Teaching

Courses (offered) as part of teacher education

Our courses are firmly integrated into the curriculum of educational sciences within the Jenaer Modell der Lehrerbildung and are aligned with the competency requirements set forth by the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs (KMK, 2022) for teacher education: teaching, educating, assessing and advising, and innovating.

Pre-service teachers acquire fundamental and application-oriented knowledge for the professional practice of teaching and have opportunities to develop practical skills in key areas of empirical research on teaching, schools, and professional development. The program focuses on the broad topic of teaching quality. This field of teaching and research includes the analysis and design of effective instruction, with a focus on developing professional communication and interaction skills. Topics such as instructional development using digital technologies, as well as important future-oriented topics like self-regulated and self-directed learning, cooperation and relationship-building in schools and classrooms, democracy education, learner-centered school and staff development, and teacher well-being are also addressed. As part of their toolkit, pre-service teachers gain familiarity with reading, interpreting, and applying qualitative and quantitative research methods in empirical educational research.

In this way, we contribute to the professional development of future teachers and to strengthening the link between theory and practice in the field of teacher education.

New action-oriented and technology-supported teaching and learning formats

The team at the chair relies on a broad spectrum of modern teaching and learning formats that incorporate a variety of pedagogical and methodological approaches. In addition to traditional university formats (lectures and seminars), the team makes particular use of technology-supported learning environments that enable practical teaching activities within the context of personalized learning opportunities. These include:

• Simulations in the LTL:S (Learning to Teach Lab: Science): Realistic classroom scenarios for testing professional competencies, e.g., in the area of parent counseling, teacher-student interaction using video reflections, etc.
• VR technologies: Immersive, inquiry-based learning in digital classroom settings, e.g., in the areas of classroom management, learning support, etc.

These innovative learning environments enable students to experience complex teaching situations on their own terms and to make informed pedagogical decisions.