Hans Niedderer (Figure 1) has contributed a lot to German physics education research. His work includes quantitative and qualitative studies about topics like the learning of physics concepts or the history and philosophy of science in science teaching, he has worked on theoretical issues as well as on textbooks. But it is not only his work that is remarkable. He was one of the physics educators in Germany who believed, from the early days of science education research on, in the need to conduct empirical studies. A closer look at his career provides insights into the development of the discipline of science education and into its establishment as a subject at German universities. In this interview, Hans Niedderer talks about the “leaning pathway” of the discipline of science education in general – and about the value of researching learning pathways and learning progressions for science teaching. For more information and a bibliography of his work please visit his website: http://www.idn.uni-bremen.de/mitarbeiter_eng.php?id=27. The interview with Hans Niedderer was conducted by Christoph Kulgemeyer in 2013 at the University of Bremen.