@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_berglundteresa_2016,
  title = {An explorative study of student understandings of the relationships between the environment and the economy},
  author = {Berglund, Teresa and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2016},
  language = {eng}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_berglundteresa_2017,
  title = {Education for sustainable development: Student views on environmental, social and economic dimensions of sustainable development and their interrelationships},
  author = {Berglund, Teresa and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2017},
  language = {eng},
  keywords = {environmental science},
  abstract = {Sustainable development (SD) isbased on the idea that environmental problems must be managed in relation to social and economic perspectives. The important role of education for a more sustainable future has been emphasized in transnational policy documents over the years (UNESCO 2006;2015). In education for sustainable development (ESD), an interdisciplinary approach to SD can facilitate students’ understanding of its complexity (Gough 2002; Warburton 2003). This contribution aims to provide insight into young adults’ views of the relationships between dimensions of SD. 638 students in their final year of upper secondary schools across Sweden (age 18-19) responded to a Likert-scale questionnaire. The results indicate that economic perspectives are associated with great complexity and less recognized compared to social and environmental perspectives in SD (Author et al. 2014; 2015). The role of the economy has been discussed longtime, in relation to its impact on the environment and the development of the society (e.g. Daly 1990; Ekins 2000; Neumayer 2003; Hopwood et al. 2005; Costanza et al. 2014). It is argued that sustainability education should embrace critical and reflective perspectives, however few educational studies have focused on the role of the economy in SD. A study from Australia concludes that economic perspectives in sustainability education are largely missing and thus, the status quo is not being challenged (Dyment et al. 2015). To look deeper into students’ understanding of economic perspectives in SD, we performed an explorative cluster analysis (Author et al. submitted), based on student responses to items concerning the relationships between economic growth, economic development and SD. Four viewpoints emerged from the analysis, which we labeled into The un-differentiating positive, The nuanced ambivalent, The bilaterally convinced and The critical ones.}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_berglundteresa_2023,
  title = {ESD-facilitators’ conditions and functions as sustainability change agents},
  author = {Berglund, Teresa and Gericke, Niklas and Forssten Seiser, Anette and Mogren, Anna and Olsson, Daniel},
  year = {2023},
  language = {eng},
  abstract = {Proposal information This study seeks to investigate the experiences of teachers working as ESD-facilitators within a whole school approach project designed to implement education for sustainable development (ESD) in their schools. The program activities included school leaders, teachers, and ESD- facilitators. During a period of three school years, five schools in a municipality in Sweden took part in order to integrate ESD in their organization and teaching practice. The ESD-facilitators took part in the design of the development process, workshop activities and content, and facilitated each school’s internal work. This study aims to identify in what ways ESD-facilitators function as sustainability change agents and how contextual factors might contribute to success or form hindrances in their work.The project was designed based on teachers’ learning and collaborative and reflexive work (Desimone, 2009). The purpose was to direct the development work of the schools towards a whole school approach (Mogren et al. 2019), meaning that ESD is fully integrated in the local curriculum. The main areas of development were to increase interdisciplinary teaching with focus on ESD as holistic pedagogical idea, and that ESD should permeate the work in all levels of the internal and external organization of the school (Sund & Lysgaard, 2013), implying that the different actors in the school and its societal context (students, teachers, school leaders and the outer society) work towards sustainability (Mogren et al., 2019). An additional aim was to integrate pluralistic approaches in the teachers’ classroom practice.The project included two project leaders, who also participated as researchers in the project. Together with the school leaders and ESD-facilitators, they took a leading role in the development of the project, which included joint seminars, and meetings between project leaders and a) school leaders (across schools), b) school leaders and facilitators (within schools), and c) facilitators (across schools). The ESD-facilitators were intended to function as a link between school leader, project leaders and the teaching staff. They were supposed to support the teacher work teams in their discussions and implementation work with transforming ESD principles into practice.A recent study by Van Poeck et al. (2017) explored different change agent roles by mapping the different ways in which change agents actively contribute to sustainability. In relation to different roles, various types of learning is being made possible. The authors identified four types of change agents that position themselves in different ways along the two axes of personal detachment vs. personal involvement, and instrumental vs. open-ended approaches (to change and learning). This study investigates the views and practices of the ESD-facilitators in relation to these two dimensions. Thus, different change agent positions may be taken.The ESD-facilitators have a middle leading role in their schools, which means that they enact leading practices from a position in between the teaching staff and the school leader (Grootenboer, Edwards-Groves & Rönnerman, 2015). There is limited research focusing on practitioners who facilitate processes of professional development (Perry & Boylan, 2018). Thus, little is known about how facilitators, and particularly those who facilitate a whole school approach to ESD, could be supported to carry out their role and tasks in an effective way, and what adequate conditions and arrangements for this might be. Taken together, this implies a gap in current knowledge about ESD implementation strategies, which this study aims to help bridging.The research questions guiding the research are twofold: in the ESD-facilitators’ descriptions of their roles, functions and practices:        What kinds of sustainability change agent roles can be identified?What contextual factors are experienced as successful and/or hindering?Methodology or MethodsAfter the project ended, interviews were carried out between November 2020 and April 2021 with seven ESD-facilitators from five different schools. Two of the schools had appointed two facilitators, who either focused on different programs (in upper secondary school) or on different levels in compulsory school (primary or secondary level).The interviews followed a semi-structured approach (Bryman, 2018) and included pre-defined areas concerning the ESD-facilitators’ view on: a) the long term purposes and goals of the project, b) in what ways they viewed their role in the development work in their school, and c) their experiences of factors that were of central importance in order for them to be able to perform their task effectively. Their responses were followed up by the interviewer in a flexible manner.The analysis of data followed a multi-step process. The three parts above constitute the basis for the first step of the analysis, which was performed inductively and followed a broad approach to data driven thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006). The next step was analyzed deductively, based on the typology of sustainability change agents by Van Poeck et al. (2017). In this step, the utterances connected to the ESD-facilitators’ role in the development work, together with utterances concerning their view of long-term purposes and goals of the project, were analyzed in relation to the four different types of sustainability change agents in the typology. The analysis concerning their role focused mainly on the two dimensions identified as open-ended or instrumental, and personal detachment vs. -involvement. Utterances were identified that could be associated with a specific role description under the four ideal types of change agents. Moreover, utterances of how they viewed the purpose and goal of the ESD development work were analyzed, mainly connected to how different types of change agents may enable different forms of learning (Van Poeck et al., 2017). However, research on middle leading practices as well as research of sustainability change agents emphasizes that roles and practices should be interpreted in relation to the context they are enacted within (Grootenboer, Edwards-Groves & Rönnerman, 2015; Van Poeck et al., 2017). Therefore, the analysis also focused on identifying how different contextual factors affect and enable the roles and practices of the ESD-facilitators. Thus, the final step is to look for relationships between expressed purposes and goals, roles, and what factors are experienced as promoting and/or hindering their role and mission.Findings and conclusions The analysis indicates that teachers struggle with transforming ESD theory into teaching practice. The school culture has great impact on the readiness of teacher teams to engage in transformation of their teaching. The ESD-facilitator’ functions and practices are affected by the school culture and whether teacher teams are well functioning or not in terms of collaborative work.All the four roles in the typology (Van Poeck et al., 2017) were identified in their expressions, and different contextual factors were emphasized as either promoting or hindering their functions. Clear support and leadership from the school leader and the presence of a well-defined long term goal was important to provide direction and legitimize the ESD-facilitator role in schools where a broad anchoring of ESD among the staff was missing. Moreover, roles and processes became more open-ended in schools where there was room for collaborative work and reflexive discussions. In those schools where the culture encouraged collaborative work and shared agency, the ESD-facilitators pointed out their functions in mediating the process in terms of initiator, facilitator, mobilizer and/or awareness raiser (ibid.). When there was little space for collaborative work, or the culture was hindering it, the ESD-facilitator role and approach became more instrumental and it became harder to create agency and integrate ESD as a holistic pedagogical idea (see Mogren et al. 2019) among the community of teachers. Those facilitators emphasized their functions in terms of experts, councellors, managers, solution providers and exemplars (Ibid.).A challenge was how to transform ESD theories, which the facilitators expressed as abstract and far from everyday teaching, into concrete practice. In the school where a collaborative culture was present, a way to solve this was to start doing by daring to explore new ways of teaching, and then evaluate in a collaborative, open and reflexive mannerReferencesBraun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative research in psychology, 3(2), 77-101.Bryman, A. (2018). Samhällsvetenskapliga metoder.(tredje upplagan). Liber.Desimone, L. M. (2009). Improving impact studies of teachers’ professional development: Toward better conceptualizations and measures. Educational researcher, 38(3), 181-199.Grootenboer, P.,  Edwards-Groves, C., & Rönnerman, K. (2015). Leading practice development: voices from the middle, Professional Development in Education, 41(3), 508-526, DOI: 10.1080/19415257.2014.924985Mogren, A., Gericke, N., & Scherp, H.-Å. (2019). Whole school approaches to education for sustainable development: a model that links to school improvement. Environmental Education Research, 25(4), 508-531.Perry, E., & Boylan, M. (2018). Developing the developers: supporting and researching the learning of professional development facilitators. Professional development in education, 44(2), 254-271.Sund, P., & Lysgaard, J. G. (2013). Reclaim “education” in environmental and sustainability education research. Sustainability, 5(4), 1598-1616.Van Poeck, K., Læssøe, J., & Block, T. (2017). An exploration of sustainability change agents as facilitators of nonformal learning: Mapping a moving and intertwined landscape. Ecology and Society, 22(2).}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_berglundteresa_2016_1,
  title = {Exploring studentunderstandings of economic perspectives in sustainable development},
  author = {Berglund, Teresa and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2016},
  language = {eng}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_berglundteresa_2013,
  title = {Investigating Swedish upper secondary students’ integrated understanding of sustainable development},
  author = {Berglund, Teresa and Gericke, Niklas and Chang-Rundgren, Shu-Nu},
  year = {2013},
  language = {eng},
  keywords = {biology}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_berglundteresa_2017_1,
  title = {Investigating the Effectiveness of Whole School approaches to ESD in Four Swedish Schools},
  author = {Berglund, Teresa and Olsson, Daniel and Gericke, Niklas and Boeve-de Pauw, Jelle},
  year = {2017},
  language = {eng},
  keywords = {biology}
}

@misc{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_berglundteresa_2019,
  title = {Questionnaire 12th grade short version},
  author = {Berglund, Teresa and Olsson, Daniel and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2019},
  language = {eng},
  keywords = {biology}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_berglundteresa_2015,
  title = {Separated andintegrated approaches to investigate student views on dimensions of sustainable development},
  author = {Berglund, Teresa and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2015},
  language = {eng}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_berglundteresa_2015_1,
  title = {Student Decision-making on Sustainability Dilemmas and its Relationship to Sustainability Consciousness},
  author = {Berglund, Teresa and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2015},
  language = {eng},
  keywords = {biology}
}

@phdthesis{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_berglundteresa_2020,
  title = {Student views of environmental, social and economic dimensions of sustainable development and their interconnectedness: A search for the holistic perspective in education for sustainable development},
  author = {Berglund, Teresa},
  year = {2020},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {Karlstads universitet},
  keywords = {education for sustainable development; sustainable development; upper secondary; student views; sustainability consciousness; interconnectedness; holism; pluralism; biology},
  abstract = {The work in this thesis centers on upper secondary students’ views of the environmental, social and economic dimensions of sustainable development and their interconnectedness. The focus has been to study the diversity of students’ views in various contexts. The research uses as its starting point the aims of education for sustainable development to facilitate a holistic understanding among students, which implies the consideration of environmental, social and economic perspectives when dealing with issues of sustainability.A mixed methods and iterative approach was applied in this research. Two data sets were collected: one larger-scale data set from 638 students in grade 12 (aged 18-19) on science and social science programs, and one smaller set involving 18 students of similar age and programs. In the first data collection exercise, the students responded to questionnaires investigating their sustainability consciousness and decision-making within different everyday contexts. The aim of the second data collection exercise was to study, in-depth, patterns of students’ views on the interconnectedness of sustainability dimensions. The results reveal a diversity of student views that specifically relate to the economic dimension in sustainable development. The economic dimension is perceived differently in their sustainability consciousness, and when they encounter the economic dimension in various sustainability contexts. Moreover, there are four distinctly different beliefs among students about the interconnectedness of the economy and sustainable development. The four beliefs are identified as the un-differentiating positive, the nuanced ambivalent, the two-way convinced and the critical, differing in their arguments about the interconnectedness of environmental, social and economic dimensions. The findings indicate the potential resource students’ views and different contexts can represent in teaching that aims at perspective-shifting and learning about the complexity and dynamic nature of sustainability issues.}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_berglundteresa_2023_1,
  title = {Sustainability change agents in whole school approaches to education for sustainable development (ESD).},
  author = {Berglund, Teresa and Gericke, Niklas and Forssten Seiser, Anette and Mogren, Anna and Olsson, Daniel},
  year = {2023},
  language = {eng},
  keywords = {biology},
  abstract = {This study investigates the experiences of teachers working as ESD-facilitators in a whole school approach project designed to implement education for sustainable development (ESD). The project included ESD-facilitators, teachers, and school leaders. The ESD-facilitators took part in designing joint seminars and workshop activities, and facilitated each school’s internal work. This study aims to contribute with knowledge concerning in what ways ESD-facilitators function as change agents in development processes and how their work can be supported. Different types of sustainability change agents who position themselves differently along the two dimensions of personal detachment vs. personal involvement, and instrumental vs. open-ended approaches (to change and learning) have been identified in previous research (Van Poeck et al., 2017). This study investigates the views and practices of ESD-facilitators in relation to these two dimensions, and focuses on what sustainability change agent functions are enacted, and what contextual factors they experience as successful and/or hindering in their work. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with seven ESD-facilitators from five schools. Focus areas were their views on: a) the long term goals of the project, b) their role in the internal development work, and c) factors of central importance for their ability to perform their task effectively. The findings indicate that roles and processes become more open-ended in schools where there is room for collaborative and reflexive work. In schools where the culture encourages shared agency, the ESD-facilitators point to their functions in mediating the process in terms of mobilizer, facilitator, initiator, and/or awareness raiser (Ibid.). When there is little room for collaborative work, or the culture impedes it, the ESD-facilitator role and approach become more instrumental and it is harder to integrate ESD and create agency. Those facilitators emphasized their functions in terms of managers, solution providers, experts, exemplars and councellors (Ibid.). }
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_bladhgabriel_2019,
  title = {Environmental and Sustainability Education (ESE): a comparative study between disciplinary and thematic perspectives in the Finnish and Swedish curricula},
  author = {Bladh, Gabriel and Salmenkivi, Eero and Gericke, Niklas and Tani, Sirpa and Juuti, Kalle and Sund, Per},
  year = {2019},
  language = {eng},
  keywords = {education}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_boevedepauwjelle_2022,
  title = {Teachers' ESD self-efficacy and practices: A longitudinal study on the impact of teacher professional development},
  author = {Boeve-de Pauw, Jelle and Olsson, Daniel and Berglund, Teresa and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2022},
  language = {eng},
  keywords = {environmental science},
  abstract = {This longitudinal quantitative study investigated teachers’ development of self-efficacy andteaching practices relating to education for sustainable development (ESD) in four compulsory schools in a Swedish municipality. The teachers participated in a professional development program over three school years designed to support them in implementing ESD. The program was based on five seminars that supported teachers to locally discuss and experiment with the principles, complexities and challenges of ESD. Data was collected at five different time points using a questionnaire including scales measuring teachers’ self-efficacy for ESD and their self-reported ESD practices. Results show that the teachers’ self-efficacy was boosted early in the program, but it fell back to initial low levels after confrontation with practice. Through further experimentation in their own practices, the teachers’ self-efficacy for ESD increased back to the initial level toward the end of the program. Furthermore, teachers started self-reporting actual implementation of ESD practices as the program progressed, and the correlation between teachers’ self-efficacy for ESD and self-reported ESD practices grew. These results highlight the importance of providing teachers with long-term opportunities for bringing ESD into their own educational practice. The results also caution against using self-efficacy as an outcome measure in short-term professionalization initiatives.}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_boevedepauwjelle_2016,
  title = {The effectiveness of education for sustainable development: Pluralism and holism in the classroom. Oral presentation within the international symposium "Environmental literacy" grounded in theory and approved in environmental / sustainability education practice},
  author = {Boeve-de Pauw, Jelle and Gericke, Niklas and Olsson, Daniel and Berglund, Teresa},
  year = {2016},
  language = {eng}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_boevedepauwjelle_2016_1,
  title = {The effectiveness ofeducation for sustainable development},
  author = {Boeve-de Pauw, Jelle and Gericke, Niklas and Olsson, Daniel and Berglund, Teresa},
  year = {2016},
  language = {eng}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_boevedepauwjelle_2018,
  title = {What timss tells us about education for sustainable development - a comparative study between biology and science teachers in Sweden},
  author = {Boeve-de Pauw, Jelle and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2018},
  language = {eng},
  keywords = {esd; whole-school approach; preparedness; biology teachers; timss; biology},
  abstract = {The implementation of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in formal education is an arduous process. A much reported issue is that teachers do not perceive ESD as part of their task. As ESD should be implemented through whole-school approach this is identified as one of the major barriers to successfully bringing ESD into formal education. The current study uses the most recent Swedish TIMSS data Sweden for grade 4 classroom teachers, and for grade 8 biology and science teachers to answer three questions: (1) How well prepared do teachers feel to teach ESD? (2) According to teachers, is ESD supported in/by the whole school? (3) How often do teachers participate in ESD professional development? Using data from over 1000 Swedish respondents, the study shows that elementary and science teachers feel ill prepared for ESD. Biology teachers in grade 8 feel most prepared, but their mean score is also below the value 2 (indicating that they do not even feel ‘somewhat’ prepared). Our study also reveals that students are not very involved in the implementation of ESD. This is problematic since ESD focusses on their participation. While PD rates are low for all teachers in the sample we see that when grade 4 and grade 8 science teachers do participate in such programs they feel better prepared to bring ESD into their classroom. At the same time we have to underscore that across PD topics in TIMSS, ESD is at the lowest level (around 13%, with other topics averaging 25 to 45%). Yet, these results show that PD is key to the successful implementation of ESD.}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_bohlingustaf_2016,
  title = {NTA-Digital – Tema kroppen},
  author = {Bohlin, Gustaf and Göransson, Andreas and Gericke, Niklas and Tibell, Lena},
  year = {2016},
  language = {swe}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_borgcarola_2011,
  title = {Hållbar utveckling i gymnasieskolans undervisning: Ämnestradition versus läroplan},
  author = {Borg, Carola and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2011},
  journal = {Forskning om undervisning och lärande},
  volume = {7},
  pages = {22--30},
  language = {swe},
  publisher = {Stockholm},
  keywords = {biology},
  issn = {2000-9674}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_borgcarola_2011_1,
  title = {Teachers’ understanding of sustainable development: Discipline bound differences},
  author = {Borg, Carola and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2011},
  language = {eng},
  keywords = {biology}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_borgcarola_2010,
  title = {The gap between the curriculum and teachers knowledge of sustainable development},
  author = {Borg, Carola and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2010},
  language = {eng},
  keywords = {biology}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_borgfarhana_2019,
  title = {Concrete Examples of Education for Sustainability Practices in Preschool in Sweden},
  author = {Borg, Farhana and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2019},
  language = {eng},
  keywords = {biology},
  abstract = {To integrate education for sustainability (EfS) in pedagogical practices is often described as complex and challenging by teachers at preschool to higher education levels. Teachers’ lack of competence in teaching EfS or inspiring examples from educational practices have been identified as some major reasons for this (Borg, Gericke, Höglund, & Bergman, 2012; Corney, 2006; Hedefalk, Almqvist & Östman, 2015). The intention with EfS is to empower learners ‘to take informed decisions and responsible actions for environmental integrity, economic viability and a just society, for present and future generations, while respecting cultural diversity’ (UNESCO, 2019). In early childhood education, a main starting point in EfS is building on children’s participation, and viewing them as active agents and stakeholders for the future (Gothenburg Environmental Centre, 2010). Despite an increase in integrating EfS in preschools in Sweden, there are teachers that do not fully acknowledge children as active citizens who are capable of being involved in activities that bring changes in society (Ärlemalm-Hagsér, 2013).Preschool teachers play a significant role in developing young children’s verbal and practical knowledge about environmental and sustainability-related issues through engaging them in conversations, discussions, and in practical activities (Borg, 2017). According to Pramling Samuelsson (2011, p. 110) an important factor for developing children’s competence in EfS is ‘the teacher’s competence and understanding of the questions as such related to young children’s everyday life’. However, only a few studies have been conducted to explore how teachers integrated EfS in preschool education (e.g. Svedäng, Halvars, Elfström, & Unga, 2018). Knowledge operationalization of EfS is needed for teachers to identify practical and proven examples of how to integrate EfS in their daily pedagogical practices.  Aim and objectivesThe purpose of this study was to highlight preschool teachers’ operationalization of education for sustainability (EfS) in their daily pedagogical practices in Sweden. The objectives were:to explore teachers’ sustainability awareness in preschool education; andto investigate how teachers integrate EfS in their daily pedagogical activitiesIn this paper, ‘sustainability awareness’ refers to what teachers describe about what they know and how they view of sustainability in relation to preschool education from their personal perspectives. In Sweden, preschool education refers to early childhood education for children, who are below six years old.In Sweden, a new curriculum for preschool education will be effective from July 2019 (Skolverket, 2018), in which a number of changes compared with the previous curriculum have been made, e.g., the concept sustainably is explicitly mentioned for the first time in relation to preschool education and children’s learning. The new curriculum states that each person that works in preschool shall promote respect for individual’s intrinsic value and for sustainability. Conceptual frameworkChildren are active participants in learning, and the involvement of adults and knowledgeable peers can make a great difference in the learning process (Bruner, 1966). Bruner (1960, 1977) argues that a child of any age is capable of understanding complex information; even very young children are capable of learning any material if the instruction is organized appropriately. Considering the complexity of the concept of sustainability, the study uses an interlocking circles model that depicts how the environmental, the social and the environmental dimensions are closely connected (Elliott, 2013). Any practices and policies developed without taking all dimensions into account are likely to provide only limited understanding of the sustainability concept and is less likely to lead to action (Siraj-Blatchford, Smith, & Samuelsson, 2010). With regard to EfS, the challenges are not only to operationalize these sustainability dimensions for preschool’s pedagogical practices, but there is a great need to concretize EfS with examples that are connected with children’s daily life.MethodThis study was part of a larger EfS-school development project, which was developed with practitioners to provide support for teacher professional development (TPD) in a municipality in Sweden. A qualitative approach was utilized to acquire an in-depth understanding of preschool teachers’ sustainability awareness, and their ways of operationalizing the EfS for day-today activities. The study was conducted between April and May 2018. A description of Participants and data collection, and Data analysis is given below. Participants and data collection Individual interview data were collected from 12 certified preschool teachers, who were employed in 8 preschools that participated in the EfS-school development project for a year. The preschool teachers were all women with working experiences with young children ranging from 6 to 33 years. Although 10 preschools participated in the EfS-school development project, two of them could not participate in the study due to other commitments. An interview guide was developed that included questions concerning demographic information, teacher’s definition and views of the concept of sustainability and EfS, their experiences of working with EfS with practical examples, as well as any challenges they might have experienced to integrate EfS in preschool education. Conducted in Swedish, the interviews were audio recorded and fully transcribed by a professional transcriber. Data analysis Content analysis was undertaken to analyse the interview transcriptions to identify main contents of data and the messages (Cohen, Manion, & Morisson, 2011). The transcriptions were read and re-read in order to become thoroughly familiarized with the data and initial codes were noted concurrently. Any similarities, inconsistencies or contradictions in relation to what individual teachers informed, were noted for further exploration. In later stages of the analysis, some of the codes were modified while re-reading the transcriptions to ensure consistencies and coverage of the codes. Similar types of codes were categorized and from these categories major themes emerged. To ensure reliability, the coding started with a small sample of texts, which helps to make amendments of the coding and categorisation. This study followed the codes and guidelines of research ethics in relation to informed consents of the participants, maintenance of confidentiality, and the use of information for the study (Vetenskapsrådet, 2017).Expected OutcomesRegarding sustainability awareness, most of the teachers reported an Integrated views of sustainability. All participants were capable of describing sustainability using the three interconnected dimensions: the environmental, the social and the economic. In general, all teachers viewed sustainability as an abstract and complex concept, which can be difficult to make apprehensible in preschool’s educational activities. The preliminary findings of how the teachers integrate EfS in their daily pedagogical activities are presented under emerging themes below: Environmental dimensions on focus: Common activities in all preschools were recycling of plastic materials, reusing of milk packets and plastic corks, as well as composting of leftover food. Going out in the nature appeared to be a routine for all preschools. Concrete examples for young children: A few teachers argued that working with young children with EfS, requires efforts to concretize various activities at children’s developmental levels. In general the teachers were lacking concrete ways of working with EfS; especially to integrate the social and economic dimension. Internationalization and global perspectives: A couple of preschools started integrating global perspectives, e.g. one teacher mentioned that they had a collaboration with a preschool in Canada, and, according to her, it is important that children get a wider perspective about other countries, languages and cultures, which she viewed as a part of social sustainability. Some of the teachers connected their educational practices with the preschool curriculum highlighting the 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) that address the ‘areas of critical importance for humanity and the planet’ (United Nations, 2015, p.1). To summarize the main findings, it seemed that the current TPD had, to greater extent, impact on transforming teachers’ views of sustainability into a holistic concept, and they were also struggling to transform their knowledge into concrete pedagogical activities. Positive and unexpected activities though evolved in relation to globalization.}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_borgfarhana_2019_1,
  title = {Concrete Examples of Education for Sustainability Practices in Preschools in Sweden},
  author = {Borg, Farhana and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2019},
  journal = {Education in an Era of Risk - the Role of Educational Research for the Future},
  language = {eng},
  keywords = {concrete examples; early childhood; education for sustainability; pedagogical practice; preschool; utbildning och lärande; education and learning}
}

@mastersthesis{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_brinkhelen_2021,
  title = {Modeller och modellering med digitala verktyg i högstadiets teknikundervisning},
  author = {Brink, Helen},
  year = {2021},
  language = {swe},
  publisher = {Karlstads universitet},
  keywords = {modeller; modellering; digitala verktyg; tekniklärare; teknikundervisning; cad; fenomenografi; livsvärldsfenomenologi},
  abstract = {This licentiate thesis is about secondary school technology teachers’ experiences of teaching with models and modelling using digital tools.The aim of this thesis is to gain new in-depth knowledge of teaching in relation to digital models and digital modelling, and create better preconditions for technology teachers when it comes to their choices of content and methods of teaching in the area.  Two studies have been conducted and phenomenology of the lifeworld has been used as a theoretical framework. Data was collected through 12 semi-structured interviews. In the first study, the focus was on technology teachers’ experiences of teaching digital models. In the second study, the focus was on a specific part of digital modelling, teachers’ experiences of teaching with computer aided design, CAD.The results show that teaching with digital models and digital modelling can comprise a combination of theoretical and practical activities. Further, teaching varies from instruction to a more explorative teaching where pupils seek solutions to problems on their own. Digital models are used descriptively as well as for predicting technology not yet developed. The study shows that there is not one way to understand the concept digital models in steering documents or teaching practice and there is a need for more nuanced and specific discussions to address different learning outcomes. Moreover, technology teachers experience CAD as an important and central part of teaching with digital models.}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_brinkhelen_2021_1,
  title = {Teaching Modelling Using Digital Design Tools: Experiences of Swedish Secondary School Technology Teachers},
  author = {Brink, Helen and Kilbrink, Nina and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2021},
  journal = {Techne series},
  volume = {2},
  number = {28},
  pages = {432--438},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Nordiskt Forum for Forskning och Utvecklingsarbete inom Utbildning i Slojd},
  keywords = {technology education; phenomenography; cad; digital modelling},
  abstract = {Modelling using digital design tools is a relatively new element in secondary technology education, though modelling using concrete material is common and has been practiced regularly. Many technology teachers now teach modelling using digital design tools, to meet the new criteria in the syllabus concerning problem solving and documentation using digital technology. However, there is a lack of knowledge concerning how technology teachers teach modelling using digital design tools and how they choose content and present it to the pupils. It is known, though, that teachers’ experiences affect how they plan the lessons. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate technology teachers’ experiences to gain more understanding in this particular area of technology education. Taking a phenomenographic approach, twelve semi-structured interviews with secondary technology teachers were conducted. The results show that teachers have different experiences teaching modelling using digital design tools, and four categories have emerged: 1) Handling the software and using simple geometries, 2) Using ready-made objects from databases, 3) Manufacturing via 3D-printers, and 4) Design and problem solving. The results indicate that teachers teach modelling using digital design tools with different aims; the intended object of learning differs. The results also indicate that teachers experience that they lack knowledge of teaching modelling using digital design tools and therefore have difficulties teaching in this area, which can affect the pupils’ problem-solving skills. The results, described in this article, can be used as a basis for further discussion.},
  issn = {1238-9501}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_brinkhelen_2019,
  title = {Teaching modelling using digital tools in secondary technology education: Teachers’ experiences},
  author = {Brink, Helen and Kilbrink, Nina and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2019},
  journal = {Proceedings PATT37},
  pages = {95--102},
  language = {eng},
  keywords = {model; modelling; digital tools; technology education; secondary school; phenomenography; computer-aided design.},
  abstract = {Models can be used for communicating and for sharing information. In technology education in Swedish compulsory school, pupils have long created models using simple materials to test their designs, such as cardboard and wooden sticks. Models have also been used by teachers to assess pupils’ technology knowledge in particular areas (Elmer & Davies, 2000). We live in a world where technology is highly developed, where digital technology plays an important role and where models are created in digital environments (Kress, 2010). Technology as a school subject undergoes the same development, which can be seen in the technology syllabus (Skolverket, 2011). However, there is a lack of research on technology teachers’ experiences of teaching modelling using digital tools. According to previous research, teachers’ experiences of a phenomenon (Marton & Tsui, 2004) along with their pedagogical and technological knowledge (Mishra & Koehler, 2006) affect how they plan their lessons. The aim of this pilot study is therefore to examine secondary school teachers’ experiences of teaching modelling using digital tools, thereby contributing to understanding this area of technology education. The study takes a phenomenographic approach (Marton & Booth, 1997) and is based on semi-structured interviews with teachers. The interviews are analyzed, focusing on how technology teachers experience teaching modelling using digital tools. Their different experiences are divided into categories. So far, four categories have been identified: a) Modelling using digital tools as inspiration, b) Handling the modelling software as the object of learning, c) Handling 3D printing as the object of learning and d) Modelling for teaching technological content. A tentative result is that teachers have different aims and purposes when teaching modelling using digital tools.}
}

@proceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_2018,
  title = {Challenges in Biology Education Research: A selection of papers presented at the XIth conference ofEuropean Researchers in Didactics of Biology (ERIDOB)},
  year = {2018},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {Karlstads universitet},
  keywords = {biology}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_christensonnina_2014,
  title = {A cross-disciplinary approach to teaching socioscientific issues: A study of the co-operation between language and science teachers teaching about global warming},
  author = {Christenson, Nina and Gericke, Niklas and Rundgren, Shu-Nu Chang},
  year = {2014},
  language = {eng},
  keywords = {biology},
  abstract = {To combine the teaching of scientific concepts with the challenging problems of socioscientific issues (SSI) has been shown to be effective on engaging students in discussions and in developing students’ skills in decision-making and critical thinking. Research has revealed that teaching SSI in science education is a challenging task for science teachers alone suggesting a co-operation with teachers of the humanities, proposing that these teachers might be better at managing debates and other pedagogical methods related to a SSI driven instruction. However, to our knowledge no one has yet investigated the outcomes of a co-operation between language teachers, who regularly in their courses teach topics like argumentation, debate and how to write an argumentative text, and science teachers. Hence, the aim of our study is to investigate how the co-operation of teachers from different disciplines (language and science teachers) can contribute to upper secondary school students’ argumentation skills about global warming. A total of ten teachers from the subjects of Swedish (mother tongue), English, biology, physics and chemistry will participate in this study together with two classes of science major students in their first year of upper secondary school, which they teach. Data will be collected from both the teachers by interviews at the end of the teaching sequence and from students making a pre- and post-test of written argumentation about global warming, as well as interviews. Since this study is an ongoing project, we are still collecting data. We foresee that we will find that the teachers as well as the students can provide us with insights on how they perceive a cross-disciplinary teaching with focus on SSI, and also that we will be able to follow some progression in students argumentation through the pre- and post-test. Our findings on the learning outcome and how teachers and students perceive a cross-disciplinary teachers’ cooperation on SSI will be presented at the ERIDOB-conference. We believe that the results from our study will provide valuable insights on how to develop future SSI-teaching by using a cross-disciplinary approach and how the involvement of language teachers may be of help to the science teachers in doing this.}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_christensonnina_2025,
  title = {Balancing risk perception and climate literacy: Education for climate action},
  author = {Christenson, Nina and Haglund, Jesper and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2025},
  language = {eng},
  keywords = {climate literace; risk perception; science education; biology; physics},
  abstract = {Climate change is the most significant global challenge of our time, with widespread impacts on the environment, economy, public health, and social stability (IPCC, 2023). Recognizing this, the USGCRP (2009) highlights the importance of prioritizing climate literacy in education—a multifaceted concept that extends beyond factual knowledge to include scientific skills, personal attitudes, and values that empower individuals to address climate-related issues and adopt climate-conscious behaviors (Dupigny-Giroux, 2010).This presentation reports from an international research project exploring the role of climate education and risk perception in fostering climate-friendly intentions to act. Empirical findings from a large-scale survey of the public (N= 2000) and upper secondary students (N= 582) indicate that incorporating global risk perception significantly improves predictive models of climate-friendly intentions to act. Thus, risk perception plays a crucial role in shaping climate-friendly behavior, with global risk perception having a stronger impact than personal, local, risk perception. However, in depth interviews with young people (N=15) already engaged in climate action suggest that excessive risk perception can lead to anxiety and disengagement, underscoring the need for balanced educational approaches. Furthermore, an action research study, conducted in collaboration with researchers and science and social science teachers at three lower secondary schools, focused on integrating interdisciplinary teaching of climate change with an emphasis on local flooding risks. Findings revealed tensions between pedagogical priorities. Science teachers often emphasize climate change as a physical phenomenon, whereas social science teachers highlight emotional engagement and behavioral motivation. While students generally appreciate climate-focused learning experiences and express climate-friendly aspirations, their emotional engagement and corresponding actions often remain limited. In conclusion, the project’s findings emphasize the need for interdisciplinary and balanced educational approaches that enhance climate literacy while ensuring that young people are both motivated and equipped to take meaningful climate action.}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_christensonnina_2025_1,
  title = {How do young people perceive risk in the context of climate change? A binational interview study from Germany and Sweden},
  author = {Christenson, Nina and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2025},
  language = {eng},
  keywords = {environmental education; science education; sustainability; biology},
  abstract = {In view of the far-reaching consequences of climate change, science education aims to provide students with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes they need to take responsible action – also known as climate literacy. In this context, risk perception has gained increasing attention to better understand why people engage in climate action. However, many of the studies that have addressed climate change risk perception have used quantitative methods and targeted adults. Therefore, there is untapped potential for qualitative research on young people’s risk perception to enrich the discussion on what can potentially be addressed and covered in science education. To approach this gap, an interview study was conducted with young people from Germany and Sweden to explore what aspects of risk perception are referred to when they report on their engagement in a climate movement. The results show that participants’ answers cover both cognitive and socio-emotional aspects related to their risk perception. Regarding their overall risk perception, the results reveal a rather ambivalent picture: On the one hand, the perceived risk of climate change was cited as a reason and justification for their climate action. On the other hand, risk perception was sometimes also experienced as an obstacle to climate action, as it was closely linked to feelings of being overwhelmed and powerless. This ambivalence requires further research to ultimately clarify how risk perception could be (adequately) addressed in science education so that it is perceived as a driving force and not an obstacle to students’ climate action. }
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_christensonnina_2024,
  title = {Insikter från forskningsprojektet ”Att undervisa om klimatförändringar”: Resultat och konsekvenser för undervisning i naturvetenskaperna},
  author = {Christenson, Nina and Haglund, Jesper and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2024},
  language = {swe},
  keywords = {biology; physics},
  abstract = {Denna studie syftar till att förstå och utveckla klimatkunnande (climate literacy) för skolan. I det internationella forskningsprojektet "Att undervisa om klimatförändringar – teoretisering av klimatkunnande och utveckling av lärtillfällen" samarbetar forskare från Karlstads universitet och IPN (Leibniz Institute for Science and Mathematics Education) i Kiel för att utveckla empiriskt grundade kunskaper för undervisning i klimatfrågor.I den första delstudien kartlade vi vilka aspekter av klimatkunnande som främjar klimatvänligt agerande, genom storskaliga enkätundersökningar bland allmänheten, lärare och gymnasieelever. Resultaten visar att riskuppfattning har störst påverkan på viljan att agera, men att kunskaper om t.ex. växthuseffekten som fenomen har mindre påverkan. Den andra delstudien undersökte klimataktivisters drivkrafter och åtgärdsförslag genom djupintervjuer. Aktivisterna betonar vikten av kollektivt agerande men lyfter också fram pressen att själva agera förebildligt. Dessa resultat användes därefter i en tredje delstudie. I denna utvecklades undervisningsmaterial om klimatförändringar i samarbete med högstadielärare (NO och SO) och testades i åtta högstadieklasser (årskurser åtta och nio). Eleverna fick, förutom traditionell undervisning i skolan, även delta i aktiviteter i RiskLab® vid Karlstads universitet, med fokus på klimatrisker och handlingskompetens. Resultaten visar att eleverna har grundläggande kunskaper om orsaker till klimatförändringar och individuellt agerande, men mindre kunskap om klimatanpassning, lokala klimatrisker och kollektivt agerande. Presentationens fokus ligger på implikationer för undervisning om klimatförändringar i naturvetenskapliga ämnen i skolan.}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_christensonnina_2015,
  title = {Science and Swedish language teachers’ assessment of upper secondary students’ socioscientific argumentation},
  author = {Christenson, Nina and Gericke, Niklas and Rundgren, Shu-Nu Chang},
  year = {2015},
  language = {eng},
  abstract = {The Swedish curricula, as well as researchers and policy makers worldwide, have recognized the importance of promoting and including sociscientific argumentation in science education to promote scientific literacy. However, to teach socioscientific argumentation in not an easy task for science teachers and among the difficulties is the assessment practice. In this small-scale qualitative study, we have, investigated and compared how science and Swedish language teachers, participating in a SSI-driven project, assess students’ written argumentation about Global warming. The Swedish language teachers have a long tradition of teaching and assessing argumentation and therefore it is of interest to identify possible gaps between these two groups. The results indicate that the science teachers focus on students’ ability to reproduce content knowledge within their respective subject that they have been teaching. The Swedish language teachers include students’ abilities to select and use content knowledge from trustable reference resources, in addition to the structure of the argumentation and the form of the language used. In fact, the Swedish language teachers’ assessment correlates more to previous research about quality in socioscientific argumentation and we suggest that a closer co-operation between these two groups can be beneficial to enhance the quality of assessing students’ socioscientific argumentation.}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_christensonnina_2018,
  title = {Teaching sustainability using a spatial planning game – Risk Ville},
  author = {Christenson, Nina and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2018},
  language = {eng},
  keywords = {biology},
  abstract = {Climate change is one of the greatest contemporary challenges facing humanity and consequently weneed to equip science teacher students with knowledge and understanding of the causes andconsequences of a changing climate. Societies resilience depends on its citizens’ capability to respondto risks. It is through education that learners can be subject to the responsibility of reacting to challengingsocial issues in connection to risks, e.g. associated with a changing climate, which is linked to responsible citizenship. Hence, education is a key component in the important work of transfer of risk knowledge andrisk reduction.At the Center for Climate and Safety at Karlstad University, Sweden, we use a game, Risk Ville, forlearning about issues related to building societies resilient to risks related to climate change. We use thisgame in teacher education to illustrate the complexity and promote discussions on how to handle theconsequences of a changing climate. In an ongoing research project, we investigate the potential forlearning about risks and sustainable community planning in relation to climate related hazards (e.g.flooding) when teacher students are playing Risk Ville by analyzing the students discourse. Preliminaryfindings show that the teacher students are using a wide range of different resources of knowledge butalso that values paly a large role their decision making when playing the game.}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_deloofhaydee_2019,
  title = {High tech learning environments – Are teachers ready for the future?},
  author = {De Loof, Haydee and Walan, Susanne and Boeve-de Pauw, Jelle and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2019},
  language = {eng},
  keywords = {biology}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_elhanicharbel_2014,
  title = {Genes in textbooks and media: Framing the discourse about genetics in society},
  author = {El-Hani, Charbel and Gericke, Niklas and Carver, Rebecca and Castéra, Jérémy},
  year = {2014},
  language = {eng}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_erikssonanders_2024,
  title = {Expanding and Enhancing the Notion of Photosynthesis Education in an Educational Design Research Study},
  author = {Eriksson, Anders and Gericke, Niklas and Olsson, Daniel},
  year = {2024},
  language = {eng},
  keywords = {biology}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_forsstenseiseranette_2023,
  title = {Developing School Leading Guidelines: Facilitating a Whole School Approach to Education for Sustainable Development},
  author = {Forssten Seiser, Anette and Mogren, Anna and Berglund, Teresa and Gericke, Niklas and Olsson, Daniel},
  year = {2023},
  journal = {Symposium title: Leadership agency and functions in implementation processes towards whole school approaches to education for sustainable development in primary and secondary schools},
  language = {eng},
  abstract = {In this multidisciplinary study we have explored the function of school leading in the implementation process of education for sustainable development (ESD), employing a whole school approach (WSA). School leading and school improvement are both established research fields within leading and development; therefore, it was wise to use the knowledge that is available within these two fields on how to lead and implement improvements in school organizations. A multidisciplinary approach contributes through knowledge regarding the implementation of socially and educationally sustainable qualities. A WSA involves all parts of the school organization contributes to a comprehensive perspective by emphasizing connections between school leading, local school organizations, and ESD implementation. Finally, a practice-informed approach provides valuable insights by investigating principals’ leading and its preconditions in terms of the practice architectures enabling or constraining the realization of a WSA to ESD. Practice architectures exist in a dialectical relationship with the practices that they prefigure, in that they both constitute and are constituted by practice. Undertaking this work required an examination of what happened when ESD was implemented in local school over a period of time. In order to do this, we returned to the five schools in a municipality that had initiated an ESD project in 2016, interviewing principals in 2018 and then again in 2020. The interviews explored whether (or not) the local preconditions had developed into practice architectures that facilitated a WSA to ESD. Based on the empirical results from this study and school improvement theory, guidelines were developed that can be used to drive a WSA to ESD process forward through three different school improvement phases: initiation, implementation, and institutionalization. }
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_garrechtcarola_2022,
  title = {“Don’t we all have a responsibility to act?”: Action competence as driver for young people’s climate action},
  author = {Garrecht, Carola and Gericke, Niklas and Christenson, Nina and Harms, Ute},
  year = {2022},
  language = {eng},
  keywords = {environmental science},
  abstract = {Enabling students to engage with socioscientific issues has been described as a central aim of modern science education. This includes equipping students with the knowledge and skillsnecessary to take responsible action in the light of pressing issues such as climate change.Consistent with this aim, action competence defines the (1) knowledge, (2) willingness, and (3) efficacy that theoretically characterise those students who are able to take conscious action on climate-related issues. To date, however, there has been a lack of research on the extent to which action competence influences young people’s climate action, and there is only scattered evidence on the role that biology education can play in this regard. To address this gap, the present study examines which aspects of action competence young people consider most relevant when reporting on their climate action. Twenty-eight semi-structured interviews were conducted in Sweden and Germany (N = 14 interviews per country) with young adults who are actively engaged in climate movements such as Fridays-for-Future. The interview data is analysed using the method of qualitative content analysis. Preliminary results suggest that the aspect of efficacy is particularly strong among participants while knowledge about climate change is rather seen as a threshold for action. For biology education, these results argue for a stronger link between climate-related content knowledge and its application to evaluate the effectiveness of climate-related actions.}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_gerickeniklas_2011,
  title = {A multimodal approach to children’s meaning making of the woods},
  author = {Gericke, Niklas and Hagberg, Mariana},
  year = {2011},
  language = {eng},
  keywords = {biology}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_gerickeniklas_2015,
  title = {An Evaluation-study of the ESD-implementation in Sweden},
  author = {Gericke, Niklas and Olsson, Daniel and Berglund, Teresa},
  year = {2015},
  language = {eng},
  keywords = {biology}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_gerickeniklas_2015_1,
  title = {An investigation of ESD-implementation in Swedish schools by assessing students’ sustainability consciousness},
  author = {Gericke, Niklas and Olsson, Daniel and Berglund, Teresa and Uitto, Anna and Saloranta, Seppo and Boeve-de Pauw, Jelle and van Petegem, Peter and Goldman, Daphe},
  year = {2015},
  language = {eng}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_gerickeniklas_2017,
  title = {An investigation of ESD-implementation in Swedish schools by assessing students’ Sustainability Consciousness},
  author = {Gericke, Niklas and Olsson, Daniel and Berglund, Teresa},
  year = {2017},
  language = {eng},
  keywords = {biology}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_gerickeniklas_2017_1,
  title = {Assessing The Effect Of Education For Sustainable Development In The Swedish School System},
  author = {Gericke, Niklas and Berglund, Teresa and Olsson, Daniel and Boeve-de Pauw, Jelle},
  year = {2017},
  language = {eng},
  keywords = {biology}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_gerickeniklas_2016,
  title = {Biology Textbooks Between Science and the State: The Case of Mendelism in Sweden},
  author = {Gericke, Niklas and Dostal, O. and Radick, G. and Roque, R. and Jiang, L.},
  year = {2016},
  language = {eng}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_gerickeniklas_2023,
  title = {Climate action in the eyes of young activists – from direct individual actions to collective indirect actions – and back again},
  author = {Gericke, Niklas and Christenson, Nina and Garrecht, Carola},
  year = {2023},
  language = {eng},
  keywords = {education},
  abstract = {Previous research has found that social norms and efficacy are important for self-reported mitigating behaviors in relation to climate change, but less is known about what type of actions more committed students opt for. Therefore, this study aims to describe what aspects of climate action underpin their willingness to act. An interview study with 30 student activists (18-29 years) in Germany and Sweden who are actively involved in climate movements was conducted. The transcribed recordings were analyzed using qualitative thematic content analysis. The proposed actions were coded according the two dimensions of action possibilities: individual/collective and direct/indirect. Two main pathways towards mitigating climate change become visible in the data. The most emphasized pathway describes the importance to create opinion via indirect actions, mainly at the collective level, but also at the individual level, to create pressure on the political system to change legal systems and social norms. A second, less emphasized pathway points to the need for direct individual actions as a way to act as moral role models. The results highlight the needs to redirect climate change education away from only teaching at the individual level, as commonly suggested in climate literacy programs in schools}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_gerickeniklas_2017_2,
  title = {Deepening Students' Understanding of Modern Genetics: Four Approaches that Link Molecular Genetics with Mendelian Genetics},
  author = {Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2017},
  language = {eng},
  keywords = {biology}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_gerickeniklas_2018,
  title = {Epigenetic literacy and the implementation of epigenetics in school biology},
  author = {Gericke, Niklas and Mc Ewen, Birgitta and Thörne, Karin},
  year = {2018},
  language = {eng},
  keywords = {biology},
  abstract = {In this study we aim to define what epigenetic literacy should be, and further investigate how it can be implemented in school biology. Epigenetics is the understanding of how the environment interplays with genes, and thus how the environment can affect human characteristics and behaviour. ‘Epi’ derives from the Greek word for ‘over’ and ‘above’ and the word ‘epigenetics’ refers to the mechanisms acting ‘above’ the sequence of the DNA base-pairs. Epigenetics has revolutionized biological theory since it explains how our life style, including factors such as exercise, stress and nutrition, influences our genes. Hence, everyday lifestyle decisions can materialistically explain cell changes and give information about the future health of, for example, students. Health issues are highly profiled in media and society today. However, epigenetics is not yet included in the biology curricula in Sweden or many other countries. Therefore, this study aims to identify what should be taught in school biology about epigenetics, and investigate how it can be integrated in genetics education.The study includes two ongoing sub-studies: a Delphi study and a Design study we investigate what epigenetic processes and conceptions a citizen needs to know to be able to make relevant decisions concerning both personal and social issues related to epigenetics. In the design study we develop, implement and evaluate a teaching module based on the findings from the Delphi study. Twelve in-service biology teachers at lower and upper secondary schools will take part in this study.In the Delphi study we identified three main areas of epigenetic literacy regarding 1) Epigenetic content knowledge, including core ideas of mechanisms, chromatin, cell differentiation, cell memory, enzymatic control, life history, reversibility and risk; 2) Epigenetic and society, including core ideas of epigenetics related to its influence on lifestyle, diseases, pregnancy, ethics, manipulation of organisms, policy, forensics, policy and crimes; 3) Organization of teaching epigenetics, an area in which most experts recommend that epigenetics should mainly be integrated with the genetic units, but also with other biology topics such as evolution, ecology and health education. The Delphi study show that epigenetics is considered a controversial topic from a scientific perspective because the view of epigenetics as a paradigm shift or not differs among the experts. Therefore, many experts recommended that epigenetics should be taught from a nature of science perspective. At the ERIDOB conference results relating to the design study will also be presented.}
}

@incollection{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_gerickeniklas_2018_1,
  title = {Genetics},
  author = {Gericke, Niklas and El-Hani, Charbel},
  year = {2018},
  journal = {Teaching Biology in Schools},
  pages = {111--123},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {New York : Routledge},
  keywords = {biology}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_gerickeniklas_2018_2,
  title = {How to teach sustainability within secondary biology education?: A study on teachers’ ideas on powerful knowledge},
  author = {Gericke, Niklas and Sund, Per and Bladh, Gabriel},
  year = {2018},
  language = {eng},
  keywords = {biology}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_gerickeniklas_2022,
  title = {Identifying capital for school improvement: Recommendations for a whole school approach to ESD implementation},
  author = {Gericke, Niklas and Torbjörnsson, Tomas},
  year = {2022},
  language = {eng},
  keywords = {capacity building; education for sustainable development; school improvement; teacher professional development; whole school approach; education}
}

@incollection{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_gerickeniklas_2018_3,
  title = {Introduction – challenges, trajectories and opportunities for biology education research},
  author = {Gericke, Niklas and Grace, Marcus},
  year = {2018},
  journal = {Challenges in biology education research},
  pages = {11--16},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {Karlstad : Karlstad University Press},
  keywords = {biology education research; eridob; biology}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_gerickeniklas_2015_2,
  title = {Investigating the effect of ESD-implementation in the Swedish school system by assessingstudents’ sustainability consciousness},
  author = {Gericke, Niklas and Olsson, Daniel and Berglund, Teresa},
  year = {2015},
  language = {eng}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_gerickeniklas_2018_4,
  title = {Investigating the relationship between beliefs in genetic determinism as related to knowledge in genetics and genomics},
  author = {Gericke, Niklas and Carver, Rebecca and Castéra, Jérémy and Menezes Evangelista, Neima Alice and Coiffard Marrec, Claire and El-Hani, Charbel},
  year = {2018},
  language = {eng},
  keywords = {biology},
  abstract = {Genetic determinism can be described as the attribution of the formation of traits to genes, where genes are ascribed more causal power than what scientific consensus suggests. This belief is especially problematic when it engenders intolerant attitudes such as racism and prejudice against sexual orientation. The rationale for this is a naturalistic fallacy in genetic deterministic discourse, assuming that what is natural (in this case genetically predetermined) is inherently good or right.In this study we investigate the relationship between belief in genetic determinism and knowledge of genetics and genomics. The aim is to examine whether knowledge in genetics and genomics can counteract the development of beliefs in genetic determinism. From a scientific point of view there has long been awareness that the description of the gene as an active agent determining phenotypic traits by itself is a ‘strawman model’ used in genetic studies as an instrumental model focusing on the genetic factor ignoring environmental factors. Moreover, in the last decades the development of genomics and epigenetics has reinforced the notion of gene action as probabilistic and mutually interdependent with the environment through gene activity regulatory processes, further reducing the understanding of genes as sole active agents in the construction of phenotypes. Hence, one can conjecture that knowledge in modern genetics and genomics counteracts beliefs in the excessive power of genes and, thus, beliefs in genetic determinism.We gathered and analyzed statistically data by means of a newly developed questionnaire instrument, “Public Understanding and Attitudes towards Genetics and Genomics” (PUGGS), applied to a group of 427 Brazilian freshmen university students. The results shows no correlations between belief in genetic determinism and knowledge in genetics and genomics. Hence, this study does not give empirical support for the argument that enhancing genetic literacy can prevent genetic deterministic beliefs. There were however indications that social factors (age and religiousness) may have importance for the formation of genetic deterministic beliefs.The result also shows that belief in genetic determinism is a complex construct that seems to differentiate into two constructs or belief systems: a belief in social traits and a belief in biological traits. The study did not give any support for the existence of widespread beliefs in genetic determination of social traits. This is an unexpected result, which contradicts much of what has been suggested in the literature. }
}

@incollection{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_gerickeniklasm_2009,
  title = {Scientific Models of Gene Function: a Historical Overview},
  author = {Gericke, Niklas M. and Hagberg, Mariana},
  year = {2009},
  journal = {Ämnesdidaktiska brobyggen  -},
  pages = {124--131},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {Karlstad : Karlstad University Press},
  keywords = {biology}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_gerickeniklas_2015_3,
  title = {Mendel and Mendelian Genetics in School Biology},
  author = {Gericke, Niklas and Smith, Mike},
  year = {2015},
  language = {eng}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_gerickeniklas_2013,
  title = {Mendel in the classroom: Historical controversies & modern use},
  author = {Gericke, Niklas and Smith, Mike, U.},
  year = {2013},
  language = {eng},
  keywords = {biology}
}

@incollection{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_gerickeniklas_2014,
  title = {Naturvetenskap som allmänbildning inom molekylärvetenskaperna – Betydelsen av språk, diskurs och identitet},
  author = {Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2014},
  journal = {Språk, diskurs och identitet},
  pages = {7--20},
  language = {swe},
  publisher = {Karlstad : Karlstads universitet},
  keywords = {biology}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_gerickeniklas_2014_1,
  title = {On the issue of‘ Research in 'Didactics of Biology’},
  author = {Gericke, Niklas and Ottander, Christina},
  year = {2014},
  language = {eng},
  keywords = {biology}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_gerickeniklas_2016_1,
  title = {On the issue of 'Research in Didactics of Biology': Definitions and demarcations},
  author = {Gericke, Niklas and Ottander, Christina},
  year = {2016},
  journal = {The future of biology education research},
  pages = {155--162},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {Haifa, Israel : The Technion, Israel Institute of Technology and The Weitzmann Institute of Science},
  keywords = {biologididaktik; didactics of biology; didactics of natural science; naturvetenskapens didaktik; biology}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_gerickeniklas_2018_5,
  title = {Powerful knowledge and transformation processes across school subjects},
  author = {Gericke, Niklas and Hudson, Brian and Olin-Scheller, Christina},
  year = {2018},
  language = {eng},
  keywords = {biology; education}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_gerickeniklas_2018_6,
  title = {Powerful knowledge and transformations processes across school subjects: interdisciplinary perspectives from the field of subject didactics},
  author = {Gericke, Niklas and Hudson, Brian and Olin-Scheller, Christina and Stolare, Martin},
  year = {2018},
  language = {eng},
  keywords = {biology; samhällskunskap; education},
  abstract = {In this paper we outline an empirical research framework building on the concepts of powerful knowledge and transformation. Powerful knowledge as an idea was coined by Michael Young (2009) to re-establish the importance of knowledge in teaching and curriculum development. Powerful knowledge is defined by Young as a subject specific coherent conceptual disciplinary knowledge that when learnt will empower students to make decisions, and become action-competent in a way that influence their lives in a positive way. We develop the concept of powerful knowledge in two important ways. First, instead of only discussing powerful knowledge as an idea related to educational practices, we take a research position suggesting that powerful knowledge could be used as a tool in educational research related to subject specific education. In doing so we, in line with Deng (2015), propose to align the curricular concept of powerful knowledge to the European research tradition of didactics in general, and subject didactics in particular. Second, we develop the concept of powerful knowledge by refuting the dichotomization suggested by Young (2015) that curriculum (‘what to teach’) can be separated from pedagogy (‘how to teach’). Instead we view these two questions as interrelated in didactical research.We suggest an expansion of the concept of powerful knowledge by using the analytical concept of transformation as a key concept in describing powerful knowledge in different disciplines, institutions and school subjects. The reason for this is that the concept of transformation is a central issue for didactical research from different European research traditions. Transformation as we understand it can be described as an integrative process in which the content knowledge is transformed into knowledge that is taught and learned through various transformation processes outside and within the educational system in relation to individual, institutional and societal level. Such processes of transformation are apparent in concepts related to a number of different frameworks including: ‘transposition’ (Chevallard 2007), ‘omstilling’ (Ongstad 2006) and ‘reconstruction’ (Duit et al. 2012), and are also reflected in the work of Bernstein (1971) in relation to the concept of ‘re-contextualisation’ within the curriculum tradition. The school subject is never a simple reduction of the discipline. The content knowledge is always transformed to fit the educational purpose of teaching. Hence, to study the concept of powerful knowledge within school subjects we need to study its transformation processes, and address the ‘why’ question in addition to the ‘what’ and ‘how’ questions.Moreover, the concept of powerful knowledge and the transformation processes the content of powerful knowledge undergo, must be placed in a wider context, where questions addressing societal challenges are raised. In a changing society the argument is being made that it is not obvious that powerful knowledge only stems from academic disciplines. For example, how does the emerging and rapidly changing media landscape affect powerful knowledge and how could powerful knowledge be understood in a connected classroom? How should interdisciplinary topics such as sustainability and migration be taught? What is powerful knowledge in such topics then emerges as a relevant question.}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_gerickeniklas_2020,
  title = {Recent Trends in Genetics Education Research},
  author = {Gericke, Niklas and Mc Ewen, Birgitta and Thörne, Karin},
  year = {2020},
  language = {eng},
  keywords = {biology}
}

@phdthesis{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_gerickeniklas_2009,
  title = {Science versus School-science: Multiple models in genetics - The depiction of gene function in upper secondary textbooks and its influence on students' understanding},
  author = {Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2009},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {Karlstads universitet},
  keywords = {conceptual change; history of science; models; nature of science; students’ understanding; textbooks; upper secondary school; subject didactics; ämnesdidaktik; biology},
  abstract = {In this thesis I describe a study of how the science of genetics is transformed into school science in upper secondary level textbooks and the impact that this transformation has on students’ understanding. The didactic challenge that we face is to decide which science from the academic disciplines we should bring into schools.   Using the History and Philosophy of Science as my point of reference, I identified and categorized five multiple historical models of gene function: the Mendelian model, the classical model, the biochemical-classical model, the neoclassical model and the modern model. I then developed a research instrument to be used to analyse how these models are transformed within the educational system via textbooks. Biology and chemistry textbooks from Sweden, as well as a number from English speaking countries, were studied. The models used to describe gene function in the textbooks were investigated, as were the conceptual changes between the actual models and the way they are presented in textbooks. Finally I studied how the transformed science in textbooks is understood by students.   I found that all the multiple historical models were used implicitly in the textbooks. The older historical models were presented more frequently, resulting in a simplified and deterministic description of genetics. Throughout the textbooks a specific model was usually described in a particular subject matter context. The models used in the textbooks were usually hybrid models consisting of features from several of the historical models, thus creating incommensurability. The textbooks do not provide any epistemological foundations to facilitate readers’ understanding of the implications of multiple models. Furthermore my results show that, when reading the textbooks, students’ have difficulties in detecting the use of multiple models, incommensurability, and the conceptual changes that occur in a content-specific context such as gene function. Overall, students’ understanding of the use of multiple models, conceptual change, and incommensurability reflects the way in which they are depicted in the textbooks. Students’ domain-specific difficulties in understanding genetics might therefore be due to the way science is transformed into school science.     These findings indicate the importance of epistemological aspects in the transformation of science into school science, i.e. science as a way of knowing, not only for students’ understanding of the nature of science, but also for their understanding of the conceptual knowledge. The degree to which school science should mimic the academic discipline, as well as an understanding of what is lost in the transformation of science into school science, are key issues discussed in the thesis.}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_gerickeniklas_2010,
  title = {Students’ comprehension of multiple models in school textbooks},
  author = {Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2010},
  language = {eng},
  keywords = {biology}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_gerickeniklas_2010_1,
  title = {Students’ understanding of models in textbooks},
  author = {Gericke, Niklas and Hagberg, Mariana},
  year = {2010},
  journal = {XIV IOSTE Symposium, Bled, Slovenia, conference proceedings},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: IRI UL, Institute for innovation and Development of University of Ljubljana},
  keywords = {biology}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_gerickeniklas_2014_2,
  title = {Sustainability Consciousness as a way to evaluate ESD-implementation in Sweden},
  author = {Gericke, Niklas and Berglund, Teresa and Olsson, Daniel and Rundgren, Shu-Nu Chang},
  year = {2014},
  language = {eng},
  keywords = {biology}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_gerickeniklas_2017_3,
  title = {The effect of education for sustainable development in Swedish schools},
  author = {Gericke, Niklas and Berglund, Teresa and Olsson, Daniel and Boeve-de Pauw, Jelle},
  year = {2017},
  language = {eng},
  keywords = {biology},
  abstract = {Perhaps the most important issue in our time is how to sustain our planet’s resources, while developing wealth and well-being for a growing population. This monumental task has been defined in the concept of sustainable development (SD). During the last few decades the world communities have agreed upon addressing SD through international treaties. As a response Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) has been launched as an answer to cope with sustainability. In the past it has been suggested that education through improved knowledge levels and/or changed values would change people’s behavior in a more environmental friendly way. These suggestions have been criticized since sustainable problems often are ‘wicked’, i.e. problems that are difficult or solve because of incomplete, contradictory, and changing requirements based on what perspectives you prioritize. Instead transformative perspectives on ESD has been propagated the last decades suggesting that education should foster ‘critical thinkers’ and ‘action competence’ so that the future generation can decided upon and take action in an insightful way to these wicked problems. However, empirical studies are a missing link in the discourse around transformative ESD approaches, where decisions and implementation strategies are heavily based on policy recommendations and gut feelings by practitioners. We used data from 2413 students in grades 6, 9, and 12 from 51 schools across Sweden to study the effectiveness of ESD. In line with the current debate on the definition of ESD, we quantified the extent to which teaching can be labeled as holistic and/or pluralistic. Through a series of descriptive analyses and the estimation of structural equation models, our results indicate that ESD can indeed impact on student outcomes in terms of their sustainability consciousness. The results of this study reveal the key role ESD plays in addressing SD, paving the way for a more sustainable future.  }
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_gerickeniklas_2014_3,
  title = {The effect of ESD-implementation in the Swedish school system on students’ sustainability consciousness},
  author = {Gericke, Niklas and Olsson, Daniel and Berglund, Teresa},
  year = {2014},
  language = {eng}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_gerickeniklas_2011_1,
  title = {The Missing Link in Genetics Education: A Historical Perspective},
  author = {Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2011},
  language = {eng},
  keywords = {biology}
}

@incollection{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_gerickeniklas_2014_4,
  title = {Twenty-First-Century Century Genetics and Genomics: Contributions of HPS Informed Research and Pedagogy},
  author = {Gericke, Niklas and Smith, Mike, U.},
  year = {2014},
  journal = {International Handbook of Research in History, Philosophy and Science Teaching},
  pages = {423--467},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {Dordrecht : Springer},
  keywords = {biology}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_gerickeniklas_2018_7,
  title = {Vad är epigenetisk allmänbildning? – En Delfistudie},
  author = {Gericke, Niklas and Mc Ewen, Birgitta},
  year = {2018},
  language = {swe},
  keywords = {biology},
  abstract = {Epigenetics has revolutionized biological theory since it explains how our life style, including factors such as exercise, stress and nutrition, influences our genes. Epigenetics is the understanding of how the environment interplays with genes, and thus how the environment can affect human characteristics and behaviour. Hence, everyday lifestyle decisions can materialistically explain cell changes and give information about the future health of, for example, students. However, epigenetics is not yet included in the biology curricula in Sweden or many other countries. Therefore, this study aims through a Delphi-study to identify what should be considered as epigenetic literacy and therefore be taught in school. In the Delphi-study a panel of experts related to different fields of epigenetics answers questions about what a citizen needs to know about epigenetics. In the Delphi study we identified three main areas of epigenetic literacy regarding: 1) Epigenetic content knowledge, including core ideas of mechanisms, chromatin, cell differentiation, cell memory, enzymatic control, life history, reversibility and risk. 2) Epigenetic and society, including core ideas of epigenetics related to its influence on lifestyle, diseases, pregnancy, ethics, manipulation of organisms, policy, forensics, policy and crimes. 3) Organization of teaching epigenetics, an area in which most experts recommend that epigenetics should mainly be integrated with the genetic units, but also with other biology topics such as evolution, ecology and health education. Moreover, the Delphi study show that epigenetics is considered a controversial topic from a scientific perspective because the view of epigenetics as a paradigm shift or not differs among the experts. Therefore, many experts recommended that epigenetics should be taught from a nature of science perspective.}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_gricemarie_2018,
  title = {Kompetenser för lärare inom utbildning förhållbar utveckling – konstruktionen av ett enkätinstrument},
  author = {Grice, Marie and Mogren, Anna and Grantz, Helene and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2018},
  journal = {Pedagogisk forskning i Sverige},
  volume = {3},
  number = {23},
  pages = {262--289},
  language = {swe},
  publisher = {: Swedish Educational Research Association},
  keywords = {utbildning för hållbar utveckling (uhu); implementering av perspektivet utbildning för hållbar utveckling; lärares kompetenser för undervisning för hållbar utveckling; enkätinstrument; education},
  abstract = {Empiriska studier om lärares kompetens för undervisning inom utbildning för hållbar utveckling (UHU) är efterfrågade, men få forskningsinstrument finns tillgängliga. Studiens syfte är att ta fram ett enkätinstrument som kan beskriva lärares kompetens att implementera UHU. Ett andra syfte är att undersöka samband mellan UHU-kompetens och bakgrundsvariablerna: kön, ålder, undervisningsämne och antal år i yrket. I studien undersöks gymnasielärares (n=183) förhållningssätt till undervisning om UHU på en skola med ett uttalat UHU-arbete där förhållningssätt ses som ett uttryck för lärares UHU-kompetens. Utvecklingen av enkätinstrumentet baseras på det internationellt vedertagna OECD-ramverket DeSeCo:s (Definition and Selection of Competencies) definition av kompetensbegreppet. Explorativ faktoranalys identifierade fyra dimensioner av UHU-kompetens: didaktik, motivation, kapacitet och hinder. Inga korrelationer hittades mellan dimensionerna och bakgrundsvariablerna, vilket kan bero på en gemensam skolkultur. I framtida studier behöver instrumentets validitet för lärare som inte arbetat med UHU studeras.},
  issn = {1401-6788}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_lampertpeter_2022,
  title = {Action Competence for Insect Preservation (ACIP): A new framework and quantitative scale to take action for insects},
  author = {Lampert, Peter and Olsson, Daniel and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2022},
  language = {eng},
  keywords = {biology; education},
  abstract = {The decline of pollinators and other insects is a worldwide environmental issue with potential negative effects on ecosystems and our daily lives. Therefore, halting insect decline is a key aim of several international policies. Despite a growing awareness of the problem, the rates of decline are still growing, which indicates an implementation gap in many areas. Therefore,our educational design research project focuses on “Action Competence for Insect Preservation (ACIP)” to close citizens’ implementation gap. The project shall improve the theoretical understanding of citizens’ ACIP. This is achieved by developing the new ACIP-framework and a corresponding quantitative research instrument to measure citizens’ competences in this field. The ACIP-framework provides educators with a scientifically grounded frame for teaching about the topic of insect conservation in an action-oriented way. The two main categories of the framework are direct actions and indirect actions, which both 63contribute to mitigate insect declines. The new research scale enables the assessment of individuals self-perceived action competences and shows a broad spectrum of potential applications in educational contexts. At the ERIDOB conference, we will present details of the development and validation of the ACIP-framework and the quantitative scale. We will also outline how we use educational design research to connect these two components with the design of teaching interventions. Finally, we will discuss how the framework and the research instrument can help to overcome implementation gaps in insect preservation and contribute to achieve global diversity and sustainability goals.}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_lampertpeter_2024,
  title = {Actions for Insects – An action-oriented intervention on biodiversity and insect conservation},
  author = {Lampert, Peter and Olsson, Daniel and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2024},
  language = {eng},
  keywords = {biology},
  abstract = {Insects play a crucial role in maintaining the balance in ecosystems and provide essential ecosystem services that directly benefit us humans. Unfortunately, many groups of insects are rapidly declining, and researchers warn from the negative consequences of this decline. Therefore, it is highly relevant to educate people about the issue of insect decline and to empower people to take actions that contribute to sustain insect biodiversity. The presented teaching intervention "Actions for Insects" supports students in developing their own action competence to contribute to insect conservation. The intervention focuses on action-oriented learning to provide learners with the possibility to plan and take own real world actions for insect conservation. Action for Insects provides students with background information on insects, facilitates hands-on actions to support insects, and encourages students to use iNaturalist as a digital tool for insect observation. The teaching design is theory-based and fits to the Swedish curriculum for lower and upper secondary schools, which enables an integration in regular biology classes. The intervention was successfully tested with more than 180 students from four lower secondary compulsory schools in Sweden in 2022. The accompanying research showed that the participating students improved their self-perceived levels of knowledge, confidence, and willingness to take conservation actions for insects. The symposium contribution focuses on the theoretical backgrounds and the structure of Actions for Insects and highlights key findings and practical experiences.}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_lampertpeter_2025,
  title = {Empowering Students to Act for Biodiversity: Implementation and Upscaling of a Teaching Approach based on Action Competence},
  author = {Lampert, Peter and Mogren, Anna and Berglund, Teresa and Olsson, Daniel and Hoppenreijs, Jacqueline H.T. and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2025},
  language = {eng},
  keywords = {biology},
  abstract = {Biodiversity loss is a major environmental issue around the globe. Science education can play a transformational role by embedding the importance of sustaining biodiversity in society at large. For this, it is first necessary to develop and investigate effective teaching approaches focusing on biodiversity. Second, it is necessary to provide structures and collaborations that enable to upscale these approaches on a large scale and facilitate real world actions. Therefore, a first aim of this contribution is to present the results of a study on the effectiveness of a novel teaching approach to foster students’ action competence for taking biodiversity conservation actions. The approach focuses on insects specifically, since insects are crucial for most terrestrial ecosystems and provide key ecosystem services. This teaching approach has been implemented and investigated in a Swedish lower secondary school context in a mixed-methods pre- and post-study. Both quantitative and qualitative results show that the approach fostered students’ self-perceived action competence to take actions to sustain insect biodiversity, and led to real-world student actions. Building on these findings, a second aim of this contribution is to present the strategy for upscaling the teaching approach on biodiversity on a large scale and anchor them in society. For this, we will illustrate how we use collaborations with a wide range of different stakeholders (municipalities, national educational networks, university students in teacher education and conservation biology) to anchor action-oriented biodiversity education in the long-term and thereby contribute to transformative change.}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_lampertpeter_2024_1,
  title = {Undervisa om insekter: Och låt eleverna agera för att främja mångfald},
  author = {Lampert, Peter and Olsson, Daniel and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2024},
  journal = {Bi-lagan},
  number = {1},
  pages = {5--7},
  language = {swe},
  publisher = {: Nationellt resurscentrum för biologiundervisning},
  keywords = {education},
  abstract = {Insektsminskningen påverkar vår livsmedelsförsörjning och inverkar negativt på nästan alla ekosystem i naturen. Ett nytt upplägg för att undervisa om denna viktiga miljö- och hållbarhetsfråga och för hur elever kan stödja biologisk mångfald genom egna handlingar har tagits fram i ett forskningsprojekt vid Karlstads universitet.},
  issn = {2000-8139}
}

@phdthesis{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_lundetorodd_2020,
  title = {Undersökande arbete i en laborativ tradition: Från implicita till explicita syften med praktiskt arbete i grundskolans senare del},
  author = {Lunde, Torodd},
  year = {2020},
  language = {swe},
  publisher = {Karlstads universitet},
  keywords = {science education reseach; didactic models; inquiry-based teaching; selective traditions; teacher professional development; critical realism; chemistry},
  abstract = {The overall purpose of this study is to contribute with increased knowledge of what happens when ideas from science education research are introduced in a teaching tradition where other purposes and ideas have dominated for a long time and how gaps between these can be bridged. The study consists of three sub-studies. The first part of the study examines how inquiry-based science teaching as it is presented in the Swedish curricula has been interpreted by teachers. Twelve lower secondary teachers were recorded during group reflections on inquiry-based teaching. The study indicates that the teachers interpreted inquiry-based teaching selectively on the basis of what characterizes the laboratory teaching tradition. The second sub-study examines approaches that can be used to avoid selective interpretation of ideas during in-service teacher training. A teacher professional development program was designed to make underlying assumptions in the laboratory teaching tradition visible through three didactic models. The study is based on data from group reflections, group interviews, presentations and written documentation from 10 lower secondary teachers.  The results show that several teachers gradually become more aware of separating between different purposes when designing inquiry-based teaching. The last sub-study problematizes the gap between the view of inquiry-based teaching in science education literature and the teaching tradition. The sub-study presents a didactic model in the form of a conceptual apparatus for inquiry-based teaching, which is based on critical realism as an epistemological foundation. Arguments are presented for how this conceptual apparatus can contribute to bridging the gap between the teaching tradition and science education literature.}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_mcewenbirgitta_2015,
  title = {Female and male teachers’ pro-environmental behaviour, conceptions and attitudes towards nature and the environment do not differ: Ecofeminism put to the test},
  author = {Mc Ewen, Birgitta and Clemént, Pierre and Gericke, Niklas and Nyberg, Eva and Hagman, Mats and Landström, Jan},
  year = {2015},
  journal = {Asia-Pacific Forum on Science Learning and Teaching},
  volume = {1},
  number = {16},
  pages = {1--25},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {Hong Kong : Hong Kong Institute of education},
  keywords = {attitudes; ecofeminism; education; pro-environmental behaviour; sustainable development; teachers; biology},
  abstract = {Abstract Teachers' pro-environmental behaviour, conceptions and attitudes towards nature and the environment were investigated using 47 questions from the BIOHEAD-Citizen questionnaire. The sample included 1,109 pre-and in-service teachers from Sweden and France. Analyses showed only few significant differences between female and male teachers. Forty-one questions were further analysed in terms of ecofeminism. Ecofeminism claims that women and men's conceptions and attitudes towards nature and the  ...},
  issn = {1609-4913}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_mcewenbirgitta_2021,
  title = {Teachers´reflections on implementing epigenetics in genetic education},
  author = {Mc Ewen, Birgitta and Gericke, Niklas and Thörne, Karin},
  year = {2021},
  language = {eng}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_mogrenanna_2018,
  title = {Conceptual work on ESD from a school improvement perspective},
  author = {Mogren, Anna and Nikel, Jutta and Varga, Attila and Wals, Arjen and Gericke, Niklas and Könczey, Réka and Saly, Erika},
  year = {2018},
  language = {eng},
  keywords = {school improvement; esd; whole school approach; eco schools; biology},
  abstract = {Chair: Anna Mogren, PhD, Karlstad University SwedenDiscussant: Professor Arjen Wals, Wageningen University, The Netherlands & Gothenburg University,SwedenThis symposium places Education for Sustainable Development ( ESD) within the field of school improvementtheory and research. In a number of studies, the Whole school approach in ESD is suggested and referred toas the work of embedding ESD into existing school visions and action plans (Breiting, Mayer & Mogensen2005 “Quality Criteria for ESD-schools”; Hargreaves 2008; Scott 2013.) The symposium therefore focuses onhow the research field of school improvement – which investigates, how efforts to help schools becomeincreasingly effective learning environments for the full range of their students have been more or lesssuccessful – might inform and challenge ESD and the ESD the Whole school approach.If ESD is to be framed and studied from a “within perspective” as an ongoing school improvement processrather than as an add-on activity to existing organisational arrangements and educational practices, it isnecessary to discuss models of school improvement in terms of their contribution to ESD. It is also importantto identify models of school improvement that can identify drivers and barriers for ESD implementation atorganisational level as well as on teaching and learning level (see Scherp 2013; Reezigt & Creemers 2005“Comprehensive framework for effective school improvement” ; Rolff 2010 “Trias of school development”;Rolff 2002 “P.dagogische Qualit.tsmanagement (PQM)”.In school improvement theory, a school’s organisation is commonly understood as reflexive in relation tocontext and supportive to the action of all members of the school community and their cooperation.Further, research suggests there are basic mechanisms contributing to effective school improvement such asgoal setting for improvement, pressures to improve, cyclical improvement processes and autonomy (seeScheerens & Demeuse 2005). Further, the school culture ought to be build up on dialogue supported byschool leadership. By this definition of school organisation, school improvement refers to collectivelysupporting factors in the organisation, to the end that students’ possibilities for learning in relation to acomplex surrounding world are enhanced.The recognition of multiple perspectives within the school organisation, e.g. cultural, structural, political andtransformational is central in investing possible models of school improvement. The search for schoolimprovement models that can discern those perspectives that are closely linked to ESD is crucial. Suchmodels of school improvement have the potential to constitute the link between the research fields of ESDand school improvement. They could serve as a tool for further research on how the Whole school approachis constructed in formal education, which is searched for in the practical work on ESD implementation.In this symposium examples from ongoing research projects on ESD where models of school improvementare used, considered or asked for in a German, Swedish and Hungarian context are presented. Thesymposium will explore the potential of integrating, adapting and rejecting theoretical perspectives andempirical evidence from school improvement into the ESD research field through intention papers with thegoal of developing knowledge about- how selected conceptual work on the Whole school approach in ESD draw on models andperspectives from school improvement theory,- how in an empirical case study a school improvement model was used to measure the ESD Wholeschool approach,- how school improvement has informed efforts and plan for upscaling ESD implementation in Eco-Schools to a larger number of public schools.Following questions from the audience, Arjen Wals (Wageningen University, The Netherlands & GothenburgUniversity, Sweden) will draw together the discussion and to explore implications for research in ESD.}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_mogrenanna_2014,
  title = {Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), a matter of school organization},
  author = {Mogren, Anna and Gericke, Niklas and Scherp, Hans-Åke},
  year = {2014},
  language = {eng},
  keywords = {biology}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_mogrenanna_2015,
  title = {Education for Sustainable Development, ESD implementation and transformative schoolorganization: a Swedish perspective of Whole school approach},
  author = {Mogren, Anna and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2015},
  language = {eng}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_mogrenanna_2014_1,
  title = {ESD, a matter of School Organization},
  author = {Mogren, Anna and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2014},
  language = {eng},
  keywords = {biology}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_mogrenanna_2017,
  title = {Failed Quality in ESD Implementation: School Leaders in Evidence Seeking of School Legitimacy to Become Whole School Organisations},
  author = {Mogren, Anna and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2017},
  language = {eng},
  keywords = {education},
  abstract = {This study seeks to investigate and understand the already established anchoring structures of quality education in schools that actively implement ESD (Laurie, Nonoyama-Tarumi, Mckeown and Hopkins 2016). The anchoring structures on leadership level are criticised for building   cultures of standards and conformity (Bottery Wright and James 2012), rather than progress change and renewal in education, which is considered a way to prevent a negative societal development (Huckle and Wals 2015). Standards and conformity is found to coexist with transformative expressions of progress and change in education.  In recent research the anchoring qualities are criticised as being too structural, predefined and apart from a real school context (Scott in Jucker and Reiner 2015) and referred to as counteracting a fruitful ESD implementation (Peters, Michael and Wals 2016; Lotz-Sisitka, Wals, Kronlid and McGarry 2015).The focus of this study is to outline which role the qualities that constitute structures and conformity (in this study called transmissive) play in schools, and what specific quality criteria the empirics underpin as necessary structures that anchor quality at ESD active schools? Qualities in transformative ESD implementation distinguish from qualities in transmissive ESD implementation. The gap between these two ESD implementation strategies can be described by qualities related to improve schools in transmissive ESD implementation to qualities used to develop schools in transformative ESD implementation (Hargreaves 2008).    The term ESDquality criteria is a specific term used in studies that directly inquired about the qualities related to ESD settings in education (Breiting, Mayer and Mogensen 2005). The study investigates the school leaders understanding of transmissive quality criteria at ESD active schools and especially those appointed high importance in the school organisation.The authors have in earlier studies investigated ESD implementation at school organisation level with the focus of qualities that are process orientated (transformative). It was found that the school organisations most frequently based on transformative qualities in education also displayed the highest degrees of transmissive qualities (Mogren and Gericke a, b). The result of high levels of transmissive qualities in schools with a successful ESD implementation created research interest for their role. The study also intends to indicate transmissive quality criteria that seems to threatens a sound ESD implementation in that they display a vague anchoring function or hinder the transformative ESD implementation. The study will answer the questions:1, What characterizes the transmissive weighted quality criteria that ESD active schools use (as anchoring) in governing a school organisation of high quality?2, Can the realization of ESD WSA at teacher level indicate which transmissive weighted quality criteria (anchors in quality criteria) that is important for a school organisation to consider?The experience of schools with an active ESD implementation is informative and crucial in breaking new ground for ESD of a high quality (Jucker and Reiner2015). Research based on school leadership within such schools is accounted for in the study.  Temporarily ´role model-schools´ are used to stand model and learn from for schools seeking information and proof on the power of a transformative ESD implementation as to redirect education to a higher quality in accordance to the local and global sustainability problems (Hargreaves 2008; Laurie, Robert, et al. 2016).The attention given to the transmissive quality criteria in this study is an attempt to find the anchoring structures  that not previously  has been the central interest for researchers  studying ESD implementation (Schwarzin 2012). Rickinson, Hall and Reid (2016) urge the need to be more curious to which factors that do make implementation programmes to work overtime beyond the fact that they are present as a tool within educational settings.In this study two different datasets are used that relates to two levels of the same school organisations. One dataset is collected at the school leader level by interviews with principals. The other dataset is based on a questionnaire study with teachers. ESD schools from a Swedish nationwide sample are identified. This is done by investigating the schools ESD activity in national ESD award systems and national databases on ESD schools. The 10 most active ESD schools are selected and validated by interviewing local school personal and ESD stakeholders. In the first data collection semi structured interviews were conducted with the principals. The main objective for the interviews was to collect data about the way principals choose to organize their schools in relation to their perception of high quality in education. During the interviews concept maps were constructed by the researcher based on the interviewees’ statements. The concept maps hold information of which quality criteria that were highlighted by different schools, and the argumentation for those choices. The trustworthiness of the concept map is confirmed by each principal. Qualitative data in the form of concept maps are translated into quantitative data by using an assessment system in which each quality criteria were given a score depending on the emphasis given by the principal. The scores separate transmissive and transformative statements. The statements formed 26 quality criteria. In this study, we compare the ranking of single quality criteria to their ranking as transmissive weighted. We identify in that way the transmissive quality criteria that is used to anchor ESD. Excerpts by school leaders help us to interpret quantitative data. The datasets on teacher level at selected ESD schools consist of a survey about school development measuring the teacher’s opinion on quality in school development. This survey was developed and used within a larger school development project in Sweden (Scherp 2013). It is an operationalisation of a school organisation model. The model is used to understand high quality in ESD active schools in an earlier study by the Authors. This study assumes the use of the model one step further; as a tool to define ESD Whole School Approach, WSA. We define what is meant by WSA and explain how the model can be used to judge the realisation of WSA at ESD active schools. This allows an identification of transmissive qualities used in schools realising ESD.Our research contributes to an empirically based understanding on the impact of the transmissive quality criteria at school organization level in schools with an active ESD implementation. This gives new arguments and input to the design of implementation programmes on ESD that holds the ambition to scale up ESD. Universally the study also contributes to the definition on quality education related to actual policy documents on ESD realisation, Global Action Programme on ESD (UN 2014). The concept of Whole School Approach, WSA is introduced as the benchmark for high quality in education. Finally, the study is designed with an interdisciplinary approach where the ESD research field rapproach the research field of educational organisation and leadership, which contributes to a modest field of research. Our first results indicate that political support is an important transmissive weighted quality criterion that leads to ESD WSA implementation. I Hence, the sharing of ideological ideas within the school or networks to measure one owns practice and organisation against seems to be an important anchoring for ESD implementation. School organisation with a lower realization of ESD WSA search their legitimization of school organisation in evidence by external actors but seems less successful in their strategy. At time for the ECER conference we foresee that we will have even more detailed results to share.}
}

@phdthesis{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_mogrenanna_2019,
  title = {Guiding Principles of Transformative Education for Sustainable Development in Local School Organisations: Investigating Whole School Approaches through a School Improvement Lens},
  author = {Mogren, Anna},
  year = {2019},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {Karlstads universitet},
  keywords = {education for sustainable development; school organisation; transformative esd; transformative quality; school improvement; whole school approach; biology},
  abstract = {The importance of an education that empowers students to engage with real societal problems to promote a sustainable future is widely acknowledged. However, the organisational characteristics of schools that facilitate such education for sustainable development (ESD) have received little attention. This thesis aims to fill this research gap by contributing new knowledge on ways that school organisations can implement transformative ESD, while aligning with a whole school approach.Swedish upper secondary schools actively implementing ESD were selected for the study. The research design used a mixed-method approach developed from the field of school improvement research. Methods included semi-structured interviews with school leaders and questionnaire surveys for teachers. School leaders’ and teachers’ understanding of quality in their local school organisation was studied.The thesis identifies the guiding principles that school leaders and teachers found important for promoting transformative ESD. These include four principal quality criteria that need structural support through collegial meetings to establish a holistic idea of ESD, namely collaborative interaction and school development, student-centred education, cooperation with local society, and proactive leadership and long-term perspective. With the support of the guiding principles, the whole school organisation contributes to teaching and learning practices in ESD active schools.The two main contributions are 1) identification of the school organisation that provide firm ground for local implementation of transformative ESD, and 2) that the internal school organisation is a prerequisite for school collaboration with the surrounding society, which is a main goal of ESD, according to policy and theory. In the case of the latter, a student-centred approach in organising education was found to facilitate such links between education and the community, which is a main goal of ESD, according to policy and theory. The results may provide useful recommendations for schools and ESD implementation programmes.}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_mogrenanna_2016,
  title = {Implementering av lärande för hållbar utveckling – den skolorganisatoriska nivån som ett stöd eller hinder?},
  author = {Mogren, Anna and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2016},
  language = {swe}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_mogrenanna_2023,
  title = {Leadership Actions in Education for Sustainable Development – Establishing Leadership Agency for Permanent Accommodation in Education},
  author = {Mogren, Anna and Forssten Seiser, Anette and Gericke, Niklas and Berglund, Teresa and Olsson, Daniel},
  year = {2023},
  language = {eng},
  keywords = {education for sustainable development; school leadership; agency},
  abstract = {This empirical study on leadership actions investigate Education for sustainable development (ESD) in Swedish schools. School leaders at five schools in one Swedish municipality are interviewed twice in 2018 and 2020, to evaluate effects from a longitude school improvement project focusing ESD.   Actions can be seen as the school leader individual response on a direct stimuli. The school leader take action. Agency on the other hand is the gathered experience of such stimuli and the alternative possibilities at hand for a school leader to act upon (Feldman & Pentland 2003). Leadership agency in this study is defined the sense making of ESD over time by school leaders acting by experience, or what  Hallenberg (2018) call expert agency, based in their own actions and related to other school leaders way of acting as a collective (Tourish 2014). The study adds knowledge to how individual leadership actions can contribute or counteract ESD implementation. Further aspects that drives and establishes ESD over time in schools; leadership agency on ESD is outlined.  A review study on school leaders and education for sustainable development, ESD (Mogaji & Newton, 2020) reported the need to make school leaders more aware of ESD,  as a way to empower students to handle sustainable. Research onschool leadership to  raise quality in ESD active schools points out a lack of connection between inner school organizational routines that give support to ESD and the external organizational routines that connect education to the surrounding society (Mogren & Gericke, 2017), which in ESD is a guarantee of the relevance of education to the learner. Knowledge on school leadership and ESD as exemplified is based on case studies that point out important starting points for an effective ESD implementation, holistic ideas (Leo & Wickenberg 2013; Mogren, Gericke & Scherp, 2019) collegial approaches in the school organization (Gericke & Torbjörnsson, 2022) and  legitimizing functions (Mogren & Gericke, 2019). This study builds on the knowledge identified at the formulation arena of ESD and take it one step further,  studying the realization arena, what actually falls out in practice of ESD implementation over time, based on initial intentions. The formulation arena of a project, setting the scene is not a guarantee for successful implementation, instead schools often fail in their ambitions on ESD (Hargreaves, 2008) and certification programs on ESD with initial ambitions is not always successful (Olsson, Gericke & Chang Rundgren, 2016 ). Sense making activities is a methodological approach in school improvement and used in this study to understand practice (Weick, 2001). Sense making deals with challenges in the daily work patterns for school leaders, when ordinary frames of reference are disrupted and new understandings needs to be incorporated (Weick, Sutcliffe & Obstefeld, 2005).  How school leaders make sense of ESD; couple the formulated visions  to the practical outcomes of ESD is understood in this study by the  framework of coupling mechanism (Liljenberg & Nordholm 2018). The framework of coupling mechanism seeks to understand more than if organizational routines  on ESD are in place, but also their outcome and how they are used in practice.  The coupling mechanisms is categorized according to either accommodation mechanisms leading to permanent changes of structures and routines in the organization for ESD. Mechanisms can also be assessed as assimilation, then leading to superficial changes, or decoupling mechanisms that shows no positive effects of implementation of ESD or  even hinder changes in education. Research questions A, What leadership actions are identified for reaching accommodation in an ESD school improvement process?B, How is leadership agency in ESD formed and characterized in practical ESD implementation? Methods section  This study is conducted within  a school improvement project, studied by researchers in  several different studies over time . The project was introduced to five schools in one municipality  starting with a pre-study in year 2016 and followed by research until year 2021. The respondent nine school leaders  from five schools all take part in the continues school improvement project on ESD. The aim of the practical improvement  work for schools is to steer their processes towards an ESD whole school approach (Henderson & Tilbury, 2004) that establishes  ESD in the school organization.            The theoretical framework of coupling mechanisms, assessing actions as accommodative, assimilative or decoupling (Liljenberg & Nordholm 2018) link the formulation arena of ESD and the realization arena with outcomes in practice. School leaders actions  on three specific organizational routines of ESD  are studied  over time (a holistic idea of ESD, the interdisciplinary approach of ESD and leadership legitimization of ESD). Accommodation actions  are searched as they intend to transform and change pre-defined understanding of education, causing real changes that are permanent. Leadership agency on ESD is analyzed by thematization (White, 2009) of collective action by responding school leaders over time. Leadership agency towards an established ESD implementation is outlined by combining the mechanisms used by school  leaders steering their actions  and the identified themes of importance for the whole group in leading towards ESD. Interview data was coded, transcribed and narratives was constructed. nd characterized in practical ESD implementation?We make use of the analyzation of narratives to answer research question 1, RQ1, What leadership actions are identified for reaching accommodation in an ESD school improvement process? In the second step, thematization of narratives (from RQ1) for each mechanism of ESD (accommodation, assimilation and decoupling) are analyzed to search for characteristics of leadership agency in ESD, answering RQ2, How is leadership agency in ESD formed and characterized in practical ESD implementation? Conclusions Results on identified leadership actions for reaching accommodation of ESD confirm the importance of  leadership actions to establish a guiding  holistic idea on ESD in the school organization, as well as acting on communication and feed-back systems where collegial long reaching work can develop over time.  Results further shows that a realization on ESD towards a permanent implementation is a pathway of  distancing reliance on individual responsibilities of ESD  to instead build structural support in the organization. Accommodating agency, as searched in the study consist of  school leaders that involve collegial with other school leader to find moral support in decision-making  as the same time as they increase their own understanding of the improvement of ESD. Five characteristic expressions for advancement in leadership agency of ESD towards a permanent implementation is identified;1, changes in the infrastructure of education to establish interdisciplinary teacher teams.2, the use of a distributed leadership approach  to collaborate collegial on ESD.3, the active use of steering documents to support and legitimize ESD implementation and as a response to critical voices.4, the development of  supportive and structural routines as well as continuously keeping school improvement on ESD alive.5, establishing a terminology about ESD that is used at the local school and that need specific introduction to new staff .  Over all the pathway towards a permanent accommodation of ESD and the characteristic of accommodation mechanisms state that leadership agency of ESD is a question of nesting ESD to the robust foundations within education to establish structures and processes that prevents ESD implementation  to fade or fail.  In this study robust foundations are identified as ESD common goals in the organization, collegial work, communication, and leadership ambitions.   References  Feldman, M. S., & Pentland, B. T. (2003). Reconceptualizing organizational routines as source of flexibility and change. Administrative Science Quarterly, 48, 94–118.  Gericke, N. & Torbjörnsson, T. (2022). Supporting local school reform toward education for sustainable development: The need for creating and continuously negotiating a shared vision and building trust, The Journal of Environmental Education, 53(4), 231-249.  Hallgren, E. (2018).  Clues to aesthetic engagement in process drama: Role interaction in a fictional business Doctoral dissertation, Institutionen för de humanistiska och samhällsvetenskapliga ämnenas didaktik, Stockholms universitet.Hargreaves, L. G. (2008). The whole-school approach to eduation for sustainable development: From pilot   projects to systemic change. Policy & Practice-A Development Education Review, (6).Henderson, K., & Tilbury, D. (2004). Whole-school approaches to sustainability: An international review of sustainable school programs. Australian Research Institute in Education for Sustainability:Australian Government                       Leo, U., & Wickenberg, P. (2013). Professional norms in school leadership: Change efforts in implementation of education for sustainable development. Journal of Educational Change, 14(4), 403-422.  Liljenberg, M., & Nordholm, D. (2018). Organizational routines for school improvement: exploring the link between ostensive and performative aspects. International Journal of Leadership in Education, 21(6), 690-704.Mogaji, I. M., & Newton, P. (2020). School Leadership for Sustainable Development: A Scoping Review. Journal of Sustainable Development, 13(5).Mogren, A., & Gericke, N. (2017). ESD implementation at the school organization level, part 2 investigating the transformative perspective in school leaders’ quality strategies at ESD schools. Environmental Education Research, 23(7), 993-1014.Mogren, A., & Gericke, N. (2019). School le}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_mogrenanna_2023_1,
  title = {Leadership Agency in Education for Sustainable Development},
  author = {Mogren, Anna and Forssten Seiser, Anette and Gericke, Niklas and Berglund, Teresa and Olsson, Daniel},
  year = {2023},
  language = {eng},
  abstract = {This is an empirical study on leadership actions that promote Education for sustainable development and facilitate teachers abilities to realize ESD in Swedish schools. A review study on school leaders and education for sustainable development, ESD (Mogaji & Newton, 2020) reported the need to make school leaders more aware of ESD as a way to empower students to handle sustainable. The aim of this study is to identify the leadership actions that enable and constrains a permanent implementation of ESD. School leaders at five schools in a Swedish municipality is interviewed twice in 2018 and 2020, to evaluate effects from a longitude school improvement project focusing ESD. A theoretical framework; coupling mechanisms (Liljenberg & Nordholm 2018), is used to study how school leaders act on three organizational routines of ESD (a holistic idea of ESD, the interdisciplinary approach of ESD and leadership legitimization of ESD) over time. Accommodation mechanisms are searched as they intend to transform and change predefined understanding of education, causing real changes that are permanent. Leadership agency on ESD is demonstrated by thematization of collective acting by the whole group of respondents over time. Leadership agency towards an established ESD implementation is outlined by combining the mechanisms used by school leaders and identified themes of importance for the whole group in leading towards ESD. }
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_mogrenanna_2023_2,
  title = {The Change Agent Guide to Lead Education in Sustainable Development},
  author = {Mogren, Anna and Forssten Seiser, Anette and Gericke, Niklas and Berglund, Teresa and Olsson, Daniel},
  year = {2023},
  journal = {Abstrakts til papersessions},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Aarhus Universitetsforlag},
  keywords = {education for sustainable development; leadership; school organization; whole school approach; education; biology}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_mogrenanna_2015_1,
  title = {The role of school organization in ESD implementation},
  author = {Mogren, Anna and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2015},
  language = {eng}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_olinschellerchristina_2017,
  title = {A digitalized classroom in India: Potentials for transformation of curriculum and power hierarchies},
  author = {Olin-Scheller, Christina and Stolare, Martin and Mellström, Ulf and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2017},
  language = {eng},
  keywords = {education}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_olinschellerchristina_2018,
  title = {Powerful Knowledge across curricula, academic disciplines and school subjects},
  author = {Olin-Scheller, Christina and Tani, Sirpa and Bladh, Gabriel and Gericke, Niklas and Niemi, P-J and Tainio, Lisa},
  year = {2018},
  language = {eng}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_olinschellerchristina_2016,
  title = {ROSE – On the Issue of Comparative Subject Specific Didactics},
  author = {Olin-Scheller, Christina and Gericke, Niklas and Stolare, Martin},
  year = {2016},
  language = {eng}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_olssondaniel_2015,
  title = {Adolescents and the dip in sustainability consciousness},
  author = {Olsson, Daniel and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2015},
  language = {eng},
  keywords = {biology},
  abstract = {Previous research has shown that interest in and concern about environmental issues tends to decline in adolescence, in this paper referred to as a “dip”. However, less is known whether adolescents’ interests and concerns for sustainable development (SD), i.e. a more inclusive concept including economic and social issues, also dip in adolescence. Education for sustainable development (ESD) could be regarded as a teaching approach that in a good way meets the educational needs of adolescents. Therefore before promoting widespread adoption of such an approach it is important to rigorously test the hypothesis whether adolescents’ broader consciousness of SD really dip.  A research group in Sweden has recently developed an instrument for surveying students’ sustainability consciousness (SC), a broad concept integrating affective and cognitive aspects of the three dimensions of SD. Thus, this study aims to investigate students’ SC in the transition to adolescence. This was done by surveying 2413 Swedish students in the 6th, 9th and 12th grade using an age-adapted questionnaire. The results unambiguously show that Swedish students’ SC dips in adolescence, strongly indicating a need to modify the sustainability education of adolescents. Education for Sustainable Development is recommended as an approach to meet that need. However, further research is needed to evaluate the potential utility of ESD as a teaching approach for tackling the adolescent dip in students’ SC.}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_olssondaniel_2019,
  title = {Cross validation of a new scale covering student self-perceived action competence},
  author = {Olsson, Daniel and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2019},
  language = {eng},
  keywords = {biology},
  abstract = {This contribution aims to describe the development, cross validation and operationalization of a new scale developed to measure student self-perceived action competence. The underlying idea of education for sustainable development (ESD) is to empower young people to be sustainability action competent and thus, in the long run, contribute to transform the world into a more sustainable place (Lotz-Sitiska, Wals, Kronlid, & McGarry, 2015; Mogensen & Schnack, 2010, UNESCO, 2014). To be able to tune in and develop ESD processes and implementation strategies it is important to evaluate outcomes of ESD at the student level (Scott, 2013). Therefore, we set out to construct a reliable and valid instrument that covers action competence based on its definition in relation to sustainable development. The self-perceived action competence (SPAC) item battery was developed based on the definition of action competence by Danish researchers (Jensen & Schnack, 1997; Breiting & Mogensen, 1999). We built a higher order SEM model to validate the SPAC through confirmatory factor analysis. In our model, the student SPAC consists of three main parts (latent constructs): (KAP) knowledge of action possibilities, (COI) confidence in one’s own influence, and (WTA) a wish to act. The latent constructs KAP, COI and WTA are covered by four items respectively. 608 students aged 13-19 years old responded on a five-point Likert-scale (strongly disagree to strongly agree) to each of the twelve items. To cross validate the SPAC, the students also gave their answers to the short version (27 items) of the sustainability consciousness questionnaire (SCQs) (Gericke et al., 2018). The two scales were respectively validated with good model-fit. Moreover, the SPAC was translated into Dutch and cross validated with a group of Flemish students (n=403). The Flemish SPAC model was validated with good model fit. At the ECER conference in Hamburg, we will present the full 12-item scale and the full validation of the SPAC, including reliability measures of the scales and correlations between the Swedish and Flemish cohorts as well as the cross validation between the SPAC and SCQs for the Swedish data. We will invite the audience to share their thoughts on the relation between student self-perceived action competence and the action competence concept as an educational ideal. Feedback on strengths and shortcomings of our SPAC questionnaire will also be welcomed.}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_olssondaniel_2016,
  title = {Eco-Schools in Sweden and the Effects on Students’ Sustainability Consciousness},
  author = {Olsson, Daniel and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2016},
  language = {eng},
  keywords = {biology}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_olssondaniel_2019_1,
  title = {Effects of green schools in Taiwan on students’ sustainability consciousness},
  author = {Olsson, Daniel and Gericke, Niklas and Chang, Tzuchau},
  year = {2019},
  language = {eng},
  keywords = {biology}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_olssondaniel_2016_1,
  title = {Gender and students’ sustainability consciousness},
  author = {Olsson, Daniel and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2016},
  language = {eng},
  keywords = {biology}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_olssondaniel_2015_1,
  title = {Investigating the dip in the adolescents’ sustainability consciousness},
  author = {Olsson, Daniel and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2015},
  language = {eng},
  keywords = {biology}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_olssondaniel_2018,
  title = {Self-perceived action competence: Validation of an instrument in a whole school ESD development process in Sweden},
  author = {Olsson, Daniel and Boeve-de Pauw, Jelle and Gericke, Niklas and Berglund, Teresa},
  year = {2018},
  language = {eng},
  keywords = {biology}
}

@phdthesis{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_olssondaniel_2018_1,
  title = {Student Sustainability Consciousness: Investigating Effects of Education for Sustainable Development in Sweden and Beyond},
  author = {Olsson, Daniel},
  year = {2018},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {Karlstads universitet},
  keywords = {education for sustainable development; effects; environmental and sustainability education; holism and pluralism; students; sustainability consciousness; biology},
  abstract = {Environmental and sustainability education has been an important part of education worldwide for many years, aiming to foster pro-environmental behavior among young people. Education for sustainable development (ESD) and its teaching components holism (the approach to the content) and pluralism (the approach to teaching) has been launched as the educational approach to support this aim by empowering young people with action competence for a sustainable future. Environmental and sustainability certifications are commonly used by schools as support in their ESD-implementation efforts. To date, scholarly attention to, and critical reflection on the effects of such certification on students’ perceptions of sustainability have been limited.This doctoral thesis focuses on this gap in ESD research through five large-scale studies, four of which were conducted in Sweden and one in Taiwan. Questionnaire instruments measuring students’ sustainability consciousness (SC) and their experiences of ESD were developed for the project.  In total, 2 413 students in Sweden and 1 741 students in Taiwan (grades six, nine and twelve) participated by filling in the SC questionnaire. The Swedish students also filled in questionnaires about their experiences of ESD at their schools in terms of holistic approach to content and pluralistic approach to teaching.The results question the impact of schools’ environmental and sustainability certification on students’ SC. The results also show the importance of holism and pluralism in ESD for students’ SC, regardless of whether schools were certified or not. Moreover, the findings reveal an adolescent dip in students’ SC as well as a gender gap, both of which were reinforced among students in the certified schools.Given the findings, this thesis can give more generalizable guidance for schools and certifying organizations to further reorient ESD towards teaching and learning approaches that have an effect on student SC.}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_olssondaniel_2022,
  title = {Students’ Action Competence for Sustainability and the Effectiveness of Sustainability Education},
  author = {Olsson, Daniel and Gericke, Niklas and Boeve-de Pauw, Jelle},
  year = {2022},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {MDPI},
  keywords = {education; biology}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_olssondaniel_2022_1,
  title = {The Effectiveness of Education for Sustainable Development in Promoting Students’ Action Competence for Sustainability},
  author = {Olsson, Daniel and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2022},
  language = {eng},
  keywords = {biology},
  abstract = {This study revisits the seminal question of the effectiveness of education for sustainable development (ESD). Scholarly attention in the past decade has been increasingly directed towards the concept of action competence for sustainability. However, little is still known about the effects of ESD as a teaching approach to help develop students’ action competence for sustainability. This study therefore adopts a three-wave longitudinal design, tapping into the development of 760 Swedish upper secondary science and technology students’ self-perceived action competence for sustainability as related to their experience of ESD teaching. We can conclude that ESD has effect on the students’ action competence for sustainability. Our longitudinal growth models show that it is possible to develop science and technology students’ action competence, which is affected by their experience of ESD teaching at their school. Our findings also reveal that such a development process for students takes time and the contribution of longitudinal research in the field of ESD is therefore important.}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_olssondaniel_2016_2,
  title = {The Gender Gap in Environmental and Sustainability Education - A cross sectional study of Swedishstudents from grade six, nine and twelve},
  author = {Olsson, Daniel and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2016},
  language = {eng},
  keywords = {biology}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_olssondaniel_2013,
  title = {Young people and their integrated understanding of sustainable development},
  author = {Olsson, Daniel and Gericke, Niklas and Chang-Rundgren, Shu-Nu},
  year = {2013},
  language = {eng},
  keywords = {sustainable development; education for sustainable development; pupils; biology},
  abstract = {This study aims to investigate young peoples’ knowledge, attitudes and behaviors as well as their integrated understanding of sustainable development (SD). Comparisons will be made between two groups of Swedish primary (6th graders) and secondary (9th graders) pupils. A common description of SD often includes the interrelationship between the environmental, economic and social dimensions. Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is described as a framework in teaching that will incorporate all three of these dimensions. To integrate the different dimensions in everyday-life and decision making for a sustainable future requires new ways of thinking, valuing and acting. Hence, the integrated understanding of SD in terms of knowledge, also have to be reflected in pupils’ attitudes and behavior, which is investigated in this study. The research design is based on a quantitative approach using a survey instrument consisting of items with Likert-type scales. The survey instrument is developed by considering the dimensions of SD as they are described by UNESCO. During spring 2013, data will be gathered from pupils in the 6th-grade level (n=1000) and 9th-grade level (n=1000). Half of the pupils in each grade are from schools having supporting structures that help them in the ESD approach and the other half are from regular schools without an explicit ESD approach. At the time of ESERA conference the data analyzes will be completed and preliminary results can be presented. For analysis one way ANOVA and T-test will be used.  We will highlight whether there are differences between primary and secondary pupils’ knowledge, attitudes and behavior in the dimensions of SD or not, and secondly whether there are differences between primary and secondary school pupils’ recognition of the three dimensions as part of SD. Implications for the implementation of ESD will be discussed.}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_rydinmikael_2023,
  title = {Dealing with tensions in teaching about climate change: An observation study of how tensionsmanifest and are reconciled in preservice science studies teachers’ microteaching about climate change},
  author = {Rydin, Mikael and Gericke, Niklas and Haglund, Jesper and Christenson, Nina},
  year = {2023},
  language = {eng},
  keywords = {biology}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_rydinmikael_2023_1,
  title = {Dilemmas in teaching climate change - preservice science teachers beliefs},
  author = {Rydin, Mikael and Gericke, Niklas and Haglund, Jesper and Christenson, Nina},
  year = {2023},
  journal = {Reflecting on reform},
  language = {eng},
  keywords = {climate change; preservice teachers; teacher beliefs; dilemmas; subject-specific education; ämnesdidaktik},
  abstract = {To combat climate change, it is important to foster young people's climate literacy. Here,teacher education has a crucial task in preparing preservice science teachers to navigate andteach complex and interdisciplinary issues such as climate change. Research has shown thatteachers' beliefs influence how they approach teaching climate change. Therefore, the aim ofthis study is to understand what challenges preservice teachers believe to exist in teachingclimate change. Six preservice teachers representing four different school science subjectsparticipated in in-depth semi-structured interviews and the transcripts were analyzed using athematic coding approach. Findings show two areas of conflict between beliefs. The first areaof conflict regards the dilemma of being a neutral and objective teacher in a value-ladencontext. The second area of conflict regards reaching holistic aims via reductionist means. Thefindings provide insight into the educational needs for preservice teachers in science teachereducation about teaching climate change. We suggest that teacher educators allow preserviceteachers to explore and reflect upon their beliefs about teaching climate change, henceenabling them to reconcile areas of conflict between beliefs.}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_rydinmikael_2024,
  title = {How Preservice Teachers Deal With Tensions in Teaching Climate Change},
  author = {Rydin, Mikael and Gericke, Niklas and Christenson, Nina and Haglund, Jesper},
  year = {2024},
  language = {eng},
  keywords = {climate change education; preservice teachers; teaching approach; micro-teaching; biology; physics}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_rydinmikael_2022,
  title = {I want to engage my pupils in climate change, but…},
  author = {Rydin, Mikael and Gericke, Niklas and Haglund, Jesper and Christenson, Nina},
  year = {2022},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {University of Cyprus},
  keywords = {climate change education; preservice teachers; dilemmas; teacher beliefs; biology},
  abstract = {Climate change is an important, yet challenging topic to teach. Challenges include having the knowledge of a complex process, being able to address controversial aspects of politics and emotions. Research have shown that pre-service teachers are willing, yet hesitant to teach climate change. In addition, research have shown in-service teachers avoid the topic, despite believing climate change to be an important issue. Preparing pre-service teachers to teach climate change is a crucial part in combating such issues. This study aims to investigate pre-service teachers’ beliefs about teaching climate change. Six Swedish pre-service teachers participated in depth semi-structured interviews including a reflective exercise on teaching climate change. Data was analyzed using a thematic analysis. Results reveal three dilemmas pre-service teachers face in regard to teaching climate change: the dilemma of being a neutral teacher, the dilemma of knowledge progression, and the dilemma of aligning the purpose with the content in teaching climate change. These results have implications for teacher education and provide insight for both pre-service teachers and in-service teachers.}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_rnnerannaclara_2022,
  title = {In what ways has the pandemic influenced teaching and interest for contagions and infectious diseases: Swedish middle school pupils´ reflections in the backdrop of COVID-19},
  author = {Rönner, Anna-Clara and Jakobsson, Anna and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2022},
  journal = {Contributions from Biology Education Research},
  pages = {77--77},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: University of Cyprus},
  keywords = {bacteria; contagion literacy; covid-19; health literacy; infectious diseases; primary education; students’ conceptions; virus; biology},
  abstract = {For much of the past year the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had an enormous impact on the lives of individuals and communities around the world. The aims of the current study was to investigate (I) 10 to 12-year-old Swedish pupils´ views on how the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic influences their interests and understanding regarding contagion literacy (CL), and (II) from what source (biology education or informal settings) they perceive that their knowledge originates from. The study is based on the framework of CL that was defined as the health literacy required in daily life and that recommends what should be taught at compulsory schools. The framework specifies six content themes, of which four are used in the current study to outline middle school pupils´ comprehension. Data is collected by individual, semi-structured interviews with pupils´ at schools located in various socio-economic areas. The interviews were transcribed and analysed thematically. Preliminary results showed that pupils´ perceive the ongoing pandemic to prompt many student-initiated questions and is creating more interactive and interesting learning situations. Most pupils say they have no experience CL from their formal biology teaching and that their knowledge derives mostly from sources outside school, such as news programs for children. To conclude, the interviewed Swedish middle school pupils´ understanding of CL seems mainly to originate from informal domains, rather than from formal biology education. Hence, the results indicate that the COVID-19 pandemic spark interest among pupils for the topic and that there is a potential for exploiting this interest in developing biology education at this school level.}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_rnnerannaclara_2023,
  title = {Middle school pupils’ understanding of bacteria and virus in the aftermath of Covid-19},
  author = {Rönner, Anna-Clara and Jakobsson, Anna and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2023},
  journal = {Tepe 2023},
  pages = {20--20},
  language = {eng},
  keywords = {contagion literacy; covid-19; health literacy; primary education; students’ conception; biology},
  abstract = {For the past couple of years, the COVID-19 pandemic had an immense impact on lives of individuals and societies around the world. The main purpose of this study was to delineate Swedish middle school (10-12-year-old) pupils’ understanding of bacteria and virus thereby illustrating the impact of the pandemic at schools and in society. Data were collected by semistructured, individual interviews and by asking participants to draw images of bacteria and virus. Thematic coding and content analysis of children’s annotated drawings were used. The morphology of the microorganisms from the drawings was analyzed by the deductively induced themes shape, surface texture and internal feature. Viruses were frequently considered larger than bacteria, but it was also common to view them being similar in size. Interrelationships between bacteria and viruses were expressed like a hierarchy with a “superior” microorganism, and as bacteria could generate viruses. Pupils drew microorganisms as cell-like and never portrayed them as animals or with anthropomorphic features, as reported in earlier research. Metaphoric aspects of drawings of viruses were summarized as being “bacteriophage-like” or “corona-like”. A virus was considered to induce the more grievous disease. Pupils seldomly tethered a specific virus to a specific infectious disease, and often named both "corona". However, when they did so, virus was tethered to flu and COVID-19 and bacteria to cold and plague. One ostensible suggestion for learning improvement would be to pay more attention to differences between microorganisms and their liaison to specific infectious diseases. This liaison is suggested as an important concept for developing contagion literacy. Furthermore, we recommend pathogenic bacteria and viruses to be explicitly taught in biology education at middle school or earlier in balance with knowledge about essential microorganisms. Finally, we propose the measures above to be integrated into the biology education of teacher´s education.}
}

@misc{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_rnnerannaclara,
  title = {Portrayal of infectious diseases in biology textbooks – a comparative analysis of editions published before and after the COVID-19 pandemic},
  author = {Rönner, Anna-Clara and Jakobsson, Anna and Gericke, Niklas},
  language = {eng},
  keywords = {biology}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_rnnerannaclara_2025,
  title = {Teaching infectious diseases at middle schools during and in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic},
  author = {Rönner, Anna-Clara and Jakobsson, Anna and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2025},
  language = {eng},
  keywords = {biology},
  abstract = {The COVID-19 pandemic had an impact on pupil’s daily lives worldwide, emphasising the pivotal importance of infectious diseases. This study aims to delineate the teaching of diseases in middle schools, investigating how content and instruction was influenced by the pandemic. Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with teachers. The analytical method involved thematic analysis. The first analysis concerned teaching content and was based on the framework of contagion literacy. The second analysis investigated the teaching approaches and used an inductive analysis. Our findings suggest that the pandemic had an impact on the enacted biology teaching in relation to diseases. Teaching largely revolved around student-initiated, question-driven discussions about current events related to societal health initiatives within schools, rather than expanding the planned biology curriculum. The main finding is that teachers focused on hygiene and to influence students’ behaviours interactively, and that the pandemic was not fully exploited by the participating teachers to develop more curriculum-based teaching including functional and critical health literacy perspectives. The study recommends that biology teachers collaborate with school health teams and engage in interdisciplinary work. It also suggests amending primary science teacher education to meet the need to teach the young people in the event of future pandemics.}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_rnnerannaclara_2024,
  title = {Teaching infectious diseases at middle schools in the aftermath of COVID-19},
  author = {Rönner, Anna-Clara and Jakobsson, Anna and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2024},
  language = {eng},
  keywords = {biology}
}

@book{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_samuelssonjohan_2024,
  title = {Moderna lärare: Lärares perspektiv på undervisning i modersmål, biologi och historia ca 1930-1950 i folkskolan och på läroverk},
  author = {Samuelsson, Johan and Gericke, Niklas and Olin-Scheller, Christina},
  year = {2024},
  language = {swe},
  publisher = {Föreningen för svensk undervisningshistoria},
  keywords = {undervisningshistoria; biology; comparative literature}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_samuelssonjohan_2019,
  title = {Progressive education and grammar schools in Sweden: Mother tongue, History and Biology teaching in the 1940s},
  author = {Samuelsson, Johan and Gericke, Niklas and Olin-Scheller, Christina},
  year = {2019},
  language = {eng},
  keywords = {biology},
  abstract = {The first half of the 20th century saw the breakthrough of the idea of democratic education with an emphasis on accessibility of education for all citizens. Also John Dewey's ideas that the content and form of instruction should be based on democratic principles influenced many school systems. In Sweden, these ideas had an impact not least on the school reform initiated in Sweden during the 1940s, as manifested in the School Commission report (SOU 1948:27)Research into this period has primarily focused on two educational levels. The first level deals to a large extent with policy and the character of curricula (Labaree, 2005; Popkewitz, 2006), while the second level concerns teaching in general with a special focus on how reform pedagogy has been implemented, for example, in studies of student influence and interaction (Cuban, 1993). In Sweden only the curricular level has been studied (Englund, 1996) leaving a knowledge gap regarding the reform pedagogics on the enacted curricula. In this study we fill this gap by investigating previously unexplored historical documents of teachers reports on their practice collected by the Swedish school commission from 1930s to the 1940s.  In addition, in this study we also focus on how different subject teachers handled the expectations of student-centred teaching in their subjects. Admittedly, we are inspired by the approaches above, but apply a comparative subject-specific perspective on reform pedagogical teaching by using the perspective of didactic transposition (Chevallard, 2007).The general approach of this study (and the project) is based on the education research tradition in which the voices and experiences of the members of the profession serve as a basis for generating new knowledge of specific professional issues (Schön, 1983; Lortie, 1992; Ball & Goodson, 1985)The overarching aim of this paper is to study how secondary education teachers in mother tongue(MT), history (HI) and biology (BI) conducted their teaching inspired by reform pedagogy. The following questions guide our study:What similarities and differences are there between the three subjects regarding-          Students' opportunities to study on their own (StudentPart)-          Student interaction (StundInter)-          Using the surrounding community as a resource (SCPR)A comparative perspective allows for more nuanced knowledge of the facets of reform pedagogy. It also adds to the field of history of education as it enables a better understanding of how different subject traditions influence how reforms are interpreted. The results presented here are part of a major project recently launched and are so far tentative.  The study particularly highlight the importance of professional practitioners’ own reflections on their work. Such reflections are assumed to generate new concepts and theories. Ball & Goodson, (1985), Goodson & Hargreaves (1996) and Ball et al (2012) are central regarding teachers’ work in general and the changes made in a reform context. They work on the assumption that teachers’ accounts and experiences contribute to understanding key aspects of the profession. This also applies to the historical development and current challenges.In 1946, the School Commission started collecting teachers' experiences of teaching. The Swedish schools received a circular requesting teachers to submit their accounts, and this request was also made in teaching magazines. A total of 850 accounts written by teachers were submitted to the commission (SOU 1948:27). The material consists of written accounts by elementary school teachers and grammar school teachers. These reports are now stored in the The Swedish National Archives (RA). The texts are divided into all the school subject blocks. In a pilot study, we went through all the reports that all have a narrative or story character in which the teachers describe how they enact the reform pedagogy in the classrooms. The “stories” can be categorised as related to history (N=83 stories), mother tongue (N=130 stories) and biology (N=38 stories) in grammar schools. Altogether, there are over 251 stories available in these categories in the archive. Note that this number represents about 10 per cent of the entire teaching staff in 1946, i.e. making up a substantial representation of the teachers at that time. The stories mostly includes detailed accounts of the teaching practised and its relation to the pedagogical approach of the reform. Recurring elements are perspectives on the role of the pupil, the organisation of instruction etc. The stories cover between one page to 100 pages and often include lesson plans, and student responses. There are descriptions of their own teaching, often in a historical perspective. In this proposal, we present our first initial comparison of the teaching reported in the stories of history, mother tongue and biology reports. The comparative aspects are developed in a forthcoming in-depth analysis. The basis of a comparison is that the “cases” should be different but at the same time similar enough to be interesting to compare in terms of similarities and variations. Using more than one case (e.g. only history teachers) increases the chances to theorise and generalise. In this case the variable was the context of reform, as all teachers and subjects were under pressure to make changes in preparation of reform implementation. In identifying subject-specific teaching perspectives in relation to democratisation of instruction, the analytical frames from Cuban (1993) to describe reform pedagogy were used. In this particular study we analyse three specific criteria of reform pedagogy as defined by Cuban: student participation, student interaction and surrounding community as pedagogical resource.Below, we present some general descriptive results based on the first quantitative analyses of the material, which focused on how teachers in different subjects relate to Cuban’s teaching criteria as mentioned in the method section. We present the results as frequencies as well as their relative distribution in per cent (%) of the three subjects of the three group of school subject reports of history, mother tongue and biology, see Table 1. If an instance of the specific criteria could be identified in a teacher story of their teaching it was included. Tabel 1 Distribution of reform pedagogical activities in the different school subjects. Frequency (per cent) StudPart Studinter SCPR Total HI 27 (33) 28 (34) 29 (35) 84 (34) MT 65 (50) 61 (47) 14 (11) 140 (36) BI 20 (53) 14 (37) 29 (76) 63 (55) T 112 (45) 103 (41) 72 (29) (Source Swedish National Archives) As can be seen in Table 1 the total results including all the three criteria of progressive teaching shows that the Biology teachers in average report far more reform pedagogic activities (55%) than Mother Tongue teachers (36%) and history teachers (34%). All in all, the first analysis shows that progressively oriented teaching occurred in upper secondary schools early in Sweden. It is also clear that there were variations between subjects. The differences should be understood as a result of various subject traditions that are enacted differently, which should be studied further by using qualitative in depth studies of the various didactic transpositions taking place in the different subjects. Further, studies will reveal whether these activities are an expression of a more close connection to the academic discipline, or a true influence of reform pedagogics}
}

@mastersthesis{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_solvanglorena_2021,
  title = {Educational technology for visualisation in upper secondary physics education: The case of GeoGebra},
  author = {Solvang, Lorena},
  year = {2021},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {Karlstads universitet},
  keywords = {representational competence; physics education; geogebra},
  abstract = {In order to contribute to our understanding of how technologies can be used to visualise physical phenomena in order to support teaching and learning of the phenomena at hand, this licentiate thesis explores the ways in which visual representations created with GeoGebra can be used in upper-secondary physics education. In addition, this thesis provides a new model that can be used to characterise students’ representational competence.This thesis is a compilation of two journal articles. The first article is a systematic review of the current literature on how GeoGebra can be used to support physics education in upper-secondary schools. The second article explores students’ use and interpretation of a provided representation, a GeoGebra simulation of friction, and generation of their own representations. The systematic literature review identifies three major ways in which teachers and researchers report using GeoGebra in physics education—namely, (1) to design custom-made computer simulations, (2) to augment real experiments with virtual objects, and (3) to engage students in constructing GeoGebra simulations. The second study shows how students used improvised representations, in the form of gestures, enactments, and drawings,  in their interpretation of links between microscopic aspects of friction and the provided GeoGebra simulation. The study also reveals how, during engagement with provided representations, students spontaneously move across modalities, shifting between provided and self-constructed representations, between physical and digital representations, and between modes of communication (including gestures, spoken language, and enactment).  In addition, a reanalysis of selected examples of data shows that GeoGebra can facilitate transformations of mathematical representations, supporting the structural role and technical role of mathematics, whereby students are enabled to focus on the physical phenomena at hand and the parameters that influence it.}
}

@book{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_2014,
  title = {Språk, diskurs och identitet: Ämnesdidaktisk forskning inom molekylärvetenskaperna},
  year = {2014},
  language = {swe},
  publisher = {Karlstads universitet},
  keywords = {diskurs; identitet; naturvetenskapernasdidaktik; molekylärvetenskapernasdidaktik; språkanvändning; biology},
  abstract = {Denna bok är en sammanfattning av den forskning som blev resultatet av Erna och Victor Hasselblads stiftelses satsning på en forskarskola inom molekylärveten­skapernas didaktik. Forskarskolan inrättades år 2007 som ett konsortium bestående av Chalmers tekniska högskola, Göteborgs universitet och Karlstads universitet och avslutades 2012. I denna antologi presenteras fyra studier inom forskarskolan skrivna av Birgitta Frändberg, Miranda Rocksén, Anne Solli och Karin Thörne, samt ett sammanfattande kapitel skrivet av forskarskolans koordinator, Niklas Gericke.Inom forskarskolans verksamhet med workshops, seminarier och skrivinternat uppkom vad som nästan skulle kunna beskrivas som ett gemensamt forskningsprogram med i stora stycken gemensam teoribildning och liknande metodval. Alla fyra studier grundar sig på en sociokulturell idétradition där deltagande i olika praktiker eller diskurser undersöks. Lärande ses som situerat och sker genom deltagande i olika aktiviteter. Den största gemensamma nämnaren för dessa fyra projekt är språkets betydelse för lärande. Språket ses inte endast som bärare av naturvetenskaplig mening, utan naturvetenskapligt ämnesinnehåll skapas i språkanvändningen.Birgitta Frändberg har studerat högstadieelevers skriftliga provsvar om materia och ämnesomvandlingar, Karin Thörne har undersökt högstadielärares muntliga kommunikation om genetik, Anne Solli har följt ingenjörsstudenters muntliga och skriftliga argumentering om bioteknik och Miranda Rocksén har undersökt olika former av kommunikation på bloggar och i grupparbeten i skolan om genetik och evolution.Antologin vänder sig till alla som har intresse för ämnesdidaktisk forskning, undervisning, utbildning och kommunikation inom molekylärvetenskaperna.}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_stabergragnhildl_2022,
  title = {Biology and science teachers view on critical thinking in sustainability education: The need for a multidisciplinary approach for action competence},
  author = {Staberg, Ragnhild L. and Lykknes, Anette and Berglund, Teresa and Munkebye, Eli and Scheie, Eldri and Skjelstad Fredagsvik, Maren and Lie, Tove Grete and Lønnum, Marthe and Martins Felix, Sonia and Daus, Stephan and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2022},
  language = {eng},
  keywords = {environmental science; education},
  abstract = {Critical thinking (CT) has been proposed to be a basic competence in sustainability education to develop students into action competent individuals in complex environmental issues. In sustainability education an interdisciplinary approach is suggested to deal with these complex problems, but in research it is discussed whether CT skills are domain-specific or can be generalized across different school subjects. Therefore, it is of importance to investigate how primary biology and science teachers understand CT in relation to teachers of other subjects. In this study we investigate how Norwegian biology and science teachers in primary schoolunderstand CT. The study design is of a mixed method approach including a teacherquestionnaire from schools all over Norway, and focus group interviews with a sample of teachers. In total, 921 Norwegian primary school teachers answered the questionnaire, of which 135 were science teachers. Of those who completed the survey, teachers from three different schools teaching 5th to 7th grade (N=34), were selected to take part in focus group semi-structured interviews. Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis was conducted. The main findings from the study indicate that the primary biology and science teachers, when compared to other teachers (social science and mother tongue teachers predominantly) view CT as an approach were the teachers should be objective, ignoring values and emotions. The focus of CT among biology and science teachers is on nature of science rather than argumentation, shift in perspectives and source criticism. They focus on the importance to teach about evidence based knowledge with the ability to make predictions, and the difference between science and other belief systems. To conclude, primary biology and science teachers will find it difficult to enact CT within sustainability education themselves if all aspects of CT is to be addressed. These preliminary finding call for a multidisciplinary approach in which biology and science teachers ought to collaborate with teachers in other school subjects when teachingCT in sustainability education with the aim to develop students action competence for sustainability.}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_sundper_2019,
  title = {Comparisons of contributions from three different secondary school subject areas to environmental and sustainability teaching},
  author = {Sund, Per and Gericke, Niklas and Bladh, Gabriel},
  year = {2019},
  language = {eng},
  keywords = {biology; samhällskunskap}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_sundper_2019_1,
  title = {Different secondary school subject areas contributions to collaboration in environmental and sustainability teaching},
  author = {Sund, Per and Gericke, Niklas and Bladh, Gabriel},
  year = {2019},
  language = {eng},
  abstract = {According to the curricula in many countries, teachers in the subject areas of science, social science and language are expected to collaborate on cross-curricular issues such as sustainable development (SD). In Sweden this is the case in the nine-year compulsory school (Education, 2011). This study is based in Sweden and investigates the similarities and differences in the responses of ten teacher groups (forty-three teachers in total) to questions about their contributions in their own subject areas to environmental and sustainability education (ESE).There are previously some barriers identified to the implementation of ESE in a cross-curricular way. In a large quantitative study including about 3300 Swedish upper secondary teachers, comparisons were made regarding teachers inclusion of ESE within different subject areas (Borg, Gericke, Höglund, & Bergman, 2012). In that study it was found that language teachers do not always feel at ease with ESE teaching, and more than 41% of language teachers stated that they did not include SD issues in their teaching, while 34% stated (the highest percentage of the three subject areas) that they lacked the necessary knowledge expertise. In contrast, especially the social science teachers and to somewhat less degree the science teachers included this perspective.Regardless of the problems shown in previous studies the overall aim of this study is to understand what cross-curricular teaching in teacher teams can achieve in relation ESE. All teachers in compulsory school in Sweden are organized in cross-curricular teams of various subject teachers teaching the same student group, named lärarlag in Swedish and here denoted as teacher teams. Moreover, given that cross-curricular ESE teaching is stated as important in the Swedish curriculum, it is important to find out the potential possibilities for cross-curricular collaborations in ESE teaching. Are teachers already involved in collaborations, are they successful, and if so how? If not, how might they achieve this curricular aim to provide students with a holistic, yet diversified, perspective on ESE including many disciplinary dimensions? Teaching gaps for students may occur that no subject area can cover, while other issues or topics may be taught multiple times leading to poor progression.The research question is: What are the specific curricular and pedagogical contributions of different subject areas, such as science, social science and language, in cross-curricular settings when teaching environmental and sustainability issues?The theoretical framework of this study takes its departure from didactic analysis as an integrative model in which the structure of the subject matter is related to teachers and students through the processes of teaching and learning (Klafki, 1995). This study looks for differences and similarities in teachers’ argumentations about the didactical questions of what, how and why their subject area is important and how it contributes to cross-curricular ESE teaching. The main contribution of this study is to fill the gap in ESE research relating to teachers’ views of complex environmental and sustainability issues from different subject area perspectives.Semi-structured group interviews were used to collect data about teachers’ apprehensions of and reflections on their teaching practices (Kvale & Brinkmann 2009). 10 groups (consisting of 3-10 teachers) of teachers of science (biology, chemistry and physics), social science (civics, history, geography and religion) and language (Swedish, English, German, French and Spanish) were interviewed. In this study the data is treated as a group voice from teachers teaching in a specific subject area. In order to identify a common teaching and curriculum approach in each subject area the teachers’ discussions and responses are analysed in relation to the main didactical questions of what, how and why. Phase 1 – What The aim was to gather data from the individual teachers in each group before the group discussion. This ensured that each teacher’s voice was heard individually. In group situations there is always a risk that some participants will dominate the discussion. Phase 2 – What The aim was to gather data from the teachers’ discussions without interference from the research leader. Phase 3 – How The aim was to gather data about curricular and pedagogical changes that had occurred in the teaching. Summary of the three phases – Why The teachers’ arguments about the long-term purposes of their teaching stem from the session on phases 1, 2 and 3 constitute the data for the why dimension. The common aspects and specific curricular contributions of the different subject areas are studied by analysis teachers’ responses to questions about the curricular and pedagogical qualities of what, how and why. What The analytical question posed to the data in interview phases 1 and 2 is: Which content and abilities relating to ESE are described by the teacher group? How – teaching aspects In interview phase 3, the teachers discuss how they conduct and change their teaching. This data is analysed using analytical questions relating to essential educational aspects of environmental and sustainability education (Sund, 2008; Sund & Wickman, 2011). Why – the object of responsibility In order to identify the teacher groups’ long-term purposes, all the data from interview phases 1, 2 and 3 are analysed using the analytical question (Sund & Wickman, 2008): What does this teacher group, in this specific subject area, really care about together when discussing their ESE teaching?In order to answer the research question, the teachers’ responses are analysed using the didactical questions what, how and why. The results show that teacher collaborations in different subject areas can be fruitful in that they stress different yet complimentary aspects of ESE teaching. The potential important role of language teachers in ESE teaching is one of the main contributions of this study indicates a need for further research on how to improve language teachers’ confidence to voluntarily join and experience ESE collaborations. Science and social science teachers call for more time to plan and work together, whereas language teachers are often asked to collaborate by the school management (Sund, Gericke, & Bladh, Submitted). Each subject area has a specific ESE focus, and thereby is a possibility to contribute and complement each other through content, methods, dimensions and purposes, as in a true collaborative teaching. Such cross-curricular settings are able to offer students facts, opportunities to develop abilities through knowledge in action and support personal empowerment. In the process of cross-curricular ESE teaching, students’ individual identity-making is important. According to Celce-Murcia (1991), the process of self-realisation and relating to and communicating with other people are two common teaching approaches amongst language teachers. This can be an important part of making ESE knowledge powerful for learners in their everyday use and in contributing towards a more sustainable future. This could be language teachers’ main contribution to a cross-curricular collaborative work on ESE. The overall aim of ESE is to create action competent citizens (Jensen & Schnack, 1997). In subject area collaborations where many cross-curricular and societal transformations of knowledge are involved (Gericke, Hudson, Olin-Scheller, & Stolare, 2018).}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_sundper_2019_2,
  title = {Environmental sustainability education - pedagogical and curriculum challenges in elementary & secondary schools},
  author = {Sund, Per and Gericke, Niklas and Bladh, Gabriel},
  year = {2019},
  language = {eng}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_sundper_2019_3,
  title = {The significance of teaching traditions in environmental and sustainability education at secondary school level},
  author = {Sund, Per and Gericke, Niklas and Bladh, Gabriel},
  year = {2019},
  language = {eng}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_sundper_2018,
  title = {The significance of teaching traditions in environmental and sustainability education when forming multidisciplinary teacher teams},
  author = {Sund, Per and Gericke, Niklas and Bladh, Gabriel},
  year = {2018},
  language = {eng}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_sundper_2018_1,
  title = {The significance of teaching traditions when forming multidisciplinary teacher teams for ESE and SSI teaching},
  author = {Sund, Per and Gericke, Niklas and Bladh, Gabriel},
  year = {2018},
  language = {eng},
  keywords = {biology; geography; geografi},
  abstract = {The recommendation is often that the teaching of environmental and sustainability education (ESE) or socio-scientific issues (SSI) in science should be interdisciplinary. One way of achieving this is to form multidisciplinary teacher teams. While the subject content may become more interdisciplinary, what about the outcome at student level? Research is sparse and there is a knowledge gap about differences in teachers’ teaching of ESE from different disciplinary traditions. This study investigates Swedish secondary teachers’ responses to a written enquiry that is designed to discern their teaching traditions, what they emphasise in their teaching. The results show that science, social science and language teachers stress some important educational aspects differently. Hence, without an explicit understanding of this among teachers unnecessary could result in unnecessary confusion for students or an educational content emphasizing limited types of different knowledge such as facts, attitudes or abilities.}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_thybergannika_2022,
  title = {Investigating how students move between different levels of biological organization when interpreting epigenetic representations},
  author = {Thyberg, Annika and Schönborn, Konrad and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2022},
  language = {eng},
  keywords = {environmental science},
  abstract = {This study explores how visual representations can enhance students ́ interpretation of epigenetic phenomena at different levels of biological organisation. Visualizations are a powerful tool for communicating complex biological processes invisible to the naked eye. Using visualizations to develop knowledge between and across different levels of organization can help provide a coherent biological understanding. We use the yo-yo strategy, previously developed in genetics education, to inform interview tasks to probe students ́ interpretation of visualizations representing epigenetic processes at sub micro, micro and macro levels of biological organization. Epigenetics is a rapidly expanding area of the life sciences with significant societal implications. Epigenetics explains how environmental factors at macro level can influence gene activity at micro and sub micro levels, and thereby human characteristics such as health and disease development. In further investigating how students move between different levels, this study explores how students interpret different visualizations that communicate epigenetic phenomena. Filmed sessions with five focus groups comprising two to four students made up the reported data collection. Analysis of students ́ pointing gestures and indications toward pictorial features and accompanying verbally uttered reasoning, showed that students move between levels of organization in three distinct patterns. These patterns are: showing no movement (dwelling), one- and two level movement. In addition, five different characteristics of interaction with the visualizations were found that enabled students meaning making of epigenetics between levels: horizontal and vertical comparisons, salient features, analogous connections, everyday life experience and text elements. Implications for biology educational research and teaching are discussed.}
}

@mastersthesis{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_thybergannika_2024,
  title = {Students’ meaning-making of epigenetic visual representations: An exploration within and between levels of biological organization},
  author = {Thyberg, Annika},
  year = {2024},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {Karlstads universitet},
  keywords = {biological organization levels; genetics education; learning progression; meaning-making of epigenetics; secondary school; visual representations; yo-yo reasoning; biology},
  abstract = {This thesis explores lower secondary students’ meaning-making of epigenetic visual representations within and between biological organization levels. Data obtained from five focus group discussions where students indicated and reasoned about eight epigenetic visual representations were explored. By analyzing students’ interactions with multiple visual representations, and the impact of linking and reasoning patterns on their meaning-making, the research contributes insights to the learning of epigenetics. Epigenetics, which is gaining rapid importance in emerging biology curricula, is communicated at different biological organization levels, and serves as the meaning-making context explored in the thesis. A compelling biology didactics context, where students are required to reason with multiple representations depicted within and between organizational levels to make meaning about epigenetics.The thesis uncovers three primary findings. First, four linking patterns in students’ meaning-making across and between organizational levels using various visual representations are illuminated. Second, five visual characteristics that influence students’ linking within and between levels were discerned. Third, students’ meaning-making processes were observed to emerge through four phases, which involved form and function attributes of the visual representations, and the transfer of scientific ideas across representations. }
}

@misc{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_thrnekarin,
  title = {Does teachers’ classroom talk in genetics lessons clarify or confuse?: Investigating semantic relations between the words gene, DNA and chromosome},
  author = {Thörne, Karin and Gericke, Niklas},
  language = {eng},
  keywords = {biology}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_thrnekarin_2015,
  title = {Genetic determinism in teachers’ talk in secondary science classroom},
  author = {Thörne, Karin and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2015},
  language = {eng},
  keywords = {biology}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_thrnekarin_2014,
  title = {How secondary teachers verbally relate the words gene, DNA and chromosome when teaching genetics},
  author = {Thörne, Karin and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2014},
  language = {eng},
  keywords = {biology}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_thrnekarin_2020,
  title = {Implementing epigenetics in secondary school: A design study},
  author = {Thörne, Karin and Gericke, Niklas and Mc Ewen, Birgitta},
  year = {2020},
  language = {eng}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_thrnekarin_2019,
  title = {Learning epigenetic mechanisms with analogies},
  author = {Thörne, Karin and Gericke, Niklas and Mc Ewen, Birgitta},
  year = {2019},
  language = {eng}
}

@misc{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_thrnekarin_1,
  title = {Teacher-student dialogue in the classroom: does it support students in learning the language of genetics?},
  author = {Thörne, Karin and Gericke, Niklas},
  language = {eng},
  keywords = {biology}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_thrnekarin_2010,
  title = {Teachers’ talk aboutgenetics: how do they explain the central concepts and make connections betweenthe micro- and macro-levels?},
  author = {Thörne, Karin and Hagberg, Mariana and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2010},
  language = {eng},
  keywords = {biology}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_thrnekarin_2012,
  title = {Teachers talk in the classroom: Connecting geneswith traits},
  author = {Thörne, Karin and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2012},
  language = {eng},
  keywords = {biology}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_treagustdavid_2013,
  title = {Learning Biology with Multiple Representations},
  author = {Treagust, David and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2013},
  language = {eng},
  keywords = {biology}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_wahlbergsara_2009,
  title = {Clusters of concepts in the protein synthesis: A study of Swedish upper secondary science students' reasoning},
  author = {Wahlberg, Sara and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2009},
  language = {eng},
  keywords = {subject didactics; biology; chemistry}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_wahlbergsara_2016,
  title = {Descriptions of the protein synthesis in upper secondary biology and chemistry textbooks – An educational data mining approach},
  author = {Wahlberg, Sara and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2016},
  language = {eng}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_wahlbergsara_2021,
  title = {Metaphors in Upper Secondary Chemistry and Biology Textbooks' Descriptions on Protein Synthesis},
  author = {Wahlberg, Sara and Haglund, Jesper and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2021},
  language = {eng},
  keywords = {metaphor; protein synthesis; upper secondary textbooks; biology}
}

@misc{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_wahlbergsara,
  title = {Upper Secondary Students' Application of Domain-specific Concepts and Mechanistic Reasoning about Protein Synthesis},
  author = {Wahlberg, Sara and Haglund, Jesper and Gericke, Niklas},
  language = {eng},
  keywords = {chemistry - chemistry didactics; kemi - kemididaktik}
}

@inproceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_walansusanne_2016,
  title = {Barnens universitet - Intresseskapande STEM-aktivitet?},
  author = {Walan, Susanne and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2016},
  language = {swe},
  keywords = {biology}
}

@proceedings{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_2012,
  title = {Ämnesdidaktisk komparation: Länder, ämnen, teorier, metoder, frågor och resultat},
  year = {2012},
  language = {swe},
  publisher = {Karlstads universitet},
  keywords = {biology},
  abstract = {Den tredje nordiska ämnesdidaktiska konferensen, NOFA 3, genomfördes 11 – 13 maj 2011 på Karlstads universitet. Temat för konferensen var ämnesdidaktisk komparation av olika slag: länder, ämnen, teorier,metoder, frågor och resultat. Konferensen organiserades som ettsamarbete mellan tre ämnesdidaktiska forskningsmiljöer vid Karlstadsuniversitet: CSL (Centrum för språk och litteraturdidaktik), CSD (Centrum förde samhällsvetenskapliga ämnenas didaktik) och SMEER (Science, Mathematics,Engineering Educational Research). Ledande forskare från Danmark, Finland, Norge och Sverige samlades i Karlstad. Av de 256 deltagarnas 120 presentationer har 13 artiklar efter peer-review granskning valts ut för denna bokpublikation. Artiklarna representerar både bredd och djup av aktuell ämnesdidaktisk forskning i ett nordiskt perspektiv och vänder sig till forskare, lärarutbildare och lärare inom skolväsendet.}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_thrnekarin_2026,
  title = {Introducing Epigenetics Into Secondary School Classrooms-An Educational Design Study},
  author = {Thörne, Karin and Gericke, Niklas and Mc Ewen, Birgitta},
  year = {2026},
  journal = {Science Education},
  volume = {2},
  number = {110},
  pages = {379--399},
  doi = {10.1002/sce.70009},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: John Wiley & Sons},
  keywords = {educational design study; epigenetics; genetics education; intervention studies; secondary school; biology},
  abstract = {Although epigenetics represents an emerging field of biological research with a potentially large influence on society as well as conceptual implications on how genetics is understood, it is often not a part of the biology education provided at secondary schools. Therefore, this educational research design study describes the development of a teaching design about epigenetics, created in collaboration with researchers and practicing teachers, and included the aim of updating genetics education to appropriately mirror contemporary biology research frontiers. The study was conducted in 11 upper secondary school classes. The resulting teaching design consists of a set of “Big Ideas” and teaching and learning activities that can be used with different groups of students and integrated into regular genetics education. Despite the complex content, the students appreciated the topic and found it not only to be highly relevant, but also understandable. The teaching design, which centered on human biology and the interplay between genetics and the environment, resulted in participants articulating a nuanced understanding of these two topics, which indicates a potential shift in perspective away from genetic determinism. The design also provided better explanatory models for various biological phenomena that had already been included in the curriculum, such as cell differentiation. Teaching epigenetics based on contemporary research was reported to be inspiring by the teachers, and students felt that it was exciting to learn about concepts at the frontline of scientific research. Thus, epigenetics is also relevant as a context for teaching the nature of science. A challenge identified in the study was how to avoid conflicts between old and modern explanatory models in genetics, an issue that needs to be explored further. },
  issn = {0036-8326}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_gerickeniklas_2018_8,
  title = {The Sustainability Consciousness Questionnaire: The theoretical development and empirical validation of an evaluation instrument for stakeholders working with sustainable development},
  author = {Gericke, Niklas and Boeve-de Pauw, Jelle and Berglund, Teresa and Olsson, Daniel},
  year = {2018},
  journal = {Sustainable Development},
  volume = {1},
  number = {27},
  pages = {35--49},
  doi = {10.1002/sd.1859},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {Hoboken, N. J., USA : Wiley},
  keywords = {empirical validation of the sustainability consciousness questionnaire; questionnaire instrument; stakeholder engagement; sustainability consciousness; sustainable development; sustainable development policy; theoretical development of the construct of sustainability consciousness; biology},
  abstract = {In this paper, the concept of sustainability consciousness, an individual's experience and awareness of sustainable development, is introduced. Based on UNESCO's definition of sustainable development, a sustainability consciousness questionnaire (SCQ) is theoretically and empirically developed. Using the data of 638 respondents from Sweden aged 18-19 years old, the scale is developed in two versions. The long version (SCQ-L) can be used to measure individuals' environmental, social and economic knowingness, attitudes and behaviour (nine valid and reliable subscales), in addition to the second order constructs of sustainability knowingness, sustainability attitudes and sustainability behaviour, as well as the third order construct, sustainability consciousness. For the short version (SCQ-S) 27 items were identified that can be used to measure the second and third order constructs. Both versions of the scale present excellent psychometric quality. Possible applications of the questionnaire instruments in the context of evaluation of sustainability policies, practices and stakeholder engagement are discussed.},
  issn = {0968-0802}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_gerickeniklas_2023_1,
  title = {Defining epigenetic literacy: How to integrate epigenetics into the biology curriculum},
  author = {Gericke, Niklas and Mc Ewen, Birgitta},
  year = {2023},
  journal = {Journal of Research in Science Teaching},
  volume = {10},
  number = {60},
  pages = {2216--2254},
  doi = {10.1002/tea.21856},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: John Wiley & Sons},
  keywords = {biology curriculum; delphi study; epigenetic literacy; genetics education; secondary education; biology},
  abstract = {The aim of this study is to define epigenetic literacy and describe how it can be included in school biology. Epigenetics is a new field of research in biology with abundant societal consequences and conceptual implications on how genetics is understood. Epigenetics explains how genes are regulated, thereby clarifying cell differentiation, and providing an understanding of how the environment interacts with genes. Students are bound to encounter epigenetic knowledge and applications related to issues such as health, food, and exercise in the media and their everyday lives. Consequently, there is a need to develop epigenetic literacy. Nevertheless, epigenetics is missing in biology curricula and is almost unknown among teachers and students. Research on epigenetics in science education is scarce, and we do not know what and how to teach. Therefore, we conducted a policy Delphi study with a panel of experts to define an epigenetic literacy framework for teaching in secondary education in relation to Robert's Vision I and Vision II perspectives on epigenetic literacy. Participants were 41 recognized international experts representing 11 countries and five areas of expertise. The experts suggested that epigenetics should be introduced in the lower secondary genetics course (students aged 13-15 years), but also addressed in other relevant areas of biology. The study generated six content themes: epigenetics as a metaphor; epigenetics connecting nature with nurture; epigenetics as a dynamic process; epigenetic mechanisms; epigenetics and inheritance; and epigenetics and nature of science, and five sociocultural themes for contextualization: epigenetics and lifestyle; epigenetics and diseases; epigenetics and ethics; epigenetics and policies; and epigenetics and forensics. Taken together, these themes constitute the epigenetic literacy framework. Further, we uncover divergent meanings in the expert panel & mdash;as is typical of policy Delphi studies & mdash;and connect the framework to genetic literacy and learning progressions in genetics education.},
  issn = {0022-4308}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_garrechtc_2026,
  title = {Unpacking Climate Literacy in Science Education: What Explains Students' Willingness to Engage in Climate Action?},
  author = {Garrecht, C. and Christenson, Nina and Gericke, Niklas and Haglund, Jesper and Appelgren, Jari and Harms, U.},
  year = {2026},
  journal = {Journal of Research in Science Teaching},
  doi = {10.1002/tea.70045},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: John Wiley & Sons},
  keywords = {climate action; climate literacy; risk perception; students; climate change; education computing; engineering education; regression analysis; social aspects; teaching; cognitive factors; explanatory power; psychosocial factors; relative contribution; risk value; science education; swedishs; value orientation; biology},
  abstract = {Due to the far-reaching and life-threatening consequences of climate change, science education is becoming increasingly important for preparing students to become climate literate citizens. Climate literacy, which encompasses knowledge, skills, and attitudes related to climate change, can provide a strong foundation for informed climate action. While the influence of students' climate change-related knowledge on their engagement in climate action has been the focus of much research and debate, few studies in the field of science education have examined how the combination of cognitive and psycho-social aspects of climate literacy relates to students' climate engagement. The present study addresses this gap by exploring the relative contribution of different aspects of climate literacy (i.e., knowledge, skills, risk perception, and value orientations) to students' willingness to engage in climate action. Using the method of sequential regression analysis, we analyzed data collected from 1309 German and Swedish students. The patterns of the results in both countries are similar: Students' risk perception is found to be the relatively strongest predictor of their willingness to engage in climate action. Value orientations were also identified as strong predictors, while cognitive factors seem to have less explanatory power. Conclusively, our study suggests that science education should consider psycho-social factors alongside teaching of the necessary knowledge, especially if we aim to empower students to go beyond the theoretical discussion of how to combat climate change.},
  issn = {0022-4308}
}

@book{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_2020,
  title = {Conceptualizing Environmental Citizenship for 21st Century Education},
  year = {2020},
  doi = {10.1007/978-3-030-20249-1},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {Springer},
  keywords = {biology},
  abstract = {Sets the foundation for “Education for Environmental Citizenship”Relates environmental citizenship to knowledge, values, beliefs, attitudesProposes a novel pedagogical approachShows the link with responsible environmental behaviour, youth activism, education for sustainability and environmental education}
}

@incollection{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_parragema_2020,
  title = {Education for environmental citizenship and education for sustainability},
  author = {Parra, Gema and Hansmann, R and Hadjichambis, Andreas and Goldman, Daphne and Paraskeva-Hadjichambi, Demetra and Sund, Per and Sund, Louise and Gericke, Niklas and Conti, Daniela},
  year = {2020},
  journal = {Conceptualizing environmental citizenship for 21st century education},
  pages = {149--160},
  doi = {10.1007/978-3-030-20249-1_10},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {Cham : Springer},
  keywords = {subject-specific education; ämnesdidaktik},
  abstract = {In order to achieve a sustainable society, a citizen must be supported in overcoming any important gaps or challenges. Preparing people for Environmental Citizenship and Education for Sustainability shows coincidences in some dimensions and differences in others. However, within its definition, Environmental Citizenship has a strong emphasis on the environmental dimension of sustainability and on civic engagement in the private, social and political sphere. Environmental Citizens are able to exercise their environmental rights and duties, are able to identify the underlying structural causes of environmental degradation and environmental problems and have the willingness and the competences to address critical and active engagements. They act individually and collectively within democratic means, and consider inter- and intra-generational justice. Education for Environmental Citizenship is relevant because it can strengthen the achievement of sustainability goals through a more active civic participation. Education for Environmental Citizenship needs to develop the dispositions, skills and competencies that will enable students to reach this level of environmental awareness with wider spatial and temporal scopes, using specific educational approaches and methodologies that promote these qualities in individuals. Robust Education for Environmental Citizenship to enhance governance skills can contribute to the effective safeguarding of the environment as a holistic entity that encompasses natural, societal and economic dimensions.}
}

@incollection{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_gerickeniklas_2020_1,
  title = {Environmental Citizenship in Secondary Formal Education: The Importance of Curriculum and Subject Teachers},
  author = {Gericke, Niklas and Huang, Lihong and Knippels, Marie-Christine and Christodoulou, Andri and Van Dam, Frans and Gasparovic, Slaven},
  year = {2020},
  journal = {Conceptualizing Environmental Citizenship for 21<sup>st</sup> Century Education},
  pages = {193--212},
  doi = {10.1007/978-3-030-20249-1_13},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {Cham : Springer},
  keywords = {environmental science},
  abstract = {Environmental Citizenship can take on different meanings in different countries and discourses as outlined in other chapters of this book. When Environmental Citizenship becomes part of the educational system, another level of complexity is added to the construct, the diversity of the educational systems in various countries. In this chapter, we will address this issue with a focus on formal secondary education. In the previous chapter on primary school and informal education, much has been written about how to practice different teaching approaches related to Education for Environmental Citizenship. In this chapter, we will focus on how to overcome the demands in order to be able to enact such teaching approaches in secondary education, with students aged 11–19 years old. In secondary education the subject or discipline comes into focus. As a result, students are taught by several subject specialists from different disciplines. To enact Environmental Citizenship, these different teachers need to collaborate. Moreover, secondary schooling might have different aims compared to other school forms, and it is often regulated with specific subject syllabi. In this chapter we discuss how Environmental Citizenship can be enacted considering these challenges.}
}

@incollection{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_gerickeniklas_2020_2,
  title = {The Green School Movement in Sweden: past, present and future},
  author = {Gericke, Niklas and Manni, Annika and Stagell, Ulrika},
  year = {2020},
  journal = {Green Schools Movements Around the World: Stories of Impact on Education for Sustainable Development},
  pages = {309--332},
  doi = {10.1007/978-3-030-46820-0},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {Cham : Springer},
  keywords = {environmental science},
  abstract = {The Green Schools Movement in Sweden has a long history. In this chapterwe will start with a historical review of the long interest of green issues inSwedish society and how these have influenced curriculum and teaching. We willaddress the different teaching traditions that evolved in environmental education inSweden over time. Then we will describe how the green school movement beenpromoted in Sweden through initiatives from NGOs such as Håll Sverige Rent andWorld Wide Fund for Nature. This has led to certification systems for schools toparticipate with the possibility to be accredited as “green schools”. These certificationsystems have turned from an environmental perspective to a perspective towardsEducation for Sustainable Development (ESD). Finally we will go through theextensive research conducted in Sweden the last years of the effects these certificationsystems has had in the schools at student, teacher and school organization level,and what we can learn from these studies in order to develop the green school movementfor the future.}
}

@incollection{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_gerickeniklas_2022_1,
  title = {How can epigenetics be used to integrate nature and nurture in genetics education?},
  author = {Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2022},
  journal = {Genetics education},
  pages = {17--34},
  doi = {10.1007/978-3-030-86051-6_2},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {Cham : Springer},
  abstract = {This chapter advocates the incorporation of epigenetics in genetics teaching according to an integrated model bridging the apparent dichotomy between ‘nature’ and ‘nurture’, which lies at the heart of biology education. To what degree can we explain biological traits by organisms’ essential (inherent and biologically determined) features, or what do organisms learn and acquire through environmentally dictated development? This has often been presented, in both biological research and biology education, as an either/or question. However, recent advances in genetic research have shown that epigenetic concepts can provide a new mechanistic understanding of interactions between environmental and genetic factors, and thus of how the environment can affect organisms’ (including humans’) behavior and other biological characteristics. Thus, epigenetics can provide a teaching model that abolishes the nature versus nurture dichotomy, as well as possibilities for overcoming the well-established problem of genetics education promoting causal and deterministic understandings of genes and their functions.}
}

@incollection{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_gerickeniklas_2022_2,
  title = {Is belief in genetic determinism similar across countries and traits?},
  author = {Gericke, Niklas and El-Hani, Charbel, N. and Sbeglia, Gena, C and Nehm, Ross, H. and Evangelista, Neima Alice Menezes},
  year = {2022},
  journal = {Genetics education},
  pages = {107--125},
  doi = {10.1007/978-3-030-86051-6_7},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {Cham : Springer}
}

@incollection{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_munkebyeeli_2022,
  title = {Primary School Teachers’ Understanding of Critical Thinking in the Context of Education for Sustainable Development},
  author = {Munkebye, Eli},
  year = {2022},
  journal = {Critical Thinking in Biology and Environmental Education},
  pages = {249--266},
  doi = {10.1007/978-3-030-92006-7_14},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {Cham : Springer},
  keywords = {critical thinking skills; dispositions; education for sustainable development; primary education; teachers’ understanding; biology},
  abstract = {Critical thinking (CT) has been defined as an important goal in education for sustainable development (ESD). In recent curricula, reform for primary education CT has been reinforced as a new key competence. Primary school teachers are struggling to enact CT in their classrooms, and previous research cannot provide the answers to this problem because it has focused on higher education. To implement CT in ESD, first, more must be known about primary school teachers’ understanding and teaching practices of CT. In this study, 10 Norwegian fifth- to seventh-grade teachers were interviewed to capture these aspects. The interview transcripts were subject to thematic analysis. The findings show that the primary school teachers view CT as a cognitive strategy aimed at outlining the multidimensional aspect of ESD, but they leave out many aspects of CT relating to the disciplinary, multidisciplinary, and emotional factors of ESD. Furthermore, they do not teach CT in a way that facilitates the overarching goal of ESD, which is to promote action competence for sustainability. Therefore, suggestions about how to organize teacher professional development are discussed.}
}

@incollection{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_gerickeniklas_2022_3,
  title = {Implementation of Education for Sustainable Development Through a Whole School Approach},
  author = {Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2022},
  journal = {Education for Sustainable Development in Primary and Secondary Schools},
  pages = {153--166},
  doi = {10.1007/978-3-031-09112-4_11},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {Cham : Springer},
  keywords = {biology; education},
  abstract = {The whole school approach to Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) embraces a holistic and participatory educational philosophy that aims to enhance the potential of the school environment to function as an authentic and meaningful learning place. There is rich diversity in ways this approach plays out in different places, both within countries and globally. However, a common guiding principle is the integration of three lines of action: environmental management (“greening”) of the school, establishment of ongoing partnerships with the broader local community to address issues of social-environmental sustainability, and incorporation of sustainability in the curriculum. Hence, a whole school approach demands involvement of all parts of schools and stakeholders in the society to expose students to real sustainability issues. In this chapter, I describe how the idea of whole school approaches has developed in the literature by presenting different models and present a school organization model that can be used to guide implementation of ESD in a whole school approach. Aspects of school organization that facilitate implementation of ESD from a whole school approach are highlighted, with a focus on school leadership.}
}

@incollection{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_gerickeniklas_2024,
  title = {How to instituitionalize a whole school approach to ESD},
  author = {Gericke, Niklas and Forssten Seiser, Anette and Mogren, Anna and Berglund, Teresa and Olsson, Daniel},
  year = {2024},
  journal = {Whole school approaches to sustanibility},
  pages = {57--69},
  doi = {10.1007/978-3-031-56172-6},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {Cham : Springer},
  keywords = {education},
  abstract = {The theoretical framework and empirical examples presented in this chapter stem from school improvement research and can be used by schools that want to work practically according to a whole school approach (WSA) toward education for sustainable development (ESD) through policymakers who want to establish guidelines enabling the implementation of WSA to ESD and through researchers who want to investigate and analyze the process of institutionalizing WSA to ESD. }
}

@incollection{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_borgfarhana_2024,
  title = {Developing a Whole (Pre)school Approach to Sustainability: Insights from Global Citizenship and Early Childhood Education Across Nordic Countries},
  author = {Borg, Farhana and Pramling Samuelsson, Ingrid and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2024},
  journal = {Sustainable Development Goals Series},
  pages = {167--175},
  doi = {10.1007/978-3-031-56172-6_11},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {Cham : Springer International Publishing},
  keywords = {global citizenship education; preschool; sustainable development; thematic approach; wholeness; biology},
  abstract = {Early childhood education aims to support children to develop cognitive, social, and motor skills, alongside values and ethics central to sustainability. From a Nordic perspective, this chapter reflects on how global citizenship education in preschool can illuminate possibilities and barriers to developing a whole school approach to sustainability. A review of Nordic policy and research identified four perspectives rooted in the global citizenship tradition that can support a whole school approach to sustainability: The greening of the whole preschool; The whole child’s learning; Wholeness in preschool teaching; and Thematic approach as a perspective on a whole preschool. We propose that efforts to implement a whole school approach to sustainability could be aligned with these perspectives. Nonetheless, Nordic preschools currently lack robust engagement with society—a perspective that requires further cultivation. To advance, empirical studies are needed to explore how a whole school approach to sustainability can be developed and implemented within preschool education.},
  issn = {2523-3084}
}

@incollection{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_gerickeniklas_2024_1,
  title = {How to Institutionalize a Whole School Approach to ESD},
  author = {Gericke, Niklas and Forssten Seiser, Anette and Mogren, Anna and Berglund, Teresa and Olsson, Daniel},
  year = {2024},
  journal = {Whole School Approaches to Sustainability},
  pages = {57--69},
  doi = {10.1007/978-3-031-56172-6_4},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {Cham : Springer},
  keywords = {biology},
  abstract = {The literature on whole school approach (WSA) to education for sustainable development (ESD) has mainly been practice-based, lacking empirical and theoretical grounding. Moreover, the existing literature shows that it is difficult to accomplish WSA to ESD. This chapter addresses these issues by grounding WSA to ESD in applied methods and theories from the field of school improvement research and exemplifying with empirical findings of how to build the capacity to reform a local school in line with WSA to ESD. Four identified themes for developing a local school’s capacity are discussed: improvement history of the school, infrastructure of the school organization, improvement processes, and improvement roles. The chapter takes a novel process-oriented perspective and discusses the school improvement process longitudinally from initiation via implementation to reach institutionalization of WSA to ESD. The main conclusion is that it may take 5–8 years to institutionalize WSA to ESD. }
}

@incollection{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_sasswanda_2025,
  title = {Theoretical Approaches: Operationalizing Action Competence as a Learning Outcome of Education for Sustainable Development Using International Large-Scale Assessments},
  author = {Sass, Wanda and Pauw, Jelle Boeve-de and Olsson, Daniel and Gericke, Niklas and Van Petegem, Peter},
  year = {2025},
  journal = {Knowledge and Willingness to Act Pro-Environmentally},
  pages = {11--20},
  doi = {10.1007/978-3-031-76033-4_2},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {Cham : Springer},
  keywords = {action; action competence; action competence in sustainable development (acisd); education for sustainable development (esd); environmental education; international civic and citizenship education study (iccs); international large-scale assessment (ilsa); sustainability; trends in international mathematics and science study (timss); biology},
  abstract = {Sustainable development is a prominent issue on the agendas of citizens, policymakers, practitioners, and scholars alike. Conceptual frameworks have been suggested to guide teaching-learning processes in order to prepare future generations for sustainability challenges. One such framework is action competence in sustainable development (ACiSD) as a learning outcome of action-oriented education for sustainable development (ESD). The current chapter introduces the main components of this ACiSD-ESD conceptual framework for its operationalization using data from international large-scale assessments. ACiSD is defined by the acquisition of relevant knowledge and skills, a strong motivation from within, and confidence both in one’s own capacities for inducing change and in a positive outcome of sustainability actions. ESD is characterized by holism, pluralism and participation, and an orientation toward action. Currently, international large-scale assessments such as the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS) are evolving towards providing opportunities to operationalize the ACiSD-ESD conceptual framework. This may enable monitoring ESD learning outcomes and sharing good practices on an international basis. }
}

@incollection{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_gerickeniklas_2025,
  title = {Education for Sustainable Development in Subject-Specific Education and the Contribution of Language Teaching},
  author = {Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2025},
  journal = {Transformative Language Teaching for Sustainability},
  pages = {27--51},
  doi = {10.1007/978-3-031-85493-4_2},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Palgrave Macmillan},
  keywords = {action competence; competence turn; education for sustainable development; language teaching; powerful knowledge; subject didactics; curricula; e-learning; education computing; students; sustainable development; or educations; policy discussion; subject didactic; subject-specific; sustainability education; teaching; biology},
  abstract = {Sustainability education, or Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) as it is often referred to in policy discussions, is an educational approach based on the idea that education should contribute to a sustainable world. Whereas conventional scholastic education typically emphasises the learning of content in the form of predefined knowledge or skills, ESD aims to encourage students to act in more sustainable ways. This shift of aim raises a question: should ESD be addressed primarily within general or subject-specific education? It is most commonly addressed in general education because of the competence-based approach of ESD, and it is this issue that forms the subject of this chapter. Based on Biesta’s suggestions about the main purposes of education and Young’s work on the idea of powerful knowledge and possible curriculum trajectories for the future, this chapter argues that there is a need to adopt a multidisciplinary perspective in ESD that relies on contributions from multiple subject-specific teaching traditions. Moreover, findings from empirical studies are used to show how a transformative language education strategy can play a major role in empowering students’ action competence for sustainability. }
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_berglundteresa_2019_1,
  title = {A cross-cultural comparative study of sustainability consciousness between students in Taiwan and Sweden},
  author = {Berglund, Teresa and Gericke, Niklas and Boeve-de Pauw, Jelle and Olsson, Daniel and Chang, Tzuchau},
  year = {2019},
  journal = {Environment, Development and Sustainability},
  volume = {7},
  number = {22},
  pages = {6287--6313},
  doi = {10.1007/s10668-019-00478-2},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Springer},
  keywords = {sustainable development; education; culture; sustainability consciousness; knowledge; attitudes; behavior; biology; environmental science},
  abstract = {Education for sustainable development (ESD) is promoted as one important component in the endeavor toward sustainable development. Goal 4 in the Sustainable Development Goals (UN in Sustainable development goals—17 goals to transform our world, 2017) in particular targets the role of ESD in this respect. The importance of cultural specificity in ESD is emphasized in numerous international policy documents, but there are few cross-cultural studies that focus on the broad context of sustainable development and ESD. The current study investigates the sustainability consciousness of grade 12 students (age 18–19) in Taiwan (N = 617) and Sweden (N = 583) and discusses the implications for ESD policy and practice. The findings indicate that significant differences exist between the two samples, both with respect to their sustainability consciousness and within the three sub-constructs of knowingness, attitudes and self-reported behaviors. The differences are considered in light of the cultural value orientations of the East Asian and Western European regions. Implications for ESD are discussed from the perspective of cultural specificity.},
  issn = {1387-585X}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_christensonnina_2016,
  title = {Science and Language Teachers’ Assessment of Upper Secondary Students’ Socio-scientific Argumentation},
  author = {Christenson, Nina and Gericke, Niklas and Chang Rundgren, Shu-Nu},
  year = {2016},
  journal = {International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education},
  volume = {8},
  number = {15},
  pages = {1403--1422},
  doi = {10.1007/s10763-016-9746-6},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Springer Science and Business Media LLC},
  keywords = {assessment; socioscientific argumentation; socioscientific issues; upper secondary teachers; pedagogik med inriktning mot utbildningsvetenskap; educational science; naturvetenskapsämnenas didaktik; science education; biology},
  abstract = {Researchers and policy-makers have recognized the importance of including and promoting socioscientific argumentation in science education worldwide. The Swedish curriculum focuses more than ever on socioscientific issues (SSI) as well. However, teaching socioscientific argumentation is not an easy task for science teachers and one of the more distinguished difficulties is the assessment of students’ performance. In this study, we investigate and compare how science and Swedish language teachers, participating in an SSI-driven project, assessed students’ written argumentation about global warming. Swedish language teachers have a long history of teaching and assessing argumentation and therefore it was of interest to identify possible gaps between the two groups of teachers’ assessment practices. The results showed that the science teachers focused on students’ content knowledge within their subjects, whereas the Swedish language teachers included students’ abilities to select and use content knowledge from reliable reference resources, the structure of the argumentation and the form of language used. Since the Swedish language teachers’ assessment correlated more with previous research about quality in socioscientific argumentation, we suggest that a closer co-operation between the two groups could be beneficial in terms of enhancing the quality of assessment. Moreover, SSI teaching and learning as well as assessment of socioscientific argumentation ought to be included in teacher training programs for both pre- and in-service science teachers.},
  issn = {1571-0068}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_brinkhelen_2021_2,
  title = {Teaching digital models: secondary technology teachers’ experiences},
  author = {Brink, Helen and Kilbrink, Nina and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2021},
  journal = {International journal of technology and design education},
  number = {32},
  pages = {1755--1775},
  doi = {10.1007/s10798-021-09659-5},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Springer Science and Business Media LLC},
  keywords = {digital models; technology education; phenomenology; thematic analysis; experience},
  abstract = {In secondary technology education, models of artifacts, systems and processes, visualized and simulated through digital tools (digital models) are a relatively new element. Technology teachers teach digital models to meet syllabus criteria of digital competence, applicable to for instance problem solving and documentation using digital tools. However, there is a lack of knowledge concerning how teachers use digital models in their teaching, what their intentions are, and what content they choose. It is known, though, that teachers’ experiences influence the teaching. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate teachers’ experiences of teaching digital models in compulsory school, to contribute to more knowledge of teaching in this area. This study takes a phenomenological lifeworld approach, and 12 semi-structured interviews with lower secondary technology teachers form the empirical data. The data were analyzed thematically and the results are four themes of experiencing the teaching of digital models, indicating that technology teachers teach with different aims and purposes; Enhancing and integrating other subjects, Visualizing technology to the pupils, Enabling digital modelling, and Preparing pupils for the future. Further, the results also indicate that the content and methods of teaching differ and that teachers did not experience digital models as one single idea but as an amalgam of multiple ideas. These findings can be used as a basis for further research and development of teaching concerning digital models.},
  issn = {0957-7572}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_brinkhelen_2022,
  title = {Teach to use CAD or through using CAD: An interview study with technology teachers},
  author = {Brink, Helen and Kilbrink, Nina and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2022},
  journal = {International journal of technology and design education},
  number = {33},
  pages = {957--979},
  doi = {10.1007/s10798-022-09770-1},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Springer},
  keywords = {cad; computer aided design; digital design tools; phenomenography; technology education; technology teachers},
  abstract = {Today, many technology teachers in compulsory technology education teach design and design processes using a digital design tool, such as computer aided design (CAD). Teaching involving CAD is a relatively new element and not very much is known about what teachers intend pupils to learn in compulsory education. Thus, the aim of this study is to investigate technology teachers' experiences in order to gain insight into their teaching practices involving CAD. A phenomenographic approach was used and twelve semi-structured interviews with lower secondary technology teachers were conducted. The interviews were analyzed and categories of description were hierarchically organized into the phenomenographic outcome space. The results show that teachers have different experiences of the intended learning outcomes when CAD is used in teaching, and four hierarchical categories emerged: (1) Handling the software, (2) Using ready-made models, (3) Manufacturing and creating printed models, and (4) Designing. The four categories describe teaching to use CAD and/or through using CAD. Further, the hierarchical categories indicate a teaching progression and the categories can be used as a basis for further discussions among teachers, teacher educators and researchers to develop CAD pedagogies within compulsory technology education.},
  issn = {0957-7572}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_walansusanne_2022,
  title = {Transferring makerspace activities to the classroom: a tension between two learning cultures},
  author = {Walan, Susanne and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2022},
  journal = {International journal of technology and design education},
  volume = {5},
  number = {33},
  pages = {1755--1772},
  doi = {10.1007/s10798-022-09799-2},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Springer},
  keywords = {classroom practices; informal learning; makerspace activities; stem; teacher reflections; transfer; case-studies; continuous professional development; makerspace activity; learning cultures; teacher reflection; teachers'; biology},
  abstract = {This case study aimed to investigate teachers’ reflections on the transfer of makerspace activities into classrooms. Primary and secondary STEM teachers participated in a Continuous Professional Development programme about makerspaces. Data were collected in the form of written reflections and semi-structured interviews after the teachers conducted makerspace activities in their classes. A thematic approach was used for data analysis. The results showed that teachers identified possibilities: Connections to learning objectives in STEM subjects; Motivating and engaging students; Stimulating collaboration; Stimulating creativity; and challenges: Problem of assessment; Lack of digital competence; Lack of high-tech equipment. However, the teachers did not reflect upon the cultural, ontological, and epistemological differences between makerspaces and formal schooling. Thus, we argue that it is difficult ‘to eat the cake and have it too’, i.e. to fully reconcile both the maker-culture and demands of formal schooling. Rather, we suggest three ways to connect makerspace culture with formal education. },
  issn = {0957-7572}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_delahozmarinacasanoves_2021,
  title = {Student Primary Teachers’ Knowledge and Attitudes Towards Biotechnology: Are They Prepared to Teach Biotechnological Literacy?},
  author = {de la Hoz, Marina Casanoves and Sole-Llussa, Anna and Haro, Juan and Gericke, Niklas and Valls, Cristina},
  year = {2021},
  journal = {Journal of Science Education and Technology},
  number = {31},
  pages = {203--216},
  doi = {10.1007/s10956-021-09942-z},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Springer Science and Business Media LLC},
  keywords = {attitudes towards biotechnology; biotechnological literacy; genetic education; pre-service teachers’ understanding; primary education; biology},
  abstract = {The speed of development of biotechnology within agriculture, industry, and medicine has changed our lives, and we need a biotechnological literacy to understand it. This implies that teachers in primary schools need to be biotechnologically literate in order to educate future generations. The aim of this study was to investigate Swedish pre-service primary school teachers’ knowledge of and attitudes towards biotechnology and contextualize the results by comparing them with a corresponding group of Spanish teachers. Data was collected using the established questionnaire instrument Biotech XXI and analyzed statistically. The findings demonstrate that Swedish pre-service primary school teachers have knowledge gaps relating to the basic genetic concepts that underpin biotechnology, although they are aware of biotechnological applications. Their attitudes are quite positive towards biotechnological applications in health, but less so to buying and using genetically modified products. Higher levels of knowledge were correlated with more positive attitudes, indicating an attitudinal basis for expanding the knowledge of and teaching practices for biotechnology among primary teachers. The level of knowledge and attitudes in the Swedish sample were similar to those of the Spanish teachers, suggesting a similar situation may be prevalent in many countries. The results indicate a need to reconsider the science curricula within pre-service primary school teacher training programs in order to better prepare primary teachers for teaching biotechnological literacy.},
  issn = {1059-0145}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_gerickeniklas_2009_1,
  title = {Conceptual Incoherence as a Result of the use of Multiple Historical Models in School Textbooks},
  author = {Gericke, Niklas and Hagberg, Mariana},
  year = {2009},
  journal = {Research in science education},
  volume = {4},
  number = {40},
  pages = {605--623},
  doi = {10.1007/s11165-009-9136-y},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Springer Science and Business Media LLC},
  keywords = {biology},
  abstract = {This paper explores the occurrence of conceptual incoherence in upper secondary school textbooks resulting from the use of multiple historical models. Swedish biology and chemistry textbooks, as well as a selection of books from English speaking countries, were examined. The purpose of the study was to identify which models are used to represent the phenomenon of gene function in textbooks and to investigate how these models relate to historical scientific models and subject matter contexts. Models constructed for specific use in textbooks were identified using concept mapping. The data were further analyzed by content analysis. The study shows that several different historical models are used in parallel in textbooks to describe gene function. Certain historical models were used more often then others and the most recent scientific views were rarely referred to in the textbooks. Hybrid models were used frequently, i.e. most of the models in the textbooks consisted of a number of components of several historical models. Since the various historical models were developed as part of different scientific frameworks, hybrid models exhibit conceptual incoherence, which may be a source of confusion for students. Furthermore, the use of different historical models was linked to particular subject contexts in the textbooks studied. The results from Swedish and international textbooks were similar, indicating the general applicability of our conclusions.},
  issn = {0157-244X}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_gerickeniklas_2012,
  title = {Upper secondary students’ understanding of the use of multiple models in biology textbooks: The importance of conceptual variation and incommensurability},
  author = {Gericke, Niklas and Hagberg, Mariana and Jorde, Doris},
  year = {2012},
  journal = {Research in science education},
  volume = {2},
  number = {43},
  pages = {755--780},
  doi = {10.1007/s11165-012-9288-z},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Springer},
  keywords = {conceptual variation; models; students conceptual understanding; textbooks; upper secondary school; biology},
  abstract = {In this study we investigate students' ability to discern conceptual variation and the use of multiple models in genetics when reading content-specific excerpts from biology textbooks. Using the history and philosophy of science as our reference, we were able to develop a research instrument allowing students themselves to investigate the occurrence of multiple models and conceptual variation in Swedish uppersecondary textbooks. Two excerpts using different models of gene function were selected from authentic textbooks. Students were given the same questionnaire-instrument after reading the two texts, and the results were compared. In this way the students themselves made a classification of the texts which could then be compared with the researchers' classification of the texts. Forty-one upper secondary students aged 18-19 participated in the study. Nine of the students also participated in semi-structured interviews. Students recognized the existence of multiple models in a general way, but had difficulty discerning the different models and the conceptual variation that occurs between them in the texts. Further they did not recognize the occurrence of incommensurability between multiple models. Students had difficulty in transforming their general knowledge of multiple models into an understanding of content specific models of gene function in the textbooks. These findings may have implications for students'understanding of conceptual knowledge because research has established textbooks as one of the most influential aspects in the planning and execution of biology lessons, and teachers commonly assign reading passages to their students without further explanation.},
  issn = {0157-244X}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_thybergannika_2024_1,
  title = {Phases of Progression: Students’ meaning-making of epigenetic visual representations within and between levels of organization},
  author = {Thyberg, Annika and Schönborn, Konrad and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2024},
  journal = {Research in science education},
  volume = {2},
  number = {55},
  pages = {399--423},
  doi = {10.1007/s11165-024-10196-z},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Springer},
  keywords = {biology; subject-specific education; ämnesdidaktik},
  abstract = {This study investigates the progression of students’ meaning-making of epigenetic phenomena while discussing multiple visual representations depicted at different levels of biological organization. Semi-structured focus group sessions involving ninth-grade students (aged 15-16) from a Swedish lower secondary school were video recorded. Students’ meaning-making with regard to form, function and transfer of scientific ideas was explored by analyzing students’ physical pointing and verbal utterances while interacting with and discussing the epigenetic visual representations. The study uncovered four phases of progression in students’ meaning-making. In phase 1, students’ focus is on unpacking scientific ideas within a single representation. In phase 2, students apply and transfer scientific ideas between different visual representations at the same organizational level. In phase 3, their meaning-making develops into linking between various levels of organization. Here, downward linking, from higher to lower levels, relies on form descriptions that limit the transfer of scientific ideas. In contrast, upward linking, from lower to higher organizational levels, relies on both descriptions of form and functional explanations, which facilitates the transfer of scientific ideas. Finally, in Phase 4, and manifested as “yo-yo reasoning”, students engage in a dynamic and repeated process of downward and upward linking that expresses a coherent understanding of epigenetics. The study findings underscore the significance of recognizing progression phases in facilitating students’ meaning-making of multiple representations of epigenetic phenomena. Future research could expand on these insights by investigating students’ meaning-making across other science education domains.},
  issn = {0157-244X}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_wahlbergsara_2024,
  title = {Metaphors on Protein Synthesis in Swedish Upper Secondary Chemistry and Biology Textbooks - A Double-Edged Sword},
  author = {Wahlberg, Sara and Haglund, Jesper and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2024},
  journal = {Research in science education},
  volume = {2},
  number = {55},
  pages = {425--444},
  doi = {10.1007/s11165-024-10197-y},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Springer},
  keywords = {conceptual metaphor theory; metaphor identification protocol; metaphor systems; protein synthesis; upper secondary school; textbooks; chemistry; biology; physics},
  abstract = {This study provides insights into the use of metaphors in protein synthesis descriptions in upper secondary chemistry and biology textbooks. Data were collected from seven Swedish textbooks and analyzed with the Metaphor Identification Protocol and categorized within the framework of Conceptual Metaphor Theory. The results reveal two main parallel metaphor systems of construction-based metaphors and information-based metaphors. Five sub-systems with different emphasis on the usage of construction and information related metaphors emerged in the analysis: the location, translocation, transportation, cryptography and publishing sub-metaphor systems. These metaphors can function as double-edged swords for students' learning. On the positive side, the construction-based metaphors (location, translocation and transportation) meet the educational need to describe where the processes of the protein synthesis occur and how these take place, while the information-based metaphors (cryptography and publishing) describe how the different sub-processes of the protein synthesis are linked via the interflow of information between them. On the negative side, the identified metaphors are presented implicitly without explanations, thus making it difficult for the students to identify them. Also, textbook sentences often contain metaphors drawn from several of the five sub-systems, requiring students not only to differentiate between them, but also to connect the source and target domain of the different metaphors correctly. The results highlight the important role of the teacher in supporting students' learning by explaining what metaphors are and how they are used in textbooks. To further this end, authors of biology and chemistry textbooks are recommended to introduce metaphors early and explicitly.},
  issn = {0157-244X}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_erikssonanders_2026,
  title = {The Photosynthesis Literacy Framework: Updating Educational Perspectives on Photosynthesis Education},
  author = {Eriksson, Anders and Gericke, Niklas and Olsson, Daniel},
  year = {2026},
  journal = {Research in science education},
  doi = {10.1007/s11165-025-10314-5},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Springer Science+Business Media B.V.},
  keywords = {delphi study; photosynthesis education; science education; scientific literacy; sustainability education; biology},
  abstract = {The teaching of photosynthesis in secondary schools often follows a mechanistic, decontextualized approach that lacks integration with the broader implications of this biochemical process on societal and sustainability issues. Contemporary science education frequently overlooks the significance of photosynthesis for life on Earth and human society. This study aims to identify a Photosynthesis Literacy Framework—a research-based curricular framework designed to promote a more relevant and engaging photosynthesis education that fosters scientific literacy. A Delphi study was conducted to determine pertinent content themes concerning photosynthesis and its essential role in life and human society. A panel of 29 experts, including 12 science educators, nine green scientists, and eight sustainability scientists, reached consensus after three iterative rounds. The study identified four overarching themes, comprising 25 content categories with aligned learning objectives, connected to the three visions of scientific literacy. These themes are: Photosynthesis as a natural science phenomenon; Photosynthesis as a driving force in biological and geological processes and cycles; Photosynthesis and its importance to sustainability; and Photosynthesis from a societal perspective. We propose that the Photosynthesis Literacy Framework be implemented in secondary science education to promote photosynthesis literacy, which plays a vital role in developing informed and responsible citizenship. },
  issn = {0157-244X}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_gerickeniklas_2010_2,
  title = {Conceptual Variation in the Depiction of Gene Function in Upper Secondary School Textbooks},
  author = {Gericke, Niklas and Hagberg, Mariana},
  year = {2010},
  journal = {Science & Education},
  volume = {10},
  number = {19},
  pages = {963--994},
  doi = {10.1007/s11191-010-9262-y},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Springer Science and Business Media LLC},
  keywords = {biology},
  abstract = {This paper explores conceptual variation in the depiction of gene function in upper secondary school textbooks. Historically, concepts in genetics have developed in various scientific frameworks, which has led to a level of incommensurability as concepts have changed over time within their respective frameworks. Since students may have difficulties in understanding concepts where there is implicit variation in descriptions of the same phenomena, we have developed a concept mapping instrument and applied it to study the gene function concepts in biology and chemistry textbooks that are widely used in Sweden, and others used in a selection of English speaking countries. The data were then further examined using content analysis. In the present paper we describe the conceptual variation of gene function as it is presented in the textbooks, and analyze the ways in which students’ understanding may be influenced. We conclude that it may be difficult for students to gain a modern, process-oriented understanding of gene function if textbooks are used as foundations for the planning and execution of lessons.},
  issn = {0926-7220}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_gerickeniklas_2012_1,
  title = {Conceptual Variation or Incoherence? Textbook Discourse on Genes in Six Countries},
  author = {Gericke, Niklas and Hagberg, Mariana and Carvalho dos Santos, Vanessa and Joaquim, Leyla Mariane and El-Hani, Charbel, N.},
  year = {2012},
  journal = {Science & Education},
  volume = {2},
  number = {23},
  pages = {381--416},
  doi = {10.1007/s11191-012-9499-8},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {Netherlands : Springer Netherlands},
  keywords = {conceptual variation; didactic transposition; genetic determinism; high school; textbook; biology},
  abstract = {The aim of this paper is to investigate in a systematic and comparative way the results of independent studies on the treatment of genes and gene function in high school textbooks from six different countries. We analyze how the conceptual variation within the scientific domain of Genetics regarding gene function models and gene concepts is transformed via the didactic transposition into school science textbooks. The findings indicate that a common textbook discourse on genes and their function exists in textbooks from the different countries. The structure of science as represented by conceptual variation and the use of multiple models was present in all the textbooks. However, the phenomenon of conceptual variation and multiple models is implicit in these textbooks and this brings, as a consequence, the introduction of conceptual incoherence about the gene concept and gene function models within these resources. We conclude that within the textbook discourse on genes found in our study ontological aspects of the academic disciplines of Genetics and Molecular Biology were retained, but without their epistemological underpinnings; these are lost in the didactic transposition. Also within the textbooks explanatory models and concepts that promote a deterministic notion of the gene were found to be most frequent. These results are of interest since students might have problems reconstructing the correct scientific understanding from the transformed school science knowledge as depicted within the high school textbooks. Implications for textbook writing as well as science teaching are discussed in the paper.},
  issn = {0926-7220}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_smithmikeu_2013,
  title = {Mendel in the Modern classroom},
  author = {Smith, Mike, U. and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2013},
  journal = {Science & Education},
  volume = {1},
  number = {24},
  pages = {151--172},
  doi = {10.1007/s11191-013-9629-y},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Springer},
  keywords = {biology},
  abstract = {Mendel is an icon in the history of genetics and part of our common culture and modern biology instruction. The aim of this paper is to summarize the place of Mendel in the modern biology classroom. In the present article we will identify key issues that make Mendel relevant in the classroom today. First, we recount some of the historical controversies that have relevance to modern curricular design, such as Fisher’s (1936/2008) claim that Mendel’s data were too good to be true. We also address questions about Mendel’s status as the father of genetics as well as questions about the sequencing of Mendel’s work in genetics instruction in relation to modern molecular genetics and evolution. Next, we present a systematic set of examples of research-based approaches to the use of Mendel in the modern classroom along with criticisms of these designs and questions about the historical accuracy of the story of Mendel as presented in the typical classroom. Finally, we identify gaps in our understanding in need of further study and present a selected set of resources that, along with the references cited, should be valuable to science educators interested in further study of the story of Mendel.},
  issn = {0926-7220}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_gerickeniklas_2016_2,
  title = {G is for Genes: The Impact of Genetics on Education and Achievement},
  author = {Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2016},
  journal = {Science & Education},
  volume = {5},
  number = {25},
  pages = {697--703},
  doi = {10.1007/s11191-016-9823-9},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Springer},
  keywords = {education},
  issn = {0926-7220}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_gerickeniklas_2017_4,
  title = {Exploring Relationships Among Belief in Genetic Determinism, Genetics Knowledge, and Social Factors},
  author = {Gericke, Niklas and Carver, Rebecca and Castera, Jeremy and Menezes Evangelista, Neima Alice and Marre, Claire Coiffard and El-Hani, Charbel N.},
  year = {2017},
  journal = {Science & Education},
  volume = {10},
  number = {26},
  pages = {1223--1259},
  doi = {10.1007/s11191-017-9950-y},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Springer},
  abstract = {Genetic determinism can be described as the attribution of the formation of traits to genes, where genes are ascribed more causal power than what scientific consensus suggests. Belief in genetic determinism is an educational problem because it contradicts scientific knowledge, and is a societal problem because it has the potential to foster intolerant attitudes such as racism and prejudice against sexual orientation. In this article, we begin by investigating the very nature of belief in genetic determinism. Then, we investigate whether knowledge of genetics and genomics is associated with beliefs in genetic determinism. Finally, we explore the extent to which social factors such as gender, education, and religiosity are associated with genetic determinism. Methodologically, we gathered and analyzed data on beliefs in genetic determinism, knowledge of genetics and genomics, and social variables using the "Public Understanding and Attitudes towards Genetics and Genomics" (PUGGS) instrument. Our analyses of PUGGS responses from a sample of Brazilian university freshmen undergraduates indicated that (1) belief in genetic determinism was best characterized as a construct built up by two dimensions or belief systems: beliefs concerning social traits and beliefs concerning biological traits; (2) levels of belief in genetic determination of social traits were low, which contradicts prior work; (3) associations between knowledge of genetics and genomics and levels of belief in genetic determinism were low; and (4) social factors such as age and religiosity had stronger associations with beliefs in genetic determinism than knowledge. Although our study design precludes causal inferences, our results raise questions about whether enhancing genetic literacy will decrease or prevent beliefs in genetic determinism.},
  issn = {0926-7220}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_hgstrmper_2024,
  title = {Teaching Socioscientific Issues: A Systematic Review},
  author = {Högström, Per and Gericke, Niklas and Wallin, Johan and Bergman, Eva},
  year = {2024},
  journal = {Science & Education},
  volume = {5},
  number = {34},
  pages = {3079--3122},
  doi = {10.1007/s11191-024-00542-y},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {Dordrecht : Springer},
  keywords = {pedagogical approaches; socioscientific issues; systematic review; teaching practices; biology; education},
  abstract = {To provide a comprehensive picture of socioscientific issues (SSI) pedagogy in primary and secondary school contexts, we present a systematic review of research on how SSI in science education practice is characterized in studies of teaching and learning from 1997 to 2021. The review addresses the identified need for guidance on SSI teaching as experienced by practicing teachers. The aim of the study is to define and describe how SSI as a pedagogical approach is characterized in studies of teaching and learning in science education research. From a sample of 5183 peer-reviewed articles, 157 were selected for the data extraction and systematic review process. The result is structured around teaching objectives, teaching topics, and teaching methods. Our findings show that much of the research revolves around the development of students’ higher-order thinking skills and science content knowledge. The topics identified fall mainly within two themes: the environment and sustainable development, and health and technology. Group discussions stand out as the primary teaching method. The findings are discussed in the light of previous reviews, and recommendations for future research are suggested.},
  issn = {0926-7220}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_mcewenbirgitta_2025,
  title = {The Challenge of Changing a Genetics Deterministic Teaching Tradition – Teachers’ Views on Including Epigenetics in the Genetics Curriculum},
  author = {Mc Ewen, Birgitta and Gericke, Niklas and Thörne, Karin},
  year = {2025},
  journal = {Science & Education},
  doi = {10.1007/s11191-025-00666-9},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Springer},
  keywords = {deterministic thinking; epigenetics; enetics education; selective teaching tradition; teacher professional development; biology; subject-specific education; ämnesdidaktik},
  abstract = {Teaching genetics courses is dominated by a tradition focusing on Mendelian genetics and the central dogma, which can be described as a selective teaching tradition. This theoretical framework refers to a teaching tradition that gives priority to specific content and teaching strategies based on earlier experiences accepted within the community of teachers. This approach is problematic because Mendelian genetics and the central dogma promote a genetically deterministic understanding, leading students to believe that genes alone determine human characteristics. However, this view is increasingly challenged by the emerging field of epigenetics, which emphasises the role of environmental factors in influencing characteristics. Despite this, epigenetics is not yet included in the genetics curriculum in many countries. This study aimed to investigate whether introducing epigenetics to teachers would encourage them to challenge the selective teaching tradition of Mendelian genetics and the central dogma. To support teachers in integrating epigenetics into teaching genetics courses, we therefore developed a professional development programme covering different aspects of epigenetics and genetics education. Data from group discussions and individual reflections were analysed using thematic analyses, resulting in three key themes: keeping the tradition, mixing and adding to the tradition, and changing the tradition. Most teaching strategies fell into keeping the tradition, showing that, despite the development programme, it seemed difficult for the teachers to diverge from the selective teaching tradition. However, the latter two themes suggest that there could be opportunities for incorporating epigenetics into genetics education. This study discusses these opportunities, suggesting how selective teaching traditions might be challenged. },
  issn = {0926-7220}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_ohlssonanders_2024,
  title = {Implementing education for sustainability in preschool: Teaching strategies and learning environments},
  author = {Ohlsson, Anders and Gericke, Niklas and Borg, Farhana},
  year = {2024},
  journal = {Journal of Outdoor and Environmental Education},
  doi = {10.1007/s42322-024-00181-5},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Springer},
  keywords = {learning environments; outdoor education; preschool; sustainability education; teaching practices; teaching strategies; biology},
  abstract = {Education for Sustainability (EfS) has been included in preschool teaching in several countries. Yet few studies investigate EfS in practice or the way learning environments affect teaching. This study investigates which learning environments and teaching strategies facilitate or, indeed, hinder EfS. An observational study was conducted at two preschools where the teaching and EfS practices of two teachers were observed both indoors, in the outdoor play area, and in the forest. Observations were analysed using qualitative content analysis and coded based on the teaching strategies and EfS practices in these three learning environments. An inductive analysis was then conducted to identify enablers and barriers for implementing EfS. Results show that planned teaching is the dominant teaching strategy indoors and in the forest but was absent in the outdoor play. Semi-spontaneous teaching was common in those learning environments that had been adapted to stimulate teaching. An enabler in the forest was movement in the place. In the outdoor play area, an adapted learning environment was an enabler just as it was indoors, where available teaching material was also an enabler for EfS. Barriers indoors were low expectations of children and the teacher's supervisory role in the outdoor play area. In the forest, a strict teaching structure was a barrier for EfS. This study shows that it is useful for a variety of EfS practices to use different learning environments, indoors and outdoors, as well as different teaching strategies and that preschool teachers might need in-service training to overcome the identified barriers.},
  issn = {2206-3110}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_lampertpeter_2023,
  title = {Sustaining insect biodiversity through Action Competence — An educational framework for transformational change},
  author = {Lampert, Peter and Goulson, Dave and Olsson, Daniel and Piccolo, John and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2023},
  journal = {Biological Conservation},
  number = {283},
  pages = {283},
  doi = {10.1016/j.biocon.2023.110094},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Elsevier},
  keywords = {action competence; action-oriented knowledge; education; insect conservation; insect decline; biology},
  abstract = {Insect decline, i.e. the rapid loss of insect biodiversity and species abundance, is an imminent crisis that mirrors the global loss of biodiversity and biological annihilation. Conservation scientists have therefore called for effective public education on how to mitigate insect decline. In this paper, we develop the framework “Action Competence for Insect Conservation (ACIC)” as a tool for improving education and citizen action for insect biodiversity conservation. The ACIC is an educational framework to develop peoples' abilities to take actions that sustain insect biodiversity, connecting insect conservation science with social science. This framework is applicable in various contexts and settings in both formal (e.g. schools, universities) and informal (e.g. outreach) education. It can be used to design and improve educational approaches, develop social interventions for insect conservation more generally, and develop instruments to assess such interventions. ACIC builds on the educational concept of Action Competence that goes beyond traditional education, which has focused on theoretical knowledge. Instead, the ACIC aims to foster peoples' action-oriented knowledge, confidence in their actions and willingness to take action. This explicit focus on actions contributes to overcoming gaps between knowledge and action implementation. The ACIC covers not only actions in private greenspaces, but also highlights the importance of actions that address other people in the community along with relevant stakeholders. We believe that the ACIC framework can contribute to identifying and developing effective intervention approaches, which have the potential to support transformational change in sustaining insect biodiversity. },
  issn = {0006-3207}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_olssondaniel_2019_2,
  title = {Green Schools in Taiwan: Effects on Student Sustainability Consciousness},
  author = {Olsson, Daniel and Gericke, Niklas and Boeve-de Pauw, Jelle and Berglund, Teresa and Chang, Tzuchau},
  year = {2019},
  journal = {Global Environmental Change},
  number = {54},
  pages = {184--194},
  doi = {10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2018.11.011},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Elsevier},
  keywords = {adolescent dip; education for sustainable development; gender gap; green schools; sustainability consciousness; biology},
  abstract = {In recent decades, the Taiwanese government has worked actively to implement the concept of a sustainable Taiwan. As an important step in their strategy, the Ministry of Education has decided to promote the Green School Partnership Project in Taiwan (GPPT). However, academic research and critical reflection on the effects of this environmental and sustainability education initiative are lacking. Therefore, this study focuses on filling this gap by means of a nationwide generalizable effect study. The sampling allowed comparisons between the sixth, ninth, and twelfth grades in GPPT and non-GPPT schools and considered the geographic location (north, center, and south of Taiwan) as well as socio-economic area of the schools. A total of 1,741 students participated, answering a questionnaire that focused on student sustainability consciousness (SC) and its components (i.e., knowingness, attitudes, and behaviors in relation to sustainability). Data were analyzed through structural equation modeling. Our findings make an important empirical contribution, indicating that GPPT schools and non-GPPT schools have a similar effect on the SC of students, i.e. schools engaged in the GPPT do not enhance student SC. In addition, the gender gap regarding SC increased consistently with each increasing grade level, yielding higher mean values for the girls than for the boys. Furthermore, an adolescent dip occurred in the student SC, especially with regard to student sustainability behavior. Given these findings, implications for developing GPPT are discussed; this research could provide valuable informationabout the educational transformation process to enhance environmental and sustainability behavior among students in Taiwan.},
  issn = {0959-3780}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_ohlssonanders_2025,
  title = {Teachers’ descriptions of education for sustainability at eco-certified and non-eco-certified preschools: A comparative study},
  author = {Ohlsson, Anders and Borg, Farhana and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2025},
  journal = {Sustainable Futures},
  number = {10},
  pages = {10},
  doi = {10.1016/j.sftr.2025.101113},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Elsevier},
  keywords = {education for sustainable development; early childhood education; eco-certification; teaching practices; teaching strategies; biology; subject-specific education; ämnesdidaktik},
  abstract = {This study presents a comparative content analysis of how teachers at eco-certified and teachers at non-eco-certified preschools in Sweden describe their education for sustainability (EfS). Sixteen teachers, eight from eco-certified preschools and eight from non-eco-certified preschools, were selected through a randomised sampling process. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, and the transcripts were analysed thematically, then comparatively. The thematic analysis generated four EfS practices: children’s opportunity for agency, actively present teachers, children’s experiences as a basis for learning, and communication between children and teachers and three teaching strategies: planned, semi-spontaneous, and spontaneous. These practices and strategies form the basis for a comparative quantitative and qualitative content analysis together with the three sustainability dimensions: economic, environmental, and social. In overall terms, the comparative quantitative content analysis shows only minor differences between the two teacher groups related to three aspects of their EfS. First, teachers at eco-certified preschools consider children’s experiences in planned and semi-spontaneous teaching more often than teachers at non-eco-certified preschools. Second, teachers at eco-certified preschools create more adapted learning environments and materials to enable semi-spontaneous teaching, which lead to a more structured EfS with pluralistic elements is apparent among teachers at eco-certified preschools. These differences could be due to the profile of the preschools or the fact that they more often have relevant continuing professional education for teachers. Complementary studies are needed to demonstrate whether these differences are generalisable and to investigate the underlying causes. },
  issn = {2666-1888}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_gerickeniklas_2013_1,
  title = {Clusters of concepts in molecular genetics: a study of Swedish upper secondary science students understanding},
  author = {Gericke, Niklas and Wahlberg, Sara},
  year = {2013},
  journal = {Journal of Biological Education},
  volume = {2},
  number = {47},
  pages = {73--83},
  doi = {10.1080/00219266.2012.716785},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Taylor & Francis},
  keywords = {concept map; protein synthesis; students’ conceptual understanding; upper; biology},
  abstract = {To understand genetics, students need to be able to explain and draw connections between a large number of concepts. The purpose of the study reported herein was to explore the way upper secondary science students reason about concepts in molecular genetics in order to understand protein synthesis. Data were collected by group interviews. Concept maps were constructed using the interview transcripts, and analysed. The most central concept was DNA, which served as a link between the concepts of genes and proteins. Students spontaneously introduced concepts from classical genetics to explain molecular genetics. The concept maps generated from the different group interviews were similar in that various concepts consistently appeared within specific subgroups of interconnected concepts, ie clusters. Five main clusters were identified. The students were better able to relate between concepts within a cluster than between concepts in different clusters. The clusters can be seen as representations of the students’ knowledge structures, and could be used as starting points in teaching genetics.We recommend that courses in genetics should begin by focusing on students’ existing connections between concepts from different clusters and then point out concepts that feature in two or more clusters such as DNA, gene, and protein.},
  issn = {0021-9266}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_gracemarcus_2018,
  title = {JBE and ERIDOB: working together to support biology education research},
  author = {Grace, Marcus and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2018},
  journal = {Journal of Biological Education},
  volume = {1},
  number = {52},
  pages = {1--2},
  doi = {10.1080/00219266.2018.1411415},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Taylor & Francis},
  keywords = {biology education research; biology},
  abstract = {We are delighted that this issue of JBE includes three papers from the most recent conference of the European Researchers in Didactics of Biology (ERIDOB), held at Karlstad University, Sweden. There were 129 presentations given at the conference by 165 participants representing 24 countries.ERIDOB was established in 1996 and holds an international conference every two years, bringing together people with an interest in biology education research from Europe and across the world. We have so far held conferences in nine different countries. ERIDOB aims to share current research, develop a greater awareness of the diversity of research traditions between countries, and provide a welcoming atmosphere for early career researchers to discuss issues in biology education research with more experienced colleagues. There is no other international conference like it anywhere in the world, and just as ERIDOB is unique in this way, we also recognise the JBE’s unique position in focusing on international research in biology education, so it makes sense that they are both working in a spirit of positive collaboration.These papers give an indication of the breadth of presentations at ERIDOB conferences and the diverse interests of its participants. In their paper ‘Why do parrots talk?’ co-investigation as a model for promoting family learning through conversation in a natural history gallery, Emily Harris and Mark Winterbottom from the UK analyse the learning taking place within family groups during a visit to a natural history museum. They identify a range of approaches for building meaning within the families, and discuss how simple, cost-effective learning strategies could be used to enhance family learning by encouraging dialogue and co-investigatory behaviours.Butterflies & wild bees: biology teachers’ PCK development through citizen science by Martin Scheuch and colleagues from Austria, explores the development of biology teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) when supporting students taking part in a citizen science project. It shows the effectiveness of citizen science in engaging teachers and students in scientific inquiry, improving the integration of science education and environmental education, and gaining a sense of place. It proposes strategies for improving citizen science in the context of learning biology in schools.François Lombard and colleagues from Switzerland describe A method to reveal fine-grained and diverse conceptual progressions during learning. Their paper on conceptual progression among high school biology students identifies ‘slow spots’ in learners’ progression and reveals some non-linear and often surprising conceptual pathways. The authors challenge traditional pedagogical approaches which aim to organise conceptual progression in a rigid, predetermined sequence.In addition to this issue of JBE, a book with 23 full research papers and 8 position papers relating to the future of biology education research, from the ERIDOB 2016 conference will be published during spring 2018.This year’s ERIDOB conference is at Zaragoza University in Spain on 2–6 July. Details can be found at: https://eventos.unizar.es/8746/section/7332/twelfth-conference-of-european-researchers-in-didactics-of-biology-eridob-2018.html},
  issn = {0021-9266}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_rnnerannaclara_2023_1,
  title = {Cough, sneeze, pass it on–pupils’ understanding of infectious diseases in the aftermath of COVID-19},
  author = {Rönner, Anna-Clara and Jakobsson, Anna and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2023},
  journal = {Journal of Biological Education},
  volume = {5},
  number = {58},
  pages = {1117--1129},
  doi = {10.1080/00219266.2022.2159492},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Routledge},
  keywords = {contagion literacy; covid-19; health literacy; infectious diseases; primary education; students’ conceptions; biology; education},
  abstract = {The COVID-19 pandemic had an immense impact on communities around the world. We know that new epidemic-prone diseases will emerge in the future. Consequently, it is important to investigate what impact the current pandemic had on school children’s understanding of infectious diseases in order to develop biology education based on that novel understanding. The aim of this study was to explore Swedish middle school (10-12-year-old) pupils’ understanding of infectious diseases and their perceived sources of knowledge. Data was collected through individual semi-structured interviews with fifteen pupils and analysed by thematic coding. Results revealed a great impact of the pandemic on the respondents’ conceptions. Firstly, their notion of infectious diseases based on their idea of COVID-19 was elusive because COVID-19 can manifest very differently. Secondly, the need to care about oneself and others was recognized. Thirdly, the importance of vaccines was recognized, but vaccines were given different roles. Finally, their understanding of infection seems to originate from informal domains such as the news and the Internet, rather than from biology education. One proposal for biology teaching could be to introduce scientific concepts earlier, to pay more attention to differences and similarities between infectious diseases, and to cooperate with other school subjects.},
  issn = {0021-9266}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_rnnerannaclara_2023_2,
  title = {“Bacteria are not viruses; viruses are more malicious” - young pupils’ understanding of bacteria and viruses in the aftermath of COVID-19},
  author = {Rönner, Anna-Clara and Jakobsson, Anna and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2023},
  journal = {Journal of Biological Education},
  volume = {5},
  number = {58},
  pages = {1434--1447},
  doi = {10.1080/00219266.2023.2247409},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Taylor & Francis},
  keywords = {contagion literacy; covid-19; health literacy; primary education; students’ conceptions; biology; education},
  abstract = {Recently, the COVID-19 pandemic impacted immensely on individuals and societies around the world. This study aimed at delineating Swedish middle school (10?12-year-old) pupils? understanding of bacteria and viruses, thereby illustrating the influence of the pandemic at schools and in society. Data was collected by semi-structured, individual interviews and by asking pupils to draw images. Thematic coding of interview transcripts and content analysis of pupils? annotated drawings were used. The morphology of microorganisms from the drawings was often 'corona-like', with a round shape and with protruding parts. Viruses were commonly considered larger than bacteria, but sometimes also similar in size. Interrelationships between bacteria and viruses were expressed with a superior microorganism. Pupils drew microorganisms as cell-like and never portrayed them as animals or with anthropomorphic features. Viruses were considered to cause a more severe disease than bacteria. Pupils seldomly tethered a specific virus to a specific infectious disease, and often named both (virus and disease) 'corona'. However, when they did make a connection, viruses were considered to cause flu and COVID-19, bacteria to cause cold and plague. In general, these results indicate that viruses received a more pronounced position amongst microorganisms in the minds of pupils in the aftermath of COVID-19.},
  issn = {0021-9266}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_lampertpeter_2023_1,
  title = {Hands-on learning with 3D-printed flower models},
  author = {Lampert, Peter and Pany, Peter and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2023},
  journal = {Journal of Biological Education},
  volume = {1},
  number = {59},
  pages = {181--191},
  doi = {10.1080/00219266.2023.2282427},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Routledge},
  keywords = {plant blindness; flower models; 3d printing; biodiversity; teaching approach; biology},
  abstract = {Sustaining a broad diversity of plants is key for a sustainable future. For instance, providing a variety of flowering plants in urban and agricultural landscapes mitigates the current decline of pollinators and biodiversity in general. Therefore, educating about the diversity of flowering plants has high current relevance for biology and environmental education. Unfortunately, students have little knowledge about plant diversity and find botanical topics often uninteresting. Therefore, this paper presents and discusses an engaging teaching approach, where students engage in a role-play with 3D-printed flower models to learn how the morphology of plants affects different insect pollinator groups. To gain insights into students’ experiences with the flower models, guided interviews were conducted one week after this role-play. The interview results show that the students were not only motivated to engage in the role-play, but also gained content knowledge on how the diversity of flowers affects insect pollinators. Hence, the approach highlights how 3D printing can contribute to design teaching approaches that engage students in hands-on activities in order to foster their understanding of flower diversity. },
  issn = {0021-9266}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_erikssonanders_2025,
  title = {Teaching for photosynthesis literacy: an education design research study},
  author = {Eriksson, Anders and Olsson, Daniel and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2025},
  journal = {Journal of Biological Education},
  volume = {2},
  number = {60},
  pages = {171--188},
  doi = {10.1080/00219266.2025.2467764},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Routledge},
  keywords = {educational design research; photosynthesis education; secondary school; sustainability education; teaching design; biology; subject-specific education; ämnesdidaktik},
  abstract = {In this study we transform a recently created photosynthesis literacy framework to enacted curriculum in an educational design research (EDR) study, with the ultimate aim of fostering photosynthesis literate citizens by providing a more relevant photosynthesis education, based on its importance for sustainability and relevance to other pressing societal issues. The study was conducted over a year in Sweden in seventh-grade secondary school classes and in collaboration with two biology teachers. The EDR was divided into three stages: (i) piloting, (ii) developing a new teaching design, and (iii) three rounds of evaluation and development to finesse a teaching design that builds on the aforementioned photosynthesis literacy framework and consists of four themes, which are detailed in 25 learning objectives. In the three developing and evaluation rounds the teaching design was enacted by the two teachers in their biology classes. In between the rounds, the teaching design was analysed, revised, and re-revised. The final teaching design settled on and presented herein consists of ten lessons. This teaching design can be used to reinvent photosynthesis education in a way that makes it more relevant for students. It also addresses many of the known misconceptions related to teaching and learning about photosynthesis.},
  issn = {0021-9266}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_erikssonanders_2026_1,
  title = {How can students learn about photosynthesis?: The outcomes of a teaching design based on the Photosynthesis Literacy Framework},
  author = {Eriksson, Anders and Gericke, Niklas and Olsson, Daniel},
  year = {2026},
  journal = {Journal of Biological Education},
  doi = {10.1080/00219266.2025.2605042},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Taylor & Francis},
  keywords = {photosynthesis education; secondary school; sustainability; scientific literacy; student-centred education; effect study; biology},
  abstract = {Photosynthesis education is often perceived as abstract and challenging. The Photosynthesis Literacy Framework was developed with the dual aim of mitigating students' learning difficulties, and increasing the topic's relevance by framing photosynthesis within societal and sustainability issues. This article presents an effect study in which a teaching design based on the framework was implemented and assessed compared with a control group that was taught in the traditional way. A mixed-method design was used, involving quantitative pre- and post-tests for both groups, and qualitative classroom observations and student interviews for the intervention (experimental) group. A thematic analysis was applied to the qualitative data to identify possible pedagogical features of the teaching design that supported students' development of photosynthesis literacy. The teaching design was found to be effective, with the experimental group showing significant improvements in photosynthesis literacy in most of its dimensions compared with the control group, especially regarding scientific understanding. Four key features of the teaching design that supported its effectiveness were: authentic experiences; active participation; wonder and fascination; and collaborative work. The teaching design is recommended for use in various contexts, to provide effective and meaningful learning in photosynthesis education.},
  issn = {0021-9266}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_samuelssonjohan_2021,
  title = {Practice before policy?: Unpacking the black box of progressive teaching in Swedish secondary schools},
  author = {Samuelsson, Johan and Gericke, Niklas and Olin-Scheller, Christina and Melin, Åsa},
  year = {2021},
  journal = {Journal of Curriculum Studies},
  volume = {4},
  number = {53},
  pages = {482--499},
  doi = {10.1080/00220272.2021.1881166},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Routledge},
  keywords = {archive research; curriculum reform; progressive teaching practices; secondary school teachers; teacher narratives; education},
  abstract = {The aim of the article is to deepen the knowledge of progressivism and how it was manifested in practice in Swedish secondary schools from a teacher perspective before it was prescribed in policy during the reforms of the 1950s. In the current educational debate, progressivism is blamed by some for being the root of a permissive style of education in decline that no longer provides any knowledge to students, and regarded by others as the starting point for the modern form of democratic schooling. The question we pursue is in what way progressive teaching practice existed before policy. We do that by investigating teacher narratives describing their own teaching practices found in a historical archive from 1946. Hence, rather than looking at the policy level as in most studies, we are unpacking the black box of progressive teaching. Through thematic analysis, we investigate 209 secondary teacher narratives from teachers of History, Biology and Mother tongue. We found that the theme of student participation was very frequently reported in 76% of the accounts, while student interaction (33%) and extended classroom (37%) were somewhat less reported. Hence, our study shows that progressive teaching existed in different ways before it appeared in policy.},
  issn = {0022-0272}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_hudsonbrian_2023,
  title = {Trajectories of powerful knowledge and epistemic quality: analysing the transformations from disciplines across school subjects},
  author = {Hudson, Brian and Gericke, Niklas and Olin-Scheller, Christina and Stolare, Martin},
  year = {2023},
  journal = {Journal of Curriculum Studies},
  volume = {2},
  number = {55},
  pages = {119--137},
  doi = {10.1080/00220272.2023.2182164},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Taylor & Francis},
  keywords = {epistemic quality; powerful knowledge; powerful professional knowledge; subject-specific educational content knowledge (sseck); transformation; comparative literature; biology},
  abstract = {This paper outlines the development of a comparative research framework in subject didactics and applies this in the process of analysing the transformations from academic disciplines across different school subjects. The theoretical framework builds on the concepts of ‘powerful knowledge’ and ‘transformation’ and ‘epistemic quality’ within which transformation processes from the classroom to the societal level are considered as ‘trajectories of powerful knowledge and epistemic quality’. The framework is used to analyse the findings from recent empirical studies across school subjects that have been reported on in publications arising from the Knowledge and Quality across School Subjects and Teacher Education (KOSS) network. 1 The paper then focuses on analysing the transformations from disciplines across school subjects, given that the first boundary in defining powerful knowledge concerns knowledge that is specialized in both how it is produced and transmitted. To analyse this boundary, the findings from the empirical studies are grouped into broad subject categories. These are then compared with the corresponding disciplines by using the widely cited Biglan classification scheme of academic disciplines in higher education. Finally, we consider the implications for curriculum planning and teacher education policy and reflect on the concept of subject-specific educational content knowledge (SSECK). },
  issn = {0022-0272}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_sarida_2024,
  title = {Reconceptualizing open schooling: towards a multidimensional model of school openness},
  author = {Sarid, A. and Boeve-de Pauw, J. and Christodoulou, A. and Doms, M. and Gericke, Niklas and Goldman, D. and Reis, P. and Veldkamp, A. and Walan, Susanne and Knippels, M. C. P. J.},
  year = {2024},
  journal = {Journal of Curriculum Studies},
  volume = {2},
  number = {57},
  pages = {227--245},
  doi = {10.1080/00220272.2024.2392592},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Taylor & Francis},
  keywords = {open schooling; openness; curriculum; communities of practice; school-as-community; biology},
  abstract = {‘Open schooling’ has become in recent years a burgeoning theme in the discourse on how to rethink education for the 21st century. This paper addresses a gap between calls for implementing an open schooling approach in policy papers and international reports and the scarcity of rigorous academic discourse on what open schooling theoretically means and practically entails in terms of school organization and curriculum. To this end, the paper presents an ecological model of school openness that is composed of eight interrelated dimensions: shared governance, ‘open’ curriculum, inner-school communities, learning communities, student participation, social engagement, parental involvement, and community collaborations. These dimensions are organized into three categories, accounting for organizational, pedagogical and communal aspects of school openness. The multidimensional nature of the model presented here provides a more intricate and nuanced account of open schooling that acknowledges the complexities and challenges that the movement towards greater openness yields for school communities. From an educational research perspective, this model functions to inform the understanding and examination of the multidimensionality of opening schools to their community. From an educational practice perspective, it can instigate in-depth and meaningful dialogue within school teams on what open schooling is and its ensuing merits. },
  issn = {0022-0272}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_gerickeniklas_2025_1,
  title = {A framework for curricular analysis of powerful knowledge: comparing school biology in England, Finland and Sweden},
  author = {Gericke, Niklas and Tani, Sirpa and Newall, Emma and Deng, Zongyi},
  year = {2025},
  journal = {Journal of Curriculum Studies},
  volume = {4},
  number = {57},
  pages = {441--465},
  doi = {10.1080/00220272.2025.2512323},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Routledge},
  keywords = {curriculum analysis; curricular framework; powerful knowledge; transformation of knowledge; secondary education; biology; subject-specific education; ämnesdidaktik},
  abstract = {This study investigates and compares knowledge types in national curricula embedded in the curriculum tradition (England) and the didactic tradition (Finland and Sweden). In the study, we develop and operationalize a theoretical framework based on educational purposes (academic, citizenship and humanistic purposes) and knowledge categories (substantive, disciplinary, sociocultural applications, pedagogical considerations and student-psychological considerations). The framework is thus embedded in a didactical perspective on powerful knowledge and is used as an analytical lens in a quantitative content analysis, and a consecutive qualitative analysis providing 'thick' descriptions of the biology curricula for each country providing a contextual interpretation of the results. From the analysis, we can conclude that the curricula are different and identify different aspects of knowledge. The English curriculum mainly identifies the products and processes of biology to teach. The Finnish curriculum has a holistic approach connecting the products and processes of biology, with the teaching and learning process and how students should apply the knowledge in society. The Swedish curriculum could be described as a hybrid of the English and Finnish ones focusing on the products and processes of biology and how this knowledge can be applied in society. Implications for teaching and learning are discussed.},
  issn = {0022-0272}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_dengzongyi_2025,
  title = {Powerful knowledge, school subjects and the curriculum: an international and comparative perspective},
  author = {Deng, Zongyi and Chapman, Arthur and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2025},
  journal = {Journal of Curriculum Studies},
  volume = {4},
  number = {57},
  pages = {365--381},
  doi = {10.1080/00220272.2025.2528744},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Taylor & Francis},
  keywords = {powerful knowledge; school subjects; national curriculum; educational purposes; content; biology; education},
  abstract = {This introductory essay presents a special issue that foregrounds school subjects as purpose-built educational enterprises and reconsiders the role of powerful knowledge in national curricula. Framed against the marginalization of knowledge in both global policy reforms and contemporary curriculum theory, it argues for renewed attention to the educational purpose, content, and construction of school subjects by engaging with questions such as: What are the purposes of school subjects? How should powerful knowledge be conceived in the curriculum? How are school subjects conceptualized and constructed? The issue includes four articles examining the purposes and content of school subjects-geography, history, religious education, and biology-in national curricula across Sweden, Finland, and England. It also features two articles exploring changes in business and management education in Poland and the 'life and death' of Liberal Studies as a school subject in Hong Kong. This special issue advances two key propositions: first, that school subjects are structured to fulfil multiple academic, civic, social, and personal aims; and second, that powerful knowledge should be understood not only in terms of its epistemic structure but also in relation to the intellectual and ethical capabilities it enables.},
  issn = {0022-0272}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_samuelssonjohan_2022,
  title = {Between Democratic Ideals and Local Conditions: Elementary School Teachers' Narratives of Progressive Teaching in Sweden in the 1940s},
  author = {Samuelsson, Johan and Melin, Åsa and Olin-Scheller, Christina and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2022},
  journal = {Paedagogica historica},
  volume = {3},
  number = {60},
  pages = {389--413},
  doi = {10.1080/00309230.2022.2114374},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Taylor & Francis},
  keywords = {curriculum reform; elementary school; teachers narratives on teaching; progressivism; biology},
  abstract = {Teachers' implementation of and attitudes to school reforms and overriding pedagogical ideals have long been a topic of debate and research. In this article, we centre on teachers' descriptions of how progressive teaching was conducted as well as on the teachers' reasons for implementing such teaching in the 1940s. This study is based on written material consisting of 360 elementary school teachers' accounts of their teaching collected in 1946. The material was collected by a government investigation of how progressive teaching was conducted in Sweden. The accounts offer detailed descriptions of how pupils were activated and how elementary teachers at the time could use the community as a teaching resource. The article is inspired by a prosopography approach, in which the basic assumption is that it is possible to extend knowledge of social processes and societal development by studying the group profile of members of various institutions such as political or professional organisations. The analysis is based on John Dewey's and Larry Cuban's perspectives on progressivism. We found that, according to teaching the theme of pupils participation was frequently reported in 59% of the accounts, while student interaction (35%) and extended classroom (16%) were less reported. The teachers motivated their teaching on the basis of general ideals, as democracy. Also important were practical circumstances such as available teaching resources as well as physiological aspects as student's interest and development.},
  issn = {0030-9230}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_nybergeva_2019,
  title = {Teachers' and Student Teachers' Attitudes Towards Nature and the Environment: A Comparative Study Between Sweden and France},
  author = {Nyberg, Eva and Castera, Jeremy and Mc Ewen, Birgitta and Gericke, Niklas and Clement, Pierre},
  year = {2019},
  journal = {Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research},
  volume = {7},
  number = {64},
  pages = {1090--1104},
  doi = {10.1080/00313831.2019.1649717},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Informa UK Limited},
  keywords = {environmental attitudes; anthropocentrism; ecocentrism; education},
  abstract = {Throughout the world, the educational system is expected to deal with issues regarding sustainability and to promote pro-environmental behaviours and attitudes. This study investigates attitudes towards nature and the environment among 1,109 teachers and student teachers in Sweden and France, using the 2 factor Model of Environmental Values (2-MEV). The results imply that in both Sweden and France, teachers and student teachers hold a prevailingly ecocentric attitude, as opposed to an anthropocentric attitude, which possibly indicates a predominantly positive approach towards the environment and environmental education. Comparisons between the countries show, however, that the Swedish teachers and student teachers hold a more anthropocentric attitude than the teachers and student teachers in the French sample.},
  issn = {0031-3831}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_olssondaniel_2015_2,
  title = {The adolescent dip in students' sustainability consciousness: Implications for education for sustainable development},
  author = {Olsson, Daniel and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2015},
  journal = {The Journal of Environmental Education},
  volume = {1},
  number = {47},
  pages = {35--51},
  doi = {10.1080/00958964.2015.1075464},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Taylor & Francis Group},
  keywords = {adolescents; education for sustainable development; sustainability attitudes; sustainability behavior; sustainability consciousness; biology; education; environmental science},
  abstract = {Previous research has shown that interest in and concern about environmental issues tends to decrease in adolescence, but less is known about adolescents' broader consciousness of sustainable development, also including economic and social issues. This study investigates students' sustainability consciousness in the transition to adolescence. This was done by surveying 2,413 Swedish students in the sixth, ninth and twelfth grades using an age-adapted questionnaire. The results unambiguously show that Swedish students' sustainability consciousness dips in adolescence, strongly indicating a need to modify the sustainability education for adolescents. Education for sustainable development is recommended as an approach to meet that need.},
  issn = {0095-8964}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_olssondaniel_2017,
  title = {The Effect of Gender on Students’ Sustainability Consciousness: A Nationwide Swedish Study},
  author = {Olsson, Daniel and Gericke, Niklas M.},
  year = {2017},
  journal = {The Journal of Environmental Education},
  volume = {5},
  number = {48},
  pages = {357--370},
  doi = {10.1080/00958964.2017.1310083},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Taylor & Francis Group},
  keywords = {education for sustainable development; effect studies; gender gap; socialization processes; sustainability consciousness; biology},
  abstract = {This study extends previous environmental education research on gender differences by investigating the gender gap between boys’ and girls’ sustainability consciousness. The issue of whether the gender gap in environmental education can be identified also in sustainability education is addressed. It has been suggested that Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is a teaching approach that could play a key role in diminishing the gender gap. However, the possible gender-specific effect of an ESD-oriented teaching approach is empirically untested. A survey instrument was used to detect the hypothesized gender gap in students’ sustainability consciousness on a sample of 2,413 Swedish students aged 12–19. Findings reveal a gender gap in students’ sustainability consciousness. The gender gap increases throughout the age span and is amplified in ESD oriented schools.},
  issn = {0095-8964}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_sasswanda_2020,
  title = {Redefining action competence: the case of sustainable development},
  author = {Sass, Wanda and Boeve-de Pauw, Jelle and Olsson, Daniel and Gericke, Niklas and De Maeyer, Sven and Van Petegem, Peter},
  year = {2020},
  journal = {The Journal of Environmental Education},
  volume = {4},
  number = {51},
  pages = {292--305},
  doi = {10.1080/00958964.2020.1765132},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Taylor & Francis},
  keywords = {action competence; commitment; education for sustainable development; self-efficacy; passion; biology},
  abstract = {The concept of Action Competence (AC) has been interpreted in different ways in various domains of the educational sciences. Given the rising scholarly attention to AC, these diverse interpretations are problematic because they hinder a common understanding of the concept among scholars. We unravel the interpretation of AC as a competence of people versus that of an educational approach. We call the latter education for sustainable development (ESD), and discuss the approach as predominantly being a subjectification model of education. Furthermore, we offer an updated and refined generic definition of action competence as a competence of people. To this end, we develop an ecology of psychological concepts that underpin AC. We present a theoretical perspective based on the concepts of "action" and "competence", for stronger consideration of AC as a competence of people. We relate this generic concept of AC to concepts such as commitment, passion, knowledge, and self-efficacy for solving controversial problems. Finally, we introduce the specific concept of "Action Competence in Sustainable Development" (ACiSD) to articulate the competence of people to engage in solving sustainability issues.},
  issn = {0095-8964}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_gerickeniklas_2022_4,
  title = {Supporting local school reform toward education for sustainable development: The need for creating and continuously negotiating a shared vision and building trust},
  author = {Gericke, Niklas and Torbjörnsson, Tomas},
  year = {2022},
  journal = {The Journal of Environmental Education},
  volume = {4},
  number = {53},
  pages = {231--249},
  doi = {10.1080/00958964.2022.2102565},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Taylor & Francis},
  keywords = {design criteria for teacher professional development; education for sustainable development; school reform; teaching practices; transformative education; biology},
  abstract = {This article centers on a local school reform project aimed at implementing a transformative approach to Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). The study investigates the project in terms of how the design criteria of a continuous professional development program and critical factors of the implementation process influenced the actual teaching practices. Data were collected through interviews with 15 teachers from five schools, and a thematic analysis was conducted. The results showed that the local school reform had limited effect. Trust between school actors, strategic management, and reflexive collaboration appeared to be the most important enablers of transferring the reform agenda into teaching practice. Skepticism, ambiguous management, and local contexts were identified as obstacles, hampering the intended change. A concluding recommendation for implementing transformation oriented ESD through local school reforms and professional development is to add a novel and threefold design criterion to the existing criteria, namely that of creating and continuously negotiating a shared vision and building trust.},
  issn = {0095-8964}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_sasswanda_2025_1,
  title = {A quality education for sustainability teaching (QUEST) framework: Advancing action competence in sustainability education},
  author = {Sass, Wanda and Boeve-de Pauw, Jelle N.A. and Olsson, Daniel and Rieckmann, Marco and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2025},
  journal = {The Journal of Environmental Education},
  pages = {417--434},
  doi = {10.1080/00958964.2025.2542937},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Routledge},
  keywords = {action competence; critical; education for sustainability; educational theory; postcolonial; biology; subject-specific education; ämnesdidaktik},
  abstract = {The Anthropocene, characterized by human behavior acting as a formidable force of nature, casts the question what it means to be human in new light. Consequently, discussions on quality education need revisiting. Drawing from the literature on quality education for sustainability (EfS) and decolonization of education, we investigate consequences for teaching and learning. We then zoom in on teaching approaches aimed at equipping current and future generations with what they need to contribute to a sustainable world in an equitable manner that embraces perspectives from both the Global North and South. Although much has been written about EfS, a comprehensive teaching framework is lacking to date. With the development of the Quality Education for Sustainability Teaching (QUEST) Framework, we initiate the quest for answers to what quality education should entail in the Anthropocene. },
  issn = {0095-8964}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_borgcarola_2012,
  title = {The barriers encountered by teachers implementing education for sustainable development},
  author = {Borg, Carola and Gericke, Niklas and Höglund, Hans-Olof and Bergman, Eva},
  year = {2012},
  journal = {Research in Science & Technological Education},
  volume = {2},
  number = {30},
  pages = {185--207},
  doi = {10.1080/02635143.2012.699891},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Informa UK Limited},
  keywords = {environmental education; sustainable development; teaching for sustainability; upper secondary school; teaching traditions; interdisciplinary approach; teaching methods; biology},
  abstract = {Background : According to the Swedish curriculum teachers in all subjects have a responsibility to integrate a holistic perspective of sustainable development (SD) and teach according to an education for sustainable development (ESD) approach. However previous research has shown that teachers from different subjects perceive SD differently.  Purpose : The study aimed at investigating if and how teachers’ subject area influences their ability to implement a holistic perspective of ESD; we investigated both the impact of teaching traditions and the barriers that teachers experienced.  Sample : A stratified sample of 224 Swedish upper secondary schools participated. An online questionnaire was sent and answered by a total of 3229 teachers at these schools. In total, there were 669 science teachers, 373 social science teachers, 483 language teachers, 713 vocational and esthetical–practical teachers, and 739 teachers from other disciplines who participated in the survey.  Design and methods : The questionnaire consisted of questions requiring Likert-scale responses and multiple-choice questions. The data from the questionnaire were analyzed using Pearson’s Chi-square test and one-way ANOVA. The significance level accepted was p < 0.05.  Results : Teachers were influenced by their own subject traditions. Science teachers in our study were grounded in the fact-based tradition and lectures were the most common teaching method used. The teaching tradition of the social science teachers seemed to be most in line to an ESD approach. Many language teachers (41%) stated they did not include SD issues in their teaching at all. Among the barriers identified, the most common obstacles were that the teachers lacked inspiring examples of how to include SD in their teaching and that they lacked the necessary expertise about SD.  Conclusion : This study highlights the need for the management within schools to create opportunities for teachers to work collaboratively when teaching ESD. It is also important to provide further training that is adjusted to the needs of different disciplines.},
  issn = {0263-5143}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_berglundteresa_2014,
  title = {The implementation of education for sustainable development in Sweden: Investigating the sustainability consciousness among upper secondary students},
  author = {Berglund, Teresa and Gericke, Niklas and Chang-Rundgren, Shu-Nu},
  year = {2014},
  journal = {Research in Science & Technological Education},
  volume = {3},
  number = {32},
  pages = {318--339},
  doi = {10.1080/02635143.2014.944493},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Routledge},
  keywords = {education for sustainable development; sustainability consciousness; holistic; upper secondary; students; biology},
  abstract = {Background: Sustainable development (SD) is a complex idea, based on environmental, economic and social dimensions. In line with SD, education for sustainable development (ESD) is an approach to teaching that combines cognitive and affective domains and aims to build empowerment abilities.Purpose: The purpose of this article is to investigate effects of the implementation of ESD in Sweden, in terms of developing students’ sustainability consciousness (SC). Two groups of students were included: one was from schools with a profile of ESD and the other one was from comparable schools without explicit ESD-profile.Sample: A total of 638 students from upper secondary schools (grade 12) in science-related or social science-related programs participated in the study.Design and methods: A procedure was created for the selection of schools considered to be the most active in using an ESD approach as well as comparable schools with no explicit ESD approach. During spring 2013, the students responded to a questionnaire based on sustainability knowingness, attitudes and behaviors within the environmental, economic and social dimensions of SD that together constitute the concept of SC. Data were analyzed using SPSS software.Results: The results indicate that there are significant differences in SC between students from schools that teach with an ESD approach compared to students from regular schools. Furthermore, a significant difference between the two groups of students was found in the underlying economic dimension of SC. No significant differences were found in the environmental and social dimensions of SC.Conclusions: Although the results show that ESD-profiled schools have effect on students' SC, the effects are relatively small. Therefore, the effects and nature of the implementation of ESD are discussed.},
  issn = {0263-5143}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_walansusanne_2019,
  title = {Factors from informal learning contributing to the children's interest in STEM: Experiences from the out-of-school activity called Children's University},
  author = {Walan, Susanne and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2019},
  journal = {Research in Science & Technological Education},
  volume = {2},
  number = {39},
  pages = {185--205},
  doi = {10.1080/02635143.2019.1667321},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Taylor & Francis},
  keywords = {interest in stem; content; spectacular; informal learning environment; biology},
  abstract = {Background: Previous studies have investigated effects of out-of-school STEM activities aimed at stimulating children's interest in science with positive results. However, research has not discussed the reasons why such activities are successful. Purpose: In this study, we address this gap by investigating which factors children themselves identified as interesting when they visited events at an out-of-school activity named The Children's University. Sample: Children aged 8-12 participated in the study. Altogether, there were 353 children involved in the data collection. Design and methods: A mixed method design was used, including a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews in which children's self-reported experiences were collected. Likert scale questions in the questionnaire were analysed based on descriptive statistics. The open-ended questions and data from the interviews were categorized by content analysis and analytically interpreted through 'the Ecological framework for understanding learning across places and pursuits'. Results: The children were positive about their visit, and these utterances could mainly be related to the development of the individuals' interest and knowledge according to the Ecological framework. We identified two new factors influencing student's interest in STEM in out-of-school activities: appreciating the spectacular and learning; verifying two factors of importance previously suggested in the literature: appreciating the content and the learning environment. Conclusions: The study highlights the specific factors the children actually appreciated from their visits to out-of-school activities, which could be of interest for stakeholders arranging different kinds of STEM events promoting informal learning. The content in the activities is important as well as spectacular features. To have the opportunity to learn something new in an environment that is conducive to learning is also of importance for children.},
  issn = {0263-5143}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_casanovesmarina_2022,
  title = {Assessment of the ability of game-based science learning to enhance genetic understanding},
  author = {Casanoves, Marina and Solé-Llussà, Anna and Haro, Juan and Gericke, Niklas and Valls, Cristina},
  year = {2022},
  journal = {Research in Science & Technological Education},
  volume = {4},
  number = {41},
  pages = {1496--1518},
  doi = {10.1080/02635143.2022.2044301},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Taylor & Francis},
  keywords = {conceptual knowledge; game-based science learning (gbsl); game-based learning (gbl); genetic education; pre-service teacher training; serious educational games (seg); biology},
  abstract = {Background Game-based science learning (GBSL) provide an alternative route for learning genetics, but its effects on students' conceptual learning is contested. In this paper we assess the utility, in primary teacher education, of Recal: a game designed to promote participants' learning of key genetic concepts through acting as detectives investigating a case. Purpose The purpose of the study was to analyse and compare teacher students' learning of genetics through the game, and both their attitudes towards and experiences of it. Tests were conducted in Spanish and Swedish contexts to assess its potential utility in contrasting cultural and educational contexts to obtain indications of the potential breadth of its application. Samples Participants included 120 pre-service teacher students from a university in north-eastern Spain and 51 from a university in western Sweden. Design and methods The research involved an intervention, in which students played the game, and assessment of its efficacy by questionnaires designed to investigate students' knowledge of genetics before and after the game, their expectations and experience of it, and their satisfaction with it. The results were analysed statistically. Results The game appeared to enhance both Spanish and Swedish participants' knowledge of genetics, and they reportedly found it both educationally beneficial and engaging. It was also assessed in terms of the following characteristics of GBSL, based on experiential data: contextualisation, authenticity, collaboration, problem-solving, guided paths and competition. Conclusion The results clearly indicate that the game has utility in different countries and educational contexts. The article discusses how the six characteristics of GBSL facilitate or hinder learning, and implications (for educational professionals and researchers) of the findings.},
  issn = {0263-5143}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_boevedepauwjelle_2022_1,
  title = {Teachers’ self-efficacy and role when teaching STEM in high-tech informal learning environments},
  author = {Boeve-de Pauw, Jelle and De Loof, Haydée and Walan, Susanne and Gericke, Niklas and Van Petegem, Peter},
  year = {2022},
  journal = {Research in Science & Technological Education},
  volume = {2},
  number = {42},
  pages = {255--275},
  doi = {10.1080/02635143.2022.2089873},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Taylor & Francis},
  keywords = {informal learning environments secondary teachers; self-efficacy; stem; teacher role; technology use; biology},
  abstract = {BACKGROUND Informal learning environments (ILEs) like Fablabs and Makerspaces have potential to facilitate development of STEM skills. However, these environments might be difficult for teachers to adopt in their teaching because of teaching approaches grounded in constructionism where the role of the teacher changes from a transmissive instructor to an active co-creator, and using high-tech equipment not normally found in schools.PURPOSE The aim is to investigate teachers’ self-efficacy and perceived role when teaching STEM in Fablabs and Makerspaces. This is investigated related to teaching in ILEs and using high-tech equipment. The study was conducted in two countries/regions, Flanders (Belgium) and Sweden We also compare differences between teachers depending on nationality, gender, and years of teaching experience.SAMPLE A total of 347 secondary school teachers completed an online survey. Quantitative analyses was used for all questions in the survey, except one open-ended question, which was analysed through inductive thematic coding.RESULTS The teachers reported moderate self-efficacy for teaching in ILEs , and low self-efficacy for using high-tech equipment. Some teachers described themselves as having active roles as a coach or as co-learner during visits with their students. Others saw themselves as having a passive role. Many teachers did not know what kind of role to take. The teachers who perceived an active role as a teacher in high-tech ILEsreported higher self-efficacy to teach in these environments than other teachers.CONCLUSIONS This study shows that a constructionist approach to teaching is important if teachers are to develop self-efficacy to teach in high-techILEs. Thus, developing teacher practices in line with constructionism in relation to teaching in high-techILEsis imperative, in teacher education. The results also highlight that staff in Fablabs and Makerspaces are important for handling high-tech equipment. Hence, collaboration between staff in ILEs and teachers is of importance.},
  issn = {0263-5143}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_walansusanne_2015,
  title = {Enhancing primary science: An exploration of teachers' own ideas of solutions to challenges in inquiry- and context-based teaching},
  author = {Walan, Susanne and Mc Ewen, Birgitta and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2015},
  journal = {Education 3-13},
  volume = {1},
  number = {44},
  pages = {81--92},
  doi = {10.1080/03004279.2015.1092456},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Routledge},
  keywords = {inquiry- and context-based education; primary school; practical challenges; solutions; education},
  abstract = {Studies of inquiry- and context-based science education (IC-BaSE) have shown that teachers find these approaches problematic. In this study, 12 primary school teachers’ reflections on challenges related to IC-BaSE are explored. The aim of the study was to investigate which challenges primary teachers experience when working with IC-BaSE and how these may be solved. Group discussions and individual portfolios were used for data collection. Content analysis showed that the challenges teachers experienced were mainly practical relating to: how to find contexts, lack of time, handling big classes, students working at different paces, handling materials, and the teachers' need of control. The teachers also presented their own ideas of solutions to the challenges.},
  issn = {0300-4279}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_gerickeniklas_2022_5,
  title = {A systematic review of research on laboratory work in secondary school},
  author = {Gericke, Niklas and Högström, Per and Wallin, Johan},
  year = {2022},
  journal = {Studies in science education},
  volume = {2},
  number = {59},
  pages = {245--285},
  doi = {10.1080/03057267.2022.2090125},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {Abingdon : Taylor & Francis},
  keywords = {laboratory work; inquiry; science practices; research review; secondary school; biology},
  abstract = {We present an integrative mixed-methods systematic review of research on laboratory work in secondary-school science education from 1996 to 2019. The aim of the study is to identify important aspects of how to successfully make use of laboratory work as a science-teaching strategy in secondary schools. By engaging teachers, our study uses a demand-driven approach where the users of evidence participate in setting the scope. Of a sample of 11,771 studies, 39 were selected for the integrative analysis. The result is structured around three theoretical frameworks to inform our understanding of what characterises laboratory work, (1) with the aim of developing students’ learning of science, (2) with the aim of developing students’ learning to do science (science practices), and (3) regarding the level of inquiry that facilitates aims 1 and 2. The results are discussed in the light of previous research reviews, and recommendations for future research are suggested.},
  issn = {0305-7267}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_erikssonstina_2024,
  title = {Analogy competence for science teachers},
  author = {Eriksson, Stina and Gericke, Niklas and Thörne, Karin},
  year = {2024},
  journal = {Studies in science education},
  volume = {1},
  number = {62},
  pages = {41--69},
  doi = {10.1080/03057267.2024.2434797},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Routledge},
  keywords = {teaching with analogies; analogical reasoning; teaching strategies; analogy teaching model; science teaching; biology},
  abstract = {Analogies are common explanatory tools in science teaching and have long been appreciated for their function to facilitate students' learning of abstract scientific concepts, to stimulate engagement and motivation and to let students practice scientific language. At the same time, there is a risk that analogies may cause misconceptions. Therefore, teachers must have competence in how to use analogies in science teaching. Based on the question 'What do science teachers need to know, consider and master for fruitful teaching with analogies' we reviewed the research literature about teaching science with analogies. Applying a systematic integrative review approach, we identified key aspects of teaching with analogies that, based on a competence model, were constructed into the new Analogy Competence for Science Teachers (ACT) framework. The framework is aimed to guide and support teachers in planning and performing fruitful science teaching with analogies. Compared to previous teaching models, the ACT framework to a greater extent accentuates factors related to teachers' expertise and knowledge about the educational functions of analogies relating to the planning, selection, and instruction aspects of the teaching process, in addition to the conceptual considerations of analogies. The ACT framework has implications for science education and science education research.},
  issn = {0305-7267}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_kilstadiusmargaretha_2017,
  title = {Defining contagion literacy: a Delphi study},
  author = {Kilstadius, Margaretha and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2017},
  journal = {International Journal of Science Education},
  volume = {16},
  number = {39},
  pages = {2261--2282},
  doi = {10.1080/09500693.2017.1390795},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Taylor & Francis},
  keywords = {antibiotic resistance; contagion; delphi study; health literacy; learning progression; science education; scientific; biology},
  abstract = {Against the background of climate change, which enables infectious diseases to move their frontiers and the increasing global mobility, which make people more exposed to contagion, we as citizens need to relate to this new scenario. A greater number of infectious diseases may also potentially lead to an increased need to use antibiotics and anti-parasitic substances. In view of this, the aim of this study was to identify the health literacy needed in the contemporary world and specify what should be taught in compulsory school. We present the findings of a Delphi study, performed in Sweden, regarding the opinions on contagion among experts in the field. We used Nutbeam's framework of health literacy and related it to Bloom's taxonomy of educational objectives in order to analyse and categorise the experts' responses, which were categorised into six main content themes: contagions, transmission routes, sexually transmitted diseases, hygiene, vaccinations and use of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance. These themes were then divided into the three levels of Nutbeam's framework: functional health literacy, which is about knowledge and understanding, interactive health literacy, which is about developing personal qualities and skills that promote health, and critical health literacy, which is about social and cognitive skills related to analysis and critical reflection. The implications for communication and education are then discussed and what should be taught in compulsory school is identified.},
  issn = {0950-0693}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_thybergannika_2024_2,
  title = {Investigating students’ meaning-making of multiple visual representations of epigenetics at different levels of biological organization},
  author = {Thyberg, Annika and Schönborn, Konrad and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2024},
  journal = {International Journal of Science Education},
  number = {46},
  pages = {1405--1431},
  doi = {10.1080/09500693.2023.2289175},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Taylor & Francis},
  keywords = {levels of biological organization; visual representations; yo-yo reasoning; biology; subject-specific education; ämnesdidaktik},
  abstract = {The aim of this study is to investigate students’ meaning–making of multiple visual representations of epigenetics at different levels of biological organisation, and to discern what visual aspects of the multiple visual representations might influence students’ reasoning. Adopting an exploratory approach, we analysed how students made meaning of visually communicated epigenetics phenomena while pointing at and reasoning about the multiple visual representations as part of semi-structured focus groups. We investigated students’ meaning-making of the multiple visual representations by analysing their indications through physical pointing and accompanying verbal utterances. The analysis revealed meaning-making and the nature of linking between levels of organisation in four distinct patterns, namely intra horizontal linking, inter horizontal linking, one level vertical linking and two level vertical linking. In addition, five different visual characteristics of the multiple visual representations emerged as influencing students’ reasoning while linking between different organisation levels: multiple visual representations, salient visual features, analogous visual features, familiar visual elements, and textual adjuncts. The study shows that multiple visual representations at different levels of organisation can support students’ meaning-making of epigenetics, indicating that this way of communicating can be transferable to other biological domains. Potential implications for future research and teaching practice are provided.},
  issn = {0950-0693}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_rnnerannaclara_2025_1,
  title = {Teaching infectious diseases during and in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic – middle school teachers’ choice of content and instructional approaches},
  author = {Rönner, Anna-Clara and Jakobsson, Anna and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2025},
  journal = {International Journal of Science Education},
  pages = {1--20},
  doi = {10.1080/09500693.2024.2425872},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Routledge},
  keywords = {contagion literacy; covid-19; health literacy; primary education; teaching practices; biology},
  abstract = {The COVID-19 pandemic impacted immensely in schools worldwide, emphasising the pivotal importance of infectious diseases. This study aims to delineate the teaching of diseases in middle schools, investigating how content and instruction was influenced in the aftermath of the pandemic. Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with teachers. The analytical method involved thematic analysis. The first analysis concerned teaching content was based on the framework of contagion literacy. The second analysis investigated the teaching approaches through an inductive analysis. The findings suggest that the pandemic had an impact on the biology teaching in relation to infectious diseases. During the pandemic, teaching largely revolved around student-initiated, question-driven discussions about current events related to societal health initiatives within schools, rather than expanding the planned biology curriculum. The main finding is that teachers focused on hygiene and to influence students’ behaviours interactively. The pandemic was not fully exploited by the participating teachers to develop more curriculum-based teaching including functional and critical health literacy perspectives. The study recommends that biology teachers collaborate with school health teams and engage in interdisciplinary work. We also suggest to amend primary science teacher education to meet the need to teach the young people in the event of future pandemics.},
  issn = {0950-0693}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_rydinmikael_2025,
  title = {Areas of tension in teaching climate change–conflicts between Swedish preservice science teachers’ beliefs},
  author = {Rydin, Mikael and Gericke, Niklas and Christenson, Nina and Haglund, Jesper},
  year = {2025},
  journal = {International Journal of Science Education},
  doi = {10.1080/09500693.2025.2466771},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Routledge},
  keywords = {climate change education; preservice science teachers; teacher beliefs; biology},
  abstract = {Introducing climate change education into the science curricula and the classroom requires science teacher education to prepare preservice science teachers to navigate political, ethical, and emotional dimensions. This study investigates Swedish preservice science teachers’ beliefs about teaching climate change, revealing tensions between traditional science teaching and climate change education. Using semi-structured interviews with six preservice science teachers from a Swedish university, we identified beliefs about teaching approaches, content, students, self, teaching strategies, and context relating to teaching climate change. Three tensions emerged between the preservice teachers’ held beliefs: (1) dealing with values in balancing teacher neutrality and passion for the topic, (2) dealing with emotions in giving students an understanding of the severity of climate change while managing negative impacts on students’ emotional wellbeing, and (3) aligning a view of climate change as an anthropocentric issue and a traditional focus on scientific concepts in science education. These findings indicate the need to develop science teacher education to address these tensions, as introducing climate change education into the science curricula requires navigating political, ethical, and emotional dimensions, diverging from traditional science teaching focused on facts and concepts. Finally, we offer recommendations for teacher education programmes. },
  issn = {0950-0693}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_lampertpeter_2025_1,
  title = {The effectiveness of the action competence teaching approach in biodiversity education - taking Actions for Insects},
  author = {Lampert, Peter and Olsson, Daniel and Hoppenreijs, Jacqueline H.T. and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2025},
  journal = {International Journal of Science Education},
  pages = {1--20},
  doi = {10.1080/09500693.2025.2574525},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Routledge},
  keywords = {action competence; biology education; design study; biology},
  abstract = {Widespread loss of biodiversity is a major environmental issue around the globe. Science education can play a key role in educating about biodiversity loss and conservation, helping to embed the importance of sustaining biodiversity in society. It is critical to measure the effectiveness of teaching approaches focusing on biodiversity conservation to strengthen education in this field. Therefore, this study presents a novel teaching approach to foster students' action competence for taking real-world conservation actions and assesses its effectiveness. The study focuses on insect conservation specifically, since insects are indispensable for most terrestrial ecosystems and provide key ecosystem services. The teaching approach was implemented in a Swedish lower secondary school context with students from grade 7-8 (aged 12-15). The study assesses participants' action competence for insect conservation in a mixed-methods pre- and post-study. Both quantitative and qualitative results show that the approach fostered students' self-perceived action competence in the dimensions knowledge, confidence and willingness to take actions to sustain insect biodiversity. The novel approach presented here resulted in more diversified ideas on potential conservation actions and led to student actions, demonstrating that teaching approaches based on action competence can empower students to deal with biodiversity loss.},
  issn = {0950-0693}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_borgcarola_2013,
  title = {Subject- and experience-bound differences in teachers' conceptual understanding of sustainable development},
  author = {Borg, Carola and Gericke, Niklas and Höglund, Hans-Olof and Bergman, Eva},
  year = {2013},
  journal = {Environmental Education Research},
  volume = {4},
  number = {20},
  pages = {526--551},
  doi = {10.1080/13504622.2013.833584},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Routledge},
  keywords = {environmental education; sustainable development; teachers' understanding; upper secondary school; subject- and experienced-bound differences; biology},
  abstract = {This article describe the results of a nationwide questionnaire study of 3229 Swedish upper secondary school teachers’ understanding of sustainable development in relation to their subject discipline and teaching experience. Previous research has shown that teachers have difficulties understanding the complex concept of sustainable development. According to the Swedish curriculum all teachers in all subjects should integrate a holistic perspective of sustainable development including economic, ecological and social dimensions. This study shows that teachers differ in their understanding of the concept mostly according to their subject traditions. Social science teachers emphasize social dimensions, and science teachers’ ecological dimensions, respectively. Teachers are aware of the relevance of the three dimensions to various degrees, but do not generally have a holistic understanding. The greatest uncertainty in teachers’ understanding is related to the economic dimension. Science and social science teachers are critical of incorporating economic growth into the concept of sustainable development while language, vocational and esthetical-practical teachers are not. No experience-bound differences of the teachers’ understanding could be found, but recently qualified teachers consider their understanding of sustainable development to be poorer in comparison to more experienced teachers’ self-evaluation. The study highlights the need for further training in sustainable development since more than 70 % of the questioned teachers stated that they need such training.},
  issn = {1350-4622}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_berglundteresa_2015_2,
  title = {Separated and integrated perspectives on environmental, economic, and social dimensions: an investigation of student views on sustainable development},
  author = {Berglund, Teresa and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2015},
  journal = {Environmental Education Research},
  volume = {8},
  number = {22},
  pages = {1115--1138},
  doi = {10.1080/13504622.2015.1063589},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Taylor & Francis},
  keywords = {sustainable development; education for sustainable development; dimensions of sustainable development; holistic understanding; students’ conceptions; decision-making; education},
  abstract = {The sustainable development (SD) concept is based on the idea that economic and social development should be linked to the environment. However, controversies about various associated issues often arise due to the differences in protagonists’ viewpoints, depending partly on whether they focus mainly on environmental, economic, or social dimensions and partly on ideological stances related (for instance) to the optimal ways of promoting economic growth and social justice. This study investigates views of 638 Swedish upper secondary students who responded to a questionnaire probing their views of SD from two perspectives. In the first, the dimensions were separately introduced, so the respondents only had to consider one dimension at a time. In the second, the dimensions were introduced in an integrated fashion, so the respondents had to consider effects related to all three dimensions. The results strongly indicate that the students’ views and priorities concerning the dimensions depend on both the perspective and the context. Implications for teaching and learning are discussed. },
  issn = {1350-4622}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_mogrenanna_2016_1,
  title = {ESD implementation at the school organisation level, part 1 – investigating the quality criteria guiding school leaders’ work at recognized ESD schools},
  author = {Mogren, Anna and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2016},
  journal = {Environmental Education Research},
  volume = {7},
  number = {23},
  pages = {972--992},
  doi = {10.1080/13504622.2016.1226265},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Taylor & Francis Group},
  keywords = {esd implementation; quality criteria; school leadership; school organisation; biology},
  abstract = {Research on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) implementation tends to focus primarily on student and teacher outcomes, and there have been few studies on leadership practices at the school organisation level that provide information on how quality in education contributes to ESD implementation. To address this issue, we conducted an empirical mixed methods study of existing practices in 10 highly ESD-active upper secondary schools in Sweden. The schools’ principals, who were responsible for implementing ESD, were interviewed to obtain information on the quality criteria they used to guide their work. Twenty-six criteria were identified and grouped into four main principal quality criteria on the basis of statistical analysis: Collaborative interaction and school development; Student centred education; Cooperation with local society; and Proactive leadership and continuity. This categorization both supports existing research on ESD quality criteria and highlights new criteria that are important but were previously unrecognized. Trends in the identified quality criteria are discussed and related to prior research in order to identify potentially fruitful school leadership and management for implementing ESD at the school organisational level. Research on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) implementation tends to focus primarily on student and teacher outcomes, and there have been few studies on leadership practices at the school organisation level that provide information on how quality in education contributes to ESD implementation. To address this issue, we conducted an empirical mixed methods study of existing practices in 10 highly ESD-active upper secondary schools in Sweden. The schools’ principals, who were responsible for implementing ESD, were interviewed to obtain information on the quality criteria they used to guide their work. Twenty-six criteria were identified and grouped into four main principal quality criteria on the basis of statistical analysis: Collaborative interaction and school development; Student centred education; Cooperation with local society; and Proactive leadership and continuity. This categorization both supports existing research on ESD quality criteria and highlights new criteria that are important but were previously unrecognized. Trends in the identified quality criteria are discussed and related to prior research in order to identify potentially fruitful school leadership and management for implementing ESD at the school organisational level.},
  issn = {1350-4622}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_mogrenanna_2016_2,
  title = {ESD implementation at the school organisation level, part 2 – investigating the transformative perspective in school leaders’ quality strategies at ESD schools},
  author = {Mogren, Anna and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2016},
  journal = {Environmental Education Research},
  volume = {7},
  number = {23},
  pages = {993--1014},
  doi = {10.1080/13504622.2016.1226266},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Taylor & Francis Group},
  keywords = {implementation of education for sustainable development; school leadership; school organisation; transformative education; quality criteria; biology},
  abstract = {Previous research has suggested that adopting a transformative school organisation perspective when implementing ESD may be more productive than the previously recommended transmissive perspectives, but it is not clear how transformative perspectives could be introduced. To address this issue, we conducted an empirical mixed methods study of existing practices in 10 highly ESD-active upper secondary schools in Sweden. The schools’ leaders, who were responsible for implementing ESD, were interviewed to obtain information on the quality criteria they used to guide their work. The arguments used by the leaders to justify their criteria were analysed and categorised based on their relationships with the transmissive and transformative quality strategies. Both school organisation perspectives were found to co-exist within the schools. A detailed analysis of schools where the transformative perspective was dominant revealed three distinct quality strategies, one of which was found to embody a strong focus on a transformative approach. This specific quality strategy is discussed and suggested as a way for interested schools to implement ESD in a more transformative way at the school organisation level.},
  issn = {1350-4622}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_mogrenanna_2018_1,
  title = {Whole school approaches to education for sustainable development: A model that links to school improvement},
  author = {Mogren, Anna and Gericke, Niklas and Scherp, Hans-Åke},
  year = {2018},
  journal = {Environmental Education Research},
  volume = {4},
  number = {25},
  pages = {508--531},
  doi = {10.1080/13504622.2018.1455074},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Taylor & Francis},
  keywords = {whole school approach; school organisation; esd implementation; visualising esd; esd quality; education},
  abstract = {This study applies a model of school organisation developed by one of the authors to investigate school improvement processes leading to a whole school approach in Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) literature. The model is operationalized to a survey instrument and distributed to Swedish upper secondary teachers. The instrument provides empirical indications of teachers’ perceptions of their schools in terms of four major dimensions of an ESD whole school approach, the importance assigned to a holistic vision, routines and structures, professional knowledge creation, and practical pedagogical work. The aims of the study are to compare the teachers’ perception of their school organisation. We compare perceptions of teachers working in schools actively implementing ESD and teachers in comparable reference schools. Comparisons are also made between teachers from schools applying different strategies and quality approaches in implementing ESD. The results indicate that, relative to teachers in ordinary schools, those in ESD schools perceive their school organisations to have higher quality and coherence, with greater potential to support teaching and pedagogical work in practice. However, there is substantial variation in perceptions of teachers from different ESD schools. The model’s robustness is validated by coherence of earlier results in the same schools.},
  issn = {1350-4622}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_olssondaniel_2020,
  title = {Self-perceived action competence for sustainability: The theoretical grounding and empirical validation of a novel research instrument},
  author = {Olsson, Daniel and Gericke, Niklas and Sass, Wanda and Boeve-de Pauw, Jelle},
  year = {2020},
  journal = {Environmental Education Research},
  volume = {5},
  number = {26},
  pages = {742--760},
  doi = {10.1080/13504622.2020.1736991},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Taylor & Francis},
  keywords = {action competence; scale validation; sustainability; questionnaire development; psychometric; biology; education},
  abstract = {This study contributes to an operationalization of the concept of action competence for sustainability through the theoretical development and empirical validation of a new 12-item Likert-scale questionnaire: the Self-Perceived Action Competence for Sustainability Questionnaire, SPACS-Q. Other scales in environmental and sustainability education (ESE) typically measure concepts such as pro-environmental and sustainability attitudes and behaviors, and therefore do not fully cover the concept of action competence for sustainability. An action differs from a 'mere' behavior in that it is voluntary and targeted at bringing about change, which is the overarching goal of ESE. We define action competence as a latent capacity among individuals to act sustainably. We introduce a novel scale measuring this seminal concept. Totally, 614 Swedish adolescents aged 12-19 participated in this study. The scale includes three latent subconstructs: i) knowledge of action possibilities, ii) confidence in one's own influence, and iii) the willingness to act. Confirmatory factor analyses, reliability measures and investigation of convergent validity reveal a questionnaire instrument with excellent psychometric quality. We put forward that the SPACS-Q is a novel and theory-driven, empirically reliable and valid, instrument, and encourage fellow researchers to use the SPACS-Q when investigating people's action competence for sustainability in various contexts.},
  issn = {1350-4622}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_sundper_2020,
  title = {Teaching contributions from secondary school subject areas to education for sustainable development: a comparative study of science, social science and language teachers},
  author = {Sund, Per and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2020},
  journal = {Environmental Education Research},
  volume = {6},
  number = {26},
  pages = {772--794},
  doi = {10.1080/13504622.2020.1754341},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Taylor & Francis},
  keywords = {education for sustainable development; environmental and sustainability education; teacher teams; cross-curricular teaching; subject-specific education; ämnesdidaktik; biology},
  abstract = {In many countries' policy documents and curricula, teachers in the subject areas of science, social science and language are encouraged to collaborate on cross-curricular issues such as sustainable development (SD). This study is conducted in secondary schools (compulsory years 7-9) in Sweden and investigates the similarities and differences in the responses of ten teacher groups (forty-three teachers in total) to questions about their teaching contributions in their own subject areas to education for sustainable development (ESD). The overall aim is to understand how teachers of these three subject areas can contribute to cross-curricular teaching in teacher teams in the context of ESD. This is done by analysing the group responses from data collected in group discussions concerning the teaching dimensions what (content), how (methods) and why (purposes) in relation to ESD. We first analyse the teacher group responses and arguments regarding their contribution to ESD teaching from each subject area separately. Thereafter, we comparatively analyse how the different subject areas' contributions overlap or complement each other in a potential collaborative ESD teaching. The results show that teachers from different subject areas stress different yet complimentary dimensions of teaching and perspectives of ESD. The implications for cross-curricular teaching in ESD are also discussed.},
  issn = {1350-4622}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_sasswanda_2020_1,
  title = {Actions for sustainable development through young students' eyes},
  author = {Sass, Wanda and Quintelier, Amy and Boeve-de Pauw, Jelle and De Maeyer, Sven and Gericke, Niklas and Van Petegem, Peter},
  year = {2020},
  journal = {Environmental Education Research},
  volume = {2},
  number = {27},
  pages = {234--253},
  doi = {10.1080/13504622.2020.1842331},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Taylor & Francis},
  keywords = {action; sustainable development; primary and secondary school students&#8217; sd actions; interconnectivity of sd areas; qualitative research; environmental science},
  abstract = {Young students have raised their voices in debates on what action for sustainable development (SD) is necessary. Nevertheless, research that gives voice to 10 to 13-year-olds while looking into SD issues in all their complexity of interrelated environmental, social, and socio-economic perspectives, is scarce. This study aims to give voice to these youngsters, asking them directly how they suggest they can contribute to SD. Building on the concepts of action and SD, this qualitative study reports on early adolescents' own suggestions for action. Participants suggested direct, indirect, individual, and collective actions both in the private and public sphere. Their actions targeted SD issues with interconnections between areas concerning the planet, peace, people, partnership, and to some extent also prosperity. We compare our results with findings of earlier studies to further the discussion on how young people feel they can and want to contribute to SD.},
  issn = {1350-4622}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_berglundteresa_2021,
  title = {Diversity in views as a resource for learning?: Student perspectives on the interconnectedness of sustainable development dimensions},
  author = {Berglund, Teresa and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2021},
  journal = {Environmental Education Research},
  volume = {3},
  number = {28},
  pages = {354--381},
  doi = {10.1080/13504622.2021.1980501},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Taylor & Francis},
  keywords = {education; biology},
  abstract = {This study investigates the different arguments put forward by Swedish upper secondary students on the interconnectedness of the environmental, social and economic dimensions of sustainable development (SD). The aim is to study the diversity in views among students in order to find out whether this can be used as a resource in a holistic and pluralistic approach to ESD. The study design was based on a two-step process in which the first step was to identify students representing four different, broadly coherent, views on the interconnections between sustainability dimensions, with a specific focus on the role of the economy in SD. Thereafter, focus group interviews were undertaken with the selected groups of students representing the four different views. The findings indicate a diversity of arguments in discussions of SD and the potential that this plurality brings for perspective shifting. Moreover, the economic dimension appears as central to promoting discussions that aim to examine the overall interconnectedness of sustainability dimensions. A further conclusion is that omitting the economic dimension in ESD risks excluding the core of students’ ideas of how SD may be realized.},
  issn = {1350-4622}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_olssondaniel_2022_2,
  title = {The effectiveness of education for sustainable development revisited – a longitudinal study on secondary students’ action competence for sustainability},
  author = {Olsson, Daniel and Gericke, Niklas and Boeve-de Pauw, Jelle},
  year = {2022},
  journal = {Environmental Education Research},
  volume = {3},
  number = {28},
  pages = {405--429},
  doi = {10.1080/13504622.2022.2033170},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Taylor & Francis},
  keywords = {effectiveness; education for sustainable development; holism and pluralism; action competence; growth modeling; biology},
  abstract = {This study revisits the seminal question of the effectiveness of education for sustainable development (ESD) by using a novel longitudinal approach. Scholarly attention in the past decade has been increasingly directed towards the concept of action competence for sustainability. However, little is still known about the effects of ESD as a teaching approach to help develop students’ action competence for sustainability. This study therefore adopts a three-wave longitudinal design, tapping into the development of 760 Swedish upper secondary students’ self-perceived action competence for sustainability as related to their experience of ESD teaching at their school. We can conclude that ESD has effect on students’ action competence for sustainability. Our longitudinal growth models show that it is possible to develop students’ action competence, which is affected by their experience of ESD teaching at their school. However, the students did not significantly develop the action compe- tence component confidence under their own influence. Our findings reveal that developing students’ action competence by implementing ESD in formal education takes time, and they shed light on the need for longitudinal research studies in the field of ESD. },
  issn = {1350-4622}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_boevedepauwjelle_2022_2,
  title = {Teachers' ESD self-efficacy and practices: a longitudinal study on the impact of teacher professional development},
  author = {Boeve-de Pauw, Jelle and Olsson, Daniel and Berglund, Teresa and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2022},
  journal = {Environmental Education Research},
  volume = {6},
  number = {28},
  pages = {867--885},
  doi = {10.1080/13504622.2022.2042206},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Taylor & Francis},
  keywords = {education for sustainable development; self-efficacy; longitudinal analyses; professional development; teaching practices; environmental science},
  abstract = {This longitudinal quantitative study investigated teachers' development of self-efficacy and teaching practices relating to education for sustainable development (ESD) in four compulsory schools in a Swedish municipality. The teachers participated in a professional development program over three school years designed to support them in implementing ESD. The program was based on five seminars that supported teachers to discuss and experiment with the principles, complexities and challenges of ESD. Data was collected at five different time points strategically planned at key moments in the program, using a questionnaire including scales measuring teachers' self-efficacy for ESD and their self-reported ESD practices. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to follow the teachers evolution across a time span of about three years. Results show that the teachers' self-efficacy was boosted early in the program, but fell back to initial levels after confrontation with practice. Through further experimentation in practice, the teachers' self-efficacy increased back to the initial level toward the end of the program. Furthermore, teachers started self-reporting ESD practices as the program progressed, and the correlation between self-efficacy for ESD and ESD practices grew. These results highlight the importance of providing teachers with long-term opportunities for bringing ESD into their own educational practice. The results also caution against using self-efficacy as an outcome measure in short-term professionalization initiatives.},
  issn = {1350-4622}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_gerickeniklas_2022_6,
  title = {Identifying capital for school improvement: recommendations for a whole school approach to ESD implementation},
  author = {Gericke, Niklas and Torbjörnsson, Tomas},
  year = {2022},
  journal = {Environmental Education Research},
  volume = {6},
  number = {28},
  pages = {803--825},
  doi = {10.1080/13504622.2022.2045256},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Routledge},
  keywords = {capacity building; education for sustainable development; school improvement; teacher professional development; whole school approach; biology},
  abstract = {The present study explores how school improvement in combination with a teacher professional development (TPD) project influenced the implementation of education for sustainable development (ESD) in five Swedish schools, when employing a whole school approach. Interviews were conducted with three teachers from each school. Shulman and Shulman's four forms of capital for capacity building were used as a framework for the data analysis. The impact of the project on the schools' pedagogical activities varied considerably between the schools. The transformative potential in ESD was realized to a greater extent in the schools characterized by high levels of moral capital - i.e. trust - than in the schools characterized by more individual and traditional ways of working. Three general conclusions concerning ESD implementation are drawn: 1) Prior to launching a whole school project for ESD, it is desirable to make an inventory of the capacity building capital at participating schools, and to identify contextual factors constituting external pressure on the building of capital. 2) The school improvement project and the TPD need to be locally adjusted to the available capital. 3) A strategy for adapting the project to the various external pressures needs to be developed.},
  issn = {1350-4622}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_forsstenseiseranette_2022,
  title = {Developing school leading guidelines facilitating a whole school approach to education for sustainable development},
  author = {Forssten Seiser, Anette and Mogren, Anna and Gericke, Niklas and Berglund, Teresa and Olsson, Daniel},
  year = {2022},
  journal = {Environmental Education Research},
  volume = {5},
  number = {29},
  pages = {783--805},
  doi = {10.1080/13504622.2022.2151980},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Routledge},
  keywords = {education for sustainable development; whole school approach; school improvement; school improvement capacity; theory of practice architecture},
  abstract = {This study explored the function of school leading in the implementation process of education for sustainable development (ESD) in five Swedish schools employing a whole school approach (WSA). A follow-up study design was used, in which schools that had initiated an ESD project in 2016 were subsequently visited twice for interviews with principals during the project and after it was finalized. The theory of practice architectures in combination with the concept of school improvement capacity was used as the theoretical framework in the analysis. The study showed how school leading should be about enhancing the local school’s capacity to improve. It also showed how specific practice architectures prefigured a WSA to ESD and how school leading in this context was about arranging—or orchestrating—practice architectures in ways that enabled such an approach. The issues of time and endurance were pivotal.Based on the empirical results from this study and school improvement theory, guidelines were developed that can be used to drive a WSA to ESD process forward through three different school improvement phases: initiation, implementation, and institutionalization. The limitations and suggestions for further research are also discussed.},
  issn = {1350-4622}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_maijalaminna_2023,
  title = {Conceptualising transformative language teaching for sustainability and why it is needed},
  author = {Maijala, Minna and Gericke, Niklas and Kuusalu, Salla-Riikka and Heikkola, Leena Maria and Mutta, Maarit and Mäntylä, Katja and Rose, Judi},
  year = {2023},
  journal = {Environmental Education Research},
  volume = {3},
  number = {30},
  pages = {377--396},
  doi = {10.1080/13504622.2023.2167941},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Taylor & Francis},
  keywords = {education for sustainable development; language education; language teacher education; language teaching; sustainability; biology},
  abstract = {This paper defines transformative language teaching for sustainability (TLS) and shows how contemporary, learner-oriented language teaching can foster important competencies and skills needed to reach the goals of education for sustainable development (ESD). The main aim of our approach is to integrate transformation-oriented ESD into language teaching in a way that considers and utilises the special features of language teaching and learning. We discuss the substantial possibilities that language education offers to ESD and propose a transformation-oriented ESD framework as the foundation for TLS, covering the linguistic and cultural features of sustainability that are central to language teaching and learning. Finally, we outline the pedagogical implications for TLS related to subject matter content and methods, that is, how language teachers can use learner-oriented language teaching methods to integrate ESD in their lessons. We propose a theory-based interdisciplinary model for the implementation of TLS in language education and language teacher education.},
  issn = {1350-4622}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_borgfarhana_2025,
  title = {Principals' views and reported actions on sustainability from a whole school approach perspective: a comparative study of eco- and non-eco-certified preschools in Sweden},
  author = {Borg, Farhana and Winberg, Mikael T. and Gericke, Niklas and Borg, Johan},
  year = {2025},
  journal = {Environmental Education Research},
  volume = {5},
  number = {31},
  pages = {897--919},
  doi = {10.1080/13504622.2025.2465716},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {London : Routledge},
  keywords = {early childhood education; integrated approach to sustainability; mixed methods; school leaders; biology; sustainable development},
  abstract = {Although preschool principals are important for integrating sustainability, studies on this topic are scarce. Using an embedded mixed methods approach, this study explored and compared 50 principals' views and actions relating to sustainability in the operations of 25 eco- and 25 non-eco-certified randomly sampled preschools from 25 municipalities (of a total 290) in Sweden. Using a semi-structured questionnaire, data was collected from the principals of the preschools. Whole School Approach Flower Model was used as an analytical framework to analyze qualitative data, while quantitative data was subject to Orthogonal Projections to Latent Structures Discriminatory Analysis. According to the participating principals, eco-certified preschools focused on increasing children's knowledge about and interests in sustainability, whereas non-eco-certified preschools focused on strategies to develop teachers' sustainability competence. This is consistent with findings that principals at eco-certified preschools have a more nuanced and multifaceted view of sustainability in their leadership practice, indicating that eco-certification, to some extent, plays an important role in making a difference. The study also highlights the potential of adopting a whole school approach to sustainability within preschool education. Cross-validation supported the generalizability of the conclusions, at least within a Swedish context.},
  issn = {1350-4622}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_berglundteresa_2025,
  title = {The role of ESD facilitators in bringing about change in schools},
  author = {Berglund, Teresa and Gericke, Niklas and Forssten Seiser, Anette and Mogren, Anna and Olsson, Daniel},
  year = {2025},
  journal = {Environmental Education Research},
  doi = {10.1080/13504622.2025.2486367},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Taylor & Francis},
  keywords = {education for sustainable development; facilitator; middle leading; sdg 4: quality education; sustainability change agents; whole school approach; education},
  abstract = {This study investigates the experiences of teachers in middle leading positions who worked as ESD facilitators during a three-year whole school approach project designed to implement education for sustainable development (ESD). Five schools in a Swedish municipality participated in the project to integrate ESD into their organisation and teaching practice. Project activities involved school leaders, teachers, and ESD facilitators, with the facilitators taking part in the design of the development process, workshop activities and content, and facilitating their school’s internal work. The aim of this study is to generate insight into their roles as facilitators of transformation in line with ESD, and how they can be supported to fulfil their roles. The analysis used a framework of sustainability change agents, identifying that approaches to change aligned with technician, mediator, convincer, and concerned explorer types. The findings highlight the importance of contextual factors–specifically, a shared vision, collaborative culture and organisational structures, and active school leadership in shaping ESD facilitators’ ability to fulfil their roles.},
  issn = {1350-4622}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_sasswanda_2025_2,
  title = {Student perspectives on quality education at their school: toward a valid and reliable questionnaire to monitor quality education for sustainability teaching (QUEST-Q)},
  author = {Sass, Wanda and Boeve-de Pauw, Jelle and Olsson, Daniel and van der Werf, Linde and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2025},
  journal = {Environmental Education Research},
  pages = {1--28},
  doi = {10.1080/13504622.2025.2553178},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Routledge},
  keywords = {action competence; education for sustainable development; measurement; quality education for sustainability teaching (quest); biology},
  abstract = {Considering the problematic human-nature relationship caused complex sustainability problems, quality education should prepare students for facing the challenges ahead. Therefore, educational practitioners, policy makers, and researchers need monitoring tools. We posit that a comprehensive approach to teaching for sustainability adds quality to education for sustainability. The current study builds on earlier theoretical work on quality education for sustainability teaching (QUEST), aiming to (1) initiate development of a monitoring instrument from the perspective of those education aims to empower, i.e. the students, and (2) further theory development. The QUEST-framework was developed into a set of five scales, tapping into students' perspective on teaching and learning content (or what, i.e. relevant holistic knowledge and sustainability competencies), educational approach (or how, i.e. a pluralistic and action-oriented teaching approach), partners and locations (where and with whom). Together, the five scales provide a questionnaire instrument to monitor QUEST (QUEST-Q). Think aloud protocols and interviews with students and teachers support the scales' cognitive and content validity. Reliability and construct validity were confirmed. Results are discussed in light of advancing theory and providing avenues for future research. We offer practitioners, policy makers, and researchers the QUEST-Q to monitor students' experiences of quality education for a sustainable future.},
  issn = {1350-4622}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_olssondavid_2025,
  title = {A systematic review of self-assessment scales on action competence in environmental and sustainability education: current limitations and development opportunities},
  author = {Olsson, David and Berglund, Teresa and Boeve-de Pauw, Jelle and Gericke, Niklas and Olsson, Daniel},
  year = {2025},
  journal = {Environmental Education Research},
  doi = {10.1080/13504622.2025.2605222},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Taylor & Francis},
  keywords = {environmental education; education for sustainable development; assessment instruments; learning outcomes; citizenship education; biology},
  abstract = {Environmental and Sustainability Education (ESE) has the potential to empower learners to become agents of democratic transformation toward sustainability. Part of this lies in ESE's potential to foster action competence (AC) among learners. To capture this potential, ESE should be informed by feedback from adequate assessment instruments. The most common type is self-assessment scales, enabling large-scale statistical analyses. Drawing on theories of social change and democracy, we argue that self-assessment scales should: (a) be grounded in, and capable of assessing, AC for both individually driven and systemically oriented actions for social change; (b) distinguish between individual and collective AC; and (c) be based on a solid theoretical foundation regarding what supports and hinders actions for social change. Through a systematic review we identify validated scales assessing AC for sustainability and environmentally friendly actions, pinpoint gaps in terms of the a, b, and c listed above, and discuss ways to reduce these gaps through avenues for further instrument development and research.},
  issn = {1350-4622}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_winterveronika_2025,
  title = {Pre-service teachers and climate change education: a belief-intention gap yet to be bridged},
  author = {Winter, Veronika and Georg Bussing, Alexander and Gericke, Niklas and Möller, Andrea},
  year = {2025},
  journal = {Environmental Education Research},
  doi = {10.1080/13504622.2025.2608774},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Taylor & Francis},
  keywords = {education for sustainable development; climate change education; teacher beliefs; pre-service teachers; biology},
  abstract = {Prior research suggests that pre-service teachers may avoid providing climate change education (CCE) due to believed controversies, lack of competences, or resource constraints. However, quantitative studies disentangling the interplay between a broad spectrum of such beliefs, possible influences on beliefs as well as their connection to teaching intention remain scarce. Building on the Theory of Planned Behaviour, we therefore conducted an Austrian-wide, cross-sectional online study with 403 pre-service Biology teachers for secondary level, using both established and newly adapted instruments. Via structural equation modelling, our study reveals that pre-service teachers' belief in the importance of CCE and their climate change attitudes emerged as main predictors for their teaching intention. Content knowledge and belief in having sufficient time and resources, also contributed, while the predictive strength of self-efficacy varied across models. Surprisingly, concerns about controversies and normative beliefs were unrelated to teaching intention, diverging from previous research. These findings suggest that future teachers' intention to teach climate change is primarily rooted in a sense of urgency about the climate crisis and the belief in the meaningfulness of education, alongside practical considerations of classroom realities, rather than fears of political controversy. Implications for the design of teacher training programs are outlined.},
  issn = {1350-4622}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_mogrenanna_2025,
  title = {Leadership actions that enable or constrain accommodation of education for sustainable development},
  author = {Mogren, Anna and Forssten Seiser, Anette and Gericke, Niklas and Berglund, Teresa and Olsson, Daniel},
  year = {2025},
  journal = {International Journal of Leadership in Education},
  pages = {1--30},
  doi = {10.1080/13603124.2024.2418623},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Taylor & Francis},
  keywords = {education},
  abstract = {This paper presents an empirical study on leadership actions related to education for sustainable development, i.e. education that embraces ecological and socio-economic perspectives to foster students’ awareness of the importance of long-term sustainable development. The aim is to identify leadership actions that enable or constrain permanent implementation of such educational perspectives. Empirically, the study is based on data acquired in a school improvement project on sustainability, involving five schools in a Swedish municipality during the years 2016 to 2021. Data were collected in two rounds, in 2018 and 2020, through interviews with school leaders. A theoretical framework including the coupling mechanisms concept and previously identified organizational routines is applied in analysis of the rich data acquired to explore the school leaders’ reported actions, associated routines and their outcomes. The results reveal leadership actions that enable, and others that constrain, long-term establishment of education for sustainable development. The study confirms the importance of early establishment of a holistic educational idea embracing education for sustainable development, and both communication and feedback systems for leaders on its compliance. The study also shows the value of collegial structures and transformational leadership actions that prevent the fading or failure of intended implementation.},
  issn = {1360-3124}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_lampertpeter_2023_2,
  title = {A research instrument to monitor people's competence to sustain insect biodiversity: the Self-Perceived Action Competence for Insect Conservation scale (SPACIC)},
  author = {Lampert, Peter and Olsson, Daniel and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2023},
  journal = {International Journal of Science Education, Part B Communication and Public Engagement},
  volume = {24},
  number = {14},
  pages = {400--417},
  doi = {10.1080/21548455.2023.2281931},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Routledge},
  keywords = {insect conservation; scale development; action competence; biology},
  abstract = {The loss of insect biodiversity is a major global sustainability issue that is highly relevant to science education. Science education can support and develop learners' competence to take actions to sustain insect biodiversity and empower learners to deal actively with this sustainability issue. However, we currently lack an instrument to assess these aspects of individual competence. This paper aims to fill this gap by introducing the Self-Perceived Action Competence for Insect Conservation scale (SPACIC). This scale allows for investigating learners' action competence by focusing on self-perceived knowledge, confidence, and willingness to take insect conservation actions. The scale is grounded in theory and face-validated by external experts. The piloting with 180 secondary school students showed a good quality of the instrument in terms of reliability and validity, as the reliability analyses and confirmatory factor analysis show. The SPACIC scale is applicable to various formal and informal educational settings. Applying the scale can yield information about the effects of educational approaches and inform learners, educators, and researchers about changes in self-perceived competence. In this way, the SPACIC scale can contribute to the evaluation and design of educational approaches and eventually boost learners' development into becoming active environmental citizens.},
  issn = {2154-8455}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_ohlssonanders_2024_1,
  title = {Education for sustainability in preschool: Swedish preschool teachers’ perspectives},
  author = {Ohlsson, Anders and Borg, Farhana and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2024},
  journal = {Cogent Education},
  volume = {1},
  number = {11},
  pages = {1},
  doi = {10.1080/2331186X.2024.2353477},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Taylor & Francis},
  keywords = {education for sustainable development; pluralism; preschool teachers’ perspectives; teaching strategies; thematic analysis; biology},
  abstract = {Worldwide, preschool is recognized as an important arena for the implementation of education for sustainability (EfS). In Swedish preschools EfS has been a part of the national curriculum since 2019, but little is known about what this means in practice. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to increase our understanding about preschool teachers’ perspectives on teaching for sustainability. Using individual semi-structured interviews with 16 randomly selected preschool teachers in Sweden, the results of which were analyzed thematically and then quantitatively, this study examines how teachers put EfS into practice. Four teaching practices were identified: actively present teachers, children’s experiences as a basis for learning, children’s opportunity for agency–a democratic approach, and communication between children and teachers. Taken together, these four teaching practices demonstrate a pluralistic teaching tradition. The analysis also demonstrates a holistic perspective on subject content where environmental, social and economic issues are addressed. A third result is that EfS is carried out using three teaching strategies planned, spontaneous and semi-spontaneous. The identification of semi-spontaneous teaching is an important finding which is made possible in created learning environments aiming to stimulate children’s agency, which is of central importance in EfS and an important contribution from this study. },
  issn = {2331-186X}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_duncanrg_2024,
  title = {The sociopolitical in human genetics education},
  author = {Duncan, R. G. and Krishnamoorthy, R. and Harms, U. and Haskel-Ittah, M. and Kampourakis, K. and Gericke, Niklas and Hammann, M. and Jimenez-Aleixandre, M. and Nehm, R. H. and Reiss, M. J. and Yarden, A.},
  year = {2024},
  journal = {Science},
  volume = {6685},
  number = {383},
  pages = {826--828},
  doi = {10.1126/science.adi8227},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)},
  keywords = {educational status; human genetics; humans; education; genetic analysis; perception; racism; environmental health; gene control; human; medical research; medical student; personalized medicine; politics; risk factor; sociopolitics; training; biology},
  abstract = {Education must go beyond only countering essentialist and deterministic views of genetics},
  issn = {0036-8075}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_mooredavids_2025,
  title = {The Problems with Genetic Essentialism, Determinism, and Reductionism},
  author = {Moore, David S. and Kampourakis, Kostas and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2025},
  journal = {Human Development},
  volume = {3},
  number = {69},
  pages = {147--157},
  doi = {10.1159/000543465},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: S. Karger},
  keywords = {genetic essentialism; genetic determinism; genetic reductionism; gene-environment interaction; development; behavioral genetics; biology},
  abstract = {In this article, we address misunderstandings about genetic essentialism, genetic determinism, and genetic reductionism. There are good reasons to carefully consider the meanings and relationships that characterize genetic essentialism, genetic determinism, and genetic reductionism; these are different (if related) concepts, despite their superficial resemblances. Although a recent Nature Reviews Genetics article addressed these issues, problems intrinsic to them remained unexplored, problems that we address here by adopting a developmental systems perspective. Discussions of these concepts should explicitly communicate that genetic essentialism fails because individuals are as they are in part due to the contexts in which they develop, that genetic determinism fails because all phenotypes depend on co-acting genomic and non-genomic factors for their development, and that genetic reductionism fails because emergent properties above the level of the genome can feed back and influence the subsequent functioning of that genome. Elucidating the meaning of these concepts without providing arguments for rejecting them is problematic. Developmental science offers the required arguments.},
  issn = {0018-716X}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_sundper_2020_1,
  title = {Educational Content in Cross-curricular ESE Teaching and A Model to Discern Teacher’s Teaching Traditions},
  author = {Sund, Per and Gericke, Niklas and Bladh, Gabriel},
  year = {2020},
  journal = {Journal of Education for Sustainable Development},
  volume = {1},
  number = {14},
  pages = {78--97},
  doi = {10.1177/0973408220930706},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Sage Publications},
  keywords = {teaching tradition; educational aspects; reflection tool; collaboration; cross-curricular; biology; geography; geografi},
  abstract = {According to the curricula in various countries, teachers in the subject areasof science, social science and language are often expected to collaborateon cross-curricular issues such as sustainable development (SD) in the9-year compulsory school. This study is based in Sweden and investigatesteachers’ teaching traditions. The overall aim of this study is to understandwhat educational content teacher teams can offer students through crosscurricular collaborations. The specifi c aim in Part 1 of this article is to discernthe distribution of teachers’ teaching traditions from different subject areas.Part 2 offers a refl ection tool for teachers and teacher teams to discernteaching traditions. The results show that teachers from different subjectareas stress different yet complimentary aspects of environmental andsustainability (ESE) teaching. A fair distribution of teaching traditions in ateacher team will offer students better learning opportunities to developand enhance their action competence for sustainable development.},
  issn = {0973-4082}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_kuschmierzpaul_2021,
  title = {European first-year university students accept evolution but lack substantial knowledge about it: A standardized European cross-country assessment},
  author = {Kuschmierz, Paul and Beniermann, A. and Bergmann, A. and Pinxten, R. and Aivelo, T. and Berniak-Woźny, J. and Bohlin, G. and Bugallo-Rodriguez, A. and Cardia, P. and Cavadas, B. F. B. P. and Cebesoy, U. B. and Cvetković, D. D. and Demarsy, E. and Đorđević, M.S. and Drobniak, S. M. and Dubchak, L. and Dvořáková, R. M. and Fančovičová, J. and Fortin, C. and Futo, M. and Geamănă, N. A. and Gericke, Niklas and Grasso, D. A. and Lendvai, ÁZ. and Mavrikaki, E. and Meneganzin, A. and Mogias, A. and Möller, A. and Mota, P. G. and Naciri, Y. and Németh, Z. and Ożańska-Ponikwia, K. and Paolucci, S. and Pap, P. L. and Petersson, Maria and Pietrzak, B. and Pievani, T. and Pobric, A. and Porozovs, J. and Realdon, G. and Sá-Pinto, X. and Savković, U. B. and Sicard, M. and Sofonea, M. T. and Sorgo, A. and Stermin, A. N. and Tăușan, I. and Torkar, G. and Türkmen, L. and Tutnjević, S. and Uitto, A. E. and Varga, M. and Vazquez-Ben, L. and Venetis, C. and Viguera, E. and Virtbauer, L. C. and Vutsova, A. and Yruela, I. and Zandveld, J. and Graf, Dittmar},
  year = {2021},
  journal = {Evolution},
  volume = {1},
  number = {14},
  pages = {1--22},
  doi = {10.1186/s12052-021-00158-8},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: BioMed Central (BMC)},
  keywords = {acceptance; assessment; attitude; europe; evolution; higher education; knowledge; multilevel modeling; religious faith; socioscientific issues; biology},
  abstract = {Background: Investigations of evolution knowledge and acceptance and their relation are central to evolution education research. Ambiguous results in this field of study demonstrate a variety of measuring issues, for instance differently theorized constructs, or a lack of standardized methods, especially for cross-country comparisons. In particular, meaningful comparisons across European countries, with their varying cultural backgrounds and education systems, are rare, often include only few countries, and lack standardization. To address these deficits, we conducted a standardized European survey, on 9200 first-year university students in 26 European countries utilizing a validated, comprehensive questionnaire, the “Evolution Education Questionnaire”, to assess evolution acceptance and knowledge, as well as influencing factors on evolution acceptance. Results: We found that, despite European countries’ different cultural backgrounds and education systems, European first-year university students generally accept evolution. At the same time, they lack substantial knowledge about it, even if they are enrolled in a biology-related study program. Additionally, we developed a multilevel-model that determines religious faith as the main influencing factor in accepting evolution. According to our model, knowledge about evolution and interest in biological topics also increase acceptance of evolution, but to a much lesser extent than religious faith. The effect of age and sex, as well as the country’s affiliation, students’ denomination, and whether or not a student is enrolled in a biology-related university program, is negligible. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that, despite all their differences, most of the European education systems for upper secondary education lead to acceptance of evolution at least in university students. It appears that, at least in this sample, the differences in knowledge between countries reflect neither the extent to which school curricula cover evolutionary biology nor the percentage of biology-related students in the country samples. Future studies should investigate the role of different European school curricula, identify particularly problematic or underrepresented evolutionary concepts in biology education, and analyze the role of religious faith when teaching evolution.},
  issn = {1936-6426}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_wahlbergsara_2018,
  title = {Conceptual Demography in Upper Secondary Chemistry and Biology Textbooks' Descriptions of Protein Synthesis: A Matter of Context?},
  author = {Wahlberg, Sara and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2018},
  journal = {CBE - Life Sciences Education},
  volume = {3},
  number = {17},
  pages = {3},
  doi = {10.1187/cbe.17-12-0274},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {Bethesda, MD : American Society for Cell Biology},
  keywords = {molecular-genetics; students understandings; cognitive-processes; school textbooks; landscape model; teachers talk; education; science; comprehension; biology},
  abstract = {This study investigates how the domain-specific language of molecular life science is mediated by the comparative contexts of chemistry and biology education. We study upper secondary chemistry and biology textbook sections on protein synthesis to reveal the conceptual demography of concepts central to the communication of this subject. The term "conceptual demography" refers to the frequency, distribution, and internal relationships between technical terms mediating a potential conceptual meaning of a phenomenon. Data were collected through a content analysis approach inspired by text summarization and text mining techniques. Chemistry textbooks were found to present protein synthesis using a mechanistic approach, whereas biology textbooks use a conceptual approach. The chemistry texts make no clear distinction between core terms and peripheral terms but use them equally frequently and give equal attention to all relationships, whereas biology textbooks focus on core terms and mention and relate them to each other more frequently than peripheral terms. Moreover, chemistry textbooks typically segment the text, focusing on a couple of technical terms at a time, whereas biology textbooks focus on overarching structures of the protein synthesis. We argue that it might be fruitful for students to learn protein synthesis from both contexts to build a meaningful understanding.},
  issn = {1931-7913}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_carverrebeccabruu_2017,
  title = {Young Adults' Belief in Genetic Determinism, and Knowledge and Attitudes towards Modern Genetics and Genomics: The PUGGS Questionnaire},
  author = {Carver, Rebecca Bruu and Castera, Jeremy and Gericke, Niklas and Menezes Evangelista, Neima Alice and El-Hani, Charbel N.},
  year = {2017},
  journal = {PLOS ONE},
  volume = {1},
  number = {12},
  pages = {1},
  doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0169808},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Public Library of Science (PLoS)},
  keywords = {biology},
  abstract = {In this paper we present the development and validation a comprehensive questionnaire to assess college students' knowledge about modern genetics and genomics, their belief in genetic determinism, and their attitudes towards applications of modern genetics and genomic-based technologies. Written in everyday language with minimal jargon, the Public Understanding and Attitudes towards Genetics and Genomics (PUGGS) questionnaire is intended for use in research on science education and public understanding of science, as a means to investigate relationships between knowledge, determinism and attitudes about modern genetics, which are to date little understood. We developed a set of core ideas and initial items from reviewing the scientific literature on genetics and previous studies on public and student knowledge and attitudes about genetics. Seventeen international experts from different fields (e.g., genetics, education, philosophy of science) reviewed the initial items and their feedback was used to revise the questionnaire. We validated the questionnaire in two pilot tests with samples of university freshmen students. The final questionnaire contains 45 items, including both multiple choice and Likert scale response formats. Cronbach alpha showed good reliability for each section of the questionnaire. In conclusion, the PUGGS questionnaire is a reliable tool for investigating public understanding and attitudes towards modern genetics and genomic-based technologies.},
  issn = {1932-6203}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_kvellopl_2021,
  title = {Identifying knowledge important to teach about the nervous system in the context of secondary biology and science education-A Delphi study},
  author = {Kvello, Pål and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2021},
  journal = {PLOS ONE},
  volume = {12},
  number = {16},
  pages = {1--32},
  doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0260752},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Public Library of Science},
  keywords = {article; content analysis; curriculum; delphi study; human; human experiment; nerve cell plasticity; organisation for economic co-operation and development; teacher; travel; biology; education; knowledge; nervous system; neuroscience; pathophysiology; school; delphi technique; humans; schools},
  abstract = {Teaching about the nervous system has become a challenging task in secondary biology and science education because of the fast development in the field of neuroscience. A major challenge is to determine what content to teach. Curricula goals are often too general to guide instruction, and information about the nervous system has become overwhelming and diverse with ubiquitous relevance in society. In addition, several misconceptions and myths are circulating in educational communities causing world-wide confusion as to what content is correct. To help teachers, textbook authors, and curricula developers in this challenging landscape of knowledge, the aim of the present study is to identify the expert view on what knowledge is important for understanding the nervous system in the context of secondary biology and science education. To accomplish this, we have conducted a thematic content analysis of textbooks followed by a Delphi study of 15 experts in diverse but relevant fields. The results demonstrate six curriculum themes including gross anatomy and function, cell types and functional units, the nerve signal, connections between neurons, when nerve signals travel through networks of neurons, and plasticity in the nervous system, as well as 26 content principles organized in a coherent curriculum progression from general content to more specific content. Whereas some of the principles clarify and elaborate on traditional school biology knowledge, others add new knowledge to the curriculum. Importantly, the new framework for teaching about the nervous system presented here, meets the needs of society, as expressed by recent international policy frameworks of OECD and WHO, and it addresses common misconceptions about the brain. The study suggests an update of the biology and science curriculum.},
  issn = {1932-6203}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_gerickeniklas_2018_9,
  title = {Powerful knowledge, transformations and the need for empirical studies across school subjects},
  author = {Gericke, Niklas and Hudson, Brian and Olin-Scheller, Christina and Stolare, Martin},
  year = {2018},
  journal = {London Review of Education},
  volume = {3},
  number = {16},
  pages = {428--444},
  doi = {10.18546/LRE.16.3.06},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {London : UCL Press},
  keywords = {curriculum theory; powerful knowledge; school subjects; subject didactics; transformation; education},
  abstract = {In this article, we explore the concept of 'powerful knowledge' which, from a curriculum studies perspective, refers to the aspects of content knowledge towards which teaching should be oriented. We then consider how the concept of 'powerful knowledge' can be developed and operationalized as a research framework within studies in subject-specific didactics across the curriculum by relating it to the analytical concept of 'transformation'. Transformation is perceived in this case as an integrative process in which content knowledge is transformed into knowledge that is taught and learned through various transformation processes both outside and within the educational system. We argue that powerful knowledge cannot be identified based on the discipline alone, but needs to consider transformation processes and be empirically explored. A variety of theories and frameworks developed within the European research tradition of didactics are described as ways to study transformation processes related to powerful knowledge at different institutional levels as well as between different subjects and disciplines. A comparative research framework related to subject-specific education is proposed around three research questions.},
  issn = {1474-8460}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_randlerc_2021,
  title = {Animal welfare attitudes: Effects of gender and diet in university samples from 22 countries},
  author = {Randler, C. and Adan, A. and Antofie, M. -M and Arrona-Palacios, A. and Candido, M. and de Pauw, J. B. and Chandrakar, P. and Demirhan, E. and Detsis, V. and Di Milia, L. and Fančovičová, J. and Gericke, Niklas and Haldar, P. and Heidari, Z. and Jankowski, K. S. and Lehto, J. E. and Lundell-Creagh, R. and Medina-Jerez, W. and Meule, A. and Milfont, T. L. and Orgilés, M. and Morales, A. and Natale, V. and Ortiz-Jiménez, X. and Pande, B. and Partonen, T. and Pati, A. K. and Prokop, P. and Rahafar, A. and Scheuch, M. and Sahu, S. and Tomažič, I. and Tonetti, L. and Medina, P. V. and van Petegem, P. and Vargas, A. and Vollmer, C.},
  year = {2021},
  journal = {Animals},
  volume = {7},
  number = {11},
  pages = {7},
  doi = {10.3390/ani11071893},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: MDPI AG},
  keywords = {animal welfare attitudes; culture; diet; gender; gender inequality; adult; animal scales; animal welfare; article; convenience sample; empowerment; female; human; human development; human experiment; human tissue; major clinical study; male; nonhuman; omnivore; questionnaire; respect; sex difference; university student; vegan diet; biology},
  abstract = {Animal Welfare Attitudes (AWA) are defined as human attitudes towards the welfare of animals in different dimensions and settings. Demographic factors, such as age and gender are associated with AWA. The aim of this study was to assess gender differences among university students in a large convenience sample from twenty-two nations in AWA. A total of 7914 people participated in the study (5155 women, 2711 men, 48 diverse). Participants completed a questionnaire that collected demographic data, typical diet and responses to the Composite Respect for Animals Scale Short version (CRAS-S). In addition, we used a measure of gender empowerment from the Human Development Report. The largest variance in AWA was explained by diet, followed by country and gender. In terms of diet, 6385 participants reported to be omnivores, 296 as pescatarian, 637 ate a vegetarian diet and 434 were vegans (n = 162 without answer). Diet was related with CRAS-S scores; people with a vegan diet scored higher in AWA than omnivores. Women scored significantly higher on AWA than men. Furthermore, gender differences in AWA increased as gender inequality decreased. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.},
  issn = {2076-2615}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_olssondaniel_2022_3,
  title = {Students’ Action Competence for Sustainability and the Effectiveness of Sustainability Education},
  author = {Olsson, Daniel and Gericke, Niklas and Boeve-de Pauw, Jelle},
  year = {2022},
  journal = {Environmental Sciences Proceedings},
  volume = {1},
  number = {14},
  pages = {1},
  doi = {10.3390/environsciproc2022014011},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {Basel Switzerland : MDPI},
  keywords = {longitudinal; action competence; environmental citizenship; holism and pluralism; education; biology},
  abstract = {Scholarly attention has recently been increasingly focused on the concept of action competence for sustainability and its importance to promote environmental citizenship. Still, knowledge about the effects of sustainability education (SE) as an approach to teaching to foster students’ environmental citizenship in terms of action competence for sustainability, where SE could be defined by holism (the approach to the sustainability content) and pluralism (the approach to teaching). The aim of this study is therefore to contribute new knowledge of effects of SE on young people’s self-perceived action competence for sustainability (SPACS), through a longitudinal design. Our results show that SE as a teaching approach is effective in fostering environmental citizenship in terms of the important aspect of action competence for sustainability.},
  issn = {2673-4931}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_romeroarizamarta_2022,
  title = {Key Pedagogical Features and a Common Approach to Evaluate Education for Environmental Citizenship: An International Perspective},
  author = {Romero Ariza, Marta and Boeve-de Pauw, Jelle and Olsson, Daniel and Van Petegem, Peter and Parra, Gema and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2022},
  journal = {Environmental Science Proceedings},
  volume = {1},
  number = {14},
  pages = {1},
  doi = {10.3390/environsciproc2022014013},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {Basel Switzerland : MDPI},
  keywords = {sustainability consciousness questionnaire (scq); education for environmental citizenship; evaluation of interventions; formal education; non-formal education; biology},
  abstract = {This paper presents various educational interventions aimed at promoting environmental citizenship, which were developed in three different European countries (Sweden, Belgium and Spain). The interventions differ in context, target group and educational setting (formal or non-formal) and were evaluated in terms of their impact on participants’ knowledge, attitudes and behaviours. The results show significant differences between pre and post scores, with a positive impact on the behavioural dimension in all of the reported interventions. Finally, the interventions are discussed on the basis of key common pedagogical features aligned with the specialised literature.},
  issn = {2673-4931}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_berglundteresa_2018,
  title = {Exploring the Role of the Economy in Young Adults’ Understanding of Sustainable Development},
  author = {Berglund, Teresa and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2018},
  journal = {Sustainability},
  volume = {8},
  number = {10},
  pages = {1--17},
  doi = {10.3390/su10082738},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: MDPI},
  keywords = {economy; environment; economic growth; economic development; sustainable development; holistic; education; biology},
  abstract = {Theeconomicdimensionisoneofthecentralperspectivesinbothsustainabledevelopment and education for sustainable development. The role of the economy in sustainable development has been discussed extensively over the years and different views exist about how economic activities affect other sustainability dimensions. How young people view the relationships among economic perspectives and sustainable development seems to be an underemphasized perspective in sustainability education and underexplored in the field of sustainability education research. This study uses cluster analysis, which is an explorative approach, to identify and analyze young peoples’viewsoftherelationshipsbetweeneconomicgrowth,economicdevelopmentandsustainable development. Six hundred and thirty eight students (age 18–19) from 15 schools across Sweden responded to a questionnaire probing (1) views on these relationships, and (2) their environmental consciousness. Four clusters of students differing in their views on the economy in sustainable development were identified in the analysis: un-differentiating positive, nuanced ambivalent, two-way convinced, and critical. Further analysis indicated that some groups differed in their perception of the environmental dimension of sustainable development. Implications of these findings are discussed from the perspective of education for sustainable development.},
  issn = {2071-1050}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_mogrenanna_2019_1,
  title = {School leaders’ experiences of implementing education for sustainable development: Anchoring the transformative perspective},
  author = {Mogren, Anna and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2019},
  journal = {Sustainability},
  volume = {12},
  number = {11},
  pages = {12},
  doi = {10.3390/su11123343},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: MDPI AG},
  keywords = {education for sustainable development (esd); esd implementation; transformative schools; school leaders; school organization; upper secondary schools; biology},
  abstract = {In this article, we consider the problem of ensuring that Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is firmly embedded in a school through appropriate management and planning of the school’s activities (or characteristics of the school organization). To this end, we identify the domains of school organization that would benefit from particular structures and routines in order to embed ESD. We identify these domains by thematically analyzing responses of interviewed leaders of schools employing a transformative approach to ESD. We divided the leaders into two groups, based on the extent to which their respective schools employed a transformative approach to ESD. We analyzed the differences in responses of the two groups, enabling us to identify and compare the structures that school leaders in the respective groups believe to be important. In addition to reporting the results, we discuss their implications. We focus particularly on how structures identified by leaders of highly transformative schools could contribute to long-lasting transformative implementation of ESD, and how structures identified by leaders of the other group could be used to circumvent barriers to such implementation.},
  issn = {2071-1050}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_borgfarhana_2021,
  title = {Local and Global Aspects: Teaching Social Sustainability in Swedish Preschools},
  author = {Borg, Farhana and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2021},
  journal = {Sustainability},
  volume = {7},
  number = {13},
  pages = {7},
  doi = {10.3390/su13073838},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: MDPI},
  keywords = {children’s agency; education for sustainable development; holism; pluralistic perspective; social sustainability; thematic content analysis; biology},
  abstract = {Although policy documents emphasize the importance of integrating social, economic, andenvironmental dimensions into education for sustainability (EfS), there is a lack of studies investigating how social sustainability can be included in preschool teaching. Therefore, this study aimsto increase knowledge about preschool teachers’ teaching practices relating to social sustainability.This study uses EfS as a conceptual framework that includes a holistic view of sustainability addressing social, economic, and environmental aspects, as well as pluralistic teaching approach from atransformative perspective. To explore the views and teaching practices, individual interviews wereconducted with 12 preschool teachers from eight preschools that took part in a school developmentproject. The project included professional development workshops for teachers on EfS and localimplementation efforts. Thematic content analysis was conducted. The interviews made it apparentthat the teachers initially viewed sustainability from an environmental perspective; however, afterinvolvement in the school development project, they began to integrate the social sustainabilitydimension into their teaching. The teachers associated local sustainability challenges with those facedinternationally. To a certain extent, children’s agency was noted in pluralistic educational activitiesthat supported children’s active participation. The level at which preschool teachers integrated socialsustainability into their teaching varied.},
  issn = {2071-1050}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_sundperj_2021,
  title = {More than two decades of research on selective traditions in environmental and sustainability education: seven functions of the concept},
  author = {Sund, Per J. and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2021},
  journal = {Sustainability},
  volume = {12},
  number = {13},
  pages = {12},
  doi = {10.3390/su13126524},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: MDPI},
  keywords = {environmental and sustainability education; esd teaching approaches; functions of education; functions of teaching; selective traditions; teaching habits; teaching traditions; environmental science},
  abstract = {This study investigates functions of the concept of selective traditions by means of a qualitative systematic review synthesis of earlier research. The study is based on a review method for integrating qualitative studies and looks for “themes” in or across them. In this case, it is about how the identified publications (twenty-four in total) use the concept of selective traditions. All but two studies stem from the Swedish context. The selective traditions relate to teachers’ approaches to the content, methods and purposes of environmental and sustainability education (ESE). Teachers mainly work within one specific selective tradition. Seven different functions were found in the publications of which five are claimed to be valuable for the development of ESE teaching, while the other two functions are useful in monitoring changes and development in ESE teaching. The results are discussed in terms of the consequences for research, practice and teacher education aiming at offering suggestions on how to develop future (transformative) ESE teaching.},
  issn = {2071-1050}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_arizamartaromero_2021,
  title = {Promoting Environmental Citizenship in Education: The Potential of the Sustainability Consciousness Questionnaire to Measure Impact of Interventions},
  author = {Ariza, Marta Romero and Boeve-de Pauw, Jelle and Olsson, Daniel and Van Petegem, Peter and Parra, Gema and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2021},
  journal = {Sustainability},
  volume = {20},
  number = {13},
  pages = {1--20},
  doi = {10.3390/su132011420},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: MDPI},
  keywords = {management; monitoring; policy and law; renewable energy; sustainability and the environment; geography; planning and development; biology; subject-specific education; ämnesdidaktik},
  abstract = {Policy documents across the globe call for citizen engagement to fight climate change emergencies and build more sustainable societies. They also recognize the key role of formal and non-formal education in preparing citizens to address those challenges. However, there is a need to identify appropriate instruments to evaluate the impact of educational interventions on people's knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors, which are essential components of the action competence required to become environmental citizens and agents of change. The aim of this paper is to investigate the potential of the Sustainability Consciousness Questionnaire (SCQ) to evaluate different educational interventions aimed at increasing environmental citizenship. It presents three sub-studies from Spain, Belgium, and Sweden using the SCQ with varying contexts, duration, and target groups yet sharing common pedagogical features in the interventions. Pre-intervention scores indicate a common pattern of high sustainability knowingness, moderate sustainability attitudes, and lower sustainability behaviors in the three dimensions (environmental, social and economic) of sustainability consciousness, and a positive impact on sustainability behavior after the intervention. These findings are especially significant when compared to previous studies. We therefore conclude that the SCQ is useful for detecting the effects of learning interventions of varying designs and contexts that address environmental citizenship. The results are discussed in terms of key pedagogical features of the educational interventions, and the appropriateness and sensitivity of the instrument in detecting changes in the intended direction. It concludes with implications for research and practice and suggestions for future lines of work.},
  issn = {2071-1050}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_kowaschmatthias_2021,
  title = {Climate Youth Activism Initiatives: Motivations and Aims, and the Potential to Integrate Climate Activism into ESD and Transformative Learning},
  author = {Kowasch, Matthias and Cruz, Joana P. and Reis, Pedro and Gericke, Niklas and Kicker, Katharina},
  year = {2021},
  journal = {Sustainability},
  volume = {21},
  number = {13},
  pages = {1--25},
  doi = {10.3390/su132111581},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: MDPI},
  keywords = {climate activism; fridays for future; education for sustainable development (esd); transformative learning; environmental citizenship (ec); shift in consciousness; education; biology},
  abstract = {For about two years, the climate youth activism initiative Fridays for Future has addressed climate emergency, receiving considerable attention because of their consistent protests every week in many different locations worldwide. Based on empirical studies in Austria and Portugal, this paper investigates the motivations of students to participate in the movement and the solutions proposed by young activists to fight against climate emergency. Moreover, we discuss the integration of climate change activism into ESD (education for sustainable development) and transformative learning processes, and how this enables environmental citizenship. The results of the studies reveal that emotions and feelings of solidarity and collective aims are motives to participate in the strikes. The young activists sometimes propose innovative and sometimes radical solutions to climate emergency. Both demonstrations and exhibitions as forms of bottom-up climate activism initiatives contribute to engagement in political dialogue and scientific knowledge transfer. They can be seen as "triggers of change " for transformative learning.},
  issn = {2071-1050}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_ohlssonanders_2022,
  title = {Integration of education for sustainability in the preschool curriculum: A comparative study between the two latest Swedish curricula},
  author = {Ohlsson, Anders and Gericke, Niklas and Borg, Farhana},
  year = {2022},
  journal = {Journal of Childhood, Education & Society},
  volume = {1},
  number = {3},
  pages = {12--27},
  doi = {10.37291/2717638x.202231130},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Journal of Childhood, Education and Society},
  keywords = {curriculum analysis; education for sustainable development; preschool; sustainable development; sustainability},
  abstract = {The aim of this study is to provide a content analysis of the new Swedish preschool curriculum in comparison with the previous preceding curriculum to investigate how sustainability and education for sustainability (EfS) have been described, and whether there have been any changes in terms of the scope of their inclusion in the new curriculum. The study adopts a holistic view of sustainability, meaning that the environmental dimension, social dimension, and economic dimension, along with a pluralistic and transformative view of EfS, form the analytical framework. Using content analysis, the frequency of explicit and implicit descriptive words for sustainability and EfS in both curricula were investigated. A contextual analysis was also conducted that involved an interpretation of the meaning of the implicit words. Two main findings could be identified in the new curriculum in comparison to the previous curriculum. The first was that the term sustainability is now used from an explicit and holistic perspective that includes all three dimensions. The second was that the new curriculum provides guidance as to how to incorporate EfS where such words as investigating, participation, collaborate and develop are used. Together with the context in which these words appear, a picture forms of a pluralistic teaching tradition in preschool curricula. Overall, the analysis provides a picture of change in the Swedish preschool curriculum that is in line with the intentions of international policy and research relating to a need for increased focus on sustainability and EfS.},
  issn = {2717-638X}
}

@incollection{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_gerickeniklas_2022_7,
  title = {Teaching for the Anthropocene: Bildung-oriented education for sustainable development in a subject-specific curriculum},
  author = {Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2022},
  journal = {Bildung, Knowledge, and Global Challenges in Education},
  doi = {10.4324/9781003279365-5},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {London : Taylor & Francis},
  keywords = {biology},
  abstract = {Human-mediated environmental changes have become so extensive that the current geological era is known as the Anthropocene. To meet the existential challenges, Anthropocene poses to humanity, policymakers and research worldwide have promoted the concept of education for sustainable development (ESD). According to this concept, the overarching objective of education should be to develop students’ action competence for sustainability. The underlying idea of ESD is to start teaching from authentic complex phenomena in students’ everyday lives rather than the school subjects. This raises questions about the role of subject-specific teaching in curricula that aim to foster action competence. Like ESD, the concept of Bildung has a broader educational goal than learning specific content but contrary to ESD, Bildung embraces subject-specific teaching. In this study, parallels are identified between ESD and Bildung. Subsequently, this chapter applies the results of an analysis of the contributions of Swedish secondary level science, social science, and language teaching to ESD, to discuss how multidisciplinary, subject-specific teaching may complementarily contribute to developing action competence, by adopting a Bildung orientation. }
}

@incollection{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_gerickeniklas_2024_2,
  title = {From discipline to school subject: A biology example},
  author = {Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2024},
  journal = {Research Handbook on Curriculum and Education},
  pages = {192--205},
  doi = {10.4337/9781802208542.00021},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Edward Elgar Publishing},
  keywords = {biology education; curriculum theory; delphi study; educational design research; powerful knowledge; subject-specific education; biology}
}

@book{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_2022,
  title = {International perspectives on knowledge and curriculum: Epistemic Quality across School Subjects},
  year = {2022},
  doi = {10.5040/9781350167124},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {Bloomsbury Academic},
  keywords = {biology; comparative literature},
  abstract = {Drawing together an international author team from Australia, Finland, France, Germany, Norway, Sweden and the UK, this book examines how we might democratize and open up access to ‘knowledge of the powerful’ for all. This book moves beyond the narrow knowledge vs skills debate of the 20th century to interrogate the epistemic quality of education in schools, and is a valuable resource for reflecting on the design and implementation of teacher education. Based on a range of national studies by the Knowledge and Quality across School Subjects and Teacher Education network (KOSS), funded by the Swedish Research Council (2019-22), the chapters explore teachers’ powerful professional knowledge and the implications this has for innovation in teacher education, policy and practice in educational settings.}
}

@incollection{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_gerickeniklas_2022_8,
  title = {Researching powerful knowledge and epistemic quality across school subjects},
  author = {Gericke, Niklas and Hudson, Brian and Olin-Scheller, Christina and Stolare, Martin},
  year = {2022},
  journal = {International Perspectives on Knowledge and Curriculum},
  pages = {1--16},
  doi = {10.5040/9781350167124.ch-001},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {London : Bloomsbury Academic},
  keywords = {biology; comparative literature},
  abstract = {Niklas Gericke Brian Hudson Christina Olin-Scheller Martin Stolare Knowledge building in schools can be a transformative and empowering process, transforming pupils’ capacities, sense of self-efficacy and agency, while also acting as a powerful engine of social justice and social transformation (Muller 2016) . Still, knowledge building is notorious for sometimes being a dry and inert process that makes little difference to pupils’ lives and entrenches social inequality (Young and Muller 2010) . This book aims to develop understanding of how educators and education systems can ensure that school-based knowledge building reaches its transformative potential. In so doing, it draws on the concepts ‘powerful knowledge’ and ‘epistemic quality’ to help understand knowledge building’s qualities when it is effective and empowering, and how educational processes can build and develop these characteristics. The underlying research studies focus on the ways in which knowledge itself is transformed as it is re-contextualized at the individual,...}
}

@incollection{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_sundper_2022,
  title = {Investigating the nature of powerful knowledge and epistemic quality in education for sustainable development},
  author = {Sund, Per and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2022},
  journal = {International Perspectives on Knowledge and Curriculum},
  pages = {177--196},
  doi = {10.5040/9781350167124.ch-010},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Bloomsbury Academic},
  keywords = {biology},
  abstract = {In this chapter, the concept of powerful knowledge is studied by using the concept of transformation as a key concept to describe the different characteristics of powerful knowledge in educational content relating to education for sustainable development (ESD) . The concept of transformation takes the didactization of disciplinary subject area knowledge into consideration, that is, how it is transformed into something that is teachable in lower secondary school cross-curricular settings (Gericke et al. 2018) . This empirical study focuses on how the concept of powerful knowledge can be understood and characterized in the context of teachers’ discussions from three different subject areas when addressing the same thematic topic of sustainable development (SD) . As the content of SD draws from multiple disciplines addressing the environment, society and the economy, powerful knowledge covering this topic thus needs to be drawn from different disciplines. Based on teachers’ descriptions...}
}

@incollection{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_gerickeniklas_2022_9,
  title = {Trajectories of epistemic quality and powerful knowledge across school subjects},
  author = {Gericke, Niklas and Hudson, Brian and Olin-Scheller, Christina and Stolare, Martin},
  year = {2022},
  journal = {International Perspectives on Knowledge and Curriculum},
  pages = {197--221},
  doi = {10.5040/9781350167124.ch-011},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {London : Bloomsbury Academic},
  keywords = {biology},
  abstract = {In reflecting on the studies outlined in this book, we return to the KOSS research questions with respect to how the nature of powerful knowledge and epistemic quality in different school subjects can be characterized. We also consider how one may describe the transformation processes related to powerful knowledge and epistemic quality. As we do so, we develop a theoretical framework based on the concepts outlined earlier in the volume: powerful knowledge, transformation processes and epistemic quality. Our ambition with this book, and this chapter in particular, is to help create a common conceptual framework as well as a language for subject-specific research and scholarship as concerns different disciplines and school subjects. In this way, we try to find common ground for use by teachers, scholars and educational researchers interested in subject-specific research. In this final chapter, we will not once again...}
}

@book{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_2022_1,
  title = {International Perspectives on Knowledge and Quality: Implications for Innovation in Teacher Education Policy and Practice},
  year = {2022},
  doi = {10.5040/9781350178434},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {Bloomsbury Academic},
  keywords = {powerful knowledge; transformation; epistemic quality; teacher education; biology; comparative literature},
  abstract = {Drawing together an international author team from Australia, Finland, France, Germany, Norway, Sweden and the UK, this book examines how we might democratize and open up access to 'knowledge of the powerful' for all. This book moves beyond the narrow knowledge vs skills debate of the 20th century to interrogate the epistemic quality of education in schools, and is a valuable resource for reflecting on the design and implementation of teacher education. Based on a range of national studies by the Knowledge and Quality across School Subjects and Teacher Education network (KOSS), funded by the Swedish Research Council (2019-22), the chapters explore teachers' powerful professional knowledge and the implications this has for innovation in teacher education, policy and practice in educational settings.}
}

@incollection{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_stolaremartin_2022,
  title = {Powerful professional knowledge and innovation in teacher education policy and practice},
  author = {Stolare, Martin and Hudson, Brian and Gericke, Niklas and Olin-Scheller, Christina},
  year = {2022},
  journal = {International Perspectives on Knowledge and Quality},
  pages = {1--22},
  doi = {10.5040/9781350178434.0010},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {London : Bloomsbury Academic}
}

@incollection{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_juutikalle_2022,
  title = {Transforming circular economy principles into teachers’ powerful professional knowledge},
  author = {Juuti, Kalle and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2022},
  journal = {International perspectives on knowledge and quality},
  pages = {127--144},
  doi = {10.5040/9781350178434.0016},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Bloomsbury Academic},
  keywords = {education; biology}
}

@incollection{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_stolaremartin_2022_1,
  title = {Implications of powerful professional knowledge for innovation in teacher education policy and practice},
  author = {Stolare, Martin and Hudson, Brian and Gericke, Niklas and Olin-Scheller, Christina},
  year = {2022},
  journal = {International perspectives on knowledge and quality},
  pages = {225--242},
  doi = {10.5040/9781350178434.0021},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {London : Bloomsbury Academic},
  keywords = {biology; comparative literature}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_scheieeldri_2022,
  title = {Curriculum analysis of critical thinking and sustainable development in the Norwegian and Swedish curricula},
  author = {Scheie, Eldri and Berglund, Teresa and Munkebye, Eli and Staberg, Ragnhild L. and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2022},
  journal = {Acta Didactica Norden},
  volume = {2},
  number = {16},
  pages = {2},
  doi = {10.5617/adno.9095},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {: Universitetet i Oslo},
  keywords = {competences; critical thinking; curriculum; sustainable development; biology},
  abstract = {Critical thinking is generally regarded as one of the most important competences that students should develop in school in order to become contributing members of a sustainable society. This study aims to investigate the link between critical thinking (CT) and sustainable development (SD) in Norwegian and Swedish school curricula. Sustainability issues are often complex and can be seen from various perspectives. This is the reason why a multi- or interdisciplinary teaching approach is mostly recommended in the literature. Regarding CT, there is no consensus on whether it is a subject-specific competence or a general, non-domain-specific, competence and if the criteria on which CT is assessed can vary with the subject. There is evidently a need for cross-disciplinary research to establish what critical thinking competence involves in different subjects and their links to education for SD. A document analysis, based on a framework for sustainability competences, of the general and subject-specific parts of the curricula was therefore conducted in this study. Results show that both the overriding and the subject-specific parts of the curricula, in Sweden and Norway alike, use several formulations linked to SD competences and CT, but only a few of the SD competences are linked to CT competence and directly to SD as content component. This means that if teachers in Norwegian and Swedish schools are expected to teach holistically with a pluralistic approach to sustainability issues inviting critical thinking, they need to make the connections themselves. },
  issn = {2535-8219}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_lundetorodd_2020_1,
  title = {Från implicit till explicit: Didaktiska modeller som verktyg för att utmana selektiva traditioner rörande undersökande arbete},
  author = {Lunde, Torodd and Drechsler, Michal and Gericke, Niklas},
  year = {2020},
  journal = {NorDiNa},
  volume = {2},
  number = {16},
  pages = {167--182},
  doi = {10.5617/nordina.7280},
  language = {swe},
  publisher = {: University of Oslo Library},
  keywords = {undersökande arbete; didaktiska modeller; undervisningstradition; laborativt arbete; education},
  abstract = {This study aims to illustrate how didactic models in science education can help in-service teachers to challenge selective traditions in a constructive way. The study was based on a teacher professional development program on inquiry-based science teaching in lower secondary school. Three didactic models were used in both lectures and group reflections to initiate reflections on different ways of interpreting the aims and content associated with inquiry-based science teaching and the consequences of these interpretations. Data was collected from a group of four teachers and consists of written documentation, recordings of group reflections and a group interview. The study shows that the three didactic models helped to make different ideas and underlying assumptions visible and that the teachers could reflect on their meaning and interpretations in a constructive way. Subsequently, the teachers could explicitly separate different ways to interpret the ideas associated with inquiry-based science teacher and make more conscious didactic choices as a result. The study shows that it can be fruitful to provide teachers with reflection tools in the form of didactic models to avoid that ideas introduced in continuing education are selectively adapted to current teaching without critical reflection.},
  issn = {1504-4556}
}

@article{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_erikssonanders_2023,
  title = {Fotosyntesundervisning 2.0: Kraftfull kunskap och en vidgad syn på fotosyntesundervisning},
  author = {Eriksson, Anders and Gericke, Niklas and Olsson, Daniel},
  year = {2023},
  journal = {Utbildning och lärande},
  volume = {2},
  number = {17},
  pages = {79--97},
  doi = {10.58714/ul.v17i2.15856},
  language = {swe},
  publisher = {Falun : Högskolan Dalarna},
  keywords = {photosynthesis education; scientific literacy; powerful knowledge; sustainability education; lower secondary school; fotosyntesundervisning; kraftfull kunskap; hållbar utveckling; högstideundervisning; subject-specific education; ämnesdidaktik; biology},
  abstract = {This article argues for a broader and more socially relevant photosynthesis instruction in compulsory science education. Presently, the predominant practice is traditional instruction, focusing on students' conceptual understanding of photosynthesis based on molecular and energy-related principles. Views of what is referred to as scientific literacy change in line with the new values and demands of a globalised society. Scientific literacy has evolved from a narrow conception of natural sciences to a broader teaching approach, addressing science from a whole society perspective. The article discusses how photosynthesis instruction can be redirected tofuture issues such as societal and sustainability and argues for a wider approach to scientific literacy involving active citizenship to address present and future sustainability challenges. A scientific literacy model is presented, along with its relation to the concept of powerful knowledge, defined as the kind of knowledge students need to have control and agency in their own lives. Powerful knowledge is discussed in terms of how photosynthesis instruction could be used to address societal and sustainability issues such as climate change, food chains, energy issues and food production. The need for a new and updated photosynthesis education 2.0 is presented.},
  issn = {1653-0594}
}

@phdthesis{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_erikssonanders_2025_1,
  title = {Kraftfull kunskap om fotosyntes transformerad till undervisningsinnehåll via ett ramverk för fotosynteslitteracitet},
  author = {Eriksson, Anders},
  year = {2025},
  doi = {10.59217/bmif1901},
  language = {swe},
  publisher = {Karlstads universitet},
  keywords = {photosynthesis literacy; photosynthesis teachings; powerful knowledge; didactic analysis; transformations; sustainability education; fotosyntesundervisning; kraftfull kunskap; didaktisk analys; hållbarhet; transformation; lektionsplanering; biology},
  abstract = {Photosynthesis is a fundamental biochemical process that converts light into chemical energy stored in carbohydrates, forming the basis of all complex life. Despite its importance, traditional teaching methods often present photosynthesis as a context-free biochemical mechanism, which many students find too abstract to be engaging. This perception can reduce motivation and increase the risk of misconceptions. Teachers also report difficulties in teaching the topic. This thesis proposes that linking photosynthesis instruction to societal and sustainability contexts can make learning more meaningful and address common misunderstandings. The goal is to develop a scientifically grounded teaching design that fosters photosynthesis literacy: a form of scientific literacy that equips students with powerful photosynthesis knowledge for a well informed citizenship.The thesis comprises four sub-studies. The first develops a theoretical model for photosynthesis literacy, drawing on three conceptualisations of scientific literacy. It argues that integrating elements from all three is essential for cultivating students’ deep understanding. The second sub-study, a Delphi study, translates this model into a framework of 25 content areas with corresponding learning objectives. This framework incorporates both conceptual clarity and contextual relevance. In the third sub-study, a design study conducted with two biology teachers transforms the framework into a ten-lesson teaching design. The fourth sub-study evaluates the impact of this design through a quasi-experiment using a custom questionnaire aligned with the framework’s objectives. Students who participated in the new teaching design performed significantly better than those in the control group.Qualitative data from interviews and classroom observations identified four potential success factors of the teaching design explaining the positive results: authentic experiences, fascination and wonder, student-centred learning, and collaborative engagement.The thesis demonstrates that a systematic transformation of an academic discipline content into student-adapted pedagogy can enhance learning outcomes and shape powerful knowledge, in this case about photosynthesis.}
}

@phdthesis{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_rnnerannaclara_2025_2,
  title = {Teaching and Learning about Infectious Diseases in the Aftermath of COVID-19},
  author = {Rönner, Anna-Clara},
  year = {2025},
  doi = {10.59217/uupv1149},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {Karlstads universitet},
  keywords = {biology textbooks; contagion literacy; covid-19; health literacy; primary education; secondary education; biology},
  abstract = {The COVID-19 pandemic profoundly affected children’s everyday experiences in schools worldwide. As future outbreaks are inevitable, it is essential to understand how teaching and learning about infectious diseases was shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic, in order to develop biology education to meet the needs for future epidemic-prone diseases. This thesis investigates how knowledge about infectious diseases is transformed from sources external to the school system into knowledge presented and understood in Swedish middle school classrooms. The overarching research question is: How is the portrayal of knowledge about infectious diseases reflected in biology textbooks, teachers’ practices, and pupils’ understanding in the aftermath of COVID-19? The thesis comprises four empirical studies, each examining a distinct stage in this transformation of knowledge—from academic and societal domains to what is actually taught and learned. The findings are interpreted through contagion literacy, a framework outlining the competencies expected of health-literate citizens and related to the concept of powerful knowledge. A comparative textbook analysis (Paper I) of editions published before and after the pandemic reveals that representations of infectious diseases remained largely unchanged, with an emphasis on functional health literacy describing content knowledge rather than how to act upon this knowledge. In practice, teaching during the pandemic was shaped by pupil-initiated, question-driven discussions about current events, rather than by an expansion of the planned biology curriculum (Paper II). Studies of pupils’ understanding (Papers III and IV) show that while COVID-19 influenced their thinking, their conceptual grasp of infectious diseases and microorganisms remained limited and often based on informal sources such as the media and the internet, rather than formal biology education. The thesis argues for the deliberate integration of contagion literacy into science education with the addition of the host and its immune response as new aspects. Such knowledge constitutes potential powerful knowledge, essential for preparing pupils to navigate future public health challenges and pandemics as critically engaged citizens.}
}

@mastersthesis{f655075583ad4e4a251da77930b45723_erikssonstina_2025,
  title = {Analogy competence for science teachers: The development and validation of the ACT framework},
  author = {Eriksson, Stina},
  year = {2025},
  doi = {10.59217/wudk6243},
  language = {eng},
  publisher = {Karlstads universitet},
  keywords = {analogy; analogy competence; science teacher education; biology teacher education; biology},
  abstract = {This thesis investigates the knowledge and skills required by science teachers to use analogies as pedagogical tools, referred to as analogy competence. Analogies are common explanatory tools in science teaching and have long been appreciated for their ability to facilitate students’ learning of abstract scientific concepts. At the same time, there is a risk that analogies may cause misconceptions. Therefore, teachers must have competence in how to use analogies in science teaching. This study aims to outline what teachers need to know and master to teach fruitfully with analogies – that is, analogy competence for science teachers. The thesis consists of two studies. The first study defines analogy competence for science teachers through a systematic integrative literature review in which key aspects of teaching with analogies were constructed into the Analogy Competence for Science Teachers (ACT) framework. The ACT framework comprises three interrelated dimensions – conceptual, procedural and performance – grounded in the Competence-Performance model proposed by Weinert (1999). Conceptual analogy competence encompasses the ability to identify suitable analogies and evaluate their educational functions. Procedural analogy competence involves context-sensitive planning, and performance analogy competence refers to the enactment of teaching with analogies, including scaffolding and moderating students’ analogical reasoning. The second study validates the ACT framework with upper secondary biology and natural science pre-service teachers, demonstrating its utility for evaluating and monitoring analogy competences. The findings support an extension of the ACT framework to include subject-specific conceptual competence as a sub-competence. A performance scale was developed to specify achievement levels across sub-competences. Together, these studies offer a theoretically grounded and empirically supported framework for science education and science teacher education, clarifying what teachers need to know, consider, and master for effective teaching with analogies.}
}