Cognitive Activation through Tasks in Literature Classes (KoALa)
The KoALa (Cognitive Activation through Tasks in Literature Classes) research project investigates the relationship between teacher beliefs, teaching characteristics and learning outcomes. KoALa follows a mixed-methods design. For data collection, questionnaires, tests and videotaping are used. So far, a pilot study has been conducted. For the KoALa pilot study, six literature lessons (90 minutes each) on Julia Franck’s short story Streuselschnecke given by six teachers in six different classes were videotaped (N = 107 students, grade 8, “Gymnasium”, i.e. secondary school with an advanced track, leading to an entrance qualification for higher education). Based on the pilot data and on a theoretical framework of teaching quality in literature classes, a highly inferential coding system was developed. This coding system operationalises cognitive activation for L1 literature classes. The main study is planned for 30 classes in the 8th grade of “Gymnasium”.