Improving educational opportunities together – start for the campus schools in Frankfurt am Main

20.11.2023 09:18

Research projects, school and science

“Through a mutual dialogue, school practice, educational research and teacher training should benefit from the experience and specialist knowledge of everyone involved,” describes Prof. Dr. Mareike Kunter from DIPF oversees the orientation of the campus schools. The educational researcher is one of the initiators of the program. Today’s kick-off event on the Westend campus in Frankfurt is intended for interested school management, who can find out more about the exact processes of the program and exchange ideas with other schools and scientists.

The program is aimed at primary, secondary, secondary, comprehensive or special schools in Frankfurt am Main and the surrounding area, especially those with a very heterogeneous student body. Prof. Dr. Ilonca Hardy, professor in the Department of Educational Sciences at Goethe University and member of the board of directors of the Academy for Educational Research and Teacher Training, explains: “In linking research and school practice, we pay particular attention to teaching in heterogeneous learning groups. The aim is to improve the support of children whose educational success can be jeopardized by various risks such as learning difficulties, poor language skills or growing up in low-income families.” Together with the schools, a contribution should be made to greater educational equality.

Collaborations as required:

Depending on the interests and needs of the schools, various bilateral cooperation models are possible, from which schools, research and teacher training benefit equally:

1. Basic cooperation: This is a low-threshold offer. For example, there is a newsletter with current information about the program that is sent to schools at regular intervals. If schools are interested, they also receive bundled information on specific topics in educational research. They are also invited to events (such as the Dialogue Day, which takes place once a year).

2. Further training and study cooperation: The school teams receive further training in workshops, lectures or educational days. In addition to a suggested topic portfolio, individual requests from schools are also possible. At the same time, those involved in research and teacher training are supported: through schools’ participation in scientific projects, internship opportunities for young researchers and students, and mutual feedback on research projects and results.

3. Intensive cooperation: This involves long-term and mutually beneficial cooperation, i.e. jointly promoted school development and research.

The first campus schools are to be named after the kick-off event. Those responsible expect around 20 participating schools for the entire program duration, which is initially planned until the end of 2025.

Participants and functions:

The DIPF and the Goethe University are equal cooperation partners in the campus school program. The DIPF is responsible for central coordination of the campus schools. The program is supported by the research center “IDeA – Center for Individual Development and Adaptive Education of Children at Risk”, which is also coordinated at the DIPF and whose founding partners are the DIPF, the Goethe University and the Sigmund Freud Institute. The Goethe University is also represented in the campus school program through the “Academy for Educational Research and Teacher Training” (ABL) and the “Didactic Workshop – Office for Diversity and Teaching Development” of the Department of Educational Sciences.

The scientific partner organizations mentioned are jointly financing the project – with additional funding from the “Stiftung Polytechnic Society Frankfurt am Main”. The campus school program will be open to scientists from DIPF and Goethe University who are interested in the field of educational research in order to offer schools the most diverse portfolio of research and development perspectives possible.

Further information can be found on the program website: www.dipf.de/de/campusschulen

Press contact:

Philip Stirm, DIPF, +49 (0)69 24708-123, [email protected], [email protected]
Dirk Frank, Goethe University Frankfurt, +49 (0)69 798-13753, [email protected], [email protected]

About the DIPF:

The DIPF is the Leibniz Institute for Educational Research and Information with locations in Frankfurt am Main and Berlin. It wants to help overcome challenges in education and research into education. To this end, the institute supports schools, daycare centers, universities, science, administration and politics with research, digital infrastructure and knowledge transfer. The overarching goal of its activities is high-quality, responsible, internationally compatible and justice-promoting education, which can also be researched in the best possible way.

www.dipf.de

About the Goethe University Frankfurt:

The research-strong and internationally oriented Goethe University is a member of the “German U15”, the association of the 15 most research-oriented medical universities in Germany, and one of the largest employers in the metropolis of Frankfurt am Main. Together with the TU Darmstadt and the University of Mainz, the Goethe University forms the cross-state strategic alliance of Rhine-Main Universities (RMU). Founded in 1914 as a foundation university with funds from the citizens of Frankfurt, it enjoys a high degree of autonomy, embedded in a highly participatory and supportive environment.

www.goethe-universitaet.de

Scientific contact person:
Coordination of the campus school program:
Michaela Menstell, DIPF, +49 (0)69 24708-879, [email protected]

Additional Information: