Teacher Training at Vocational Schools for the subject of Social Pedagogy

Social Pedagogy was established as a subject of study for those training to become teachers at vocational schools in 1973 by a resolution of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs (KMK), initially as the subject Social Science with a concentration in Social Pedagogy. At the end of the 1970s, the name was changed to “Sozialpädagogik” (Social Pedagogy), and this is still in use today.

The vocational subject of Social Pedagogy at TU Dresden is as a modular course of study, offered as a State Examination degree program. It consists of the study of social pedagogy and early childhood education, related disciplines (sociology, psychology) and the vocational didactics of social pedagogy. The vocational didactics of social pedagogy imparts knowledge of how to teach social-pedagogical practices while giving consideration to the particular features of this subject, such as the open-endedness and non-anticipatory nature of pedagogical processes.

Due to the historical development of social service professions, only programs that require full-time training at a school or college (vollzeitschulischer Ausbildung) – including internships or a qualifying year of practical work following studies (Anerkennungsjahr) – are assigned to social pedagogy. At vocational schools, these subjects relate to social work (such as professional caregivers), the specific German titles of which vary slightly from state to state, and childcare workers. There are three types of social service programs offered at technical schools corresponding to these three professions: Certified kindergarten teachers, holistic social support specialists (Heilerziehungspfleger:innen), and special education teachers. Graduates of Social Pedagogy also have opportunities to teach at technical and vocational secondary schools.