National and International Collaboration

Within the scope of its interdisciplinary research programme, “nwu-essen” develops and tests theoretical models of successful science education. New research issues are also emerging from this work, inspiring further basic research with theoretical as well as practical implications. In this field, national and international networking is inevitable, focusing not only on contributions to international publications and conferences, but also focusing on cooperation with other research groups and research training groups. Funded by the DFG, for example, “nwu-essen” cooperates with the Finnish Graduate School of Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry Education in Helsinki and Jyväskyla; moreover, the collaboration with a Dutch research training group in Eindhoven is in preparation. Furthermore, “nwu-essen” invites visiting educational scientists from all over the world to spend several weeks in Essen as visiting scholars and to share their ideas and their research on science education. Last but by no means least, Prof. Detlev Leutner, together with Prof. Eckhart Klieme from the German Institute for International Educational Research at Frankfurt, is the initiator and speaker of the DFG Priority Programme 1293 entitled “Models of Competencies for the Assessment of Individual Learning Outcomes and the Evaluation of Educational Processes” launched in 2007. It is worth mentioning that four out of the 21 DFG-funded projects in this programme are being carried out by members of “nwu-essen”.