Dittmar Graf

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Dittmar Graf (* 1955 ) is a German biologist. He is Professor of Biology Didactics at the University of Giessen and is known for his work in the field of teaching and learning biology at schools and universities, in particular teaching the theory of evolution.

Dittmar Graf

biography

Graf studied biology and geography at the University of Gießen from 1976 to 1983. He then worked there as a research assistant at the Institute for Biology Didactics, and for a short time at the TU Braunschweig . In 1989 he received his doctorate. From 1989 to 1994 Graf was deputy state chairman of the Association of German Biologists (VBIO, Hessen) and until 2001 state chairman. From 1992 to 2001 he was a student assistant at the Institute for Biology Didactics at the University of Giessen. In 2001, Graf accepted an appointment at the Technical University of Dortmund , where he held the chair for biology and its didactics. From 2007 to 2009 he was a board member of the Didactics of Biology section in the VBIO Biodidactics. Since 2012 he has held the chair for Biology Didactics at the University of Giessen.

Scientific contribution

Graf analyzed the use of biological terms in biological didactic material. He found that secondary school students are confronted with such a large number of biological technical terms in textbooks that an understanding of the texts cannot be guaranteed. In addition, many biological terms are used inconsistently in different works.

Graf has dealt with a wide range of issues relating to evolutionary didactics. Among other things, he found that in Germany among biology teacher training students, around 7% doubt evolution, compared to 16% among all teaching students studying biology. In Turkey, around 90% of the future teachers surveyed were not convinced of evolution. In Germany, only 45% of student teachers of the Muslim faith were convinced that the theory of evolution was a valid scientific theory. It turned out that for German student teachers the connection between an understanding of how science works and the acceptance of evolution is particularly high. There were also deficits in understanding the theory of evolution. Even students who had attended a biology advanced course gave about 50% false finalistic explanations for the evolutionary change.

Graf advocates the earliest possible start of evolutionary teaching in schools. He is involved in the "Evokids" initiative, the aim of which is to establish the subject of "evolution" in primary schools.

Publications

items

Books

  • Concept learning in secondary school biology. (= European University Writings, Series XI: Pedagogy. Volume 400). P. Lang, Frankfurt am Main / New York 1989.
  • with Guido Block-Künzler: Science from below - interim balance and perspectives of the science shop movement. VAS, Frankfurt am Main 1993.
  • with Karl-Heinz Berck: Biology didactics from A to Z - dictionary with 1000 terms. Quelle & Meyer, Wiebelsheim 2003.
  • with Karl-Heinz Berck: Biology Didactics: Basics and Methods. Quelle & Meyer, Wiebelsheim 2010.
  • Theory of Evolution - Acceptance and Mediation in a European Comparison. Springer-Verlag, Berlin / Heidelberg, 2011.
  • with Daniel Dreesmann and Klaudia Witte (eds.): Evolutionary Biology - Modern Topics for Classes. Spectrum, Heidelberg 2011.
  • as publisher: Experiments for biology lessons: acquisition of knowledge and competence-oriented teaching of biological content. Oldenbourg, Munich 2013.
  • with Christoph Lammers (Ed.): Healing differently? Where alternative medicine is wrong. Alibri, Aschaffenburg 2015

Memberships

  • Since 1991 co-editor and specialist editor for biology of the journal "Der Mathematische und Naturwissenschaftliche Studium"
  • Since 2008 member of the Science Council of the Society for the Scientific Investigation of Parasciences
  • Since 2014 member of the editorial board of the journal Biologie Lehren und Lern ​​- Journal for Didactics of Biology

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Biodidactics
  2. ↑ Curriculum Vitae. ( Memento from April 15, 2015 in the Internet Archive )
  3. ↑ D. Graf: Term enumerations in biology books of secondary level I. In: The mathematical and natural science lessons. 42 (4), 1989, pp. 231-239.
  4. ↑ a b D. Graf: Concept learning in biology lessons at secondary level I. Frankfurt am Main 1989.
  5. ↑ D. Graf: Concept formation in biology lessons - using the example of the terms "nutrition" and "digestion". In: Mathematics and science lessons. 39 (6), 1986, pp. 335-339.
  6. ↑ D. Graf, H. Soran: Attitude and knowledge of student teachers to evolution - a comparison between Germany and Turkey. In: Dittmar Graf (Hrsg.): Theory of Evolution - Acceptance and Mediation in European Comparison. Springer, Berlin 2011.
  7. ↑ D. Graf, T. Richter, K. Witte: Attitudes and ideas of student teachers to evolution. In: U. Harms et al. (Hrsg.): Assessing heterogeneity - promoting individual support in biology lessons. IPN, Kiel 2009.
  8. ↑ D. Graf, H. Soran: Attitude and knowledge of student teachers to evolution - a comparison between Germany and Turkey. In: Dittmar Graf (Hrsg.): Theory of Evolution - Acceptance and Mediation in European Comparison. Springer, Berlin 2011.
  9. ^ D. Graf, E. Hamdorf: Widespread misconceptions on a central topic. In: DC Dreesmann, D. Graf, K. Witte (Eds.): Evolutionary biology. Modern subjects for teaching. Springer, Berlin / Heidelberg 2012.
  10. ↑ Evodkids
  11. ↑ Mathematics and science lessons (MNU)
  12. ↑ ZDB
personal data
SURNAME Graf, Dittmar
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German biologist
DATE OF BIRTH 1955