Research Line

The quality of learning opportunities and the educational success of children and youths depend largely on teachers. They are key to learning success, motivation, psychosocial development, well-being, and successful graduation. Teachers are particularly important when it comes to implementing innovations in schools and lessons (e.g. in the context of the challenges surrounding digitalization and inclusion). Teacher education and training is therefore considered a crucial contribution to the optimization of educational processes.

The research line Professional Competence and Learning of Teachers provides theoretically sound and empirically validated knowledge regarding the professionally relevant characteristics of teachers and effective measures to support professional learning. This contributes to shaping the initial and further training of teachers and, in this context, the qualification of multipliers in teacher training and other relevant systemic levels.

Within the research line Professional Competence and Learning of Teachers, we focus on four interdisciplinary research areas.

Characteristics of professional competence and identity, as well as their development and support

Fundamental studies are carried out in this research area providing insights into the characteristics of professional competence and how to develop and foster it.

Alternative pathways into the teaching profession

Research in this area addresses the problem of teacher shortages and the associated challenges of designing high-quality alternative pathways into the teaching profession. Study programs for mathematics, computer science and science teacher education at university as a traditional route into the teaching profession are also examined in the context of the shortage of teachers and the relatively high number of student drop-out.

Coherence in teacher education

This research area is dedicated to coherence across the three phases of teacher education (vertical) as well as coherence between different courses or study areas within a study phase (horizontal). The research area also focuses on the dovetailing of university and school content, particularly in the context of the first, i.e. university, phase of teacher education.

Transfer and transfer research

Research in this field originates from the fact that educational science and empirical educational research often provide the foundations and concepts for the design of effective teaching and learning arrangements. However, this knowledge is often not sufficiently or only very slowly incorporated into professional practice. Research in this field focuses on studies on the transfer of subject-specific findings from educational science into professional practice, which, for example, examine the characteristics of effective teacher professional development and the interaction of implementation structures.