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Previous Research Projects (Selection, 2019–2022)

Selected research projects of the chair whose results were published between 2019 and 2022. Earlier projects are not listed here; a complete overview of the chair’s research is provided in the list of publications.

  • Low-threshold teaching of academic skills under challenging everyday conditions
    The project focused on easy-to-implement interventions for children at risk for learning disabilities, such as a touch point method for learning subtraction.
    Selected publication:
    • Urton, K., Grünke, M., & Boon, R. T. (2022). Using a touch point instructional package to teach subtraction skills to German elementary students at-risk for LD. International Electronic Journal of Elementary Education, 14(3), 405–416. https://doi.org/10.26822/iejee.2022.252
  • Computer-assisted teaching of writing skills
    The project examined how computer-assisted strategy instruction (STOP & LIST) affects the text production of learners with writing difficulties.
    Selected publication:
    • Grünke, M., & Nobel, K. (2020). Effects of a computerized STOP & LIST intervention to foster text production skills in students who struggle with composition writing. Insights into Learning Disabilities, 17(1), 73–85.
  • Spelling errors of children with different language backgrounds
    The project focused on spelling errors of primary school children and on how orthographic skills can be fostered through explicit teaching and practice of spelling rules.
    Selected publication:
    • Knaak, T., Schmitz, S., & Grünke, M. (2020). Effekte der Förderung einer Rechtschreibregel und deren einschleifendes Üben mithilfe von Rechtschreib-Rennstrecken auf die orthografischen Fähigkeiten von sechs Grundschulkindern mit Lernschwierigkeiten [Effects of teaching a spelling rule and practising it with spelling race tracks on the orthographic skills of six primary school children with learning difficulties]. Vierteljahresschrift für Heilpädagogik und ihre Nachbargebiete, 89(3), 197–211.
  • Football fandom and social inclusion of people with disabilities
    The project explored how sport and the culture surrounding it can open up social participation for people with learning disabilities, including the example of baseball.
    Selected publications:
    • Grünke, M., & Martis, S. (2020). The inclusive power of baseball: How a game can help people with learning disabilities move away from the fringes of society. Insights into Learning Disabilities, 17(1), 87–98.
    • Grünke, M., Klöpfer, C., Wellmann, T., & Bracht, J. (2020). “I went on the mound and I felt like I didn’t have a learning disability”: A qualitative study of a former professional baseball player with learning disabilities. Insights into Learning Disabilities, 17(2), 109–128.
  • School-based support in primary and secondary education in mathematics, phonological awareness, spelling, reading and vocabulary for learners with learning and behavioural difficulties in their first and second language
    The project examined the effectiveness of interventions such as storytelling for learners with learning and behavioural difficulties in their first and second language, including vocabulary, reading and letter–sound correspondence.
    Selected publications:
    • Barwasser, A. (2021). Enhancing literacy in first- and second language learners with behavioral and learning difficulties [Doctoral dissertation, University of Cologne]. https://kups.ub.uni-koeln.de/54112/
    • Barwasser, A., Bracht, J., & Grünke, M. (2021). A storytelling approach on vocabulary, reading, and letter sound fluency of struggling first graders with German as second language with and without behavioral problems. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, Article 683873. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.683873
  • Reading Racetracks to Build Reading Fluency
    This project examined whether reading racetracks, game-like practice formats based on the principles of Precision Teaching, improve word-level reading fluency in children and adolescents with learning difficulties, behavioural problems or German as a second language.
    Selected publications:
    • Grünke, M., & Barwasser, A. (2019). Enhancing sight-word fluency of second-language elementary students through reading racetracks. International Journal of Technology and Inclusive Education, 8(1), 1373–1378. https://doi.org/10.20533/ijtie.2047.0533.2019.0167
    • Barwasser, A., Urton, K., & Grünke, M. (2021). Effects of a peer-tutorial reading racetrack on word fluency of secondary students with learning disabilities and emotional behavioral disorders. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, Article 671385. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.671385
  • Motivational Support and Peer Tutoring
    The focus was on how motivating elements and guided practice in pairs (peer tutoring) support the automatisation of basic reading, arithmetic and writing skills in low-achieving children and adolescents.
    Selected publications:
    • Barwasser, A., Urton, K., Grünke, M., Sperling, M., & Coker, D. L. (2022). Fostering word fluency of struggling third graders from Germany through motivational peer-tutorial reading racetracks. Reading and Writing, 35(1), 29–53. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11145-021-10172-3
    • Karnes, J., & Grünke, M. (2021). The effects of a multicomponent motivational system intervention using peer-tutoring for implementation on the automation of single-digit addition tasks of four struggling elementary students. Education Sciences, 11(6), Article 265. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11060265
    • Hisgen, S., Klöpfer, C., Karnes, J., & Grünke, M. (2021). Die Einflüsse motivierender Methoden auf das Verfassen von Texten von Schüler/innen der Sekundarstufe mit Förderschwerpunkt Lernen [The effects of motivating methods on the text writing of secondary students with learning disabilities]. Vierteljahresschrift für Heilpädagogik und ihre Nachbargebiete, 90 (VHN Plus). https://doi.org/10.2378/vhn2021.art14d
  • Strategy-Based Writing Instruction in German and in English as a Foreign Language
    Explicit, strategy-based instructional approaches to improving argumentative and narrative texts were tested, both with low-achieving secondary students and in writing in English as a foreign language.
    Selected publications:
    • Hisgen, S., Barwasser, A., Wellmann, T., & Grünke, M. (2020). The effects of a multicomponent strategy instruction on the argumentative writing performance of low-achieving secondary students. Learning Disabilities: A Contemporary Journal, 18(1), 93–110.
    • Tsiriotakis, I. K., Grünke, M., Spantidakis, I., Vassilaki, E., & Stavrou, N. A. M. (2020). The impact of an explicit writing intervention on EFL students’ short story writing. Frontiers in Education, 5, Article 565213. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2020.565213