to the website of the Center for Research on Education and School Development
IFS in a nutshell
The Center for Research on Education and School Development (IFS) at the TU Dortmund University is committed to all areas of education research – from the description, explanation, and improvement of the organization and management of schools and the school system, to the analysis of educational processes and educational outcomes of students of different age groups in different contexts. Not limited to students, the research takes into account parents, teachers, school administration, and institutional frameworks. A special focus is research into the reform and development processes of schools and the school system, as well as the necessary conditions for these processes and their outcomes.
Research areas at IFS
Empirical Educational Research with a Focus on Teaching and Learning (Team McElvany)
Empirical Educational Research with a Focus on Individual Developmental Trajectories and Institutional Contexts (Team Becker)
Empirical Educational Research in Primary and Secondary Education (Team Heppt)
Empirical Educational Research with a Focus on School and Classroom Research (Team Deputy Professor Ohle-Peters)
Educational Data Science (Team Deputy Professor Wu)
Latest news from the IFS
New publication in the European Journal of Psychology of Education
National Reading Day – Favorite reads of education researchers
Sebastian Vogel successfully defends his dissertation
Professor Birgit Heppt at “Reutlinger Tag 2025”
Current events at the IFS
Save the date – IFS-Virtual Keynote Series on 19th and 26th January 2026: „Well-being in the Educational Context: Understanding and Enhancing Student and Teacher Well-Being“
