In several federal states of Germany a small research work is part of school performance for 11th or 12th grade students. In some federal states this work is obligatory for students, in others voluntary. This research work is generally named "Facharbeit”. It has to be documented in paper of about 10-30 pages, the demanded length differs in the federal states.

One of the main reasons for the integration of this work in upper grade public schools, is the aim to prepare the students in a better way for a study at a university. In Rheinland — Pfalz where I am going to school this aim is additionally supported by the prescription of a final colloquium on the research work.

It is up to the students to find a topic for their Facharbeit. Sometimes the teachers offer the students some topics to choose. A special advantage of the Facharbeit is the possibility of the free topic choice within a school subject, especially interdisciplinary themes are welcomed.

In Rheinland-Pfalz, the federal state of Germany where I visit the Gymnasium Birkenfeld, teachers have to take two works of this kind for minimum. It is up to the students to search a teacher who is willing to supervise their work. In this federal state the Facharbeit (here named BLL, for "Besondere Lernleistung") is voluntarily. The expected length of the paper is about 20-30 pages.

The students get grades for their works which can be integrated into the final result of the baccalaureate. This can only have a positive effect, a decrease of the final examination result is excluded. Therefore, there is a motivating reason for us as students to work out a Facharbeit.

It is possible and also desired to present the outcomes of the Facharbeit or parts of it in the competition “Jugend forscht” (or similar competitions), a competition in Germany for research works of school students. Here students may gain supplementary acknowledgements for their work.

In Rheinland-Pfalz students may not only choose their research topic freely within a given school subject, but they have also a free subject choice. This has an additional motivating effect for us as students, as we may deal in our work with any topic of our interest.