Department of Comparative Cultural Psychology
Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Deutscher Platz 6
04103 Leipzig
Anja Reimann
phone: +49 (0)341 3550 - 400
e-mail: info_ccp@eva.mpg.de
Dustin Eirdosh

Doctoral Student
Department of Comparative Cultural Psychology
Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Deutscher Platz 6
D-04103 Leipzig
Germany
phone: +49 (0) 341 3550 410
email: dustin_eirdosh@[>>> Please remove the brackets! <<<]eva.mpg.de
Research Interests
I am interested in how advances in evolutionary theory relate to current classroom practices in evolution education. Specifically, I am exploring how conceptual relationships across human evolution, behavior, and sustainability sciences can contribute to innovations in interdisciplinary teaching across K-12 education.
- Evolution education
- School culture
- Social-Emotional Learning
- Interdisciplinary education
- Teaching for transfer of learning
- School improvement
Thesis work:
Networked Improvement Communities for Understanding the Human Condition
Schools around the world almost universally seek to cultivate in students an understanding of the human condition that is both practically realistic for the world they are to enter, and factually realistic in accordance with modern disciplinary perspectives. Teaching the science of evolutionary anthropology offers significant learning opportunities in this regard, yet the interdisciplinary nature of the field, combined with a complex conceptual landscape across the human sciences conspire to create unique challenges in advancing educator competence and communities of practice in this space. This thesis is a knowledge synthesis and research infrastructure project, working within the model of Networked Improvement Communities to advance a flexible framework for international collaboration on the design and implementation of teaching materials and strategies for engaging students in reflecting on the everyday experience of human behavior in the light of evolution and sustainability sciences.
Projects and Partners
I am the coordinator of the educational development, outreach, and research coordination efforts of our department.
www.GlobalESD.org
Together with Dr. Susan Hanisch, I am a co-founder of the US-based non-profit organization, Global ESD (Education for Sustainable Development). Global ESD works internationally to support sustainability education initiatives that connect concepts in human evolution, behavioral ecology, and sustainability science. By linking scientific perspectives on social change with students and classrooms seeking to make the world a better place, our aim is to foster a more global discussion about where we are going in the light of where we all have come from.
www.EvoLeipzig.de (in German)
EvoLeipzig is a place-based initiative working to bring the Global ESD design concept to schools and education partners in Leipzig.
Publications
Hanisch, S., & Eirdosh, D. (2020). Causal mapping as a teaching tool for reflecting on causation in human evolution (advance online). Science & Education. ![]() | |
Eirdosh, D., & Hanisch, S. (2020). Can the science of Prosocial be a part of evolution education? Evolution: Education and Outreach,13: 5. ![]() | |
Hanisch, S., & Eirdosh, D. (2020). Educational potential of teaching evolution as an interdisciplinary science. edarxiv. DOI BibTeX Endnote | |
Hanisch, S., & Eirdosh, D. (2020). Conceptual clarification of evolution as an interdisciplinary science. edarxiv. DOI BibTeX Endnote | |
Hanisch, S., & Eirdosh, D. (2020).A teacher's guide to evolution, behavior, and sustainability science. 2nd Edition. GlobalESD. ![]() |
Eirdosh, D., & Hanisch, S. (2019). The role of evolutionary studies in education for sustainable development. In D. Sloan Wilson, G. Geher, H. Mativetsky, & A. C. Gallup ( BibTeX Endnote | |
Hanisch, S., & Eirdosh, D. (2019).A teacher's guide to evolution, behavior, and sustainability science. GlobalESD. ![]() |
Eirdosh, D., & Hanisch, S. (2017).Cultural Evolution in the Biology Classroom: A Design-Based Research Model in Education for Sustainable Development. Poster presented at Inaugural Cultural Evolution Society Conference, Jena. DOI BibTeX Endnote |