At ECER 2011 in Berlin a two-session symposium was organised which focussed on the clarification of the notion of “Fachdidaktik” in connection with general European perspectives for subject didactics. Contributions came from chemistry didactics (Sumfleth 2011), biology didactics (Bayrhuber 2011), first language didactics (Schweuwly 2011), mathematical didactics (Ligozat 2011), music didactics (Nielsen), second language didactics (Vollmer 2011) and from one of the discussants (ICT education, Hudson 2011).

This symposium led to intense forms of exchange and debate, with a number of consequences. For once, it became clear that a common ground for mutual understanding between the representatives from the different educational systems and traditions would not only require terminological clarification, but an unfolding of the underlying assumptions, theories and values implied in different approaches and ways of seeing and organising subject-matter education. On the other hand, the need for a continued and specified professional exchange (beyond the yearly conferences) was strongly felt. Accordingly, an English-speaking journal (Reseach in Subject Didactics) was founded by the German Gesellschaft für Fachdidaktik (GFD)/Association for Fachdidaktik trying to serve the European community of scholars. (The first issue will only appear in March 2014). Parallel, a first publication appeared from within the Network 27, reflecting its professional self-perception or self-definition, entitled “Beyond Fragmentation: Didactics, Learning and Teaching in Europe” (Hudson/Meyer 2011); others followed, e.g. thematic issue of the “Zeitschrift für Erziehungswissenschaft” (Volume 3/2012). In France, the journal “Éducation & Didactique” (publishing in French) has existed for more than five years.

Given the need for more clarification and precise information as well as discussion among didacticians from different countries and backgrounds, the symposium proposed here for ECER 2013 is intended to be a modest sequencer to the forum in 2011. It will deal with some of the existing paradigms and theoretical issues involved in different “schools” of didactic thinking, research and teaching practice within Europe. Generally speaking, the focus will be on disciplinary didactics. In particular, three approaches in defining subject didactics and in outlining potential cooperation or overlap between them will be presented. On the one hand, principles and key components of the so-called “didactique comparée” (which is primarily based in Francophone countries) and its accompanying “joint action theory” are described and analysed. On the other hand a more general or generalised approach for identifying a common core between several individual disciplinary didactics will be put forward as research in progress (which is advocated in Germany, for example). Third, an “anthropological theory of didactics” (Chevallard) will be presented, questioning any “disciplinary” approaches of didactics.

These lines of thinking and arguing will be confronted with each other, with the overall goal of finding possible conceptual commonalities and/or differences. In the end there will probably be more than just these approaches or strategies to respond to different local challenges and to promote a sound theoretical and empirical base for the teaching and learning of subject matter and its institutionalisation. Obviously, the disciplinary field of “didactics” is still under construction.