Science Education

Science Education descends from theories about the technological constituted society and the need for democratisation of respective education.

Our projects comprise accompanying research of education initiatives and participatory education projects based on the vehicle theory developed at IFZ. The vehicle theory suggests that, for children and youths, scientific and technological knowledge should be mediated through fields of their interest. In one case, the favourite TV series of pupils were used to facilitate technological and social competencies, in another case innovative solutions were explored to facilitate and encourage energy-efficient IT practices together with youths.

All projects are conducted with a gender reflecting tenor: Gender and other social categories are de-dramatised (in order to avoid additional stereotyping) in the process and included as a major field in the reflection by researchers and teachers.

For more information, please contact Anita Thaler.

Research Topic

Science Education

Our projects on this research topic

Creating STEM – Initiation of a community of practice for more girls and women in STEM professions in the Salzkammergut

The project "Creating STEM" ("MI(N)T gestalten") tries a new approach to attract more young women from the Salzkammergut region to STEM professions (science, technology, engineering and mathematics).

Study to increase the attraction of technology education in Austria from diverse young people’s perspectives

The study explores the question of how technical training can become more attractive for young women and diverse young people.

Kids4Wearables

In the Kids4Wearables project, fashion is a general area of interest for children and adolescents and is the starting point for the innovation theme Wearables. Wearables are technologies that are usually worn around the body (such as heart rate monitors, smartwatches, but also technologies that help people with a disability in their own autonomy).

UseITsmartly

"useITsmartly" develops innovative solutions to facilitate young people's capacity building of "smart IT use", and ideas on how to reach them with the topic environmental impact through IT use.

transFAIRmation – Transformative work on media with ICT as means for participation in political discourses exemplified by fairness in pop culture

TransFAIRmation is a project collaboration of IFZ with teachers and students of NMS Albert Schweitzer, which uses a field of interest of children and teenagers (TV series) to elaborate a participatory teaching design facilitating the acquisition of technological and social competencies.