Within the 7th European framework programme the project NETTS contributes to establishing an European networking of NOS-based science teacher training in order to improve science teacher training. NOS means Nature of Science. The basic topics of Nature of Science are the relation and relevance of science to cultural and societal development and the combat of stereotypical and unrealistic images of science and scientists. The topic NOS is connected to classroom science education as well as to science teacher education at university level. In classroom science education NOS is discussed as a measure to promote interest in science among young people and to promote realistic role models. Many studies show that pupils perceive school science as lacking relevance because of outdated and irrelevant curricula, often described as dull, authoritarian, abstract and theoretical. It leaves little room for enjoyment, curiosity and a search for personal meaning and significance. It often lacks a historical, cultural, societal dimension in short a human dimension, and it seldom treats the contemporary issues related to science and technology (Sjoberg 2002). It is also assumed that with improved understanding of science teachers improve their abilities to effectively promote interest in science among young people. Therefore science teacher education has to be revised in a NOS-based way. Our project will establish links between science teacher training (university level), research organisations/industry and young people (schools) as a learning environment for pre- and in-service teacher education in a NOS-based way. The underlying structure of the interventions is a triangle: University, schools and partners in science, industry or others. All participants of the network will establish alike structures according to their specific context. Future science teachers prepare learning environments for the schools in cooperation with the triangle partners. In sum we have to regard three aspects of teaching NOS: 1. The stereotypical images of science and scientists are discussed by science teacher educators under the topic NOS, which is outlined in its theoretical framework but not yet realized in science teacher training. 2. The predominant instructional manner of teaching in schools is rooted in the predominant instructional kind of teaching in university lectures (Wildt, 2003). 3. Since PISA we know about these deficits. Now science teacher educators discuss the relationship of content (input-orientation) and competence (output- orientation) in its relevance to render possible a meaningful learning by the students. The development of the participating student understanding of NOS is documented by suitable survey tools, which at the same time show an evaluation of the didactic concepts used at the individual university locations. Therefore there will exist a kit of practically-proved and evaluated concepts that can be used in teacher training for the teaching-learning field NOS in the European Union. Together with this, there will be given a sustainable platform in order to enhance the research on future teacher understanding of NOS under the aspects of sciences didactics and its meaning in an internationally relevant way. The survey tools used consist in an adaptation of methods and instruments like e.g. VNOS that have already been developed and tested in the Anglo-Saxon area of education. In this context the project NETTS benefits from the fact that the participating cooperation partners deal with the question of developing suitable tools for the survey of NOS (pre-) understanding of learners in their research on science didactics. In the focus of our research activities stands the testing of the reliability and validity of survey tools taken from the Anglo-Saxon area for the use in the German-speaking area and a conceptional development of „adequate“ survey tools.

Hence it is an aim of NETTS to improve students’ understanding of NOS by focussing on two relevant aspects. One of these aspects is cognitive orientated, methods of experiments, while the other is more affectively orientated, the personal relevance. Course material will be developed that asks students to actively engage in NOS topics. The design, development and evaluation of survey tools in order to understand students and pupils eistemological beliefs is another central aim of NETTS.