Prof. Dr. Katrin Vorhölter shapes mathematics education and sustainable education in a unique way: she combines interdisciplinary STEM knowledge with innovative teaching methods and promotes reflective modelling skills among students. At Technische Universität Braunschweig, one of the few universities where subject didactics are combined with other Educational Sciences in a single faculty, she finds ideal conditions for further developing her research together with experts from Mathematics, Education and the humanities.
“I have been very well received – both within the faculty and outside it. And this collaboration is simply what makes it so enjoyable.”
As a professor of mathematics education and co-spokesperson for the ISTRON group for funding real-world connections in mathematics education, Katrin Vorhölter anchors her work at the intersection of education, sustainability and subject integration. She researches didactic facets of mathematical modelling by investigating how students use their mathematical knowledge in both disciplinary and interdisciplinary contexts to independently understand complex issues of our time – such as the climate crisis, plant stress and infectious diseases and their containment – to find answers where possible, or to critically question media reports. In order to improve Mathematics teaching in the future, she analyses how tasks and materials on sustainability and STEM issues can be designed, how learners work on them, what obstacles and supporting factors play a role, and what skills instructors need to provide learners with appropriate support.
“What's fun is that you really feel like you can make a difference. Planning lessons that we think will help students progress. We ask them for feedback afterwards and let them have their say. We then try to draw conclusions from these results about how maths lessons should be structured in future.”
Beyond the university, Katrin Vorhölter is a sought-after expert in national and international committees on educational reform. She advises school networks on how children and young people can be best supported in the classroom, regardless of their individual performance levels. With her interdisciplinary perspective, she ensures that ecucational offerings at school meet the increasing demands on mathematical contexts and media literacy.
In addition to her interdisciplinary research focusing on sustainability and mathematical modelling, she is dedicated to the individual support of highly gifted children and young people. Her research and teaching give future instructors the opportunity to try out innovative models and actively shape the educational landscape of tomorrow. She is therefore particularly keen to continue the Mathematical Learning Workshop at the TU Braunschweig, which has been running for 25 years and offers funding and encouragement to children who are interested in and gifted in Mathematics, as well as children who have difficulties with arithmetic. In the coming years, she would like to supplement these offerings under the umbrella of the Matr:iks Teaching and Learning Laboratory with programmes that are also attended by entire school classes from the greater Braunschweig area. With her enthusiasm and passion, Professor Katrin Vorhölter makes a significant contribution to ensuring that mathematics lessons are not only practical and sustainable, but also enjoyable.
