Classroom leadership is a key determinant of effective teaching, fostering structured learning environments, enhancing student engagement, and promoting academic success (Helmke & Helmke, 2014; Kiel et al., 2013). Within this context, the "Sommerschule" in Austria provides a distinctive setting where teaching students independently lead heterogeneous groups, offering an opportunity for hands-on development of their leadership skills. This study examines the self-perceptions of teaching students regarding their classroom leadership abilities and compares these perceptions with their pupils’ evaluations. The focus is placed on three core dimensions: relationship-building, control, and instructional quality, as outlined in the "Linzer Konzept zur Klassenführung" (LKK; Lenske & Mayr, 2015).

Existing research indicates a frequent discrepancy between teachers' self-assessments and students’ external evaluations, often revealing that teachers overestimate their leadership effectiveness (Mayr, 2006). However, immersive, feedback-rich environments like the "Sommerschule" might mitigate these discrepancies, fostering a more accurate self-reflection among teaching students. By incorporating data from the 2024 cohort, this study aims to identify whether practice-based, structured feedback environments contribute to improved perception alignment.

The European and international dimensions of this study stem from the increasing emphasis on teacher training that integrates multicultural, diverse student populations, a key factor in European educational policy. Findings contribute to discussions on practice-oriented teacher education across different national contexts, offering insights into the role of structured practical experiences in teacher preparation programs.

This study employs the “Linzer Diagnosebogen zur Klassenführung” (LDK), a diagnostic instrument based on the LKK framework, to assess three fundamental categories of classroom leadership: relationship-building, control, and instructional quality. Data collection took place during the final weeks of Austria’s 2023 "Sommerschule." The sample consisted of 39 teaching students (mean age = 22.9, SD = 2.68) and 362 pupils (mean age = 12.2, SD = 0.97), ensuring diverse representation. Among the pupils, 21% were not born in Austria, and 40% spoke a language other than German at home, emphasizing the relevance of the study to multicultural educational settings. Participants completed surveys capturing self-assessments (teaching students) and external evaluations (pupils) regarding classroom leadership. The study utilized t-tests for paired sample comparisons and Cohen’s d effect sizes to measure the magnitude of perception differences. Confirmatory factor analyses and multilevel modeling were applied to ensure construct validity and account for variations in individual and class-level perceptions. The incorporation of 2024 comparative data enhances the study’s temporal validity, allowing for an analysis of trends in perception alignment over time.

Findings indicate a strong alignment between teaching students’ self-perceptions and pupils’ external evaluations across all three classroom leadership dimensions. Notably, teaching students rated themselves slightly higher in "appreciation" (4.81 vs. 4.26; d = .605), while pupils rated "co-determination" higher (4.05 vs. 3.59; d = -0.449). Control-related perceptions showed minimal discrepancies, reinforcing the effectiveness of the immersive teaching environment in fostering realistic self-assessment. Instructional quality demonstrated minor variations in "subject competence" (4.16 vs. 4.45; d = -0.408) and "feedback on learning" (3.59 vs. 3.99; d = -0.381). Comparison with previous research suggests that the “Sommerschule” model, characterized by real-world teaching experiences and structured feedback, enhances self-awareness among teaching students. The contrast with earlier findings indicating more significant perception gaps (Krammer et al., 2015; Pflanzl et al., 2015) underscores the pedagogical value of structured, reflective practice in teacher education. The study’s implications extend beyond Austria, emphasizing the necessity of integrating practice-based learning and systematic feedback mechanisms into teacher training across Europe. The findings advocate for structured immersive experiences in diverse classrooms to enhance self-perception accuracy, adaptability, and classroom leadership effectiveness. These insights contribute to the broader discourse on innovative, practice-driven approaches to teacher preparation in European and international educational contexts.

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