Future of teaching: Scientific approaches for better teacher training!

Future of teaching: Scientific approaches for better teacher training!

The educational landscape in Baden-Württemberg is facing a decisive change. The State Rectors’ Conference (LRK) of teacher training colleges recently took a clear position on the challenges of studying to become a teacher. A research and science-based teacher training course should be pursued in order to prepare prospective teachers in the best possible way for their future professional fields.

The LRK emphasizes the importance of empirical research. This clearly shows that both specialist science and educational science are essential components in the training of teachers. Against this background, the conference is firmly against a return to traditional “teacher training”.

Relevance of theory and practice

A central concern of the LRK is to strengthen the coherence between specialist knowledge, subject didactics, educational science and school practice in teacher training courses. The curricular concepts are designed to illustrate the importance of scientific findings for teaching practice. This also means that topics such as “school law” and “cooperation with parents” are anchored in the training curriculum in the second phase, as they are considered particularly practical.

Another important point is the need to clarify the functions of the first and second phases of teacher training. The LRK would also like to take a closer look at graduates' assessment of the “theory-heavy” nature of their studies as well as the satisfaction of students in other, professionally oriented academic disciplines. In this context, the LRK offers its support for future surveys on teacher training courses.

Standards and quality in teacher training

At the same time, it is essential to look at the framework conditions for teacher training in Germany. The Conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs (KMK) already adopted “Standards for Teacher Training: Educational Sciences” in 2004, which define the necessary competencies for the training of teachers. These standards are based on the results of the commission “Perspectives on teacher training in Germany” and the “Bremen Declaration”.

The implementation of these standards began in the 2005/2006 training year. Since then, they have been revised several times to respond to changing requirements, particularly with regard to inclusive and digital teaching. In 2014, the standards were revised to promote inclusive teaching, and in 2019 the focus was on digital educational content. Most recently, new competencies in the prevention and intervention against group-related misanthropy were added in 2022.

The current efforts of the LRK together with the guidelines of the KMK make it clear that teacher training in Germany is well on the way to meeting the challenges of a dynamic educational landscape.