Giessen model of teacher training
The Giessen model of teacher training describes a concept in teacher training that places emphasis on “holistic” and “professional-oriented” training for student teachers . At the Justus Liebig University in Giessen , chemistry teaching students have been trained according to this model since 2005. In addition to the joint training by several chemical institutes, the compulsory work in the “teaching-learning laboratory” is particularly new, where students learn how to instruct students in chemical experiments . In 2008, Siegfried Schindler and Richard Göttlich were awarded the "Hessian University Prize for Excellence in Teaching " for this model of teacher training .
Problem of teacher training
The specialist training in chemistry has so far been carried out (nationwide) in the individual chemical institutes largely independently of one another. This has led to coordination problems between the individual courses. In addition, a practical relevance was rarely discernible. Possible common contents were either not taught at all or repeatedly (with mostly no reference to the other subject areas). An everyday and practical relevance, especially for students of the teaching profession, was mostly missing in the pure specialist training. In addition, too little has been said about new methods of teaching chemistry in the specialist events on chemistry, as they are now widely available through chemistry software and the Internet. The later teachers are largely on their own here.
Giessen model
Cross-institute training
In order to be able to present and teach chemistry as a whole, the Giessen model largely dispenses with events at individual institutes. Instead, chemistry is taught across institutes. The respective lecturers not only discuss their content with one another, but an examination board coordinates this content. This achieves an unprecedented level of consistency in teaching and the students recognize early on that there are no thematic boundaries between the chemical sub-disciplines, but that there are numerous overlaps.
Chemical experimentation
As teachers, students later have to independently guide students in chemical experiments. In addition to sufficient specialist knowledge, this also requires practice. The courses in the context of the Giessen model therefore also include (supervised) instruction for students to experiment in the student laboratory . Here, students can learn for the first time how students are guided and where problems arise when students experiment.
Video feedback
The lecture and experiment exercises of the students are filmed and the material is made available to the lecturer afterwards. This enables the student, in addition to the discussion after the lecture, to be able to assess his presentation style himself and to make improvements if necessary. This enables the student to improve his or her own presentation style (and also his later teaching style) in a targeted manner.
Everyday chemistry
The students get a connection to everyday chemistry, they are also instructed to work out this everyday life themselves. This is done through events in which the students independently work out experiments suitable for schools on given topics and demonstrate them to their fellow students. The only chemicals available to them for this are everyday products. This not only means that the students deal with the ingredients of everyday products, but they also get to know methods of obtaining information about them.
new media
In chemistry, new media are no longer just used to obtain information, but there are numerous - partly interactive - chemistry programs that are suitable for later use in lessons. In the courses of the Giessen model, the students are introduced to such learning software and given the opportunity to test a selection of this software themselves at appropriate PC workstations. Particularly noteworthy are programs for virtual chemistry laboratories, one of which has already found its way into the chemical internship of the Gießen teacher training course.
Further care
Classic teacher training ends with graduation ( state examination ). The Giessen model, however, provides for further support for former students during their legal clerkship and beyond. For this purpose, targeted advanced training is offered, equipment is loaned out, school laboratories are held, etc. The aim is to enable trained teachers to lifelong learning .
Web links
- Information about the Giessen model of teacher training on the homepage of the University of Giessen
Individual evidence
- ↑ Hessian University Prize for Excellence in Teaching, report on idw-online.de ; Retrieved June 7, 2010