Peer learning: when conversation encourages understanding of science and mathematics

The project reported investigates how a 15 weeks intervention with systematic peer learning (SPL) can be developed in science and mathematics in 3rd grade (Schmidt, 2015). We investigate and attempt to transpose positive international experiences (eg Thurston et al., 2020) with SPL to the Danish primary school at a grade level where students' interest in STEM subjects usually decline markedly. The success criteria for the project is that a) students' involvement in science and mathematics increase significantly (assessed through student questionnaires), b) the lack of interest can be countered by SPL (assessed via qualitative interviews), c) students achievement increases during the project (assessed with ‘signature tasks’) and that d) the SPL-didactics can work in the Danish school context (assessed through video observations). The study involves 15 classes, 30 teachers and approximately 300 students, which corresponds to 450 intervention lessons, of which 240 are videotaped.