PHOENIX: Pilot implementation of the intervention study in NRW

The PHOENIX project has begun piloting its intervention study in schools in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW). This marks an important milestone in the development of the intervention materials for the first year of the intervention.
Launched in January 2026, the PHOENIX project will follow students from ninth grade through to after they graduate from school, with annual intervention sessions. The aim of the project is to investigate how young people can be sustainably inspired to engage with the natural sciences in general and physics in particular.
As part of the pilot phase, the study materials are being tested with students from several schools and classes. The focus is on their views on physics, physics education, and the study materials. In addition, competencies in physics, mathematics, logic, and reading are being assessed. The results and feedback from the students and their teachers will provide important initial insights and will be used to inform potential adjustments to the materials, as well as to optimize technical processes and procedures.
In autumn 2027, the intervention materials will then be rolled out on a larger scale in three German federal states.
PHOENIX is part of the outreach program of the Cluster of Excellence “Center for Chiral Electronics” (EXC3112/1), funded as part of the German federal and state governments’ Excellence Strategy at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Freie Universität Berlin, and the University of Regensburg, with TU Dortmund University as an institutional partner.
Further information: PHOENIX project website