Final Report of the DFG project Lehren und Lernen: Entwicklung und Bedeutung der professionellen Kompetenz von Lehrkräften – Ein 10 Jahres-Längsschnitt auf Basis der COACTIV-R-Studie

The cognitive and motivational-affective aspects of teachers’ professional competence are considered key determinants of teachers’ professional success. These aspects are conceptualized as developable through the use of learning opportunities. However, until now, there has been a lack of longitudinal studies systematically examining the development of professional competence over extended periods. This project addressed that gap by re-assessing participants from the COACTIV-R study—who were originally surveyed between 2007 and 2009 during their teacher training regarding core aspects of professional competence—across multiple measurement points from 2019 to 2024. The study pursued three main objectives: (1) to describe the developmental trajectories of the aspects of professional competence over the long-term interval, (2) to identify resources supporting positive development and potential risk factors, and (3) toexamine the long-term relevance of professional competence for teachers’ professional success. The findings reveal that the aspects of professional competence follow markedly distinct developmental patterns. Positive trajectories emerged in relation to professional knowledge and motivation: Professional knowledge increased from teacher education into the professional teaching phase, and motivation remained relatively stable at a high level. Less favorable results were observed for self-regulation and professional beliefs: Self-regulation exhibited high stability across the four identified self-regulation types, with adaptive developmental trends appearing infrequently and primarily during the early stages of professionalization. Furthermore, a moderate decline in constructivist beliefs was observed over time. Across all aspects of professional competence, substantial interindividual differences in developmental trajectories were found. To explain these differences, both personal and contextual characteristics were considered. The findings on predictors of development allow for conclusions regarding potential leverage points for promoting desirable trajectories and preventing unfavorable ones. Personal characteristics—such as reflection, openness, or high baseline levels of professional knowledge—and school-related characteristics—such as constructive collaboration with colleagues, strong institutional resources, and supportive school leadership—were associated with favorable development patterns. In contrast, early experiences of stress emerged as a risk factor. Strengthening the predictors of positive development and mitigating risk factors at an early stage is essential to prevent negative professional trajectories and support long-term teacher effectiveness. unknown