Research Projects in Geography Education

Current projects

  • Low-Emission-Schools in Northern Germany (LESSCO2)
    This research project, which takes place over the course of three years in Lower Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein, is being conducted by Leibniz University’s Institute for Science Education (IDN) along with Kiel University’s (CAU) Geographical Institute and the Institut für Vernetztes Denken Bredeneek (IfVD Bredeneek). It is funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) within the framework of the National Climate Initiative (NKI). In line with Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and its Whole-School-Approach, the project aims to transfer knowledge about sustainability into everyday sustainable actions by implementing project weeks in northern German schools. Connecting practical experiences to key ESD issues and fostering democracy education is expected to support the development of low-emission-schools. To enable teacher candidates to implement the respective project weeks, blended learning-training modules are developed, tested and optimised. Within the project’s duration, 480 teacher candidates are supposed to implement 240 project weeks in 240 schools (grade 8 - 11) in Lower Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein.
    Led by: Prof. Dr. Christiane Meyer
    Team: Merle Biermann, Lara Brede
    Year: 2021
    Funding: Nationale Klimaschutzinitiative (NKI) des Bundesministeriums für Wirtschaft und Klimaschutz
    Duration: 2021 - 07/2025
  • Societal Transformation in a Digital Society – Raising Awareness for the Participation in a Sustainable and Inclusive Mobility Transition
    This project is a cooperation between the Institute for Science Education and the Institute of Economic and Cultural Geography. The sub-project at IDN will consider with multipliers in the education sector and with young people how a development and use of mobility apps can be realised in an inclusive and sustainable way.
    Led by: Prof. Dr. Christiane Meyer (IDN) and Dr. Kerstin Schäfer (Institut für Wirtschafts- und Kulturgeographie)
    Team: Jonas Koch (IDN), Tomke van Hove (IDN) and Dmitry Boyko (IWKG)
    Year: 2021
    Funding: Ministry for Science and Culture of Lower Saxony (MWK)
    Duration: 2021-2024
  • Responsibility, Networking, Trust – Future Discourses to achieve the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals with participation of “Agents for Future”
    Four panel discussions in fall/winter 2020/2021 will address the local implementation of the Agenda 2030 with its 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Every future discussion is thereby considering the transformation of our world from a different point of view.
    Led by: Prof. Dr. Christiane Meyer
    Team: Lydia Heilen, Randy Haubner, Stephanie Mittrach, Dr. Andreas Eberth
    Year: 2020
    Funding: Ministry for Science and Culture of Lower Saxony (MWK)
    Duration: 05/2020-07/2021
  • Virtual learning environments – teacher training in 360°
    In this project lecturers of the IDN will be prepared and equipped for using virtual reality in seminars for teacher education. For this, learning materials will be developed, tested and reflected upon.
    Led by: Dr. Sabine Struckmeier, Dr. Alexander Büssing, Stephanie Mittrach
    Team: Frederik Rösch
    Year: 2020
    Funding: Leibniz School of Education, Leibniz University Hannover (SQM)
    Duration: 4/2020-9/2021
    [Translate to English:] Frau mit VR-Brille [Translate to English:] Frau mit VR-Brille
  • “Change instead of Growth” – The Sustainable Development Goals and Post-growth Economies from the Perspective of Young People in the Context of a Socio-Ecological Transformation
    As part of this research project, the perspectives of young people on the Sustainable Development Goals and Post-growth Economies are surveyed using a standardised online questionnaire and focus group discussions. Visits with the young people to so-called pioneers of change are carried out as participatory as possible in the sense of enquiry-based learning.
    Led by: Prof. Dr. Christiane Meyer
    Team: Dr. Andreas Eberth, Lydia Heilen
    Year: 2019
    Funding: Ministry for Science and Culture of Lower Saxony (MWK)
    Duration: 2019-2022
  • Reflexive Methods in the Context of Spatial Analyses and Transformative Education
    Reflexive methods, e.g. reflexive photography, storytelling, meta reflections combined with video vignettes, shall close the mind behavior gap, which can rather be described as a mind perception gap, in all phases of the teacher training by increasing self-awareness through a sensitization to spatial perception and constructions and by making the students aware of unconscious behavior patterns as a contribution to transformative education.
    Led by: Prof. Dr. Christiane Meyer
    Team: Sabine Vogelsang
    Year: 2019
    Funding: Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)
    Duration: 2019-2022
  • Development of a teaching concept in the teacher-building master programme for the subject of social studies as a joint subject of geography, history, politics at comprehensive schools
    As part of this two-year project, lecturers in geography education, history education and political education work together to develop, evaluate and implement a training program at Leibniz Universität Hannover for the joint subject of social studies at comprehensive schools.
    Led by: Prof. Dr. Christiane Meyer, Prof. Dr. Dirk Lange, Prof. Dr. Meik Zülsdorf-Kersting
    Team: Dr. Andreas Eberth, Theresa Bechtel, Friedrich Huneke
    Year: 2019
    Funding: Leibniz School of Education (Studienqualitätsmittel)
    Duration: 04/2019 - 03/2021
  • Global Change in the Context of Education for Sustainable Development – Lesson Models and Educational Offers for (prospective) Teachers aiming at Raising Awareness for Societal and Spatial Transformation
    The goal of the state initiative is to develop educational materials as well as training offers for raising awareness for a societal and spatial transformation in the context of global change. For this, linking all three phases of teacher education is paramount.
    Led by: Prof. Dr. Christiane Meyer, Dr. Andreas Eberth
    Team: Stephanie Mittrach
    Year: 2018
    Funding: Engagement Global gGmbH mit Mitteln des Bundesministeriums für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (BMZ)
    Duration: 2018-2021

Completed projects