ABSTRACT

This chapter analyses nature of science (NOS) representations in German textbooks and focuses on chemistry textbooks for Gymnasium schools, being the most popular kind of secondary school in Germany. As 16 federal states are responsible for their own educational policies, there are effectively 16 different school systems and curricula in Germany, albeit with certain similarities and numerous attempts at harmonization. Since the federal states bear the responsibility for implementing the standards, some states, such as North Rhine-Westphalia, have developed core curricula as guidelines for schools. Little research has focused on textual analysis of German science textbooks, with the few published works focusing on terminology and comprehensibility, subject matter aspects, or the design of exercises in order to comply with competence orientation. The textbook analysis indicates that school chemistry textbooks fall short of the requirements included in the national educational standards, and that the awareness of NOS as an integral component of chemistry teaching is not being fully recognized in Germany.