Interviews with graduates

1) How did you come to study Empirical Educational Research?

During my bachelor studies in social sciences (politics and sociology), it quickly became clear to me that education is one of the most important adjusting screws in our society. But where and how do you best start if you want to make a difference? I believe a better understanding of interrelationships in the field of education plays a key role in answering these questions. My curiosity and interest in the field, as well as practical research, led me to study Empirical Educational Research.

2) What is your current occupation and where do you work?

I am currently a research assistant in the TALIS video study project at the DIPF in Frankfurt.

3) To what extent did the Master's program in Empirical Educational Research help you in your professional development? What was and is it useful for?

I already worked on a small research project during my studies through the two-semester project seminar and was thus able to accompany the complete research process from planning to evaluation and transfer of the results. In addition, the mandatory research internship led me to my current job. Along the way, I gained insights into many different areas of educational research, which allowed my interest in certain topics to really develop.

4) Which heading represents your career path?

"Thinking outside the box." In addition to the compulsory courses, there are also exciting courses in other departments (for example, on university research or research methods), and you can also learn a lot from the right job as a student assistant or as a research intern in an exciting project. 

5) Why should one definitely study the Master's program in Empirical Educational Research?

If you are interested in educational research and want to study at a university where there are many studies in this field and where you can get practical experience during your studies, Kassel is the place to be. The program is a great precursor to an academic career in educational research.

6) When did you graduate from the program?

April 2018.

7) Even our MAEB has limitations. What should be covered more intensively in the master's program?

Due to the small number of students in the master's program, many events take place together with student teachers and are unfortunately primarily geared towards them. In addition, the selection of different methods courses could be larger.

1) How did you come to study Empirical Educational Research?

The empirical state examination thesis in the elementary school teaching degree program with the use of quantitative and qualitative research sparked my interest in educational research. I wanted to broaden my options for professional development in order to have other long-term development opportunities in addition to my initial preference as a teacher. I also enjoyed studying and had a desire to learn new things.

2) What is your current occupation and where do you work?

I am now an educational assistant (seconded teacher) at the University of Kassel in the IfE (Institute for Educational Science) in the department of elementary school education.

3) To what extent did the Master's program in Empirical Educational Research help you in your professional development? What was and is it useful for?

The program has helped me to develop an expanded view of research and reflection on practice and to be able to justify it on the basis of pedagogical and didactical decisions.

These expanded professional competencies promoted a successful traineeship. After that, I was immediately hired as a teacher. According to the school management, the Master's program was one of the reasons for my selection. After about 6 months of working as a teacher, I received a partial secondment to the Hessian Ministry of Education in teacher training and the Master's degree also served as a "door opener" here. In addition, the master's degree gave me the right to do a doctorate.

4) Which heading represents your professional career?

"From meat counter options to educational research opportunities."

Career counseling at the employment office recommended that I train as a meat counter clerk in 9th grade. As a result, counseling offers were no longer taken up by me and instead I sought my own path. First, I trained as a kindergarten teacher, then I acquired the university entrance qualification for particularly qualified professionals, then I studied to become a teacher at elementary schools and then I completed the master's program in empirical educational research and then my traineeship.

5) Why should you definitely study the Master's program in Empirical Educational Research?

I would recommend the master's program for three reasons:

1. it is an exciting program with excellent "all-around support".

2. it has high quality teaching in small seminar groups.

3. it offers very good professional development opportunities afterwards.

6) When did you graduate from the program?

July 2012.

7) Even our MAEB has limitations. What should be covered more intensively in the master's program?

The possibilities of combining qualitative and quantitative research.

1) How did you come to study Empirical Educational Research?

I wanted to pursue my interest in (qualitative) educational research, which I had developed during my bachelor's studies, in more depth during my master's studies, and Kassel, as one of the few locations offering this master's program, was my first choice.

2) What do you do today and where do you work?

I work at the University of Kassel as a research assistant in a research project on digitization in out-of-school cultural youth education.

3) To what extent did the Master's program in Empirical Educational Research help you in your professional development? What was and is it useful for?

First of all, the overarching insight into different methods and methodologies of empirical social research has helped me to strengthen my interest in qualitative-reconstructive methods or rather to strengthen myself in this interest without leaving out other "directions". In my work in a "mixed-methods" research project, my knowledge of quantitative methods and statistical calculations/characteristics has benefited me most of all. So even the then often demonized statistics seminar is ultimately sometimes helpful for me today (Thanks Edgar!).

4) Why should one definitely study the Master's program in Empirical Educational Research?

Because you grow together as a group of students due to the small cohorts, which makes it anything but impersonal, also with the lecturers.

5) When did you graduate from the program?

September 2017. 

6) Even our MAEB has limitations. What should be covered more intensively in the master?

The first is that the Master "Education" is strongly related to the school context and therefore other educational venues, such as extracurricular institutions, daycare centers or child & youth work are in my opinion too short or often simply not considered. The second is that there is a strong focus on quantitative methods, which is reflected in the range of seminars offered. Qualitative research methods and opportunities to learn about, try out and apply them are "touched upon" but dealt with much less in comparison to quantitative research.

1) How did you come to study Empirical Educational Research?

I graduated in 2012 with a Bachelor's degree in Social Work from the University of Kassel. At that time, it was clear to me that I did not want to work as a social worker and I was looking for alternative master's programs. Since I was already very interested in educational topics and social research, the MAEB was just the right thing.

2) What is your current occupation and where do you work?

I am currently working as a Research Officer at NCVO (National Council for Voluntary Organisations) in London. NCVO is the umbrella organization for NGOs in England and provides professional development, networking of organizations, and advocacy with government, among other services. As part of the research team, I work on socio-political issues around NGOs, volunteering, and welfare policy.

3) In what ways has the master's program in Empirical Educational Research helped you in your professional development? What was and is it useful for?

Already during my bachelor's degree in social work, I dealt a lot with (mainly qualitative) research methods. The research focus in the master's program appealed to me a lot and also helped me in terms of my professional career. Today, I work in both quantitative and qualitative research projects, in which I make a lot of use of my skills from my studies. Through the Master's program, I have also learned to critically question my role as a researcher and the validity of my research. Without the Master, I probably wouldn't be in my current professional position.

5) Why should one definitely study the Master's program in Empirical Educational Research?

You should definitely study the MAEB if you are interested in educational issues and learning processes and are not afraid of research. Statistics may scare some people off, but the seminars are well structured and prepare everyone optimally for the exams. Overall, the master's offers a lot of scope to pursue one's own interests and, due to the small group size, very individual support from the lecturers. And if you don't want to stay in research at the university, the job opportunities are more diverse than you think!

6) When did you graduate from the program?

2015.

7) Even our MAEB has limitations. What should be covered more intensively in the master's?

During the master's, I was a bit disappointed that job opportunities outside the university or at prestigious university research institutions were not advertised at all. I think that the research internship would have provided an opportunity for some students to get a taste of potential fields of work (e.g., independent research projects in extracurricular educational projects or community colleges). On the contrary, one had the feeling that the internship was used by lecturers to raise their own junior staff and to engage students for their projects. I organized my internship independently at a language school abroad and felt that I had to fulfill special requirements in order for it to be recognized (e.g., organizing university supervision). I feel that this is a missed opportunity and opening up to non-university professional fields would be an asset to the program.

1) How did you come to study Empirical Educational Research?

Werner Thole asked me after my diploma what I wanted to do (over a cigarette on the bridge). I actually wanted to do the MA in Philosophy of Forms of Knowledge, he said "Markus, in your place I would do the MA in Empirical Educational Research" - I then studied both for the first two semesters and then concentrated on the MA Empirical Educational Research.

2) What is your current occupation and where do you work?

I work at the DIPF in the StEG project (study on the development of all-day schools).

3) In what way did the MA Empirical Educational Research help you in your professional development? What was and is it useful for?

I have also already completed my internship in the StEG project. Here I was well prepared by the methodological knowledge from the Master, but also by my diploma in social pedagogy.

4) Which heading stands for your professional career? 

"Between school research and social pedagogy".

5) Why should one definitely study the Master's program in Empirical Educational Research?

"One" should not necessarily study the MA, but only if there is interest in research. Whether "one" will work there later is secondary, but the insights into research can help one personally. If you are not interested in this, you should not study the MA.

6) When did you complete the program?

2012? 2013?

7) Even our MAEB has limitations. What should be covered more intensively in the Master?

Career prospects beyond research....

1) How did you come to study Empirical Educational Research?

After my bachelor's degree in childhood education, it was clear to me that I wanted to deepen my scientific interest and expand my knowledge in this field. I came across the Master's program in Empirical Educational Research rather by chance through an online search, but I was convinced by the module handbook of the Master's program with its connection between methodology & and empiricism, as well as by the seminars with educational science and partly social pedagogical or philosophical contents.

2) What do you do today and where do you work?

Today I work as a research assistant in a third-party funded project at the Philipps University of Marburg in the Department of Educational Sciences in out-of-school youth education and am writing my dissertation on artistic-cultural educational processes as part of this work.

3) To what extent has the Master's program in Empirical Educational Research helped you in your professional development? What was and is it beneficial for?

During the Master's program, I was lucky enough to get to know different areas of scientific work as a student assistant (e.g., in social work as well as in classroom research), which gave me profound insights into the practice of this work. This allowed me to apply the knowledge I had acquired in the seminars (e.g. creating questionnaires or using statistics programs) directly to the research field and thus practice using them. However, the theoretical work, which is the focus during the studies, is still relevant for my career, because in this context the foundation for my own pedagogical attitude can be laid.

4) Which heading stands for your professional career? 

 "Pedagogy - philosophy - statistics are not compatible?! Oh, yes they are and with what necessity!"

5) Why should one definitely study the master's program in Empirical Educational Research?

There should be no talk of "should" here ;-)... If one wants to get a comprehensive picture of research in the education sector, then it is the right study program. Here, the profile that one wants to acquire in this field can be sharpened. The University of Kassel is also a good place for this, as it resonates with a certain benevolent attitude towards human diversity (moreover, the city has a lot to offer culturally...).

6) When did you graduate from the program?

End of 2014 

7) Even our MAEB has limitations. What should be covered more intensively in the master?

As mentioned before: I would be happy to see more philosophical seminars that would stimulate prospective researchers to think.

1) How did you come to major in Empirical Educational Research?

By searching online for a degree program that would teach me scientific skills.

2) What is your current occupation and where do you work?

I am a research assistant to Jun.-Prof. Dr. A. Retkowski at the University of Kassel.

3) To what extent did the Master's program in Empirical Educational Research help you in your professional development? What was and is it useful for?

The course was helpful for understanding qualitative and quantitative studies and for interpreting study results.

4) What heading represents your professional development? 

"Against Social and Gender Injustice."

I have been interested in normalizations of gender and related inequalities since the beginning of my undergraduate studies, and these topics have accompanied me professionally. Each of them has their blind spots and of course they are all very big! But if you filter out an important part for yourself and structure it theoretically, then you get a bit further yourself and perhaps also create a well-founded insight into various interpersonal processes for others. So today I am a bit more cautious with mere psychological findings that seem to be convincingly true with statistics and experiments - but what is relevant for me as an educational scientist are the theories and assumptions behind them. So if I want to study educational processes, I have to think about how I have people in mind and then approach the study design.

5) Why should one definitely study the Master's program in Empirical Educational Research?

To understand the structures and interpretive scopes of science and thereby be able to make a sound, meaningful contribution to research.

6) When did you graduate from the program?

December 2016.

7) Even our MAEB has limitations. What should be covered more intensively in the master's?

Qualitative research, both in terms of content theory and methodology.

Torsten Eckermann completed his Master's degree in Empirical Educational Research in 2010. At the time of the interview, he was already working as a research assistant at the Institute of Educational Science at the University of Kassel in the field of elementary school education. In the meantime, he has also completed his doctorate there (April 2016) and has held a junior professorship at the European University of Flensburg in the School Education Department of the Institute of Educational Sciences since October 2016.

1) What made you decide to take up the Master's program "Empirical Educational Research"? 

The starting point for the decision to take up the Master's program "Empirical Educational Research" was certainly, among other things, the boom in empirical research triggered by large-scale studies such as PISA and IGLU. Questions that I encountered in my teacher training program and that I consider to be highly relevant to society were now being discussed in the media and placed on a broad empirical basis. By taking up the master's program, I wanted to gain a deeper insight into the planning, implementation, and evaluation of such empirical studies. In addition, however, I was also interested in checking the extent to which my previous experiences from everyday school life corresponded with what was being discussed there in the media public.

2) How would you rate your personal learning gains?

Already during my studies and then especially through my exam thesis I was increasingly confronted with research findings of empirical studies. I have to admit that at that time I was only familiar with the methodological procedure of quantitative as well as qualitative studies to a very limited extent. Through the reception of many empirical studies, but especially through the possibility to become active in research projects myself and to make first experiences in the field of empirical research, I was able to learn a lot: On the one hand, this certainly concerns the "craft-technical" knowledge and skills, such as how do I design a questionnaire, but on the other hand, it also concerns organizational and administrative tasks (e.g., submitting applications for research projects). 

3) What new perspectives has the Master's program opened up for you? 

With the completion of the Master's program "Empirical Educational Research", I now have the opportunity to build up an alternative to the profession of a teacher. For me personally, it is very important to know that, in addition to my job as a teacher, I can also work professionally in another field, such as research or even educational policy. I believe that there is currently a need for people with expertise in pedagogy and subject didactics to be involved in empirical research.

4) What is your current professional situation and what are your plans for the future? 

I am currently employed at the University of Kassel as a research assistant. When it comes to the future, I keep it with Albert Einstein: "I never think about the future. It will come soon enough". No, to give you an answer to your question: At the moment, I would like to further my scientific qualifications, i.e. I am striving for a doctorate in educational science with a focus on elementary school pedagogy. Only time will tell whether I will actually succeed in doing so. In any case, the prerequisites for this are created due to the master's program "Empirical Educational Research", since I was able to acquire many things through the master's program that other doctoral students and doctoral candidates have to acquire in tedious (individual) work only during their doctorate.