Prof. Dr. Henrik Saalbach

Prof. Dr. Henrik Saalbach

Professor

Pädagogische Psychologie mit dem Schwerpunkt Lehren, Lernen und Entwicklung
Haus 3
Marschnerstraße 31
04109 Leipzig

Phone: +49 341 97 - 31260

Abstract

Henrik Saalbach received his doctoral degree (Ph.D. in Psychology) from TU Berlin in 2006. He has been working as a scientist at the MPI for Human Development Berlin, at Beijing University, and ETH Zurich before becoming a professor for Research on Learning and Instruction at Saarland University in 2013. Since 2015, he is working as a professor for Educational Psychology at Leipzig University. Henrik Saalbach’s research interests include three interrelated topics: (1) Relation between language and thought, (2) Role of language in cognitive development, and (3) Language in learning and instruction. He has published many papers in peer-reviewed journals and books both in English and German. He is actively attending conferences and organizes symposia both nationally and internationally. He is also giving workshops to teachers at schools and universities on a regular basis. Henrik Saalbach has received a number of funding, stipends, scholarships, and awards from various organizations.

Professional career

  • 01/2021 - 06/2023
    Director of the Leipzig Research Center for Early Childhood Development (LFE)
  • 10/2017 - 10/2023
    Vice Dean Research and International Affairs of the Faculty of Education
  • since 04/2015
    Professor (W3) of Educational Psychology, Leipzig University
  • since 04/2015
    Call for the professorship of Educational Science and Psychology of Learning and Instruction, University of Hamburg
  • 04/2013 - 03/2015
    Professor (W3) for Research in Learning and Instruction/Primary school education, Saarland University
  • 09/2008 - 05/2012
    Lectureships on psychology of learning and didactics of people and the environment at the PH Schwyz and PH Lucerne
  • 04/2007 - 03/2013
    Senior Assistant at the Chair of Research on Learning and Instruction, ETH Zurich
  • 09/2006 - 04/2007
    Post-doc at Keio University (Japan) and Beijing University (China)
  • 12/2003 - 07/2006
    PhD student at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development (with E. Stern)
  • 09/2002 - 11/2003
    Postgraduate studies at the Beijing University, China
  • 10/1996 - 07/1999
    Research Assistant at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development (with W. Edelstein)

Education

  • since 07/2006
    Dr. phil. in Psychology at Berlin Technical University
  • 09/1999 - 06/2000
    Study of Chinese language at Xiamen University, China, Study of Cognitive Psychology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
  • 04/1996 - 06/2002
    Studied psychology at Berlin Technical University (degree: Diplom)
  • 11/1994 - 02/1996
    Communitiy service at Johanniter Leipzig
  • since 07/1994
    Abitur at Humboldt School Leipzig
  • since 06/1992
    Diploma at Fort Osage High School, Independence, Missouri, USA

My research is focused on the relation between language, cognitive development, and academic learning taking two approaches: First, I study the effect of specific linguistic structures on cognitive functions and their development. Second, I examine effects of languages skills and status (monolingual vs. bilingual) on academic learning and executive functions as well as in contexts of Content and Language Integrated Learning. I am further interested in studying the quality of preschool teachers’ verbal scaffolding and its effect on children’s domain-specific learning. I have conducted experimental intervention studies both in the lab and in the field using video-based observational and individual data of children and teachers within a longitudinal multi-level design. I have recently extended my research into the domain of emotions. In particular, I am studying the development of emotion vocabulary as a system and its relation to the development of emotional competence.

  • Professional Development in formative diagnostics within inclusive early science education (ProFinK)
    Bürgermeister, Anika
    Duration: 08/2021 – 07/2024
    Funded by: BMBF Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung
    Involved organisational units of Leipzig University: Pädagogische Psychologie mit dem Schwerpunkt Lehren, Lernen und Entwicklung
    show details
  • Functions of language in children’s development of emotion regulation: A multimethod approach
    Saalbach, Henrik
    Duration: 10/2021 – 09/2024
    Funded by: DFG Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
    Involved organisational units of Leipzig University: Pädagogische Psychologie mit dem Schwerpunkt Lehren, Lernen und Entwicklung
    show details
  • Encoding-specificity in bilingual content learning: Scrutinizing language switching costs in mathematical knowledge acquisition
    Saalbach, Henrik
    Duration: 03/2023 – 02/2026
    Funded by: DFG Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
    Involved organisational units of Leipzig University: Pädagogische Psychologie mit dem Schwerpunkt Lehren, Lernen und Entwicklung
    show details
  • Monitor Education and Mental Health
    Schmitz, Julian
    Duration: 01/2023 – 12/2026
    Funded by: Stiftungen Inland
    Involved organisational units of Leipzig University: Pädagogische Psychologie mit dem Schwerpunkt Lehren, Lernen und Entwicklung
    show details
  • Participation and contingent scaffolding: classroom discourse in primary science education
    Herrmann, Annika Ann-Marie
    Duration: 04/2019 – ongoing
    Involved organisational units of Leipzig University: Grundschuldidaktik Sachunterricht unter besonderer Berücksichtigung von Naturwissenschaft und Technik; Pädagogische Psychologie mit dem Schwerpunkt Lehren, Lernen und Entwicklung
    show details

more projects

more publications

Research fields

Psychology, Developmental psychology

Specializations

  • Sprache und schulisches Lernen
  • Sprache und Denken
  • Sprachentwicklung
  • Mehrsprachigkeit und Lernen/Denken
  • Lehrersprache im Unterricht mit jungen Kindern

Contact for media inquiries

Fax: +49 341 97-31469
Phone: +49 341 97-31461