Data Spotlight #11
As dedicated data curators, we’re excited to showcase curated data collections that will hopefully ignite your research interests. Today we present you:
Thematic Data Collection on Education
One in five people in Germany has difficulty reading and writing, according to an analysis of the LEO-PIAAC 2023 study. Literacy, however, is a fundamental prerequisite for participation in society: it influences opportunities in the labor market and is also central to the functioning of a democratic society, as it helps people recognize misinformation, critically examine statements, and, on that basis, form well-informed political opinions. Studying and promoting literacy among children and adults is therefore a key area of research in education and the social sciences. The GESIS thematic data collection on “Education” in combination with the Study Collection of the German Network for Educational Research Data (VerbundFDB) provides data relevant to this research.
Both collections provide high-quality, curated data on issues related to the sociology of education in Germany. One recent example is the study on promoting reading in primary schools (Lese-BiSS), published this year. It examines how teachers use a differentiated reading-support program in the classroom and which conditions they consider particularly beneficial to its successful implementation. This study thus offers valuable insights into reading-support practices in schools. The LEO studies also provide extensive data on German-speaking adults with low literacy skills. Particularly noteworthy is the 2018 LEO study, which, beyond measuring literacy, places greater emphasis on social participation, everyday practices, and skills across various areas of life. These include, amongst other aspects, digital, political, financial, and health-related practices.
However, the collection extends far beyond the topic of literacy. GESIS has been part of the German Network for Educational Research Data since 2016. The network comprises several research data centers and supports researchers in empirical educational research by providing essential data-management services, including data discovery, archiving, consulting, and training. In the area of federated archiving, GESIS works closely with its partners DIPF (Leibniz Institute for Research and Information in Education) and IQB (Institute for Educational Quality Improvement).
The collection, curated over the past several years, covers a broad spectrum of educational research questions. Particularly well represented are the fields of adult and continuing education, schools, teaching and teachers, cultural education, and inclusion. Many of the studies focus on school pupils, young people, and teachers. However, they also examine other target groups, including adults with low literacy skills, parents, participants in continuing education programs, and professors at German universities and other higher education institutions. The collection is also methodologically diverse. In addition to surveys conducted through questionnaires or interviews, which are particularly common, the studies employ methods such as observations, content analyses, ambulatory assessments, and experimental designs.
Users are welcome to explore the full breadth of our thematic collection at:
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