Abstract
Teacher education in Germany reflects the tiered structure of the country’s secondary school system. In addition to the common distinction between elementary and secondary education, German teacher education programs differ by secondary school type. Teacher training for the academic-track Gymnasium, which students leave with the general university entrance certificate (Abitur), goes through a rather rigorous training program focused on content knowledge. Teacher training for less-prestigious school types goes through a similar but less content-intensive training program. Regardless of track type, the teacher training program is strictly divided into a first academic phase at university (3–5 years) followed by an in-service training phase (1.5–2 years) run by the respective state’s education authority. Relative to many other countries, the income and job security of teachers in Germany is high. Assessment of teachers or teaching quality is all but unknown.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Bauer J, Diercks U, Retelsdorf J, Kauper T, Zimmermann F, Köller O, Möller J, Prenzel M (2011) Spannungsfeld Polyvalenz in der Lehrerbildung. Wie polyvalent sind Lehramtsstudiengänge und was bedeutet dies für die Berufswahlsicherheit der Studierenden? [Polyvalence of teacher training programs. How polyvalent are current study programs and what does this mean for students’ certainty about their career choices?]. Zeitschrift für Erziehungswissenschaft 14:629–649. doi:10.1007/s11618-011-0239-7
Baumert J, Cortina K, Leschinsky A (2008) Grundlegende Entwicklungen und Strukturprobleme im allgemein bildenden Schulwesen [General trends and structural problems in public education]. In: Cortina K, Baumert J, Leschinsky A, Mayer K-U, Trommer L (eds) Das Bildungswesen in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland. Rowohlt, Reinbek, pp 53–130
Klemm K (2010) Zur Entwicklung des Lehrerinnen- und Lehrerbedarfs in Deutschland. [Development in the demand of teachers in Germany]. Die Deutsche Schule 102:52–59
Schneider T (2008) Social inequality in educational participation in the German school system in a longitudinal perspective: pathways into and out of the most prestigious school track. Eur Sociol Rev 24:511–526. doi:10.1093/esr/jcn017
Terhart E (2003) Teacher education in Germany: current state and new perspectives. In: Moon B, Vlasceanu L, Barows LC (eds) Institutional approaches to teacher education within higher education in Europe: current models and new developments. UNESCO/CEPES, Bucharest, pp 135–156
Terhart E (2008) Die Lehrerbildung [Teacher education]. In: Cortina K, Baumert J, Leschinsky A, Mayer K-U, Trommer L (eds) Das Bildungswesen in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland. Rowohlt, Reinbek, pp 745–772
Weiss M, Weishaupt H (1999) The German school system after reunification: a descriptive overview of recent trends. Int J Educ Reform 8:113–119
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2013 Springer Science+Busine0ss Media New York
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Cortina, K.S., Thames, M.H. (2013). Teacher Education in Germany. In: Kunter, M., Baumert, J., Blum, W., Klusmann, U., Krauss, S., Neubrand, M. (eds) Cognitive Activation in the Mathematics Classroom and Professional Competence of Teachers. Mathematics Teacher Education, vol 8. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-5149-5_3
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-5149-5_3
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-5148-8
Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-5149-5
eBook Packages: Humanities, Social Sciences and LawEducation (R0)