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University of Flensburg: Partners in Mobility

Students’ perspectives on stays abroad as part of teacher education

Activities to make mobility more attractive

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Student survey

Over a three-year period, undergraduate teacher education students at Europa-Universität Flensburg were asked to complete annual online surveys to ascertain their interests in study-related stays abroad, the types of stay, and perceived obstacles to such stays.

The data was analysed quantitatively. Just over half of students said they would like to complete a stay abroad. The survey data indicated a number of differences between these students and those who were not interested in international mobility.

The data showed moderate to strong differences for: component of study programme, subject knowledge, professional qualifications, personal development, and personal circumstances.

International mobility: survey findings by topic

Component of study programme

Students not interested in mobility are more likely than those interested in mobility to consider a stay abroad as rather unnecessary and less common in their degree programme.

Subject knowledge

Students interested in mobility are more likely to expect a stay abroad to improve their subject knowledge, while those not interested tend not to expect it.

Professional qualifications

In contrast to students interested in studying abroad, non-mobile students tend to believe that studying abroad does not qualify them further for the profession, improve their chances of starting a career, advance their career, or benefit their future profession as a teacher.

Personal development

Even though both groups expect stays abroad to benefit their personal development and independence, the statistical values of those not interested in mobility are below those of students who are interested.

Personal circumstances

Both groups perceive being separated from their personal environment as a barrier, but non-mobile students to a larger extent. In addition, they are also more likely to see stays abroad as being less compatible with their private commitments.

Conclusions and actions

The “Partners in Mobility” project concludes from the analysed survey data that the following actions would make stays abroad more attractive to teacher education students:

  • stronger communication from the university on the value of a stay abroad during the study of educational sciences
  • intensive emphasis on the positive elements of study-related stays abroad for teacher education students, in terms of knowledge, personal development and associated professional qualifications by all lecturers
  • offers of flexible, low-threshold mobility paths that take into account short-term mobility and internationalisation@home1,2 and providing advice on this
  • increased internationalisation of the curriculum in the educational science study programme
  • legal anchoring of crediting of stays abroad for the preparatory services and for filling positions at schools
  • Formats for those potentially interested in mobility, in which they can sensitively address fears and concerns about a stay abroad with former outgoing students and work together to develop possible solutions

Networking and exchange

Since 2020, there has been a collaboration among the Lehramt.International projects ILAP (PH Weingarten), IMPACCT (JLU Gießen), Partners in Mobility (Europa-Universität Flensburg), and UNITE Cologne (Universität zu Köln). In the following years, additional projects joined, including Humboldt International Teacher Training (HU Berlin), IDEAS, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität, and INVITE (PH Ludwigsburg). This partnership has resulted in administrative exchanges, joint training sessions and the opening of events for students and staff, as well as collaborative lectures and publications.

 

Further information & contacts

Project homepage

Project partners

Contact

Dr Kathrin Wild: kathrin.wild@uni-flensburg.de 

Bibliography

  • 1Wild, Kathrin / Nierste, Wiebke / Kaiser, Katrin / Dasouqi, Nina (2023): Virtual Internationalization in Teacher Education. Experiences from Four Projects Conducted at German Higher Institutions. In: Mammadova, Tamilla (ed.): Academic Mobility through the Lens of Language and Identity, Global Pandemics, and Distance Internationalization. Multidisciplinary Perspectives. Publisher: Routledge. pp. 256-270. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9781003366942-25.
  • 2Wild, Kathrin (awaiting publication): Student Education Students and Virtual Mobility Formats – Insights from a Student Survey on the Flexibilization of Internationalization. In: Brück-Hübner, Annika, Müller, Ulrike Beate & Seifert, Anja (eds.) (2024). (Virtual) Internationalization of Teacher Education – Theories, Concepts and Practical Approaches to construct a Future-oriented Education of Teachers. Bielefeld: wbv. pp. 111-122. https://www.wbv.de/shop/Teachers-Education-Students-and-Virtual-Mobility-Formats-Insights-from-a-Student-Survey-on-the-Flexibilization-of-Internationalization-I77352W011