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Abstract. Analyzing log data from digital learning environments provides information about online learning. However, it remains unclear how this information can be transferred to psychologically meaningful variables or how it is linked to learning outcomes. The present study summarizes findings on correlations between general online activity and learning outcomes in university settings. The course format, instructions to engage in online discussions, requirements, operationalization of general online activity, and publication year are considered moderators. A multi-source search provided 41 studies ( N = 28,986) reporting 69 independent samples and 104 effect sizes. The three-level random-effects meta-analysis identified a pooled effect of r = .25 p = .003, 95% CI [.09, .41], indicating that students who are more active online have better grades. Despite high heterogeneity, Q(103) = 3,960.04, p

Strategies in reading are viewed as essential tools needed to increase comprehension and learning from text. Especially in large-scale assessments, reliable and economic measures of reading strategies are needed which are valid to assess the strategy-performance relation. Questionnaire-based self-report measures are very popular but often fail to establish a positive relation between strategy use and performance. Nevertheless, these measures are objective and content valid as well as efficient in use. One explanation for this fact may be that, depending on students’ individual approaches to reading, various strategies may lead to better performance. Then, self-report questionnaires of strategy use (SRQs) would assess differences in strategic approaches of students which are not (necessarily) linked to performance. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether students’ differences in self-reported strategy use correspond to different strategic approaches in reading. The present study compares strategic reading behavior of a homogeneous sample of 22 high-achieving ninth grade students with superior performance in reading who were chosen for their high reading-related strategy knowledge and their difference in self-reported strategy use, assessed via questionnaire. Eleven students reported frequent strategy use (FSU) and 11 students reported seldom strategy use (SSU). For both groups, strategic reading behavior was assessed in an unobtrusive way using a computer-based multiple-choice reading test. Even though both groups showed little to none differences in reading performance, results indicate that FSU and SSU students differ in processing of text during initial reading and while re-reading text passages. In addition, they differed in how they proceed with reading tasks.

The study investigates automated and controlled cognitive processes that occur when university students read multiple documents (MDs). We examined data of 401 students dealing with two MD sets in a...

Journal for educational research online 5 (2013) 2, S. 162-188, Educational processes in modern information societies require personal initiative - not only in institutional contexts but also in out-of-school and working environments. Besides cognitive competencies (e.g., reading or mathematical literacy), a person’s ability to regulate his/her own learning processes is therefore of particular importance for successful learning and working. Metacognition is a central component in the process of self-regulated learning. It is defined as cognition about cognition and encompasses two components: the knowledge component and the regulation component. To better understand how metacognition evolves and how its development is influenced by cognitive and motivational components, the German National Educational Panel Study (NEPS) aims at assessing different aspects of metacognition as well as self-regulation in the respective phases of the lifespan. The present paper gives an overview on the general approach of assessing metacognition and self-regulation within the NEPS, focusing on the assessment of one specific component of metacognition, namely, metacognitive knowledge. Results from two pilot studies on a newly developed test instrument (with two experimentally varied versions of the test) for secondary school students are presented. The results concerning the metacognitive knowledge test are discussed not only with regard to further developments within the NEPS but also with regard to their theoretical and practical implications. (DIPF/Orig.), Steigende Anforderungen der Informationsgesellschaft bedürfen einer eigenständigen und kontinuierlichen Aneignung von Wissen. Dies zeigt sich in schulischen Aus- und Weiterbildungskontexten ebenso wie in Beruf und Freizeit. Erfolgreiches Lernen erfordert daher neben kognitiven Kompetenzen (z.B. Lesekompetenz oder mathematische Kompetenz) insbesondere auch die Befähigung, das eigene Lernen zu regulieren. Metakognition ist eine zentrale Komponente im Prozess des selbstregulierten Lernens. Konzeptuell sind zwei Facetten der Metakognition zu unterscheiden, eine Wissens- und eine Regulationskomponente. Um Entwicklungsverläufe zur Metakognition und den Einfluss kognitiver und motivationaler Variablen abbilden zu können, bedarf es Längsschnittstudien. Ein Ziel des Nationalen Bildungspanels (National Educational Panel Study, NEPS) ist es daher, neben kognitiven Komponenten auch Metakognition bzw. Aspekte der Selbstregulation in den jeweiligen Phasen des Lebenslaufs zu erfassen. Nach einem Überblick über den Ansatz zur Erfassung des selbstregulierten Lernens (Metakognition bzw. Selbstregulation) im NEPS fokussiert der vorliegende Beitrag auf die Diagnose metakognitiven Wissens mittels eines neu entwickelten Instruments (z. T. in empirisch variierten Versionen) für Schülerinnen und Schüler der Sekundarstufe. Ergebnisse zweier Pilotstudien werden präsentiert und in Hinblick auf ihre theoretische und praktische Bedeutsamkeit, auch bezüglich weiterer NEPS-Entwicklungen diskutiert. (DIPF/Orig.)

This study aims at exploring gender differences in text-type-specific reading competences via readers’ gender-specific reading preferences. Women were expected to read more often for the sake of entertainment (entertainment preference), whereas men were expected to read more often to gain information (information preference). We further assumed that individuals who read for entertainment would have higher reading competence in fictional literary texts compared with non-fictional informational texts, and vice versa for individuals who read to gain information. The analysis was based on a sample of 830 adults between 19 and 71 years (M = 31.04; SD = 12.53) from a pilot study of the German National Educational Panel Study (NEPS). A structural equation model confirmed that women and men show different reading preferences during leisure time. The preference to read for entertainment was predictive for reading competence in literary texts; however, the preference to read for information had positive effects on reading competence in both informational and literary texts.

Low literacy among adolescents and adults worldwide remains a serious problem, even in economically developed countries. The consequences of low reading proficiency levels can be harmful in many ways for both the individuals concerned and their communities in terms of health, political, social and economic outcomes. While large-scale international assessments do assess reading proficiency, the data they provide for the bottom end of the scale are still somewhat undifferentiated. What is of particular concern to scholars and policymakers alike is to better understand the nature of reading difficulties among low-literate adolescents and adults. Addressing this need, the authors of this article present a new integrative process model which takes into consideration reader-related, text-related and task-related factors along different stages of the reading process that can cause reading difficulties. The process model incorporates different traditions of research on low reading proficiency: large-scale assessments, cognitive psychology, and research on developmental precursors of reading comprehension. It enabled the authors to identify core difficulty-generating factors, in particular task and text characteristics relevant in evaluating the difficulty of a reading task and thus in determining whether low-literate readers can solve it. The process model also proved suitable for incorporation into standard-setting practice. The authors demonstrate how the process model provided a framework for developing proficiency level descriptors (PLDs) which were then applied for the purpose of standard setting in a German large-scale assessment, the National Educational Panel Study (NEPS). Their results show that the PLDs were indeed suitable for differentiating between a low reading proficiency level and a functional reading proficiency level among adolescents and adults.

Recent research suggests that readers' subjective task understanding influences reading processes and outcomes. Therefore, the present study's aim was to investigate whether the task demands that readers retrospectively report relate to multiple document comprehension strategies and outcome. A total of 310 university students completed three units from a standardized multiple-document comprehension test and answered an open-ended task demands question after each unit. Amongst others, participants comprehended single- and multiple-document activities to be task demands. Comprehending deep-level single-document activities and management activities to be task demands related to corroboration and proactive sourcing, respectively. However, comprehending multiple-document activities to be task demands was related neither to students' multiple-document comprehension nor to their realized multiple-document activities. The data suggest a context schema formation across test units: In later units the participants comprehended more often multiple-document activities and less often surface-level single-document and management activities to be task demands, and conducted more sourcing.

The goal of the present study was to investigate the mediating effects of reading amount and metacognitive knowledge of strategy use in the relationship between intrinsic motivation and rea...

To plan cluster-randomized trials with sufficient statistical power to detect intervention effects on student achievement, researchers need multilevel design parameters, including measures of between-classroom and between-school differences and the amounts of variance explained by covariates at the student, classroom, and school level. Previous research has mostly been conducted in the U.S., focused on two-level designs, and limited to core achievement domains (i.e., mathematics, science, reading). Using representative data of students attending grades 1 to 12 from three German longitudinal large-scale assessments (3,963 ≤ N ≤ 14,640), we used three- and two-level latent (covariate) models to provide design parameters and corresponding standard errors for a broad array of domain-specific (e.g., mathematics, science, verbal skills) and domain-general (e.g., basic cognitive functions) achievement outcomes. Three covariate sets were applied comprising (a) pretest scores, (b) sociodemographic characteristics, and (c) their combination. Design parameters varied considerably as a function of the hierarchical level, achievement outcome, and grade level. Our findings demonstrate the need to strive for an optimal fit between design parameters and target research context. We illustrate the application of design parameters in power analyses.

Dieser Band bringt Beiträge zusammen, die sich aus unterschiedlichen fachlichen Perspektiven mit der Einbeziehung von Schüler*innen mit sonderpädagogischem Förderbedarf in Schulleistungserhebungen beschäftigen. Hierbei werden insbesondere Spannungsverhältnisse zwischen standardisierten Erhebungsverfahren und individualisierten Herangehensweisen reflektiert und Empfehlungen zur Qualitätssicherung in zukünftigen Studien abgeleitet.

Multiple document comprehension is the ability to construct an integrated representation of a specific topic based on several sources. It is an important competence for university students; however, there has been so far no established instrument to assess multiple document comprehension in a standardized way. Therefore, we developed a test covering four theory-based cognitive requirements: The corroboration of information across texts, the integration of information across texts, the comparison of sources and source evaluations across texts, and the comparison of source-content links across texts. The developed test comprised 174 items and was empirically examined in a study with 310 university students. Several items had to be excluded due to psychometric misfit and differential item functioning. The resulting final test contains 67 items within 5 units (i.e., test structures of 2–3 texts and related items) and has been shown to fit a unidimensional IRT Rasch model. The test score showed expected relationships to the final school exam grade, the study level (Bachelor/Master), essay performance, sourcing behavior, as well as mental load and mental effort.

Das Nationale Bildungspanel (NEPS) untersucht seit 2009 Bildungsverlaufe in Deutschland. In sechs Startkohorten werden bildungsrelevante Kompetenzen und Pradiktoren in regelmasigen Abstanden vom Neugeborenen- bis zum Erwachsenenalter erfasst. Im Rahmen der Schulkohorten (Startkohorte 3 im 5. Jahrgang; Startkohorte 4 im 9. Jahrgang) wurde eine Serie von Machbarkeitsstudien an Forderschulen mit dem Schwerpunkt Lernen implementiert. Diese hatten das Ziel, empirisch zu uberprufen, ob und wenn ja, wie Schuler*innen mit einem sonderpadagogischen Forderbedarf Lernen (SPF-L) angemessen in die langsschnittliche Untersuchung des NEPS einbezogen werden konnen, um valide und aussagekraftige Ergebnisse zu erhalten. Im Rahmen der NEPS-Erhebungen werden neben unterschiedlichen Kompetenztests (z. B. Lesen, Metakognition, Mathematik) auch schriftliche Fragebogen eingesetzt. Fur Erhebungen an Forderschulen wurden die unterschiedlichen Instrumente angepasst und in experimentellen Variationen administriert. Der vorliegende Beitrag skizziert deren Design, liefert einen Uberblick der zentralen Erkenntnisse der bisher veroffentlichten Ergebnisse und diskutiert die Implikationen fur die Einbeziehung von Schuler*innen mit SPF-L in gros angelegte Bildungsstudien.

BackgroundIn Germany, three large-scale surveys–the Level One Study (LEO), the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC), and the National Educational Panel Study (NEPS)–provide complementary data on adults’ literacy skills that can be harnessed to study adults with low literacy. To ensure that research on low-literate adults using these surveys arrives at valid and robust conclusions, it is imperative to ascertain the comparability of the three surveys’ low-literacy samples. Towards that end, in the present study, we comprehensively assess the comparability of adults with low literacy across these surveys with regard to their sociodemographic and socioeconomic characteristics.MethodsWe used data from LEO, PIAAC, and NEPS. We identified features of the sample representation and measurement of (low) literacy as potential causes for variations in the low-literacy samples across the surveys. We then compared the low-literacy samples with regard to their sociodemographic and socioeconomic characteristics and performed logistic regressions to compare the relative importance of these characteristics as correlates of low literacy.ResultsThe key insight our study provides is that–despite different sample representations and measurement approaches–the low-literacy samples in the three surveys are largely comparable in terms of their socioeconomic and sociodemographic characteristics. Although there were small differences between the surveys with regard to the distribution of gender, educational attainment, and the proportion of non-native speakers within the group of low-literate adults, results revealed that both the prevalence of low literacy and its correlates were largely robust across LEO, PIAAC, and NEPS. Across all three surveys, lower educational attainment emerged as the most significant correlate of low literacy, followed by a non-German language background, unemployment and low occupational status.ConclusionsOur study provides evidence that all three surveys can be used for investigating adults with low literacy. The small differences between the low-literacy samples across the three surveys appear to be associated with sample representation and certain assessment features that should be kept in mind when using the surveys for research and policy purposes. Nevertheless, our study showed that we do not compare apples with oranges when dealing with low-literate adults across different large-scale surveys.

Sex differences in mathematics achievement have been a controversial topic in educational psychology for a long time. This study sheds light on the developmental aspects of sex differences in math achievement and domain-specific motivational variables such as self-concept and interest. Using a Reciprocal Effects Model (REM), we analyzed 2,342 German fifth to seventh grade students who participated in a large-scale longitudinal study. Math self-concept was validated as a consistent predictor of subsequent achievement and interest for both sexes, supporting the self-enhancement part of the REM using test-scores and teacher-assigned grades. However, math achievement affects subsequent self-concept inconsistently (i.e., the skill development part). Although the bivariate relationships between the constructs were homogeneous across sex and over time, there were large sex differences in the motivational constructs, but not in the achievement measure regardless of achievement measures. The present findings underline the importance of considering both the mean and the covariance structure when describing sex differences in academic achievement. In addition, they also stress the impact of motivational constructs on educational achievement, which also have implications for sex-specific intervention programs in general.

Knowledge about one’s own cognitive processes is the basis for the monitoring and regulation of learning processes for effective reading comprehension. Taking verbal cognitive ability into account, the present study aimed to examine the developmental trajectories of reading comprehension and declarative metacognitive knowledge and their interrelationship from grade 5 to grade 8. A multivariate latent growth curve analysis was conducted using longitudinal data collected from secondary school students in Germany at four time points (grades 5, 6, 7, and 8). The participants showed developmental gains in both reading comprehension and declarative metacognitive knowledge during this time period. While a widening of gap was observed for reading comprehension between high- and low-achieving students from grades 5 to 8, there was no evidence of an increase or a decrease in the gap in declarative metacognitive knowledge during the study period. The initial level of reading comprehension and the later developmental gain were significantly predicted by early verbal cognitive ability. Verbal cognitive ability had a significant effect on initial declarative metacognitive knowledge but not on later developmental gains. Developmental changes in reading comprehension and declarative metacognition were significant and appeared to be parallel in slope. While early declarative metacognitive knowledge was significantly related to later developmental gains in reading comprehension, early reading comprehension was not significantly related to later developmental gains in declarative metacognition. This study’s findings are discussed with respect to the impact of strategies (declarative metacognitive knowledge) on reading comprehension and on the developmental interplay between both constructs.

Zusammenfassung. Die vorliegende Studie ging der Frage nach, ob die Validität eines sprachlich vorgegebenen Wissenstests für Grundschülerinnen und Grundschüler durch bestimmte Administrationsbedingungen gesteigert werden kann. In der Studie bearbeiteten 319 Drittklässlerinnen und Drittklässler im Klassenkontext einen inhaltlichen Test zum metakognitiven Wissen über Lernstrategien, der in zwei Varianten (Zuhören vs. Zuhören und Mitlesen) vorgegeben wurde. Darüber hinaus wurde ein Wortschatztest eingesetzt und der familiäre Sprachhintergrund der Kinder erhoben. Als wichtigsten Befund ergab eine Mehrebenenanalyse eine signifikante Interaktion von Testbedingung und den sprachlichen Kompetenzen: Kinder mit vergleichsweise geringem Wortschatz erzielten in der Zuhören-und-Mitlesen-Bedingung höhere Werte in einem Test zum metakognitiven Wissen als in der Zuhören-Bedingung, wohingegen sich bei Kindern mit größerem Wortschatz kein Unterschied zwischen den Testbedingungen ergab. Ein entsprechendes Befundmuster zeigte sich, wenn anstatt des Wortschatzes der Sprachhintergrund berücksichtigt wurde. Somit sprechen die Ergebnisse dafür, dass Kinder mit geringeren Sprachkompetenzen von der Möglichkeit profitieren, die Aufgabentexte mitzulesen. Folglich erhöht die Zuhören-und-Mitlesen-Bedingung die Validität der Testung, was mit Blick auf die theoretischen und diagnostischen Implikationen diskutiert wird.

Die vorliegende Studie widmet sich der Entwicklung schulischer Kompetenzen sowie der Entwicklung des Fahigkeitsselbstkonzepts von Gymnasiastinnen und Gymnasiasten mit und ohne gymnasiale Ubergangsempfehlung. In Erganzung werden ferner die Daten von Haupt- und Realschulerinnen und -schulern in die Betrachtung einbezogen. Die Analysen beziehen sich auf Daten der vierten bis siebten Klassenstufe aus der Bamberger Langsschnittstudie BiKS-8-14 („Bildungsprozesse, Kompetenzentwicklung und Selektionsentscheidungen im Vorschul und Schulalter“). Die Ergebnisse zeigen am Ende der siebten Klassenstufe deutliche Kompetenzunterschiede in den Bereichen Mathematik und Lesen zwischen Gymnasiastinnen und Gymnasiasten mit beziehungsweise ohne gymnasiale Schullaufbahnempfehlung. Auch scheinen mittlere Kompetenzunterschiede zwischen Klassenstufe 4 und 7 nicht abzunehmen. Fur das Fahigkeitsselbstkonzept Mathematik sowie die Schulnoten in den Fachern Deutsch und Mathematik konnen am Ende der siebten Klassenstufe ebenso statistisch bedeutsame Unterschiede gezeigt werden. Die Ergebnisse werden diskutiert vor dem Hintergrund der Frage nach Kosten-/ Nutzenaspekten bestimmter Schulformentscheidungen.

Zusammenfassung. Bisherige Forschungsarbeiten zeigen, dass die Entwicklung von Zielorientierungen von kontextuellen Bedingungen abhängen kann. So wird beispielsweise ein Rückgang der Lernzielorientierung nach dem Übergang in die Sekundarstufe I berichtet ( Anderman & Midgley, 1997 ). Schlechter werdende Passung zwischen Lernendem und Lernumgebung wird als mögliche Ursache für den Rückgang genannt. Im vorliegenden Beitrag wurde untersucht, ob und wie sich Zielorientierungen von Beginn der Sekundarstufe I bis nach dem Übergang in die Sekundarstufe II bzw. in das Ausbildungssystem entwickeln. Analysiert wurden Daten von N = 650 Schülerinnen und Schülern sowie Auszubildenden zu drei Messzeitpunkten (Klasse 5, Klasse 6, Stufe 11 / 1. Ausbildungsjahr). Die Ergebnisse latenter Neighbor-Change-Analysen zeigen in beiden Gruppen eine Abnahme der Annäherungs- und Vermeidungsleistungszielorientierung. Die Lernzielorientierung nimmt in beiden Gruppen zu, wobei der Anstieg für Auszubildende signifikant höher ausfällt. Die Ergebnisse erweisen sich unter Berücksichtigung der Kovariaten Geschlecht, Schulleistung, Migrationshintergrund und sozioökonomischer Status als robust. Die Ergebnisse werden vor dem Hintergrund der Stage-Environment-Fit-Theorie und Zielstrukturen diskutiert.

Zusammenfassung. Sowohl die Kenntnis von Strategien als auch das Wissen über ihre situations- und aufgabenadäquate Anwendung spielen eine bedeutende Rolle beim Erwerb von Wissen und Fähigkeiten. Lernstrategiewissen wird in Auseinandersetzung mit einem konkreten Gegenstandsbereich erworben. Zur Untersuchung der Entwicklung des Lernstrategiewissens im Bereich Englisch wurde ein bereichsspezifisches Testverfahren für Schülerinnen und Schüler der 5. – 7. Klasse entwickelt und mittels einer Expertenbefragung geprüft. Im Rahmen einer Pilotierungsstudie mit 398 Teilnehmenden der 5. und 6. Jahrgangstufe erwiesen sich die psychometrischen Eigenschaften des Tests als zufriedenstellend. Zudem ließen sich Annahmen zur inhaltlichen Validität prüfen und bestätigen. Inzwischen liegen Befunde aus einer Längsschnittuntersuchung (5. – 7. Klasse) mit vier Messzeitpunkten vor (N = 835), die eine Stabilität des gemessenen Konstruktes sowie die faktorielle Validität belegen. Analysen zeitverzögerter Effekte des Lernstrategiewissens auf die Englischleistung weisen auf die Prädiktivität des erfassten Wissensbereichs hin und belegen seine Relevanz für die Leistung.

Teacher judgments matter for students: They have an impact not only on students’ academic self-concepts and for their theories about themselves as learners but also on educational pathways through grades and school leaving certificates. However, do teachers have the expertise for such judgments? Is there such a thing as a professional ability to judge (diagnostic competence)? The essay provides an overview on research related to teacher judgment accuracy and bias and specifies conditions under which accurate teacher judgments can (and cannot) be expected. It is argued that in research as well as in teacher training, causes of judgment and judgment demands need to be taken into account and that the role of knowledge components in controlled and automatic decision-making after intensive experience on the job needs to be better understood.

Students' reading preferences develop in social contexts, and parents shape such environments. Assuming a process of transmission across generations, we analyzed the role of mothers' attitudes toward reading and reading behavior. A sample of 380 ninth-grade students completed a questionnaire to assess their attitudes toward reading (with respect to utility and enjoyment) and to collect details about their extracurricular reading behavior. Mothers were interviewed and asked to provide comparable information about their own reading behavior and attitudes. Results showed substantial positive relations between mothers' and students' attitudes toward reading and reading behavior, although the effects were small in magnitude. Taken together, even when children reach adolescence, socialization effects from parents can be found in the domain of reading.

Measuring achievement and skills is fundamental in educational research and practice. The usefulness and interpretation of different measures depend on the goals of the assessment, the underlying theoretical account and its methodological implications, and the quality of the assessment itself. Preceded by an introduction, the present chapter first discusses general conceptual and terminological issues and challenges with a focus on the structure of cognitive and academic abilities and the implications for the measurement of skills and achievement. In the next section we present three different views on competencies as major achievements due to learning and instruction (competencies conceptualised from a functional literacy perspective; modelled with reference to cognitive structures and processes and with reference to subcomponents or qualifications) and draw some general conclusions with respect to the assessment and interpretation of these measures. In the last section we describe standards and modes of assessment, thereby differentiating between purposes of assessment, standards of test construction, and modes of assessment. Implications for (sociological) research are indicated.

Neben einem Bildungs- und Erziehungsauftrag, der sich vorrangig in der Unterrichtstatigkeit von Lehrkraften niederschlagt und auf verschiedene Lern- und Entwicklungsziele der Schulerinnen und Schuler hin ausgerichtet ist, haben Lehrkrafte die Aufgabe, Schulerinnen und Schuler sowie Eltern zu beraten (Schullaufbahnempfehlungen, Lerngesprache), Schulveranstaltungen zu planen und sich – last but not least – in der Organisation ihrer Schule zu engagieren (Schulentwicklung). Die wichtigste Aufgabe fur alle Lehrkrafte ist dabei sicher das Unterrichten. Die Gleichzeitigkeit vieler Ereignisse im Unterricht erfordert, dass padagogische Entscheidungen oft sehr rasch getroffen werden. Gerade zu Beginn ihrer praktischen Tatigkeit haben Lehrerinnen und Lehrer Probleme mit der Komplexitat des unterrichtlichen Geschehens und der Auswahl adaquater Handlungsoptionen („Praxisschock“). So mussen sie nicht nur den Unterrichtsprozess und die Lernaktivitaten der gesamten Klasse organisieren, sondern dabei auch den individuellen Bedurfnissen der Schulerinnen und Schuler so gut wie moglich gerecht werden. Dabei soll die Wissensvermittlung fachlich, didaktisch und lernpsychologisch angemessen organisiert sein und zudem das Interesse der Schulerinnen und Schuler fur den Lernstoff geweckt werden. Daruber hinaus mussen die notwendigen Rahmenbedingungen geschaffen werden (classroom management), damit Lernen uberhaupt erst moglich wird.

The selection and measurement of competencies, reflecting educational effects in a lifelong learning perspective, represents a major challenge for the German National Educational Panel Study (NEPS). Data on the development of competencies serves as a central point of reference for all other parts of the study. These competencies have to be relevant not only for a successful and responsible individual life but also for a well-functioning modern democratic society. Hence, the aim is not just to describe the development of such competencies, but also to analyze relevant prerequisites, conditions, and courses of competence acquisition. The lifelong learning perspective will shed light on how different competencies are acquired over the life span, how they interact over time and across educational stages, and in which way they may contribute to individual and group-specific life-course outcomes. This chapter gives an overview on the selection, rationale, and conceptualization of competencies within NEPS.

Abstract. Learning from multiple documents is challenging, amongst other things, because authors often do not use the same words for the same concept. Derived from theoretical considerations and earlier research, it was assumed that different wording across multiple documents leads to higher cognitive load but can be beneficial for the learning of highly motivated students. In the present study, N = 100 university students (laypersons with regard to the topic) took part. They read two texts on the topic of depression either with the same wording or with different wording and worked on a case study. Prior knowledge, epistemic beliefs, cognitive load, motivational state during learning, and post learning knowledge were assessed. While controlling for prior knowledge, a significant interaction effect was found from wording and motivational state on post knowledge about concepts. Different wording was beneficial only for students with relatively high motivation. However, wording had no effect on cognitive load.

The study investigates the cognitive load of students working on tasks that require the comprehension of multiple documents (Multiple Document Comprehension, MDC). In a sample of 310 students, perceived task difficulty (PD) and mental effort (ME) were examined in terms of task characteristics, individual characteristics, and students' processing behavior. Moreover, it was investigated if PD and ME can still contribute to MDC while controlling for these variables. The perceived difficulty of the task was shown to be related to the number of documents, text length, study level, and sourcing. Mental effort was predicted by text length, study level, and processing time. When including these variables as covariates, cognitive load was incrementally predictive of MDC. The results are discussed in terms of how working memory resources can shape the process of comprehending multiple documents. (DIPF/Orig.), Die Studie untersucht das Belastungserleben (Cognitive Load) von Studierenden beim Bearbeiten von Aufgaben, die das Verstehen multipler Dokumente erfordern (Multiple Document Comprehension, MDC). Es wurde gepr��ft, inwiefern die wahrgenommene Aufgabenschwierigkeit und die mentale Anstrengung von 310 Studierenden durch aufgabenspezifische Eigenschaften, individuelle Merkmale und ihr Bearbeitungsverhalten bestimmt werden und dar��ber hinaus MDC erkl��ren. F��r die Aufgabenschwierigkeit wurde gezeigt, dass sie mit der Dokumentenanzahl, der Textl��nge, dem Studienniveau sowie der Ber��cksichtigung von Quellen in Zusammenhang steht. Die mentale Anstrengung wurde durch die Textl��nge, das Studienniveau und Bearbeitungszeiten vorhergesagt. Unter Einschluss dieser Variablen als Kovariaten war das Belastungserleben inkrementell pr��diktiv f��r MDC. Die Ergebnisse werden dahingehend diskutiert, wie Arbeitsged��chtnisressourcen den Prozess des Verstehens multipler Dokumente gestalten k��nnen. (DIPF/Orig.)

Background With digital technologies, competence assessments can provide process data, such as mouse clicks with corresponding timestamps, as additional information about the skills and strategies of test takers. However, in order to use variables generated from process data sensibly for educational purposes, their interpretation needs to be validated with regard to their intended meaning. Aims This study seeks to demonstrate how process data from an assessment of multiple document comprehension can be used to represent sourcing, which summarizes activities for the consideration of the origin and intention of documents. The investigated process variables were created according to theoretical assumptions about sourcing, and systematically tested for differences between persons, units (i.e., documents and items), and properties of the test administration. Sample The sample included 310 German university students (79.4% female), enrolled in several bachelor's or master's programmes of the social sciences and humanities. Methods Regarding the hierarchical data structure, the hypotheses were analysed with generalized linear mixed models (GLMM). Results The results mostly revealed expected differences between individuals and units. However, unexpected effects of the administered order of units and documents were detected. Conclusions The study demonstrates the theory‐informed construction of process variables from log‐files and an approach for empirical validation of their interpretation. The results suggest that students apply sourcing for different reasons, but also stress the need of further validation studies and refinements in the operationalization of the indicators investigated.

We investigated what impact elaborated feedback has on sixth graders' deep-level comprehension of texts within a computer-based assessment. Experiment 1 (N = 566) focused on the contents of computer-provided elaborated feedback (i.e. inference-prompts, error explanations, or monitoring-prompt) using a control-group design. Results showed that none of the feedback treatments had an effect on performance. This appeared to result from participants' low commitment to processing the feedback. Experiment 2 (N = 251) focused on the feedback presentation type by varying computer-mediated and person-mediated inference-prompts within a control-group design. Results showed that only the person-mediated inference-prompts had significant effects on performance with respect to the correction of initially false answers to comprehension questions and the performance on subsequent test questions. Findings of both experiments indicate the impact of inference-prompts on text comprehension within performance assessments, highlighting the need to explicitly account for motivational issues in feedback interventions on higher-order reading processes.

n contrast to highlighting within self-regulated learning, instructed highlighting refers to the selective marking of text passages to answer given questions about texts which emerges in classroom settings or can be used in test administrations. According to literature, it requires reading processes of different complexity and focusing on and selecting of passages of texts, controlling and regulating processes that are operations of learning strategies. Therefore, we expected high correlations of instructed highlighting with reading competence and with using learning strategies. In order to evaluate these hypotheses on the base of precise measures of highlighting behaviour, four parameters were derived from literature, that quantify different quality aspects of instructed highlighting, e.g., the fit with experts’ judgements. Based on a sample of German adults (N = 937) who completed achievement tests in instructed highlighting and reading competence as well as a standardized learning strategies questionnaire, the introduced indices allowed for detailed descriptions of instructed highlighting. Furthermore, instructed highlighting correlated substantially with reading competence. Contrary to our expectations, it showed negligible associations with the self-reported use of learning strategies. The results indicate that instructed highlighting represents aspects of focused reading, and, thus, might provide an innovative approach for technology-based assessments of reading competence.

Research on goals and goal regulation often takes place in specific contexts (career goals, educational goals, or life goals). The purpose of this study was to examine relations between different types of goal regulation in specific contexts and their prediction from education-related parenting. Therefore, we analyzed data from 663 18-year-old high-school graduates, trainees, and their parents participating in the BiKS German longitudinal school study. We specified three latent classes of life-goal regulation (by using four regulation categories: extrinsic, introjected, identified, and intrinsic regulation) with a latent class analysis and examined their correlations with types of goal orientation. Especially for the latent classes with high extrinsic or high introjected regulation, we found relations with more extrinsic types of goal orientation (performance-approach goal orientation). In addition, education-related parenting behavior during secondary school predicted the different latent classes of life-goal regulation. The results are discussed in the context of self-determination theory.

Phonological awareness and letter knowledge have been shown to be precursors of children's word reading and reading comprehension. As a consequence, promoting children's phonological awareness should result in better reading skills. In order to evaluate this assumption, we trained phonological awareness and letter knowledge of 370 German preschool children and compared their word reading and reading comprehension skills with those of a group of 99 untrained children. Our findings indicate strong intervention effects on children's phonological awareness and letter knowledge. However, this advantage did not result in better reading skills in general. Within the group of low-performing children, we found small effects on word reading. This effect was mediated by individual differences in phonological awareness. In summary, only for low-performing children do the findings support our theoretical assumptions. This may be attributable to differences in the orthographic transparency between German and English, which restricts a generalization of findings across languages.

Zusammenfassung. Die vorliegende Studie untersucht, ob und inwieweit das Wissen im Bereich Textverstehen von Deutschlehrkräften der Sekundarstufe mit der Urteilsgüte bei der Einschätzung von Schülerleistungen in diesem Bereich zusammenhängt. Dazu wurde das Text-, Aufgaben- und Strategiewissen von 77 Lehrkräften erhoben und mit Indikatoren der globalen und aufgabenspezifischen Urteilsgüte bei der Einschätzung der Textverstehensleistung von Schülerinnen und Schülern der achten und neunten Klassenstufe korrelativ in Bezug gesetzt. Die Lehrkräfte schätzen ihre Schülerinnen und Schüler relativ akkurat ein und verfügen auch über umfassendes Wissen in den getesteten Bereichen. Es zeigen sich jedoch weder für die Güte von globalen Urteilen noch für die Güte von aufgabenspezifischen Urteilen substanzielle und signifikante Zusammenhänge mit dem Lehrerwissen.

This study examined personality similarity between teachers and their students and its impact on teacher judgement of student achievement in the domains of reading comprehension and mathematics. Personality similarity was quantified through intraclass correlations between personality characteristics of 409 dyads of German teachers and their students. This similarity index was combined with teachers’ global and task-specific judgements of student achievement. Personality similarity has a significant effect on global judgement in both domains under study. Students who are similar to their teacher are judged more positively than students who are dissimilar, even when students’ test performance is controlled. This effect could not be verified for task-specific judgements. Results indicate that impact of potential sympathy bias in social judgements differs between different types of judgement. That is, global judgements are more likely to be biased than more specific judgements. Theoretical and educational rel...