Requirements of Research-based Learning in the German Practical Semester

Development of a Model and First Validation Results

Abstract

Due to the implementation of the practical semester, which has already  been  completed  in  most  German  federal  states,  student  research  projects were firmly anchored within the first phase of teacher education. However, although corresponding formats of research-based learning have already been put to practice at many university locations, they usually lack a comprehensive theoretical and empirical foundation. The present article addresses this desideratum. We present a model that systematizes the requirements associated with the preparation of student research projects. The model comprises five categories with three
subordinated criteria each. The validation of the model is based on two student surveys (n = 484) and a nationwide expert survey (n = 58). The individual criteria are examined with regard to their relevance, their degree of difficulty, and their (curricular) integration in the university courses. The results support the validity
of the model and indicate a very high relevance as well as a predominantly high degree of difficulty of the criterion-related requirements. It also becomes apparent that both experts and students consider research-based  learning to be not yet sufficiently represented in the curricula of teacher training courses or in the preparatory courses of the practical semester.