This study evaluates GSL lessons at public schools in the cities of Winterthur and Zurich with the aim of identifying the conditions that lead to successful learning. The following lines of inquiry are foregrounded:
- What resources (e.g. in the classroom, in a school’s team) are instrumental in ensuring that students obtain maximum benefits from GSL lessons?
- What form and intensity of language education at public schools enable GSL students to follow and benefit from regular school lessons as quickly as possible?
- What challenges and potential further developments for a learner-friendly design of GSL lessons do school stakeholders identify in the specific context of GSL lessons in the cities of Winterthur and Zurich?
- What implications arising from the empirically collected data are useful for an evidence-based further development of GSL lessons in the cities of Winterthur and Zurich?
To answer these questions, a review of existing research literature will be carried out; the findings will then serve as the basis for a qualitative study that considers the specific context of public schools in the cities of Winterthur and Zurich. Semi-structured interviews with persons involved (e.g. teachers, school directors) will also be conducted to systematically compile information on practice-based experiences, known challenges and opportunities, as well as current needs.
The literature review is expected to deliver key insights into the basic frameworks and models of GSL lessons as well as information about their effectiveness; in addition, the review will provide a solid basis for the discussion of potential further developments of GSL lessons in the specific context of the Canton of Zurich.
The subsequent qualitative survey is designed to gain a deeper understanding into current forms and perceptions of determining factors and markers of success in learner-friendly GSL lessons from the standpoint of school stakeholders. In combination with the findings from the literature review, these data will enable an evidence-based evaluation of GSL lessons at public schools in Winterthur and Zurich while also shedding light on possible fields of action for the Canton of Zurich Department of Education and the cities of Winterthur and Zurich.