Curriculum Vitae

Curriculum Vitae
Dr. Wolfgang Gräber
Annentaler Bogen 8
D-24259 Westensee
Phone: +49-4305-289
Office: +49-431-8803165
Fax: +49-431-8803263
Email: [email protected]
http://www.ipn.uni-kiel.de/persons/graeber_eng.html
Education
1966
Abitur (Stormarnschule Ahrensburg, Schleswig-Holstein)
1966–1968 Military Service
1968-1975
Chemistry studies, Universität Hamburg, Germany
Jan. 1975
Diplom-Chemiker (Master in Chemistry) Universität Hamburg
Thesis‘ Title: Identifizierung von Startprodukten der schwach alkalisch
katalysierten Bräunung von Glucose. (Identification of start products
during the slightly base catalyzed browning of glucose).
Jan. 1977
Pädagogische Prüfung für das Lehramt an Gymnasien (Pedagogical
State examination for high school teachers) at the Institut für die
Theorie und Praxis der Schule (Institute for Theory and Praxis in
School) in Neumünster (Schleswig-Holstein)
Thesis‘ Title: Chemie der Aminosäuren als Bausteine der Proteine und
ihre chromatographischen Auftrennungs- und
Identifizierungsmöglichkeiten. (Chemistry of aminoacids as components
of proteins and chromatographic methods of their separation and
identification.
Sep. 1978
Appointment as „Studienrat“ (high school teacher)
Nov. 1982
Doktor der Naturwissenschaften (Dr. rer. nat.) (Ph. D. Science,
Chemistry, Chemistry Education) at the Universität Essen.
Thesis‘ Title: Untersuchung zum Zusammenhang zwischen kognitivem
Entwicklungsniveau und Lernerfolg im Chemieunterricht der
Sekundarstufe. (Connection between cognitive developmental level
(Piaget) and learning outcome in high school chemistry lessons.)
Employment
Apr. 1991
Promotion to „Wissenschaftlicher Oberrat“
Jul. 1988
Promotion to „Wissenschaftlicher Rat“
Since 1987 Research Associate/ Senior Researcher, Leibniz-Institut für die
Pädagogik der Naturwissenschaften (Leibniz-Institute for Science
Education) at the Universität Kiel
1982-1987
Post doctoral Research Associate, Institut für Chemie und ihre Didaktik
(Institute for chemistry and chemistry education) Universität Essen
1979-1982
Doctoral student, Institut für Chemie und ihre Didaktik (Institute for
chemistry and chemistry education) Universität Essen
1977-1979
Studienrat (High school teacher) at the Gymnasium (Junior/ Senior High
school) „Am Heimgarten“ in Ahrensburg, Schleswig-Holstein
1975-1977
Preservice teacher training at the „Institut für die Theorie und Praxis der
Schule“, Neumünster, Schleswig-Holstein
1973-1975
Part time teaching assignment at the Elise-Averdieck-Gymnasium
(Junior/ Senior High school) in Hamburg
Courses taught (Universities Essen, 1979 to 1987, and Kiel since 1987)
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General and Inorganic chemistry I, II and III, laboratory exercises for prospective
chemistry teachers
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Subject didactic laboratory exercises for secondary I and II school levels (Junior
and senior high school)
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Introduction to chemistry education I and II
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Student teacher training in secondary I and II levels of compulsory schools
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Student teacher training in secondary II levels of vocational schools
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Planning and evaluating teaching sequences focusing on methods of
individualized learning
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Introduction to organic chemistry, laboratory exercises for prospective vocational
teachers
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Piaget’s developmental psychology and teaching and learning chemistry,
seminars for prospective chemistry teachers
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Computer assisted teaching and learning chemistry, seminars and workshops for
prospective chemistry teachers
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Introduction to self-directed learning through micro research projects
Research interests and projects
My main interest has been from the beginning of my career as a teacher/ researcher
to educate students to become scientifically literate citizens and to study the referring
problems with a specific focus on chemistry education. Students experience school
chemistry as too difficult, too abstract and not relevant to their everyday life. Thus
they are not motivated to participate and engage in classroom interaction, applying
deeper learning strategies and develop competences for lifelong learning. My
research on students’ interest has confirmed these internationally found facts and
specified them in the chemistry education field. Further research in students’
cognitive development, STS teaching/learning, self-directed resource-based learning
and scientific literacy has helped to accomplish the whole picture. Based on these
findings I carried out several third party funded projects to raise students’ interest,
increase school lessons relevance and help to promote students’ scientific literacy.
The main focus was to bridge the gap between the “two cultures” science and
general education and prepare students for their lifelong learning as emancipated
citizens.
Cognitive development and science education
Most of the topics in chemistry are of an abstract nature (“Science is by its very
nature formal!”), dealing with models and theories. Solving scientific problems
requires thinking at a formal-operational level. Many of the studies world-wide show
that most of the pupils at high school level have not reached this level of thinking. We
have done an empirical study using T. Lawson’s Piaget test on 354 10th grade pupils
from various German Gymnasiums and found that only one quarter of these 15 1/2
year olds were able to think in a formal operational manner. Recommendations for
promoting cognitive development were teaching formal operational competencies
explicitely (see also Adey & Shayer) and using the learning cycle as a teaching
method.
Attitudes and interests in science education
We have conducted a comprehensive empirical investigation with more than 3000
students in Germany using a 400 items questionnaire, with the overall goal to
develop chemistry courses which catch pupils' interest. We think that interest is an
important factor in learning, especially in learning for life. We aimed for the following
subgoals:
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determination of the structures of interest in chemistry and chemistry lessons.
determination of in-school and out-of-school conditions which influence the
development and propagation of interest in chemistry and chemistry lessons.
In 2007/2008 we repeated the study with a smaller sample of students in SchleswigHolstein (1200 students) using a slightly reduced questionnaire as a pilot study for
another more comprehensive study on students’ interest in chemistry to be done in
near future.
Computer assisted learning
Studies and development refered to: Evaluating existing learning software through
self developed instruments (EPASoft, MEDA, s. references), planning and evaluating
computer assisted learning sequences (data logging in the chemistry school lab,
molecular design software, model building and simulation software, use of the
internet, mapping tools), teacher further education.
In recent years the focus was on digital mapping tools (Concept mapping, mind
mapping) to organize and assess learning processes. Currently I’m involved in a
project on bringing pupils to develop animations of science concepts or processes to
raise their interest and help them understanding.
Self-directed learning
Children – and adults – have to be taught to access information on their own and to
convert this into learnable knowledge. The learning and media competences are
important to accomplish this – starting from finding, understanding and evaluating
information up to apply, communicate and present newly gained knowledge. Selfdirected learning is both the way and the goal of science education. It is the goal as
self-directed learning is the basis for life-long learning. It is as well the way since we
assume that students can be motivated to active engagement and interaction through
the organization of lessons in a learner-oriented form and through training of
necessary skills such as epistemological, communication and evaluation
competence.
Scientific literacy
I organized two international symposia on scientific literacy (1996, with C. Bolte, and
1998, with P. Nentwig), the results of the first were published in English (s.
references), results of the second were published on an English version CD and a
German book (s. references), several national and international articles and
presentations resulted from these symposia. The main focus was: Discussion of
various conceptual understandings of scientific literacy with ideas of concrete
teaching practice.
Self or together with colleagues received grants
ParCIS (Partnership Chemical Industry Schools): 01.07.2000 – 30.06.2002, TSH
(Technology Foundation Schleswig-Holstein): 81.000 € (Full project budget: 216.000
€) (Principal Investigator)
ParIS (Partnership Industry School): 01.01.2003 – 31.12.2003 European Fonds for
Regional Development (EFRE) and „eRegion“ Schleswig-Holstein: 100.700 €
(Principal Investigator)
ParIS II: 01.01.2004 – 31.12.2004, ISH (Innovationsstiftung Schleswig-Holstein:
79.200 € (Full project budget: 134.400 €) (Principal Investigator)
Voneinander Lernen (Learning from each other): 01.11.2004 – 31.12.2006,
Investitionsbank Schleswig-Holstein, Ministerium für Landwirtschaft, Umwelt, und
ländliche Räume des Landes Schleswig-Holstein: 75.000 € (Full project budget:
150.000 €) (Principal Investigator)
ActiveSlide: 01.10.2006 – 31.07.2007, European Fonds for Regional Development
(EFRE) and „eRegion PLUS“ Schleswig-Holstein: 20.000 €, subcontract
PARSEL (Popularity and Relevance in Science Education for Scientific Literacy):
01.10.2006 – 31.03.2009 6. Framework Programme, EU: 872.864 € (Coordinator)
IFUN (Promoting Interest in Integrated Science Lessons): 01.01.2005 – 31.12.2007
Interreg III Programme, EU: 206.000€ (Full project budget 412.000 €) (Together with
Dr. Manfred Lehrke (IPN), Prof. Claus Michelsen, Odense) (Co-Principal Investigator)
Crossnet: 01.10.2006 – 31.09.2009 Comenius Programme, EU: 294.000 € (Full
project budget: 730.000 €) (Together with Dr. Manfred Lang, Dr. Henning Hansen
(IPN) (Co-Principal Investigator)
GIMMS (Gender, Innovation and Mentoring in Mathematics and Science) 01.10.2006
– 30.09.2009 Comenius Programme, EU: 15000 € (Full project budget: 288415 €)
(Project Partner)
Animated Science: 01.10.2007 – 30.09.2009 Leonardo Programme, EU: 15603 €
(Full project budget: 266695 €) (Project Partner)
Reviewer for Research Journals and Conferences
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Journal for Research in Science Teaching (JRST)
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European Science Education Research Association (ESERA)
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International Organization for Science and Technology Education (IOSTE)
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Chemical Education: Research and Practice (CERP)
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Zeitschrift für Didaktik der Naturwissenschaften (ZfDN)
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Zeitschrift für Pädagogik (ZfPäd)
Member in Professional Societies
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Gesellschaft zur Förderung des mathematischen und naturwissenschaftlichen
Unterrichts (Society for promoting instruction in mathematics and science) (MNU)
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Gesellschaft der Didaktik der Chemie und Physik (GDCP) (Society of chemistry
and physics education)
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Deutsche Gesellschaft für Erziehungswissenschaft (DGfE) (German Society for
Pedagogy)
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National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST)
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European Science Education Research Association (ESERA)
1997 to 2000 Member of the editorial board of the JRST
1999 to 2002 Member of the international board of the NARST