Working together on tasks in cross-grade subject lessons

Brief description:
The project combines a social constructivist view of learning with didactic perspectives on the processing of cooperative tasks in subject teaching. Learning is understood as both an individual and a social process based on interactive negotiations of meaning, so that interaction is considered to have a high learning potential (cf. Krummheuer and Naujok 1999). In line with Prange (2014, 90) and Scholz (et al. 2006, 80), who state that the learning process itself cannot be observed, but that efforts and changes can be interpreted, the study focuses on the interactions between pupils when working on tasks together. These interactive negotiations of meaning are intended to make learning in cross-grade teams in subject lessons comprehensible. The central data collection method is videography of children working together on tasks in mixed-grade constellations. Observation protocols, field notes and audio recordings are also made. Due to the selection of independent and state schools with different profiles in the federal states of Berlin and Saxony, the research project aims to incorporate the greatest possible variance in school contexts and experiences with regard to mixed year groups. Against this background, it can be assumed that joint learning has different facets that need to be analyzed with regard to the development of subject didactics.

Responsible for the project:
Prof. Dr. Matthea Wagener
Daniela Jähn
Tina Walther M.A.

Project-related publications: