Using the NEPS database to examine effects of a reform in upper-secondary education on achievement differences, and gender disparities

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Ulrich Trautwein
• Subject Area: General and Domain-Specific Teaching and Learning
• Term: from 2012 to 2016
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 215991514

The proposed project is a substantive analysis utilizing the NEPS database. Using data from the Thuringia data collections of the 2010 and 2011 Abitur student cohorts, the project will examine the consequences of a major reform of upper-secondary education that took place between the two cohorts and involved, among other aspects, the abolishment of the traditional differentiation between advanced and basic courses in mathematics, German, and foreign language. We will focus on three aspects: First, what is the impact of this major school reform on achievement and other outcomes? Second, to what extent does the reform help in homogenizing achievement within and across schools? Third, does the reform affect differences among sexes in academic attainment and educational choice? The findings will be important by themselves, but will also be relevant for the interpretation of findings from a multi-cohort longitudinal study such as NEPS.

• DFG Programme: Infrastructure Priority Programmes
• Subproject of: SPP 1646: Education as a Lifelong Process. Analysing Data of the National Educational Panel Study (NEPS)
• Participating Persons: Dr. Jochen Kramer; Dr. Wolfgang Wagner