Affiliation:
1. Hector Research Institute of Education Sciences and Psychology University of Tübingen Tübingen Germany
2. Leibniz Institute for Research and Information in Education Frankfurt Germany
3. Center for Research on Individual Development and Adaptive Education for Children at Risk (IDeA) Frankfurt Germany
4. Department of Education and the Brain & Motivation Research Institute (bMRI) Korea University Seoul South Korea
Abstract
AbstractThis article describes how a series of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were implemented in the Hector Children's Academy Talent Development Program with the goal of generating mutual benefits for research and practice. The Hector Children's Academy Program, founded in 2010 and located in one of the largest states in Germany, Baden‐Württemberg, is a statewide enrichment program for talented primary school students, with a focus on STEMM topics. The program is financed by a private foundation, supervised by the Ministry of Education, and offered by 69 local sites that are hosted by local schools. About 15,000 primary school students (Grades 1–4) attend enrichment courses (more than 23,000 course participations) offered by the Hector Children's Academy Program every year. A unique element of the Hector Children's Academy Program is the role of empirical research in course development. The Hector Core Courses—offered by all local sites—undergo a strict quality assurance process in which RCTs are used to test their effectiveness with regard to central outcomes. After describing the Hector Children's Academy Program, we explain how the Hector Core Courses were developed and incorporated into the program, summarize key findings from the RCTs, and discuss mutual benefits for research and practice.
Subject
History and Philosophy of Science,General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology,General Neuroscience