Teacher Education (Bachelor and Master)

We understand teacher education as a process that is open in terms of time and space and involves all stakeholders within and outside the university, especially schools. The aim of teacher education is to enable prospective and active teachers to ensure the education of future generations of students according to democratic principles and thus contribute to overcoming current and future social and individual challenges. Teacher education must prepare teachers for current tasks and challenges in society (e.g. education in the migration society, digitality, diversity, sustainability, resilience) as well as critically reflecting and passing on values and educational goals.

We focus our commitment to teacher education on optimally preparing prospective teachers for a demanding and complex field of work so that they can fulfill their responsibility towards the individual and society in the teaching profession. This also means that teacher education cannot be reduced to imparting directly applicable, subject-related knowledge; rather, we understand it as professional skills development in the sense of an interdisciplinary, integrative, universal and dynamic task.

Osnabrück University sees itself as a dynamically developing, nationally and internationally recognized university with visible profile lines in the field of research. This objective also applies to teacher education.

The aim of our work is nationally and internationally visible research in the fields of subject-specific science, didactics and educational science relating to teacher education, schools ,and teaching. We apply a broad spectrum of research methodologies and conceptual approaches, including empirical, hermeneutic, theoretical, historical and international comparative approaches.

Our research can be described by the following characteristics:

• Reciprocity of research and teacher education, training and further education: On the basis of empirically and theoretically gained knowledge, we contribute both to solving application- and profession-related problems and to basic research in the context of learning processes, educational institutions, teacher:in-service training and educational systems. The theoretical framing of our evidence-based work and research focuses, the discussion of the social significance of the results achieved and their examination in discourse with representatives from school practice, teacher training colleges, educational policy and administration as well as business and society is an intrinsic part of our work.
• Transfer orientation: We understand transfer as a dynamic and reciprocal transformation process of implicit and explicit knowledge and consider it the task of science to transfer knowledge to society. This form of science communication is not limited to the mere communication of individual findings, but is aimed at presenting the system of science, its working methods, constituents and principles and thus promoting discourse in society. Science communication ties in with the idea of the "third mission" of universities and participates in the impact of scientific research and teaching activities on the social environment and the regional academic landscape as well as in the recording, critical reflection and commentary of social discourse.
• Research-based learning: We consider it a competence goal for (prospective) teachers to be able to receive research results, prepare them in a way that is appropriate for the target group and independently implement their own research activities, from defining the problem and developing a question to carrying out the research activities and reflecting on them with the aim of developing a basic research attitude. The principle of research-based learning is therefore a binding curricular component of teacher training in Osnabrück. Research-based learning helps to enable students to interpret and evaluate the results of empirical research in a differentiated manner. Among other things, they acquire empirically and methodologically trained skills to reflect on and further develop their own practice and to evaluate the teaching of others and participate in the acquisition of scientific knowledge as part of their studies.

Highly qualified and continuously developing university staff is the prerequisite for excellent research and teaching, which in turn serve to qualify Osnabrück University graduates. In addition, it is in line with our self-image that Osnabrück University represents the expert knowledge that is important for the education system and its further development or contributes to its generation itself. In view of the standards for generating scientific knowledge, which make professional skills development in research necessary, this is a central question of scientific and university development.

In order to dovetail research and teaching, students are also involved in research projects alongside academic qualifications and the promotion of young talent. Through the assignment of responsible tasks and close supervision, they are introduced to research methodology and methodological issues in science and project work. Our aim is to guide particularly talented and interested individuals (especially those on teacher training courses) towards a Doctorate. Structured graduate programs are also offered for this purpose.

On the basis of a general, subject-specific and interdisciplinary academic education, the Osnabrück teacher training program develops a career-related professionalism, whereby the scientifically sound and reflective examination of convictions, beliefs and subjective theories forms the starting point. On the basis of systematically consecutive practical school studies, students reflect on their own teaching and learning biography throughout the course, which also includes the development of personal and social skills. The aim is to establish a critical-reflective attitude that is oriented towards empirical studies on the personality of teachers and at the same time is committed to self-determined personal development. Adequate social-emotional skills such as self-regulation or the recognition of emotions are the subject of specific courses. The subject-specific and didactic characteristics of the various subjects are equally important. The range of courses takes into account the different levels of the education system so that different professional fields can be targeted. This serves both individual profile development and the requirements of the education sector.

The common denominator of all teacher training courses at Osnabrück University is the professional field of school, which is not only explored in the context of practical school studies, but is also the subject of research-based reflection throughout the course. In this respect, it is not about an affirmative recognition of school reality, but about a critical, reflective and productive analysis of the professional field, taking into account current and future requirements. It is therefore important that the practical components are understood as a joint task of the participating institutions. This enables students to critically and constructively engage with the professional field while exploring, evaluating and reflecting on school practice. Continuous academic and, in particular, didactic support is indispensable.

Against the backdrop of globalization processes in almost all areas of society and life as well as the current and future challenges facing the global community, it is necessary that school education is not only situated in a national context. By broadening the perspective of international and national discourses on education, we enable students to reflect comprehensively on their teaching activities and to use the insights gained in this way to reflexively position themselves nationally, regionally and locally. At the same time, they learn to critically and confidently question and develop their own convictions and values. Since pedagogical action sometimes takes place in regional networks, it is equally important to initiate the development of a regional sense of responsibility (e.g. in the context of service learning or other transfer activities during the course).

Teacher education at Osnabrück University is characterized by different subject cultures in the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences, which benefit from and respect each other. Teacher education at Osnabrück University is based on a broad cooperation network within and outside the university. The university management, the Center for Teacher Education, the teacher training subjects, the Regional State Offices for Schools and Education (RLSB), the state study seminars, the Lower Saxony State Institute for School Quality Development (NLQ), schools and their sponsors as well as other educational partners (including initiatives, foundations, adult education centers, associations and other institutions) work together in various constellations. In addition, there is long-term and intensive cooperation with representatives from politics, business and educational practice. In addition to the wide range of undergraduate courses on offer, there is also a cooperation agreement between Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences and Osnabrück University in the context of training teachers for vocational schools in several vocational disciplines.

All stakeholders are learning from each other and together form a community of practice whose members recognize the expertise of all other stakeholders. The central committee for networking is the Board of Teacher Education, in which representatives of all teacher training subjects and the institutions mentioned here, as well as students and doctoral candidates, are involved and discuss and develop central topics and concepts for teacher training in Osnabrück.