High-quality public school education strengthens Switzerland’s competitiveness and social resilience. The universities of teacher education make an important contribution to this: their research provides insights into specific issues arising from school practice and into societal challenges. Furthermore, it initiates innovations relating to schools and learning and supports their implementation. The new key message from the swissuniversities University of Teacher Education Chamber demonstrates how this research makes an impact.
Training and continuing professional development at Universities of TEacher Education are closely linked to research and are based on the latest scientific findings. This enables trainee teachers to base their everyday practice in schools on the latest research findings and to impart relevant, future-oriented skills in their teaching. Subject-specific pedagogical research, for example, examines the effectiveness of certain forms of learning, thereby enabling improvements to teaching materials and pupils’ learning environments.
Solutions to the challenges of the teaching profession
Research at Universities of Teacher Education takes place in close collaboration with primary schools and the authorities, allowing it to be continually adapted to the needs of practice. Research into school development, for example, lays the foundations for practical decisions on education policy. As part of this, Universities of Teacher Education analyse key prerequisites for successful school development processes – such as how different professional groups and cantonal authorities within the school system can work together most effectively. This promotes innovative models, and schools benefit from concrete recommendations for action.
Responses to societal challenges
Research at Universities of Teacher Education addresses current societal challenges and integrates them directly into teacher training. It enables changes to be anticipated and, to this end, also draws on knowledge from international discourse. Dealing with information in the age of artificial intelligence is one example of this. By developing methods that equip pupils with the skills to critically evaluate knowledge, Universities of Teacher Education strengthen the resilience and cohesion of society.
Specialisation, embedded in the academic system
Universities of Teacher Education make an important contribution to educational sciences within the Swiss academic system. Around two-thirds of the projects funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) in this field are carried out at Universities of Teacher Education. With their expertise in research fields such as subject-specific didactics, professional practice research and practice-oriented educational research, Universities of Teacher Education complement the other types of higher education institutions. Their expertise in subject-specific didactics feeds, for example, into the development of the tests used in studies such as PISA to assess pupils’ performance.
View the full key message here.