Holger Weitzel - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Holger Weitzel
There are few instruments for the assessment of students’ conceptions about natural selection and... more There are few instruments for the assessment of students’ conceptions about natural selection and biological adaptation so far (e.g. [1]). Existing instruments differ considerably in task format, features, contexts, etc. Studies in cognitive psychology, cognitive science, and science education have revealed that assessment item features like context associate with knowledge elicitation. Different tasks with varying contexts testing the same scientific concept may cue different student conceptions [2]. Little is known for whatever reason students activate either alternative or scientific conceptions about natural selection and biological adaptation in a particular task context. In the light of these results at least two conclusions can be drawn with regard to the construction of assessment tools: (1) the effect of task context on evolutionary explanations has to be better understood, (2) there is a clear need to control item features like context. Our objective is the construction of...
Zeitschrift für Didaktik …, 2004
... Wenn es jetzt z. B. bei einer Kältezeit ganz langsam immer kälter wird, merkt der Körper des ... more ... Wenn es jetzt z. B. bei einer Kältezeit ganz langsam immer kälter wird, merkt der Körper des Tieres langsam irgendwie, dass er besser mit seiner Ener-gie ... Anpassungs-Erkenntnis: Individuen erfüh-len, merken, erfahren oder erkennen be-wusst oder unbewusst ihre Situation. ...
EDULEARN19 Proceedings, 2019
Digital transformation impacts almost every aspect of life, and it is linked to a comprehensive s... more Digital transformation impacts almost every aspect of life, and it is linked to a comprehensive societal transformation. It is broadly accepted that future citizens require substantial information and media literacy skills, not only to participate effectively in societal and political processes, but also to succeed in their professional life. Schools are therefore obliged to equip students with necessary media competencies. Standards for media literacy of future citizens have been proposed (e.g. [1]), and corresponding elements are being integrated in school curricula worldwide. Consequently, prospective teachers need to be provided not only with suitable media literacy, but also with adequate pedagogical competencies to teach students necessary knowledge and skills. Furthermore, school is expected to reflect the digitized environment of today’s students and to adequately equip students with necessities for lifelong learning. This requires teachers to prepare students with the appli...
Over the last decades, research has shown that students of all ages experience difficulties in un... more Over the last decades, research has shown that students of all ages experience difficulties in understanding cellular transport mechanisms, especially when it comes to processes on the molecular level such as osmosis and diffusion. One major difficulty in the comprehension of these basic concepts is their abstract nature along with the demand for high spatial ability. To address this problem a virtual reality-based application has been developed, which allows students to freely explore molecular transport mechanisms across the cell membrane by interacting with the environment and manipulating the molecule concentration or initiate transport mechanisms by actively moving molecules. An accompanying study showed an increase in the understanding of osmosis and diffusion after using the e-learning application.
Journal of Science Teacher Education
Zeitschrift für Didaktik der Naturwissenschaften
ZusammenfassungLehrkräfte sind essentiell für die Integration digitaler Technologien in Schule un... more ZusammenfassungLehrkräfte sind essentiell für die Integration digitaler Technologien in Schule und Unterricht. Ihre Qualifizierung für diese Aufgabe ist daher in allen Phasen der Lehrkräfteausbildung von zentraler Bedeutung, zumal nur etwa ein Drittel der derzeit im aktiven Schuldienst befindlichen Lehrkräfte während des Studiums Lerngelegenheiten zu einem digitalisierungsbezogenen Kompetenzaufbau hatte. Trotz des Wunsches nach einer digitalisierungsbezogenen Qualifikation besuchen deutsche Lehrkräfte jedoch vergleichsweise selten Fortbildungen. Neben fehlender Passung des Fortbildungsangebots könnte für diese Diskrepanz ein unzureichendes Angebot verantwortlich sein. Wir untersuchen in dieser Studie, welche Fortbildungsangebote in 12 von 16 Bundesländern explizit für naturwissenschaftliche Lehrkräfte über staatliche Fortbildungskataloge angeboten wurden, welche Kompetenzbereiche des Orientierungsrahmens „Digitale Kompetenzen für das Lehramt in den Naturwissenschaften“ (DiKoLAN) die...
Research in Science & Technological Education
Interplay of secondary pre-service teacher content knowledge (CK), pedagogical content knowledge ... more Interplay of secondary pre-service teacher content knowledge (CK), pedagogical content knowledge (PCK), and attitudes regarding scientific inquiry teaching within teacher training To investigate quantitatively the longitudinal relationship between knowledge and attitudes on scientific inquiry teaching, 121 pre-service teachers for teaching biology at the secondary level in Germany and Switzerland were assessed with respect to their content knowledge (CK), pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) and attitudes on teaching scientific inquiry. As part of the teachers' attitudes we measured cognitive beliefs, affective states and self-efficacy. The assessments were conducted during a training session on peer-coaching as a tool for teacher development and scientific inquiry teaching as a method and activity that leads to the development of scientific knowledge. Data of both knowledge tests were IRT-scaled and combined with the data from the attitude questionnaire. To examine the relationship between the different measurements we applied structure equation modelling. The analysis demonstrates that the PCK acquired after the training on teaching scientific inquiry predicts subsequent attitudes. In contrast, prior CK does not affect subsequent attitudes regarding teaching scientific inquiry. Moreover, prior attitudes do not substantially predict subsequent PCK and CK. In addition, prior teaching experience in biology explains individual differences, and self-efficacy attitudes predict changes in attitudes with respect to teaching scientific inquiry by the end of training. To foster positive attitudes toward scientific inquiry teaching, teaching education programs should be designed to broaden PCK.
Vorstellungen zur Anpassung wurden mit problemzentrierten Interviews mit dem Schwerpunkt auf evol... more Vorstellungen zur Anpassung wurden mit problemzentrierten Interviews mit dem Schwerpunkt auf evolu- tive Prozesse (Anpassung = Angepasst-Werden und Sich-Anpassen) und nur mittelbar zum Zustand (Ange- passt-Sein und Angepasstheit) erhoben. Die erfassten Vorstellungen werden als Konzepte und Denkfiguren formuliert und erläutert. Über bisherige Untersuchungen hinausgehend werden Vorstellungen der Lernen- den zu den mit der Anpassung verbundenen körperlichen und genetischen Veränderungen erfasst. Es wird diskutiert, wie die Befunde als Grundlage für die Planung von Unterricht zu nutzen sind. Conceptions about adaptation were investigated in problem-centred interviews. Emphasis was put on evo- lutionary processes rather than their products (traits). The findings are presented as notions and principles and explained as well. In addition conceptions about the connected physical and genetic change are de- scribed. It is discussed how to utilise the findings for the improvement of learning a...
There are few instruments for the assessment of students’ conceptions about natural selection and... more There are few instruments for the assessment of students’ conceptions about natural selection and biological adaptation so far (e.g. [1]). Existing instruments differ considerably in task format, features, contexts, etc. Studies in cognitive psychology, cognitive science, and science education have revealed that assessment item features like context associate with knowledge elicitation. Different tasks with varying contexts testing the same scientific concept may cue different student conceptions [2]. Little is known for whatever reason students activate either alternative or scientific conceptions about natural selection and biological adaptation in a particular task context. In the light of these results at least two conclusions can be drawn with regard to the construction of assessment tools: (1) the effect of task context on evolutionary explanations has to be better understood, (2) there is a clear need to control item features like context. Our objective is the construction of...
Zeitschrift für Didaktik …, 2004
... Wenn es jetzt z. B. bei einer Kältezeit ganz langsam immer kälter wird, merkt der Körper des ... more ... Wenn es jetzt z. B. bei einer Kältezeit ganz langsam immer kälter wird, merkt der Körper des Tieres langsam irgendwie, dass er besser mit seiner Ener-gie ... Anpassungs-Erkenntnis: Individuen erfüh-len, merken, erfahren oder erkennen be-wusst oder unbewusst ihre Situation. ...
EDULEARN19 Proceedings, 2019
Digital transformation impacts almost every aspect of life, and it is linked to a comprehensive s... more Digital transformation impacts almost every aspect of life, and it is linked to a comprehensive societal transformation. It is broadly accepted that future citizens require substantial information and media literacy skills, not only to participate effectively in societal and political processes, but also to succeed in their professional life. Schools are therefore obliged to equip students with necessary media competencies. Standards for media literacy of future citizens have been proposed (e.g. [1]), and corresponding elements are being integrated in school curricula worldwide. Consequently, prospective teachers need to be provided not only with suitable media literacy, but also with adequate pedagogical competencies to teach students necessary knowledge and skills. Furthermore, school is expected to reflect the digitized environment of today’s students and to adequately equip students with necessities for lifelong learning. This requires teachers to prepare students with the appli...
Over the last decades, research has shown that students of all ages experience difficulties in un... more Over the last decades, research has shown that students of all ages experience difficulties in understanding cellular transport mechanisms, especially when it comes to processes on the molecular level such as osmosis and diffusion. One major difficulty in the comprehension of these basic concepts is their abstract nature along with the demand for high spatial ability. To address this problem a virtual reality-based application has been developed, which allows students to freely explore molecular transport mechanisms across the cell membrane by interacting with the environment and manipulating the molecule concentration or initiate transport mechanisms by actively moving molecules. An accompanying study showed an increase in the understanding of osmosis and diffusion after using the e-learning application.
Journal of Science Teacher Education
Zeitschrift für Didaktik der Naturwissenschaften
ZusammenfassungLehrkräfte sind essentiell für die Integration digitaler Technologien in Schule un... more ZusammenfassungLehrkräfte sind essentiell für die Integration digitaler Technologien in Schule und Unterricht. Ihre Qualifizierung für diese Aufgabe ist daher in allen Phasen der Lehrkräfteausbildung von zentraler Bedeutung, zumal nur etwa ein Drittel der derzeit im aktiven Schuldienst befindlichen Lehrkräfte während des Studiums Lerngelegenheiten zu einem digitalisierungsbezogenen Kompetenzaufbau hatte. Trotz des Wunsches nach einer digitalisierungsbezogenen Qualifikation besuchen deutsche Lehrkräfte jedoch vergleichsweise selten Fortbildungen. Neben fehlender Passung des Fortbildungsangebots könnte für diese Diskrepanz ein unzureichendes Angebot verantwortlich sein. Wir untersuchen in dieser Studie, welche Fortbildungsangebote in 12 von 16 Bundesländern explizit für naturwissenschaftliche Lehrkräfte über staatliche Fortbildungskataloge angeboten wurden, welche Kompetenzbereiche des Orientierungsrahmens „Digitale Kompetenzen für das Lehramt in den Naturwissenschaften“ (DiKoLAN) die...
Research in Science & Technological Education
Interplay of secondary pre-service teacher content knowledge (CK), pedagogical content knowledge ... more Interplay of secondary pre-service teacher content knowledge (CK), pedagogical content knowledge (PCK), and attitudes regarding scientific inquiry teaching within teacher training To investigate quantitatively the longitudinal relationship between knowledge and attitudes on scientific inquiry teaching, 121 pre-service teachers for teaching biology at the secondary level in Germany and Switzerland were assessed with respect to their content knowledge (CK), pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) and attitudes on teaching scientific inquiry. As part of the teachers' attitudes we measured cognitive beliefs, affective states and self-efficacy. The assessments were conducted during a training session on peer-coaching as a tool for teacher development and scientific inquiry teaching as a method and activity that leads to the development of scientific knowledge. Data of both knowledge tests were IRT-scaled and combined with the data from the attitude questionnaire. To examine the relationship between the different measurements we applied structure equation modelling. The analysis demonstrates that the PCK acquired after the training on teaching scientific inquiry predicts subsequent attitudes. In contrast, prior CK does not affect subsequent attitudes regarding teaching scientific inquiry. Moreover, prior attitudes do not substantially predict subsequent PCK and CK. In addition, prior teaching experience in biology explains individual differences, and self-efficacy attitudes predict changes in attitudes with respect to teaching scientific inquiry by the end of training. To foster positive attitudes toward scientific inquiry teaching, teaching education programs should be designed to broaden PCK.
Vorstellungen zur Anpassung wurden mit problemzentrierten Interviews mit dem Schwerpunkt auf evol... more Vorstellungen zur Anpassung wurden mit problemzentrierten Interviews mit dem Schwerpunkt auf evolu- tive Prozesse (Anpassung = Angepasst-Werden und Sich-Anpassen) und nur mittelbar zum Zustand (Ange- passt-Sein und Angepasstheit) erhoben. Die erfassten Vorstellungen werden als Konzepte und Denkfiguren formuliert und erläutert. Über bisherige Untersuchungen hinausgehend werden Vorstellungen der Lernen- den zu den mit der Anpassung verbundenen körperlichen und genetischen Veränderungen erfasst. Es wird diskutiert, wie die Befunde als Grundlage für die Planung von Unterricht zu nutzen sind. Conceptions about adaptation were investigated in problem-centred interviews. Emphasis was put on evo- lutionary processes rather than their products (traits). The findings are presented as notions and principles and explained as well. In addition conceptions about the connected physical and genetic change are de- scribed. It is discussed how to utilise the findings for the improvement of learning a...