Assessment-Based, Differentiated Reading Instruction for German Secondary School Students

• Applicant: Dr. Mareike Ehlert
• Subject Area: General and Domain-Specific Teaching and Learning
• Term: since 2026
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 571428572

Reading is a critical skill that significantly impacts academic achievement, social engagement, and future career opportunities (Wijekumar et al., 2020). However, current research shows that 25% of students in Germany struggle with insufficient reading skills by the end of primary school (McElvany et al., 2023). These challenges often persist into secondary education, creating particular difficulties within Germany’s differentiated school system: In this system, students are assigned to different school types based on their primary school performance. The Hauptschule and Realschule, which typically serve students from lower academic tracks, tend to have a higher proportion of students facing foundational challenges, such as reading fluency and comprehension (Blossfeld et al., 2016). Moreover, reading motivation among adolescents also significantly declines as they progress through their education (Reiss et al., 2019). To counteract these developments, systematic reading concepts are needed that specifically address students’ individual learning needs and support teachers in their implementation. The first objective of this project is to assess the effectiveness of the assessment-based, differentiated reading program di2lesen (Ehlert et al., 2024; Hebbecker et al., 2020) in Hauptschulen and Realschulen in Germany. The program integrates (1) a digital tool for monitoring learning progress, (2) prepared differentiated reading materials, and (3) a comprehensive professional development program for teachers. While the effectiveness of di2lesen has been evaluated in primary education, no studies have yet been conducted in secondary schools. Therefore, a randomised controlled trial will examine whether di2lesen improves reading fluency, comprehension, and motivation among fifth-grade students in Hauptschulen and Realschulen, compared to a waitlist control group. A second aim of this project is to examine teaching quality (Klieme et al., 2009) as a potential mechanism through which reading interventions like di2lesen can improve reading outcomes. Previous research has shown a significant relation between teaching quality and student reading performance (Hu & Wang, 2022). Despite this, the role of teaching quality in structured intervention settings remains underexplored. Therefore, the second goal of the project is to investigate whether participation in di2lesen enhances teaching quality, and if improvements in teaching quality, in turn, influence students’ reading outcomes.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Co-Investigator: Professor Dr. Elmar Souvignier