KWiK Launches in Germany

In collaboration with IPN Kiel and the University of Hamburg, IEA is undertaking a national German research to understand and address the impact of the current Covid-19 pandemic on schools and students. The Continuity and Change of Schools in Times of Crisis survey, otherwise known as KWiK, was launched in July across seven German federal states (including Hamburg, Baden-Württemberg, Brandenburg, Schleswig-Holstein, Niedersachsen, Nordrhein-Westfalen and Rheinland-Pfalz).

With school closures and the gradual restart of school operations in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, great challenges have arisen regarding the organization of schools and teaching. As a result, schools have had to find sustainable solutions to overcome an unprecedented situation. Moreover, responding to the situation also offers an opportunity for innovation if schools succeed in using this experience of crisis to drive long-term development of schools and teaching.

Unlike other existing surveys, with the KWiK study, schools shall be accompanied and supported in this process of the longer term. For this purpose, problem-solving approaches in school practice shall be surveyed and scientifically analyzed over several measuring points. Scientific findings shall be reported back to schools within the process in order that these may support them in their development work.

The survey plans for school principals in approximately 350 primary schools and approximately 650 schools of secondary level I in seven German federal states are surveyed with regard to problem-solving approaches in their schools; the study shall later be extended to teachers as well as possibly students and their parents. The survey of principals and teachers will be online-based. Results from the first survey are expected in Autumn of 2020 and a second wave of surveys is to be carried out after the summer holidays. The questions will be based on the results of the first survey wave and are intended to map the further development of the teaching and learning situationFurther surveys are planned to be carried out every six months by the end of the 2021/22 school year. 

The results of the study are primarily intended to support the future shaping of schools and teaching after the crisis has been overcome. IEA is responsible for the preparation and implementation of the KWiK study – from taking care of the approval process with the ministries of education, to contacting schools, up to programming the online questionnaires and data management.

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