General Didactics and Pedagogy for Secondary Schools

Our teaching is focused on case studies, that we discuss with our students based on literature and guided by occupational theory from different and also international perspectives. Doing so we amplify general as well as current questions on teaching and learning such as questions on (democratic) “Bildung” and “Erziehung”, aspects of the teacher-student-relationship, dealing with divers achievement or working with (digital) media in the classroom (SHRIMP).

The chair is responsible for the educational science module 1 "Introduction to School Pedagogy and General Didactics". The module consists of an introductory lecture and two in-depth seminars and is attended by up to 800 first-year students of all teacher training programs.

In addition to the module, tutorials are offered each semester for secondary school students. These tutorials aim at actively engaging with the module contents in small groups. These are led by students in advanced semesters who have already successfully completed the module. The advantage of the tutorials is working at peer level. Especially first-year students have an easier time overcoming inhibitions, becoming actively involved and asking questions that they might not ask in the regular courses. The tutorials make the contents of the lectures easier to understand and take up contents from the seminars in greater depth if there are still open questions from the students.

Another focus of the tutorials is to accompany the students in their work with the digital reader SHRIMP. On the one hand, technical questions will be clarified; on the other hand, the participants will reflect on their own learning experiences in the digital space. Reflecting on these experiences provides a starting point for one's own later teaching activities and the use of digital media.

Last but not least, the tutorials help to make use of what has been learned in the module courses by interpreting case studies.

The tutors are supervised by members of the chair. In addition to regular planning sessions, this also includes guidance on collegial observation as well as reflection and evaluation meetings. The quality of the tutorials is maintained through digital documentation. In this way new tutors can quickly familiarize themselves with the program and draw on existing experience.