NEPS-Stage 5 deals with the upper secondary school level, an international specialty in the German school system. At its end is the Abitur, which - assuming successful completion - certifies a general higher education entrance qualification and represents the entrance qualification for all German colleges and universities.

Central research questions

• How do skills develop in the upper Gymnasium level and to what extent does the performance level of Abitur students differ between vocational and general Gymnasium schools?
• How do students from different types of school deal with their professional future and the time after school?
• How successful is the science propaedeutic education of the upper secondary school level with regard to general study skills and the teaching of scientific thinking and working methods?

In addition to recording the relevant basic information on attending the upper secondary school with its state-specific characteristics, NEPS-Stage 5 has so far focused in particular on recording stage-specific competencies, such as language skills in English, which were already used in starting cohort 4. Stage 5 is currently concentrating on the development and provision of measurement instruments to record preparation for upper secondary school, scientific work techniques, career orientation, scientific propaedeutic education, epistemic beliefs and confidence in science for starting cohort 8, which will begin in fifth grade in 2022.

Further information

Detailed description of the concept and design of the Stage 5 survey program