Teacher training at the University of Bremen will receive a substantial boost over the next three years,: Within the context of the “Quality offensive teacher training” financed by the Federal Government and the Länder, the Center for Teacher Education successfully submitted a project proposal with the title “Shaping Interfaces – a future strategy for teacher training”. Responding to a competitive call of the Gemeinsamen Wissenschaftskonferenz [Joint science conference], the University has been granted a total of 2.8 million euros for the period 2016 till 2018.
Combining theory and practice
Altogether, nine of the University’s twelve Faculties are involved in training future teachers in various subject fields and subject didactics. The training includes accompaniment during periods of practical teaching in Bremen schools. The concept “Shaping Interfaces” aims at further improving coordination between the different subject field and the fields of subject didactics and pedagogy in teacher training, as well as a tighter interlocking of theory and practice. “Students should be made more aware of how the different parts of study programs relate”, says Professor Sabine Doff, scientific director of the Center for Teacher Education. Her institution coordinates the components of teacher training in close cooperation with the large number of subject fields and the Faculties involved, as well as local government agencies and schools in Bremen. The quality offensive aims at enhancing coordination between the different phases of teacher training and further education in the City State.
Facing new challenges
An additional focus of the Bremen concept is preparing students for the future challenges facing the teaching profession is: How can digital media be usefully included as didactical tools? How can additional content for increasingly heterogeneous school populations be integrated into subject teaching? How does inclusion impact on the conception and realization of classes? These are just some of the issues that studies in education and teacher training need to focus on more strongly. The overall target is a further professionalization of the teaching profession by empowering students with coping strategies for future developments: “Teachers have to become expert in designing their own life-long learning”, says Sabine Doff. “At the University of Bremen we are convinced that the way to achieve this goal is for students to learn how to ground their teaching theoretically, put it into practice, and critically reflect their actions.” With such a purposeful orientation to research, teacher training builds on research-based learning and the successful Institutional Strategy already implemented at the University of Bremen.
Broad participation
Under the coordination of Professor Doff, the University of Bremen’s successful proposal was formulated by the eighteen persons responsible for teacher training in seven different Faculties. Thomas Hoffmeister, Vice Rector for Studies and Education submitted the proposal. Over the three-year period the overall project “Quality offensive” will undergo internal and external evaluation. “Our future strategy for teacher training is in fully line with the City State’s strategy to establish teacher training as element of a University of Excellence with a strong focus on research“, says Vice Rector, Professor Hoffmeister.
Background: The „Quality offensive teacher training “
Teacher training is in a rapid state of advance. New media and enhanced practice orientation, professional offers of consultation, and close interlocking of academic studies, in-school practice and further education – these are just some of the aims of the “Quality offensive teacher training” initiated by the Federal Government and the Länder. Following a first round at the beginning of this year, now a second round has begun with a further 30 projects qualifying for funding. Within the two calls of the first funding period 2015 till 2018/2019 a total of 59 universities with teacher training faculties in all the 16 Federal States submitted successful applications. Altogether, 85 universities submitted proposals in the call.
For further information, please contact:
University of Bremen
Center for Teacher Training
Prof.Dr. Sabine Doff
Phone: +49 421 218-68170
e-mail: doffprotect me ?!uni-bremenprotect me ?!.de
