Sarah Volknant
Sarah Volknant
Research Associate
Teacher Education 2040: Dimensions of Teacher Professionalization from an Interdisciplinary Perspective - Challenges, Models, Methods
Research Cluster Intersectional Sensitivity
Curriculum vitae
Professional Appointments
Since 01.2022
Research associate at the Department of Special Needs Education & Rehabilitation
University of Oldenburg
07.2020-12.2021
Student Associate
Faculty of Education
University of Hamburg
Education
2018-2021
Master's program "Multilingual Educational Linguistics" at the University of Hamburg
Thesis "Multilingualism in Schools - Professional Beliefs of Migrant Multilingual Student Teachers".
2014-2018
Bachelor’s program “Early Childhood Education” at the University of Education, Freiburg
Thesis "Multilingualism as an opportunity – Creating a multilingual picture book".
Stays abroad
09.2019-03.2020
Erasmus semester at the Universidad de Alcalá de Henares, Spain
02.2016-05.2016
Internship as Teaching Assistant in a bilingual preschool in Irvine, California.
Research Interests
- Intersectional sensitivity in teacher education
- Diversity-related teacher beliefs
- Multilingualism and migration in schools
Lectures
Summer term 2025
Publications
Publications:
Volknant, S. (2024). Sprachliche Diversität und epistemische Ungerechtigkeit: Intersektionale Perspektiven in der Lehrkräftebildung. In Anne Goldbach, Anke Langner, Karin Mannewitz, Saskia Schuppener, Nico Leonhardt (Eds.): Macht und Wissen − kritische Reflexionen im Kontext von Inklusion und Exklusion. (S. 130–140). Bad Heilbrunn: Klinkhardt.
Volknant, S., & Licandro, U. (2024). Preparing teachers for linguistically diverse classrooms—A systematic review on interventions and intersectional perspectives. Education Sciences, 14(8), 846.
Conference contributions:
Volknant, S. (2024, January). Intersectional Perspectives on Multilingualism in Teacher Education. Lecture as part of the event series "Difference Education Intersectionality" by the Department of "Pedagogy in the Case of Impaired Learning in Schools", Martin Luther University Halle-Wittemberg.
Volknant, S. (2023, September). Intersectional Perspectives on Linguistic-Cultural Diversity in Teacher Education. Poster Presentation at the Special Education Section Conference of the DGfE, Technical University of Dresden.
Volknant, S. & Scholz-Wemken, S. (2023, May). Intersectional Sensitivity in Teacher Education. Presentation at the Networking Conference within the framework of the SGBF-AG "Intercultural Education": Power and Critical Perspectives on Education - Insights and Research Movements, Zurich University of Teacher Education.
Volknant, S. (2022, August). Linguistic-Cultural Diversity from an Intersectionally Sensitive Perspective: Beliefs and Competencies of Teachers. Presentation on the doctoral project within the framework of the Junior Researchers Workshop at the Conference MEHR I SPRACHLICHE I BILDUNG - Linguistic Diversity as an Opportunity and Challenge in Educational Contexts, University of Cologne.
Volknant, S. (2022, June). Linguistic-Cultural Diversity from an Intersectionally Sensitive Perspective: Beliefs and Competencies of Teachers. Poster presentation at the conference for scientists in qualification phases of the Mercator Institute for Language Support and German as a Second Language, University of Cologne.
Intersectional sensitivity
Further information on the research cluster Intersectional Sensitivity can be found here!
Dissertation Project
Working title: Multilingualism at school – Preservice teachers’ beliefs from an intersectional perspective
In Germany's migration society, diverse linguistic influences affect students’ development and education. Despite the fact that students grow up multilingual increasingly often, this dynamic is not adequately taken into account in teacher training. For example, courses on multilingualism are neither compulsory nor available at all university teacher training programs (Busse 2020). Historically evolved concepts of language, which are shaped by power and domination relations, contribute to the perpetuation of the "monolingual habitus" (Gogolin 1994) and are still visible in sometimes negative beliefs of prospective teachers.
The cumulative dissertation project aims to qualitatively record teachers’ beliefs about multilingualism at school and to explore them intersectionally. The intersectional analysis of the material makes it possible to examine the interaction of different social categories as well as power and domination relations and to ask about inclusionary, exclusionary and reproducing effects (Budde 2018; Riegel 2022). The intersectional, deconstructivist perspective on the relations of difference and dominance associated with multilingualism takes a critical-reflexive approach (Riegel 2016). Looking ahead, the results may be used to formulate implications for an intersectionally sensitive pedagogical practice that includes a critical reflection of beliefs about multilingualism.