How can educational research and educational practice work together as equal partners? What role do regional and socio-spatial conditions play in the development of schools, teaching and teacher education? The edited volume Bildungsforschung und Bildungspraxis in der Metropole Ruhr: Schule und Lehrkräftebildung gemeinsam im regionalen Kontext entwickeln [Educational Research and Educational Practice in the Ruhr Metropolis: Advancing Schools and Teacher Education Together in a Regional Context], edited by Isabell van Ackeren-Mindl, Kerstin Göbel and Mathias Ropohl, addresses these questions from a wide range of disciplinary and professional perspectives.

Across more than 40 contributions by over 100 authors, the volume examines how researchers, schools, teacher education institutions, educational administration and other regional partners jointly contribute to educational development. Its six thematic sections focus on school development in its socio-spatial context, collaborative instructional development, language education and multilingualism, digital media, video-based teacher education, and the promotion of talent.

Rather than presenting research and practice as separate domains, the volume portrays the Ruhr region as a dynamic educational landscape shaped by sustained dialogue, collaborative development and mutual learning. Particular attention is given to approaches developed with and within educational practice, including projects involving schools facing challenging socio-spatial conditions. The volume was published by Waxmann in 2025 and is available open access.

The volume also documents a foundation on which the Research Community “Future of Education” can build. Many of its contributions emerged from long-standing cooperation among researchers and partners across the UA Ruhr universities and the wider educational landscape of the Ruhr region.

The volume brings together complementary expertise in educational research, subject didactics, school and instructional development, teacher education, digital learning and educational transfer. Several chapters reflect cross-institutional projects and networks in which researchers from the University of Duisburg-Essen, Ruhr University Bochum and TU Dortmund University collaborate with schools, educational administration, state institutes and other partners. In doing so, the publication demonstrates that cross-location cooperation within the UA Ruhr is not starting from scratch: it draws on established relationships, shared research interests and extensive experience in connecting research with educational practice.

For the Research Community, the volume therefore serves both as a record of previous collaborative work and as a point of departure for future activities. It highlights research topics that remain central to the Research Community, including educational equity, teaching and learning in diverse contexts, professional development, data-informed improvement and the institutional and socio-spatial conditions of education.
Please find the open access publication at Waxmann: https://www.waxmann.com/buecher/Bildungsforschung-und-Bildungspraxis-in-der-Metropole-Ruhr