Elisabeth Hofer, Professorship of Chemistry Education

Contact Elisabeth Hofer

"The didactics of chemistry is not only a central component of the training and further education of chemistry teachers, but also plays an essential role in the communication of current scientific knowledge. Chemistry didacticians are concerned with making (complex) chemical issues tangible for different target groups, presenting them in an appealing way, explaining them in an understandable way and analysing the strategies and materials used. The overarching goal is to promote a broad basic education in the natural sciences and at the same time to recruit students interested in chemistry-related fields of study and careers. Chemical education must therefore focus on all learners and challenge and support them according to their prerequisites and needs. Age- and target group-appropriate insights into the material world are a prerequisite for understanding the ideas of sustainable development and recognising the contribution of chemistry-related innovations to ecological, economic and social prosperity." (Elisabeth Hofer)

Research areas:

* Practical work with pupils at extracurricular learning locations
* Inclusive design of learning environments for chemistry lessons
* Chemistry lessons in the context of sustainability
* Research-based learning
* Professionalisation of teachers

Curriculum Vitae:

2008-2013 Teacher training programme for general secondary schools (diploma), subjects: chemistry and mathematics, University of Graz
2013-2020 Teacher in the federal and state service, Styrian Directorate of Education
2015-2019 University assistant (PraeDoc), University of Vienna, Austrian Competence Centre for Didactics of Chemistry
since 2019 Member of the working group for the development of new curricula for the subject of chemistry for lower secondary level and AHS upper secondary level, Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research
2019-2020 Scientific project assistant, IMST initiative, Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research
2020 Dissertation in the field of chemistry didactics, University of Vienna
2020-2025 Research assistant (PostDoc), Leuphana University of Lüneburg, Institute for Sustainable Chemistry, Didactics of Natural Sciences
2023-2024 Administrative Professor for Didactics of Natural Sciences, Leuphana University of Lüneburg, Institute for Sustainable Chemistry
since April 2025 Professorship of Chemistry Education at the University of Vienna