The 20th Symposium on Chemistry and Science Education took place at the University of Bremen in May 2010 continued a long tradition of symposia since 1981. In summer 2010 we celebrated the symposium’s 20^th re-launch.

In the earlier symposia repeatedly the question was raised how science education research can help to improve chemistry and science teaching and learning. But, a question of how to promote successful science learning always implies a question about the objectives to be reached. Does science teaching is primarily aimed on learning content and theories of science? Or: Does it should have more an orientation towards general educational objectives and skills?

The 2010 symposium was titled “Contemporary Science Education - Implications from Science Education Research about Orientations, Strategies and Assessment” . This title simultaneously continued and developed further the topics of the past symposia between 2002 and 2008, which discussed orientations and methods of science education research, questions of teacher education, or successful science learning. All the symposia by one way or another touched upon the question of valuable orientations of chemistry and science education. The symposium in spring 2010 revealed and evaluated this question further from the perspective of science education research evidence.