Online network meeting for contact persons at University Colleges of Teacher Education

The event focused on the question of how Citizen Science can be integrated into teacher eductaion in the long term. This topic is particularly relevant since teachers act as first-class multipliers. Schoolchildren should encounter Citizen Science as early as possible because it will raise their awareness of research and science, reduce fear of contact with tertiary educational institutions and promote democratization of science. The motivation to integrate Citizen Science into school lessons can be increased if teachers are already familiar with the approach and ideally have already worked on a research project themselves.

During the meeting, practical examples, and points of contact in existing PH curricula were collected. For example, the areas of service learning, education for sustainable development, political education and innovation laboratories offer possible interfaces. It should also be considered that the planning of courses in teacher education requires a longer lead time, especially if internships are planned in school lessons. To enable sustainability, Citizen Science should be included as a fixed component in the curricula of the University Colleges of Teacher Education because this also favors the creation of networks for later collaboration.

Thanks to all participants for their valuable inputs!

Further information

Citizen Science contact persons at Austrian research institutions

Young science contact persons at Austrian research institutions