Sie leiten eine Schule? Sind Lehrperson oder Schüler:in? Perfekt! Im Detail würde das Projekt Youth Interests Austria an ihrem Standort folgendermaßen ablaufen. Zunächst wählen Sie eine Klasse/Gruppe aus ihrer Schule aus, die mit dem Projektteam von MatheConnect zusammenarbeitet. Darauf folgend zwei Termine:

1. Die ausgewählte Klasse/Gruppe nimmt an einem online Workshop teil. Hierbei steht im Fokus, um was es in der Erhebung gehen sollte und wie solche Aufgaben in späterer Folge für den Mathematikunterricht aussehen werden.
2. Das Team von MatheConnect kommt an den Schulstandort und erhebt gemeinsam mit einer Klasse die Interessen ihrer Schulkolleg:innen.

Sie haben Interesse und wollen sich gerne mit Ihrer Schule teilnehmen, dann melden Sie sich bei uns. Voraussetzung ist, dass ihre Schule Schüler:innen hat, die mindestens die 10. Schulstufe besuchen. Wir freuen uns auf Ihre Bewerbung. E-Mails bitte an: matheconnect@aau.at oder sandra.wieser@aau.at

The entire project team is delighted to receive this award and would like to express its sincere thanks to the dedicated students—without their cooperation, this project and this recognition would not have been possible.

With renewed motivation, we are now embarking on the next phase of the project. We are looking forward to an exciting school year, working with the students, and many interesting research results!

The international jury praised the project with the following statement:
„The project is student-driven, with learners acting as citizen scientists to explore, design, and evaluate interdisciplinary learning materials for mathematics education. The materials meet curriculum standards while reflecting students’ own interests. The jury especially appreciated the active involvement of key actors—particularly the students themselves—and the strong alignment between educators, researchers, and learners. Mathematics and education have rarely been the focus of citizen science, making this well-executed project a particularly welcome development.“

This recognition underscores MatheConnect's innovative strength and the relevance of citizen science in education.

You can find more information about our prize and the other winners here.

The research team is currently reviewing all of this data and is overwhelmed by the many connections the students have made between mathematics and society. In October, the participating classes will take part in the victory ceremony at the 4. Young-Science-Kongresses am 23. October in Linz We are already looking forward to meeting some of you there in person! Families and individuals who have also submitted exciting pictures will receive great prizes.

On site, the team presented a scientific poster and gave a talk about the project and the insights gained so far. For the students, it was a very special moment: for the first time, they actively participated in a scientific conference—not just as listeners, but as co-researchers and presenters.

A particular highlight was the exchange with other participants and the opportunity to explore a wide range of scientific work and perspectives. The diversity of topics, methods, and research questions offered new insights into the practice and culture of science—and showed the students just how broad and vibrant the world of research can be.

The trip to Córdoba was not only a milestone in the course of the project, but also a motivating and formative experience that sparked a curiosity for more science in many of the students.

To this end, we are distributing stickers and flyers to reach as many people as possible. Everyone has the opportunity to share their opinion: What topics should be covered in school - especially in (math) lessons? What questions are you concerned about?

With this additional survey, we want to gather a broad range of opinions and find out which topics are important for different age groups and backgrounds. Because math is everywhere - and can offer exciting insights far beyond everyday school life!

Ihr wollt mitmachen? Haltet Ausschau nach unseren Stickern und Flyern oder schreibt uns direkt!

The exchange with international experts from various disciplines showed once again how important it is to prepare students for an increasingly data-driven world. We will incorporate the impulses from the symposium into MathConnect and, above all, take them into account when developing learning material!

The presentations and discussions on Critical Mathematics Educationwere particularly inspiring, with topics including the social responsibility of data science and the promotion of critical thinking in the classroom. Questions about AI skills in mathematics education, innovative teaching materials and interactive workshops also provided exciting ideas.