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SCHULWÄRTS! Research Hub

So far there has been hardly any research into the effects of placement-based experience abroad on internationalizing teacher training at German universities and thus opening up German schools to the wider world. The SCHULWÄRTS! Research Hub seeks to remedy this situation by networking researchers in various disciplines and providing a working platform and discussion forum to promote professional exchange between them.

On this page:

Status Quo

The result after around 2 years of the research hub: Our SCHULWÄRTS! anthology entitled ‘Internships abroad in teacher training programmes. Initial findings from the Goethe-Institut's SCHULWÄRTS! research hub’

This volume is a product of the synergies created in the hub and a sign of fruitful cooperation beyond the individual subject disciplines. Within the framework of theoretical and empirical research, the Hub members take an interdisciplinary approach to the topic of internships abroad in teacher education and embed it in the context of internationalisation.
Studies from cultural theory, educational science, didactics, school practice, international teacher training & education research and education policy provide insights and initial findings on the significance and effectiveness of mobility programmes such as SCHULWÄRTS! for the domestic and foreign education system. Together with the Research Hub, the Goethe-Institut is thus participating in the exchange of knowledge on educational mobility and the concept of a change of perspective as a significant educational factor.

We are very pleased about the successfully completed joint project and its excellent outcome. Many thanks to the Research Hub members and their co-authors for their valuable contributions!

The anthology is available in German with an open access licence under the Creative Common Licence CC BY-NC-SA 4.0:

Auslandspraktika im Lehramtsstudium. Erste Erkenntnisse aus dem SCHULWÄRTS!-Forschungshub des Goethe-Instituts(PDF, 7 MB)

The copyright for this work is held by Waxmann Verlag GmbH.

Twice a year, the SCHULWÄRTS! team organises workshops for the hub members to ensure space for presentation, exchange and feedback on the respective research work, to bundle the different areas of expertise and to create synergies for joint scientific projects. Co-operation agreements were concluded with the research hub members in time for the one-year anniversary in October 2020.
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SCHULWÄRTS!-Forschungshub_Unterzeichnung Kooperationsvereinbarung © Goethe-Institut / SCHULWÄRTS! In cooperation with individual hub members, theoretical and empirical research work was carried out on the following aspects, among others:
  • Highlighting the different possibilities for completing a practical phase abroad across the 16 federal states and their conditions for success
  • Development of a concept of cultural competences specifically for teacher training
  • Investigating the effects of SCHULWÄRTS! internships on the professional development of (prospective) teachers, taking into account a newly developed test instrument for recording aspects of intercultural competence
  • Motivational development for practical phases abroad
  • Systemic effects of projects within the internationalisation of teacher training and their sustainability
Initial results are published in our collective publication ‘Auslandspraktika im Lehramtsstudium. Erste Erkenntnisse aus dem SCHULWÄRTS!-Forschungshub des Goethe-Instituts.‘

Members

The Research Hub currently comprises eight permanent members from the fields of cultural theory, educational science, specialised didactics, school practice, international teacher training & educational research and educational policy.

Opportunities for Universities

Through the Research Hub, you can share expertise
  • As a member of the SCHULWÄRTS! research group
  • By presenting papers at Research Hub workshops and network meetings
  • By consulting on research projects
  • By taking part in or providing support for research projects
  • By initiating new research projects together with other universities
  • By reviewing research studies

The SCHULWÄRTS! Research Hub has a lot to offer:
  • A worldwide network of educational institutions
  • A vast network of student teachers and alumni
  • Workshops and network meetings with researchers and other people involved in educational research
  • Empirical data from the SCHULWÄRTS! programme

The SCHULWÄRTS! Research Hub provides assistance and support in
  • Establishing contact with educational institutions and establishments, researchers and administrators in Germany and especially abroad
  • Researching and mining data in areas explored by the Research Hub
  • Evaluating the SCHULWÄRTS! programme
  • Publishing Research Hub results

Opportunities for Students

SCHULWÄRTS! is looking for students to look into the effects of our placement programme in their theses: Use your own empirical research for your Bachelor's, Master's or PhD thesis and make the SCHULWÄRTS! programme your research topic.

Look into the effects of student teacher placement abroad on the German education system or on schools in host countries to shed light on the (bilateral) benefits of international teacher training. In doing so, you’ll be making an important contribution to an area of research largely neglected so far. The SCHULWÄRTS! team will support you in your research endeavours.

Goal: To investigate the effects/impacts of the SCHULWÄRTS! programme on the educational system and stakeholders in Germany and/or host countries

 

Method: An empirically based thesis involving qualitative or quantitative research (e.g. questionnaires, interviews etc.)

The SCHULWÄRTS! programme has a lot to offer:

  • A worldwide network of educational institutions 
  • Around 170 partner schools and 34 Goethe-Instituts in 34 countries around the world
  • Contact with a large number of SCHULWÄRTS! student teachers and alumni
  • Assistance in recruiting respondents and interviewees
  • Assistance in finding research topics
  • Participation in network meetings with people involved in empirically based research on education via the SCHULWÄRTS! Research Hub
  • Assistance in finding a suitable school abroad for field research (e.g. India, Vietnam, Sweden, Finland etc.)

Contact

schulwaerts@goethe.de 
Phone:+49 89 15921-786
Office hours:
Mon - Thu: 9 am - 1 pm

If you have any questions about the research hub, please contact Benjamin Günther.
Phone: +49 89 15921-034
Benjamin.Guenther@goethe.de

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