Teaching quality and teaching design: Once again the 12th SH Summer University was a total success
Dr. Dorit Stenke, State Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture (left), with organizer Prof. Dr. Ute Harms from the IPN at the 12th SH Summer University for Teachers.
As in the past eleven years, the SH Summer University took place during the second to last week of the summer holidays in Schleswig-Holstein. This year's lectures and workshops dealt with the topics of teaching quality and teaching design.
The event was opened by the State Secretary from the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, Dr. Dorit Stenke, and by Professor Ute Harms, who represented Kiel University and the IPN and headed the three day Summer University event.
Dr. Karen Aldrup from the IPN opened the conference with a speech. Her lecture dealt with the question of the role of interdisciplinary aspects of teaching quality for learners and teachers. Her presentation focused on three basic dimensions of quality for teaching: instructional support, class leadership and emotional support. In her workshop in the late afternoon of the first day of the event, these topics were deepened by giving participants the opportunity to get to know the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS), one of the most internationally established instruments for observing teacher-student interaction. The quality of teacher-student interaction is assessed on the basis of eleven dimensions, which in turn can be assigned to the three domains of instructional support, class leadership and emotional support.
On the second day of the event the basic dimensions of teaching were addressed by Professor Mirjam Steffensky (IPN). In her lecture she illustrated their importance using the example of scientific teaching and learning in primary schools. But the quality of education in formal contexts does not begin in primary school. Dr. Daniel Schmerse of the IPN used current research results to show how relevant the quality of day-care centers is for early childhood language development and thus for subsequent school learning.
Professor Aiso Heinze and his colleague Henning Sievert (both IPN) discussed another central aspect of teaching quality. In their lecture, they impressively demonstrated the effects the choice of the mathematics textbook has on performance development of primary school students. Yet school focuses on much more than performance development. This was the focus of the lecture by Dr. Fabian Schmidt from the University of Hamburg, who addressed the question of the benefits of non-cognitive abilities in everyday school life. Specifically, the focus in this context was on the importance of perseverance and continuous interest.
The lecture by Professor Ute Harms and her colleague Carola Garrecht also went beyond the aspect of professional performance development. It addressed the question how competencies in dealing with ethical questions can be promoted. The conclusion of this year's SH Summer University on Saturday morning was the presentation on learning with multiple representations by Professor Katharina Scheiter from the Leibniz Institute for Knowledge Media (IWM) in Tübingen, in which she presented current research results on their significance for teaching design.
Once again the participants welcomed the scientific contributions with great interest and enthusiasm. The appealing venue, the Nordsee Akademie in Leck, as well as an evening excursion to the Hamburger Hallig also contributed to the pleasant and stimulating environment. The Summer University was once again a forum for representatives from schools to deepen current and future-oriented topics, get to know the latest scientific findings and discuss them from their own professional perspective.
Contact:
Prof. Dr. Ute Harms
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