Between 2009 and 2011, within the framework of BA/MA courses being introduced in all European countries, the University of Cologne carried out a new model programme to evaluate an innovative curriculum in teacher education, responding to long-standing criticism within European discourse, that namely there is a gap between the knowledge imparted by the university on the one hand and knowledge and know-how that is needed in school practice on the other hand. Rarely application-related knowledge transfer in teacher education at the university would often only stimulate so called 'passive' or 'inert' knowledge (see Neuweg 2007). Thus, teacher education graduates are still only able to a limited extent, to use scientific theoretical knowledge for interpreting, reflecting and solving (problematic) situations within an educational context (see e.g. Korthagen 2001, Mandl & Gerstenmeier 2000). The reasons given in the literature are, for example, insufficient organisation or connection of knowledge in university teaching or inadequate reflection of one’s own ‘subjective theories‘ about pedagogical activity (see e.g. Wahl 2008).

Therefore, by taking into account the approaches mentioned in the literature, the aspect of reflexive theory-practice-reference became the initial point for the development and testing of new teaching and learning concepts and formats (e.g. portfolio work, case studies, video analyses, expert modelling and simulation games) within the “Koelner Modellkolleg Bildungswissenschaften“.

The participants spent one day a week observing or teaching lessons in one of the cooperating schools over a period of four semesters. The teachers, in turn, joined the seminars of the model programme and actively participated in the reflection processes on the students’ school experiences (see Artmann et al 2010).   

My study is based on the question concerning which different types of knowledge and know-how are relevant for professionals and how they can be acquired - both from the point of view of the participants involved, namely the university lecturers, the cooperating teachers and students of the model programme. In this way, my work contributes to the definition of the relationship between different types of knowledge in the development of teacher education, especially concerning the proportion of scientific knowledge and practical technical (action) know-how (see Radtke 1996).

The lecture focuses on the perspective of the university lecturers in the new model programme defining ”relevant professional knowledge“. It reconstructs, on the one hand, their access to different types of knowledge and their understanding of cooperation between university and partner schools.  On the other hand it relates their perspective to the perspective of the cooperating teachers and their understanding of knowledge and self-image within the jointly organised and managed teacher education.

Artmann, M., Herzmann, P., Karduck, S. & Koenig, J. (2010). Das Koelner Modellkolleg Bildungswissenschaften: Konzeption und Evaluationsdesign einer kompetenzorientierten Lehrerbildung. In: Faulstich-Christ et al (Eds.). Kompetenzorientierung in Theorie, Forschung und Praxis (pp. 256-274). Immenhausen. Flick, U. (2007). Qualitative Sozialforschung. Reinbek. Glaser, B.G. & Strauss, A.G. (1998). Grounded Theory. Strategien qualitativer Forschung. Bern. Korthagen, F.A. (2001). Linking practice and theory. The pedagogy of realistic teacher education. Mahwah, N.J. Mandl, H. & Gerstenmaier, J. (Ed., 2000). Die Kluft zwischen Wissen und Handeln. Goettingen. Neuweg, G.H. (2004). Figuren der Relationierung von Lehrerwissen und Lehrerkoennen. In: Hackl, B. & Neuweg, G.H. (Eds.). Zur Professionalisierung paedagogischen Handelns. Muenster. Neuweg, G.H. (2007). Wie grau ist alle Theorie, wie gruen des Lebens goldener Baum? LehrerInnenbildung im Spannungsfeld von Theorie und Praxis. bwp@, 12. Radtke, F.-O. (1996). Wissen und Koennen. Die Rolle der Erziehungswissenschaft in der Erziehung. Opladen. Wahl, D. (2008). Vom traegen Wissen zum kompetenten Handeln in der Lehrerbildung. Seminar 1/2008, 88-101. Witzel, A. (2000). The Problem-Centered Interview. Forum: Qualitative Social Research, 1 (1), Art. 22.