Process orientated learning in small groups in chemistry education

International studies such as TIMSS and PISA suggest that changes in teaching are needed in Germany. Analyses of science lessons have shown that the students are weak in dealing with tasks on new contexts and tasks which require a restructuring of problem situations. In a preceding study Sumfleth and Wild ( Sumfleth & Wild 2001 ) pointed out that students working in small groups show a slightly higher increase in learning than students receiving whole-class teaching. But although the small groups show better results Sumfleth and Wild remark that the group work has many deficiencies. The goal of this project is to improve the group-work in order to generate higher learning outcomes. In a 2 * 2 -design there are two types of intervention; one type concerns the way students deal with mistakes, the other examines the structuring of the group-work. The study is implemented with 336, 7th grade students in seven secondary schools in Germany.