Within this study a qualitative approach has been used to investigate teachers' attitudes and diagnostic competencies in biology, on the basis of three ecological examples, concerned with systemic thinking. A model derived from PCK (Pedagogical Content Knowledge) by Park and Oliver (2008) and Girmes (2006) constitutes the theoretical framework. This model defines teachers' diagnostic, curricular and personal competencies as the main ele-ments of professionalism. These characteristics were

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... ned in a study by Park and Oliver (2008) within the framework of PCK, as well as in the "Tableau of Competencies". Moreover, various system theories (Ossimitz 1996, Lecher 1997, Sommer 2005) were examined in order to establish a modified competency model in systemic thinking. Based on this theoretical construct, the following questions were deducted: Diagnostic competency: -To what extent can teachers evaluate and assess students as far as systemic thinking is concerned? -Which problem areas can teachers identify? Curricular competency: -Which examples dealing with systemic thinking do teachers integrate in their teaching? Pedagogical competency. -Which attitudes do teachers show concerning their profession (career choice and role), competencies in teaching and competencies in ecology? Guideline oriented interviews were used to gain data. The guideline was comprised of open questions on the teachers' general attitude and three examples of systemic thinking. Two of the three examples were taken from Ossimitz' studies (1994e and 1996c) in the field of systemic thinking. The third example was newly developed for the present study. Owing to varying levels of knowledge and understanding, the diagrams could be analysed according to the modified competency model. Subsequently, the teachers were confronted with the students' answers from the examples. Six teachers from secondary schools in Lower Austria and Vienna were interviewed about the examples by means of guideline oriented interviews. Thereby, diagnostic and curricular comp [...]