Franziska Cohen

Franziska Cohen is Professor of Childhood Education at Pädagogische Hochschule Freiburg since 2021, where she serves as Head of the Institute of Educational Science and Head of the Department of Childhood Education. Her work focuses on early childhood education, child development, and digital media integration in educational settings. She leads significant research projects including DIGIPaed and DIGIFam examining digital transformation in early childhood education and family support programs.

Cohen earned her Dr. phil in Educational Science from Freie Universität Berlin in 2016 following research positions at Otto-Friedrich-Universität Bamberg (2020-2021), Freie Universität Berlin (2013-2019), and Universität Potsdam (2008-2012). She completed her Diplom-Erziehungswissenschaft at Freie Universität Berlin between 2001-2006.

Her research spans effects of institutional care on child development, cooperation between early childhood educators and parents, effectiveness of family support programs, and digitalization in early childhood education. She particularly investigates how professional beliefs and motivations influence digital media implementation in educational practice and how family characteristics impact children's learning environments. Her work addresses critical issues in early education through both theoretical frameworks and practical applications.

Recent publications reveal a strong focus on digital transformation in early childhood education, examining professional adoption of digital tools and pandemic impacts on family-child interactions. She frequently collaborates with Yvonne Anders on projects studying parent-professional relationships, trust building, and digital interventions. Her research combines quantitative and qualitative methods to provide comprehensive insights into early childhood educational practices.

Professor Cohen leads major research initiatives including the DIGIPaed project (2018-2022) funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, and the DIGIFam project (2020-2023). She has collaborated extensively with European institutions through projects like ISOTIS and has provided expert consultation to governmental bodies including the German Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth.

Cohen's leadership extends to academic self-administration as Head of the Institute for Educational Science since 2023. She maintains active connections with research networks across Europe and regularly presents her work at major international conferences including EARLI, EECERA, and AERA. Her media engagement with outlets like Tagesspiegel, Spiegel Online, and n-tv demonstrates her commitment to translating research into public discourse on early childhood education.