Background analyses and related measures to support policy implementation

1. 1
Pekka Kämäräinen & Joachim Dittrich:
Overview on the German discussion on standards/frameworks related to TVET teacher education
1. Background analyses and related measures to support policy implementation
Contributor/
Platform
Points for the analysis
Wissenschaftsrat 2001: Empfehlungen
zur künftigen Struktur der Lehrerbildung
The Science Council 2001:
Recommendations for the future
structure of teacher education
Hochschulrektorenkonferenz (HRK)
Service-Stelle Bologna
(Bologna service unit of the German
University Rectors Conference)
Who and Why?
Background/
Key actors
The Science Council is a joint advisory body of
the Federal Government and the Federal States. It
was requested in January 1999 (by the Federal
State of Lower Saxony) to undertake an analysis
of the current stand of teacher education and to
prepare recommendations for future development.
The request was motivated by the need to examine
the complementarity or division of labour between
Universities, other Higher Education Institutes and
practical training at schools. Equally there was a
need to examine the role of research as support for
pedagogic and professional development.
The German (University) Rectors' Conference/
Hochschulrektorenkonferenz (HRK) is the joint
cooperation body of universities and other higher
education institutions (Polytechnics) in Germany.
HRK has launched a separate service unit that
supports the introduction f the common European
frameworks and patterns that have been agreed by
national governments in the Bologna process.
The service unit works in close collaboration with
the Bologna-coordinators of universities, domain-
specific monitoring activities and with specific
initiative groups.
What (in general)?
Intervention/
Aims
The Science Council set up expert group and the
report was adopted as “The recommendations for
the future structure of teacher education” in 2001.
The report consisted of a state-of-the-art analysis,
of deficit analysis and of the recommendations.
These focused on challenges for the teachers’
profession, on the future structure of studies, on
institutional reforms, on professional
development and on the role of research.
The main thrust of the HRK Bologna service unit
is to raise awareness of the new frameworks and
patterns by transversal support activities (e.g. the
Bologna-readers), focal activities (the Bachelor-
Master monitoring) and with domain-specific
measures (e.g. the specific events dedicated to the
issues on teacher education). Equally, domain-
specific interest groups and initiatives have the
possibility to use the forums of the service unit.

2. 2
How?
Approach/ Focal points or
Milestones
The deficit analyses highlighted the encapsulation
of the teacher education curricula into traditional
institutional and conceptual barriers, isolation of
different phases of studies from each other and
conceptual gaps between research disciplines and
teacher education curricula.
As a response the report took the course to bring
the relation with the occupational field
(Berufsfeldbezug) back to the centre of teacher
education curricula, related disciplines and
attached research activities. This leading idea
becomes manifest in the following specific
recommendations.
Regarding the field of teacher education the
service unit has produced a comprehensive
overview on the implementation of the Bachelor-
Master structures in the Federal states (and on
the related issues) by May 2005.
Parallel to this, the service unit has gathered the
statements of teachers’ unions and the national
forums of the representatives of educational
faculties. Finally, the service unit has provided
links to regional initiatives and their resource
bases, such as the consortium for promoting
BaMa-structures in the universities of Lower
Saxony and Bremen.
Which directions?
Perspectives or measures/
Current stand
The main recommendations (from the perspective
of the TT-TVET project) are the following:
a) Reshaping career pathways and curriculum
structures with the help of consecutive Bachelor-
and Masters programmes (that enable successive
specialisation and focused professionalisation);
b) Shaping a pattern of continuing professional
development that links the pre-service education,
in-service training and continuing professional
development to an integrative career model;
c) Reconsidering the institutional arrangements
to make a stronger link between educational
research and knowledge transfer (incl. cooperation
between general pedagogics, subject disciplines
and practical training at schools and colleges);
d) Launching inter-institutional cooperation
between universities and other HE institutions
(Polytechnics) to create new synergy across the
discipline structures and knowledge transfer.
From the perspective of teacher education the
work of the service unit has provided among
others the following possibilities
a) to monitor the implementation at different
Federal States and in parallel areas (e.g. the
“Ländermodelle” catalogue)
b) to put the proposed structural rearrangements
into public debate,
c) to link specific pedagogic innovations into the
structural development,
d) to disseminate the views of specific evaluation
studies and expertise studies.
(Regarding the last mentioned point an evaluation
report of the Scientific Commission of the Federal
State of Lower Saxony examines the teacher
education provisions from the perspectives of
‘vocational disciplines of teacher education’
(“Berufswissenschaften der Lehrerbildung”) along
the lines laid down by the Science Council.

3. 3
What (in detail)?
Specific proposals/
Positions
The specific recommendations of the Science
Council on the future structures of teacher
education are the following ones:
The main model to be recommended for most
parts of the teacher education (upper secondary,
lower secondary) is a consecutive model that is
grounded on a broad and transversal Bachelor-
phase (which is open for several options regarding
the successive specialisation) and completed by
specialisation phase at the Masters level and with
a specific focus on the teacher’s profession.
As a complementary model the Science Council
recommends that the education of teachers for
primary education and for the “Hauptschule” track
an integrative and modular curriculum that leads
to a Bachelor degree. However, for this track there
is also a need to develop a progression route to
higher degrees (based on a consecutive model).
In addition to the general support services for the
German implementation of the Bologna process
HRK launched a working group for preparing
recommendations on the future of teacher
education in Universities and HE institutes. The
recommendations were approved in the 206.
Plenary session of the HRK in February 2006.
The working group was launched to draw
conclusions from the somewhat controversial
debate on the future of teacher education in the
context of the Bologna process. The working
group mapped the balance between consensual vs.
controversial issues and drew attention to the open
questions that need to be addressed in the further
reform process.
A more detailed overview of the recommendations
of the HRK will be prepared in a later section of
this document.
Additional remarks
from the perspective of
the TT-TVET project
The Science Council didn’t address explicitly the
field of TVET and most of the recommendations
are dealing with general education. Yet, the above
mentioned points are important for the specific
discussion on the future role of TVET teacher
education within changing structures.
The service unit provides a general platform and
links to different initiatives. The interesting point
with the current debate and the specific inputs on
teacher education is that they bring into picture
further links between the approach of the Science
Council and the field of TVET.

4. 4
2. Debate between the Conference of Cultural Ministers and the educational faculties & teachers’ unions
Contributor/
Platform
Points for the analysis
Kultusministerkonferenz (KMK)
– the Standing Conference of Ministers
of Education and Cultural Affairs of the
Federal States
Public discussion on the basis of the
policy documents of the KMK
Who?
Background/
Key actors
The Standing Conference of Ministers of Education
and Cultural Affairs (KMK) is a joint coordinating
body between Federal States in matters of education
and culture (that are regulated by the Federal
States). In the German implementation of the
Bologna process it is the central body for national
policy development.
At this point it is worthwhile to note that the public
discussion on the KMK documents is very much
overshadowed by critical issues and by concerns of
a) the national teachers’ unions and associations
and by
b) the national cooperation forum of the
representatives of educational faculties.
What?
Intervention/
Aims
Regarding the support for Bologna process, the
responsibility for the awareness-raising measures
and the resources for operative support have been
handed to the HRK (and its Bologna Service unit).
Consequently, the role of the KMK has been that
of formulating national policy positions (based on
a consensus between the Federal States).
These organisations have formulated the general
concerns concerning
a) the perception of teachership and of the status of
teachers in the light of new degree structures and
b) the sustainability of educational research
disciplines in the light of proposed reorientation
of educational degree programmes.
How?
Approach/
Milestones
The KMK has produced at certain intervals policy
documents that support joint policy shaping
among Federal States and give inputs to public
debate. Regarding the reforming of teacher
education the two crucial documents have been
the following KMK resolutions:
a) “Ten theses on Bachelor-Master structures
in Germany “ (12.6.2003) and
b) “Cornerstones for the mutual recognition of
Bachelor and Master degrees in … teacher
education (2.6.2005).
The teachers unions and associations have
contributed to the debate with a joint statement
that has been approved by all several national
associations that cover all levels of education.
The national cooperation forum of the educational
faculties (EWFT) has launched a comprehensive
study to review the position of the discipline-
based main subject curricula in educational
sciences (Erziehungswissenchaftliche
Hauptfachstudium).

5. 5
Which directions?
Perspectives or measures/
Current stand
The “Ten theses” has defined some common
pointers for future policy development in the
context of Bologna process (e.g. the autonomous
status of Bachelor and Masters degrees, the
consecutive degree structure, profiling, quality
development and the European compatibility).
The “Cornerstones” has pushed the policy process
further towards making common agreements on the
criteria for mutual recognition (e.g. internal
structures and scope of studies, accreditation
process, transitional regulations).
At the same time the KMK document have been
taken as points of reference for the positioning and
critical debate of the educational actors and for
related public events.
The joint position of the teachers’ associations
focuses primarily on the risk that the Bachelor-
Master structure would be used to downgrade the
basic qualification of teachers to Bachelor level.
The argument of the associations is that Bachelor
graduates can neither be seen as conceptually
advanced nor professionally prepared to
undertake the teachers’ responsibilities.
The position of the national forum of the
educational faculties focuses on the risk that the
educational sciences would lose their scientific
core structures and academic progression
prospects if the shift to ‘professionalisation’ is
promoted as a radical contrast to ‘academisation’.
What (in detail)?
Specific proposals/
Positions
In this context it is essential to note the points that
are considered as the most critical ones in the
ongoing process:
a) The division of the formerly unified degrees to
autonomous Bachelor and Master degrees,
b) The differentiated profiling and status of the
new Bachelor and Master levels in terms of
academic vs. professional recognising,
c) The status of (general) pedagogic, discipline-
oriented and subject didactic studies in the
reformed curricula.
The joint position of the teachers’ associations
focuses on making the point that teacher
education should be maintained at the level of
university-based Masters degrees.
The position of the national forum of the
educational faculties examines thoroughly
different developmental proposals which may
contribute to the transparency or blurring of the
educational discipline structures. It also makes a
strong point on the need to secure a general (and
not restricted) progression to doctoral studies.
Additional remarks
from the perspective of the
TT-TVET project
The contributions of the KMK cover the whole
scope of HE studies and the whole variety of
teacher education curricula. Therefore the specific
issues for the field of TVET are not addressed. Yet,
in the public discussion representatives of diverse
fields of teacher education raise common concerns.
Regarding the education of TVET professionals it
is worthwhile to note that the above mentioned
positions raise many concerns that are linked to
the field of TVET. It seems that there is a broader
need to discuss the diverse options and prospects
for ‘professionalisation’ in teacher education.

6. 6
3. Positions of the scientific/professional communities in the field of TVET
Contributor/
Platform
Points for the analysis
Deutsche Gesellschaft für
Erziehungswissenschaft (DGfE)/ Sektion
Berufs- und Wirtschaftspädagogik (BWP)
Gesellschaft für Arbeitswissenschaft
(GfA)/ Arbeitsgemeinschaft Gewerblich-
Technische Wissenschaften (GTW)
Who?
Background/
Key actors
The DGfE is the academic association for
pedagogical sciences in Germany. Its section
“Berufs- und Wirtschaftspädagogik” (BWP)
claims the same role for the field of vocational
education and training. The literal translation of
“Berufs- und Wirtschaftspädagogik” is
“Vocational and Industrial Pedagogy”. The term
“Wirtschafts…”, however, could also be
translated as “…of economics” which coincides
with the fact, that the majority of TVET scientists
in Germany deal with the economic discipline.
GTW is a group of members of the Gesellschaft
für Arbeitswissenschaft e.V. who are active in
teaching, research and/or development of a
vocational discipline or it’s didactics. GTW
stands for the development of scientific
disciplines which
a) carry out research on occupational work-
processes with view on prospective
development of technical and vocational
education and training (TVET) processes
b) analyse, shape and evaluate TVET processes
c) develop academic education of TVET
professionals in vocational disciplines
What?
Intervention/
Aims
Purpose and goal of the DGfE is the further
development of R&D and education in the field of
science-based pedagogy. The section BWP aims
to develop research and academic teaching on
pre-vocational and vocational education and
training, putting special emphasis on institutional
development, learning theories, historical and
comparative TVET research. BWP follows the
concept of linked scientific subjects, e.g.
economic sciences for economic VET or
engineering sciences for technically oriented
VET. The section BWP therefore concentrates on
The main goals of GTW are the
professionalisation of the TVET profession and
its members, as well as the development of
academic disciplines, that create knowledge about
the interrelation between work, technology, and
education and training. These interrelations are
specific to each vocational discipline and thus can
only be understood with profound knowledge of
the work-processes and the technology in
question while considering learning potentials
offered in these settings. TVET teachers and
trainers have to be educated in a way, that they

7. 7
the pedagigic core of TVET without paying too
much attention to subject-specific differences.
Essentially, BWP wants assure the quality of
TVET teacher education and thus always
references the traditional models of TVET teacher
education.
are able to exploit these options in their daily
work in vocational education and training. That is
why GTW works for an academic TVET teacher
education which is grounded in the vocational
disciplines. A mere pedagogical add-on to e.g.
engineering sciences is considered not to be
adequate.
How?
Approach/
Milestones
The section BWP developed a core curriculum for
the vocational pedagogy part of academic TVET
teacher education courses in 2003. As the most
influential German academic association in TVET
BWP regularly issues recommendations to policy-
makers, to take this core curriculum also as
guideline in the restructuring process of TVET
teacher education to Bachelor/Master-structures
(Bologna-Process).
GTW has developed framework curricula for
teacher education in the technically oriented
vocational disciplines which, however, up to now
do not adhere to Bachelor/Master structures.
GTW was not able to develop a common
framework for Bachelor/Master structures before
universities in Germany were forced to restructure
their TVET teacher education study programmes.
Also an attempt to join forces with the relevant
section of DGfE failed in early 2006 partly due to
mismatch in philosophical concepts for TVET
teacher education.
Which ways?
Perspectives or measures/
Current stand
BWP also observes critically the activities of the
policy-makers. Among others they propose to
introduce new models of TVET teacher education
only after soundly evaluated pilot studies.
Especially they oppose to “out-of-university”
upgrading for in-service personnel, as long as the
quality is not guaranteed.
Meanwhile they cope in a more constructive
manner with the inevitable Bologna process.
Nevertheless they still stick to the core curriculum
and suggest transferring traditional structures as
much as possible into the new Bachelor/Master
models.
Development of common Bachelor/Master
framework curricula for selected vocational
disciplines is under way but face considerable
difficulties because accreditation processes at
various universities are already running. The
perspectives for a nation-wide unified TVET
teacher education is influenced by several
influences/developments:
a) In Germany a reform of the distribution of
competences between the federal government
and the governments of the federal states is
under way, which will assign responsibility
for academic education to the states

8. 8
Thus, the allegation of BWP policy-makers would
let out the opportunity to modernise and enhance
the qualification of TVET teachers in and by
means of the restructuring process could be also
made to BWP.
governments.
b) The upcoming European Qualification
Framework will tend to unify TVET in
Europe and thus pose some pressure on the
unification of TVET teacher education.
c) There is some incentive for globalisation of
academic education in Germany, so that also
in TVET teacher education opportunities for
international cooperation will play a growing
role.
What (in detail)?
Specific proposals/
Positions
BWP suggests 3 models for TVET teacher
education:
Consecutive model: The Bachelor phase is mostly
dedicated to the linked subject, teacher
qualifications are mainly acquired during the
Master study.
Non-consecutive model: On the basis of a
Bachelor degree (related to the specific subject)
the necessary competences are acquired during
the Master study phase.
2nd Master degree: On the basis of a Master
degree or equivalent (related to the specific
subject) and some work experience the necessary
competences are acquired during the Master study
phase which can be shorter than in the above two
cases.
At the moment the members of GTW are
concerned with restructuring curricula at the
individual universities to Bachelor/Master
structures.
A joint effort to unify approaches cannot be
observed at the moment (mid of 2006).
However quite a number of members are
targeting international cooperation at their
institutions.
Additional remarks
from the perspective of the
TT-TVET project
The core curriculum on vocational pedagogy
defines less than 20% of a TVET teacher
academic curriculum. Even though named
“berufliche Fachrichtung” (vocational discipline)
the studies of the (technical) subject are done in
traditional academic disciplines, thus are likely to
Because of the apparent need for activity, results
elaborated by the TT-TVET project could enter
easily in the work of GTW, provided the project
results are oriented towards the UNIP portfolio of
vocational disciplines and are based on the work-
process approach.

9. 9
lack the relation to occupational work-processes
and are not really linked to the field of vocational
pedagogy. At most of the universities in
Germany, however, this model seems to be the
only feasible one due to constraints for the
development of real vocational disciplines.
Web links (to original sources in German language)
A. Key actors/Platforms
1) Kultusministerkonferenz (KMK) – The Standing Conference of Cultural Ministers
http://www.kmk.org
2) Wissenschaftsrat (WR) – The Science Council
http://www.wissenschaftsrat.de
3) Hochschulrektorenkonferenz (HRK )
http://www.hrk.de/de/home/home.php (HRK Main page)
http://www.hrk-bologna.de (HRK Service-Stelle Bologna)
4) Deutsche Gesellschaft für Erziehungswissenschaft (DGfE), Sektion Berufs- und Wirtschaftspädagogik (BWP)
http://www.bwp-dgfe.de/aktuelles/neuigkeiten.html
5) Gesellschaft für Arbeitswissenschaft (GfA), Sektion Gewerblich-Technische Wissenschaften (GTW)
http://www.itb.uni-bremen.de/gtw
6) Bundesverband der Lehrerinnen und Lehrer an beruflichen Schulen e.V.
http://www.blbs.de

10. 10
7) Gewerkschaft Erziehung und Wissenschaft (GEW)
http://www.gew.de/Wissenschaft.html
B. Positions on Teacher education
B1) Wissenschaftsrat – The Science Council
Empfehlungen zur künftigen Struktur der Lehrerbildung (Presseerklärung, Empfehlungstext als pdf-Datei, Anhang zur Empfehlung)
B2) Kultusministerkonferenz (KMK) – The Standing Conference of Cultural Ministers
10 Thesen zur Bachelor- und Masterstruktur in Deutschland (Beschluss der Kultusministerkonferenz vom 12.06.2003)
- The KMK theses on Bachelor-Master structures in Germany
Eckpunkte für die gegenseitige Anerkennung von Bachelor- und Masterabschlüssen in Studiengängen, mit denen die Bildungsvoraussetzungen
für ein Lehramt vermittelt werden (Beschluss der KMK vom 02.06.2005)
- The KMK cornerstones on mutual recognition of Bachelor-Master programmes in teacher education
B3) Hochschulrektorenkonferenz (HRK)
Empfehlung zur Zukunft der Lehrerbildung in den Hochschulen Beschluss in der Kurzfassung und Beschluss Lehrerbildung (lang)
B4) Reactions to the KMK positions (Teachers and educationalists in General education)
Bachelor qualifiziert nicht für Lehrerberuf, Stellungnahme des Deutschen Lehrerverbands, des Allgemeinen Fakultätentag, des
Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultätentag, des Philosophische Fakultätentag und des Deutschen Hochschulverbands, 11.07.05
Der Erziehungswissenschaftliche Fakultätentag der Hochschulen in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland Beschluss 3/2004
Beschluss zur Einführung konsekutiver Studiengänge in der Erziehungswissenschaft. Stellungnahme 19.11.2004 Konsekutive Studiengänge
GEW-Stellungnahme zum Bologna-Prozess Dok-HuF-2004-11.pdf (160,55 KB)

11. 11
9/2003
Gemeinsame Stellungnahme des Bundesverbandes der Lehrerinnen und Lehrer an beruflichen Schulen e.V. (BLBS) und des Bundesverbandes
der Lehrerinnen und Lehrer an Wirtschaftsschulen e.V. (VLW) August 2003
C. Positions with a focus on TVET teacher education
C1) Wissenschaftliche Kommission Niedersachsen
Forschungsevaluation an Nds. Hochschulen und Forschungseinrichtungen / Berufswissenschaft der Lehrerbildung /Stand: März 2002 (575 KB)
C2) Deutsche Gesellschaft für Erziehungswissenschaft (DGfE), Sektion Berufs- und Wirtschaftspädagogik (BWP)
Frankfurter Beschluss: Stellungnahme der Sektion Berufs- und Wirtschaftspädagogik zum Abschlußbericht der KMK-Arbeitsgruppe
"Neustrukturierung der Ausbildung zum Lehramt an berufsbildenden Schulen"
(21 kb)
Stellungnahme zur Einrichtung gestufter Studiengangsmodelle als Ersatz für die existierenden berufs- und wirtschaftspädagogischen
Diplom- und Studiengänge für das Lehramt an berufsbildenden Schulen
(Beschluss der Mitgliederversammlung in Zürich am 22. März 2004) (41 kb)
C3) Gesellschaft für Arbeitswissenschaft (GfA), Sektion Gewerblich-Technische Wissenschaften (GTW)
Stellungnahme vom 6.1.2003 Beschreibung: Stellungnahme der Arbeitsgemeinschaft Gewerblich-technische Wissenschaften und ihre
Didaktiken (GTW) in der Gesellschaft für Arbeitswissenschaft e. V. (GfA) zum Entwurf für eine neue KMK-Rahmenvereinbarung für die
Ausbildung und Prüfung der Lehrämter für berufliche Schulen vom 6.1.2003
Hamburger Erklärung Beschreibung: Hamburger Erklärung der Arbeitsgemeinschaft Gewerblich-Technische Wissenschaften (GTW) in
der Gesellschaft für Arbeitswissenschaft e.V. (GfA) zur Professionalisierung der Berufspädagogen im internationalen Kontext und zur aktuellen
Situation des deutschen Berufsbildungssystems vom 5.10.2004