Background Studies on COVID-19-related school closures indicate potential detrimental effects on student learning gains (“learning losses”). However, the findings are heterogeneous, and further evidence based on longitudinal designs and large-scale datasets is needed. There is also a lack of evidence as to whether the pandemic has really boosted digitization in schools. Aims Our study examines (1) the impact of the pandemic on students’ learning gains, (2) the relationship between school context variables related to students’ home environment and learning gains, and (3) the extent to which school closures contributed to an increased use of digital learning support systems. Sample The study uses longitudinal, large-scale data from a Swiss digital learning support system. Data from 135,551 tests from 24,827 students (grade levels 8 and 9) in the Swiss canton St.Gallen were analyzed. Methods We employed longitudinal multiple-group item response and latent change models to estimate learning gains, added regression paths for school context differences, and used time series decomposition to assess trends in learning support system usage. Results There are no statistically significant signs of learning losses during school closures, but a temporary “acceleration effect” one year later. No systematic effects were found for school context variables. Usage data show increased digital test use, suggesting a possible pandemic-related “digitization boost.” Conclusions The findings underline the importance of preparing for future school closures by considering smart digital technologies and tailored support measures.
Abstract Background Extracurricular science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programmes are very popular and are actively used by teachers and students. Studies evaluating these initiatives show positive effects on cognitive, affective, and motivational student traits, which in turn can influence career choices in STEM. Based on attendance at such programmes, specifically school labs, we measured students’ learning gain, the enjoyment experienced during attendance, the change in interest and self-efficacy beliefs in STEM, and how these factors related to STEM career intentions. To this end, 2605 students who had attended a school lab in Switzerland or in the Principality of Liechtenstein were surveyed with a questionnaire. Results Based on a structural equation model, it could be shown that learning gains and enjoyment of the visit correlated strongly. Furthermore, in the model these two variables did not have a direct effect on STEM career intentions, but an indirect one via the change in self-efficacy beliefs. This shift in beliefs related strongly to STEM career intentions as well as the development in interest in STEM, which was also highly associated with STEM career intentions. Conclusions Overall, we could demonstrate the importance of four direct and indirect factors resulting from attending a school lab that are important influences on the fostering of students’ STEM career intentions.
IntroductionSituation-specific skills, comprising Perception, Interpretation, and Decision-making (PID), are considered a central facet of teachers’ professional competence, linking professional knowledge to observable performance. However, empirically validated instruments to assess these skills in the specific context of Classroom Management (CM) in Physical Education (PE) are lacking. This study details the development and validation of a video-based test instrument designed to measure pre-service PE teachers’ CM-related PID.MethodsThe study utilized a sample of n = 877 pre-service PE teachers from four Swiss universities of teacher education. The instrument includes 10 unscripted video vignettes with 150 closed-format items. Psychometric properties were analyzed using Item Response Theory (IRT), specifically comparing 1PL, 2PL, and 3PL models, as well as testing for dimensionality and differential item functioning (DIF).ResultsFindings supported a unidimensional 2PL model as the most parsimonious and robust solution, despite theoretical assumptions of a tripartite (P-I-D) structure. The instrument demonstrated acceptable reliability (EAP = 0.73) and good local fit. A shortened version (7 vignettes) was successfully validated (r = 0.81 with the full version), enhancing test economy. Construct validity was supported by a significant moderate correlation with CM-related professional knowledge (r = 0.29). Criterion-related validity was supported, as the test successfully differentiated between students in their first and third years of study.DiscussionThe results indicate that the instrument is a valid and efficient tool for assessing CM-related situation-specific skills in teacher education. The unidimensional structure suggests that closed-format video tests primarily capture a holistic, knowledge-based reasoning ability. The study discusses limitations regarding ceiling effects and provides implications for using the instrument in future intervention studies and diagnostic contexts.
Lernende müssen auf allen Bildungsstufen Wissen, Fähigkeiten und Haltungen entwickeln, die ihnen ermöglichen, aktiv an der Gestaltung der zunehmend digitalen Welt teilzunehmen (Kerres 2020). Im Kontext einer Kultur der Digitalität (Stalder 2016) geht es nicht mehr nur um Fragen der medialen Vermittlung, sondern auch um die Gestaltung individueller und gesellschaftlicher Realitäten. Angesichts der zunehmenden Realisierung einer umfassenden digital-immersiven Welt (KI-gestützte, global vernetzte, soziale xReality [Rauschnabel et al. 2022], das ‹Metaverse›) wird die Frage nach einer aktiven Beteiligung und damit nach einem gestalterischen Zugang immer drängender. Bei der noch jungen XR-Technologie ist der Zugang zur Mitgestaltung jedoch keineswegs selbstverständlich. Anhand eines Fallbeispiels soll aufgezeigt werden, dass die iterativen Zyklen beim Entwickeln einer XR-App durchaus vergleichbar sind mit den Prozessen, die beim Gestalten in der analogen Welt zum Zuge kommen. Entsprechend wird das Instrument «Forschend Lernen und Gestalten» (Pöhl und Zgraggen 2024) auf die XR-Technologie übertragen. So soll gezeigt werden, wie Entwurfshandeln in XR genutzt werden kann, um der Gestaltbarkeit der Welt – als zentrales Thema der Kulturellen Bildung – auch in der Digitalität gerecht zu werden. Auf dieser Grundlage werden Empfehlungen für die Lehrpersonenbildung formuliert, um die Gestaltbarkeit der digital-immersiven Welt (‹Metaverse›) zu verhandeln.
Students in the same classroom often differ substantially in what they have already mastered and what they are ready to learn next. Imagine a mathematics teacher introducing linear functions: some students can already identify the slope from a graph but struggle with determining the y-intercept from an equation, while others may not have mastered either skill yet. How can a digital learning system identify each student's specific pattern of mastered and unmastered skills and recommend appropriate next steps? Knowledge Space Theory (KST; Doignon & Falmagne, 1985) provides a mathematical framework for exactly this purpose. In KST, a domain is modeled as a set of exercise types, each capturing a specific cognitive demand. These exercise types are then organized into a knowledge structure by specifying prerequisite relations among them — that is, the dependencies that constrain which exercise types typically need to be mastered before others. Based on a student's responses, KST can infer which skills have been mastered, which are missing, and which should be learned next. This chapter introduces the formal foundations of KST and illustrates how these structures enable individualized assessment and statistically grounded insights into learning paths.
