Completed Projects


War of Pictures – Press Photography in Austria 1945–1955

Project Duration: September 2016 - December 2017

Project Leader: Fritz Hausjell

Funding: FWF (Austrian Science Fund)

The online exhibition 'War of Pictures. Bildkultur in Österreich 1945-1955' is the result of a cooperation between the Institute of Journalism and Communication Studies and the Center of Didactics for History, Social Studies and Citizenship Education (University of Vienna) on press photography in Austria 1945-1955.

The website http://warofpictures.univie.ac.at is available since October 2017 and offers access to a large image database of press photographs from the 'occupation period' in Austria. The download area contains suggestions for lesson design, worksheets and a glossary.

The image of Austria among 15-16-year-old grammar school studentst und seine Repräsentanz bei AHS-Schülerinnen und Schülern

Project Duration: 2015-2017

Project Leader: Alois Ecker

Funding: The Anniversary Fund of the Austrian National Bank (OeNB)

This project focused on the question if the image of Austria. which has been constructed during the early post-war period and propagated via schools and media, is still present or anchored in the historical consciousness of the current adolescent generation of students.

Project results were disseminated during the kick-off event of the 'Aktionstage Politische Bildung 2018' (political education action days) on April 23, 2018 in the Knight's Hall of the Styrian Parliament under the patronage of the Austrian President Dr. Alexander Van der Bellen. Univ-Prof. Mag. Dr. Alois Ecker presented a key-note on the image of Austria among 15-16-year-old grammar school students.

Publication related to this project:

  • Ecker, Alois & Sperl, Alexander (Hrsg.) (2018). Österreichbilder von Jugendlichen. Zum Einfluss audiovisueller Medien. Wien: new academic press.

CHE – Assessment, tutorial structures and initial teacher education of trainee students in the subjects ‘Political/ Civic Education’, ‘Social/Cultural Studies’ and ‘History’ in Europe – A comparative study

Project Duration: Jänner 2010-Mai 2013

Project Leader: Alois Ecker

Project Manager: Barbara Hollendonner (2010-2012) / Cornelia Bruell (2012-2013)

Funding: Life-Long-Learning Project KA1 (Policy Cooperation and Innovation) and the ERSTE Foundation.

46 European universities and institutions from 33 countries from East and West, North and South, including the countries of South East Europe, the Russian Federation, Ukraine and Turkey, contributed to this project. The goal of the project is to investigate the structures, concepts and standards of assessment, tutorial systems and initial education for teachers of the subjects "Political/Civic Education", "Social/Cultural Studies" and "History". The project aims at contributing to an evidence-based discussion on teacher education for key subjects of political education in Europe.

Further Information

CHE-Website

Publications:

  • Ecker, Alois (2018). The Education of History Teachers in Europe - A Comparative Study. First Results of the “Civic and History Education Study”, Creative Education Vol. 9, p. 1565-1610. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4236/ce.2018.910115.
  • Ecker, Alois (2013). Civic and History Teachers’ Education in Europe. A comparative study on concepts, structures and standards of initial teacher education, assessment and tutorial structures for the subjects ‚History’, ‚Civic/Citizenship education’, ‚Social/ Cultural Studies’ and ‚Politics’. With contributions by Luigi Cajani, Brian Carvel, John Hamer, Tatiana Minkina-Milko, Falk Pingel, Dean Smart and Joanna Wojdon.

Development of Subject Didactics at the University of Vienna

Organizational development project of the Vice Rectorate for Teaching and International Affairs at the University of Vienna (Arthur Mettinger). Survey of the current status as well as further development of the organizational structures and the cooperation and teaching structures in the subject didactics at the University of Vienna.

Coordination of the overall project: Alois Ecker

Management of the sub-project 'Evaluation of the cooperation structures in didactics 'History, Social Studies and Political Education': Klaus Edel, Irene Ecker

Publication related to this project:

  • Ecker, Alois (Hrsg.) (2005).  Fachdidaktik im Aufbruch. Zur Situation der Lehramtsstudien an der Universität Wien. 302 S., Frankfurt/M, Berlin, Bern, Bruxelles, New York, Oxford, Wien: Peter Lang.

The Structures and Standards of Initial Training for History Teachers in South East Europe

Project Duration: 1999–2001

Project Leader: Alois Ecker (in cooperation with the Council of Europe)

Funding: Stability Pact for South East Europe (European Commission)

Extension of the project "Initial Training for History Teachers in 13 Council of Europe's Member States - A Comparative Study" for the area of the Balkan countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, Slovenia, Yugoslavia including Kosovo and Montenegro) as well as Greece, Moldova and Turkey.

Publication related to the project

  • Ecker, Alois (Hrsg.) (2004). The Structures and Standards of Initial Training for History Teachers in South-East Europe, 239 p., Strasbourg: Council of Europe Publishing.

The Initial Training of History Teachers in European Comparison

Project Duration: 1999–2002

Project Leader: Alois Ecker

Funding: Austrian Ministry of Education (BMBWK) in cooperation with the Council of Europe and the German conference of ministers of education (Kultusministerkonferenz)

Systematic evaluation of structural data on history teachers training with regard to the social position of history teachers, vocational training, training concepts and models, professional profiles, contents of curricula, forms of organization and cooperation structures of history teacher training in European comparison.

Initial Training for History Teachers in 13 Council of Europe’s Member States – A Comparative Study

Project Duration: 1998–2001

Project Coordinator: Alois Ecker

Funding: Council of Europe – history teaching in the 21st century

Part of the project of the Council of Europe: "Learning and teaching about the history of Europe in the 20th century in secondary schools". The aim is to exchange experiences and build a network of experts who train history teachers. Systematic comparative study on curricula, organization and practice of history teacher training in Albania, Bulgaria, Austria, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Great Britain, Hungary, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Russia, Spain and the Czech Republic. 

History online (2002 - 2004)

A project of the Institute for Economic and Social History and the Institute for History of the University of Vienna.

Project Duration: 2002–2004

Project Leader: Alois Ecker, Franz X. Eder, Wolfgang Schmale 

Project Participants (Module 3): Alois Ecker, Gerhard Dabringer, Irene Ecker, Klaus Edel, Bettina Geiger, Ulrich Hofmeister, Günter Katzler, Birgit Kupka, Franz Lux, Elfriede Penzinger, Günter Sturm, Barbara Treptow

Funding: Funds of the Ministery of Education (bm:bwk)

The modules developed in the project are designed for a flexible and broad application in the diploma and teacher training program in history, especially in the introductory phase, in the didactic training and in seminars. The implicit train-the-trainer concept supports university teachers to the gradual use of new media and e-learning.