Außerschulische Lernorte im Berufsfeldpraktikum

Teaching practice placements with Out-of-School Places of Learning

In North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, teaching practice placements are an obligatory part of university teacher training. One placement, the Placement for Out-of-school Places of Learning, provides valuable insight into affine fields of work outside the school environment as well as the studentś opportunity to clarify whether teaching is their appropriate and correct choice of profession. For this purpose, the Educational Department of the Faculty of Biology of the University of Duisburg-Essen cooperates with selected Out-of-School Places of Learning like museums, zoo schools or biological science centers that offer educational programs and take account of a mutual concept with five moduls of education. This mutual collaboration supports the work of the Out-of-School Places of Learning. Furthermore, it enables the students to gain new insights and experiences which may be valuable to their future teaching. Beforehand, the university prepares students for the modules of this concept. In the practical part the students apply this theoretical knowledge, gather their own experience und reflect it with a portfolio mutually agreed on by both partners. First evaluations of our concept demonstrate high beneficial effects for all involved participants.