girls decide to plan how to teach electric circuits to younger children. Their group discussions result in a conceptual ch ...

International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, May 23, 2007

The theoretical framework student ownership of learning is developed both theoretically and with ... more The theoretical framework student ownership of learning is developed both theoretically and with qualitative research. The metaphor Bownership^is related to the process towards meaning making and understanding and is seen as relevant especially to improve physics instruction. The dimension group ownership of learning refers to the groups_ actions of choice and control of the management of the task; how the task is determined, performed and finally reported. The other dimension, the individual student ownership of learning, refers to an individual student_s own question/idea that comes from own experiences, interests or anomalies of understanding; an idea/question that comes back several times and leads to new insights. From literature and from our own data, we have developed categories for group and individual student ownership of learning, which were iteratively sharpened in order to identify ownership in the two dimensions. As a consequence, we argue for use of the framework student ownership of learning as a way to identify an optimal level of ownership for better learning and higher motivation in physics teaching.

mdh.se. Publications. ...

en didactique de la physique à l'université; résultats et tendences. Research and developmen... more en didactique de la physique à l'université; résultats et tendences. Research and development in Physics

Learning processes of three college students (prospective elementary school teachers) in the cont... more Learning processes of three college students (prospective elementary school teachers) in the content area of electric circuits have been investigated in a tutorial study. Empirical evidence of cognitive development is coming from an interpretive analysis of transcripts of six tutorial sessions, in which the students use hands-on experiments and special computer software. Data from 1991 are re-analysed with respect to a new theoretical model of cognitive development using cognitive layers, both during the learning process and at its end. We believe that the empirical data can be explained by assuming that the state of the learner's cognitive system at any given time is an association of co-existing models, i.e. that there are different layers of the cognitive system. A cognitive system is a model of a student's mind constructed by the researcher.

Contributions from …, 2007

HANS NIEDDERER, MARION BUDDE, DAMIEN GIVRY, DIMITRIS PSILLOS AND ANDRÉE TIBERGHIEN 12. LEARNING P... more HANS NIEDDERER, MARION BUDDE, DAMIEN GIVRY, DIMITRIS PSILLOS AND ANDRÉE TIBERGHIEN 12. LEARNING PROCESS STUDIES Abstract: Learning processes will be analysed as “evolution of student's ideas” or as “conceptual change” on a timescale of several ...

ESERA 2007, 2007

mdh.se. Publications. ...

International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 2007

The theoretical framework student ownership of learning is developed both theoretically and with ... more The theoretical framework student ownership of learning is developed both theoretically and with qualitative research. The metaphor Bownership^is related to the process towards meaning making and understanding and is seen as relevant especially to improve physics instruction. The dimension group ownership of learning refers to the groups_ actions of choice and control of the management of the task; how the task is determined, performed and finally reported. The other dimension, the individual student ownership of learning, refers to an individual student_s own question/idea that comes from own experiences, interests or anomalies of understanding; an idea/question that comes back several times and leads to new insights. From literature and from our own data, we have developed categories for group and individual student ownership of learning, which were iteratively sharpened in order to identify ownership in the two dimensions. As a consequence, we argue for use of the framework student ownership of learning as a way to identify an optimal level of ownership for better learning and higher motivation in physics teaching.

In this paper we describe the core concepts of the quantum atomic physics course we teach in intr... more In this paper we describe the core concepts of the quantum atomic physics course we teach in introductory physics for second year teacher students. The approach has been developed over nearly twenty years based on results of several empirical studies on student understanding and student learning and an evaluation of the whole approach. The basic concept used to discriminate quantum mechanics from classical mechanics is the concept of state, especially that of stationary state . Stationary states are quantitatively determined in many interesting cases by finding graphical solutions of the Schrödinger equation (ψ-functions ) and corresponding energy eigenvalues with modeling software on the computer. The main goal of our approach is to develop a quantum mechanical understanding of atoms, molecules and solids, which allows to visualize atoms in a more appropriate way (compared to planetary models ) and is able to explain essential features such as e.g. size and spectra of atoms, or bin...

this document. Further results from this work can be found on the Internet via the CORDIS site of

Two empirical investigations on students' matrices of understanding in mechanics and quantum ... more Two empirical investigations on students' matrices of understanding in mechanics and quantum physics had an additional focus on general frames of thinking related to science philosophy. A third study was directly focused on epistemological beliefs of students. All three studies were done with a qualitative approach using mainly an interpretive analysis of classroom protocols with additional data from questionnaires and interviews. Results give support to the general hypothesis, that there is a fundamental structural difference between everyday life thinking and science thinking which should be addressed in physics teaching. Other results show students' understanding of basic concepts in science philosophy, e.g. law, hypothesis and model, and their understanding of the scientific process envolving the interplay between theory and experiment. Paper presented at the NARST Annual Meeting in Boston, March 1992 Address: Hans Niedderer FAX: (49)-421-218-3601 Institute for Physics E...

During physics instruction with mini-projects, four upper secondary school girls decide to plan h... more During physics instruction with mini-projects, four upper secondary school girls decide to plan how to teach electric circuits to younger children. Their group discussions result in a conceptual ch ...

Research studies on students' conceptions in the area of quantum physics are, in contrast to ... more Research studies on students' conceptions in the area of quantum physics are, in contrast to other areas of physics, rather rare. The present study gives results from quantitative and qualitative data with grade 13 students (age 19) in German high schools, taken before and after instruction as well as from transcripts during instruction. Only students from classes, which used a Schroedinger approach to understand atoms and electron orbitals, were taken. As a first result, we describe students' beliefs about models. Students tend to use "model" in a variety of meanings, ranging from "true pictures" to "tools of thinking" and "visualization". Second, we describe their conceptions about orbits, trajectories, and motion, mainly related to their interpretations of orbitals, after teaching. The findings suggest, that roughly 25% of the students use conceptions near to modern physics, another 25% use some typical intermediate conceptions such...

Working goals Understanding Few inferences Many inferences Various acceptable premises Well-speci... more Working goals Understanding Few inferences Many inferences Various acceptable premises Well-specified premises Assessing validity Moderate importance Central importance Various acceptable premises Observation-based premises Plausible inference rules Well-specified inference rules Domain cognition Knowledge structure Concept specification Implicit and schema-based Explicit and rule-based Knowledge organization Locally coherent Globally coherent Associative organization Logical organization Methods Problem solving Short inferences based on Long inferenced based on rich compiled knowledge parsimonious knowledge Types of methods Non-formal Complementary formal and non-formal Quality concerns Quality control Non-fomal Strict and explicit Efficiency Naturally efficient Designed for efficiency for everyday tasks in complex tasks

This project stems from a concern to recognise science education as an important component of a g... more This project stems from a concern to recognise science education as an important component of a general education, not only for future scientists and engineers, but also for any future citizen in a European society which is increasingly dependent upon science and technology. Research has focused upon the role of laboratory work (ÔlabworkÕ) in science teaching at the levels of upper secondary school and the first two years of undergraduate study, in physics, chemistry, and biology. Various forms of labwork have been identified and investigated, including ÔtypicalÕ activities in which pairs of students work on activities following precise instructions, open-ended project work in which students design and carry out empirical investigations, and the use of modern technologies for modelling, simulating and data processing.

Investigations of changes of conceptions during physics instruction are the logical and necessary... more Investigations of changes of conceptions during physics instruction are the logical and necessary next step to follow the successful international research on students ' pre-instructional conceptions. This paper reviews theoretical issues, selected content-specific results, and general hypotheses. It is oriented towards explicit cognitive descriptions related to contents of physics, coming to cognitive states and cognitive processes. Some evidence is given for "intermediate conceptions", mainly as a result of self-development of the cognitive systems of students. Further aspects described include a different view on the final state of the cognitive system after teaching, and a differentiation of "conceptual change " towards learning as formation of additional cognitive structures versus learning as the change of qualities of structures already there. Contains 42 references. (Author/NB) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the ori...

Investigations about changes of conceptions during physics instruction are seen as the logical an... more Investigations about changes of conceptions during physics instruction are seen as the logical and necessary next step to follow the successful international research on students' pre-instructional conceptions. The paper analyses theoretical issues related to the terms "learning processes" and "cognitive system". It starts with a differentiation of "conceptual change" towards learning as formation of new additional cognitive structures vs learning as change of qualities of structures being already there. Such qualities can be "strength" and "status" of a conception as well as the "level of explanation". The paper is oriented towards explicit cognitive descriptions related to specific contents of physics. It reviews selected content specific results and comes to general hypotheses about learning. It also shows examples of "learning pathways" defined by "intermediate conceptions", seen as a result of s...

Journal of Baltic Science Education, 2005

During physics instruction with mini-projects, four upper secondary school girls decide to plan h... more During physics instruction with mini-projects, four upper secondary school girls decide to plan how to teach electric circuits to younger children. Their group discussions result in a conceptual ch ...

International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, May 23, 2007

The theoretical framework student ownership of learning is developed both theoretically and with ... more The theoretical framework student ownership of learning is developed both theoretically and with qualitative research. The metaphor Bownership^is related to the process towards meaning making and understanding and is seen as relevant especially to improve physics instruction. The dimension group ownership of learning refers to the groups_ actions of choice and control of the management of the task; how the task is determined, performed and finally reported. The other dimension, the individual student ownership of learning, refers to an individual student_s own question/idea that comes from own experiences, interests or anomalies of understanding; an idea/question that comes back several times and leads to new insights. From literature and from our own data, we have developed categories for group and individual student ownership of learning, which were iteratively sharpened in order to identify ownership in the two dimensions. As a consequence, we argue for use of the framework student ownership of learning as a way to identify an optimal level of ownership for better learning and higher motivation in physics teaching.

mdh.se. Publications. ...

en didactique de la physique à l'université; résultats et tendences. Research and developmen... more en didactique de la physique à l'université; résultats et tendences. Research and development in Physics

Learning processes of three college students (prospective elementary school teachers) in the cont... more Learning processes of three college students (prospective elementary school teachers) in the content area of electric circuits have been investigated in a tutorial study. Empirical evidence of cognitive development is coming from an interpretive analysis of transcripts of six tutorial sessions, in which the students use hands-on experiments and special computer software. Data from 1991 are re-analysed with respect to a new theoretical model of cognitive development using cognitive layers, both during the learning process and at its end. We believe that the empirical data can be explained by assuming that the state of the learner's cognitive system at any given time is an association of co-existing models, i.e. that there are different layers of the cognitive system. A cognitive system is a model of a student's mind constructed by the researcher.

Contributions from …, 2007

HANS NIEDDERER, MARION BUDDE, DAMIEN GIVRY, DIMITRIS PSILLOS AND ANDRÉE TIBERGHIEN 12. LEARNING P... more HANS NIEDDERER, MARION BUDDE, DAMIEN GIVRY, DIMITRIS PSILLOS AND ANDRÉE TIBERGHIEN 12. LEARNING PROCESS STUDIES Abstract: Learning processes will be analysed as “evolution of student's ideas” or as “conceptual change” on a timescale of several ...

ESERA 2007, 2007

mdh.se. Publications. ...

International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 2007

The theoretical framework student ownership of learning is developed both theoretically and with ... more The theoretical framework student ownership of learning is developed both theoretically and with qualitative research. The metaphor Bownership^is related to the process towards meaning making and understanding and is seen as relevant especially to improve physics instruction. The dimension group ownership of learning refers to the groups_ actions of choice and control of the management of the task; how the task is determined, performed and finally reported. The other dimension, the individual student ownership of learning, refers to an individual student_s own question/idea that comes from own experiences, interests or anomalies of understanding; an idea/question that comes back several times and leads to new insights. From literature and from our own data, we have developed categories for group and individual student ownership of learning, which were iteratively sharpened in order to identify ownership in the two dimensions. As a consequence, we argue for use of the framework student ownership of learning as a way to identify an optimal level of ownership for better learning and higher motivation in physics teaching.

In this paper we describe the core concepts of the quantum atomic physics course we teach in intr... more In this paper we describe the core concepts of the quantum atomic physics course we teach in introductory physics for second year teacher students. The approach has been developed over nearly twenty years based on results of several empirical studies on student understanding and student learning and an evaluation of the whole approach. The basic concept used to discriminate quantum mechanics from classical mechanics is the concept of state, especially that of stationary state . Stationary states are quantitatively determined in many interesting cases by finding graphical solutions of the Schrödinger equation (ψ-functions ) and corresponding energy eigenvalues with modeling software on the computer. The main goal of our approach is to develop a quantum mechanical understanding of atoms, molecules and solids, which allows to visualize atoms in a more appropriate way (compared to planetary models ) and is able to explain essential features such as e.g. size and spectra of atoms, or bin...

this document. Further results from this work can be found on the Internet via the CORDIS site of

Two empirical investigations on students' matrices of understanding in mechanics and quantum ... more Two empirical investigations on students' matrices of understanding in mechanics and quantum physics had an additional focus on general frames of thinking related to science philosophy. A third study was directly focused on epistemological beliefs of students. All three studies were done with a qualitative approach using mainly an interpretive analysis of classroom protocols with additional data from questionnaires and interviews. Results give support to the general hypothesis, that there is a fundamental structural difference between everyday life thinking and science thinking which should be addressed in physics teaching. Other results show students' understanding of basic concepts in science philosophy, e.g. law, hypothesis and model, and their understanding of the scientific process envolving the interplay between theory and experiment. Paper presented at the NARST Annual Meeting in Boston, March 1992 Address: Hans Niedderer FAX: (49)-421-218-3601 Institute for Physics E...

During physics instruction with mini-projects, four upper secondary school girls decide to plan h... more During physics instruction with mini-projects, four upper secondary school girls decide to plan how to teach electric circuits to younger children. Their group discussions result in a conceptual ch ...

Research studies on students' conceptions in the area of quantum physics are, in contrast to ... more Research studies on students' conceptions in the area of quantum physics are, in contrast to other areas of physics, rather rare. The present study gives results from quantitative and qualitative data with grade 13 students (age 19) in German high schools, taken before and after instruction as well as from transcripts during instruction. Only students from classes, which used a Schroedinger approach to understand atoms and electron orbitals, were taken. As a first result, we describe students' beliefs about models. Students tend to use "model" in a variety of meanings, ranging from "true pictures" to "tools of thinking" and "visualization". Second, we describe their conceptions about orbits, trajectories, and motion, mainly related to their interpretations of orbitals, after teaching. The findings suggest, that roughly 25% of the students use conceptions near to modern physics, another 25% use some typical intermediate conceptions such...

Working goals Understanding Few inferences Many inferences Various acceptable premises Well-speci... more Working goals Understanding Few inferences Many inferences Various acceptable premises Well-specified premises Assessing validity Moderate importance Central importance Various acceptable premises Observation-based premises Plausible inference rules Well-specified inference rules Domain cognition Knowledge structure Concept specification Implicit and schema-based Explicit and rule-based Knowledge organization Locally coherent Globally coherent Associative organization Logical organization Methods Problem solving Short inferences based on Long inferenced based on rich compiled knowledge parsimonious knowledge Types of methods Non-formal Complementary formal and non-formal Quality concerns Quality control Non-fomal Strict and explicit Efficiency Naturally efficient Designed for efficiency for everyday tasks in complex tasks

This project stems from a concern to recognise science education as an important component of a g... more This project stems from a concern to recognise science education as an important component of a general education, not only for future scientists and engineers, but also for any future citizen in a European society which is increasingly dependent upon science and technology. Research has focused upon the role of laboratory work (ÔlabworkÕ) in science teaching at the levels of upper secondary school and the first two years of undergraduate study, in physics, chemistry, and biology. Various forms of labwork have been identified and investigated, including ÔtypicalÕ activities in which pairs of students work on activities following precise instructions, open-ended project work in which students design and carry out empirical investigations, and the use of modern technologies for modelling, simulating and data processing.

Investigations of changes of conceptions during physics instruction are the logical and necessary... more Investigations of changes of conceptions during physics instruction are the logical and necessary next step to follow the successful international research on students ' pre-instructional conceptions. This paper reviews theoretical issues, selected content-specific results, and general hypotheses. It is oriented towards explicit cognitive descriptions related to contents of physics, coming to cognitive states and cognitive processes. Some evidence is given for "intermediate conceptions", mainly as a result of self-development of the cognitive systems of students. Further aspects described include a different view on the final state of the cognitive system after teaching, and a differentiation of "conceptual change " towards learning as formation of additional cognitive structures versus learning as the change of qualities of structures already there. Contains 42 references. (Author/NB) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the ori...

Investigations about changes of conceptions during physics instruction are seen as the logical an... more Investigations about changes of conceptions during physics instruction are seen as the logical and necessary next step to follow the successful international research on students' pre-instructional conceptions. The paper analyses theoretical issues related to the terms "learning processes" and "cognitive system". It starts with a differentiation of "conceptual change" towards learning as formation of new additional cognitive structures vs learning as change of qualities of structures being already there. Such qualities can be "strength" and "status" of a conception as well as the "level of explanation". The paper is oriented towards explicit cognitive descriptions related to specific contents of physics. It reviews selected content specific results and comes to general hypotheses about learning. It also shows examples of "learning pathways" defined by "intermediate conceptions", seen as a result of s...