The main research areas of the Department of School Education with a focus on teaching and learning research are (1) professionalization and teacher research and (2) teaching and learning research.

(1) In the area of professionalization and teacher research, we are interested in the competencies of student teachers and the learning opportunities afforded to them in the course of their studies. A particular focus is on the school-based internships integrated into the study program. We examine, for example, the structural and organizational learning environment within the framework of the internships or the learning support provided by the teachers acting as mentors and analyze how the students' competencies develop as a function of the learning environment and the learning support. New techniques of classroom videography, especially mobile eye tracking, are used in the analysis of classroom reflection and perception.

(2) In the area of teaching and learning research, we focus on the conditions of teaching and learning in schools. Of particular importance is how characteristics of heterogeneity influence student learning outcomes. The focus is on the conditioning factors of sociocultural background and special educational needs. Looking at the multidimensional goals of instruction, we are interested in both the effects on cognitive and non-cognitive learning outcomes.

Empirically analyzing the various interests and research questions, we work within the framework of (quasi-) experimental designs or secondary data analyses (PISA, NEPS-Panel of Teacher Education Students) with different, primarily standardized, survey and evaluation methods.