About us

We deal with questions of diagnostics and support in the context of school inclusion. The work in our multi-professional team (including special education, sociology, educational science, psychology, various teaching qualifications) enables a multi-perspective view of different research subjects.

We understand diagnostics as the basis for didactic decisions and support measures (data-based decision-making). Our research and teaching should contribute to improving the diagnostic skills of (future) teachers and anchoring them in teacher training in the long term. Inclusive diagnostics creates the basis for ensuring that all children, regardless of their individual circumstances, have access to good teaching and the best possible educational opportunities.

We pay particular attention to early diagnostics to support inclusion in schools. At the same time, we consider diagnostics not only in the school context, but also in other areas of education - from early childhood to adult education, for example for people with intellectual disabilities.

Our research incorporates the perspectives of various actors in the respective institutional contexts. The diagnostic objectives are quite different. In particular, we focus on formative diagnostics in order to record individual learning processes in a differentiated manner and to enable data-based decisions for teaching and support planning.

Another key concern is the comprehensibility and accessibility of diagnostic results. Diagnostics must be communicated in such a way that teachers, specialists and parents are equally able to act. This is why we attach great importance to target group-oriented communication - because diagnostic and scientific findings must be accessible to those affected and to practitioners in order to have a lasting impact.

A central component of our work is the construction of tests and questionnaires, i.e. we design and evaluate diagnostic procedures. In addition, our research methodological expertise lies in experimental single-case research and research synthesis. We are also involved in the further development of research methods (data analysis of experimental individual case studies, target group-appropriate data collection methods). We are committed to the principles of open science. We plan and realize our own projects according to these principles and make all resulting products freely accessible. In addition, we support other working groups in the implementation of open science strategies and carry out meta-scientific studies on the significance of open science in inclusion and special needs education.

With our work, we contribute to the further development of inclusion-oriented diagnostics in research, teaching and practice and help to ensure that diagnostics is understood as an important building block for inclusive, equitable and effective educational practice.