The development of students' interest in school science activities, their understanding of central chemical concepts, and the interplay between both constructs across Grades 5–11 were analyzed in a cross‐sectional paper‐and‐pencil study (N = 2,510, mean age 11–17 years). Previous empirical findings indicate that students' knowledge increases over the time of secondary school while students' interest, especially in natural science subjects, tends to decrease. Concomitantly, there is evidence for an increase in the positive coupling between interest and knowledge across time. However, previous studies mainly rely on rather global measures, for example, school grades or general subject‐related interest, and focus on science as an integrated subject instead of specific disciplines, for example, chemistry. For this article, more proximal and differentiated measures for students' understanding of three chemical concepts (Chemical Reaction, Energy, Matter) and interest in seven dimensions of school science activities according to the RIASEC + N model (Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, Conventional, and Networking; cf. Dierks, Höffler, & Parchmann, 2014) were applied. The results are in line with previous research indicating a general increase in conceptual understanding and a decline in students' interest for all school science activities. However, the interplay between conceptual understanding and interest differs across the seven dimensions. Interest in activities which are likely to promote cognitive activation (investigative, networking) or involving the communication of knowledge (social, enterprising, and networking) are increasingly connected to conceptual understanding, especially in upper secondary grades. Interest in guided hands‐on activities (realistic) which are typical in secondary science teaching, however, shows only small positive correlations to students' conceptual understanding across all grades. Hence, in upper‐secondary school, investigative, social, enterprising, and networking activities seem to provide opportunities to benefit most from the interrelation between students' interests and their understanding.

Girls are underrepresented in mathematical and science Olympiads, global informal learning activities which often serve as stepping stones for admission to top universities and future STEM careers. The present article aims to investigate the role of implicit genderscience stereotypes on representation and achievement among participants of the German Chemistry Olympiad using a cross-sectional online study (N = 445, mean age 16.5 years, 51% female) entailing the Implicit Association Test and two motivational scales. This study was the first of its kind to use moderated mediation analysis to examine the effects of gender-science stereotypes on participation and achievement, mediated by the expectancy and value beliefs self-concept and topic interest. We found that in the female group, gender-science stereotypes negatively predicted the participants' willingness to continue in the competition. This relationship was mediated through topic interest. In addition, we found self-concept predictive for further participation among female participants, as well as for competition score among both gender groups. Furthermore, topic interest positively predicted male participants' willingness to continue with the competition. The results underline the negative association of

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Zusammenfassung Die Vermittlung von Wissen über chemische Phänomene und eines Verständnisses grundlegender Begriffe, Gesetzmäßigkeiten und Prinzipien der Chemie zählen zu den zentralen Zielen des Chemieunterrichts. Zu diesem Zweck sind bildungsadministrative Vorgaben zunehmend durch zentrale fachliche Konzepte bzw. Denk-und Arbeitsweisen strukturiert, die entsprechend den Fokus der unterrichtlichen Aktivitäten bilden sollen. Im Rahmen der vorliegenden Untersuchung wurde den Fragen nachgegangen, inwieweit ein Kompetenzzuwachs bezüglich der Basiskonzepte des Fachs Chemie (Chemische Reaktion, Energie sowie Materie als Zusammenführung der beiden Basiskonzepte Stoff-Teilchen und Struktur-Eigenschaftsbeziehungen) über die Schuljahre 9 bis 12 festgestellt werden kann und inwieweit mit diesem Zuwachs auch ansteigende Zusammenhänge zwischen den Konzepten über Schuljahre hinweg einhergehen. Die erhaltenen Befunde werden dabei als Indiz gedeutet, inwieweit kohärente und kumulative Lerngelegenheiten vorliegen, die letztlich zu einem systematischen Kompetenzaufbau bzgl. der einzelnen Konzepte führen sollten. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass sowohl hinsichtlich des Kompetenzzuwachses als auch hinsichtlich der Zusammenhänge zwischen den drei erhobenen Konzeptbereichen eher geringe Effekte vorliegen. Zudem lässt sich nur bedingt eine systematische Kompetenzentwicklung aller drei Konzeptbereiche festhalten, sondern das Befundmuster deutet vielmehr an, dass es zu einer Verschiebung des Fokus vom Konzept Materie zum Konzept Chemische Reaktion über den Verlauf der Jahrgänge 9 bis 12 kommt, während der Konzeptbereich Energie kaum im Fokus des Unterrichts zu stehen scheint.

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