Germanyʼs teacher education system, based on a tradition dating back to the 19th century, is rigorous. Candidates obtain teaching qualifications through university studies, probationary work and two national examinations established in the early 1980s for all teacher types. This study provides an overview of trends in teacher education reform in Germany. It focuses on the development of university teacher training courses, clarifying the characteristics and issues thereof.
Germany is a federation comprising 16 states, each with the power to legislate education. KMK (the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs) was established to coordinate the different educational systems in each state. This study focuses on KMKʼs activities.
Chapter 1 provides an overview of the report “Prospects for Teacher Training in Germany” produced by the Terhardt Committee organized by KMK, and summarizes the issues surrounding reform of the teacher training system at the end of the 20th century.
While maintaining the traditional framework of the teacher training system, the Terhardt Report specified issues that needed to be addressed for each of the three training stages: university, probationary period, and in-service training. It also discussed teaching, education, diagnosis/evaluation/advice, and the promotion of school and workplace reform as the core of teachersʼ professional competence.
Chapter 2 summarizes the reforms of the German university system and changes to teacher training courses based on the Bologna Declaration, the impact of the PISA shock on teacher training, and the establishment of standards for teacher training proposed by KMK.
Chapter 3 explains the “Quality Initiative for Teacher Training” program implemented by federal and state governments to improve the quality of teacher training. A total of 91 projects were conducted between 2014 and 2023 for this purpose. In parallel, “Teacher Training Centers” were reorganized and improved to enhance the status of teacher training courses at universities.
Chapter 4 describes the current teacher shortage and KMKʼs efforts to address it. Employing unqualified teachers in German teaching systems is difficult. An intense debate is underway regarding the requisite qualifications and in-service training.
Finally, after summarizing the improvements to the training system made by the Terhardt Committee, the study notes that the German training system continues to develop within a traditional framework. The weakness of this system is that it repeatedly experiences surpluses and shortages of teachers. However, the system has become more flexible and has developed within this cycle.
