Joint Mentoring of Research Projects

Qualification theses in teaching degree programs at FAU are admission theses. Admission theses qualify students to participate in the first state examination. In Bavaria, teaching degree programs including state examinations are considered the first phase of teacher education. Students who pass the first state examination qualify for the second phase of teacher education including a teaching traineeship at a Bavarian school and the second state examination. Once they pass the second state examination, they are qualified teachers and they are allowed to teach at schools in Bavaria and other states. The third and last phase of teacher education includes continuous professional development.

An admissions theses can also be recognized as a bachelor theses in a non-teaching degree program. Non-teaching degree programs are internationally recognized and open up further job opportunities beyond the teaching profession. Moreover, the master of education allows for further academic qualification. Not all German states differentiate between teaching degree programs with state examination and non-teaching degree programs with bachelor and master theses. In many states, the master of education qualifies for both, the second phase of teacher education and other job opportunities. In Bavaria however, the teaching degree program and two state examinations are required to become a qualified teacher.

Being a teacher educator who participates in joint mentoring for qualification theses, you are making an important contribution to the internationalization of teacher education. Students who are writing a thesis with an international focus and have access to perspectives from different countries will gain a deeper and more sophisticated understanding of the topic. They will be encouraged in their research orientation. Moreover, the cooperation increases the quality of the mentoring. As a result, “FAU Teacher Education International” supports and strengthens international cooperation regarding future joint mentoring of research projects.