The Learning Company Approach to Promote Active Chemistry Learning: Examples and Experiences from Lower Secondary Education in Germany

Abstract

This chapter entitled “The Learning Company Approach to Promote Active Chemistry Learning: Examples and Experiences from Lower Secondary Education in Germany” presented by Witteck, Beck, Most, Kienast, and Eilks deals with the development and application of the learning company approach for lower secondary chemistry education in Germany. This approach is some form of cooperative learning. Authors try to interpret this approach as a methodological shift in order to create a different style of experimentation in chemistry classroom. Students’ following this learning approach should be motivated to perform self-regulated and self-organized experiments in a cooperative learning environment or situation. Authors developed three different lesson plans and evaluated using a participatory action research. This chapter gives an overview of three separately tested lesson plans based on methods of separating matter, working out the different phenomena of chemical reactions, and introducing acid–base chemistry.