Miriam Leuchter

Prof. Dr. Miriam Leuchter is Professor of Primary-School Education with a focus on general science education at the University of Koblenz-Landau, Landau campus, where she also serves as head of the department. She enjoys the diversity of her role, which encompasses research, teaching and administration.

Education:

• 2009 – Doctorate in Educational Psychology, University of Zurich (Faculty of Philosophy)
• 2002 – Licentiate in Educational Psychology
• Earlier training – Kindergarten teacher in Switzerland and Sweden

Research Interests:

Her research agenda centres on primary science education and educational psychology. She investigates how young children learn scientific concepts, the cognitive processes of teachers when planning and reflecting on instruction, and how theory-driven didactics can be linked to authentic classroom practice. A signature feature of her work is bringing children into university seminars so that pre-service teachers can test theory-based micro-lessons in a controlled yet realistic setting.

Current projects & funding:

She currently leads six concurrent third-party funded research projects and is actively preparing new grant proposals. These projects typically involve collaborations with kindergartens and primary schools across the region.

Teaching load:

She teaches approximately nine semester hours per week, integrating empirical findings directly into her courses—often with 45 students per seminar.

Career trajectory:

• 2002–2009 – Lecturer, PH Central Switzerland (PHZ Schwyz & Lucerne)
• 2011–? – Professor of Early Science Education, University of Münster
• Present – Professor & Head of Department, University of Koblenz-Landau

Collaborations:

Long-standing collaborations include colleagues such as Henrik Saalbach (University of Leipzig) and Ilonca Hardy (University of Frankfurt), with whom she began empirical studies on kindergarten children’s understanding of floating and sinking while still based in Switzerland.

Advice culture:

She emphasizes the importance of supportive professional networks, genuine enjoyment of research and teaching, and periodically stretching one’s perceived boundaries.