KoPaS presents findings on language support in all-day schooling

On June 16, 2026, the closing event for the project “Multi-professional cooperation and professional development for content-focused language-supportive teaching in all-day school settings” (KoPaS) took place in Berlin. After more than three years of project work, the project’s initial key findings were presented, and perspectives for the further development of language-supportive teaching in all-day schools were discussed.

The aim of the project, funded by the Federal Ministry for Education, Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMBFSFJ), is to promote the subject-specific and language-related development of third- and fourth-grade elementary school students in all-day school settings. To this end, approaches to language-sensitive instruction that take individual multilingualism into account were implemented. In addition, KoPaS examined how collaboration among teachers, pedagogical staff, and out-of-school learning settings can be strengthened to support continuous language support and learning.

Professor Birgit Heppt from the IFS, subproject leader for the area of language support, opened the event with a welcome address and introduction. Following this, Lena Biele and Dr. Anja Riemenschneider from the IFS, together with Dr. Anna Volodina and Dr. Sofie Henschel from the IQB, presented the objectives, implementation, and effectiveness of the professional development programs developed within the project, as well as the curriculum for language-supportive teaching in the field of “Education for Sustainable Development” (ESD). In addition, findings on multiprofessional cooperation between teachers and pedagogical staff were presented. 

Another focus of the event was the presentation of the learning materials and teaching manuals developed as part of the project for classroom instruction and all-day programs. These are made available as Open Educational Resources (OER) and are intended to help ensure that the project’s findings are sustainably integrated into educational practice. All learning materials are linked within the digital teaching manuals, making them easily accessible with a single click and editable as needed. At the event, participants had the opportunity to explore materials such as worksheets, “hidden object” pictures, and vocabulary cards focused on the core learning vocabulary, as well as activity cards with guidelines for designing extracurricular programs. The printed manuals, which were made available free of charge for use in schools, also generated a great deal of interest.

The event concluded with a panel discussion on the opportunities and future prospects for language support in all-day schools. Moderated by Professor Birgit Heppt, the discussion brought together Annette Jörke and Markus Heinze—who both participated in the project as a teacher and member of the pedagogical staff, respectively—Hendrik Stammermann from the Hamburg State Institute for Qualification and Quality Development, and Professor Petra Stanat, Director of the Institute for Educational Quality Improvement (IQB), to discuss the prerequisites for the successful implementation of continuous language support, as well as future challenges and opportunities for development. The closing event provided an opportunity for professional exchange on the project results and their significance for the further development of language-support programs in all-day schools. The dialogue between educational research, educational practice, and educational administration provided important impetus for further networking in the field of language support.