Research

Challenging learning tasks and challenging behaviour. Encouragement-oriented participation in technical design processes in the primary sector

Fundamental demands for a school that meets the learning needs of pupils do not seem to be covered by the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities alone (Riedel 2010, online on the internet). Hattie (2013) describes the decisive factor for successful inclusive learning as the release of pedagogical quality in schools and classrooms, specifically the effectiveness of the teaching-learning situation (Hattie 2013, p. 34). This opens up special challenges, but also opportunities, for subject learning and subject didactics. Challenges, because inclusive subject teaching in particular is characterised by little research (Hackbarth/Martens 2018, p. 192), whereby this offers opportunities to advance subject didactic research with innovative research projects.  The establishment of an inclusion-oriented subject didactics, which is committed to inclusive standards, realises a mediation between the subject-specific tendency on the one hand and learning theories, (special) educational diagnostics and suitable teaching methodology for heterogeneous learning groups on the other (Amrhein/Reich 2014, p. 38). This also involves a shift towards a fundamental positive connotation of diversity, resource orientation and empowerment (Fornefeld 2013, p. 9). The subject didactic facilitation of support-oriented participation of all learners must mean establishing learning situations that make high-quality teaching effective by enabling the development of psychosocial competences in addition to subject competence development (Hennemann 2019, p. 112). In order to also keep special problem situations in mind, the acquisition of psychosocial competences must be concretised. Currently, two research projects can be found under the focus of Research and Design in Elementary and Primary Education (=FUGIPE) in the Department of Elementary School Didactics of Works at the University of Leipzig. On the one hand, the preschool and primary areas of technical education are being considered synergetically by testing the task format Inventor's Studio (Steinmann et al. in preparation) with preschool and primary school children in the first grade in integrative settings at two points in time in a theoretically-intended manner and examining it with regard to theoretical implementations. In addition to the focus on support-oriented participation[1] and the development of subject competence, the research focuses on learning progressions, the effectiveness of learning environment designs and effects with regard to the promotion of creativity and self-efficacy. Initial results show positive effects and thus contribute very impressively to subject-theoretical further developments and rethinking processes (Steinmann 2019, p. 113). This results in subject didactic focal points and principles that target and attempt to implement promotion-oriented participation (FOP) (ibid.):

Support-oriented competence development creates individual access and orientation. It opens up subject-related scope for shaping individual support needs and learning approaches. The goal of this resource-oriented understanding of learning must consistently be (individual) learning process support and thus support-oriented assessment with the goal of personal excellence. Learning environments for technical

design in primary education must focus on learning tasks that take into account the principle of "assessing and promoting" (Stuber et al. 2012, p. 19). A productive handling of diverse challenging learning situations and the acceptance of the learners as active-self-effective subjects, whose self-confidence and social competence can be promoted, creates good starting conditions for technical-inclusive learning for all pupils and their personality development.

[1] Support-oriented participation should be understood as the creation of learning situations that, in addition to the development of technical competence for all children, immanently enable mutual appreciation to stabilise self-esteem and, at the same time, promote cooperative-communicative action for all children (cf. Steinmann 2019).

References

• Amrhein/Reich (2014): Inklusive Fachdidaktik. In: Amrhein/Dziak-Mahler (Hg.): Fachdidaktik inklusiv. Auf der Suche nach didaktischen Leitlinien für den Umgang mit Vielfalt in der Schule. Göttingen: Waxmann Verlag, S. 31-44.
• Fornefeld (2013): Einführung. In: Fornefeld (Hg.): Menschen mit komplexer Behinderung. Selbstverständnis und Aufgaben der Behindertenpädagogik. München: Reinhardt Verlag, S. 9-13. Ausgabe. Bad Heilbrunn: Klinkhardt.
• Hennemann/Ricking/Huber (2015): Organisationsformen inklusiver Förderung im Bereich emotionaler und sozialer Entwicklung. In: Stein/Müller (Hrsg.): Inklusion im Förderschwerpunkt emotionale und soziale Entwicklung. Stuttgart: Kohlhammer, S. 110-143.
• Lange-Schubert/Rothkopf (2017): Naturwissenschaftliches Lehren und Lernen. In: Hartinger/Lange-Schubert (Hg.): Sachunterricht. Didaktik für die Grundschule. 4. Auflage. Berlin: Cornelsen, S. 38–62.
• Steinmann (2019): Individuelle Lernausgangslagen in technischen Gestaltungsprozessen des Elementar- und Primarbereichs – Förderungsorientierte Partizipation durch geeignete Aufgabenformate? In: Pech/Schomaker/Simon (Hg.): Inklusion im Sachunterricht. Perspektiven der Forschung. Bad Heilbrunn: Klinkhardt, S. 113-128
• Steinmann/Bauer/Lange-Schubert (in Vorbereitung): „Überwindung von Dunkelheit“ – Forschen und Gestalten in Erfinder*innenateliers zum Thema Schwachstrom. In: MÖLLER/TENBERGE/BOHRMANN (Hg.) Begleitband des Perspektivrahmen Sachunterricht. Die technische Perspektive konkret. Bad Heilbrunn: Julius Klinkhardt.
• STUBER & KOLLEGEN (2012): Werkweiser 2: Handbuch für Lehrpersonen für technisches und textiles Gestalten. 3. - 6. Schuljahr. Bern: Schulverlag 

Körperbasierte Zugangsweisen in einem inklusivem technischem Unterricht in der Grundschule

Primary students are exposed to engineering artefacts on a daily basis. Therefore, engineering plays an important role in their everyday lives. Understanding the functionality of these engineering artefacts requires both knowledge about engineering and basic knowledge about natural sciences. The didactics of General Studies (Didaktik des Sachunterrichts) should support children in investigating their natural and technologically structured environment. As of today, there are no empirical studies in inclusive General Studies regarding this investigation. The dissertation aims to  development as well as the evaluation of an inclusive primary science-engineering education learning environment.

 

Literatur

• Beinbrech (2017): Technisches Lehren und Lernen. In: Hartinger/Lange-Schubert (Hg.): Sachunterricht. Didaktik für die Grundschule. 4. Auflage. Berlin: Cornelsen, S. 122–137.
• GDSU (2013): Perspektivrahmen Sachunterricht. Vollständig überarbeitete und erweiterte Ausgabe. Bad Heilbrunn: Klinkhardt.
• Lange-Schubert/Rothkopf (2017): Naturwissenschaftliches Lehren und Lernen. In: Hartinger/Lange-Schubert (Hg.): Sachunterricht. Didaktik für die Grundschule. 4. Auflage. Berlin: Cornelsen, S. 38–62.
• Lange-Schubert/Tretter (2017): Inklusives Lernen im naturwissenschaftlichen Sachunterricht. Vom guten Unterricht in heterogenen Lerngruppen. In: Hellmich/Blumberg (Hg.): Inklusiver Unterricht in der Grundschule. Stuttgart: Verlag W. Kohlhammer, S. 268–293.

Digital education in technical design processes at the primary level

Digital education is being discussed from many subject perspectives due to the current and increasing presence of digital media and technologies in the lives of pupils. Conversely, just as many subjects are being examined with regard to their potential and possibilities to adequately integrate digital education according to their subject didactics. The aim of the research project is to highlight the fit between digital education and the subject of crafts as technical design. A special focus is on digital media and technologies and their role and function as design means and tools. In addition, connections between the use of digital tools in problem-solving processes and the development of creative problem-solving skills will be investigated. The research approach of design-based research can provide a framework for generating relevant and accessible findings for educational practice.