Successful internationalisation of teacher education

Perpetuation of these international networks and the cooperative collaboration within the higher education institutions are fundamental to long-term success in the internationalisation of teacher education. Albeit networking among the model projects is another of the programme’s important building blocks. This included the arrangement of regular symposia dealing with current key issues. These provided the opportunity to discuss good practice examples from project activities: in 2021 the hybrid symposium ‘Internationalen Austausch in post-pandemischen Zeiten gestalten’ (Shaping International Exchange in the Post-pandemic Era) and in 2023 ‘Internationale Kooperationen resilient gestalten’ (Designing International Collaborations to be Resilient). It was also possible during the funding period to initiate further networking formats, including the ‘Lehramt.International Newsletter’ with project articles on developments in certification, recognition practices, publications and also guest lectureships at the international partner HEIs. Account was additionally taken of the desire for further informal interaction in the form of a regular ‘round table’. Here the insights that were presented into practical project activities extended from the establishment of a Bavarian model project network to the implementation of teaching tandems such as COIL and joint seminars.

This enabled a wide range of ways to disseminate project results to other higher education institutions and the creation of reference points to individual internationalisation projects.

There are seven key aspects in which the funded model projects have decisively contributed to the programme’s success to date. This publication examines these based on selected examples of their experiences so far. They demonstrate what has been effective in prior project implementation, where challenges arise and how these can be overcome. They also reflect the recommendations that can be derived for other HEIs involved in teacher education and which strategic approaches were particularly successful on various levels.

The seven aspects depicted here address the following issues:

1. Internationalisation at Home (I@H)

Which elements (such as international guest lectureships, summer/winter schools) have proven their worth in realising Internationalisation at Home?

2. Preparation/follow-up, mentoring and reflection on stays abroad

What was successful in preparing well for stays abroad in terms of linguistic, technical and intercultural skills, mentoring them (the likes of online language courses, propaedeutics in a blended learning format, intercultural training sessions) and successfully introducing reflective elements? How successful is the integration of these elements within existing curricula?

3. (Accompanying) research and publications

Which (accompanying) research into a specific topic could be initiated by model projects? Which reasons were crucial in the selection of a topic? Which academic and scientific findings enabled the experiences from project implementation to be published?

4. Curricular assimilation and recognition of internationalisation experiences

How successful was the curricular assimilation of internationalisation elements (such as semesters abroad)? How well could recognition aspects be progressed (such as recognition databases)?

5. Establishing and maintaining sustainable collaborations

To what extent could the model project attract teaching staff from the German higher education institution and the international partner HEIs to take part in the likes of guest lectureships, teaching tandems, summer/winter schools? How can new collaborations be initiated and established in the long-term? How can teaching methodology colleagues from your own HEI be encouraged to act as cooperation partners for internationalisation?

6. Peer-to-peer mentoring, testimonials and alumni activities

Which model project activities included testimonials and/or alumni and how? How can a targeted address and information contribute to motivating students to undertake stays abroad, such as via peer-to-peer mentoring? Which information and advisory formats proved to be effective, potentially also in coordination with other HEI working units?

7. Selected lesson subjects and types of schools

How did the project alignment influence its implementation in terms of a lesson subject, a specific subject combination or a type of school? Which challenges arose due to this focus?

The successes to date are very impressive and inspiring, although looking ahead it is apparent that there is still a lot to be done!