Final Conference

CHE – The Civic and History Teachers' Education in Europe

The final conference of the Life-Long-Learning project was open to the public.

It took place from 30th May to 2nd June 2012 in Vienna.

During two and a half years expert from 32 European countries, including the Russian Federation, Ukraine and Turkey, have collected and analysed relevant data and information on teacher education in the subjects Civic/Citizenship Education, History as well as Social Studies, Cultural Studies and Politics. On the basis of a standardized questionnaire they investigated the structures, concepts and standards of initial education for teachers of these subjects. Forms of assessment and of tutorial systems were also in the focus of interest.

For the first time, at this conference, results of the comparative analysis will be presented. The presentations will focus on

  • A European survey on institutional structures, models, concepts and curricula of teacher education in the CHE-subjects
  • Similarities and differences in the Civic and History Teachers’ Education in Europe
  • Interdisciplinary relations between History and Civic/Citizenship education
  • The professional training of teachers for Civic and History education
  • Training for Media literacy and ICT-competences of teacher trainees
  • Are teachers trained to deal with current and/or historic conflicts?

By highlighting the theoretical and didactic concepts and the rationales that lie behind the teacher training models the project aims to contribute substantially to an evidence based discussion on teacher education for key subjects of the historic-political education in Europe.


Aktionstage Politische Bildung 2011

As part of the "Aktionstage Politische Bildung 2011", there will be a one-day-symposium at the Department for Didactics of History, Social Studies and Civic Education on the 2nd of May 2011.

Claudia Lenz from the European Wergeland Center will present the International Civic and Citizenship Education Study, the biggest comparative empiric study focusing on Civic/Citizenship Education. 

Alois Ecker as project coordinator of our project and head of the Department for Didactics of History, Social Studies and Civic Education will present our project and first results with regard to Austria together with Rene Hanzlik, one of the contributors to the Austrian country report.

This event is a cooperation with Zentrum PolisThe European Wergeland Center and the Department for Didactics of History, Social Studies and Civic Education.


Third Preparatory Meeting

On February 22nd and 23rd 2012, the third preparatory meeting of the KA1-project "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" took place at Berggasse 7, 1090 Vienna.

Additionally to Alois Ecker, Maria Mesner and Barbara Hollendonner from Vienna, Tatiana Minkina-Milko from the Council of Europe, Dean Smart from EUROCLIO, Ineke Veldhuis-Meester as evaluator, Luigi Cajani, Joanna Wojdon, Falk Pingel and John Hamer as general rapporteur took part in the meeting. 

Amongst other subjects, the analysis of the questionnaire’s results and reports of the working groups as well as a plan for the dissemination were discussed. 

  • Alois Ecker, project coordinator
  • Falk Pingel, consultant and chair "interdisciplinarity"
  • Luigi Cajani, chair "conflict"
  • Dean Smart, EUROCLIO and chair "professional development"
  • Ineke Veldhuis-Meester, evaluation
  • Brian Carvell, dissemination
  • Tatiana Minkina-Milko, Council of Europe
  • John Hamer, general rapporteur
  • Joanna Wojdon, chair "media"

Second Expert Meeting

From 25th to 28th May, the Second Expert Meeting of the KA1-project "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" took place at the Europahaus, Linzerstraße 429, 1140 Vienna.

On Wednesday evening, Robin Gosejohann, ERSTE Foundation, and Alois Ecker, project coordinator, welcomed all project members.

On Thursday morning, the meeting was opend by Arthur Mettinger, Vice-Rector of the University of Vienna, Anton Dobart, Director General, Austrian Federal Ministry for Education, Arts and Culture and Tatiana Minkina-Milko, Deputy Head of History Education Division, Council of Europe.

On this first day of the meeting, Alois Ecker gave a presentation on the first results of the questionnaire, wich then were discussed in working groups.

Maria Mesner concluded the day with information about technical requirements of the project organisation.

The next day was dedicated mostly to the work of the thematic working groups, but the project members also committed to a working plan for the next phase of the project.

The results of the working groups' internal discussions were presented on Saturday by their rapporteurs Dea Maric, Carol Capita, Inga Niehaus and Ineke Veldhuis-Meester.

Also on Saturday, Alois Ecker, Tatiana Minkina-Milko and Brian Carvell presented strategies for the dissemination of the project's results. The meeting endet with a report by John Hamer, the project's general rapporteur.


Second Preparatory Meeting

On February 23rd and 24th 2011, the second preparatory meeting of the KA1-project "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" took place at the new office Berggasse 7, 1090 Vienna.

During the meeting, amongst other subjects, the first outcomes of the working groups and the agenda for the Second Expert Meeting were discussed.


First Expert Meeting

The first expert meeting of the project "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" took place in Vienna from 3-6 March 2010. 

More than 40 experts from over 30 countries discussed the aims of the three-year project, the organisational framework and the work plan of the new project and exchanged information on new developments in teacher educati