Education Policies, the Teaching Profession and Teacher Training in Germany—The Ever-Evolving 16-Piece Mosaic

Abstract

Over the last decades, several international developments have influenced the German school system and several corresponding practices and standards. Three major developments were the results of early TIMMS and PISA studies, the global movement towards inclusive education and the Bologna process. This has affected teachership and professional standards of the teaching profession as well. The German education system is deeply characterized by the federal autonomy: the 16 German states, called the “Bundesländer” (often abbreviated “Länder”), have the authority to make their own educational policies. This is linked to the so-called “Kulturhoheit der Länder” (“sovereignty of the states regarding cultural matters”) which is part of the German “Grundgesetz”, the basic law or constitution of Germany. It is, therefore, of no surprise that there is considerable variation between the individual states, making for a very complex education system overall. This chapter presents a brief overview of the evolution of teacher training in Germany as well as three major international phenomena that have influenced it, namely the so-called PISA shock, the movement towards inclusion and the Bologna Process. First, the German education system itself is very briefly introduced, including a short historical perspective on its evolution and an introduction to the autonomy of the German federal states with regard to matters of education. This is followed by a short presentation of teacher training in Germany. Next, the teaching profession in Germany is briefly characterized. In addition, aspects of the professional development of teachers and school leaders are presented and discussed. All of this is done against the backdrop of three major international impulses for change.