Research projects
Social-emotional progress diagnostics in early education (SEVA)
Project team
Jun.-Prof. Dr. Barbara Lenzgeiger1
Dr. Simon Meyer2
Prof. Dr. Miriam Hess3
1Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt
2Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg
3Otto Friedrich University Bamberg
Fund
Funded from own resources
Project
Since 06/2024
Information on the project
Elementary school teachers bear a central responsibility for the social-emotional development of their students. They are expected to help children recognize and regulate emotions and build social skills, for example in dealing with friendships and group processes (Beelmann, 2019). Studies show that overall, elementary school students have positive social-emotional experiences (Frey & Wendt, 2016; Petermann & Petermann, 2014), but problematic developments have also been observed at an early school age (e.g., Hagenauer et al., 2011). Targeted support in this area was particularly lacking during the pandemic-related school closures (Meyer & Elting, 2022). Research gaps exist primarily with regard to longitudinal analyses, the inclusion of early education, and the development of practical diagnostic tools (Elting, 2019; Vierhaus et al., 2016).
Against this background, the SEVA project aims to develop and evaluate a digitally supported tool for the longitudinal diagnosis of social-emotional experiences (Gebhardt, 2023). This will provide teachers with continuous feedback so that they can observe developmental progress, identify support needs at an early stage, and respond in a targeted manner. The results will also form the basis for adaptive support measures, which will be supported by training opportunities.
The project is divided into two subprojects:
Subproject 1 comprises guided interviews with approximately 30 elementary school teachers. The central questions are: How good are teachers at assessing the social-emotional experiences of their students? What challenges do they face in doing so? What benefits and requirements do they see for digital feedback systems?
Subproject 2 is designed as a quantitative longitudinal study. Over a period of two years, a digital survey instrument integrated into the LEVUMI platform will be used to record the development of school beginners in the areas of emotions, well-being, and social integration (e.g., Hascher, 2004; Venetz et al., 2014). The tool is currently being piloted in 15 elementary school classes. In addition to the children's self-assessments, teachers' assessments will also be collected to analyze differences in perception.
Key research questions concern the development of social-emotional experiences in the first year of school, the support offered by teachers, the perceived usefulness of digital feedback, and its influence on social-emotional development.
Explanatory videos on the topic of electric circuits from the perspective of elementary school students
Project team
Jun.-Prof. Dr. Barbara Lenzgeiger1
1Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, Germany.
Fund
Joachim Herz Foundation.
Project
Since 10/2023
Information on the project
As part of science education, students should be supported in acquiring reliable and structured knowledge about their environment, recognizing relevant scientific tasks and problems, reflecting on them, and acting increasingly independently (GDSU 2013; Giest 2017).
This is not just about basic concepts – students should also develop knowledge about behaviors, processes, changes, and connections in order to understand fundamental scientific principles (Berck & Graf 2018). For example, children should be able to describe cycles (e.g., the carbon cycle, the water cycle), recognize interactions (e.g., plants and animals, movement and position of celestial bodies), and understand developments and changes (e.g., life, substances, energy) (GDSU 2013). However, elementary school students have difficulties in establishing connections and understanding processes in the various subject areas of natural sciences (Hammann & Asshoff 2014). For example, they have problems structuring their detailed knowledge of the forest into higher-level contexts (Strommen 1995), understanding water uptake in plants (Vocilka & Schrenk 2012), or perceiving the effects of forces (Hadenfeldt et al. 2018).
Teachers are therefore faced with the challenge of simplifying complex scientific concepts in order to stimulate concept development on the part of learners. Explanatory videos can help teachers to present scientific concepts and processes in a professional manner. Explanatory videos are films in which content, concepts, and relationships are explained as effectively as possible in a short period of time with the aim of initiating a learning process in learners (Findeisen et al. 2019; Wolf 2015; Zander, Behrens & Mehlhorn 2020). Clear visualizations and the ability to show interactions and effects in slow motion make it possible to illustrate complex relationships, processes, and changes. Learners can also pause the video or watch it several times, allowing them to work through the content at their own pace or repeat it.
Various studies have found that experts tend to focus their gaze on relevant aspects, whereas novices' gaze movements are much more scattered and linger longer on irrelevant areas (Madsen, Larson, Loschky & Rebello 2012; Rosiek & Sajka 2017). So far, little is known about how elementary school students perceive explanatory videos and whether they also focus on relevant aspects. Therefore, this study uses eye tracking to investigate how elementary school students perceive explanatory videos about electrical circuits.
Digital co-determination in elementary school
Project team
Sebastian Köppl1, Jun.-Prof. Dr. Barbara Lenzgeiger1
1Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, Germany.
Fund
Own funds
Project duration
Since 11/2023
Information on the project
Children's right to participation is enshrined in law, curricula, and teaching methods (UN Committee on the Rights of the Child 2009; BSBKWK 2014; GPJE 2012; Detjen et al. 2012; GDSU 2013). Co-determination can be understood as the (binding) influence of children on decision-making processes. This is achieved through forms and methods appropriate to them, so that they can find solutions to problems and contribute their own ideas together, in accordance with democratic principles (Schröder 1995; Jaun 1999; Reichenbach 2006; Rüedi 2017; Jaitner & Linck 2012). Enabling participation via digital channels offers various advantages, particularly at the school level. It is independent of time and location, all students can be involved, it is low-threshold, and it ties in with the children's everyday lives (Döbeli-Honegger 2016; Lenzgeiger 2024). The studies on whether and how co-determination is implemented in elementary schools are inconsistent (e.g., Andresen & Möller 2019, Neumann, Andresen & Schneekloth 2018; Müthing, Razakowski & Gottschling 2018; Gerbeshi & Ertl 2023; Simon 2021). A quantitative intervention study will therefore investigate the question of what opportunities for co-determination elementary school students see at the school level and whether these can be changed through intervention.
Basic education as the central task of elementary schools
Project team
Jun.-Prof. Dr. Barbara Lenzgeiger1, Dr. Julia Kantreiter2, Prof. Dr. Katrin Lohrmann2, Dr. Simon Meyer3, Christian Elting4, Apl. Prof. Dr. Johannes Jung5
1Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt
2Chair of Primary School Education and Primary School Didactics at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich
3Institute for Primary School Research at Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg
4Chair of Primary School Education and Primary School Didactics at Otto Friedrich University Bamberg
5Chair of Primary School Education and Primary School Didactics at Julius Maximilian University Würzburg
Funding
Own funds
Project duration
Since 8/2022
Information on the project
The aim of elementary school is to support pupils in developing basic education. Basic education includes both subject-specific knowledge and skills as well as personality development (Jung 2021; Einsiedler 2014).
In general, but especially due to the special circumstances of the coronavirus pandemic, teachers were and are faced with the challenge of prioritizing the multi-criteria goals of basic education.
There are initial indications that elementary school teachers focused on mathematics and German in distance learning (Wildemann & Hosenfeld 2020): Although social studies is also one of the core subjects in elementary school, it accounted for a significantly smaller proportion of the learning content. Given the objective of social studies and general studies to help children understand the world around them and prepare them with basic skills for learning in secondary schools, it is important to generate data on social studies and general studies in order to be able to make statements about their implementation under pandemic and “normal” conditions.
Various studies on the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on students' personality development suggest that elementary schools play a particularly important role in initiating relevant learning opportunities for personality development (Bujard et al. 2021; StäwiKo 2021). Despite the central importance of personality development, there is a lack of studies on the implementation of personality-enhancing learning opportunities under pandemic and “normal conditions.”
This research project addresses the identified research gaps and explores the overarching research questions of which goals of social studies and which goals of personality development teachers prioritized or prioritize under pandemic and “normal conditions.” To answer these questions, primary school teachers (N=338) from various Bavarian administrative districts are surveyed in a quantitative online survey. The results of the survey are expected to provide insights into teachers' understanding of their profession. In addition, the project empirically complements theoretical and conceptual contributions to basic education.
Further information
Basic education as a central task of elementary schools is a subproject of the research initiative Promoting Learning and Personality Development in Digitally Supported Learning Environments.
EdU-S – Explanatory videos and AI as digital support measures in elementary school social studies
Project team
Katharina Asen-Molz1, Dr. Elisabeth Fuchs2, Melanie Haltenberger3, Jun.-Prof. Dr. Barbara Lenzgeiger2
1Chair of Education (Primary School Education) at the University of Regensburg
2Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt
3Chair of Primary School Education and Primary School Didactics at the University of Augsburg
Funding
Own funds
Project duration
Since 8/2022
Information on the project
Explanatory videos are becoming increasingly popular with schoolchildren. Teachers also use videos as a resource for lesson preparation or incorporate videos into their lessons. However, little is known about how often explanatory videos are used as a teaching medium or whether teachers are able to assess the quality of the videos available. The aim of the project is therefore to gain empirical insights into the use of explanatory videos by primary school teachers. The project will examine both teachers' interest in explanatory videos as a teaching medium and their self-efficacy beliefs regarding the selection, creation, and use of explanatory videos. Another aspect is the quality criteria of explanatory videos.
The results will provide insights into the significance of explanatory videos as a teaching medium and can be used to derive concrete goals for the professionalization of (prospective) teachers in the field of teaching and learning with explanatory videos.