The University is a highly acknowledged research and teacher training university for primary and lower secondary school teachers. Students can acquire master degrees and PhDs in pedagogy.

It is famous for its educational research and design. Many EU-projects are coordinated by the University. As a European project of high standard, LEMA is now in its closing phase and has had significant impact on all partnering nations and beyond.

The Institution has a profound interest in improving school teaching practices and its many projects reflect this pragmatic emphasis. Furthermore, the University has excellent connections to many networks (teachers, educators and researchers) and the regional school authority. This close relationship to key actors within education has always guaranteed the success of projects aiming at developing new pedagogies in day-to-day teaching practice.

Katja Maaß is the coordinator of the project. She is a researcher in mathematics education and runs initial and in-service teacher training courses relating to mathematical modelling (solving open, realistic tasks) and interdisciplinary approaches. Further, she has contributed to professional development with several publications addressed directly to teachers.

She is an acknowledged expert in mathematical modelling and has been invited as plenary speaker at conferences (e.g. ICMI-Study 2003, ICTMA 2005).

Silke Mikelskis-Seifert is a researcher and teacher trainer in physics. One main research interest is modelling in different contexts (physics, mathematics and chemistry). Other research interests are in the field of teacher professional development and in practical instruction research in interdisciplinary projects. She has been invited as plenary speaker at conferences (e.g. GIREP 2006).

Since 2003 she has been one of the heads of the German physics quality development project “Physics in Context”, which promotes Inquiry Based Learning in Science and which seeks to improve students’ scientific literacy through intensive teacher coaching processes. She is responsible for the empirical evaluation of the project.

Anneke Swantje Vogel

Anneke Swantje Vogel is a lecturer and research associate in the Department of Biology Institute of Natural Sciences at Freiburg University. She is working on developing new educational materials and methods in the field of science education in primary and secondary schools as well as concepts for teacher education and training. Her dissertation deals with the promotion and assessment of systems thinking in sustainability-related contexts.