Teaching-learning processes in history and citizenship education

The research projects in this group have the goal of providing empirically saturated basis’s for teaching history and citizenship education. Lesson quality and teaching-learning processes will be researched both in a systemically limited and multi-determined way. Within this focus of research, the central processes of influence of this complex structure between extramural learning experiences and scholastic learning processes will be described and their effectiveness recorded. Interventions strategies can subsequently be formulated for lesson practice.

Online survey: "Political Simulation of EU Politics on Migration and Asylum Policy"

On behalf of the European Parliament, EuroSoc GmbH will conduct a series of political simulations in German public and vocational schools. These simulations aim at facilitating the understanding of the European decision-making process by allowing participants to role-play as different actors involved in the European politics. Thus the students experience first-hand the mechanisms and functional logic of the EU Commission, the Council of the EU, and the European Parliament. The event's thematic focal point will be in the key areas of European demographic development, migration of workforce and their families, as well as general acceptance and integration of migrants.
Through an online survey of the participating students, the Center for Citizenship and History Education will evaluate the effects and acceptance of such simulations. The data will consequently serve as the basis for an academic publication which will contribute to the general understanding of simulations as an alternative to classic teacher-centered schooling.

project leader: Béatrice Ziegler
project collaborator: Patrik Zamora
duration: April 2013-December 2017
further information (project database FHNW; in German)

Online survey: "Information event on the financial and debt crisis"

EuroSoc GmbH will conduct a series of information events in German public and vocational schools. The sessions are centered around the topic of the continuing financial and debt crisis. The Center for Citizenship and History Education will conduct an online survey of the participating students in order to evaluate the effects and acceptance of the information events. The generated data will provide valuable insights on the effects of such sessions, and shall be utilized for an academic publication.

project leader: Béatrice Ziegler
project collaborator: Patrik Zamora
duration: April-December 2013
further information (project database FHNW; in German)

HITCH: Large scale assessment of historical thinking skills

History education that aims to promote historical thinking skills needs feedback on how good this goal is achieved. Until now, the subject of history has not been tested on large empirical studies. Based on a well-founded conceptual model a test of historical skills is going to be developed that can measure to which extent students at the end of the secondary level dispose of skills to think historically. The competence structure model for historical thinking (FUER model, Schreiber et al. 2006) will be taken as basis to develop such a test for measuring historical skills. In close consultation with history teachers school-related tasks are being developed that will meet the variety of historical skills. The Department of Political education and history teaching participates as an associate partner in this cooperative project of the University of Hamburg (Prof. Dr. Andreas Körber, Prof. Bodo von Borries), the Catholic University of Eichstätt / Ingolstadt (Prof. Dr. Waltraud Schreiber) and the University of Tübingen (Prof. Dr. Ulrich Trautwein).

project leader: Béatrice Ziegler
project collaborators: Jan Hodel, Monika Waldis
duration: 10.2012 - 12.2013
further information (project database FHNW; in German)

narratio: Measuring historical thinking skills with students narrations

The project "narratio" examines how narrations of students that are stimulated by a variety of materials and a specific task are suitable for the measurement of historical skills. The project starts from the premise that the appropriate and targeted treatment of historical narratives is at the heart of historical expertise. This includes the analysis and the production of narrations. For this purpose, a test tool will be developed consisting of a task set and code manual, which encodes narrations of students with regard to the narrative structures therein and the quality of narrative performance of the narrations.

project leader: Béatrice Ziegler
project collaborators: Jan Hodel, Monika Waldis
cooperation partners: University of Osnabrück (Prof. Dr. Meik Zülsdorf-Kersting), University of Education Freiburg (Prof. Dr. Holger Thünemann)
duration: 10.2012-12.2013
further information (project database FHNW; in German)

Class council BKS

In the class councils the teacher and the pupils discuss common affairs. Based on the results of the research project “An empirical analysis of class councils” a guide for teachers is created and published on the website www.politiklernen.ch.

project leader: Béatrice Ziegler
project collaborators: Alexander Lötscher, Patrik Zamora
duration: 01.2013-12.2013
further information (project database FHNW; in German)

Past projects

MemoHist - audio-visuals medias in history lessons
(project database FHNW; in German)
project leader: Béatrice Ziegler
project collaborators: Vera Sperisen, Nicole Wälti
An empirical analysis on class councils
(project database FHNW; in German)
project leader: Corinne Wyss, project collaborator: Alexander Lötscher
Historicalonlinecompetence
(project database FHNW; in German)
project leader: Jan Hodel