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We analysed the beliefs about multilingualism in school of in-service teachers from the US (n = 60) and Germany (n = 65), utilising a survey originally developed in German that was translated and adapted into English. Results show that teachers from both samples, on average, strongly agree that a person’s identity is connected to their language and culture. However, we found significant differences in scale mean values between US teachers and German teachers concerning their beliefs about (1) the interconnected nature of language with culture and identity, (2) language demand in content classrooms, (3) responsibility for language teaching, and (4) valuing multilingualism. Our results provide insight into cross-cultural differences between German and US teachers’ beliefs, as well as a strong instrument in two languages to measure teachers’ beliefs about multilingualism in schools We analysed the beliefs about multilingualism in school of in-service teachers from the US (n = 60) and Germany (n = 65), utilising a survey originally developed in German that was translated and adapted into English. Results show that teachers from both samples, on average, strongly agree that a person’s identity is connected to their language and culture. However, we found significant differences in scale mean values between US teachers and German teachers concerning their beliefs about (1) the interconnected nature of language with culture and identity, (2) language demand in content classrooms, (3) responsibility for language teaching, and (4) valuing multilingualism. Our results provide insight into cross-cultural differences between German and US teachers’ beliefs, as well as a strong instrument in two languages to measure teachers’ beliefs about multilingualism in schools.

Pre-service teachers of all subject areas need learning opportunities in the field of German as a Second Language (GSL) in order to adequately facilitate second language learners in the content classroom. On the basis of a competency model including the sub-competencies Subject-specific registers, Multilinguaiism and Didactics, the BMBF-project DaZKom has conducted a validation study. This included developing a test instrument with 68 items and analyzing it with IRT-methods. The results of the validation study (N = 252) show the expected correlations between GSL competency and linguistic knowledge as well as pedagogical knowledge, yet that test measures a conceptually independent construct. Furthermore, it is found that pre-service teachers with a higher number of learning opportunities and semesters, and with German as a study subject, show a higher GSL competency.

Fachlehrkräfte benötigen in der Lehrerausbildung Gelegenheit zum Kompetenzerwerb in Deutsch als Zweitsprache (DaZ), um die spezifischen Lernvoraussetzungen von Schülerinnen und Schülern nicht-deutscher Herkunftssprache berücksichtigen zu können. Auf der Basis eines Kompetenzmodells mit den Dimensionen Fachregister, Mehrsprachigkeit und Didaktik wurde im BMBF-Projekt DaZKom derzeit ein Testinstrument entwickelt und mit IRT-Methoden ausgewertet. Die Ergebnisse der Validierungsstudie (N = 252) zeigen, dass Zusammenhänge zwischen DaZ-Kompetenz und linguistischem Wissen sowie pädagogischem Wissen bestehen, der Test aber konzeptuell ein eigenständiges Konstrukt misst. Darüber hinaus korrelieren eine höhere Semesterzahl, Deutsch als Studienfach und eine größere Anzahl an DaZ-Lerngelegenheiten mit einer höheren DaZ-Kompetenz. (DIPF/Orig.), Pre-service teachers of all subject areas need learning opportunities in the field of German as a Second Language (GSL) in order to adequately facilitate second language learners in the content classroom. On the basis of a competency model including the sub-competencies subject-specific registers, multilingualism and didactics, the BMBF-project DaZKom has conducted a validation study. This included developing a test instrument with 68 items and analyzing it with IRT-methods. The results of the validation study (N = 252) show the expected correlations between GSL competency and linguistic knowledge as well as pedagogical knowledge, yet that test measures a conceptually independent construct. Furthermore, it is found that pre-service teachers with a higher number of learning opportunities and semesters, and with German as a study subject, show a higher GSL competency. (DIPF/Orig.)

The Working Paper gives an overview about the topic of causal inference, covered in the Institute onStatistical Analysis for Education Policy organized by the American Educational Research Associationin spring 2013. Because randomized experiments are often difficult to implement into large-scalestudies in educational research, inference on the causality of different treatments (e.g. differentteaching approaches) is limited. This paper discusses the possibilities to draw causal inferences innon-randomized experiments, and provides an introduction to different analytical approaches,namely propensity score analysis, sensitivity analysis and the regression discontinuity approach. Themain idea behind each procedure is explained, advantages and limitations are discussed.

The research study “DaZKom” is an interdisciplinary and inter-university project, funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) program “Modeling and Measuring Competencies in Higher Education” (KoKoHs). The objective of the project “DaZKom” is to theoretically model and empirically validate teacher competencies in the field of German as a Second Language (Deutsch als Zweitsprache – DaZ).

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