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Topics for a PhD-Thesis

Could I be your supervisor?

If you are considering applying for a PhD and are thinking of me as your supervisor, please read this information carefully.

My Research Areas

I work primarily in:

  • Inclusive Science Education – especially systemic and broad views on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in relation to barriers of science learning at primary and lower secondary school
  • Inquiry-based Science Education – particularly as an inclusive approach to achieve scientific literacy for all learners in school science and out of school STEM learning environments
  • Education for Sustainability – how can everybody in terms of just sustainability develop sustainability literacy
  • Professional Development – especially implementation studies on DEI-sensitive and barrier-reduced teaching
  • Systems Thinking – how students and teachers can develop science and/or education related system thinking skills

Who I Look For

I’m interested in supervising PhD students who:

  • Have a clear research question or area they want to explore in relation to my research areas
  • Show familiarity with relevant science education literature
  • Demonstrate strong analytical and writing skills
  • Are interested in rigorous, methodologically sophisticated work in the social sciences
  • Can work independently while benefiting from guidance
  • Are willing to integrate in a supportive team of science education researchers and teachers

Application Process

Before applying, please:

  1. Read my work – familiarize yourself with my publications, especially recent articles
  2. Identify overlap – explain how your research interests connect with mine
  3. Be specific – vague proposals especially from a pure scientific background are not helpful
  4. Show preparation – demonstrate you understand the existing literature
  5. Write a first e-mail – only send a proposal after I asked you to

What to Include

After I have asked you for a research proposal, it should include:

  • Outline a clear, focused research question
  • Demonstrate knowledge of relevant literature
  • Explain your methodology
  • Show how your work contributes to the field
  • Connect to my research expertise

Institutional Information

The Leuphana Graduate School offers excellent resources for PhD students. Please also review:

Current and Recent PhD Students

I supervise(d) several PhD students working on, e.g.:

  • Locating barriers in science, not in the student
  • Students’ perspectives on support in inclusive science education
  • Primary science education in Austria
  • Professional vision of primary science education students regarding inclusive science education
  • Addressing girls in out-of-school STEM learning environments
  • Beliefs and use of metaphors of students with different first languages regarding biological phenomena
  • Pre-service teachers analyse inclusive science education
  • Professional knowledge of pre-service teachers analysed with the framework of inclusive science education
  • Educational reconstruction of the energy transition

Contact

If after reading this you believe we would be a good fit, please email me with:

  • A clear subject line (e.g., “PhD Application - [Your Research Area]”)
  • An informative e-mail observing points 1-4 of the above-mentioned application process
  • Academic CV
  • Writing sample, e.g. from a Bachelor / Master thesis or paper you may have already published (~2-3 pages)

I aim to respond to all serious inquiries, though I may not be able to supervise every interested student due to capacity constraints.