Anumber of measures to promote language education have proven effective when trialled in research projects; others have not. The transfer and implementation of successful programmes into schools often succeeds only to a limited extent and with little measurable effect on the language skills of students. The goal of the research network (Forschungsnetzwerk BiSS-Transfer) is therefore to gain reliable insights into how scientifically evaluated and demonstrably effective concepts for language education can be effectively and successfully transferred into schools, and under which premises and conditions they can best develop their impact at the different levels of the education system.

The research network is part of the initiative BiSS-Transfer (2020 to 2025), a joint initiative of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and Germany’s federal states. It is funded by the BMBF.

The research network works in a multidisciplinary manner. It looks at different aspects of language education, such as reading and writing support, integrated strategies in academic language instruction such as Content and Language Integrated Learning or sheltered instruction (Sprachsensibler Fachunterricht), and how data from VERA-8 (nationwide written comparison tests that students take in the 8th grade) can be used for teaching. The research network coordinates two large studies in primary and secondary education. It examines the course of the implementation from teacher training to the interventions in the classroom by the participating schools and teachers to the effects on the participating students. 

The intervention focuses on transfer formats, both for training purposes and to accompany lessons, in a total of six main areas:

• Reading and reading support, Institute for Psychology in Education, University of Münster (WWU)
• Writing and writing support, Mercator Institute for Literacy and Language Education, University of Cologne
• School and classroom development (Unterrichtsentwicklung mit VERA 8), Department of German Language and Literature II, University of Cologne; Institute for Quality Development in Education (IQB)
• integrated strategies in academic language instruction such as Content and Language Integrated Learning or sheltered instruction in mathematics (Sprachsensibler Mathematikunterricht), German Centre for Mathematics Teacher Education (DZLM), TU Dortmund University
• Teacher training, Mercator Institute for Literacy and Language Education, University of Cologne
• Effects of language education on students in primary school, DIPF | Leibniz Institute for Research and Information in Education

A consortium (Trägerkonsortium BiSS-Transfer) is in charge of the coordination of the research network. It makes its findings available via the nationwide BiSS-Transfer initiative network to policymakers in the federal states so that they can be taken into account in further implementation processes.