On these pages the research group »Research on Teachers and Teacher Education« informs about current and finished research projects.
Project
Leadership in German Schools (LineS2020)
The relevance of school leadership for school development and for the performance of students is recognized internationally. Although there are single empirical studies on school leadership in Germany, comprehensive findings on the careers of school leaders are still lacking. For example, questions about what makes the position of a principal attractive to teachers, why school principals take this position, and what reasons speak against remaining in that position have not been sufficiently researched in the German-speaking world. This is particularly relevant against the background of an increasing lack of qualified applications for the position and in view of the frequent changes of school leaders. The project therefore raises the question of what makes the position of a school principal (in)attractive and what career motives and job change intentions school principals have. It takes a variety of individual and structural factors into account, as well as the role of professional support (e.g. mentoring) and qualification (professionalisation). In addition, the study examines how these factors are related to the double demand on school administrators to manage schools in a stable and efficient way and to make schools adaptable and flexible through school development (perspective of ambidexterity). The study is based on a representative data set (n = 405) of school leaders at general schools in Germany, which was collected via the field service provider forsa GmbH in an online survey. The project uses a measurement repetition design to repeatedly survey the participating school leaders at intervals of several years. It is a cooperative project between Prof. Dr. Colin Cramer and Dr. Jana Groß Ophoff (Tübingen), PD Dr. Marcus Pietsch (Lüneburg) and Prof. Dr. Pierre Tulowitzki (Windisch, Switzerland).
Publications
Syvertsen, I. M., Röhl, S., Pietsch, M., & Cramer, C. (2024). School leaders’ innovation-related self-efficacy: professional development and learning networks make a difference. Professional Development in Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/19415257.2024.2434106
Pietsch, M., Cramer, C., Brown, C., Aydin, B., & Witthöft, J. (2024). Open Innovation in Schools. A New Imperative for Organising Innovation in Education? Technology, Knowledge and Learning, 29(2), 1051–1077. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10758-023-09705-2
Pietsch, M., Brown, C., Aydin, B., & Cramer, C. (2023). Open innovation networks: a driver for knowledge mobilisation in schools? Journal of Professional Capital and Community, 8(3), 202–218. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPCC-02-2023-0012
Pietsch, M., Tulowitzki, P., & Cramer, C. (2023). Innovating teaching and instruction in turbulent times: The dynamics of principals’ exploration and exploitation activities. Journal of Educational Change, 24, 549–581. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10833-022-09458-2
Pietsch, M., Tulowitzki, P., & Cramer, C. (2022). Principals between exploitation and exploration: Results of a nationwide study on ambidexterity of school leaders. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 50(4), 574–592. https://doi.org/10.1177/1741143220945705
Röhl, S., Pietsch, M., & Cramer, C. (2022). School Leaders’ Self-efficacy and its Impact on Innovation: Findings of a Repeated Measurement Study. Educational Management Administration & Leadership. https://doi.org/10.1177/17411432221132482
Pietsch, M., Tulowitzki, P., & Cramer, C. (2022). Innovating teaching and instruction in turbulent times: The dynamics of principals’ exploration and exploitation activities. Journal of Educational Change. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10833-022-09458-2
Pietsch, M., Tulowitzki, P., & Cramer, C. (2022). Principals between exploitation and exploration: Results of a nationwide study on ambidexterity of school leaders. Educational Management Administration & Leadership. https://doi.org/10.1177/1741143220945705.
Cramer, C., Groß Ophoff, J., Pietsch, M., & Tulowitzki, P. (2021). Corona-Pandemie aus Sicht von Schulleitungen – Kurzbericht zur Studie. https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/VWDB8.
Cramer, C., Groß Ophoff, J., Pietsch, M., & Tulowitzki, P. (2021). Schulleitung in Deutschland. Repräsentative Befunde zur Attraktivität, zu Karrieremotiven und zu Arbeitsplatzwechselabsichten. Die Deutsche Schule, 113(2), 132–148. https://doi.org/10.31244/dds.2021.02.02.
Cramer, C., Groß Ophoff, J., Pietsch, M., & Tulowitzki, P. (2020). Schulleitungen in Deutschland – Kurzbericht zur Studie. https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/GNCFU.
Presentations (selection)
09/2022
Kongress der Österreichischen Gesellschaft für Forschung und Entwicklung im Bildungswesen (ÖFEB) in Graz: Schulleitung: Chance oder Belastung? Internationale Befunde und Forschungsperspektiven. Together with G. Brauchle, J. Groß Ophoff, M. Pietsch und P. Tulowitzki. [Presentation]
04/2022
American Educational Research Association (AERA) 2022 annual meeting at San Diego: Cultivating Equitable Education Systems for the 21st Century: School leaders’ self-efficacy before pan-demic predicts how schools innovate during school closures. Together with S. Röhl und M. Pietsch. [Presentation]
04/2022
American Educational Research Association (AERA) 2022 annual meeting at San Diego: Cultivating Equitable Education Systems for the 21st Century: How can principals successfully navigate a crisis? Assessing the interplay of exploration, exploitation and innovation. Together with M. Pietsch und P. Tulowitzki. [Presentation]
03/2022
Alles auf Anfang? Bildung im digitalen Wandel. Tagung der Gesellschaft für Empirische Bildungsforschung (GEBF) in Bamberg: Die Rolle der Selbstwirksamkeit von Schulleitenden für deren Innovativität im Umgang mit pandemiebedingten Schulschließungen. Together with S. Röhl und M. Pietsch. [Presentation]
01/2022
International Congress for School Effectiveness and Improvement (ICSEI) Virtual Congress 2022: Principals’ Self-efficacy Before Pandemic Predicts How Schools Innovate During School Closures. Together with S. Röhl und M. Pietsch. [Presentation; online]
01/2022
International Congress for School Effectiveness and Improvement (ICSEI) Virtual Congress 2022: The COVID-Pandemic From The Perspective Of German School Leaders. Together with J. Groß Ophoff, M. Pietsch und P. Tulowitzki. [Presentation; online]