The following doctoral programmes were based at the DiZ:

1. From October 2016 to the end of 2020, the doctoral programme funded by the State of Lower Saxony with twelve ‘Georg-Christoph-Lichtenberg’ scholarships ran “STEM Learning in Informal Settings – An Investigation into Processes of Research-Based Learning” (GINT). Rather than referring to STEM education, the programme uses the term GINT, as geography complements the core subjects of Computing Science, natural sciences and technology in place of mathematics. Philosophy and educational sciences are also involved. The programme directors are Prof. Dr Michael Komorek (Physics Education) and Prof. Dr Peter Röben (Technical Education). The programme is run by the University of Oldenburg in co-operation with the Universities of Hanover, Vechta, Odense (Denmark) and Rethymno (Greece), as well as around 15 non-school educational institutions (in particular regional environmental education centres, Wadden Sea centres, energy education centres, coastal research institutes and science centres).
   The programme’s PhD students are conducting empirical research into, amongst other things, the development of non-school subject-specific learning programmes in the participating disciplines. The focus is on how learning takes place in detail at non-school learning venues and how regional educational landscapes are developing, including the integration of non-school educational programmes into school lessons.
   
2. The doctoral programme ‘Learning Processes in the Transition Space – Empirically Investigating and Modelling Teacher Training Students’ Practical Placements’ (LÜP) uses empirical methods to investigate the learning and professionalisation processes that trainee teachers undergo during their practical placements in schools. It thus addresses a particular research gap, as very little is known about the processes that take place among students in the ‘transitional space’ between the predominantly theoretical parts of their training before and after the practical placement, and the practical application of this knowledge in their own lesson planning, nor how these processes can be modelled. The programme was approved by the Lower Saxony Ministry of Science and Culture at the end of 2012 and ran until the end of 2016.
   
3. The doctoral programme Processes of Subject-Specific Didactic Structuring (ProfaS) examines processes of subject-specific didactic structuring of teaching among (prospective) teachers in various subject areas and at different stages of teacher training and professional development. The programme thus brings together lines of research that have hitherto existed largely in isolation from one another, including research into subjective beliefs, Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK), models of lesson design and the significance of learner perspectives in the classroom. Through its structural implementation within a network of experts from all phases of teacher education, ProfaS enables the direct ‘translation’ of research findings into classroom practice and teacher education. The internationalisation of research into teacher education is structurally embedded within ProfaS. The programme was approved by the MWK at the end of 2009 and officially launched on 1 April 2010.
   
4. With the doctoral programme Didactic Reconstruction (ProDid) , a programme has been established in which the conditions for teaching that promotes learning have been investigated across subject domains and cultures. The ‘Didactic Reconstruction’ doctoral programme was funded by the Lower Saxony Ministry of Science and Culture (MWK) for a total of six years from 2001 (two funding periods: 2001–2004 and 2005–2008) by the Lower Saxony Ministry of Science and Culture (MWK) with total funding of just under 1.5 million euros. Since 2001, a total of almost 50 doctoral candidates (including 27 scholarship holders) have received funding. The dissertations were published as part of the BzdR series (Beiträge zur didaktischen Rekonstruktion).
   This series was continued after the end of the programme under the editorship of Prof. Dr Barbara Moschner and Prof. Dr Michael Komorek.