InnovatED - Sustainable development of future skills for schools, educational research and administration
Although the career path for students studying to become teachers initially appears to be clearly defined, studying to become a teacher opens up a wide range of career prospects. A not inconsiderable number of students realize in the course of their studies that working as a teacher is no longer an option for them. A stronger, interest-based differentiation of teacher training courses that prepares students for alternative career paths in science or education administration can therefore prevent students from dropping out. However, teacher training courses focus mainly on subject content and subject didactics, which means that research methods play a subordinate role. Teacher training students have less prior knowledge of research methods than other doctoral students when it comes to further academic careers, even though they have great research potential due to their broad inter-faculty structure. This leads to challenges in the recruitment of early-career researchers.
The ESF+-funded InnovatED project aims to lay the scientific foundations for an academic career at an early stage of studies and to create a support structure for both students and doctoral candidates that does justice to the heterogeneous starting positions. In particular, career options for female student teachers in research and administration are highlighted and a sustainable network for career development is established.
The aim of the project is to strengthen the next generation of teachers in research and administration and the resulting improvement in teacher training at TU Dresden with a special focus on women. This goal is in line with the strategic orientation and further development of TU Dresden's overall concept of academic success.
The following sub-goals are to be achieved in various work packages:
- Establishment of the "Career in Teaching" network consisting of internal and external university stakeholders.
- Support for (female) doctoral candidates in the research process through:
- target group-specific modular further education courses that facilitate the transition from the profession-specific teacher training course to the research-oriented doctoral phase
- establishing interdisciplinary exchange formats within and outside the university to strengthen the early-career researchers community
- Creation of individual support structures (advice & coaching)
- Identifying career paths in science, education administration and administration for (female) student teachers by
- Implementing a coherent information system on the subject of careers and doctorates after teacher training, consisting of information materials, information events, podcasts, etc.
- Organizing a series of events on the topic of "School meets science"
- Creation of spaces for low-threshold exchange between student teachers, doctoral candidates and stakeholders in education administration and administration
- Career mentoring through role models (doctoral students, stakeholders in education administration and administration)
Duration of the project: 01.09.2025 - 31.08.2027
CONTACT
© P. Thamm
Dr.in Sarah Drechsel
Doctoral candidates| Research & Professionalisation
© Drechsel
Wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiterin
NameDr.in phil. Sarah Drechsel
ESF+-Projekt InnovatED
Send encrypted email via the SecureMail portal (for TUD external users only).
Center for Teacher Education and Educational Research (German abbreviation: ZLSB)
Center for Teacher Education and Educational Research (German abbreviation: ZLSB)
Visiting address:
Seminargebäude II, 2. Etage, Raum 216a Zellescher Weg 20
01217 Dresden
Dr. Sarah Drechsel studied teaching for general education schools (chemistry and mathematics) at TU Dresden and obtained her doctorate in educational sciences at the University of Kassel with a thesis entitled ‘Professionalisierung durch Reflexion. Eine Analyse diskursiver Praktiken in Reflexionsgesprächen der ersten Phase der Lehrpersonenbildung’. She headed the ESF-funded junior research group FioKo – Frauenförderung durch individuelle und organisationale Kompetenzen in Bildung und Beruf (MINT). In addition to her leadership role, she conducted research on career choice processes in schools and how these are shaped by the influence of various actors. Previously, she worked as a lecturer in the BQL project (in-service teacher training) and taught subject didactics and subject sciences for the subject WTH/S. Her research focuses on professionalisation in teaching, school development, career guidance, gender studies and qualitative social research.
In the InnovatED project, Sarah Drechsel works primarily with doctoral students and seconded teachers in higher education. Her focus is on research-related professionalisation, supporting academic qualification processes and the structural promotion of women in academic and educational administrative careers.
FIS Profil: https://fis.tu-dresden.de/portal/de/researchers/sarah-drechsel(af2c08f2-7677-4fdc-8c9f-2bffcaffa6a0).html
Pauline Thamm
Teacher training students | Career guidance & interest in doctoral studies
© Thamm
Wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiterin
NamePauline Thamm
ESF+-Projekt InnovatED
Send encrypted email via the SecureMail portal (for TUD external users only).
Center for Teacher Education and Educational Research (German abbreviation: ZLSB)
Center for Teacher Education and Educational Research (German abbreviation: ZLSB)
Visiting address:
Seminargebäude II, 2. Etage, Raum 216a Zellescher Weg 20
01217 Dresden
Pauline Thamm, a certified vocational educator, studied teaching at vocational schools for health and nursing as well as philosophy. During her studies, she focused intensively on issues of professional development, reflection and alternative academic career paths. In the Educational Science Teaching and Research Workshop, she was head of the collegial case consultation department and participated in the research colloquium for teacher training students. After graduating, she worked at the Zentrum für interdisziplinäres Lernen und Lehren (ZiLL) at TU Dresden on the virTUos project, which promotes digital and open teaching and learning. There, she designed qualification, coaching and mentoring programmes for student tutors and developed OER materials and self-study courses in the TUTORING hybrid sub-project.
In the InnovatED project, Pauline Thamm contributes her experience at the interface of teacher training, university didactics and the promotion of young talent. She is particularly interested in how teacher training students can be made aware of academic and administrative career paths at an early stage, supported in their individual decision-making and accompanied in the development of research-related skills. The aim is to highlight transparent perspectives beyond traditional school teaching and to encourage students to find their own path in the field of education.
FIS Profil: https://fis.tu-dresden.de/portal/de/researchers/pauline-thamm(098d17bc-6300-41cb-8f4c-3515ed13e4f8).html
Podcast BEYOND TEACHING
Inspiration for careers in science and education
Our show takes you on an authentic journey through university, school, science and the diverse field of education. We talk to inspiring role models who have found their place in traditional teaching, as well as people who have pursued alternative career paths, conducted research or earned doctorates.
We particularly want to appeal to teacher training students who are currently having doubts about their studies or are struggling with thoughts of dropping out. Doubts do not mean failure – they are often the starting point for new developments. Our show opens up transparent perspectives for you after successfully completing your teacher training!
The podcast series will start in March/April 2026. New episodes featuring inspiring role models will then be released every eight weeks. We hope you enjoy listening!
