Profile
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
- since 01/2021
Director of the Leipzig Research Center for Early Childhood Development (LFE) - since 10/2017
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.
- show detailsThe contribution of linguisitc and executive processes to the cognitive and academic achievement in mono- and bilingual primary school students.Saalbach, HenrikDuration: 08/2017 - 07/2020Funded by: DFG Deutsche ForschungsgemeinschaftInvolved organisational units of Leipzig University: Pädagogische Psychologie mit dem Schwerpunkt Lehren, Lernen und Entwicklung
- show detailsFunctions of language in children’s development of emotion regulation: A multimethod approachStreubel, BeritDuration: 10/2021 - 09/2024Funded by: DFG Deutsche ForschungsgemeinschaftInvolved organisational units of Leipzig University: Pädagogische Psychologie mit dem Schwerpunkt Lehren, Lernen und Entwicklung
- show detailsExFunKi – Exekutive Funktionen im KindergartenSaalbach, HenrikDuration: 05/2020 - ongoingFunded by: Haushaltsmittel (TG51, Overhead)Involved organisational units of Leipzig University: Pädagogische Psychologie mit dem Schwerpunkt Lehren, Lernen und Entwicklung
- show detailsDie Bedeutung von Professionellen Lerngemeinschaften für die prozessbezogene diagnostische Praxis von pädagogischen Fachkräften in naturwissenschaftlichen Bildungskontexten in der Inklusion (ProFink)Bürgermeister, AnikaDuration: 08/2021 - 07/2024Funded by: BMBF Bundesministerium für Bildung und ForschungInvolved organisational units of Leipzig University: Institut für Bildungswissenschaften
- show detailsParticipation and contingent scaffolding: classroom discourse in primary science educationHerrmann, AnnikaDuration: 04/2019 - ongoingInvolved organisational units of Leipzig University: Grundschuldidaktik Sachunterricht unter besonderer Berücksichtigung von Naturwissenschaft und Technik; Pädagogische Psychologie mit dem Schwerpunkt Lehren, Lernen und Entwicklung
- show detailsHardy, I.; Saalbach, H.; Leuchter, M.; Schalk, L.Preschoolers' Induction of the Concept of Material Kind to Make Predictions: The Effects of Comparison and Linguistic LabelsFrontiers in Psychology. 2020.
- show detailsStreubel, B.; Grosse, G.; Gunzenhauser, C.; Saalbach, H.Emotion-specific vocabulary and its contribution to emotion understanding in 4- to 9-year-old childrenJournal of Experimental Child Psychology. 2020.
- show detailsKempert, S.; Schalk, L.; Saalbach, H.Sprache als Werkzeug des Lernens: Ein Überblick zu den kommunikativen und kognitiven Funktionen der Sprache und deren Bedeutung für den fachlichen WissenserwerbPsychologie in Erziehung und Unterricht. 2019. pp. 176-195
- show detailsEnke, S.; Gunzenhauser, C.; Hepach, R.; Karbach, J.; Saalbach, H.Differences in cognitive processing? The role of verbal processes and mental effort in bilingual and monolingual children’s planning performanceJournal of Experimental Child Psychology. 2022. p. 105255