Subject-specific and intercultural learning through research

Students carry out research projects on the topics of inclusion, multilingualism, and historical awareness, working with partner universities in South Africa

Research learning for professional skills

As part of teacher training, research projects (also known as student research or ‘LFP’) play a central role in developing professional skills during the university-based phase, and this role has continued since the introduction of the school-based placement semester (cf. E.g. Fichten, 2017)¹. There is a wide range of concepts for how to implement these in the context of university teaching (cf. e.g. Saunders et al., 2021)².

HIT programme

Through the HIT programme (‘Humboldt International Teacher Training’) at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, students carry out LFPs at winter schools at the University of the Western Cape and Stellenbosch University in South Africa. This includes engaging with project themes such as historical awareness for children and adults, multilingualism in school and society, and inclusion, comparing the situations in South Africa and Germany.

Student Robert an der Humboldt-Universität Berlin

The winter school in South Africa was a unique opportunity to experience education in a multilingual context, strengthen my intercultural skills, and above all, grow as a teacher.

Robert Mordarski, student, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin

Student achievements and constraints

A preparatory seminar course at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and local academic supervision provide an institutional foundation for students’ achievements. Students’ achievements are also adapted to pre-existing constraints in terms of time and space. The South African project members select various types and levels of schools for students on the basis of their existing contacts with partner schools. These include schools in socially disadvantaged areas of Cape Town.

Some examples of previous LFP titles include:

‘Curiosity of Children from Cape Town and Berlin in Interviews with Contemporary Witnesses about Childhood in the Past’,
‘What opportunities and challenges do South African teachers perceive in implementing Multilingual Education in schools?’
‘Inclusive Education with Regard to Poverty and Social Inequality Among Learners’.

Beatrice Studentin an der Humboldt-Universität Berlin

In the course of my research project on historical learning, I got to experience and come to terms with completely new ways of approaching the history of South Africa in the light of people’s life stories. As a future primary teacher, this experience has left a lasting impression on me and greatly enriched me!

Beatrice Borri, student, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin

Reflecting and adapting

Students acquire new professional skills on a range of levels. The internationalisation of this assignment means they not only have an opportunity to break new ground in terms of research methodology, subject teaching methods and intercultural skills. It also allows them to reflect on their personal attitude about social injustice and responsibility.

The HIT project has shown it is vital that lecturers have a good understanding of local conditions in order for these research projects to be carried out and supported. This understanding is developed through discussions with partners abroad and consolidated by visiting lecturers.

In addition to this, research designs need to be appraised on an inter-institutional level and in a cooperative and multi-professional way. Furthermore, students need to be flexible in adapting their research projects to conditions in schools on site. The impacts observed in recent years justify the resources invested on all levels.

Studentin Helena, Humboldt-Universität Berlin

The DAAD and HU Berlin’s HIT programme were decisive factors in changing my career as a teacher. The diverse seminars, discussions with international students and lecturers, and the opportunity to shadow teachers and conduct research in not just one but several schools in Cape Town has opened up huge new prospects and opportunities to me.

Helena Hacker, student, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin

Networking and exchange

The two winter schools have proved particularly valuable in the HIT project, with six students from each country taking part each time. During the winter in South Africa, HU students travel to Cape Town and Stellenbosch, while in winter in Berlin students from UWC and Stellenbosch University come to Germany. During the winter schools, students work on their projects supported by lecturers locally. Lecturers from the partner institutions contribute content by means of short visits or through visiting lecturers.

During the Berlin winter school, the Intercultural Learning Week (ICLW) was established for all project members, along with teacher education students and lecturers from HU. Students and lecturers discussed the topics of anti-racist education, decolonisation, historical awareness, inclusion, and multilingualism in forums such as workshops, in presentations and during a city tour. By making the ICLW an open event, it was possible to recruit trainee teachers both for the winter school in South Africa and also for stays abroad at partner schools, thereby promoting internationalisation in teacher education at HU.

Further information & contacts

Contact

Dr Constanze Saunders
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
Professional School of Education
Unter den Linden 6
10099 Berlin
constanze.saunders@hu-berlin.de

Bibliography

¹Fichten, W. (2017). Forschendes Lernen in der Lehramtsausbildung. In H. Mieg & J. Lehmann (eds.), Forschendes Lernen. Wie die Lehre in Universität und Fachhochschule erneuert werden kann. Frankfurt/New York: Campus, 155–164,
²Saunders, C., Lautenbach, C., Vogel, H. & Schepers, D. (2021). Forschendes Lernen im Lehramtsstudium: Didaktische Methoden zur Gestaltung forschungsorientierter Lehrveranstaltungen. Berlin: Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. URL: https://pse.hu-berlin.de/leitfaden_fl_la