Education is the basis for individual and social development. The Scientific Area of Expertise (WKF) "Research on Education and Schooling" brings together research expertise from different disciplines of Dortmund school and education research, taking into account different aspects (e.g. gender, migration background) in different contexts (e.g. school, family) with a variety of research approaches (e.g. longitudinal sections, experiments Large Scale Assessment, qualitative studies) in the context of societal future topics such as heterogeneity, digitalization & inclusion, and democracy & civic literacy. By bundling the diverse research strands, these are systematically expanded and the research results achieved are presented both nationally and internationally. Through its work, the WKF actively contributes to better identifying young people's potential in the future and promoting it in a targeted manner in schools and teaching.