DSP-Research Group

Human Development, Learning, and Instruction in Times of Global Change

Abstract

For investigating human development as well as learning and instruction, a theoretical perspective that understands human interactions as embedded in a complex and dynamic networks of social contexts is necessary. This college focuses on these complex interactions and how global changes, such as digitization and globalization, may affect these dynamics. This important and growing field of research is characterized by a lively exchange of theoretical perspectives and paradigms. Very broadly, two major topics of research in education and the social sciences in general, will be in the center of the research activities: 1) learning and instruction and 2) personality development, for instance research questions regarding well-being, motivation, self-regulation – both regarded as embedded in macro-social contexts that are affected by global changes. Above and beyond the theoretical challenges, the investigation of these systems of intertwined effects call for state-of-the-art methods.

In this college, we bring together a group of excellent senior and mid-level researchers to provide an optimal support for enabling the fellows to conduct excellent internationally visible research to be published in recognized scientific journals. The graduates will have acquired the competencies for entering a career in research, but also careers, that call for in-depth knowledge of how to address complex problems in the fields of human development, learning, and instruction. In order to achieve as competence goals, fellows will be supported by a dense network of the faculty of the doctorate college, but also including the external board members, who are internationally renowned researchers in the respective fields. Competence development will be supported by methodological workshops, research colloquia to present and discuss the own research, as well as the support for attending internationally relevant conferences and publish the research in international research journals.