ABSTRACT

This chapter reviews how science education has been approached and developed in Europe within the discipline of didactics. It particularly reviews science didactics in Germany, the Netherlands, France, and Sweden with regard to how teachers can better support students’ learning progressions in science. The research schools selected represent well-developed systematic models to support teachers’ selection of content and ways of teaching with this aim. They are all comparatively recent, and concrete examples are given to show how these models have been used and are developed further. The different schools do not simply represent competing models but can be seen as complementary, emphasizing various aspects that all are important for teachers.