The Institute's research projects can be structured in the following three topics:

• Governance: comprising e.g. «Learning Regions and communities: Networked Systems and System Leadership» and «School Inspection and School Development».
• School Management: comprising e.g. «School Leadership Action: Work-related Pressure and Subjective Strain» and «Competence Profile School Management (CPSM) – an Inventory for the Self-Assessment of School Leadership».
• Professional Development: comprising e.g. «Evaluating and Developing Quality in Teacher Education – Swiss Adaption of the German Panel Study» and «Impact of Further Education and Training and Development for School Leaders».

As well as the special topic:

• Youth (Education and Perspectives): comprising the «Interdisciplinary Understanding of Youth: Swiss Federal Survey of Adolescents» (Head of the National Research Consortium) and «Constitution of Values – The Contribution of Schooling».