Stichwort: Lernen im Museum

This contribution sketches the museum landscape and investigates – from different perspectives – to what extent museums can be defined and studied as an informal learning location. We shall start with a look at the heterogeneity of museums, which is a consequence of the different collections, the characteristics of visitors and their motives for visiting, and the relatively young history of didactic methods used in museums. Does learning take place? Research on visitors, which looks at this question, typically reflects in its theories of learning the paradigm shift from behaviourism to cognitive and constructivistic concepts with a corresponding change of perspective regarding the subject of investigation: whilst first investigations looked at the characteristic of exhibits and made recommendations on this basis for improved didactics, more recent studies look at visitors’ theoretic constructs of these characteristics. This article argues for a link between both perspectives in order to achieve further theoretical and practical insights.     

Stichwort: Transfer und Transferforschung im Bildungsbereich

“Transfer of innovation” is understood in education science as concerned with the dissemination of scientifically based innovations in educational systems. This contribution will begin with a more precise definition of the term transfer, an overview of the current state of research and on which factors influence the successful dissemination of innovations in educational systems. In the second part, four strategies will be presented which enable the dissemination of scientific evidence into practical settings. Here we will compare strategies which have been used within the context of pilot programmes in Germany with internationally established approaches. These international approaches are more output-orientated and, therefore, look to the effects of innovations on pupils—especially with respect to performance development. The comparison contrasts classic top-down with evidence-based strategies and participative strategies with design-research approaches. Finally, we discuss the role given to educational research within these strategies.     

Mehr als eine Mathematikstunde: Platons Menon

For the past two hundred years in German educational science the ‘maths lesson’ of Plato’s Meno has received attention – always to be celebrated as a masterpiece of Socratic teaching. Yet, by taking only the ‘maths lesson’ into account the negative ending of Meno is overlooked. Thus, because generally the ‘maths lesson’ is used as an example for a positive Socratic maieutic teaching method, a second possible medical, ‘therapeutic’ link between a midwife, with which Socrates compares himself in Plato’s Theaetetus, and a torpedo fish, with which he equates himself in Meno, is usually overlooked.     

Erstsprachförderung bei Migrantenkindern in Kindergärten

This contribution reports on an investigation into the importance of supporting first language for the command of first and second language skills using a quasi-experimental longitudinal study of migrant children in kindergarten. For two years the development of both first and second language skills was coordinated through the treatment of the same topics and stories during lessons. Furthermore, parents were asked to read their children a story or play an audio book in the first language three times a week. This extensive intervention neither had statistically significant effects on the development of language competency in the first nor the second language, German. The transfer effects between first and second language expected by the interdependency hypothesis of Cummins were only in evidence to a very limited extent.     

Geheimnisvoller Transfer?

The term “transfer” in the context of learning and the application of research results should help us understand and support processes of applying this knowledge better. The article analyzes prerequisites and conditions for the transfer of educational knowledge and evidence to educational practice, which seem reasonable, but are often neglected. Model programs with empirically tested innovations serve as examples for the discussion of fruitful conditions in the evaluation research itself as well as in the context of application. Examples of “best” practice, finally, are used to sketch challenges and approaches for an educational research focused on transfer.