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With the rapid implementation of early foreign language programmes in the state of North-Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, first for Grade 3 (ages 8–9 years) in 2003 and then from Grade 1 (ages 6–7 years) in 2008, primary school teachers had to adapt to teaching a foreign language in Grade 1 quickly. Teachers had little experience with language teaching to very young learners, and curricula and materials had not been tested prior to implementation. This study investigates the development of receptive English proficiency across three large cohorts (N = 7,289). The first cohort started in Grade 3, the second cohort was the first to start in Grade 1, and the third cohort started in Grade 1, six years after the initial implementation. Propensity scores were used to compare sampling weights of cohorts without the influence of confounding variables. Results confirmed a slight advantage for an earlier start in primary school for students’ receptive proficiency in Grade 5. The results further indicate that proficiency scores did not improve from the first cohort of students starting in Grade 1 to one six years later. Systemic changes in teacher education for language specialists in primary education may not yet have been able to affect student outcomes.

ZusammenfassungIm Beitrag wird über eine Befragung von Teilnehmer/innen einer ländervergleichenden (CH/D) Videostudie zum Rechtschreibunterricht in der Primarstufe berichtet. Dabei gilt das Erkenntnisinteresse einerseits den Überzeugungen über Orthografie und Orthografieerwerb selbst, andererseits der Bildung von Überzeugungstypen und deren Zusammenhängen mit Kontextvariablen. Ausgangspunkt der Befragung mittels Fragebogen bildet ein heuristisches Modell mit den Dimensionen Überzeugungen über den Lerngegenstand „Orthografie“, über das Unterrichten von Rechtschreiben und über die (Rechtschreib‑)Lernenden. Die Ergebnisse der Befragung sind insgesamt heterogen und spiegeln nur teilweise didaktische Diskurse wider. Es lassen sich dabei vier Überzeugungstypen generieren, die länderspezifisch verteilt sind.

Aero-engine turbine disks are safety-relevant components which are operated under high thermal and mechanical stress conditions. The actual part qualification and certification procedures make use of spin-tests conducted on production-similar disks. While these tests provide, on the one hand, a reliable definition of the critical conditions for real components, on the other hand they represent a relevant cost item for engine manufacturers. The aim of this work is to present part of a fracture mechanics-based procedure under development which aims at replacing the tests on production-similar disks with lab tests on fracture mechanics specimens. In particular, the rim-peeling failure mode is considered as case study. A semi-circular surface crack is modelled at the most stressed region at the diaphragm of a turbine disk, with the crack plane perpendicular to the radial direction. The crack is therefore subjected to a biaxial stress state and grows under increasing rotational speed until it triggers the rim-peeling failure. The finite element simulation of the cracked disk considers the real thermal and mechanical loading conditions. In order to design a lab representative specimen, beside the crack driving force, expressed in terms of J-integral, also the constraint to plastic deformation e.g., stress triaxiality, at the crack-tip must be similar for the same crack in the specimen and in the disk. This has been achieved and as expected, both the highest J-integral and constraint factor are calculated at the same location along the crack front for both disk and specimen. The results of the structural integrity assessment in the form of a Failure Assessment Diagram (FAD) show good agreement between designed specimen and disk both in terms of expected failure mode and value of the critical speed. Probabilistic aspects are also considered in the calculations.

With the growing popularity of early foreign language learning (EFLL) programmes in elementary schools, the transition to secondary school constitutes a crucial bridge. Ensuring a smooth transition...

Many schools worldwide are facing the challenges of implementing inclusive education into their everyday lives. In order for this to succeed, meaningful measures are needed to evaluate concepts, in...

Mit dem Ziel, die Bedeutung fachspezifischen Lehrerwissens für die Qualität von Rechtschreibunterricht in der Primarstufe zu erkunden, wurde im Rahmen der ländervergleichenden Studie „Profess-R“ das Professionswissen von 21 deutschen und 23 Schweizer Primarlehrpersonen erfasst und je eine Rechtschreiblektion zur Doppelkonsonantenschreibung videografiert und ausgewertet. Mithilfe von Regressionsanalysen wurde untersucht, ob und inwieweit das orthografiebezogene Fach- und fachdidaktische Wissen der Lehrpersonen die fachspezifische Qualität der Lernangebote vorhersagt. Ergänzend wurde auch die fachlich-gegenstandsbezogene Strukturierung des Unterrichts erfasst und als zusätzlicher Prädiktor in die Analysen einbezogen. Entgegen der kompetenztheoretisch begründeten Erwartungen ließ sich die Qualität des Unterrichts nur punktuell durch das professionelle Wissen der Lehrpersonen erklären. Durch Einbezug der gegenstandsbezogenen Sachstruktur des Unterrichts konnte in den meisten Qualitätsdimensionen erwartungsgemäß keine weitere Varianzaufklärung erreicht werden, sie erwies sich jedoch als bedeutsam für Aspekte der fachlich korrekten Präsentation des Lerngegenstandes.

In this paper, we introduce the MARKO competency test and competency model, a new measurement instrument for music-related argumentative competence (MARKO: Musikbezogene ARgumentationsKOmpetenz; German for music-related argumentative competence). This competence, which plays an essential role in school curricula, refers to the ability to justify, and defend judgments about music. The two main goals of this study were 1) to design an assessment test for music-related argumentation that fulfills psychometric criteria and 2) to derive competency levels based on empirical data to describe the cognitive dispositions that are necessary when engaging in argumentation about music. Based on a theoretical framework, we developed a competency test to assess music-related argumentative competence. After two pretests (n= 391), we collected data from 440 students from grade nine to the university level. The final test consisted exclusively of open-ended items, which were rated with coding schemes that had been designed for each item. After ensuring inter-rater reliability, we composed an item pool that met psychometric criteria (e.g., local stochastic independence and item homogeneity) and represented content-related aspects in a meaningful way. Based on this item pool, we estimated a one-dimensional partial credit model. Following a standard-setting approach, four competency levels were derived from the empirical data. While individuals on the lowest competency level expressed their own opinions about the music by referring to salient musical attributes, participants on the highest level discussed different opinions on the music, and considered the social and cultural context of the music. The proficiency scores significantly varied between grades. Our findings empirically support some theoretical assumptions about music-related argumentation and challenge others.

Early foreign language instruction has become the norm across Europe. Expected benefits for students include linguistic advantages and ease of learning the second language (L2). However, research rarely supports these assertions. The present study investigated the receptive skills of two cohorts of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners in Years 5, 7, and 9 in Germany. The cohorts differed in their age of EFL onset in elementary school and, consequently, in the amount of exposure before secondary school. Linear mixed model analyses were employed to account for the hierarchical structure of the data. Learners with an earlier start performed better in Years 5 and 9 than late starters, suggesting possible long-term benefits of an earlier start. In Year 7, late starters scored higher on the proficiency assessment. Across the Year 5–9 span, the effects of learner characteristics’ on English proficiency remained stable for gender, L1, grades, cognitive abilities, and cultural capital.

Individuelle Lernverläufe im Lesen können mittels Lernverlaufsdiagnostik im Längsschnitt beobachtet werden. Die Lernverlaufstests müssen dafür auch über die Zeit reliabel und änderungssensibel messen. Dieser pilotierende Beitrag prüft erstmalig die Reliabilitätsowie die Änderungssensibilität von bereits im Querschnitt evaluierten Lernverlaufstests zur Messung der Leseflüssigkeit und des basalen Leseverständnisses im Längsschnitt. Zu vier Messzeitpunkten innerhalb eines Schuljahres wurden Lernende des dritten und vierten Jahrgangs einer regulären Grundschule (N = 90) mit drei Leseflüssigkeitstests (Silben, Wörter, Pseudowörter) sowie einem Satzverständnistest von externen Testerinnen in der Onlineplattform www.levumi.de getestet. Die Lehrkräfte erhielten am Ende der Studie die Ergebnisse. Die Ergebnisse zeigen für beide Klassenstufen und alle Messzeitpunkte zufriedenstellende Paralleltest-Reliabilitätswerte (r = .72 –.90). Im Schnitt steigen die Leseleistungen in 12 Wochen zwischen 2.15 (0.55) und 5.41 (0.98) Items. 4.26 –14.80 % der Lernenden zeigen negative Lernverläufe (b = -0.8 –-4.0), die anteilig durch studiendesignbedingte Deckeneffekte erklärt werden können. Die Befunde der Pilotstudie deuten auf eine grundsätzliche Einsatzmöglichkeit der Tests im Feld hin, sodass sie bei größeren Studien Verwendung finden können.

Nach konzeptionellen Uberlegungen schliest sich an die Anwendung der Lernverlaufsdiagnostik ein adaptiver Unterricht an. Der vorliegende Beitrag verbindet beide Konzepte und skizziert am Lernbereich Lesen in der Grundschule eine adaptive forderdiagnostische Unterrichtspraxis. Die Ergebnisse der Lernverlaufsdiagnostik werden dabei als diagnostische Informationsquellen fur Evaluationsprozesse verstanden, welche Lehrkrafte zur Planung und Adaption von Unterricht nutzen. Vorgestellt wird das konzeptionelle Ineinandergreifen der Lernverlaufstests und der adaptiven Fordermaterialien der Onlineplattform Levumi.

Ein nicht unerheblicher Teil der Schuler*innen verlasst die Grundschule mit nur rudimentaren Lesekompetenzen, die Lernschwierigkeiten in der Sekundarschule erwarten lassen. Mit Instrumenten der Lernverlaufsdiagnostik wie der Onlineplattform Levumi konnen Lehrkrafte die Lernentwicklung formativ erfassen und damit fruhzeitig Risikokinder im Lesen identifizieren und individualisiert fordern. Der vorliegende Beitrag beschreibt die Konstruktionsprinzipien einer an die Onlineplattform Levumi anknupfenden Leseforderung, die Lehrkrafte als whole-in-one-Paket verwenden oder adaptiv nutzen konnen.

This study investigates the receptive L2 proficiency of early and late starters in primary EFL education in the German context. Thus, the L2 reading and listening proficiency of primary EFL learners was assessed at the end of primary schooling in year 4 in two German federal states with different ages of onset. A special focus of the study is on indicators of teaching quality as well as teacher qualification. The study did not find significant differences in the receptive L2 proficiency between early starters and late startes. When controlling for teaching quality or teacher qualification the earlier age of onset or increased amount of exposure did not explain variance in learners’ receptive EFL skills. However, supportive climate as an aspect of teaching quality correlates positively and significantly with learners’ EFL proficiency. In addition, there is a small advantage for children taught by teachers with a major in EFL.

Foreign language education has now been implemented at the elementary school level across Europe, and early foreign language education has gained traction following language policies set by the European Commission. The long-term effects of an early start, however, have not received ample scientific scrutiny. The present study assessed early receptive skills of two cohorts of English language learners in Year 5 (beginning of secondary education in Germany) and two years later in Year 7. The factors distinguishing between these two cohorts were onset of foreign language education and the amount of language exposure. The effects of the earlier start were found in the results for Year 5, when the early cohort outperformed peers with less and later exposure to English. However, in Year 7, the late starters surpassed their early starting peers.

Although it is assumed that all-day schools have the potential to promote extended education, research showed that this potential is not used to its full extent. One reason could be that the implementation of innovative concepts is highly complex. In this chapter, we describe one approach to implementing innovation at all-day schools using a theory-driven analytical framework for developmental processes. One typical advantage of all-day schools is extra learning time which can be used to support students more individually, for instance by fostering self-regulated learning (SRL). Therefore, we focus on the implementation of an innovative SRL training program. With regard to the theoretical model, our implementation was structured into three phases: firstly, we evaluated a newly developed SRL training program using a complex experimental field study design. Secondly, we provided teacher training in order to qualify teachers to conduct the training, and we evaluated this approach in a quasi-experimental design. Thirdly, we focused the adaptation of school organizational factors in order to sustainably foster the students’ SRL competencies. The implementation of innovation presented in this chapter could be seen as a contribution to fostering the optimal usage of the allday schools’ added opportunities (e.g. extra time) in order to support students more individually.

The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA; e.g., OECD, Sample tasks from the PISA 2000 assessment, 2002a; OECD, Learning for tomorrow’s world: first results from PISA 2003, 2004; OECD, PISA 2006: Science competencies for tomorrow’s world, 2007; OECD, PISA 2009 Technical Report, 2012) is an international large scale assessment study that aims to assess the skills and knowledge of 15-year-old students, and based on the results, to compare education systems across the participating (about 70) countries (with a minimum number of approx. 4,500 tested students per country). Initiator of this Programme is the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD; www.pisa.oecd.org). We review the main methodological techniques of the PISA study. Primarily, we focus on the psychometric procedure applied for scaling items and persons. PISA proficiency scale construction and proficiency levels derived based on discretization of the continua are discussed. For a balanced reflection of the PISA methodology, questions and suggestions on the reproduction of international item parameters, as well as on scoring, classifying and reporting, are raised. We hope that along these lines the PISA analyses can be better understood and evaluated, and if necessary, possibly be improved.

An interferometric surface profiler for high-magnification fixed through glass measurement (patent pending), such as for a packaged MEMS or MOEMS measurement, is described in this paper. Three techniques are introduced into the profiler, including aberration correction and long working distance for the objective, substantially shaped illumination and dispersive compensation. Measurement results illuminate that the data of the through glass objective are very close to those of the standard objective.

The wide variety of shapes, functions, and operational parameters of micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) moving into production requires high flexibility for any commercial measurement instrumentation. Customers increasingly desire complete characterization of devices with both in-plane and out-of-plane motion over their full range of frequency, phase, and voltage inputs. Due to the tight tolerances on most MEMS devices, position, shape, and roughness must be measured to nanometer resolution. The parts themselves, however, can have steps up to several millimeters in height, while lateral features may range from a few microns to more than ten millimeters. Additionally, the devices must be characterized from their static state up to frequencies of one megahertz or more. These requirements pose large design challenges for both software and hardware for a system targeted to serve all of these measurement needs. While strobed systems have been used to exmaine moving devices for decades, these systems were generally quite specialized. Some could not measure static parts, while others have height or strict field-of-view limits. This paper describes the design of a general-purpose measurement system for dynamic MEMS components, and presents measurement results on a variety of MEMS devices with various features and modes of activation. Analyses including resonant frequency characterization, step response, and dynamic deformation will be presented on multiple devices.