Gerd-Bodo von Carlsburg TEACHER EDUCATION ... - VPU biblioteka

Gerd-Bodo von Carlsburg
TEACHER EDUCATION IN GERMANY: CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF
RECENT TRENDS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE
IMPROVEMENTS
In establishing a “Europe of Knowledge” the important
role of teachers and their education is stressed frequently
by the European Commission, the Ministries of
Education of the Member States of the European Union
as well as by a large number of educationalists.
High quality teachers and teacher education are central
components, within a heterogeneous pool of measures
necessary to make high quality education and training
and a Europe of Knowledge” a reality (e.g. reform of
organisational structures of the education and training
sector, reform of curricula, making effective use of new
information and communication technologies for learning
processes) 1 .
Due to the many new and rapidly changing tasks
and roles teachers are expected to fulfil, substantial improvements
and reforms of teacher education are seen as
imperative.
The debate over the reform of teacher training has
been conducted in Germany in the individual Länder,
the Standing Conference and in the Wissenschaftsrat
(Science Council) for a considerable time – and not just
since PISA – but it has gained a particular relevance
through the results of the comparative studies on student
performance. The background to the reform debate
is the perception that the work of teachers has become
more difficult in view of social developments and
the associated changes in the conditions under which
children and adolescents grow up and the growing heterogeneity
of students from a cultural and ethnic perspective,
and that these difficulties cannot be overcome
with the outdated traditions and routine practices of the
teaching profession. At the same time the expectations
that schools and teachers should deal with many different
social problems have risen. They extend from the
reaction to the diminishing educative ability of families
to the management of drug problems and dealing with
the negative consequences on health of living in a “consumer
and media society”.
Teacher education is a continuous process and needs
systemic reform. Nowadays there is far-reaching unanimity
about the necessity of reform and the deficits of
the current form of training.
Current situation of teacher training
You can distinguish three central features regarding
the development of the teacher formation:
1. increasing development and increasing improvement
of the institutional, temporal claim regarding the
content.
2. the increasing approach between the education of
the different teaching professions (too much science
during the basic and junior high school teacher-training
and enrichment of the high schools teacher-training
with educational-scientific elements).
3. splitting the teacher formation process in two or three
phases.
The following characteristics should be emphasized:
Good points:
• high degree of specialization
“In general teachers feel well prepared regarding the
subjects they teach” 2 ;
• coordination of the teaching profession structure and
the structure of the respective school system.
Weak points:
• systematical learning of educational and didacticmethodical
competences,
• examination system,
• to far from school-practice (lack of professional teaching
practice),
• teachers’ age-structure (too old).
Current context factors are starting points for debates
and reform initiatives:
• The discussion about the reform of the teacher formation
is embedded in the context of the public
service,
• A European integration causes discussion about professional
and education structures in the individual
countries,
• The situation of the public economical budgets (efficiency
and regrouping debates),
• The discussions about the development of the educational
systems have striven for an expansion of decision
and creation margins of the individual schools for
about 10 years (educational reform or educational systems
development as a development of school).
1 Green Paper on Teacher Education in Europe. – Part I, High Quality Teacher Education, 2000, p. 3.
2 Terhart E., 2000, p. 26.
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Gerd-Bodo von Carlsburg
8
administration
of school
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PROBLEMS IN THE GERMAN SYSTEM OF
TEACHER EDUCATION
during the different phases
FIRST STEP / PHASE
• There’s no systematic relationship between the single
parts of the studies: school practical training, studies
of education, studies in the special branches (scientific
studies). The studies in the didactic of special
branches are not enough coordinated.
• The educational studies have a subordinate position.
(Educational sciences, Psychology, Sociology...).
• The school practical trainings are not coordinated
and linked with the other parts of studies.
• The first examination is rather a test of the short
time memory.
€
Figure 1: Order of development
Figure 2: Basic teacher competencies
€
€teacher
SECOND STEP / PHASE
• There’s no coordination between the first und second
phase (no systematic junction).
• It’s difficult for to be a counsellor and a judge at the
same time (double-function).
• The certificates are very important; the marks support
the competition and rivalry among the novices
/ junior teachers.
• Another problem is the dependency on the seminary
instructors (pressure of accommodation).
• It’s difficult to recruit and qualify seminary instructors.
That’s why they often are not enough qualified
persons.
• There can be problems in coordinating the seminary
and school activities.

THIRD STEP / PHASE
Finally, the different approaches to reform have in
common an understanding of teacher training as a development
process which continues beyond the study
course and stage of practical teaching work and which
must be systematically supported there (“professional
biography approach”).
WORKING OUT PLANS
OF ADVANCED
EDUCATION AT
SINGULAR SCHOOLS
AS PART OF THE INNER
SCHOOL-REFORM.
QUALIFICATION AND
SELECTION OF
INSTRUCTORS
MAIN CURRICULAR FOR THE
STUDIES OF EDUCATION
RECOMMENDATIONS
OF THE MIXED
COMMISSION OF
TEACHER EDUCATION
IMPLEMENTATION OF
INCENTIVES,
(CLOSER RELATIONSHIP
BETWEEN PROFESSIONAL
PERFORMANCE AND
CAREER)
THE PROCESS
OF LEARNING IN THE JOB
BETTER COORDINATION
OF THE FIRST AND SECOND
PHASE OF EDUCATION;
TEMPORARY EXCHANGE
OF INSTRUCTORS OF THE
FIRST AND SECOND PHASE
SECOND PHASE OF TEACHERS EDUCATION
REINFORCEMENT OF THE
DIFFERENT DIDACTICS
(DIFFERENT DIDACTICS AS
BRIDGES BETWEEN
SCIENTIFIC AND
PEDAGOGICAL TRAINING)
Teacher Education in Germany
• This step is often neglected. (ðnot enough care for
the further development of teachers).
• There’s no direct connection between the professional
performance and career and.
• There’s no systematic support of the continuous
learning und the development of professionalism.
FIRST UNIVERSITARY PHASE OF TEACHERS EDUCATION -
STUDIES OF EDUCATION
IMPLEMENTATION OF A
SYSTEM OF SUPPORT FOR
YOUNG TEACHERS IN THE
FIRST YEARS OF
PROFESSION, CONTINUOUS
DEVE-LOPMENT OF
PROFESSIO-NAL SKILLS
Figure 3: Recommendations of the Mixed Commission of Teacher Education
HIGH LEVEL OF SELF-
ORGANISATION BY
PROFESSIONAL LEARING
FOR TEACHERS ASPIRANTS
IMPLEMENTATION OF
CENTRES OF TEACHERS
EDUCATION AND SCHOOL
RESEARCH
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Gerd-Bodo von Carlsburg
STUDIUM: UNIVERSITY / UNIVERSITY OF
EDUCATION
FIRST STEP / PHASE
• scientific foundation at university (University of
Education),
• two branches and studies of education,
• reflexion of the profession,
• first examination: 1. Lehramtsprüfung.
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FIRST STEP /
PHASE
SECOND STEP /
PHASE
SEMINARIES: SCHOOL FOR THE EDUCATION
OF PRACTICE AND TEACHERS SEMINAR
SECOND STEP / PHASE
• development of professional practical skills at teachers
seminar (Studienseminar),
• development of first professional routines,
• second examination: 2. Lehramtsprüfung (necessary
to be allowed to work as a teacher in public schools).
STUDYING IN THE PROFESSION OR IN-SER-
VICE LEARNING: PHASE OF ENTRY INTO THE
PROFESSION AND FURTHER TRAINING
THIRD STEP / PHASE
• advanced training of teachers (further education, lifelong
education)
PHASES OF TEACHERS EDUCATION IN GERMANY
Figure 4: Phases of Teacher Education in Germany
THIRD STEP /
PHASE
CENTRAL ELEMENTS IN A CURRICULUM OF EDUCATIONAL STUDIES
cooperation at school
relationship between
teacher and pupil
giving support
to pupils
evocation
and support
of social behavior
getting along with problems of
discipline and special risks of pupils
school and publicity creation different
settings for learning
evaluation
knowledge of
strategies of learning
and supporting the
process of learning
using new medias
and technologies
at school
teachers’ competence
of self-organisation
Figure 5: Central elements in a main curriculum of educational studies
The growing importance of lifelong learning
• continuous creative working within and outside
the profession indicates life
• continuous learning contributes to the individual-
biographic development of the human being
• changes and the acceleration of processes may overtax
people and can bring up losers and objectors of
a modernization

THE RELATION BETWEEN THEORY AND PRACTICE
IN TEACHER FORMATION
‘PRACTICE’ IN THE FIRST PHASE
• Construction of practice knowledge by observation,
studying in teaching and research projects
• Identification of problem situations at schools
• Collection of practical experiences in cooperative
studying forms
• Collection of didactic experience
Aim:
• The ability to reflect theoretical positions regarding
the experienced practice
• Points of view which are based on science and didactic
‘PRACTICE’ IN THE SECOND PHASE – responsible
work in the classroom
• It should contribute to the construction of concrete
professional competences, attitudes and routines.
Creating a new studying / lifelong learning culture
• Differentiated studying / learning offers
• Application of more new teaching-studying forms
• New organization form of the studying / learning
substance
• Stronger and better arrangement of practice knowledge
• Application orientation
• Individual support (distinction in the width and
size of the studying / lifelong learning substance)
• Optimal support of both efficient and inefficient
pupils
• Development of various activities / including skilled
crafts / languages....
Learning objectives should be
• Self organization
• Self-responsibility
• Self evaluation
Better organization of ‘all-day schools’
• With additional specialized staff
• To encourage creativity / practical and social work
• For the individual demand and avoidance of a social
discrimination
Improvement of resource equipment
• Improvement of the material and personal equipment
• Support of the schools by experts (e.g. therapists,
psychologists, diet scientists etc.)
• Good spatial, computer and technical equipment,
school library
• A new financing system should lead to greatest possible
flexibility and efficiency in the use of the resources
CENTRAL ASPECTS
Teacher Education in Germany
• It is an on experience-based study in the professional
field.
Task of the seminar:
Accompanying, supporting and steering of the professional
processes of learning and personal development
Aim:
Construction of professional action competence and
first routines
(can be done responsibly only through re-connecting
to the theory)
‘PRACTICE’ IN THE THIRD PHASE
• Acquisition of experience knowledge and action securities
in the first working years
• Continuous lifelong education
Safeguarding of the quality of lifelong education
• Stronger autonomy of schools
• Application of modern management concepts
• Introduction of obligatory aim agreements between
teachers and school head-masters and giving of accounts
• Consequences have to be pulled from the evaluations
which were carried out and the transfer research
has to be improvement.
Conclusion
Investing into teacher education must be viewed
as most effective to increase student achievement compared
with other political measures to improve effectiveness
of teaching.
Making teacher education as an open and dynamic
system a reality, will sometimes involve the breaking down
of old concepts of teacher education and the teaching
profession.
In principle, widespread teacher education has to be
conceived as an open and dynamic system and as a continuous
process consisting of the closely interrelated components:
• initial teacher education,
• induction into the professional cultures of schools,
• in-service teacher education and/or continuous professional
development,
• further education for teachers,
• school development and improvement and,
• research.
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Gerd-Bodo von Carlsburg
The Green Paper on the “European Dimension in
Education” (European Commission) made explicit reference
to the important role of teachers and teacher education
in making this dimension a reality. Compared to
the situation in the late eighties only incremental progress
has been made in this respect. More coherent and substantial
efforts especially in teacher education seem to be
necessary if the European Dimension in Education is to
be developed further.
Investavimas á mokytojø rengimà, lyginant su kitomis
politinëmis priemonëmis, yra efektyviausia priemonë
didinant studentø paþangumà, gerinant mokymo
efektyvumà.
Kad mokytojø rengimas kaip atvira ir dinamiðka sistema
taptø realybe, reikëtø atsisakyti pasenusiø mokytojø
rengimo bei mokytojo profesijos nuostatø.
Mokytojø rengimas turëtø bûti suvokiamas kaip atvira
ir dinamiðka sistema bei nuolatinis procesas, susidedantis
ið glaudþiai susijusiø komponentø: pradinio mokytojø
rengimo, supaþindinimo su mokyklø profesinë-
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Santrauka
Gerd-Bodo von Carlsburg
References
1. Buchberger F., Campos B. P., Kallos J., Stephenson
D. Green Paper on Teacher Education in Europe
// Thematic Network on Teacher Education in
Europe. – High Quality Teacher Education for
High Quality Education and Training, 2000.
2. Perspektiven der Lehrerbildung in Deutschland /
Hrsg. E. Terhart. – Weinheim / Basel, 2000.
3. Terhart E. Lehrerberuf und Lehrerbildung.
Forschungsbefunde, Problemanalysen,
Reformkonzepte. – Beltz Verlag. Weinheim /
Basel, 2001, S. 207, Cf. also the report commissioned
by the Conference of Education Ministers
”Perspektiven der Lehrerbildung in Deutschland”.
MOKYTOJØ RENGIMAS VOKIETIJOJE: DABARTINIØ TENDENCIJØ KRITINË
ANALIZË IR REKOMENDACIJOS TOBULINIMO PERSPEKTYVAI
mis kultûromis, mokytojø kvalifikacijos këlimo ir /arba
nuolatinio profesinio tobulinimosi, mokyklos plëtros ir
tobulinimo, mokslinio tiriamojo darbo.
„Europos dimensijos ðvietime“ (Europos Komisija)
Þalioji korta atvirai konstatavo svarbø mokytojø bei jø
rengimo vaidmená paversdama ðià dimensijà realybe.
Lyginant su 1980 m. situacija, ðioje srityje padaryta
tik labai neþymi paþanga. Kad Europos dimensija ðvietime
bûtø vykdoma toliau, bûtina ádëti daugiau pastangø
rengiant mokytojus.
Heidelbergo pedagoginis universitetas
Áteikta 2006 m. liepos mën.