Biotechnology Experiments in Schools: Implementing Teacher Training Requires a Vast Range of Action Steps

Biotechnology plays a central role in society and contemporary science curricula. Its practical implementation in schools is certainly hindered by teachers’ limited access to resources. A teacher training program that enables participants to borrow necessary equipment free of charge addresses this gap. However, the processes through which teachers translate such training into classroom practice remain poorly understood. This qualitative study examines the steps taken by teachers from attending a biotechnology teacher training to implementing the experiments, such as PCR and gel electrophoresis, in their teaching. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 39 upper secondary biology and chemistry teachers in Bavaria, Germany, and analyzed using a structured qualitative content analysis. The results reveal a complex, non-linear network of 16 distinct action steps, with substantial variation in pathways toward implementation. Three key bottlenecks emerged: in-team discussions, defining the student cohort, and selecting an implementation mode. The findings highlight the central role of teachers’ agency and school-specific conditions in shaping implementation decisions. By making these invisible processes explicit, this study provides valuable insights for designing teacher trainings and for institutional support structures that aim to foster the sustainable integration of innovative scientific practices in school science education.