Please note: The syllabus is taught in German.
Mathematics for Primary Education
The Mathematics for Primary Education course centres on acquiring skills in mathematics itself as well as in the teaching of mathematics. These skills form the basis for becoming a successful teacher for primary school children. The course tackles:
The subject-related principles of the mathematics topics to be taught.
Approaches to the teaching of mathematics for the analysis and development of mathematics teaching and learning processes for this age group.
- The role of mathematics in schools and its contribution to general education.
Study principles are:
Within the part of the course dedicated to the teaching of mathematics, topics treated are above all theories of mathematics teaching and learning with a special view to teaching and learning conditions in schools. Students are offered the possibility to undertake their own independent research. For example, they can test empirically learning materials and environments they have developed themselves on the basis of specific theoretical principles. Recent results from research projects currently running at the Institute are integrated into teaching. In addition, students are given the opportunity to take an active part in ongoing research projects.
between persons in the three phases of teacher training (study, teaching practice, further training). Many courses cover different phases, for example in the Lehr@mt, IPhaMat and KoRALL projects either the university seminar was combined with a training module from the second phase or the course was opened up for further teacher training.
Development of reflective and analysis skills
of student teachers as an integrated part of building up sound, subject-related skills and the capacity to act. This is achieved, for example, through portfolio work with a focus on mathematics teaching in individual courses or methodically controlled reconstruction of aspects of everyday mathematics teaching processes.
Mathematics for Secondary Education
Teacher of Mathematics is still a profession with good future prospects. At grammar schools, but even more so at other types of secondary schools, the chances of finding employment are relatively high. There is also demand for mathematics teachers at special needs schools, but how this will develop in future as a result of the inclusion policy of the regional governments in Germany is at present hard to judge. Current forecasts for demand and lots of other information can be found on the website of the Hesse Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs (Hessisches Kultusministerium - HKM).
Each year, about 150 students commence a teaching degree in Frankfurt in the subject of Mathematics for Secondary Education. Having completed either a L2 or a L5 teaching degree (special needs schools and secondary schools except grammar schools) they are qualified to teach mathematics up until the end of middle school (UK equivalent = Year 10/11; GCSE). With a L3 teaching degree (grammar schools) they may also teach mathematics in the upper school up until Abitur (UK = A level). That is why the L3 degree includes topics such as didactics for upper school courses and mathematics lectures in greater depth, whilst the L2/L5 degree allows more time for didactics for middle school topics such as algebra, geometry and stochastic processes and the mathematics lectures remain more in the area of basic principles. You can find an overview and description of the individual courses on the website of the Central Examinations Office for Teaching Programmes (Zentrales Prüfungsamt für Lehramtsstudiengänge).
Computer Science for Secondary Education
In Frankfurt, you can study Computer Science for the following teaching degrees: L2 (secondary schools, excluding grammar schools), L3 (grammar schools) and L5 (special needs schools). The University of Frankfurt is the first university in Hesse to offer a L2/L5 study programme.
Studying Computer Science for a teaching degree is fun and offers good professional prospects. You get to grips with lots of exciting topics, however not in the same depth as in a major-subject programme but instead on a broader scale. The most important elements of the programme are:
Subject-related lectures, seminars, exercises, practical training in modelling and programming and theoretical and technical Computer Science. There are a number of options so that students can specialize depending on their interests.
Courses in ubject-related teaching methodologies concerned with questions on which topics are to be taught in schools, choice and justification of topics and methods for teaching these topics.
In-school placement to test yourself as a teacher and gather experience which is then examined from a theoretical perspective in the didactics courses.
You can find an overview and description of the individual courses on the website of the Central Examinations Office for Teaching Programmes (Zentrales Prüfungsamt für Lehramtsstudiengänge). More information from the Institute of Computer Science is available here.