IDeA – project IGEL

Schools and teachers are challenged every day to deal with a heterogeneous student population in need of individualized support during classroom instruction. Teachers have to ensure that (a) each child is able to reach his or her full potential as well as that (b) all children meet the educational standards. Such successful classrooms are called "adaptive learning environments". However, often teachers do not feel sufficiently prepared to meet the instructional goals associated with adaptive teaching. Furthermore, research on the effectiveness of adaptive teaching methods for supporting children's individual learning paths is still lacking.
The IDeA-IGEL-project "Individual support and adaptive learning environments in elementary school" is an intervention study in science education in order to evaluate adaptive teaching methods. In a first stage, the teachers participate in professional development workshops on adaptive teaching methods and on the topic of Floating and Sinking in science education. Next, the teachers shall apply the learned teaching methods on the topic of Floating and Sinking in their classrooms. During this entire phase, the teachers and the students complete questionnaires and tests. Furthermore, selected science lessons are video recorded. Results of the project shall provide new empirical findings for providing individual support to students during classroom instruction that contribute to the scientific discourse on individual support of students, and are transferred to educational practice.

Further Information IDeA – project IGEL

Scientific coordinator / responsible project managers

Prof. Dr. Ilonca Hardy (Goethe-Universität Frankfurt)
Prof. Dr. Eckhard Klieme (DIPF)
Dr. Jasmin Warwas (DIPF)
Prof. Dr. Gerhard Büttner (Goethe-Universität Frankfurt)
Prof. Dr. Silke Hertel (DIPF)
Prof. Dr. Mareike Kunter (Goethe-Universität Frankfurt)
Prof. Dr. Arnim Lühken (Goethe-Universität Frankfurt)

Project coordinator

Martin Heußner
Dr. Jasmin Warwas

Members of staff

Katja Adl-Amini (DIPF)
Anna-Theresia Decker (Goethe Universität Frankfurt)
Sanna-Kristina Djaković (DIPF)
Benjamin C. Fauth (Goethe Universität Frankfurt)
Lena Hondrich (DIPF)
Dr. Susanne Mannel (Goethe Universität Frankfurt)
Alexander Naumann (DIPF)
Svenja Rieser (Goethe Universität Frankfurt)

Owing to technical reasons, the project participants employed at the DIPF are again listed below: