Meta-analytic evidence showed robust associations between the alliance in psychotherapeutic dyads and treatment outcomes. Recent studies have indicated that facets of positive mental health are add...

School closures during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020 were associated with attenuated learning gains compared to pre-pandemic years. In Germany, two further pandemic waves led to school closures and periods of remote learning between December 2020 and May 2021. The present study investigates the academic achievement of all incoming fifth-graders in the federal state of Baden-Württemberg before and during the pandemic, using educational large-scale assessment results in reading and mathematics. Each year, the assessments took place at the beginning of the school year in September (each n > 84,000). The comparison of average competence levels in 2021 with pre-pandemic years (2017–2019) indicates that the downward trend that was observed after the first pandemic wave in 2020 came to a halt in the domain of reading and continued at a slower rate in the domain of mathematical operations. Achievements in the mathematical domain of numbers even rebounded to pre-pandemic levels. Longer periods of school closures were associated with larger learning losses. Additional analyses showed larger learning losses for the group of low-achieving students and for schools with less socio-cultural capital. The partial rebound of learning outcomes suggests that most teachers and students successfully adapted to the pandemic situation in 2021. Still, disadvantaged student groups are at high risk of further substantial learning losses due to school closures that may negatively affect their future education. Accordingly, disadvantaged student groups in particular should receive additional support to compensate for the loss of learning opportunities in the classroom.

The first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted regular classes in spring 2020. Temporary school closures supposedly led to a considerable learning loss, particularly for low-achieving students. Schools in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, were closed for two months. Although distance learning was implemented, students spent less time learning. Additionally, teachers were faced with organizational and technological challenges of remote learning environments. The present study investigates the competencies of fifth-graders, using large-scale assessment results in reading and mathematics from annual mandatory tests in September (each n > 80,000). In line with studies from other countries, competence scores were slightly lower in 2020 compared with the three previous years (–0.07 standard deviations for reading comprehension, –0.09 for operations, and –0.03 for numbers). Low-achieving readers managed to attain pre-pandemic competence levels. Regarding mathematics competencies, low-achieving students seem to have a learning backlog that deserves attention in future education. School characteristic such as the average socio-cultural capital and the proportion of students with migration background played a minor role in mediating the schools' learning loss. Still, lower socio-cultural capital was positively associated with larger learning loss in mathematics.

Der Lehrerberuf wird mit viel Freizeit, aber auch mit einer hohen Stressbelastung assoziiert. Bisherige Befunde zu Belastungen im Lehrerberuf sind widersprüchlich und weisen Interpretationsgrenzen auf. Basierend auf den repräsentativen Daten des Sozio-Ökonomischen Panels (SOEP) kontrastierten wir Arbeitszufriedenheit und -belastung von 425 Lehrkräften mit Vergleichsgruppen anderer Berufe (u. a. Erzieher, Ärzte) im Querschnitt (2006) und Längsschnitt (bis 2011). Querschnittlich war die Arbeitszufriedenheit in keiner Gruppe höher als bei den Lehrkräften; ihre berufliche Anerkennung differierte kaum von den Vergleichsgruppen. Über die Hälfte der Lehrkräfte bekundete Belastung durch Zeitdruck. Arbeitszufriedenheit, fehlende Anerkennung und empfundener Zeitdruck der Lehrkräfte veränderten sich im Längsschnitt nicht signifikant. Die längsschnittliche Veränderung dieser Variablen korrelierte nicht bedeutsam mit Persönlichkeitseigenschaften (Big Five), Geschlecht, Alter und Berufserfahrung. Die hohe Arbeitszufriedenheit spricht zusammen mit der überwiegend ausreichenden Anerkennung gegen eine massive Gratifikationskrise im Lehrerberuf.