Effects of educational processes in non-formal settings on work-related resources in the transition of middle and lower secondary school pupils into vocational training

• Applicant: Dr. Frank Tillmann, since 10/2022
• Subject Area: General and Domain-Specific Teaching and Learning ; Empirical Social Research
• Term: from 2017 to 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 396942483

The transition from school to vocational training seems to be a major junction in life. Adolescents from middle and lower educational backgrounds often struggle with the transition. An integrated view of education is needed in oder to analyze the complex process, including non-formal educational processes. Organized out-of school activities in non-formal settings can therefore provide supportive potential, especially with the help of the activity leader. Different studies have shown positive effects of organized out-of school activities on youth development. However, the relationship between out-of school activities and transition into vocational training has not yet been studied systematically.The two-year longitudinal study located at the German Youth Institute has two objectives: (1) Analysis of the usage of organized out-of school activities of middle and lower secondary school pupils. Whereby the total number of out-of school activities that pupils participated in during school-age will be captured with a retrospective design. (2) Analysis of effects of organized activities and linked indicators on work related personal and social resources as well as on transition to vocational training on the basis of the Resource Model of Coping with Life (Ressourcenmodell der Lebensbewältigung). Selective effects of organized leisure activities will be considered. Therefore, the capital of the family as well as socio-demographic indicators will be included as control-factors. Central questions are: (A) How do middle and lower secondary school pupils use organized out-of school activities between grades 1 to 9/10? (B) How do socio-demographic indicators and the capital of the family affect the usage of organized leisure activities? (C) Which effects do organized out-of school activities have on work related resources? (D) Which effects do organized out-of school activities and work related resources have on the transition into vocational training two years after the last year in school?For answering the questions participants will be surveyed twice with a standardized questionnaire. T1 takes place as a classroom survey in the last year of school (grade 9/10; N=2.500), t2 will be conducted as individual telephone interviews two years after the last year in school (n=900). The analysis of the usage of out-of school activities (a) will be conducted descriptively. Questions (b) to (d) will be analyzed with hypothesis-testing complex statistical methods (ANOVA, regression analysis, structural modeling).Following the current state of research on educational processes in non-formal settings, it is assumed that organized leisure activities have positive developmental effects on work related resources and the transition into vocational training. Thus, the project follows studies on positive effects of organized out-of school activities on youth development and complements the state of research with regard to effects on the transition into vocational training.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Ehemalige Antragstellerin: Dr. Karen Hemming, until 9/2022