Educational Sciences and Empirical Education Research

Empirical Education Research at Europa-Universität Flensburg deals with the theory of qualitative reconstructive methods, their application and further development in relation to educational issues. The empirical basis for reconstructive work is data from social practice, e.g. transcripts of audio and video records plus observational protocols. The focus of our research and teaching is a theoretical examination of the current situation in education, which first and foremost refers to the perception of education. In its work, the department takes into account the fundamental quantitative research approach of educational science whilst focusing on the differentiation of the research program of a qualitative empirical educational science.

A further focus of the work is case based learning as a basis of the professionalisation in educational fields and the possibility to create a link between theory and practice. This casuistic approach to academic teaching is targeted towards practising a reflection on orientation of actions and consequences on the basis of examples and to understand the fundamental problem of educational action.

Although the empirical reconstructive work is an open-topic, the current research approach is mainly focused on studies of education and social inequality, youth in heterogeneous situations and transitions in life.