Research interests

• Early childhood education and care, as well as its quality in early education institutions and family settings
• Educational experience of professionals as an influencing factor on early education processes and their quality
• Early childhood education for sustainable development
• Social inequality
• Theories and approaches to justice

Curriculum Vitae

M.A. Nicole Voss

Awards/Scholarships

• 2024: Award for Teaching Excellence of the Department of Education and Psychology for the seminar Selected Concepts of the module Heterogeneity in Educational Processes.
• 2017-2023: Receiving of the Career Advancement and Master's Scholarship from the Foundation for the Promotion of Vocational Talents of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research.

Memberships

Associate member of Deutsche Gesellschaft für Erziehungswissenschaft (DGfE), Sektion 4: Empirische Bildungsforschung, Sektion 8: Sozialpädagogik und Pädagogik der frühen Kindheit

Shaping early childhood education in real life: Design thinking as a method for innovative problem solving - Project seminar

In this project seminar, we will work in small groups over the course of the semester on a challenge, i.e. a real problem at a daycare center in Potsdam. The aim of the seminar is to use the design thinking method to think outside the box and find innovative solutions to the problem of the Potsdam daycare center. The seminar will begin with a theoretical introduction to the design thinking method. You will then go through all the phases of a design thinking process. Within this process, you will conduct research in the field and with the employees of the daycare center, i.e. conduct observations and interviews. At the end, you will generate a client-oriented solution that will allow you to help shape the daycare center in real life. The course takes place every 14 days for 4 hours. Participation requires a high degree of independence, the willingness to work in a team of max. 5 people and attendance at a daycare center in Potsdam Golm. IMPORTANT: You do not choose the project topic or the project group in which you will work.
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Projects on (childhood) educational topics - Project seminar
In this project seminar, you will work in small groups on your own project and will be supervised by the lecturer. You will define, plan and carry out your project. In this seminar, you will apply the theoretical and methodological knowledge you have acquired during your studies and reflect on the process of your project. There is room for all project ideas in this seminar, even if the focus may be in the area of early childhood education.

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Biographical self-reflection: One's own educational history as a basis for pedagogical action - Seminar

This seminar requires an unconditional willingness for in-depth self-reflection and an open exchange of ideas in the group. It is aimed at students who wish to engage in an intensive personal and professional examination of their own biography in the context of upbringing and education. 

Fundamentals of Counselling Techniques - Seminar

In this block seminar, you will be given a theoretical and practical introduction to the basics of perception, communication and conversation management. You will choose your own key topics and deepen your knowledge independently in small groups. In this seminar, practical references are established by visiting institutions in your chosen small groups and thus creating a link between scientifically based theory and practice.

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Pedagogcial Approaches - Possibilities, Limits, and Opportunities of Early Childhood Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)

In this seminar, we will discuss the educational concept of education for sustainable development (ESD) in the field of early childhood education and explore the possibilities, limitations, and opportunities of early childhood ESD together. We will explore questions such as: How is ESD related to a good life? Can ESD counteract social inequality? How is ESD researched and understood nationally and internationally and what role do our emotions play in this? Other topics of the seminar include curricular integration, professional development opportunities, and interventions related to early childhood ESD, with a strong emphasis on practical applications. Participants can also set their own thematic focus on early childhood ESD. On two Fridays, we will undertake an excursion to an education for sustainable development (ESD) daycare center in Brandenburg.

Basics of conversation management - Seminar

In this block seminar, you will be given a theoretical and practical introduction to the basics of perception, communication and interviewing. You will choose your own key topics and deepen your knowledge independently in small groups. In this seminar, practical references are established by visiting institutions in your chosen small groups and thus creating a link between scientifically based theory and practice.

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Shaping early childhood education in real life: Design thinking as a method for innovative problem solving - Project seminar

In this project seminar, we will work in small groups over the course of the semester on a challenge, i.e. a real problem at a daycare center in Berlin. The aim of the seminar is to use the design thinking method to think outside the box and find innovative solutions to the problem of the Berlin daycare center. At the beginning, you will be given a theoretical introduction to the design thinking method. You will then go through all the phases of a design thinking process. Within this process, you will conduct research in the field and with the employees of the daycare center. At the end, you will generate a client-oriented solution that will enable you to help shape the daycare center in real life. The course takes place every 14 days for 4 hours. Participation requires a high degree of independence and the willingness to work in a team of max. 5 people.

Approaches to Pedagogical Action - Possibilities, Limits and Opportunities of Early Childhood Education for Sustainable Development

In this seminar we will deal with the educational concept of Education for Sustainable Development in the field of early childhood education and discover possibilities, limits and opportunities of early childhood sustainable development together. We will be guided by questions such as: What does sustainable development have to do with a good life? Can sustainable development counteract social inequality? Do we need transformation and what role do our emotions play? Curricular anchoring, further education and training possibilities as well as interventions in early childhood sustainable development are further topics of the seminar, in which more practical references are made. It is possible to set your own focus on early childhood sustainable development.

Selected Concepts - Seminar C - Award for Outstanding Teaching of the Department Education and Psychology 2024

In this seminar, we will jointly address early childhood education concepts for dealing with heterogeneity in institutions of early education and care. After a theoretical introduction to the approaches of co-construction, anti-bias and doing-gender, students can focus on and develop selected concepts for dealing with heterogeneity under their own focus and constant supervision of the lecturers. The idea of the teaching-learning concept intertwines scientific theories/knowledge with early childhood education practice. The willingness of the participants to work independently and on their own responsibility (in groups) as well as self-reflective, biographical examination are fundamental.

Research Projects

Publications

Anders, Y., Kluczniok, K., Blaurock, S., Erdem-Möbius, H., Fitzner, J., Hausladen, K., Hummel, T., Pietz, S., Resa, E., Then, S., Voss, N., & Roßbach, H.-G. (2024). Policy-Brief zum Bericht der wissenschaftlichen Evaluation des Bundesprogramms „Sprach-Kitas: Weil Sprache der Schlüssel zur Welt ist“ (Projektphase: 2023) - Ergebnisse zur Sicherung der Nachhaltigkeit des Bundesprogramms und zu den Gelingensfaktoren für den Transfer des Programms in Landesstrukturen. https://doi.org/10.20378/irb-105179

Singer-Brodowski, M., & Voss, N. (2023). Kindheit im Zeitalter des Anthropozäns - Stand und Spannungsfelder frühkindlicher Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung. In Braches-Chyrek, R., Moran-Ellis, J., Röhnert, C., Sünker, H. (Hrsg.). Handbuch Kindheit, Ökologie und Nachhaltigkeit. Barbara Budrich.

Voss, N. (2023). Das Echo (aus) der Kindheit : Selbst erlebte Bildungs- und Erziehungserfahrung frühpädagogischer Fachkräfte und ihr Einfluss auf deren pädagogische Praxis – eine Studie im Mixed-Methods Design. ElFo - Elementarpädagogische Forschungsbeiträge, 5(1), 30-35. http://dx.doi.org/10.25364/18.5:2023.1.3

Voss, N. (2023). Das Echo (aus) der Kindheit - Selbst erlebte Bildungs- und Erziehungserfahrung frühpädagogischer Fachkräfte und ihr Einfluss auf deren pädagogische Praxis - Eine Studie im Mixed-Methods Design. (Masterarbeit, Erziehungswissenschaft und Psychologie). Freie Universität Berlin. http://dx.doi.org/10.17169/refubium-37506

Conference contributions

Kluczniok, K., Resa, E. & Voss, N. (2025, January 27). Inwieweit profitieren Kinder in ihren Fähigkeiten von einer hohen zielkindbezogenen Anregungsqualität in der Kita?. Lecture at the GEBF-Conference. Mannheim, Deutschland.

Resa, E., Voss, N. & Kluczniok, K. (2025, January 28). Doppelte Benachteiligung: Erfahren Kinder mit sprachlichen Defiziten eine geringere pädagogische Interaktionsqualität in Kindertagesstätten?. Lecture at the GEBF-Conference. Mannheim, Deutschland.

Kluczniok, K., Resa, E., & Voss, N. (2024, May 6 - 8). Pedagogical Quality at the Target Child Level in Early Childhood Education Institutions – Introduction of a New Observation Instrument [Vortrag]. 22nd International ECERS International Conference, Porto, Portugal.

Voss, N., & Kluczniok, K. (2024, March 11-13). Das biografische Dilemma in der Professionalisierung frühpädagogischer Fachkräfte [Poster]. 29. Tagung der Deutsche Gesellschaft für Erziehungswissenschaft (DGfE), Halle, Deutschland.