Research

Intergenerational Research, Educational Research and Youth Studies

The research and teaching unit focuses on the relationship between generations as well as on education and learning processes in the life course from the perspective of educational sciences and an interdisciplinary viewpoint. A particular focus is laid on issues of education and social participation in adolescence and young adulthood.

Currently, several research projects on the core issues of the research and teaching unit are underway using both qualitative and quantitative research methods.

The research and teaching unit is a member of the research centre “Education – Generation – Life Course” (Forschungszentrums „Bildung - Generation - Lebenslauf“).

 


Research Focuses

LifE3G - LifE Course in the Context oc Three Generations 

A main research project of the research and teaching unit is formed by the three-generations longitudinal study LifE. In the framework of this study, family relations and educational processes are investigated from late childhood to mid-adulthood and intergenerational transmission of education and parenting practices are analysed over three generations. The LifE study, with a current duration of more than four decades and a sample size of more than 2000 participants from three familial generations, is one of the longest-running three-generation longitudinal studies.

Growing Up in Digital Europe – GUIDE

This research and teaching unit is playing a leading role in the implementation of the European GUIDE-Study in Austria. Starting in 2027, GUIDE (Growing Up in Digital Europe) will be Europe’s first comparative birth cohort study of children’s and young people’s wellbeing. The aim of the GUIDE study is to investigate and compare children’s personal wellbeing and psychosocial development from early childhood into young adulthood across Europe. The harmonized study design of GUIDE will create the first internationally comparable, nationally representative, longitudinal study of children and young people in Europe. GUIDE will be an important source of evidence in developing social policies for children, young people, and families across Europe for many years to come.

Environmental education research

A major pillar of the research and teaching unit is also formed by international projects in the field of environmental education research, in which, amongst others, young people’s relationship and engagement with nature and river ecologies is investigated with Young Citizen Scientists through an interdisciplinary approach, and an inter-cultural curriculum for water literacy is being developed (Surviving the Anthropocene Through Inventing New Ecological Justice and Biosocial Philosophical Literacy).

Erasmus+ Youth Education Programmes

In addition, the research and teaching unit can look back on a long tradition of the scientific evaluation of the European Erasmus+ Youth Education Programmes. For the programme period 2014 to 2020, it was the official Austrian and Lichtensteinian research partner for the scientific evaluation of the European youth education programmes, and it has also been nominated for this role for the programme period 2021 to 2027. Studies to scientifically accompany the programmes Erasmus+ Youth (RAY-MON) and European Solidarity Corps (RAY-SOC) as well as a longitudinal study on the long-term effects of Erasmus+ Youth are currently underway. The consequences of the coronavirus pandemic on youth work in Europe (RAY-COR) and the contributions of the European youth programmes to sector-specific strategies that frame and guide the programmes (RAY-STRAT) are also investigated. The evaluation research is commissioned by the Austrian Agency for Education and Internationalisation (OeAD) and the Liechtensteinian Agency for International Education (AIBA). It is integrated into the European RAY research network (Research-based analysis of European youth programmes).

SoFa(Ti) – Social Pedagogical Family Assistance (Tyrol)

The focus of the study is on the working conditions and framework of professionals in Social Pedagogical Family Assistance (also known as Outreach Family Assistance), as these represent a central quality factor for successful service delivery. Between January and April 2014, interviews and focus groups were conducted with professionals and management staff. The results highlight challenges in cooperation and communication within the "help triangle" consisting of service recipients (families), service providers (organizations/professionals), and service funders (child and youth welfare).

Additionally, building upon these findings, a questionnaire was developed to assess factors such as job satisfaction and workload among professionals, and to relate these to other collected characteristics of structural and process quality. Data collection was carried out across all federal states from April to September 2024, and initial results are now available. These results are being presented at conferences, lectures, and in publications. Currently, instruments are being prepared to complement these findings by capturing the perspectives of social workers in charge of the cases from child and youth welfare services.

Longitudinal youth studies in Tyrol

Furthermore, statistical analyses continue on two regional longitudinal youth studies in Tyrol, which were investigating the transitions from primary school to lower secondary school and from lower secondary school to upper secondary school in the theoretical framing of a resource model for coping with educational transitions. As these longitudinal studies took place during the pandemic (2019-2023), they also enable insights on important questions regarding coping with the challenges of out-of-school distance learning and a possible increase of educational disparities during the pandemic. The studies are done in cooperation with the Institute of School Research and Teacher Education.

Qualification theses

Finally, a large number of qualification theses at the habilitation, doctoral thesis and master’s thesis level are currently underway.

 


Overview of Research Projects

Projects in alphabetical order:

Anspruch und Realität der Arbeitsgesellschaft
G. Thaler

Aufwachsen im Zillertal. Regionale Jugendlängsschnittstudien in Tirol
F. Berger, W. Hagleitner, L. Jesacher-Rößler, C. Kraler, S. Roßnagl & C. Schreiner

Auswirkungen der Erasmus+ Partnerschafts­projekte in den Bereichen Schulbildung, Berufsbildung, Hochschul­bildung, Erwachsenenbildung, Jugend und Europäisches Solidaritätskorps in Österreich auf systemischer Ebene sowie auf institutioneller und individueller Ebene (2021-2023)
F. Berger & S. Gadinger

Bildungsstand und Bildungsbiografien von Kindern, Jugendlichen und jungen Erwachsenen im Kontext der Kinder- und Jugendhilfe
W. Hagleitner

Classroom-Management, Lernverhalten und schulisches Wohlbefinden auf der Sekundarstufe I
F. Berger

Critical Animal Pedagogy
R. Spannring

Die Bedeutung von Beziehungserfahrungen und Beziehungsvorstellungen in der Adoleszenz für die Qualität von Paarbeziehungen im Erwachsenenalter
A. Umhauer

Die Lebenssituation von Care Leavern im Alter zwischen 20 und 29 Jahren
W. Hagleitner

Distanzlernen und psychosoziales Wohlbefinden von Studierenden in Zeiten der Pandemie: UIBK Corona-Studie
F. Berger, G. Gniewosz, W. Hagleitner, J. Jegg, S. Roßnagl

Evaluierung des Aktivitätsprogramms „Euer Jahr der Jugend“ 2021-2023
F. Berger & S. Gadinger

Evaluation und Wirkungsanalyse zur Arbeit der österreichischen Nationalagentur für das EU Bildungsprogramm Erasmus+ Jugend in Aktion
F. Berger, M. Guse, A. Walch & I. Wieser

Growing Up in Digital Europe – Aufbau von GUIDE in Österreich
F. Berger & G. Gniewosz

Impact of the Corona Pandemic on Youth Work in Europe. A Study Within the Monitoring of European Youth Programmes in Austria
F. Berger & S. Gadinger

Intergenerational Relationships in Emerging Adulthood
F. Berger, M. Herrmann, J. Sommer & S. Mark

Interpersonale Jugend-Gewalt im sozial-ökologischen Mehrebenensystem Schule
M. Herrmann

LifE3G – Life Courses in the Context of Three Generations
F. Berger, W. Lauterbach, H. Fend & U. Grob

Monitoring von Erasmus+ Jugend in Aktion in Liechtenstein – Programmzeitraum 2014 bis 2020 sowie 2021 bis 2027
F. Berger & S. Gadinger

Monitoring & Evaluation einer partizipativen Methode von YEP im Rahmen des Projekts #DemokratieMachtSchule - Laufzeit: 01.04.2023 - 31.01.2024 
G. Gniewosz

Surviving the Anthropocene through Inventing New Ecological Justice and Biosocial Philosophical Literacy
R. Spannring

Veränderungen der Zielgruppe stationärer Erziehungshilfen in Österreich
W. Hagleitner

Wissenschaftliche Begleitung der europäischen Erasmus+ Jugendbildungsprogramme 2021-2027: RAY-MON, RAY-SOC, RAY-COR und RAY-STRAT
F. Berger & S. Gadinger

 

 

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