Project KOLIBRI: Dataset

The professional competence of regular classroom teachers has been researched extensively. In many studies, both pedagogical content knowledge and general pedagogical knowledge are associated with students’ learning progress. In contrast, only few studies exist for school-based special educators (SHPs), even though in Switzerland SHPs have completed an additional qualification on top of a regular teaching diploma for decades. The project examined whether trained SHPs, compared to regular classroom teachers (RLKs), demonstrate higher professional competence in supporting learners with difficulties in reading and mathematics, and whether this relates to students’ outcomes (reading, mathematics) as well as aspects of school-related well-being. In addition, associations with moderating variables were analyzed, such as attitudes toward the inclusion of students with learning difficulties and epistemic beliefs about learning and disability. The longitudinal study was conducted in 80 inclusive classes in Grades 2, 3, and 4 in German-speaking Switzerland. Student data included achievement measures, aspects of school-related well-being, and ratings of instructional quality. Teacher data covered pedagogical content knowledge (including didactic competencies in reading and mathematics), general pedagogical knowledge (including cross-curricular competencies such as classroom management and teacher collaboration), and professional dispositions (e.g., attitudes toward inclusion and epistemic beliefs). The project contributes to a better understanding of how inclusive instruction can be implemented successfully and what role support provided by trained SHPs plays in this process.