Research projects
Research projects
"That's (un)fair!" - Distributive justice for children and young people
Project description
Justice moves people. It is at the centre of heated debates, shapes classrooms as well as family conversations and is an ongoing topic in child and youth welfare. At a time when social inequality is noticeably growing, it is more urgent than ever to understand how young people perceive, categorise and defend fairness. In our research project at the University of Oldenburg, we want to systematically investigate these questions. Our overarching goal is to understand how children's and young people's perceptions of fairness develop (cognitively, emotionally and socially). In doing so, we not only want to make a contribution to international developmental psychology, but also gain practical insights for education, social work and political education. We therefore also see our project as a contribution to equal opportunities and value formation. The region of north-west Germany, and the Oldenburg area in particular, offers us the opportunity to involve children and young people from different social, cultural and educational backgrounds. Our findings should not only be made accessible to the international expert community, but also to local stakeholders. We are planning targeted exchange formats with schools, youth centres and child and youth welfare organisations in order to translate our findings into concrete recommendations for action.
The aim of our project is to gain a scientific understanding of how young people's perception of justice develops and changes, and which social, cultural and personal factors shape this development. The findings should, on the one hand, enrich the scientific discourse on moral development and, on the other hand, provide concrete impulses for educational, school and social practice. Young people's sense of justice can influence their social behaviour, their political commitment and their trust in social institutions. A sound understanding of this development is crucial in order to strengthen educational processes, the promotion of democracy and social cohesion in a targeted manner. By analysing the formative factors, we create a scientific basis for measures that can support young people in their value formation.
In particular, we want to make a contribution to recognising and better understanding the justice needs of young people from different walks of life in order to be able to promote social integration, access to education and democratic participation in a more targeted way in the long term.
Project duration: Start of the project: 01.08.25, end of project: 01.11.27
Project leader: Dr Jessica Wilke Dr Alexander Max Bauer Dr Neele Bäker
Funding: Funded by the EWE Stiftung- Stiftung des bürgerlichen Rechts (€ 2,000)
Quality characteristics of day care centres - influence on the social-emotional and academic development of children
Project description
Early childhood is a crucial developmental phase in which children acquire fundamental social, emotional and cognitive skills that shape their well-being and their further educational path in primary school. The project examines key quality characteristics of childcare centres to understand which conditions best support children's social-emotional and academic development as they move into primary school.
Project team: Dr Annika Rademacher, Dr Neele Bäker, Dr Naska Goagoses, Prof. Dr Ute von Düring
Previous publications from the project:
Rademacher, A., Bäker, N., von Düring, U., Hiltunen, V., & Goagoses, N. (2025). The effects of early childhood education and care quality on academic competences in early primary school: A systematic review and meta-analysis. European Journal of Psychology of Education. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10212-025-01005-w
Rademacher, A., Bäker, N., Jungmann, T., von Düring, U., Zumbach, J., & Goagoses, N. (2025). Technology meets elementary education: Media competence of pedagogical professionals as a key to early digital promotion. Journal of Developmental and Educational Psychology, 57, 24-34.
Bullying and victimisation in children and adolescents - a screening to identify (cyber)bullying
Project description
The aim of the study is to develop and test a screening instrument for the holistic assessment of (cyber)bullying. In recent years, bullying and acts of violence among children and adolescents have taken on alarming proportions. In Lower Saxony, frequencies of between 18.9-40.6 % are found in relation to victimisation experiences (Eilts et al., 2022). Bullying is a complex social phenomenon that has not yet been fully deciphered in science (Olweus, 1993; Zych et al., 2017). While traditional bullying is often limited to the school context, cyberbullying takes place in the virtual space and can also persist outside of school due to the widespread use of social media (Bergmann et al., 2017). The serious consequences of victimisation experiences, such as loss of academic performance, school avoidance, depression and suicidal thoughts, emphasise the importance of a holistic approach to identifying and overcoming bullying (Bilz, 2008; Fischer et al., 2020). The development of a validated, reliable and comprehensive screening procedure is of great importance for the early detection and implementation of possible courses of action. The aim is to develop such a screener in order to help recognise (cyber)bullying at an early stage and implement measures for action. As part of the study, the instrument will be designed, factor-analysed and revised.
Project duration: Start of the project: 01.10.24, end of the project: 01.04.26
Project leader: Jessica Wilke
Project and cooperation partners: Prof. Dr Ute von Düring and Dr Jule Eilts
Funding: Funded by the EWE Foundation - Foundation under civil law (€ 5,000)
Suicidal behaviour in children and adolescents in the context of school - awareness and mental health literacy of teachers on the topic of suicide prevention and intervention at school
Project description
Suicide is the second most common cause of death in childhood and adolescence. Suicidal thoughts, suicidal statements and suicide attempts are even more common among schoolchildren. They are often associated with mental illness (e.g. depressive disorders, trauma disorders, eating disorders, delusional disorders) but can also occur independently and acutely. This is why schools and teachers are also confronted with the issue of suicidal behaviour.
If teachers experience such crises and emergencies among pupils, questions arise about the possibilities for help and responsibility. Insufficient knowledge on the topic of suicidal behaviour among pupils and how to deal with it can lead to helplessness, anxiety and stress among teachers. It can be assumed that teachers have too little knowledge about responsibilities in the fractionated help and treatment system in Germany.
Aims of the project
The aim of the co-operation project is to systematically record and analyse the knowledge and needs of teachers in this area. A further aim is to analyse the initial situation and needs of pupils on the subject of suicidal behaviour at school using a participatory research approach. The third objective is to develop and subsequently evaluate practical models and modules for the training and further education of teachers.
Co-operation partners
The research project is a co-operation project between the City of Oldenburg and the University of Oldenburg. Dr Christina Vesterling (project leader) and Dr Peter Orzessek from the Public Health Department of the City of Oldenburg, Social Psychiatric Service, as well as Prof. Dr Ute von Düring (project leader), Dr Naska Goagoses and Dr Jessica Wilke from the University of Oldenburg form the interdisciplinary and multi-professional team.
Following a decision by the city administration and the University's Presidential Board, the project will also be included as one of the central projects in the 2025 work programme of the strategic co-operation between the two partners.
Dr Annika Rademacher
First projects
The role of supportive teacher-student relationships in reducing the risk of suicide among students: A systematic review including meta-analysis
The role of supportive teacher-student relationships in reducing the risk of suicide among students is the focus of the systematic review including meta-analysis by Dr Christina Vesterling, Dr Peter Orzessek (Public Health Department of the City of Oldenburg) and Dr Naska Goagoses, Dr Jessica Wilke and Prof Dr Ute von Düring (University of Oldenburg). The aim is to investigate the links between supportive teacher-student relationships and suicidal behaviour and suicidal thoughts in schoolchildren. The systematic review and meta-analysis is preregistered on PROSPERO (CRD42024616199).
Learn more
Questions about the project can be sent by email to Dr Jessica Wilke(jessica.wilke[at]uol.de) and Dr Peter Orzessek(dr.peter.orzessek[at]stadt-oldenburg.de).
If you have suicidal thoughts yourself or notice them in other people, call the emergency number 112. Free help is also available from the telephone counselling service on 0800 1110111 or 0800 1110222.
Systematic review and meta-analysis - Relationship between a sense of belonging at school and externalising problem behaviour
Project description
The school context plays a central role in the social-emotional development of pupils. A crucial factor in this context is the sense of belonging at school, defined as "the extent to which students feel personally accepted, respected, included, and supported - especially by teachers and other adults in the school environment" (Goodenow & Grady, 1993, pp. 60-61). Previous systematic reviews show a negative correlation between a sense of belonging at school and internalising problem behaviour (Marraccini, 2017; Raniti, 2022). Individual studies also indicate a link between a sense of belonging and externalising problem behaviour (Yıldırım et al., 2023; Arslan, 2022). The project therefore aims to summarise the state of research in this area through a systematic review and meta-analysis in order to gain a better understanding and derive evidence-based recommendations for action. After the theory-based formulation of search terms, a systematic literature search was carried out in July 2025 in the bibliographic databases Web of Science, Scopus, ERIC and PubMed. After applying the inclusion criteria in title/abstract and full-text screening, a final selection of included studies was made. The narrative synthesis and meta-analysis are currently in progress. Results and further insights will follow shortly.
Keywords: Sense of belonging at school; School satisfaction; Externalising problem behaviour; Aggressive behaviour; Systematic review; Meta-analysis
Project team: Naska Goagoses, Katharina Brosig, Jessica Schütz, Ute von Düring