In Austria, there are numerous citizen science projects and initiatives in which people of all ages, including young people, can participate and contribute to research. Many projects can be easily integrated into lessons and address interdisciplinary topics. Some are even aimed directly at students. For example, in the annual “Citizen Science Award” research competition, which takes place throughout Austria from April to the end of July, school classes, as well as families, individuals, and youth groups, can participate in research and win prizes for their dedicated involvement in selected projects. However, citizen science is more than just a research approach. As an educational and teaching tool, it offers significant added value for both students and teachers. Students benefit from active learning and engaging with scientific work and research processes. This helps them develop skills such as critical thinking and experience self-efficacy. For teachers, citizen science projects offer an opportunity to interactively integrate science and research into their lessons and to exchange ideas with researchers in their own fields of interest and expertise. But how can citizen science projects be implemented in schools?
This teacher training, offered annually online by the "Citizen Science in/with Schools" working group, will demonstrate what citizen science is and how projects from various disciplines can be integrated into the classroom. Participants will also learn about current projects and, using concrete examples, explore how collaborative research can be successfully implemented in their own teaching across different subjects and formats.
The workshop will take place online on November 19, 2026, from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. and is open to teachers of all subjects and school types. Registration via the University College of Teacher Education Vienna is possible between August 14 and September 14.
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