"What fascinates me about chemistry is getting to the bottom of phenomena and processes, and ultimately feeling that I understand the world around me a little better. My goal as a chemistry teacher is to create stimulating and innovative teaching-learning environments in order to awaken this fascination and this feeling in others."
Elisabeth Hofer studied chemistry and mathematics at the University of Graz and then taught chemistry, mathematics, scientific work and preparation for scientific work at various schools in Styria. At the same time, she worked as a university assistant at the Austrian Competence Center for Chemistry Education (AECC Chemie) at the University of Vienna, where she received her Ph.D. in 2020. Her dissertation focused on the implementation of aspects of inquiry-based learning in upper secondary chemistry education.
"My dissertation project and the exchange with colleagues sparked my enthusiasm for research: asking new didactic questions in chemistry, systematically investigating and further developing teaching practice, and always thinking a bit beyond the boundaries of current teaching reality."
After completing her Ph.D., Elisabeth Hofer worked as a research assistant and later as a deputy professor of science education at the Institute for Sustainable Chemistry at Leuphana University of Lüneburg. Her research focuses on how chemistry education can be designed to prepare students for the complex challenges of the 21st century while enabling all students to participate in subject-related teaching and learning processes. She is particularly interested in the close connection between the theory and practice of teaching chemistry, which is reflected in her intensive work with school classes, students and teachers.
Elisabeth Hofer started as Professor of Didactics of Chemistry and Head of the Didactics Institute at the Faculty of Chemistry in April 2025. She is particularly committed to the Vienna Teaching and Learning Laboratory (WiL2La), where students can gain exciting insights into the world of chemistry and its careers, and where they can test and reflect on their chemical didactic knowledge and skills in authentic teaching and learning situations. WiL2La is also intended to act as a mediator between science, science education and schools. By preparing current research topics for students of different age groups, chemistry-specific ways of thinking and working can be understood and scientific findings can be made accessible to a wider public.
