Research Project II: “The Application Day”
General Project
The teaching and research project “The Application Day” shall be piloted in the subjects business-work-technology as well as German with more than 300 students (duration at schools: one school semester). As part of our study, we are investigating the writing skills of students from grades nine and ten from all types of schools concerning to the text type "application letter" and their conversational skills in simulated job interviews. The results of that study contribute to the further development of an inclusive didactic teaching model.
Current Status of the Project
The first practical implementation of the project was completed at the beginning of 2022 (duration: 10/2021-01/2022, first cycle). Teachers completed a training course lasting several days in advance in the summer, planned the series of lessons with the chair, used material, obtained regular feedback during the practical phase and further tips for implementation in online consultation meetings. In January 2022, the application day followed in cooperation with the Chamber of Agriculture, the Chamber of Industry and Commerce, and the German Armed Forces. The participating students handed in their application portfolios to the invited guests in advance. The vocational experts conducted simulated job interviews with the students and used a questionnaire to provide systematic feedback on the application portfolios and the interviews. Overall, both the students and the teachers benefit from the career-oriented project, as individual advice can be given on the desired career path.
Since fall 2022, the next part of the study (second cycle) has been conducted at a school with 26 students with special needs. In addition, parallel interviews are being conducted with experts from the field who, on the one hand, provide their expertise on applying and, on the other hand, reflect on the Applicants' Day from their point of view. All our studies are cyclical and designed in collaboration with teachers within the framework of Design-Based Research (Philippakos et al., 2021).
Are you a teacher and does our project arouse your curiosity?
Through this project, the collaboration between university research and school practice can be deepened. As a result of the project best practice approaches should emerge to transfer them into teacher training methods and further education.
Are you a student and want to be part of our project?
We are always looking for committed students who are interested in supporting our project in the course of their final theses. The students from the bachelor's and master's degree programs in teaching can contact us.
