• Objectives
• Project content
• Publications at the end of project

As part of the so-called ‘GHR 300’ initiative, teaching degree programmes in Lower Saxony were restructured in the 2014/15 winter semester into the Master of Education (Primary School) on the one hand, and the Master of Education (Hauptschule and Realschule) on the other. The duration of the programme was extended from two to four semesters; furthermore, students (taking into account the two-subject Bachelor’s degree) must earn a total of 300 credit points by the time they complete the Master of Education (hence: GHR 300).

The central component of these four-semester Master of Education degree programmes is an 18-week school placement, known as the ‘practical block’ (starting in February each year).

During the practical block, supervision is provided by

• subject didacticians specialising in the relevant subjects,
• practical phase tutors (known as ‘LiPs’: subject seminar leaders from a teacher training programme who also work in the relevant subject, or other teachers),
• mentors.

The mentors are prepared for their role of supervising, advising and supporting students during the placement as part of a training programme . To ensure that mentors are theoretically prepared and methodologically experienced when they begin their mentoring role, two-day training courses are held annually at the University of Oldenburg.

To implement this training programme, the Lower Saxony Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs set out a framework plan in 2013, comprising modules for the training of mentors. The following section briefly outlines how the mentor training concept developed at the Centre for Teaching and Learning at the University of Oldenburg implements these framework guidelines.

• The aim is to prepare mentors for their mentoring role.
  
  
• Mentors should go into mentoring with theoretical preparation and methodological experience
  and thus ensure the quality of student support.
  
  
• On this basis, they should support subject-specific didactic training in practical interlinking.
  To this end, the mentor qualification provides information on the conceptual foundations of the
  GHR 300 Master's degree programmes, establishes contact with the subject-related teaching staff
  and provides insights into the basic structures of the accompanying training modules.
  The preparatory mentor qualification and mentoring are intended to facilitate closer co-operation
  between school and university.
  
  
• The mentor qualification is a measure designed to support and relieve mentors in their work. It offers valuable theoretical content and guiding principles as well as methods and instruments to make mentoring in the internship a professionally effective and personally enjoyable experience for both sides (mentors and students)
  .

Introduction to GHR 300

The mentors gain an insight into the core elements of the reform and are taught the basics of the aims and procedure of the practical semester. Organisational framework conditions and legal contexts are explained and information on co-operation between university and school is provided.

Module 1: Attitude and role of mentors

The mentors are informed about the objectives of mentoring and the resulting tasks and requirements (support, counselling, innovation and cooperation). Scientific findings form the theoretical foundation of the mentor qualification and at the same time provide proven guiding principles and practical support for the work of mentors. Basic prerequisites for pedagogical action (basic anthropological assumptions that favour mentoring), the understanding of counselling and the attitude with which mentors fulfil their role are discussed and reflected upon.

Module 2: Conversation skills

Mentors develop conversation skills with a focus on counselling and supporting students. They learn about ways to actively organise counselling sessions. They try out and reflect on conversation techniques in counselling and receive help in structuring conversations. The previously discussed basic requirements of pedagogical action and their respective pedagogical consequences are visualised and experienced through practical exercises and role plays.

Module 3: Lesson observation and reflection

Criteria for lesson observation in the context of practical training and guidelines for lesson discussion are discussed in a practical manner.

• Dressler, Jana-Katharina; Michaelis, Julia; Stern, Fedor (2018). Oldenburg mentor qualification for school internships. journal für lehrerInnenbildung, 4/2018. 34-39.
• Michaelis, Julia; Schubert, Thomas; Stern, Fedor (2016). Mentor qualification GHR 300: Reflectively supporting student teachers in their learning during practical phases. SEMINAR 2/2016. 150-157.