University pearl of the month May goes to Kassel

The SELF Secondary Level One Study Workshop in Teaching and Research is a place for learning, networking and communication. It was developed by the Department of School Pedagogy/Secondary Level I at the Institute of Educational Science. The SELF supports student teachers from all disciplines in their professionalization, both in theory and in practice. Students are given the opportunity to reflect on their development as teachers in a guided manner and find inspiration for the design of their lessons and the development of their teaching personality.

Peer coaching by trained student employees in formats such as collegial case consultation is central to this. This involves analyzing specific pedagogical problems and developing appropriate solutions. Students have the opportunity to reflect on a pedagogical challenge they have experienced themselves and develop strategies for dealing with this challenge in the future. They learn to reflect on their behavior and actions and to justify them to others. Lecturers at the University of Kassel can invite the peer coaches to their courses, but prospective teachers also have the opportunity to contact the Studienwerkstatt individually. Networking is a major concern of the Study Workshop. For 2024, there are plans to offer collegial case counseling for students working as substitute teachers for the first time.

The SELF study workshop also includes the "Basis Plus" project, basic personal skills for the teaching profession. In a three-hour session, student teachers look at their skills as prospective teachers. They reflect on which skills they already have and which they still want to learn. In the session, this learning of skills, formulated as a development goal, is supported by getting to know various methods. Since last year, SELF has also been supporting the development of pedagogical skills of students on the Social Work course at the University of Kassel, promoting an interdisciplinary approach and multi-professional cooperation in research and practice.

"The practical phase of teacher training often means a practical shock for prospective teachers, which can call their entire career choice into question. Targeted mentoring in this phase of training can help future teachers and also strengthen the theoretical-practical links in education," said the Stifterverband jury on their decision to award the University Pearl of the Month for May to the Studienwerkstatt. "We see that the project takes into account the goal of strengthening theoretical-practical references and, in doing so, establishes interdisciplinary working groups at universities."

Further information on the SELF study workshopcan be found at: https://www.uni-kassel.de/fb01/institute/institut-fuer-erziehungswissenschaft/fachgebiete/erziehungswissenschaft-mit-dem-schwerpunkt-schulpaedagogik-der-sekundarstufe-1/studienwerkstatt-self

University Pearls are innovative, exemplary projects that are realized at a university. Every month, the Stifterverband presents a university pearl. Once a year, the university pearl of the year is chosen from the monthly pearls by vote.