SWITCH
Starting school marks the earliest and most important turning point in childhood. Which factors are decisive in this critical phase is still insufficiently understood.“
Professor Tina Malti, Director of Studies
SWITCH is a longitudinal study conducted by the Humboldt Center for Child Development at Leipzig University. In this project, we aim to explore how children feel at the end of their preschool years and during their first year of elementary school. Our focus is on understanding how children cope with the transition to school and how they process it on social, psychological, and neurobiological levels.
Since the prerequisites and implementation of school entry vary greatly across Europe, the SWITCH project examines the effects of these differences in the participating countries: Sweden, the United Kingdom, Austria, and Germany.
Entering school as a key transition in childhood
School starters per year in Germany
„Switch“ means transition.
The transition from preschool to elementary school marks an exciting and formative period in every child’s life, offering both opportunities and risks.
School entry is a formative step in every child’s development. With SWITCH, we aim to understand what children need in this phase, how we can foster their strengths, and how risks can be identified and reduced at an early stage."
Dr. Marlon Göring, Operational study director
A successful school entry depends not only on children’s cognitive abilities but also on their socio-emotional skills and social well-being, such as their relationships within the family and with peers.
Which factors are particularly decisive in this phase is still insufficiently understood. In the SWITCH study, we use a variety of methods to investigate how children can best be supported during the transition from preschool to elementary school.
Every year, nearly 800,000 children start school in Germany alone, including around 40,000 in Saxony.
Participate
As part of five large-scale, representative samples of preschool children in Germany, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and Austria, around 1,000 participants per site will be recruited between late March 2025 and 2028 – adding up to more than 4,000 participants across the four countries
Study procedure
The SWITCH study is conducted at four points in time: two measurement waves take place during the final preschool year, while the other two coincide with the transition to school and occur over the course of first grade.
At the first wave (fall 2025) and the fourth wave (summer 2027), all interested parents and preschool or elementary school teachers will participate in online surveys.
At time points 2 (spring 2026) and 3 (winter 2026/27), a smaller selected subgroup will be invited to additional assessments. These extended assessments include supplementary questionnaires, play-based interviews, and an fNIRS measurement of neural synchrony – a method that may sound complex but is entirely safe and painless, and has been used for many years with adults, toddlers, and even infants.
How can I participate?
We appreciate your interest in participating in the SWITCH study and in working with us to learn more about children’s experiences around school entry. To take part, please register yourself and your child in our database. We will then contact you by email with all the study information.
The SWITCH team introduces itself
Team of SWITCH
Professor Tina Malti, Director of Studies
Dr. Marlon Göring, Operational Study Director
Dr. Nele Becker, Operational Study Director
Dr. Philipp Berger, Operational Study Director
Dr. Madlen Mammen, Communication
Martina Dietrich, Research Management
Your questions or comments...
....you can forward them to us at any time and we will respond promptly.
E-Mail: humankind-switch@uni-leipzig.de
Yours Nele Becker and Marlon Göring
SWITCH partner universities
Sweden | Universität Linköping |
United Kingdom |
Austria |
About HumanKind
HumanKind is an interdisciplinary research center at Leipzig University, bringing together psychology, education, medicine, neuroscience, pedagogy, computer science, and more. Our team studies children’s positive development, education, and mental health. We are committed to ensuring that the results of our research reach practice, policy, and, most importantly, the children themselves. Learn more about #HumanKind here: humankind.uni-leipzig.de.
Editorial team:
Leipzig University
Faculty of Education
Humboldt Center for Child Development (HumanKind)
Jahnallee 59
04109 Leipzig
Germany
Dr. Madlen Mammen (text/layout and design)
Dr. Marlon Göring und Dr. Nele Becker (text)
Antje Gildemeister (Photos)
Colourbox (Photos/Videos)
humankind.uni-leipzig.de
Date of publication: September 25 2025
Last updated: October 22 2025