REFORM OF TEACHER INDUCTION
IN GERMANY
Hermann J. Abs
Justus-Liebig-University, Giessen
www.uni-giessen.de/cms/abs
Concept: Teacher Induction


Definition: Planed learning environment in schools for the
development and assessment of professional teacher
competences after the completion of academic studies
Core Elements of teacher induction:
Reduced amount of teaching hours for Beginning Teachers
 Fixed time structure for the transfer of more and more duties
and teaching hours
 Mentoring, feedback by experienced teachers
 Instruction together with other Beginning Teachers (BTs)
 Assessment by state institutes for teacher induction

Responsibilities in teacher induction
Institutes for Teacher Induction




Teacher Trainers:
Lecture group of BTs on subject
specific teaching or psychology
Prepare visitations of BTs’ class
Assess lessons and papers of BTs
Cooperate with mentor teachers
Schools




Mentor Teachers:
Provide exemplary lessons
Counselling of BTs on schooling and
teaching
Support the school principal in the
assessment of BTs
cooperate with teacher trainers
Beginning Teachers (BTs):
 Integrate didactical knowledge with
practical experience
 Reflect on instruction and personal
role as a teacher,
 Prepare class/lesson visitations
 Educating, instructing, assessing and
grading students
 Teacher-parent conferences
 Participating in the school‘s
development
Reform of Teacher Induction

Causes for Reforms
Changes in the Preconditions and Qualifications of Beginning
Teachers
 Changes in the Objectives of Schooling
 Changes of Resource Allocation
 Technical Progress


Current Approaches to Reform in German Länder




New duration of teacher induction
Modularisation of former more comprehensive, long-term
courses
New tasks for state institutes in university education
Organisational development for state institutes
Example: Teacher Induction in the Land of Hesse

30 State Institutes for Teacher Induction






1. Reform 2006: Modularisation
2. Reform 2012: duration cut form 24 to 21 month
Official regulations



each cooperating with up to 100 schools
each specialised on certain tracks/ school types
ca. 2500 Beginning Teachers per year
Standards for Teacher Education by the Conference of Ministers of
Cultural Affairs of the German Länder (2004 & 2008)
Hessian Law on Teacher Education & respective by-law (2011)
2006 & 2008 Scientific evaluation of the complete cohort of
beginning teachers and staff from state institutes
Status of reform:
Duration of teacher induction in Germany 2013
teacher efficacy
Development of Teacher Self Efficacy: Study of Hoy & Spero 2005
*
**
start of teacher
induction
end of program
after one year
one year after
end of program
Open Question
Is the levelling out or even decrease of Teacher Self Efficacy after one year due to
a) finishing the teacher induction before professional competences are stable enough?
b) job frustration that comes with professional teaching anyway, if done for more a year?
Result from Evaluation Study 2006 & 2008:
Significant increase in Self-Efficacy over time
Teacher Self-Efficacy of (Beginning) Teachers in Hesse
4.40
4.20
4.00
3.80
3.60
3.40
3.20
Induction
phase
N
547
First
Second
advanced advanced
phase
phase
1137
1786
Exam
phase
Mentor
teachers
Teacher
trainers
1026
799
1771
Reform in Hesse: Modularised Teacher Induction Programme
Modul IV: Diagnosing, Supporting, Assessing
Competence: BTs diagnose preconditions and processes of learning,
support students, assess them in a transparent and responsible
manner and advise pupils and parents.
Standards: BTs...




...measure current learning progress of the learners and comprehend
general framework for instruction.
...diagnose individual learning progress, learning potential and learning
obstacles
...support and foster according to individual learner‘s needs.
...measure, assess and evaluate student achievement based on
transparent assessment- and evaluation and point out prospects for
further learning.
Exemplary content in the area of diagnosing…
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Recognising students‘ misconceptions and using them as
a starting point for teaching
Application of attribution theory on the causes of
success and failure
Knowledge of typical forms of bias in assessing
students
Application of the three frames of reference in
grading
Distinction of formative and summative assessment and
its consequences
Using feedback from central assessment for the
adaptive planning of teaching units
Instructional approach to diagnosing in Module IV:
Working with an exemplary case
 First
subdomains are focused, which will be prepared
theoretically
 Then Method 1: Video analysis, evaluation of lesson
observations
 BTs
document a learning process including the elements
diagnosing, fostering and assessing.
 Or
Method 2: Portfolio assessment:
 BTs
decide a point in time at which they show part of their
practical work: Planning, and reflection of a stimulating
learning arrangement for the class or one individualised
learning arrangement for a particular pupil.
How are BTs themselves assessed?
- Composition of final grade Acquired qualifications during induction programme
60%
Module I
5%
Module II
5%
Module III
5%yy
Module IV
5%
Module V
5%
Module VI
5%
Term paper
10%
Headmaster
report
Module VII Module VIII
10%
5%
5%
Second state examination
40%
Demonstration
lesson I
15%
Demonstration
lesson II
15%
Oral exam
10%
Current Challenges of Teacher Induction in Germany

Professional Development for Teacher Mentors and
Trainers

Resources for mentoring

Analysis and Assessment of instruction



Continuity of teacher trainer support vs. objectivity of
assessment
Link between academic teacher education at
university and teacher induction at state institutes
Consequences of the Bologna-Reform
Annex
Assessment within the induction programme

8 assessed modules:








4 modules in the competence field of instruction (subject specific)
2 school track specific modules
1 module „Educating, advising, coaching“
1 module „Diagnosing, fostering, assessing“
Assessment of modules: 2 lesson visitations per module
Assessed Term paper with pedagogical focus
Assessment by headmaster of school in form of report
Second State Examination (oral exam, 2 demonstration
lessons)
Simplified overview of teacher education for all
newly qualified teachers in the state of Hesse
Duration of Induction Programm: 21 Months
Observation
Instruction on NQTs own responsibility + observation of instruction
Induction
Phase
1st advanced
Phase
2nd advanced
Phase
Exam
Phase
no
assessment
4 assessed
Modules
3 assessed
Modules
1 assessed
Module
Start of Induction
Programm:
Nov.1st/ May 1st
Start of
school term
Feb.1st/ Aug.1st
Start of
school term
Feb.1st/ Aug.1st
Start of
school term
Feb.1st/ Aug.1st
Start of
examination dates
May1st/ Nov.1st
Induction programme in Hesse: key elements

Organisation…
in 8 assessed modules and additional training courses
(mainly during first 3 months)
 over 3,5 semesters (21 months)


Modules…
have fixed workload
 rely on binding module descriptions



Assessment beginns after induction phase (first 3
months)
Observing and teaching

BTs teach on their own responsibility
Aims of the induction programme in Hesse

The Induction Programme is to qualify newly qualified teachers
(NQTs)
to instruct
 to educate, advise and coach
 to diagnose, foster and assess
students of varying abilities and diverse social and cultural background
as well as
 participate in the development of the school

Abilities and qualification obtained during the first phase of
teacher education are interlocked with practical application in
the classroom
 manifest teacher competences* in teacher actions
*specified by the teacher education law of Hesse (HLBG)

Duration of teacher induction in Germany varies
between 12 and 24 months
Duration of
Programme
Constituent States
12 months
Saxony (Master of Education), Berlin (Master of Education)
15 months
Rhineland-Palatinate (Primary school)
16 months
Saxony-Anhalt
18 months
Baden-Württemberg, Bremen, Hamburg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Mecklenburg-Western
Pomerania, Lower Saxony, Saarland, Rhineland-Palatinate (all tracks except primary school),
Schleswig-Holstein, Thuringia (Primary School)
21 months
Hesse
24 months
Bavaria, Berlin (first state examination), Brandenburg, Saxony (first state examination),
Thuringia (all tracks except primary school)
Opportunities to Learn: Instruction (Modules I,II,V,VI )
Phase of Teacher Induction Programm
OTL
Instruction on BTs‘
own
responsiblility
Observation of
professional
instruction
Additional
guided instruction
Induction Phase
First advanced
Phase
Second
advanced Phase
Exam Phase
-
10-12 hours
10-12 hours
6-8 hours
10 hours
2 hours
2 hours
2 hours
If necessary
if necessary
if necessary
if necessary