Olaf Köller

Prof. Dr. Olaf Köller is the Executive Scientific Director of the Leibniz Institute for Science and Mathematics Education (IPN) in Kiel and Professor of Empirical Educational Research at the Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel. He leads the Department of Educational Science and Educational Psychology at IPN, where he has been a central figure since 2009. His work bridges institutional research leadership with academic scholarship in education and psychology.

His research interests focus on individual development processes in school contexts, diagnosis of school skills, methodological challenges in large-scale assessments, and the evaluation of teaching and school development programs. He is deeply engaged in education monitoring and empirical research design. His current projects include the Leibniz Lab Pandemic Preparedness, KISS-Pro (AI in speech and writing for language learning), and LePAS (visitor research in museums), reflecting a strong commitment to applying educational research to real-world challenges.

The recent publications highlight a trend toward understanding long-term educational impacts, student psychological functioning, and the societal role of schools during crises. His work spans cognitive, emotional, and systemic dimensions of learning, with increasing attention to AI and pandemic resilience in education.

• Scientific Awards: No awards explicitly mentioned in the text.

Prof. Köller has supervised various research groups and projects, though specific advisees are not listed. He has been involved in major national and institutional grants through the IPN and Leibniz Association. His leadership roles indicate extensive experience in securing and managing research funding, particularly in large-scale educational assessment and policy-oriented research.

He is a key member of research teams at the IPN, particularly within the Department of Educational Science and Educational Psychology. His work is integrated into broader research lines including subject-specific learning, teacher professional competence, science communication, and methodological research with machine learning. These teams work on interdisciplinary projects that combine psychology, education, and data science.