Teacher Training at the University of Darmstadt - How to become a good Politics Teacher?

1. Teacher Training at the University of Darmstadt- How to become a good Politics Teacher? Dr. Bernt Gebauer Political Science Department - Didactics of Political Education - Technical University of Darmstadt gebauer@pg.tu-darmstadt.de

2. Didactics of Political Education- Curriculum - • Basic level (Theories of political education; political socialisation; special role of politics teacher; …) • Teaching Practice (Students learn how to observe, give and reflect on politics lessons) • Master level (How to initiate learning processes with regard to democracy; our changing society; our constitution; our economy; …)

3. Didactics of Political Education as an integrative und communicative discipline: Didactics of Political Education Pedagogics Political Science Psychology Dr. Bernt Gebauer

4. Various Cognitive Interests 1 Didactics of Political Education: • What should be learned in the field of politics? Methods of Political Education: • How should these learning processes be arranged? • How should be learned? Political Science • What can we find out? Dr. Bernt Gebauer

5. In 2008, the sixteen German Länder agreed on common competences, politics teachers should aquire at university, such as Studients are able to assess political, social and economic phenomenons and can thus form their own political opinion and give rational reasons for it. … Students have first experiences with regard to planning and realising competence orientated politics lessons at their disposal. The Way to Competence Orientation in German Teacher Training  Dr. Bernt Gebauer 5

6. Basic Law Article 1 (1): Human dignity shall be inviolable. To respect and protect it shall be the duty of all state authority. Whatneedstolearnedaboutourconstitution? Howcanwearrangethelearningprocess? Howcanchildrenbeeducated? Howdoesourconstitutionwork? Whichconceptsoftheworkingsofourconstitution/of human dignityexist in thepupils`imaginations? Dr. Bernt Gebauer

7. What to think of when planning politics lessons? (Based on Sander 2007) ? How can we consider the previous knowledge and interests of the learners? Which specific topic can we choose? How can we guarantee the quality of the material? What is the core political problem? How can we engage the students into an active learning process? Have we thought of all major political positions when planning? Dr. Bernt Gebauer

8. Relevance of professional competence in political science for future politics teachers  Professional competence influences the quality of lesson planning and lesson realisation through the ability, • To reflect the specific role as politics teacher • To communicate expertise as regards content • To ask purposeful questions at the right time • To create purposeful tasks at the right time • To esteem and integrate contributions of pupils`ideas • … Dr. Bernt Gebauer

9. Three Levels of Teacher Training Advanced Training Level3 Second State Examination Level 2 PracticalPedagogical Training First State Examination Level 1 Courseof Higher Education (universitylevel) 20. November 2014| Fachbereich Sprach- und Literaturwissenschaft | Fachgebiet Mehrsprachigkeitsforschung/DaF/DaZ | Sandra Ballweg | 9

10. Conclusion:  • Don`t try to play school if you`re still at university. • Don`t try to catch up on your special branch of science once you have left university. • The organisation of studies is the main challenge: The special branch of science is not used specifically enough. (Oelkers 1998 in Schneider) • How can we realise the conjunction of theory and practice? • a) The organisation of the studies • b) Students need to be made aware of this conjunction (Sensenschmidt 2001) • Without the profound knowledge of young teachers in the field of political science, the good quality of politics lessons remains a chance result. • Without the profound knowledge of young teachers in the field of the didactics and methodology of political education, the good quality of politics lessons also remains a chance result - but for other reasons. ê Dr. Bernt Gebauer

11. References • Buchstein, Hubertus: Politikunterricht als Wirklichkeitsunterricht – Zum Nutzen der Politikwissenschaft für die politische Bildung, in: Gotthard Breit u.a. (Hrsg.), Demokratie braucht politische Bildung, Schwalbach/Taunus 2004, p. 47-62. • Gagel, Walter: Einführung in die Didaktik des politischen Unterrichts, Opladen 2000. • Lange, Dirk: Citizenship Education in Germany, in: Georgi, Viola B. (Ed.), The Making of Citizens in Europe, Bonn 2008, p. 89-95. • Patzelt, Werner: Ein Bildungskanon für die politische Systemlehre, in: Weißeno, Georg (Ed.), Politikkompetenz. Was Unterricht zu leisten hat, Bonn 2008, p. 108-121. • Sander, Wolfgang: Politik entdecken – Freiheit leben, Schwalbach 2007, S.189ff. • Schneider, Wilfried: Zum Verhältnis von Fachwissenschaft, Fachdidaktik und Erziehungswissenschaft in der Lehrerbildung, Wien 2001. (Quelle: www.bwpat.de) • Sekretariat der Ständigen Konferenz der Kultusminister der Länder in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland (Ed.): Ländergemeinsame inhaltliche Anforderungen für die Fachwissenschaften und Fachdidaktiken in der Lehrerbildung, Bonn/Berlin 2010. • Sensenschmidt, Bernd: Zur Theorie-Praxis-Kluft in der Zweiphasigen Lehrerbildung, in: SEMINAR 3/2001 Lehrerbildung und Schule, Hohengehren 2001, p. 24-28. Dr. Bernt Gebauer gebauer@pg.tu-darmstadt.de