Over the past few decades, a shortage of Swiss teachers has been observed. As a consequence, a strategy at national level has been established to recruit second career teachers (COHEP, 2011). Since 2011, the Zurich University of Teacher Education has offered training programs for candidates over 30 years of age with former experience in the labour market, as well as in pedagogical work, either within vocational or non-vocational settings. The candidates’ knowledge and competences are supposed to be transferable to the teaching profession. The teaching program incorporates two different phases: the first phase (1 year) takes place at university and focuses on a strong nexus between theory and practice. In the second phase (1-2 years), students work as teachers and are responsible for a class, while continuing their studies at university. Generally, the program can be characterized as a learning-by-doing model due on its strong focus on workplace learning.

The training program is being evaluated in a longitudinal study. One aim of the research is the optimisation between academic studies at university and workplace learning in school. Another theme is to gain general knowledge of students' biographies, their reasons for choosing teaching and their learning in the classroom. For this purpose, we focus on two theoretical perspectives: 1) the policy aspect related to alternative certification, pathways and life-long learning (Cochran-Smith, 2014; Finsterwald et al., 2013), and 2) the learning aspect, including previous pedagogical experience, biography, (in)formal learning processes, professional motivation and supervision of workplace learning (Darling-Hammond, Chung & Frelow, 2002; Kappler, 2013; Tigchelaar, Vermount & Brouwer, 2012).

In our presentation, we particularly focus on second career teachers’ biographies, as well as their further competence development and workplace learning in schools. The latter refers to places (spaces) of learning, (in-)formal learning processes, competence development and the strong nexus between interactional, cognitive and behavioural aspects (Billett, 2004; Malloch, Cairns, Evans & O’Connor, 2013; McNamara, Murray & Jones, 2014). Workplace learning is based on traditional theories, such as learning by doing in a specific organisational context (Dewey, 1938; Argyris & Schön, 1978), co-constructivist, reciprocal learning (Vygotsky, 1978; Rogoff, 1995), learning by observation and modelling (Bandura, 1997), as well as communities of practice (Wenger, 1998). Current approaches of workplace learning focus on the mutual relationship between the individual actor and the work context (Hökkä & Eteläpelto, 2013) and the reciprocal nature of participatory practices, including mentoring (Billett, 2004). Studies indicate that second career teachers often have prior experience in pedagogical work, either in their prior profession or in informal settings (Woolfolk, Hoy & Murphy, 2001). These experiences have a positive influence on self-perception (teaching ability), on social utility values and on the perception of teaching tasks (Richardson & Watt, 2006). To analyse second career teachers’ competence development we lean on Baumert and Kunter’s (2006) model of teachers’ professional competence. This model integrates professional knowledge and skills, professional values, beliefs and goals, motivational orientations and self-regulation skills. The underlying assumption being that, these aspects offer the foundation for effective teaching over the long term. Their competence is developed throughout their teacher education and continues thereafter, while they work in the profession.

We address the following research questions: What is the academic and professional background of the second career teachers? How do they refer to their formal and informal learning related to teaching during their biography? How do students develop their competences during their workplace learning in schools? How do they perceive their own workplace learning and the coaching they receive from different experts?

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