In English

The research group studies the didactics of the biology or biology education. Our main objective is research-based development of teaching and learning biology in primary and secondary schools, as well as class teacher and subject teacher education in the field of biology education. In the didactics of the biology the educational research is combined with the contents and contexts of biology as a discipline. In biology education the competences to understand biological phenomena and the interaction between the phenomena and natural world are essential, as well as competences to understand the nature of life sciences and the relationships between biological phenomena and socio-scientific issues in various situations. The research focus are in interactive teaching and learning situations, inquiry-based teaching and learning, nature of science, conceptual understanding, gene education, biodiversity education, learning environments, field work, and human relationship with the nature.  Affective factors, such as values, attitudes, interest, motivation and self-efficacy beliefs are also in the focus of the research group. In research methodology, quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods approaches are used.

In the field of sustainability education, large-scale survey research on the school culture as well as teaching and learning of sustainability issues are investigated. For instance, school-related factors influencing teachers and students’ proenvironmental and prosocial behaviours has been modelled with multilevel methods. Also, concept mapping and various qualitative methods has been important methodological approaches. Research of discipline integration, especially with other science subjects and multidisciplinary teaching and learning, team teaching have been also the topics of the research.