Prof. Dr. Elsbeth Stern
Prof. Dr. Elsbeth Stern has been Professor of Empirical Research on Learning and Instruction and head of the Institute of Behavioral Sciences in the Department of Humanities, Social and Political Sciences at the ETH Zurich since autumn 2006. She is responsible for the pedagogical aspect of the ETH teacher training program. For the past 20 years, her work as a cognitive psychologist has focused on learning in science and mathematics.
After completing her doctorate at the University of Hamburg in 1986, Elsbeth Stern worked at the Max-Planck Institute for Psychological Research in Munich, and in 1994 became a professor at the University of Leipzig. In 1997, she moved to the Max-Planck Institute for Human Development in Berlin.
The focal point of her scientific work is the acquisition, change and use of knowledge. One of her main themes is how knowledge transfer can be improved through the use of visuospatial cognitive tools. She has also investigated the interaction between intelligence and knowledge through experimental and large-scale studies.
More than 100 of her essays have been published, many of which appear in high-ranking international journals. She is on the editorial board of a number of journals, including SCIENCE. Beyond scientific research, she is a well-known figure, giving interviews on current topics in education, including her criticism of the pseudo-science marketing of neuroscience.