Exploratory practice in the professional development of teachers for German as a Foreign and Second Language

The Goethe-Institut’s blended-learning program “Learning to teach German” (“Deutsch Lehren Lernen”), which qualifies language teachers worldwide for teaching German as a Foreign and Second Language, focuses on professional development. “Practice exploration projects” (“Praxiserkundungsprojekte”) are therefore essential elements in this program: teachers independently develop questions arising from teaching practice and theoretical input, utilising the format of research-based learning. In this way, the program aims to develop in aspiring teachers a self-reflective attitude towards their own professional practice. In the analytical sample of 81 reports from a continuing education program offered by the Friedrich Schiller University in Jena using “Deutsch Lehren Lernen”, the teachers’ focus was much less on their own teaching activities than expected. This is attributed, among other factors, to the fact that at the beginning of their continuing education, teachers are not yet accustomed to critically examining their own actions.