BO-LAB: Career orientation in teacher training

The project focuses on the question of how prospective and current teachers can be better prepared to support pupils in their career orientation. The aim is to integrate the research findings directly into everyday school life.

To this end, the participating scientists want to develop a qualification programme for career orientation that can be used in all phases of teacher training: during studies, in preparatory service (teaching internship) and in further education and training. A key component is a newly developed teaching module that provides students training for the teaching profession in secondary schools with fundamental knowledge and practical skills in the area of career guidance in schools. The module will be tested, scientifically monitored and evaluated as part of regular studies. At the same time, it will be adapted for the new dual teacher training programme for secondary schools. This will allow students to try out what they have learned in school at an early stage and then reflect on it. In addition, the topic of career guidance will be integrated more strongly into the teaching internship in the future. Together with the Erfurt teacher training college, the researchers are developing suitable content and learning formats so that prospective teachers can also acquire the relevant skills during this phase. Last but not least, the teaching module should also be usable for further education and training of teachers. 

Project manager PD Dr Benjamin Dreer-Göthe explains: “Our goal is to develop a teaching concept for the further education sector that supports teachers in planning, implementing and reflecting on career orientation measures.” The plan is to use it within the existing ‘Career Orientation’ continuing education series offered by the Thuringian Institute for Teacher Training, Curriculum Development and Media (ThILLM). “The programme is primarily aimed at teachers who have little experience with career orientation but are expected to take on this task at their school. We want to equip them with the necessary fundamental knowledge and important basic skills.”

Dr Silvio Kaak, a research employee on the project, adds: “It is important to us to make the findings of career guidance research usable for school practice. With the new course on career guidance in teacher training, we are expanding the existing range of qualifications to a comprehensive teaching programme for all three phases of teacher training.”

As part of the scientific support, the researchers in “BO-LAB” are also investigating whether the participants' attitudes towards career guidance are changing and whether they are actually acquiring new skills through the training courses.

Further Information

project website(in German only)

Erfurt School of Education at the University of Erfurt

“Career Orientation” training series of the ThILLM(in German only)