Dr. Klaus Wild about the conference with winners of the Deutscher Schulpreis (German School Award)
Exchanging examples of best practice in the classroom and discussions about effective teaching and learning methods is the aim of the conference called “Lernwirksamen Unterricht ermöglichen” (Facilitating effective teaching) with schools of the German School Award. Representatives from selected schools throughout Germany will come to Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) in November to take part. An interview with the conference organizer, Dr. Klaus Wild, Director of the Internship Office for teaching degrees for Grundschule and Mittelschule and member of staff at the Chair of School Education focusing on Instructional Research at FAU.
What is the aim of the “Lernwirksamen Unterricht ermöglichen” conference?
The conference would like to give schools the opportunity to learn from each other. This is because schools learn best from other schools and this is the core message of the event. In workshops, teachers at schools who received the German School Award in 2024 will give insights into how teaching concepts that promote effective learning are drawn up at their schools. Teams of head teachers from Bavaria and other states from south Germany have been invited to take part. We want to transfer the knowledge from the award-winning schools into the regions and hope to exchange many ideas from research and practical experience in schools.
What are your expectations for this conference?
I expect that as a university, we can help to show schools how they can make their teaching effective for learning. That is precisely the aim of our teacher training programs at FAU: How can our future teachers design their lessons in such a way that their pupils have the greatest possible success with their learning? Essentially, this also means that we pass on all the research we have carried out at our chair about effective teaching to teachers using the winners of the award as examples, so that they can implement these findings in practice.
What do you think a perfect lesson looks like – if such a thing exists?
Firstly, this involves finding out the individual knowledge levels of the pupils. This is used as a basis for designing learning formats that promote independent learning to the greatest extent possible. Schools that are already successfully implementing this demonstrate how effective learning that lasts is, such as the Eichendorffschule in Erlangen that won the main award of the German School Award in 2023.
Which issue within the school system is currently of particular concern to you?
I am particularly concerned about the question of how we can manage to record the knowledge levels of students continuously and individually. This is a huge challenge in classes of more than 20 pupils in particular. We need skills, resources and structures that help teachers to give their students the right support. This is the topic I would like to bring to the conference.
What criteria are used to decide which schools receive the German School Award?
The prize has been awarded by the Robert Bosch Stiftung and the Heidehof Stiftung since 2006. This award honors the special dedication of schools in the areas of performance, diversity, responsibility, the learning school, school climate and teaching in particular. During the conference, the schools who won the award in 2024 will present their successful teaching models. Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier presented the main award for 2025 to an elementary school in Berlin at the end of September. Beforehand, the jury of the School Award decided on the winners using central questions about the quality categories. The intention of the application process of the German School Award is to encourage staff and others in the school community to start a discussion and to present their own great work to the public. The main award is worth 100,000 euros and five further awards are worth 30,000 euros each.
More information about the application process and especially about the application deadline is available online.
Further informationWho is hosting the “Lernwirksamen Unterricht ermöglichen” conference?
The conference will be hosted by three institutions: The Competence Center for School Development and Evaluation (Chair of School Education focusing on Instructional Research and Chair of Religious Education Research) at FAU, the Robert Bosch Stiftung, and the Bayerischer Lehrer- und Lehrerinnenverband (Bavarian Teachers’ Association).
Further information:
Dr. Klaus Wild
Internship Office for teaching degrees for Grundschule and Mittelschule
Chair of School Education focusing on Instructional Research
Phone +49 9131 5302 95500
klaus.wild@fau.de]]>
Dr. Klaus Wild about the conference with winners of the Deutscher Schulpreis (German School Award)
Exchanging examples of best practice in the classroom and discussions about effective teaching and learning methods is the aim of the conference called “Lernwirksamen Unterricht ermöglichen” (Facilitating effective teaching) with schools of the German School Award. Representatives from selected schools throughout Germany will come to Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) in November to take part. An interview with the conference organizer, Dr. Klaus Wild, Director of the Internship Office for teaching degrees for Grundschule and Mittelschule and member of staff at the Chair of School Education focusing on Instructional Research at FAU.
What is the aim of the “Lernwirksamen Unterricht ermöglichen” conference?
The conference would like to give schools the opportunity to learn from each other. This is because schools learn best from other schools and this is the core message of the event. In workshops, teachers at schools who received the German School Award in 2024 will give insights into how teaching concepts that promote effective learning are drawn up at their schools. Teams of head teachers from Bavaria and other states from south Germany have been invited to take part. We want to transfer the knowledge from the award-winning schools into the regions and hope to exchange many ideas from research and practical experience in schools.
What are your expectations for this conference?
I expect that as a university, we can help to show schools how they can make their teaching effective for learning. That is precisely the aim of our teacher training programs at FAU: How can our future teachers design their lessons in such a way that their pupils have the greatest possible success with their learning? Essentially, this also means that we pass on all the research we have carried out at our chair about effective teaching to teachers using the winners of the award as examples, so that they can implement these findings in practice.
What do you think a perfect lesson looks like – if such a thing exists?
Firstly, this involves finding out the individual knowledge levels of the pupils. This is used as a basis for designing learning formats that promote independent learning to the greatest extent possible. Schools that are already successfully implementing this demonstrate how effective learning that lasts is, such as the Eichendorffschule in Erlangen that won the main award of the German School Award in 2023.
Which issue within the school system is currently of particular concern to you?
I am particularly concerned about the question of how we can manage to record the knowledge levels of students continuously and individually. This is a huge challenge in classes of more than 20 pupils in particular. We need skills, resources and structures that help teachers to give their students the right support. This is the topic I would like to bring to the conference.
What criteria are used to decide which schools receive the German School Award?
The prize has been awarded by the Robert Bosch Stiftung and the Heidehof Stiftung since 2006. This award honors the special dedication of schools in the areas of performance, diversity, responsibility, the learning school, school climate and teaching in particular. During the conference, the schools who won the award in 2024 will present their successful teaching models. Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier presented the main award for 2025 to an elementary school in Berlin at the end of September. Beforehand, the jury of the School Award decided on the winners using central questions about the quality categories. The intention of the application process of the German School Award is to encourage staff and others in the school community to start a discussion and to present their own great work to the public. The main award is worth 100,000 euros and five further awards are worth 30,000 euros each.
Who is hosting the “Lernwirksamen Unterricht ermöglichen” conference?
The conference will be hosted by three institutions: The Competence Center for School Development and Evaluation (Chair of School Education focusing on Instructional Research and Chair of Religious Education Research) at FAU, the Robert Bosch Stiftung, and the Bayerischer Lehrer- und Lehrerinnenverband (Bavarian Teachers’ Association).
More information about the application process and especially about the application deadline is available online.
Further information:
Dr. Klaus Wild
Internship Office for teaching degrees for Grundschule and Mittelschule
Chair of School Education focusing on Instructional Research
Phone +49 9131 5302 95500
klaus.wild@fau.de