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Educational democratic (ED) values and their manifestation in school are related to the school context and the socio-political-cultural setting. In-depth interviews were conducted with nine participants, including two principals, four teachers, and three students in two secondary schools in Da Nang city, Central Vietnam. The participants indicated sixteen ED values, either instrumental (e.g., friendliness, autonomy) or terminal (e.g., fairness, equality). These ED values can be recognized in both formal and informal school spaces. The findings shed light on the Vietnamese stakeholders’ views on ED values, their manifestation, and their contribution to the democratic school, which could be a premise for further exploring stakeholders’ democratic commitment in the Vietnamese educational context.

Process evaluations of peer education on the topic of sexuality and relationships pay little attention to the activities implemented by peer educators. Process evaluation with other target groups indicate clusters of activities that refer to educator skills, offering a safe place to learn, and efforts to change attitudes. An overarching factor named life experiences influences how peer educators implement activities. In this study, a peer education for social acceptance of LGBT was created and implemented in pre-vocational secondary schools. Students trained as peer educators implemented peer education, and after the implementation, they were interviewed about their activities. Sharing the coming-out story appeared to play a central role in the peer education intervention and its perceived outcomes.

Teaching with Scrum methodology includes ceremonies, roles and artefacts supporting students in planning, monitoring and directing their learning process. It scafolds students’ learning in complex and sometimes overwhelming context-based learning environments. Efects of the implementation on both students’ learning outcomes and self-reported perceptions of six afective and metacognitive outcomes were investigated. Six teachers implemented Scrum methodology in a context-based secondary chemistry module on Green Chemistry. Their classes formed the experimental group. Based on how students experienced the quality of the implementation, teachers of the experimental group were subdivided into top-teachers and growth-teachers. Consequently, their students formed two sub-experimental groups. The comparison group, which did not use Scrum methodology, consisted of students taught by four teachers. A pre-test post-test control group design was used to study its efect on students’ achievements and self-reported afective and metacognitive outcomes. Students of both experimental groups outperformed students of the comparison group with a large efect-size (top-teachers); and medium efect-size (growthteachers) on learning outcomes. Findings on students’ perceptions of afective and metacognitive outcomes revealed medium and small efects of Scrum methodology. Despite the fact that the implementation is challenging for teachers, it appears that Scrum methodology has positive efects on students’ achievement and on students’ perceptions of afective and metacognitive dimensions of their learning.

Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) platforms capture the digital traces of millions of learners and generate an avalanche of “numbers” on learner behavior in MOOCs. Yet little is known about the dynamics through which MOOCs can support individual learning as the cognitive and social constituents of this complex process and their interplay within this process do not clearly surface in this large mass of “numbers”. This study analyzed the content generated by learners in a MOOC discussion forum with a particular focus on the still under-explored cognitive dimension of learning in MOOCs and demonstrated how certain levels of cognitive engagement relate to learning. It further examined the interplay between the cognitive and social aspects, revealing the moderating role of the social aspect in the association between the lowest level of cognitive engagement and learning in a MOOC environment. The study concludes with discussing the theoretical and practical implications of the findings and with highlighting the need to consider the interdependencies between the cognitive and social variables and learning when designing and evaluating MOOCs.

The way at-risk students see themselves as workers, their vocational identity, is important for their career development. Special programs for heterogeneous groups of at-risk students in the Netherlands aim to foster students' vocational identity and their task may be eased by stimulating resilience. Therefore this cross-sectional study explored whether differences in at-risk students' individual characteristics moderate the relationship between their resilience and vocational identity. In general, resilient students often have strong vocational identities compared to less resilient students. However, the strength of the relationships vary with varying personal characteristics. Results enable educational programs to attune to at-risk students with the strongest relationships between resilience and vocational identity: males, younger subgroups, and those experiencing less motivation and low school engagement.

Relational thinking in geography is often complex, due to the interdisciplinary character of the subject and the many relationships between human and natural systems. We explored the strategies of twelve small groups of students in upper secondary education in the Netherlands as they attempted to understand a regional problem presented as a mystery. Four different relating strategies were found. The six low-performing groups on the mystery assignment employed different relating strategies from the six high-performing groups, who primarily used a webbing strategy. The findings suggest that a webbing strategy, focused on the establishment of multi-causal relationships, is more successful in tackling complex assignments in geography such as understanding regional problems.

This systematic review on massive open online courses (MOOCs) in higher education examinedthe research on the assessment of learning outcomes based on 65 peer-reviewed articles publishedbetween 2017 and 2019. This study aims to investigate the learning outcomes, related instruments,and assessment characteristics of these instruments in MOOCs. Learning outcomes thatwere examined in the studies that were reviewed concerned cognitive, behavioral, and affectivelearning outcomes. Twenty-five types of assessment approaches were employed to examine theseoutcomes and to identify the assessment characteristics. The results indicate that a considerationof the assessment of learning outcomes at the beginning of course design could support theformulation of explicit assessment goals and, in this way, instruct learners to work towardlearning outcomes. A combination of knowledge tests and skill tasks can be used to examinecognitive outcomes in a particular MOOC. Outcome-oriented feedback rubrics are beneficial tosupport learner essay performance and interpretations of the utilization of rubrics could betterguide providers to give peer feedback. A variety of behavioral and affective outcomes reflectmultiple aspects of participant learning in MOOCs, which might contribute to better understandingby teachers and the provision of learning support. Furthermore, assessment tasksthroughout the course may differ in difficulty and complexity, which could align with differentlevels of learner motivation. The findings provide a holistic picture of learning outcomes andrelated assessment instruments in current MOOCs. Curriculum designers and teachers couldbenefit from this study to consider appropriate learning outcome variables and instruments toapply in their MOOC practices. Future research might investigate the motivation of learners toparticipate in a MOOC and how this changes during a MOOC. This could help MOOC designersand teachers to align how learners are motivated, what they want to learn, and what they actuallydo learn.

Research indicates that knowledge sharing promotes teacher professional learning opportunities and development. However, it is yet to be known what motivates teachers in rural schools in sharing their knowledge as they may face more challenges than teachers in urban areas when sharing. This study examined factors explaining rural teachers' sharing behavior regarding digital educational resources, both within and outside school, as posited by combining motivation theory and the integrative model of behavior prediction. Self-reported questionnaires from 709 rural teachers were collected and analyzed employing the Structural Equation Modeling. Different motivational factors were found to be related to sharing behavior within school and outside school. More specifically, internal motivation was positively and external motivation was negatively related to sharing behavior in both contexts. Moreover, sharing intention and sharing climate significantly explained teachers' sharing behavior, but only outside school. A mediation analysis using a bias-corrected bootstrapping method revealed that the effect of internal motivation on sharing intention within school was mediated through self-efficacy and attitudes whereas the effect of external motivation on sharing intention outside school was only mediated by attitudes. These findings contribute to a better understanding of how to support teachers’ sharing behavior in different contexts.

This study addresses the nature and level of school student participation at various stages of participatory action research conducted by pre-service teachers (PSTs). PSTs’ research reports were analyzed by means of the SPinSTAR matrix, in which four levels of student participation were distinguished: Inform, Consult, Participate and Collaborate. Results show that student participation in PST research occurred mostly at the less intensive levels (Inform, Consult). Furthermore, they participated mostly in the preparatory stages of the research projects. However, most PSTs came to see their school students in a broader sense as worthwhile partners in an educational endeavor.

Novice–expert interaction plays an important role in teacher professional development for Chinese vocational education and training (VET). Both Chinese and international research shows that expert-teachers’ support is associated with the improvement of novice-teachers’ teaching. However, insights into how exactly novice teachers learn with the help of expert teachers are lacking. The learning processes of four novice VET teachers were explored in the context of a professional development project. Data were collected by semi-structured interviews with novice teachers and recordings of novice–expert interactions. A learning model was constructed based on the interconnected model of professional growth. The results showed that novice teachers internalised comments from expert teachers by active reflection and practice. Moreover, this study suggests that teachers’ professional development is a complicated long-term process, and that during their development the support from expert teachers is an important external source for novice-teachers. Expert-teachers’ support not only provides feedback and suggestions for alternative teaching methods, but also encourages and maintains novice-teachers’ learning. The results are discussed in relation to the cultural (Chinese) and educational context (VET)

Teacher collaboration in secondary schools can form a fruitful context for teacher professional learning. The aim of this study is to understand collaboration in teacher groups given their teacher characteristics and school context. Using a cross case design, we study different teacher groups in multiple contexts. The findings confirm results of other studies on teacher collaboration, which argue that short-term collaboration initiatives are depending on the prior existence of collaborative cultures. Deprivatisation of practice provides opportunities to support professional learning in teacher groups, although more support is needed, especially when this is new to teachers.

Context-based science courses stimulate students to reconstruct the information presented by connecting to their prior knowledge and experiences. However, students need support. Formative assessments inform both teacher and students about students’ knowledge deficiencies and misconceptions and how students can be supported. Research on formative assessments suggests a positive impact on students’ science achievement, although its success depends on how the formative assessment is implemented in class. The aim of this study was to provide insights into the effects of formative assessments on achievement during a context-based chemistry course on lactic acid. In a classroom action research setting, a pre-test/post-test control group design with switching replications was applied. Student achievement was measured in two pre-tests, two post-tests and a retention test. Participants were Grade 9 students from one secondary school in the Netherlands. Repeated-measures analysis showed a significant effect of formative assessments on students’ achievement. During the implementation of the formative assessments, intriguing discussions emerged between students, between students and teacher, and between teachers. Adding formative assessments to context-based approaches reinforces their strength to meet with the current challenges of chemistry education. Formative assessments affect students’ achievement positively and stimulate feedback between students and teacher(s).

In various policy actions of the Dutch government, an assumption is made that teachers who had carried out a master thesis are able to generate knowledge and stimulate knowledge utilization in schools (Ministerie van OCW, 2013). Yet evidence of positive effects of teacher research, either as part of a master’s program or carried out by inservice teachers is minimal and somewhat ambiguous. The current study aims to answer the following research questions: How is teacher research evaluated with respect to the professional development as teacher?How is teacher research evaluated with respect to knowledge utilization in schools?

The current presentation addresses characteristics of the TE program, PSTs learning outcomes, and enabling and constraining factors in the development and enactment of PAR. Research questions:What are the characteristics of a TE program aimed at preparing PSTs for conducting PAR with school students, and fostering school student participation in educational decision-making?What learning processes of PSTs towards school student participation are supported through the TE program?What factors enable or constrain attaining the goals of the PAR initiative?

In recent years, a surging uptake of content and language integrated learning (CLIL) has permeated the European context. This article presents the outcomes of a study about the self-reported pedagogical practices of CLIL teachers in the Netherlands. To investigate these teachers’ pedagogies, a questionnaire was designed, validated and, subsequently completed by 297 teachers (218 CLIL teachers and 79 regular teachers) from secondary schools across the Netherlands. This allowed a detailed investigation of the nature and range of pedagogies of CLIL teachers as well as differences between CLIL teachers of different subject disciplines. The results of the CLIL teachers were compared to a sample of regular teachers. Three main findings emerged from the study. First, CLIL teachers report using more pedagogical approaches focusing on providing students with diverse input and scaffolding than approaches focusing on developing students’ language and their knowledge of disciplinary literacies. Second, the subject discipline of a CLIL teacher seems to influence the pedagogical approaches they report using. Third, there is a notable difference between the kinds of pedagogies reported by CLIL teachers and their regular counterparts.

Previous research showed that students can perform better with teachers of the same gender. It is often suggested that effects of student-teacher gender congruence on students’ performance can be explained through the role of gender stereotypes. However, empirical tests of these mechanisms are rare and solely situated in the ‘females in math’ context. As a result, still little is known about where, when and how effects of student-teacher gender congruence occur. In response, the main aim of this dissertation was to receive a better understanding of the role of students’ and teachers’ gender and gender stereotypes in student performance in secondary education in The Netherlands. This dissertation shows that student and teacher gender are related to student performance and that gender stereotypes are an important part of the puzzle that explains the role of gender in secondary education. However, context matters: student and teacher gender do not always relate to student performance and when they do the magnitude and direction of the associations can vary in different contexts.

Work placement as a professional development programme for vocational teachers has been widely implemented. This dissertation provides insight into vocational teachers’ learning process in this programme within Chinese vocational education.Specifically, the first study generalised vocational teachers’ learning activities and outcomes in all various contexts with a systematic literature review, four categories of learning activities and eight types of learning outcomes were summarised. Then, the second study focused on vocational teachers’ motivational beliefs and engagement toward work placement. A quantitative analysis of questionnaire data displayed a significant relationship between them. Next, the third study utilised interviews to investigate vocational teachers’ learning activities, goals, and outcomes during work placement. The findings showed that vocational teachers employed seven categories of formal and informal activities in this programme and obtained many benefits about cognition, behaviour, emotion, and institution. The fourth and fifth studies both examined factors influencing vocational teachers’ transfer of learning from work placement to school practice. There were three categories of factors captured.The findings mentioned above contribute to a comprehensive understanding of vocational teachers’ professional learning in work placement. This will inspire policymakers, school leaders, and vocational teachers themselves to consider how to promote their learning in this programme.

The Vietnamese education system before 2013 struggled with many emerging issues, including achievement obsession, inflexible teaching strategies, student passivity, and cumbersome and lacking practice curriculum (see Le et al., 2022). Against that background, a comprehensive educational reform was initiated in 2013, emphasising students’ social and emotional learning and civic learning (Le et al., 2022). Vietnamese educational policymakers believe that promoting a democratic school environment would benefit students’ civic learning by empowering them to engage deeply in school decision-making (CPV, 2013; Ngo, 2015). Hence, the latest Education Reform in Vietnam focuses on promoting democracy in education which aims to make democratic acts of stakeholders (i.e., school leaders, teachers, students, and parents) feasible. The grassroots democracy regulation in Vietnamese schools requires decision-making based on consensus and deliberation of stakeholders (MOET, 2020). Thereby, the voice and leadership spirit of teachers and students in school affairs have been encouraged (Truong & Hallinger, 2017). Vietnam Ministry of Education and Training- MOET considers promoting a democratic learning environment as a fundamental mission in the latest educational reform in Vietnam. Yet, the policymakers still seem to squirm: what does a democratic school look like? How do we promote a democratic learning environment at the grassroots? As Gutmann (1987) has argued, democratic acts only occur when citizens can conceive the nature of the democracy they commit and pursue. However, the stakeholders in Vietnam have not been equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills to implement and reach democratic commitment in their schools (Mai & Hall, 2017; Thanh, 2017). Therefore, having insights into stakeholders’ democratic beliefs and democratic practices is essential to sketch and adjust the current education strategy of democratisation education in Vietnam. This dissertation aims to provide a critical view of Vietnamese secondary school stakeholders’ awareness of democratic education regarding the core educational democratic values and democratic acts within either the ‘physical’ or digital learning environment.

MOOCs are large-scale (Massive), Open to all, Online Courses. As universities invested substantially in MOOCs, (re)use in campus education manifested.In MOOC integration, it is currently unclear how to design for high-quality teaching and learning. We questioned: 'What do medical MOOCs offer for integration into campus education?' (H2 and H3); ‘What does creating and integrating a MOOC entail?’ (H4 and H5); and 'How can learning in integrated MOOCs be supported?' (H6, H7 and H8). For high-quality teaching we conclude: (1) Medical MOOCs offer numerous opportunities for integration, including high-quality, innovative options; (2) Medical MOOCs do not share one profile for teaching modes or quality principles, and each MOOC should be examined; and (3) the practice of MOOC integration is not a simple process and requires time, several steps and specific knowledge. For high-quality learning we conclude: (1) Monitoring motivation and self-regulated learning is essential for support, and personalized motivation support can be linked to integration designs; (2) Trust in the teacher is important for students, and can be the key to promote motivation; and (3) Learning goal acceptance can bridge the gap between the desire to allow students to set personal goals and the practical preference to assign learning goals.

This thesis asked the research question of how a peer educator intervention about LGBT peers can impact the social acceptance of LGBT people among students in pre-vocational secondary education. It answered the question by conducting two studies about the intervention’s impact on attitudes towards LGB people and its impact on reflections about democratic acting and the relationship between these two concepts. Furthermore, it used process evaluations with peer educators and students to shed light on which activities and content most influence students' attitudes towards LGBT people. Although there were often small or no effects on the relationships between reflections on citizenship and attitudes towards LGB people, the process evaluations show that a peer educator intervention creates conditions of openness and safety. Thus, students feel free to exchange opinions about a contested topic similar to how they would in daily life. Students find this a good way to become aware of their attitudes towards LGBT people and learn new information on an intimate subject.

The aim of this thesis was to develop and evaluate a Ecological Professional Development Model to support preservice biology teachers to direct their own subject-specific ecological professional development route. Various characteristics of the model were tested in isolation and in combination and an ecological approach to agency that could theoretically substantiate these characteristics was further developed.

This dissertation intended to examine how the multidimensionality of learner–learner interaction data and the multifacetedness of learner–learner interaction itself impact the measurement of learner–learner interaction in digital learning environments. The studies reported in this dissertation demonstrate that, on the one hand, the impact is reflected in the degree of variability with which learner–learner interaction is measured in research. The variability is determined both by the variety of the types of data on learner–learner interaction and by the variety of approaches that can be taken to the measurement of learner–learner interaction based on the different types of data. On the other hand, the impact is reflected in the intricacy with which the different aspects of learner–learner interaction, captured by the different approaches to the measurement of learner–learner interaction, interdepend in learning in digital learning environments. The studies, presented in this dissertation, taken collectively fulfil the triple function of (a) refining our understanding of learner–learner interaction; (b) guiding and improving our interpretation of research findings on learner–learner interaction; and (c) providing guidance and pointers for research and practice, together with identifying the potential pitfalls in researching learner–learner interaction.

Contemporary professional music performance and teaching practices demand the ability to engage in a variety of collaborative settings with a broad range of competencies and skills. According to various studies, offering a wider variety of pedagogical approaches and implementing collaborative learning activities in conservatoire education would be beneficial for students' preparation for their prospective careers. However, collaborative learning has not yet been broadly and widely implemented in conservatories around the world. The aim of this research project was to increase understanding of which collaborative learning approaches already exist, and how implementation of collaborative learning could be supported. Four studies were conducted, including students, teachers, and leaders as stakeholders. Collaborative learning was found to support experiences and feelings of trust, safeness, friendship, and reinforced the development of collaborative and metacognitive skills. Also, learning activities and content of lessons appeared to be suitable for implementation of collaborative learning. A purposeful design of lessons is necessary, including a change to a student-centred learning environment. Yet, aspects of culture and tradition sustaining teacher-centred approaches, were found to hinder the process of implementing collaborative learning. Better connections to professional practice and society require a paradigm shift in teaching and learning in conservatoire education.

Strengthening the societal position of at-risk youth is challenging though necessary in order to create better opportunities for them to participate in society. Work is an important means to that end, enabling young people to live independently. Work also plays a role in the psychological need to express your vocational identity: who you are as a worker. Having a vocational identity means that you are aware of your capabilities, ambitions and values concerning work. A strong vocational identity helps to make choices and acts as a guide throughout working life. At-risk youth have vulnerable school careers and are at risk of dropping out. They attend programs at a low educational level and are at greater risk of unemployment. A strong vocational identity may counterbalance these risks as it can ensure these young people to learn about the work they could and want to do, and can provide for better work prospects. Special curricula and social programs for at-risk youth seek approaches to fostering vocational identity. This dissertation focuses on the relationships between individual characteristics of at-risk youth and their vocational identity, concentrates on the possible contribution of malleable characteristics, and provides insights into the treatment by mentors during individual mentoring.

In various types of teacher professional development (TPD) programmes, peer feedback is commonly used as an effective learning activity for teachers, because it can provide valuable learning resources and triggers participants’ reflection and behaviour change. However, previous studies usually focus on the entire TPD programmes, instead of studying teacher peer feedback specifically. This dissertation set out to provide both an integrated framework for the practices of teacher peer feedback and an in-depth understanding of teacher peer feedback in the Chinese vocational education context. In total, five studies are included in the dissertation. The first study is a literature review that aims at modelling the implementation of peer feedback and providing fundamental information for future studies. The next four empirical studies are conducted in the Chinese VET context, and they separately focus on the effect of a peer feedback-based programme, teachers’ learning mechanisms through peer feedback, participants’ evaluations on feedback, and the characteristics of expert feedback.

As physician-scientists are able to connect research and practice, they are important to make advancements within medicine. Currently, the medical field is facing a physician-scientist shortage. Promoting student research engagement could be the solution. Following the need to identify how medical training could contribute to developing future physician-scientists, the general aim of this thesis was to provide insights into the impact early phases of medical training may have on cultivating physician-scientists, by elaborating on the role of motivation for research and extracurricular research programmes. By conducting quantitative and qualitative research, we showed that medical students are motivated for research at the start of medical school and that intrinsic motivation for research is related to actual research involvement. Furthermore, factors contributing to intrinsic motivation for research were identified: research self-efficacy beliefs, positive perceptions of research, curiosity, need for challenge, authentic research experiences, feelings of autonomy and relatedness, feelings of relevance or personal meaning, inspiring role models, and extracurricular research programme participation. Previous studies suggested that student research involvement is related to research involvement in professional practice. This thesis therefore emphasizes that first steps to cultivate physician-scientists could be made early on in medical school – ‘future physician-scientists: let’s catch them young!’

The current dissertation presents a review study and three empirical studies, focusing on the understanding of the state of the art of research about PjBL in higher education and the investigation of the relation between PjBL and student outcomes in the context of Chinese higher education. Insights into the design and the implementation of PjBL curricula and their potential impact on student learning are informative for a broad array of higher education teachers and educational advisors.

Despite the value of technology integration for educational equity and quality being emphasized by numerous studies, many gaps exist about how technology integration can be approached in policy plans, implemented in pedagogical practices, and embraced by teachers, students, and parents. In the current dissertation, the focus is on teachers’ pedagogical practices with technology in primary and secondary education, contributing to a more detailed understanding of what happens to integrate technology into the teaching and learning processes. Given this goal, we examined the different teaching and technology practices considering the concerted efforts of various stakeholders at different levels and contexts. Five studies were performed on: (1) an overview of the link between local information and communications technology (ICT) policy plans and the ICT practices of rural schools; (2) rural teachers’ use of digital educational resources aimed at promoting digital equity and education for all; (3) rural teachers’ sharing of digital educational resources aimed at promoting teacher professional learning opportunities and development; (4) (a meta-analysis on) the effectiveness of various mobile technology usage on learning outcomes in primary and secondary education; (5) the relationships among teacher beliefs, classroom process quality, and student engagement in smart classroom learning environments in secondary education.

This dissertation focuses on teacher professional learning and collaboration in secondary schools. Collegial collaboration is a widely acknowledged learning environment for teachers, in both research and policy, and collaborative initiatives are purposefully organized in secondary schools. Yet, insights into the context-dependent nature of teacher collaboration and the relation between collaboration and learning are lacking. Four studies were conducted, including one literature study, one large-scale questionnaire study and two multiple case studies, both cross-sectional and longitudinal. Together, the studies provide insights into how teachers collaborate, what factors influence collaboration, and how collaboration supports teacher learning. The results of this dissertation point to one school factor that has a direct and long-term effect: The integration of learning and collaboration initiatives by actively promoting, coordinating, and facilitating them in school. This dissertation furthermore shows how the course and the learning potential of short-term collaboration initiatives depend on the existence of a collaborative school culture. Collective reflection on teaching and student learning, design of lessons, and experimentation promote teacher learning, but adequate support is essential. Lastly, this dissertation indicates that challenging each other in dialogues is promising, although teachers’ continuity in participation and shared leadership in the group seem decisive in promoting teacher learning.

The SpeakTeach method, Towards self-regulated learning of speaking skills in foreign languages in secondary schools: an adaptive and practical approach De SpeakTeach didactiek, Naar zelfregulerend leren bij spreek- en gespreksvaardigheid in moderne vreemde talen in het voortgezet onderwijs: een adaptieve en praktische aanpak

The number of transnational students is quite substantial in Oman. In the Gulf Region, it is common to recruit non-Anglophone expatriate staff to teach on these programmes while they rarely have prior experience in a Western university. In Oman, expatriate academics form a considerable majority of the teaching staff in transnational education (TNE). This means that for practically all of them the environment in which they teach is academically, culturally and sometimes also linguistically new to them. The same holds for the students as the vast majority come from the local government schools where Arabic is the medium of instruction in both primary and secondary school, and the British academic system is new to them.This raises the questions of how a TNE teaching and learning environment can be created that is in line with the expectations of the British programmes so that students can succeed academically, and secondly, how academics who teach on these programmes can be supported in their professional practice towards creating such an environment. The study took a holistic approach by investigating this environment from the points of view of an observer, the teachers and the students, and considered how these different perspectives informed a long-term continuing professional development (CPD) programme.

This thesis explored the question whether Scrum methodology might function as an appropriate scaffold to enhance students’ learning and to support teachers in context-based secondary chemistry education. Context-based approaches have been designed and implemented to address several problems, including passive involvement of students and perceived irrelevance of chemistry.Scrum methodology is a project management framework which consists of specific ceremonies and artefacts to monitor the workflow of complex projects in businesses and industries.The Scrum characteristics were adjusted to the specific situation of a context-based learning environment. Five studies were conducted to reveal its impact on students’ learning as well as on teachers’ teaching. The results show that students participating in Scrum classes outperformed students participating in the control condition with regard to both cognitive and metacognitive learning outcomes. Moreover, the impact of Scrum methodology on students’ learning increased when teachers were able to apply a rich repertoire of didactical and pedagogical expertise, indicating that the role of a teacher remains invaluable.The findings provide evidence that the implementation of a project-management framework in an educational context scaffolds and strengthens students in their learning process, which in turn is beneficial for learning outcomes.