Jürgen Baumert

Familiäre Lebensverhältnisse, Bildungsbeteiligung und Kompetenzerwerb

Zu den wichtigsten bildungspolitischen Zielen demokratischer Gesellschaften gehort es, allen Heranwachsenden gleich gute Bildungschancen zu geben, sie individuell optimal zu fordern und gleichzeitig soziale, ethnische und kulturelle Disparitaten der Bildungsbeteiligung und des Bildungserfolgs auszugleichen. Jurgen Mittelstras schreibt dazu im dritten Abschnitt seiner Abhandlung „Flug der Eule“: „Moderne Gesellschaften, die sich als aufgeklarte Gesellschaften dem Projekt der Moderne verpflichtet fuhlen, sind durch die Dialektik zweier Prinzipien konstituiert. Das eine, das Prinzip Gleichheit, verleiht dem Postulat ‚sei gleich!‘, ‚verwirkliche den allgemeinen Willen!‘, Ausdruck, das andere, das Prinzip Freiheit, dem Postulat ‚sei verschieden!‘, ‚verwirkliche den subjektiven Willen!‘ Beide Prinzipien gehoren zusammen und beide Prinzipien sind auch das Wesen demokratischer Gesellschaften als Gesellschaften nicht nur politisch gleicher, sondern auch ungleich individuierter Burger. Sie lassen zugleich erkennen, worin die sensible Problematik eines vernunftigen Bildungssystems beruht. Wenn namlich sowohl Gleichheitsstrukturen (Prinzip Gleichheit) als auch Individualitatsstrukturen (Prinzip Freiheit) zum Wesen demokratischer Gesellschaften gehoren, dann hat die Gesellschaft, dann hat der Staat die Voraussetzungen nicht nur der einen, sondern auch der anderen zu schaffen. (...) Demgegenuber kommt es darauf an, einen institutionellen Weg zu finden, der die Konkurrenz der Prinzipien Gleichheit und Freiheit nicht schon institutionell entscheidet, bevor sie uberhaupt zur Geltung kommt“ (Mittelstras, 1989, S. 47)

Does interest matter? The relationship between academic interest and achievement in mathematics

A total of n = 602 students (59.5% female) from academically selected schools in Germany were tested at three time points--end of Grade 7, end of Grade 10, and middle of Grade 12-in order to investigate the relationships between academic interest and achievement in mathematics. In addition, sex differences in achievement, interest, and course selection were analyzed. At the end of Grade 10, students opted for either a basic or an advanced mathematics course. Data analyses revealed sex differences in favor of boys in mathematics achievement, interest, and opting for an advanced mathematics course. Further analyses by means of structural equation modeling show that interest had no significant effect on learning from Grade 7 to Grade 10, but did affect course selection-that is, highly interested students were more likely to choose an advanced course. Furthermore, interest at the end of Grade 10 had a direct and an indirect effect (via course selection) on achievement in upper secondary school. In addition, results suggest that, at least from Grade 7 to Grade 10, achievement affected interest-that is, high achievers expressed more interest than low achievers. The findings underline the importance of interest for academic choices and for self-regulated learning when the instructional setting is less structured.

Pedagogical content knowledge and content knowledge of secondary mathematics teachers

Drawing on the work of L. S. Shulman (1986), the authors present a conceptualization of the pedagogical content knowledge and content knowledge of secondary-level mathematics teachers. They describe the theory-based construction of tests to assess these knowledge categories and the implementation of these tests in a sample of German mathematics teachers (N=198). Analyses investigate whether pedagogical content knowledge and content knowledge can be distinguished empirically, and whether the mean level of knowledge and the degree of connectedness between the two knowledge categories depends on mathematical expertise. Findings show that mathematics teachers with an in-depth mathematical training (i.e., teachers qualified to teach at the academic-track Gymnasium) outscore teachers from other school types on both knowledge categories and exhibit a higher degree of cognitive connectedness between the two knowledge categories.

Self-Esteem, Academic Self-Concept, and Achievement: How the Learning Environment Moderates the Dynamics of Self-Concept

The authors examine the directionality of effects between global self-esteem, domain-specific academic self-concepts, and academic achievement. Special emphasis is placed on learning environments as potential moderators of the direction of these effects. According to the meritocracy principle presented here, so-called bottom-up effects (i.e., self-esteem is influenced by academic self-concept) are more pronounced in meritocratic learning environments than in ego-protective learning environments. This hypothesis was examined using a three-wave cross-lagged panel design with a large sample of 7th graders from East and West Germany, a total of 5,648 students who were tested shortly after German reunification. Reciprocal effects were found between self-esteem, academic self-concept, and academic achievement. In conformance with the meritocracy principle, support for bottom-up effects was stronger in the meritocratic learning environment.

Schulstruktur und die Entstehung differenzieller Lern- und Entwicklungsmilieus

Sichtbarstes Ergebnis der Gliederung eines Systems in Schulformen, auf die sich Schulerinnen und Schuler nach Leistungsgesichtspunkten verteilen, ist die Homogenisierung von Schulergruppen. Hinsichtlich der Leistung ist diese Wirkung nicht nur erwunscht, sondern eigentlicher Sinn der Masnahme. Dem liegt die Vorstellung zu Grunde, Unterricht konne in relativ homogenen Leistungsgruppen besser auf Schulervoraussetzungen abgestimmt und damit zum Zwecke der Forderung aller optimiert werden. Da Schulleistungen aber auch mit der Sozialschichtzugehorigkeit kovariieren, ist mit der Verteilung auf institutionell getrennte Bildungsgange immer auch die soziale Trennung von Schulerinnen und Schulern verbunden. Soziale Segregation ist die Kehrseite institutioneller Leistungsdifferenzierung (Baumert, Trautwein, & Artelt 2003). Dies gilt auch, wenn Schulerinnen und Schuler in nicht gegliederten Systemen innerhalb einer einzelnen Schule auf Zuge verteilt werden oder nach Leistung differenzierte Kurse wahlen (Heck, Price, & Thomas, 2004; Oakes & Wells, 1996; Oakes u.a., 1990).

Teachers' Content Knowledge and Pedagogical Content Knowledge: The Role of Structural Differences in Teacher Education

Pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) and content knowledge (CK) are key components of teacher competence that affect student progress. However, little is known about how teacher education affects the development of CK and PCK. To address this question, our research group constructed tests to directly assess mathematics teachers’ CK and PCK. Based on these tests, we compared the PCK and CK of four groups of mathematics teachers at different points in their teaching careers in Germany. Confirmatory factor analyses showed that PCK and CK measurement was satisfactorily invariant across the teacher populations considered. As expected, the largest differences in CK and PCK were found between the beginning and the end of initial teacher education. Differences in the structures of teacher education were reasonably well reflected in participants’ CK and PCK.

Reunification of East and West German School Systems: Longitudinal Multilevel Modeling Study of the Big-Fish-Little-Pond Effect on Academic Self-Concept

Longitudinal data from large cohorts of seventh grade (n = 2,778) East and West German students were collected at the start of the reunification of the school systems to evaluate how this remarkable social experiment affects self-concept formation. Multilevel modeling demonstrated a negative “big-fish-little-pond effect” (BFLPE); attending classes where class-average math achievement was higher led to lower math self-concepts. West German students attended schools that were highly stratified in relation to ability before and after the reunification, whereas East German students first attended selective schools after the reunification. Consistent with theoretical predictions based on this difference, the negative BFLPE—the negative effect of class-average achievement—was more negative in West German schools at the start of the reunification. This difference, however, was smaller by the middle of the year and had disappeared by the end of the first post-reunification school year. Whereas East and West German results both support the negative BFLPE, their differences supported theoretical predictions, extended theory, and demonstrated how changes in school policy influence the formation of academic self-concept.

Schulumwelten — institutionelle Bedingungen des Lehrens und Lernens

Ein strukturbildendes Merkmal der Mittelstufe des Schulwesens in Deutschland ist die Gliederung in unterschiedliche Schulformen. Die fruhe Verteilung von Schulerinnen und Schulern auf unterschiedliche Bildungsgange nach Masgabe von Eignung und Leistung ist eine Besonderheit, die Deutschland mit anderen deutschsprachigen Landern wie Osterreich und der Schweiz teilt. Osterreich etwa trennt in der 5. Jahrgangsstufe die allgemein bildenden hoheren Schulen (AHS) von den Hauptschulen. Die Schweiz differenziert — zumindest in einigen Kantonen — ebenfalls fruh unterschiedliche Bildungsgange. Andere europaische Lander kennen die Differenzierung in Schulformen auch; sie setzt jedoch erst in der 7., 8. oder 9. Jahrgangsstufe ein, wie dies in Belgien, Luxemburg, den Niederlanden oder der Tschechischen Republik der Fall ist. Mit der fruhen Verteilung auf unterschiedliche weiterfuhrende Schulformen wird bis heute eine der masgeblichen Entscheidungen uber individuelle Bildungsverlaufe in Deutschland im Alter von zehn bis elf Jahren getroffen.

Big-Fish-Little-Pond Effect : Persistent negative effects of selective high schools on self-concept after graduation

According to the big-fish-little-pond effect (BFLPE), attending academically selective high schools negatively affects academic self-concept. Does the BFLPE persist after graduation from high school? In two large, representative samples of German high school students (Study 1: 2,306 students, 147 schools; Study 2: 1,758 students, 94 schools), the predictive effects of individual achievement test scores and school grades on math self-concept are very positive, whereas the predictive effects of school-average achievement are negative (the BFLPE). Both studies showed that the BFLPE was substantial at the end of high school and was still substantial 2 years (Study 1) or 4 years (Study 2) later. In addition, because of the highly salient system of school tracks within the German education system, the authors are able to show that negative effects associated with school type (highly academically selective schools, the Gymnasium) were similar—but smaller—than the BFLPE based on school-average achievement.

Test motivation in the assessment of student skills : The effects of incentives on motivation and performance

There is widespread concern that assessments which have no direct consequences for students, teachers or schools underestimate student ability, and that the extent of this underestimation increases as the students become ever more familiar with such tests. This issue is particularly relevant for international comparative studies such as the IEA’s Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and the OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).In the present experimental study, a short form of the PISA mathematical literacy test is used to explore whether the levels of test motivation and test performance observed in the context of the standard PISA assessment situation can be improved by raising the stakes of testing. The impact of (1) informational feedback, (2) grading, and (3) performance-contingent financial rewards on the personal value of performing well, perceived utility of participating in the test, intended and invested effort, task-irrelevant cognitions, and test performance are investigated. The central finding of the study is that the different treatment conditions make the various value components of test motivation equally salient. Consequently, no differences were found either with respect to intended and invested effort or to test performance.RésuméIl y a une mise en question assez répandue quant à la tendance qu’auraient les évaluations de performance scolaire ne tirant à conséquence directe ni pour les élèves ni pour les professeurs ni pour les établissments scolaires de sousestimer la compétence des élèves, cette sousestimation s’aggravant avec la connaissance approfondie de ce genre de tests chez les élèves. Le problème est particulièrement grave quand il s’agit d’études comparatives internationales comme le Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) de l’IEA ou ie Programme for International Student Assessments (PISA) de l’OCDE.Dans l’étude expérimentale présentée ici, une version abrégée du test de culture mathématique utilisé pour PISA a été administrée pour savoir si le renforcement des enjeux du test les niveaux de motivation et de performance augmente par rapport à ceux observés dans le contexte de la situation standard de l’évaluation PISA. On a ainsi étudié l’effet exercé par (1) le feed-back en informations, (2) l’établissement de notes de performance et (3) les récompenses financières, échelonnées sur la performance observée, sur la valeur personnelle de bien performer, la perception du rendement de la participation au test, l’effort intentionnel et investi, les cognitions non-pertinentes à la tâche, et la performance réalisée au test. Le résultat majeur de l’étude est que la saillance des divers valeurs qui entrent dans la motivation de bien performer au test est la même pour toutes conditions proposées. Par conséquence, des différences n’ont été trouvées ni pour l’effort intentionnel et investi, ni pour la performance réalisée au test.