Empirical Educational Research

Outlook

The Centre for Empirical Educational Research plans to continue and extend the existing coordin­ated research programmes and step up its present activities in junior researcher training and development, further raising the national and international profile of the Main Research Area of Empirical Education Research in the process. Research in interdisciplinary coordinated programmes is also set to continue in the future. A proposal to establish a Research Group was submitted to the DFG in December (designated coordinators: Prof. Elke Sumfleth and Prof. Detlev Leutner). The proposed research is to conduct a systematic examination of the conditions and demands placed on students in science and technical degree programmes amidst concerns about high drop-out rates throughout Germany, in spite of the high demand for graduates of these subjects. The basic research required to explain these phenomena is to be conducted from the joint perspectives of education science, the relevant subjects and didactics. A further aim is to support junior researchers in organising and undertaking visits abroad and contributing to conferences, where they have the opportunity to present their findings at national and international level and engage and network with the international scientific community. The ZeB will also continue its efforts to deepen existing collaborations while initiating and promoting further cooperation nationally and internationally. It is currently planning to set up an international PhD School in Educational Research, which will further strengthen the University of Duisburg-Essen’s position in this particular main area of research.