Design-Based Research - A Research Format for Educational Research

Kati Barthmann; Gabriele Schrüfer; Veronika Eckstein

doi:10.52296/vje.2025.438

Authors

Kati Barthmann University of Bayreuth, Germany
Gabriele Schrüfer University of Bayreuth, Germany
Veronika Eckstein University of Bayreuth, Germany

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.52296/vje.2025.438

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Barthmann, K., Schrüfer, G., & Eckstein, V. (2025). Design-Based Research - A Research Format for Educational Research. Vietnam Journal of Education, 9(Special Issue), 137–145. https://doi.org/10.52296/vje.2025.438

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Abstract

In educational research, the gap between university research and school practice is frequently pointed out. Particularly, the transfer of innovative scientific research findings into teaching practice occurs far too rarely or too late. Although theorists and teachers recognize and criticize the problem of theory-practice transfer, there are still few convincing concepts of how to sustainably address this challenge. The Design-Based Research approach offers a way to bridge the gap between theory and practice. Design-Based Research combines scientific theory, empirical research, and school practice. In this research format, scientists and teachers collaboratively develop theory-driven and practically tested teaching concepts or learning materials through iterative research cycles. Design-Based Research projects aim to find practical solutions to the challenges that have been identified in teaching. Design-Based Research not only facilitates the development of solutions for teaching practice, but it also generates contributions to subject-specific didactic theory through the research process. A significant advantage of Design-Based Research is that the results of a Design-Based Research project can be implemented in the classroom more quickly, due to the close cooperation between theorists and practitioners. The paper demonstrates the implementation of Design-Based Research in Geography Education through a case study on Africa.

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Author Biographies

Kati Barthmann, University of Bayreuth, Germany

Kati Barthmann worked as a teacher for nineteen years. Most of those years, she supervised trainee teachers in their second phase of training as a mentor teacher for geography. Since 2017, she has been working as a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Geography Education at the University of Bayreuth, Germany. In addition to teaching, she is involved in various university projects and conducts teacher training courses. Her research focuses on teacher professionalization, students' conceptions, and global learning/education for sustainable development (ESD).

Gabriele Schrüfer, University of Bayreuth, Germany

Gabriele Schrüfer is professor and head of the Chair of Geography Education at the University of Bayreuth, Germany. Her research interests are focused on education for sustainable development/global learning, decolonizing “Africa” in geography education, and teaching geography in times of digitality. She is a member of the Cluster of Excellence “Africa multiple: Reconfiguring African Studies” at the University of Bayreuth. In addition to numerous research projects, she has been offering teacher training in these areas for many years.

Veronika Eckstein, University of Bayreuth, Germany

Veronika Eckstein seconded by the Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs to

the University of Bayreuth as part of the Quality Offensive Teacher Education at the chair of Prof. Schrüfer. She is currently writing my dissertation on the topic of education in digitality in the subject of geography and have published four articles on this topic so far. She studied business administration and acquired a teaching degree at the University of Bayreuth. Subsequently, she worked as a high school teacher for eight years and functioned as a lecturer in teacher training.

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