Assistant Professor Dr Jennifer Witte // University of Oldenburg

Curriculum Vitae

since October 2026	Assistant Professor of Literature Education, including Media Education, at the University of Oldenburg
January 2026 – October 2026	Trainee teacher for secondary school teaching (IGS Heidberg) at the Braunschweig Teacher Training College (subjects: German and Geography)
October 2022 – January 2026	Research associate and postdoctoral fellow at the Institute for German Studies, University of Osnabrück (Department of Literature Didactics)
July 2022	PhD (summa cum laude)
10/2018 – 09/2020	Programme coordinator at the Institute for German Studies, University of Osnabrück
2017 – 2022	Research associate and doctoral candidate at the Institute for German Studies, University of Osnabrück (Department of Literary Didactics)
2011 – 2017	Studied subjects such as German Studies, Geography and Biology at the University of Osnabrück (graduated with an M.Ed. with distinction)

Research

qualitative empirical research
literary conceptions of education and value systems
Higher education research (beliefs of teacher training students)
Reading socialisation and literary socialisation
interdisciplinary (literature) teaching
Gender in literature and media pedagogy

Publications

Monographs

Witte, Jennifer (2022): Attitudes to reading during the transition from school to university. A qualitative longitudinal study. Berlin: Peter Lang.

Edited volumes

Dawidowski, Christian; Hoffmann, Anna R.; Stolle, Angelika R.; Witte, Jennifer (eds.): School-based literature teaching processes in the focus of empirical research. Berlin: Peter Lang.
Witte, Jennifer and Kröber, Franz (eds.) (2025). Gender and Sexual Diversity in Literature and Media Education. Open Gender Journal, Special Issue 2/2025. https://opengenderjournal.de/issue/view/special-issue-2

Article

Witte, Jennifer (2026): (Canonical) Literature & TikTok? Literary evaluations on social media and their didactic potential for literature teaching. In: Brendel-Kepser, Ina and Heiser, Ines (eds.): Social Reading – Reading in a Digital Community. kjl&m.extra, pp. 173–184.
Heimböckel, Hendrick and Witte, Jennifer (2026): A Complaint Without a Culprit. Report and commentary on the double panel ‘Interrupted Conversations’ at the Germanists’ Conference (Braunschweig, 2025) and on the conference ‘New Approaches to Teaching Literature’ (Osnabrück, 2025). In: German Didactics (60), 104–114. https://doi.org/10.21248/dideu.924
Witte, Jennifer and Kröber, Franz (2025): Gender and sexual diversity in literature and media education. Critique of norms from a didactic perspective. Open Gender Journal, (2). 1–19. https://doi.org/10.17169/ogj.2025.427
Witte, Jennifer and Kröber, Franz (2025): Re-analysis of lesbian biographical narratives from a gender perspective. On the influence of gender on lesbian biographies. Open Gender Journal, (2). 1–28. https://doi.org/10.17169/ogj.2025.352
Witte, Jennifer (2025): Synergies between literary and geographical learning in the moor. Fostering aesthetic perception through Droste’s *Der Knabe im Moor* (1841). In: Bernhardt, Sebastian (ed.): Literary-Aesthetic Learning Outside the Classroom – Interdisciplinary Perspectives. Berlin: Frank & Timme, 301–328. https://10.26530/20.500.12657/104132
Hoffmann, Anna R.; Stolle, Angelika R. and Witte, Jennifer (2025): Reconstructing literature-related orientations using the documentary method. In: Winkler, Iris and Hesse, Florian (eds.): A Literature Lesson – Six Perspectives on Teaching and Teaching Quality. Approaches to literary didactics research under discussion. SLLD-B, 22–33. https://doi.org/10.46586/SLLD.405
Dawidowski, Christian; Herz, Cornelius and Witte, Jennifer (2025): Beliefs relating to literature and reading in the German teacher training programme: construct and method of a genuine longitudinal study. In: Zachow, Iryna; Heins, Jochen; Böse, Sarah; Hauenschild, Katrin and Schütte, Ulrike (eds.): Beliefs – Patterns of Interpretation – Orientations – Subjective Theories – ...?! Concepts of Professional (isation) Research in Dialogue. Bad Heilbrunn: Klinkhardt. 86–95.
Witte, Jennifer (2025): Value Systems in a Discourse on High Standards – Patterns of Interpretation and Reading in Schools and Universities. In: Zachow, Iryna; Heins, Jochen; Böse, Sarah; Hauenschild, Katrin and Schütte, Ulrike (eds.): Beliefs – Patterns of Interpretation – Orientations – Subjective Theories – ...?! Concepts of Professional (isation) Research in Dialogue. Bad Heilbrunn: Klinkhardt, 72–85.
Witte, Jennifer (2024): A Change of System? – From School to University. The Development of Attitudes towards Reading and their Implications for Higher Education Pedagogy. In: Meier, Christel & Emmersberger, Stefan (eds.): Literary and Media Aesthetic Learning. On the Practical Relevance of Subject-Specific Didactic Research Practices, SLLD, 171–188. https://doi.org/10.46586/SLLD.338
Witte, Jennifer (2024): Undoing gender with Pippi Longstocking? Astrid Lindgren’s Pippi as an example of Judith Butler’s concept of subversion. In: Open Gender Journal, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.17169/ogj.2024.285
Witte, Jennifer (2024): 2084 – Nora’s World. The climate catastrophe as an idyll ex negativo. In: Lehnert, Nils (ed.): Idylls and Places of Longing in Children’s and Young Adult Literature and in Children’s and Young Adult Media. Specialised Analyses and Didactic Modelling. Weinheim: Beltz, 145–158.
Dawidowski, Christian and Witte, Jennifer (2024): On Digital Narrative: *Perfect Storm* as a cyber-thriller. In: Der Deutschunterricht 3/2024, 28–37.
Witte, Jennifer (2024): Paradigm shifts in the teaching of literature as reflected in the themes of *Der Deutschunterricht*. In: *Der Deutschunterricht* 1/2024, 70–82.
Kröber, Franz and Witte, Jennifer (2023): Prospective German teachers’ views on literary walks. An evaluation study. In: Geneuss, Katrin and Hoiß, Christian (eds.): Literary Walks in German Lessons. Objects, Arrangements, Spaces of Encounter. Darmstadt: wbg Academic, 79–100.
Witte, Jennifer (2023): Nature and Literature. Theoretical reflections on interdisciplinary learning between German and Geography lessons, using the example of Goethe’s Winter Journey to the Harz. In: *Wirkendes Wort*, 2/23, 317–329.
Witte, Jennifer (2023): The dichotomisation of reading-related interpretative patterns at the transition from school to university – partial results of a qualitative longitudinal study. In: L1 – Educational Studies in Language and Literature, 1–24.
Witte, Jennifer (2023): Effi Briest reloaded – social criticism through satire or simply a lack of reverence? Jan Böhmermann’s and Michael Sommer’s videos on Fontane’s novel. In: Praxis Deutsch, issue 299, 50–53.
Hesse, Florian and Witte, Jennifer (2023): The Ambivalence of Diversity. Reflections on the presentations in Section 12, Literary and Media Aesthetics in Learning, at the 24th Symposium on German Language Teaching (18–22 September 2022) in Vienna. In: SLLD-Z, Vol. 3/2023, 1–11.
Witte, Jennifer (2023): Children’s Literature Between Fantasy and Reality – Narrative Structures in Pembo. Half and half makes for double the happiness . In: Praxis German, issue 297, 8–13.
Dawidowski, Christian and Witte, Jennifer (2023): Co-construction of beliefs during the final year – a project report. In: L1 – Educational Studies in Language and Literature, 1–29.
Witte, Jennifer (2022): Postmodern historical narrative between fact and fiction. Perspectives from literary didactics on Christian Kracht’s *Imperium*. In: Standke, Jan and Bernhardt, Sebastian (eds.): Historical Narrative in Contemporary Literature. Perspectives from German Literature Didactics. Bielefeld: transcript, 193–204.
Witte, Jennifer (2022): The dichotomisation of reading-related interpretative patterns during the transition from school to university – preliminary findings from a qualitative longitudinal study. In: Leseräume. Journal of Literacy in Schools and Research, 9/8, 1–19.
Witte, Jennifer (2020): On the Development of Literary Interpretation Patterns – Methodological and Method-Related Notes on the Design of a Qualitative Longitudinal Study. In: Dawidowski, Christian; Hoffmann, Anna R.; Stolle, Angelika R.; Witte, Jennifer (eds.): School-based Literature Teaching Processes in the Focus of Empirical Research. Berlin: Peter Lang, 209–230.
Witte, Jennifer (2020): The Poetry of Paratactic Structure and the Potential of Gaps. Didactic Perspectives on Fourteen (2016) by Tamara Bach. In: Literature in the Classroom, Vol. 21, No. 3, 227–240.
Dawidowski, Christian; Hoffmann, Anna R.; Stolle, Angelika R. and Witte, Jennifer (2020): A Case Study – Co-construction of Literary Educational Concepts in the Advanced German Course. In: Dawidowski, Christian; Hoffmann, Anna R.; Stolle, Angelika R.; Witte, Jennifer (eds.): School-based Literature Teaching Processes in the Focus of Empirical Research. Berlin: Peter Lang, 163–208.
Wolf, Jennifer (2020): The Development of Literary Values during Youth and Adolescence. In: ZISU 9/1, 80–94.
Wolf, Jennifer (2020): On the Development of Literary Interpretation Patterns. On the Methodological Integration of Narrative Interviews and Classroom Videography in Qualitative Longitudinal Research. In: Corsten, Michale; Pierburg, Melanie; Wolff, Dennis; Hauenschild, Katrin; Schmidt-Thieme, Barbara; Schütte, Ulrike and Zourelidis, Sabrina (eds.): Qualitative Video Analysis in Schools and the Classroom. Weinheim/Basel: Beltz Juventa, 316–332.
Wolf, Jennifer (2019): An example analysis based on hermeneutics in the sociology of knowledge. In: Dawidowski, Christian; Hoffmann, Anna Rebecca and Stolle, Angelika Ruth (2019): Co-construction of literary conceptions of education during upper secondary school. With the collaboration of Carolin Meier and Jennifer Wolf. Berlin: Peter Lang, 48–56.
Wolf, Jennifer (2019): Outlook: The development of literary interpretative patterns – a longitudinal study. In: Dawidowski, Christian; Hoffmann, Anna Rebecca and Stolle, Angelika Ruth (2019): Co-construction of literary educational concepts during upper secondary school. With the collaboration of Carolin Meier and Jennifer Wolf. Berlin: Peter Lang, 236–253.

Lectures

2025	1 December: ‘Interdisciplinary Literature Teaching. Theoretical Reflections on the Dimensions of Interdisciplinary Literary Learning’ as part of the literature didactics colloquium at Leibniz University Hannover 14 November with Franz Kröber: ‘Science fiction in the integrated German textbook for lower secondary level. A product-oriented analysis with regard to text selection and presentation’ as part of the conference ‘Fantastic Literature in Schools: The Potential of Fantastic Texts for Promoting Reading and Literary Learning’ at the Phantastische Bibliothek Wetzlar (14–15 November 2025) 12 October: ‘Literary-didactic perspectives on moors and moor conservation. Interdisciplinary synergies between literary and geographical learning, using the example of the moor and Annette von Droste-Hülshoff’s Der Knabe im Moor’ as part of the specialist conference on moor education ‘Moor-Vision: Education in the Marsh of Possibilities’ organised by the Loki Schmidt Foundation, Hamburg (10–12 October 2025) 30 September with Florian Hesse: “Literature- and media-related orientation patterns among German teacher training students – An approach via group discussions” as part of the conference “Reading: institutional/private/at home” at Ruhr University Bochum (30 September–1 October 2025) 30 September with Marvin Andermann: ‘The development of literature- and reading-related beliefs in the German teacher training programme. A genuine longitudinal study” as part of the conference “Reading: Institutional/Private/At Home” at Ruhr University Bochum (30 September–1 October 2025) 12 July: “Interdisciplinary literature teaching from a theoretical perspective. An interim report” as part of the colloquium on literature didactics at the University of Osnabrück (11–12 July 2025) 13 March: “Oh, how eerie it is to walk across the moor” – Interdisciplinary learning in the field. Synergies between literary and geographical learning, using the moor and Annette von Droste-Hülshoff’s Der Knabe im Moor as examples, as part of the conference “Literary-aesthetic learning outside the classroom – interdisciplinary perspectives” at the University of Münster (10–13 March 2025)
2024	16 September: ‘Values in interdisciplinary literature teaching. Theoretical reflections on dimensions of interdisciplinary learning using the example of the theme gender” at the 25th Symposium on German Language Teaching at JGU Mainz (15–18 September 2024) 16 September with Anna R. Hoffmann: ‘Values and the teaching of values as a cross-curricular task in German lessons’ at the 25th Symposium on German Language Teaching at JGU Mainz (15–18 September 2024) 16 September, poster presentation: “Perspectives on interdisciplinary and subject-specific approaches in literature teaching. Synergies between interdisciplinary and literary learning” at the 25th Symposium on German Language Teaching at JGU Mainz (15–18 September 2024) 26 July with Franz Kröber: “Re-analysis of lesbian biographical narratives from a gender perspective. On the influence of gender on lesbian biographies’ as part of the conference ‘Gender and Sexuality in Literature and Media Education’ at the University of Osnabrück (26–27 July 2024) 26 July with Franz Kröber: ‘Gender and Sexuality in Literary Education. An Introduction to the Conference Theme’ as part of the conference ‘Gender and Sexuality in Literary and Media Education’ at the University of Osnabrück (26–27 July 2024) 13 June: “From School to University: On the Development of Reading-Related Interpretation Patterns in a Biographical Transition Situation. A qualitative longitudinal study’ as part of the closing workshop for the DFG network ‘Research Field Reading – Reading as a Total Phenomenon’ at JGU Mainz (13–14 June 2024) 23 February with Florian Hesse: ‘The influence of reading lists on literature- and reading-related orientation patterns among German studies students. An approach based on group discussions’ as part of the conference ‘Practices of Canonisation in Literary Studies’ at the University of Göttingen (22–23 February 2024)
2023	24 November: ‘Values in a discourse on high-quality literature. Patterns of interpretation and reading in schools and universities’ as part of the 8th CeLeB Conference on Educational Research at the University of Hildesheim (24–25 November 2023) 14 September: ‘Undoing gender through children’s and young adult literature? Pippi Longstocking as an example of Judith Butler’s concept of subversion” as part of the workshop “Exploring and testing interdisciplinarity – discourses on sexuality, love and physicality between sports education, German language teaching and educational science” at the Technical University of Braunschweig 8 September: ‘Interdisciplinary literature teaching from a theoretical perspective’ as part of the SDD Autumn School at the PHZH Zurich (7–9 September 2023) 4 July: “Interdisciplinary Literature Teaching” as part of the colloquium on literature didactics at the University of Osnabrück (3–4 June 2023) 29 June with Anna R. Hoffmann & Angelika R. Stolle: ‘Methods of analysis in literature didactics research – a pilot study from the DFG project “Co-construction of literary educational concepts during upper secondary school”’ as part of the conference ‘Empirical Classroom Research in Literary Didactics: Perspectives in Dialogue’ at the University of Jena (29–30 June 2023) 25 May with Franz Kröber: ‘Beliefs of trainee German teachers regarding literary walks. An evaluation study’ as part of the colloquium ‘German Language Learning Research Project’ at the Free University of Berlin 10 May: ‘Empirical Research in German Language Teaching’ as part of the seminar ‘Methods and Fields of Research in Literature and Media Education’ at the University of Osnabrück
2022	3 December: ‘2084 – Nora’s World. The Climate Catastrophe as an Idyll ex negativo” as part of the conference “Idylls and Places of Longing in Children’s and Young Adult Literature and Media” in Augsburg (2–3 December 2022) 23 November: ‘From School to University: On the Development of Reading-Related Interpretation Patterns in a Biographical Transition Phase. A Qualitative Longitudinal Study’, including an outlook on the joint project (Osnabrück – Hanover) ‘The development of literature-related beliefs under the influence of a Bachelor’s degree in German teacher training. A genuine longitudinal study’ as part of the Research Colloquium on Literature Didactics at the University of Tübingen 14 November with Franz Kröber: “Beliefs of trainee German teachers regarding literary walks. An evaluation study’ as part of the conference ‘Literary Walks in German Lessons: Objects, Arrangements, Spaces of Encounter’ at the International Youth Library at Blutenburg Castle in Munich 19 September: ‘On the development of reading-related interpretative patterns in a biographical transition phase. Findings from a qualitative longitudinal study’ at the 24th Symposium on German Didactics at the University of Vienna (18–21 September 2022) 19 September: Poster presentation with Lennart Ryl: ‘The development of literature-related beliefs under the influence of a Bachelor’s degree in German teacher training. A genuine longitudinal study” at the 24th Symposium on German Language Teaching at the University of Vienna (18–21 September 2022)
2021	19 July: ‘Conceptions of literary education at the transition from school to university – a transdisciplinary approach’ as part of the peer workshop ‘Transdisciplinarity in Educational Research’ at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (19–20 July 2021) 15 June: ‘Qualitative empirical research in the didactics of literature: an exemplary analysis – on the development of literary interpretation patterns’ as part of the colloquium ‘German Language Learning Research Project’ at the Free University of Berlin
2019	8 November 2019: ‘Empirical Research in German Language Teaching’ as part of the seminar ‘Introduction to German Language Teaching’ at the Free University of Berlin