The Contemporary Development in German Didactics: Focusing on the Role of Didactics in Teacher Education

Abstract

In the field of educational methods, much attention has been paid to German didactics. However, in Japan, German didactics has not been studied from the perspective of teacher education. This paper aims to clarify the role of didactics in teacher education and its contemporary transformation, taking as a starting point Astrid Baltruschat's study on didactics. Didactics has played a role in teacher education by providing knowledge and theory on lesson planning and analysis. However, the present role of teaching in teacher education is being shaken "in the crisis of didactics." Baltruschat proposes a method of teacher education that involves conducting analyses from the perspective of didactic theory via casework. She argues that, by adressing didactic theory through casework, teaching students and probationary teachers can learn perspectives on lesson planning and how to reflect effectively on lessons. Based on the above considerations and using Baltruschat's study of didactics as a guide, this paper shows that didactics is not only an action science for teachers but also plays a role as a reflective science.