institute for school development research (ifs) researching the influence of educational policy on...

Institute for School Development Research (IFS)

Researching the influence of educational policy on school- and teaching quality –

The European Collaborative Research Project ADDITION

International Council on Education for Teaching (ICET) 55th World Assembly - University of Glasgow

July 11-14 2011 - Glasgow, Scotland

Dr. Michael PfeiferInstitute for School Development Research (IFS)

University of Dortmund, Germany


Stucturing:

1. Design of the common project

2. Focus of the German national project

3. Methods

4. Outlock


1. Design of the common project


European Science Foundation (ESF)

• Organisation

– 77 members from 30 European countries

– Organisation of workshops, conferences and symposiums

• Goals

– Initiation and coordination of European research projects• Conception of own projects and research

• Elaboration of research project in cooperation with the ESF- member countries

– Building networks and contact between the member states

– Fostering interdisciplinary and international cooperative research


Project structure

• International common project– Participating countries are the initiators of the study– Common design of the contents and analysis in all

participating countries• Own projects of the participating countries

– In-depth reserach of certain aspects from the common project

– Own questions with connection to the common project

Institute for School Development Research (IFS) Research focuses of the project partners

A Dynamic Effective Knowledge Base for Quality in Education

Belgium

Teaching processesand peer-group effects

Ireland

Class composition andperformance groups

GermanySchool development

strategies / organisational culture

& teaching quality

Portugal

System level

Slovenia

Self evaluation ofschools and system

level

Greece

Teaching approachesand social

heterogeneity

Cyprus

Teacher training andsystem level


Goals of the common project

– Further development of the Dynamic Model of Educational Effectiveness (Creemers & Kyriakides, 2008)

– Creation of a theory-based and empirical funded framework for educational decisions in the context of teaching development and evaluation

– Review of the influence of system- and school variables on learning- and teaching processes as well as pupils´ achievements

– Analysis and explanation of achievement differences between participating countries resp. between schools in the participating countries

– Conclusions for school policy and research


Research model

Creemers & Kyriakides, 2008


Influence factors on system level

• Analysis of the school policy in the participating country– How does it support the improvement of teaching?– Does it have effects for an improvement of the

learning environment?• Approaches of evaluation of the school policy in the

participating countries:– Is the wider school environment included?– Does school policy foster the development of further

learning possibilities and a positive attitude towards learning?


Influence factors on school level

• Validation and evaluation of arrangements/measures concerning the learning environment: – Are there guidelines in school for the development

of teaching?– Which arrangements/measures contribute to the

improvement of teaching methods? – How does the school support the establishment of a

conductive learning environment?


Influence factors on classroom level

• Role of the teacher in designing/developing of teaching– Methodical approach and structuring of teaching– Steering of learning- and teaching processes – Time management in teaching – Creating learning climate in class


Influence factors on individual level

• Sociological oriented questions– Socioeconomic status of pupils– Strucure of labour force and prosperity in the familiar

environment• Psychological orientated questions

– Subject specific motivation and self-concept– Research on learning processes, pupils´ abilities, use

of learning possibilities


Advantages of the international comparison

– Research of the relation between model factors and pupils´ achievement in international comparison

• Larger amount of variance by inclusion of more countries, which is necessary for proofing of hypothesis

– Effects on system level are more evident in international comparison


2. Focus of the German national project


Input:

Pre-conditons on system level,

steering processes on system- and regional level

Output:

Output quality, cognitive abilities, learning- related

dispositions, social behaviour

Process:

Quality of teaching development on school and class

level

Socioecenomic background of the pupilsEducational level of family, migration background,

social environment, extracurricular learning ressources

School development work

Model of research for school quality


In-dept research of aspects concerning:

– Culture of school and its organisation – School governance and management– School program work – Readiness for innovation of schools and teachers– Teacher cooperation and teambuilding – Teaching quality

Special focus on compositional effects on classroom level and on socioeconomic status of the pupils


3. Methods


Sample and Measurements• Sample

– Each participating country 50 up to 60 schools with about 1.500 - 3.000 pupils, all teachers

– Germany: 54 schools with about 1.500 pupils, all teachers • national addition: all headmasters and parents

• Measurements– In all participating countries: beginning and end of grade 4

(Optional: third measurement in grade 5)


Instruments and analyzing methods• Achievement test

– Test booklets with released items from TIMSS 2007 (math and science)

• System level– Half standardised interviews with stakeholders of education

policy– Content analysis of documents concerning school policy

(curriculum, guidelines, etc.)• Headmastes, teachers, pupils, parents

– Standardised questionnaires

• Multi-level analyses• Triangulation of qualitative and quantitative data


4. Outlook


• Delivery of longitudinal data in September 2011

longitudinal analyses

• Final report to be finished until September 2012

• Conference with policy makers of all participating countries will be

held in September 2012 in Berlin:

Consequences will be discussed for educational policy and for

participating schools


22

Thank you very much for your attention!

Contact:

Dr. Michael Pfeifer

[email protected]

Institute for School Development Research (IFS),

University of Dortmund, Germany

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