Projects

This project is dedicated to innovative EFL teacher education at the University of Duisburg-Essen with a special focus on both developing novice EFL teachers’ digital literacy as well as exploiting digital media for professional and reflective teacher education. The main objective of this project is to develop a moodle-based digital learning platform for beginning EFL teacher students in the bachelor’s program. The platform will then be implemented in the introductory module FD1 following the inverted classroom approach: With the help of this platform students prepare the in-class meetings by independently acquiring knowledge of fundamental models, approaches and skills of foreign language education. Following this, the face-to-face meetings in class will focus on novice EFL teachers experimenting with the practical implementation and application of their knowledge and skills from the start of their teaching career. This project thus aims at bridging the gap between theory and practice of EFL education in school contexts as well as educating reflective EFL practitioners.

Duration: Mar. 2019 – Feb. 2020
Principal investigators: Prof. Dr. Eva Wilden

Presentations:

Wilden, E., Alfes, L., Guttke, J., Hofstra, N. (2019). The Inverted EFL Teachers’ Classroom: digital gestütztes Lernen und Lehren in der Englischlehrerbildung. Netzwerktag Digitalisierung in den Geisteswissenscaften, Universität Duisburg-Essen, November 25, 2019.

The I-TEPS study evaluates the inclusive EFL (English as a foreign language) education at a special educational needs (SEN) school, the Kardinal-von-Galen Haus (KVG) in the German federal state of Lower Saxony. KVG is a SEN school with a special focus on physical and motor disabilities and implements inclusion ‘the other way round’ by admitting non-SEN children to its primary branch. Prior results from the evaluation of this school project showed highly findings for learners’ academic achievements (maths and German) as well as their wellbeing (Gebhard, Olliges & Schumacher 2013; Gebhard & Schröter 2014, 2017). The I-TEPS study contributes on the one hand to evaluating primary EFL education at the project school. On the other hand, it contributes to closing a dramatic empirical research gap regarding inclusive (primary) EFL education.

For the cross-sectional study (control group design) the receptive EFL skills of non-SEN learners attending KVG were tested at the end of year 4, shortly before leaving the school to continue their (regular) schooling at secondary level. These proficiency scores were compared to those of primary school children who had attended regular non-SEN primary schools in the same federal state.

Duration: Jan. 2016 – Dec. 2017
Principal investigators: Prof. Dr. Eva Wilden & Prof. Dr. Raphaela Porsch
Project management: Janina Ehmke
Project team: Benjamin Möbus, Rebecca Schlieckmann
Project partner: Kardinal-von-Galen Haus Dinklage, Guido Venth

Publications

Wilden, E., Porsch, R., Ehmke, J. & Mensing, K. (accepted/2021). Sprachproduktie Leistungen im inklusiven Englischunterricht auf der Primarstufe. Eine Studie zu den Lernergebnissen von Kindern mit und ohne sonderpädagogischen Förderbedarf. K:ON Journal, 2021 (3).

Wilden, E., Porsch, R., & Ehmke, J. (2020). Illusion Inklusion? Empirische Evaluation eines Schulversuchs mit inklusivem Englischunterricht an einer Förderschule. In B. Baumert & M. Willens (Eds.), Werkstatt Inklusion: Ein Teilprojekt der Qualitätsoffensive Lehrerbildung (pp. 115-126). Münster: Waxmann.

Wilden, E. & Porsch, R. (2019). The illusion of inclusion? Evaluating inclusive primary English as a foreign language education in an innovative special educational needs school. Zeitschrift für Fremdsprachenforschung, 2019 (1), 3-20.

Ehmke, J. (2019). Sprechfertigkeiten im frühen Englischunterricht einer Projektschule in Niedersachsen . Lernersprachliche Produktionen in einer inklusiven und einer Förderschulklasse. In A. Kreft & M. Hasenzahl (Eds.), Aktuelle Tendenzen in der Fremdsprachendidaktik: Zwischen Professionalisierung, Lernerorientierung und Kompetenzerwerb (pp. 97–113). Berlin: Lang.

Baumert, B., Vierbuchen, M.-C., & Team BRIDGES. (2018). Eine Schule für alle - Wie geht das? Qualitätsmerkmale und Gelingensbedingungen für eine inklusive Schule und inklusiven Unterricht. Zeitschrift Für Heilpädagogik, 18(11), 526–541.

In the German context, foreign language education is a relatively new school subject at primary level. Since the school year 2004/05 learning English as a Foreign Language (EFL) has been a compulsory primary school subject in most of the 16 German federal states. In all federal states children learn a foreign language at least from year 3 onwards; in four states (i.e. North Rhine-Westphalia, Brandenburg, Hamburg & Rhineland-Palatinate) the age of onset is earlier, in the second half of year 1 (effective: May 2019). There is insufficient evidence regarding an early or late start in primary EFL education and its effects on learners’ target language proficiency. Furthermore, there is little empirical knowledge about other factors in early EFL education, such as teaching quality or teacher characteristics. The TEPS study is addressing these research gaps by exploring the conditions and outcomes of primary EFL education in two different federal states with different ages of onset, North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony.

The TEPS study is a cross-sectional study in two federal states testing the receptive EFL proficiency of primary learners’ with different ages of onset at the end of year 4. Furthermore, both learners and primary EFL teachers were surveyed regarding further variables. For the main study in data was collected among 770 primary learners and 844 primary EFL teachers in summer 2017 (pilot study: summer 2016).

Duration: Jan. 2015 – Dec. 2017
Principal investigators: Prof. Dr. Eva Wilden & Prof. Dr. Raphaela Porsch
Project management: Janina Ehmke
Project team: Benjamin Möbus, Rebecca Schlieckmann

Publications:

Porsch, R., & Wilden, E. (in preparation/2021). Teaching English Out-of-Field in Primary School: Differences in Professional Characteristics and Effects on Instructional Quality. In L. Hobbs & Porsch (Eds.), Out-of-field Teaching across the Teaching Disciplines and Contexts. Singapore: Springer.

Wilden, E., & Porsch, R. (accepted/2020). L1 and L2 use in primary EFL education and the role of teachers’ L2 proficiency. Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching. Special Issue: English Language Learning in Primary Schools: Variables at Play.

Wilden, E., Porsch, R. & Schurig, M. (2020). An early start in primary EFL education and the role of teacher qualification and teaching quality. Language Teaching for Young Learners , 2 (1), 28-51. DOI: http://doi.org/10.1075/ltyl.19002.wil

Wilden, E. (2020). Freude und Angst bei Lernenden im Englischunterricht der Grundschule. In E. Burwitz-Melzer, C. Riemer, & L.Schmelter (Eds.), Affektiv-emotionale Dimensionen beim Lehren und Lernen von Fremdsprachen: Arbeitspapiere 40. Frühjahrskonferenz zur Erforschung des Fremdsprachenunterrichts (pp. 249-259). Tübingen: Narr.

Wilden, E. & Porsch, R. (2019). The impact of teaching quality and learning time on primary EFL learners' receptive proficiency. Preliminary Findings from the TEPS study. AILA Review, 32 (2019), 160-177. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1075/aila.00025.wil

Wilden, E., & Porsch, R. (2019). Early vs. Late Starters' Receptive Proficiency. Babylonia, 2019(2), 46.

Werkstatt Inklusion is an interdisciplinary research network at Vechta University funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) in the programme ‘Qualitätsoffensive Lehrerbildung’. Its main aim is to drive forward teacher education as well as research on inclusive education in various school subjects.

Duration: Jan. 2016 – June 2019
Coordinator Werkstatt Inklusion: Prof. Dr. Eva Wilden (Jan. 2016 – Sept. 2017)
Project management: Dr. Annika Rodenhauser
Project website

Publications

Baumert, B., Vierbuchen, M.-C., & Team BRIDGES. (2018). Eine Schule für alle - Wie geht das? Qualitätsmerkmale und Gelingensbedingungen für eine inklusive Schule und inklusiven Unterricht. Zeitschrift Für Heilpädagogik, 18(11), 526–541.

Presentations

Wilden, E., Porsch, R. & Ehmke, J. (2017). Inclusive EFL education in an SEN school. Preliminary results of the I-TEPS study. Kardinal-von-Galen Haus in Dinklage/Germany, June 12, 2017.

Wilden, E., Porsch, R. & Ehmke, J. (2017). Inclusive EFL education at an SEN school. Preliminary findings from the I-TEPS study. 2nd Conference of the Vechta Workshop Inclusion. University of Vechta/Germany, February 3, 2017.

Döhrmann, M., Völschow, Y., Wilden, E., Brunner, S. & Rodenhauser, A. (2016). BRIDGES - Brücken bauen. Zusammenarbeit initiieren und gestalten. 1. Programmkongress der Qualitätsoffensive Lehrerbildung. Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung, Berlin/Germany, Oct. 11-12, 2016.

Authenticity plays a major role in both foreign language education as well as in extracurricular educational settings. It aims at furthering pupils’ learning motivation, interest in the subject content and acquisition of transferable knowledge. This study combines both research areas, investigating the authenticity of bilingual reach out labs (BROLs), which are based in the natural sciences but carried out in English as a foreign language (EFL). Reach out labs were developed as extracurricular learning settings in research sites such as universities to advance pupils’ knowledge of scientific methods and promote academic careers in the sciences. In this BROL, pupils participate in a molecular biology reach out lab examining genetically modified DNA in order to foster their understanding of scientific processes. At the same time, they share and critically discuss their individual opinions regarding genetic modification in the process of which learners’ perception of authenticity is a central factor. This study follows a qualitative approach and examines the potential of BROLs for authentic interactions in the foreign language and pupils’ perception of authenticity. It triangulates videography with focus group interviews as well as learner questionnaires to gain insights into learners’ interaction types, their perceptions of authenticity and possible tendencies for differences between students’ perceptions of the BROL. Data is analysed following the TIMS video analysis as well as the documentary method according to Bohnsack (2015).

Duration: Nov. 2013 – Oct. 2016
Principal investigators: Prof. Dr. Eva Wilden & Dr. Marie Vanderbeke
Project website

Publications

Vanderbeke, M., & Wilden, E. (in preparation/2019). Fremdsprachliche Handlungsoptionen und deren Nutzung in Bilingualen Schülerlaborprojekten: Eine Videostudie. In K. Sommer, J. Wirth, & M. Vanderbeke (Eds.), Forschen im Schülerlabor (Arbeitstitel). Münster: Waxmann.

Müller-Brauers, C., Neumann, I., Sprenger, S., & Wilden, E. (in preparation). The concept of ‚authenticity‘ in learning: An interdisciplinary approach from the perspective of geography, language and science education as well as learning sciences.

Martens, M., & Vanderbeke, M. (in preparation). Rekonstruktive Forschung zum Fremdsprachenunterricht als interdisziplinäres Projekt: fachdidaktische, erziehungs- und sozialwissenschaftliche Perspektiven. In E. Wilden & H. Rossa (Eds.), KFU - Kolloquium Fremdsprachenunterricht. Fremdsprachenforschung als interdisziplinäres Projekt. Berlin: Lang.

Vanderbeke, M., & Wilden, E. (2017). Sachfachliche Diskursfähigkeit durch fremdsprachliche affordances in bilingualen Schülerlaborprojekten. Zeitschrfit für Fremdsprachenforschung, 28(1), 3–27.

Betz, A., Flake, S., Mierwald, M. & Vanderbeke, M. (2016). „Modelling Authenticity in Teaching and Learning Contexts: A Contribution to Theory Development and Empirical Investigation of the Construct“. Looi, Chee-Kit; Polman, Joseph; Cress, Ulrike und Peter Reimann (Hrsg.). Transforming Learning, Empowering Learners: The International Conference of the Learning Sciences (ICLS) 2016, Volume 2. Singapore: International Society of the Learning Sciences. 815-818. [Verfügbar unter: https://www.isls.org/icls/2016/docs/ICLS2016_Volume_2.pdf].

Presentations

Vanderbeke, M. (2017). Authentisierungsprozesse in bilingualen Schülerlaborprojekten. DGFF Conference 2017, "Sprachen lernen integriert - global, regional, lokal", Jena, 2017.

Vanderbeke, M. (2016). Authentisierungsprozesse in bilingualen Schülerlaborprojekten: Eine qualitative Studie mit der dokumentarischen Methode. Methoden rekonstruktiver Fremdsprachenforschung: Lautes Denken, Stimulated Recall und Dokumentarische Methode, Kassel, October 10-11, 2016.

Vanderbeke, M. (2016). Authentic Interactions and Pupils' Perceptions of Authenticity in Bilingual Reach out Labs. Poster Presentation. Junior Researchers of EARLI (JURE). July 4-8, Helsinki.

Betz, A., Flake, S., Mierwald, M. & Vanderbeke, M. (2016). Modelling authenticity in teaching and learning context. A contribution to theory development and empirical investigation of the construct. International Conference of the Learning Sciences (ICLS), Singapur, June 20-24, 2016.

Vanderbeke, M. (2015). Nutzung der dokumentarischen Methode zur Interpretation von Schüler/innen-Authentizitätsempfinden. CES-Forschungswerkstatt „Gesprächs- und Interaktionsanalyse der dokumentarischen Methode“, Berlin, December 12, 2015.

Vanderbeke, M. & Wilden, E. (2015). Der Erwerb fachwissenschaftlicher Diskursfähigkeit durch fremdsprachliche affordances in der Wissenschaftsvermittlung im bilingualen Schülerlabor. Symposium 'Wissenschaftsvermittlung im Schülerlabor' Gesellschaft für Fachdidaktik Conference 2015, Universität Hamburg, September 28-30, 2015.

Vanderbeke, M. (2015). Affordances für authentisches fremdsprachliches Handeln in der Wissenschaftsvermittlung bilingualer Schülerlabore. GEBF Conference „Heterogenität. Wert. Schätzen“, Bochum, March 12, 2015.

Vanderbeke, M. (2015). Fremdsprachliche affordances in bilingualen Schülerlaborprojekten aus Schülersicht: Eine qualitative Studie. 11. DGFF-Arbeitstagung für den wissenschaftlichen Nachwuchs in der Fremdsprachenforschung, Münster, February 25, 2015.

Vanderbeke, M. (2014). Sprachhandlungsprozesse in der Wissenschaftsvermittlung im bilingualen Schülerlabor. Eine Untersuchung zur Perspektive der Akteure unter besonderer Berücksichtigung von Authentizität. „Denkanstöße zur Wissenschaftsvermittlung – auch fürs Alfried Krupp-Schülerlabor“ Conference, Bochum, February 7, 2014.

Do primary school children achieve better listening and reading skills when they start learning English as a Foreign Language (EFL) in year 1 instead of year 3? This study is addressing this question by investigating the EFL proficiency of more than 6,500 primary school children in the German federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Data was collected in 2010 and 2012 as part of the interdisciplinary longitudinal research study Ganz In (www.ganzin.de) allowing for the comparison of two cohorts who differ in the age of onset and amount of exposure in early EFL education due to curricular changes: Whereas the 2010 cohort learned EFL (two 45-minute lessons per week; beginning at the age of ~8) over 2 years the 2012 cohort learned EFL for over 3.5 years (two 45-minute lessons per week; beginning at the age of ~6). In summary, the findings show that children with the earlier age of onset and increased amount of exposure in early EFL education demonstrated higher receptive achievements than children a later start in early EFL education. Independent of their mono- or multilingual backgrounds all learners benefitted from the earlier age of onset. Findings indicate that the language background of young learners cannot explain any variance in their receptive EFL proficiency. Instead, their reading skills in German (the language of schooling) in addition to their socio-economic status and gender were identified as factors.

Duration: Oct. 2012 – Apr. 2014
Principal investigators: Prof. Dr. Eva Wilden, PD Dr. Raphaela Porsch & Prof. Dr. Markus Ritter

Publications

Wilden, E., & Porsch, R. (2016). Learning EFL from year 1 or year 3? A Comparative Study on Children’s EFL Listening and Reading Comprehension at the End of Primary Education. In M. Nikolov (Ed.), Assessing Young Learners of English: Global and Local Perspectives (pp. 191–212). New York: Springer.

Wilden, E., & Porsch, R. (2015). Die Hör- und Leseverstehensleistungen im Fach Englisch von Kindern am Ende der Grundschulzeit unter besonderer Berücksichtigung von lebensweltlicher Ein- und Mehrsprachigkeit. In M. Kötter & J. Rymarczyk (Eds.), Englischunterricht auf der Primarstufe: neue Forschungen - weitere Entwicklungen (pp. 59–80). Frankfurt: Lang.

Wilden, E., Porsch, R., & Ritter, M. (2013). Je früher desto besser? - Frühbeginnender Englischunterricht ab Klasse 1 oder 3 und seine Auswirkungen auf das Hör- und Leseverstehen. Zeitschrift für Fremdsprachenforschung, 24(2), 171–201.

Presentations

Wilden, E. & Porsch, R. (2015). English as a foreign language Literacy Skills of Young learners at the end of Elementary Education. Vortrag auf der jährlichen Tagung der International Literacy Association 2015 'Transforming Lives Through Literacy' in St. Louis, Missouri/USA, July 18-20, 2015.

Wilden, E. (2015). Lesen im Englischunterricht der Grundschule. Eine komparative Studie. Gießener Forschungsverbunds ‚Educational Linguistics', Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen/Germany, Jan. 27, 2015.

Wilden, E. & Porsch, R. (2014). Je länger umso besser? Die rezeptiven Englischleistungen von ein- und mehrsprachigen Kindern am Ende der Grundschulzeit. 4. FFF-Konferenz 'Fortschritte im Frühen Fremdsprachenlernen', Universität Leipzig/Germany, Oct. 2-4, 2014.

Wilden, E. & Porsch, R. (2014). The longer the better? EFL listening and reading competences at the end of primary school with a particular focus on multilingual learners. 5. GMF-Bundeskongress, PH Freiburg/Germany, Sept. 25-27, 2014.

Wilden, E. & Porsch, R. (2014). Children's receptive EFL competences at the end of primary education. Evidence from the German Ganz In project. 'Early Language Learning: Theory and Practice in 2014' Conference, Umea/Schweden, June 12-14, 2014.

Wilden, E. & Porsch, R. (2014). The earlier the better? Empirical results on primary EFL education. IATEFL Annual Conference 2014, Harrogate/GB, Apr. 2-5, 2014.

Wilden, E. & Porsch, R. (2014). Je früher desto besser? Empirische Befunde zum frühen Fremdsprachenlernen mit besonderem Blick auf mehrsprachige Kinder. 2. Bundeskongreass Englisch & Mehrsprachigkeit, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main/Germany, Mar. 21-22, 2014.

Wilden, E. & Porsch, R. (2013). Mehr hilft mehr? Die Lernstandserhebung im Rahmen des Ganz In-Projekts nach 2 bzw. 4 Jahren Englischunterricht in der Grundschule. 25. Kongress der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Fremdsprachenforschung, Universität Augsburg/Germany, Sept. 25-28, 2013.