presentation at ECER 2021

1. The Role Understanding of Teacher Trainers.
Research from the Perspective of Teachers of Further
Education in Austria.
Private University College of Teacher Education Vienna/Krems
kphvie.ac.at
ECER Geneva, 2021
Tamara Katschnig
Isabel Wanitschek
Martina Rabl
Andrea Bisanz
Mohamed Bassam Kabbani

2. ▪ in-service training, as the third pillar of teacher education, leads a
shadowy existence along side teacher training
(Feichter 2020, p. 169)
▪ the role of in-service teacher trainers is rarely defined (Timperley et
al. 2007; MacPhail et al. 2019)
▪ there is little scientific knowledge of this sort of profession
▪ little research has been done on which competencies these
individuals should have, despite their high impact on
influencing learning teachers (Schratz 2012; Kraler 2015; Murray 2015;
Lipowsky & Rzejak 2017; Katschnig et al. 2020)
▪ motivational reasons for in-service teacher trainers are
unexplored
Initial situation
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3. ▪ the Federal Quality Framework for Continuing and Further
Education & School Development Counselling at the teacher
training colleges (BMBWF 2021)
▪ the government programme (2020-2024): Quality assurance of the
advanced training of teachers, especially with regard to the
lecturers
▪ national education report 2018: "For Austria, neither findings on the
implementation of these quality standards nor on other relevant
aspects on competences of teacher educators can be found, and of
course also not on effects of characteristics of in-service teacher
trainers on outcomes" (Müller et al. 2019, p. 127; cf. also Schratz 2012)
Initial situation
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4. ▪ in contrast to other countries (NL, GB), they do not constitute a
recognized profession in German speaking countries and do not have
their own professional association
▪ missing status of an established anchoring of the profession
(Boyd, Harris & Murray 2011; Murray 2014)
➢ in-service teacher trainers who have undergone training in further education
➢ researchers from the university sector
➢ experts and persons with other professional qualifications and subject-specific
practical experience (Murray 2015; Zehetmeier 2017; Katschnig & Wanitschek 2021;
Rabl et al. 2021)
▪ it is extremely important that their work is of a high quality: potential
influence of training on teachers and thus indirectly on students
(Snoek, Swennen & van der Klink 2011)
Theoretical framework
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5. Aim of the study
Ways/Access
Activity
Role
Ideal in-service
teacher
trainers
Expectations
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6. Research questions
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How do in-service teacher trainers describe their
work? How do they see themselves?
https://bit.ly/3qUIxKn

7. Method
▪ quantitative-empirical online questionnaire (Unipark)
▪ spring 2020 with all in-service teacher trainers working at
the Private University College of Teacher Education
Vienna/Krems in the last two years (N = 1466)
▪ 381 in-service teacher trainers participated
(response rate 26 percent)
▪ analysis with the
SPSS statistical programme 26
https://bit.ly/3ph2KcF
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8. ▪ half of respondents have worked in the department for 7 years
▪ teaching obligation: Regular lecturers: 5 hours per week; Co-used &
external lecturers: 5 to 8 units (à 45 minutes)
▪ over 60 % have a bachelor's degree or higher level of education
(differences between functional groups p <0.05)
▪ over 85 % work in advanced training
Sample
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9. Activity in in-service teacher training
▪ most of them come from educational professions
▪ the vast majority (almost 2/3) has taught at a school or is still
teaching
▪ over 80 % have additional training
▪ the overwhelming majority (60.2%) have made an indoor career
(teacher, to further improve teacher training), 39.8% have found
access to further training through other professional fields
▪ in-service teacher trainers from KPH Vienna/Krems usually do
not apply themselves (18.2%), but are recruited (81.8%)
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10. Activity in in-service teacher training
▪ areas of responsibility: research (71 %), teaching (10 %),
administration (63 %)
▪ further fields of activity: training, further education, practical
school, consulting & research
▪ the more teaching units (UE) or semester hours per week (SWS)
teacher trainers hold in further training, the more they identify
themselves with this activity (p = .001 (UE) r = .198, p = .013
(SWS) r = .285)
▪ external teachers see their employment as in-service teacher
trainers as a part time job (82.9%). In contrast, there are regular
teachers (5.7%) and co-employed teachers (11.4%) (p = .000)
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11. Different roles
In-service teacher trainers are most likely to see themselves as ...
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12. Ideal in-service teacher trainers
What requirements should they bring along?
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6,0%
38,6%
39,4%
17,0%
69,4%
26,3%
70,7%
70,3%
70,7%
55,7%
other
knows the current research
willingness to exchange ideas with…
interest in shaping university life
willingness to further your own education
experience in adult education
communicative skills
social skills
professional knowledge
experience in school life

13. Expectations of/from
▪ active participation
(engagement)
▪ voluntariness
▪ interest
▪ practical transfer
▪ feedback
client participants
in-service teacher
trainers
▪ support for (high)
school quality
assurance
▪ fulfilment of the
mission
▪ cooperation
▪ practical orientation
▪ communication skills
▪ empathy
▪ expertise
(professionalism)
▪ interface between
clients & participants
▪ linking teaching and
research
▪ bringing the "new"
quickly into the
system
▪ order clarification
▪ order processing
▪ free design despite order
▪ trust
▪ communication
▪ resources
▪ cooperation
expectations
▪ arousing interest and motivation
▪ responding to needs
▪ practical orientation
▪ communication skills
▪ expertise (professionalism)
▪ high standards
▪ good preparation
▪ flexibility
▪ further development
▪ be authentic
own claims
(open question):
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14. Discussion
▪ working as a in-service teacher trainer requires many skills
that are important with regard to the selection/recruitment of
them (Müller et al. 2019)
▪ European Commission (2013): The work of in-service teacher
trainers is very important for the professionalization of
teachers
▪ Intentions of this study: Results should ...
➢ flow into the selection of in-service teacher trainers,
➢ stimulate teaching and learning processes,
➢ professionalise in-service teacher trainers (in-house advanced
training for Universities in terms of quality assurance)
➢ strengthen the profession.
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15. BMBWF (2021): Bundesqualitätsrahmen für Fort- und Weiterbildung und Schulentwicklungsberatung an den Pädagogischen Hochschulen).
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http://www.leeds.ac.uk/educol/documents/207324.pdf [download 04.07.2021]
European Commission (2013): Supporting teacher educators for better learning outcomes. Teacher Professional Development. Brüssel. Verfügbar unter:
http://ec.europa.eu/assets/eac/education/policy/school/doc/support-teacher-educators_en.pdf [download 25.06.2021]
Feichter, H. (2020): Kernprobleme der schulischen Fort- und Weiterbildung. In: Reinbacher, P. et al. (Hrsg.) Warum Komplexität nützlich ist? Wiesbaden:
Springer Verlag, S. 169-185.
Lipowsky, F. & Rzejak, D. (2017): Fortbildungen für Lehrkräfte wirksam gestalten – erfolgsversprechende Wege und Konzepte aus Sicht der empirischen
Bildungsforschung. In: Bildung und Erziehung 70 (4), 379-399.
Katschnig, T., & Wanitschek. I. (2021): Lehrende in der Fortbildung als Ressource für die Schule. In: Amtmann, E., Iunesch, L. R., Benischek, I. (Hrsg.):
Ressourcenorientierung in der Schule, 117-132.
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Literature
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16. tamara.katschnig@kphvie.ac.at
isabel.wanitschek@kphvie.ac.at
martina.rabl@kphvie.ac.at
andrea.bisanz@kphvie.ac.at
mohamed-bassam.kabbani@kphvie.ac.at
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!
ECER 2021, Geneva 2021