As a central point of contact for questions and concerns about school, education, and higher education research, the center pools the expertises of JGU that exist in different subjects. When addressing different research topics, the center works together with other research institutes at JGU and beyond.
In principle, the center examines conditions under which education and knowledge are developed in modern knowledge-based societies both within and outside educational institutions. The research that is undertaken here focuses on empirical and theoretical analysis of educational processes and educational institutions, analysis of curricula and teaching-learning processes, evaluation of actors in education, who design and implement these processes, and analysis of changes within society that have an impact on educational institutions. Within the three pillars of school, education, and higher education research, these four key topics are addressed primarily:
In the field of learning and teaching processes/methods, research is focused on conditions under which knowledge-acquisition processes occur, both within schools and outside schools; in this context, a possible link with didactic teacher education in schools, universities, and further education institutions is the subject of analysis. The research projects are based on the analysis of the use of (digital) media during the design of educational settings and address the question of how curricular knowledge is verbalized during lessons; furthermore, the topic of how and under what conditions students actively acquire knowledge while attending schools, universities, and institutions of further education, is also addressed.
> Completed projects (only in german)
With the question about education and its availability, concepts of transition designs and concepts of selection processes play a crucial role, which exist among different thresholds and institutions of the educational system. In this context, research is undertaken that focuses on evaluation of selection processes in different institutional settings/contexts and their impact on both educational and employment biographies; furthermore, research projects focus on transitions, selections, and the interlocking and transparency among educational institutions with regard to lifelong learning.
> Completed projects (only in german)
When addressing educational governance, the key focus of research is the changing significance of governance processes and organizational improvement processes in the education and higher education system. With reform processes in educational policy that take place over time, with the increase of autonomy of institutions, and due to growing demands on methods of quality assurance and improvement, the research in this field addresses questions of educational governance, evaluation, and quality improvement in educational institutions. Research on the effects thereof is linked to questions about prerequisites and conditions for implementation of generated knowledge; this is the subject of an extensive evaluation. Finally, the impact of intervention measures, and of evaluations themselves, is also examined.
> Completed projects (only in german)
In a changing society, the role of teachers in schools and universities is also changing and is increasingly characterized by the following: increasing didactic-methodical requirements when dealing with heterogeneous performance prerequisites, the use of new media, and a stronger responsibility for improvement measures in schools and universities. Due to this situation, there is a strong need for competence of actors in education that is based on empirical knowledge. With regard to professional training in education and its related research, prerequisites and conditions for the education of teachers in schools and higher educationProfe institutions as well as the topic of professional training of young teachers are examined.
> Completed projects (only in german)
The four research topics lie at a right angle to the pillars of school, education, and higher education research; this facilitates the undertaking of jointly conducted, overlapping projects of the members. The center offers researchers and scholars a platform that supports them during exchange processes and participation processes while working on their research projects and while using different theoretical and methodical approaches. The platform’s goal is, among others, the expansion and further development of the center’s research activities in an interdisciplinary manner.