Cognitive activation at the interface of teaching quality research and teachers' practice

Project Management:

Jan-Friso Heeren

 

Contributors:

Prof. Dr Benjamin Fauth

Prof Dr Jasmin Decristan

 

 

Project objective:

This research project aims to examine and further develop the concept of Cognitive Activation (CA) with a focus on perspectives and practices of teachers. It combines theoretical findings from teaching quality research with the practical application knowledge and experiences of teachers. The goal is to develop both a more precise conceptualization and operationalization of CA, as well as practice-oriented support implications for teachers.

 

Project description:

In research on teaching quality, CA is often understood as an offer with the potential to promote learning processes. However, the actual utilization by learners—and consequently the learning success—depends on individual factors such as fit, adaptability, and motivation. Taking these factors into account, the first step will be to develop a differentiated conceptualization and operationalization of CA that systematically considers both the offer and its utilization by learners.

In a further step, this conceptualization will be extended through concrete instructional practices and the experiences of practicing teachers. By analyzing current classroom practices and challenges, a practice-oriented, shared understanding of CA will be developed in dialogue with teachers.

Based on these findings, another goal of this project is to provide teachers with both comprehensive knowledge about the effectiveness of CA and practical guidance on how to implement it. For this purpose, professional development programs will be developed, carried out, and evaluated to support teachers in planning and implementing cognitively activating classroom settings.

 

Approach and methodology:

• Literature and document analysis for the theoretical conceptualization and operationalization of CA

•  Qualitative and quantitative analyses (interviews, questionnaires, lesson observations) of teachers' perspectives and experiences with CA

•  Cooperation with teachers to ensure practical relevance

•  Conceptualization, implementation and evaluation of professional development programs

 

Duration

Since May 2025