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Department of Educational Sciences and Psychology
[Translate to English:] © Orbon_Alija​/​istock.com

Prof. Dr. Michael Becker

Main research topics

  • Academic and psychosocial development and educational trajectories from childhood and adolescence into adulthood.
  • Development of school achievement-related and social disparities with special emphasis on the school context
  • Quantitative methods of social research, especially causal analytic approaches and item response theory models
  • Developmental determinants and promotion of reading skills
  • Development and change of school systems

Office hours

By appointment via E-Mail to Michael Becker

Academic background

  • 2009: Dr. phil. in Psychologie, Freie Universität Berlin
  • 2004: Diplom in Psychologie, Freie Universität Berlin
  • 2004: M.A. in Psychologie, Neuere Geschichte und Katholische Theologie, Freie Universität Berlin

Professional background

  • Since 03/2020: Professur für Empirische Bildungsforschung mit dem Schwerpunkt schulische Bildungsprozesse an der TU Dortmund
  • 2013-2020: Wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter am DIPF | Leibniz-Institut für Bildungsforschung und Bildungsinformation
  • 2010-2013: Wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter an der Universität Potsdam
  • 2005-2010: Wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter und Promotionsstipendiat am Max-Planck-Institut für Bildungsforschung, Berlin, und an der International Max Planck Research School on the Life Course (LIFE), Berlin

VITA

Download CV Michael Becker

Further Information

Current Projects:

  • Educational choices and educational pathways within the context of structural changes in Berlin’s secondary school system (BERLIN-study), project duration: since 01.01.2010
  • Learning processes, educational careers, and psychosocial development in adolescence and young adulthood study (BIJU), project duration: since 01.01.1991
  • Study on the impact of Erasmus+ in schools and other educational institutions in the school sector (Erasmus+), project duration: 06.01.2022 – 01.10.2025
  • National Educational Panel Study – Stage 5 (NEPS), project duration:  01.10.2023 – 31.12.2027

Past Projects:

  • Competence development in elementary schools - enhancement study (KEGS-E), project duration: 01.01.2014 – 31.12.2020
  • Berlin longitudinal reading study  (LESEN 3-6), project duration: 01.01.2014 – 31.12.2020
  • Methodological issues in longitudinal educational studies (MILES-HuGS), project duration: 01.03.2016 – 31.07.2020
  • Tradition and Innovation: Developmental processes at non-academic track secondary schools in Baden-Wuerttemberg and Saxony (TRAIN), project duration: 01.01.2014 – 31.12.2020
  • Baumert, J., Becker, M., Jansen, M., Nagy, G., & Köller, O. (2025). Development of life satisfaction in immigrant youth: the role of transition decisions and cultural identification. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. Manuscript accepted for publication.
  • Becker, M. (2024). Sozioemotionale Charakteristika und Bildung [Socioemotional characteristics and education]. Zeitschrift für Erziehungswissenschaft. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11618-024-01217-8
  • Becker, M., Baumert, J., Tetzner, J., Maaz, K. & Köller, O. (2019). Childhood intelligence, family background, and gender as drivers of socioeconomic success: The mediating role of education. Developmental Psychology, 55, 2231-2248. https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0000766
  • Becker, M., Cortina, K. S., Tsai, Y.-M. & Eccles, J. S. (2014). Sexual orientation, psychological well-being, and mental health: A longitudinal analysis from adolescence to young adulthood. Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, 1, 132-145. https://doi.org/10.1037/sgd0000038
  • Becker, M., Kocaj, A., Jansen, M., Dumont, H. & Lüdtke, O. (2022). Class-average achievement and individual achievement: Testing achievement composition and peer spillover effects using five German longitudinal studies. Journal of Educational Psychology, 114(1), 177–197.  https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000519
  • Becker, M. & McElvany, N. (2018). The interplay of gender and social background: A longitudinal study of interaction effects in reading attitudes and behaviour. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 88(4), 529-549. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjep.12199 
  • Becker, M., Neumann, M. & Dumont, H. (2016). Recent developments in school tracking practices in Germany: An overview and outlook on future trends. Orbis Scholae,10(3), 9-26. https://doi.org/10.14712/23363177.2017.8
  • Becker, M., Schotte, K., Maaz, K. & Edele, A. (2025). Quantitative Ansätze der erziehungswissenschaftlichen Migrationsforschung. In M. Hummrich, W. Meseth & G. Putjata. Handbuch Erziehungswissenschaftliche Migrationsforschung. Manuscript accepted for publication.
  • Becker, M. & Tetzner, J. (2021). On the relations of sociocognitive childhood characteristics, education, and socioeconomic success in adulthood. Contemporary Educational Psychology. 67, October 2021, 102024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2021.102024
  • Burger, K., Becker, M. & Schoon, I. (2024). Mental health and educational attainment: How developmental stage matters. Developmental Psychology, 60(1), 108–123. https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0001634
  • Hornberg, S., Becker, M., & Sonnenburg, N. (Hrsg.) (2025). Lernmobilität in Europa: Eine Mixed-Methods-Studie zu Erasmus+ in der Schule. [Learning mobility in Europe: A mixed-methods study on Erasmus+ in schools] Münster: Waxmann. https://doi.org/10.31244/9783818850258
  • Neugebauer, M., Becker, M., Bihler, L., & Wagner, J. (2025). Well-being scarring effects of college non-completion. Social Science Research, 127. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssresearch.2024.103138
  • Neumann, M., Becker, M., Baumert, J., Maaz, K., & Köller, O. (Hrsg.) (2017). Zweigliedrigkeit im deutschen Schulsystem: Potenziale und Herausforderungen in Berlin [The two-track secondary school system in Germany: chances and challenges in Berlin]. Münster: Waxmann.
  • Tetzner, J. & Becker, M. (2025). Long-term advantages of adolescent optimism: nonlinear associations with adult outcomes and its protective role in buffering socioeconomic Risk. European Journal of Personality,39(3), 336-335. https://doi.org/10.1177/08902070241256399
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