Study title

(Note: in addition to the here described quantitative cross-sectional study, within the study there has also been conducted a qualitative study using guided interviews. The data of the qualitative study are provided by the partner DIPF under controlled access conditions – the link is available under “Further Remarks”) In the past few years, new instruments of quality management were established in the German education system. This includes education standards, central comparison tests and forms of external school evaluation as well as an increased encouragement of competition in and between schools. The research project deals with the lesser acknowledged risks and side effects of these instruments, using the perception of teachers and principals for the coverage and evaluation of these non-intended effects. Topics: 1. Teacher Survey: I) Changes within the school or teaching framework through educational standards: Perceived changes in pedagogical freedom as a teacher with respect to educational standards, framework curricula, competence tests (e.g. VERA), centralized school leaving examinations and school inspections; perceived change in performance orientation in the class, in the meaning of enjoyment of learning in the lessons, in support of under- as well as top-performing pupils; perceived changes with regard to increased pressure, looking good compared to other schools, evaluation of the pupils performance level increasingly by non-school authorities, lower priority of the pupils long-term educational processes, increased pressure to achieve good test results and increased pressure to abandon methodical-didactic experiments in class, setting of learning objectives increasingly by non-school authorities, increasing formation of hierarchies among principal and college; adjustment of own lessons to the level of educational standards; changes in teaching quality by adjusting lessons to level of educational standards. II) Importance and implications of...