Experimentation to Promote Modeling Skills and Motivation in Mathematics (Ex2MoMa)

The project investigated whether and under what conditions experiments in mathematics lessons can help to promote modeling skills and motivation among students. The project was carried out as a joint project between the Universities of Potsdam and Magdeburg, each with a different focus: The subproject at OVGU Magdeburg dealt with the effect of the experiments on cognitive student characteristics such as their modeling and validation skills and examined cognitive processes during modeling. The subproject at the University of Potsdam analyzed the development of students' motivational characteristics and motivational aspects of modeling processes. In both subprojects, the influence of different conditions, i.e., different types of learning environments, on students' motivational and cognitive development was examined: A distinction was made between whether the students (i) first experimented and then modeled the real data obtained with functions, (ii) modeled real data with functions, but the data was provided to them, or (iii) used smoothed data, i.e., data that exactly corresponds to an intended function, which the students modeled with functions. The third condition corresponded to the comparison group. In addition, all three conditions were examined to determine whether an impulse to stimulate validation processes would be beneficial. To investigate this issue, competency test data and questionnaire data from 627 students in 27 classes in various federal states were collected and analyzed. (IQB)

  • Research Design: Quasi-Experimental Design
  • Sample: Students in grades 10 and 11 (N=627); Schools (N=13); Classes (N=24)
  • DOI: 10.5159/IQB_Ex2MoMa_SUF_Off-site_v1
  • Restrictions: Yes

  • Individual Characteristics
    • Age
    • Sex
  • Learning and Performance-related Attitudes
    • Task Perceived Competence
    • Task Perceived autonomy
    • Task Intrinsic Value
    • Task Attainment Value
    • Task Utility Value
    • Task Cost
    • Self concept mathematics
    • Interest in experiments
    • Attainment Value Mathematics
    • Utility Value Mathematics
    • Cost Mathematics
    • Formalism
    • Application
    • Process
    • Schema
  • Educational Biography
    • Preliminary grade: Mathematics

  • in-house development
    • Validation Competence
    • Modeling Competence
    • Prerequisite knowledge of linear and exponential functions
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Data Set Published on
May 8, 2026
Current Version Available Since
May 8, 2026
Survey Period
2023, 2024
Sample
Students in grades 10 and 11 (N=627); Schools (N=13); Classes (N=24)
Survey Unit
  • Students
Measured Competencies
Modeling Competence, Validation Competence
Region
Berlin, Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt
Principal Investigators
  • Geisler, Prof. Dr. Sebastian
  • Rach, Prof. Dr. Stefanie
Data Producers
  • Rach, Prof. Dr. Stefanie
Funded by
Federal Ministry of Education and Research
Suggested Citation
Scientific Use File (SUF):

Menzel, M., Kosiol, T., Rach, S., & Geisler, S. (2026). Experimentieren zur Förderung von Modellierungskompetenzen und Motivation im Mathematikunterricht (Ex2MoMa) [Experimentation to Promote Modeling Skills and Motivation in Mathematics (Ex2MoMa)] (Version 1) [Data set]. Berlin: IQB – Institut zur Qualitätsentwicklung im Bildungswesen. http://doi.org/10.5159/IQB_Ex2MoMa_SUF_Off-site_v1

Campus Use File (CUF):

Forschungsdatenzentrum am Institut zur Qualitätsentwicklung im Bildungswesen (FDZ am IQB) [Research Data Centre at the Institute for Educational Quality Improvement (FDZ at IQB)] (2026). Experimentieren zur Förderung von Modellierungskompetenzen und Motivation im Mathematikunterricht (Ex2MoMa) [Experimentation to Promote Modeling Skills and Motivation in Mathematics (Ex2MoMa)] (Version 1) [Data set]. Berlin: IQB – Institut zur Qualitätsentwicklung im Bildungswesen. http://doi.org/10.5159/IQB_Ex2MoMa_CUF_Off-site_v1
Restriction Notice
A restriction notice (Sperrvermerk) exists with regard to the data of this study, i.e., some topics and variables have been blocked by the data producer(s) in order to protect ongoing research and publication projects of members of their institution(s). If you wish to apply for access to these data and would like further information on the restriction, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Blank data sets

For a first overview of the data set and its variables, dummy data sets containing the variables used and the value labels relating to them are provided for download here.

Ex2MoMa Blank data sets

Further information

  • https://doi.org/10.5282/ubm/epub.132015
  • https://doi.org/10.5282/ubm/epub.132255

Literature

Selected literature is listed here.

Ex2MoMa Literature (.bib)

Kosiol, T., Menzel, M., Geisler, S., & Rach, S. (2025). Validierungskompetenz beim Modellieren mit Funktionen - Konzeptualisierung und Operationalisierung. In L. Schick, M. Platz, & A. Platz (Eds.), Beiträge zum Mathematikunterricht 2025 (pp. 427–430). WTM Verlag.

Kosiol, T., Menzel, M., Geisler, S., & Rach, S. (2025). CONCEPTUALIZING AND MEASURING VALIDATING COMPETENCE WHEN MODELING WITH FUNCTIONS. In C. Cornejo, P. Felmer, D. M. Gómez, P. Dartnell, P. Araya, A. Peri, & V. Randolph (Eds.), Proceedings of the 48th Conference of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education: General Contributions (pp. 270).

Menzel, M., Kosiol, T., Rach, S., & Geisler, S. (2025). Mathematical Self-Concept and Experience of Competence while modelling with and without experiments. Proceedings of the 48th Conference of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education, 48(2), 91–98.

Menzel, M., Kosiol, T., Rach, S., & Geisler, S. (2025). Mathematisches Modellieren - Der Einfluss von Experimenten auf den Subjective Task Value und die Basic Needs von Lernenden. In L. Schick, M. Platz, & A. Platz (Eds.), Beiträge zum Mathematikunterricht 2025 (pp. 1026–1029). WTM Verlag.

Jonscher, M., Menzel, M., Geisler, S., & Rach, S. (2024). Modelling performance using functions: Relation to person characteristics and different solution approaches. Proceedings of the 47th Conference of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education, 47(3), 13–120.

Menzel, B., Jonscher, M., Rach, S., & Geisler, S. (2024). Modelling with experiments – students’ trait values mediated by students’ state values. In Proceedings of the 47th Conference of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education (pp. 225–232).

Menzel, M., Jonscher, M., Rach, S., & Geisler, S. (2024). Experimentieren zur Förderung von Modellierungskompetenzen und Motivation im Mathematikunterricht: Das Projekt Ex2MoMa. In B. Barzel, P. Ebers, F. Rösken, A. Büchter, F. Schacht, & P. Scherer (Eds.), Beiträge zum Mathematikunterricht 2024. 57. Jahrestagung der Gesellschaft für Didaktik der Mathematik vom 04.03.2024 bis 08.03.2024 in Essen (pp. 1115–1118). WTM-Verlag.

Menzel, M., Jonscher, M., Rach, S., & Geisler, S. (2023). Do students value modelling with experiments? In M. Ayalon, B. Koichu, R. Leikin, L. Rubel, & M. Tabach (Eds.), Proceedings of the 46th Conference of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education (pp. 288).