19.06 What should be considered in the regulation sample for teacher training programs and study programmes with Protestant or Catholic theology/religion?

Teacher training

If the higher education institution offers teaching degree programs, one of each type of teaching degree offered must be included, taking into account all formal and academic criteria (§ 31 para. 3 MRVO). The Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs (KMK) distinguishes between a total of six types of teaching profession, namely: (1) teacher training at elementary school or primary level, (2) overarching teacher training at primary level and all or individual school types at lower secondary level, (3) teacher training for all or individual school types at lower secondary level, (4) teacher training at upper secondary level [general education subjects] or for the Gymnasium, (5) teacher training at upper secondary level [vocational subjects] or for vocational schools and (6) special education teacher training.

If the teacher training courses are offered in the form of combined study programmes, the entire combined study programme with all associated partial study programmes does not have to be included in the random samples. Depending on the characteristics of the combination model pursued by the higher education institution, the Agencies or peer review panel decide on a case-by-case basis in which form a combination of a selective model assessment (of the combined study programme) and an assessment of one or more partial study programmes is expedient. Where possible, combined study programmes and a selection of partial study programmes assigned to them should be considered as examples (see section 3.2 of the handout “Promoting quality development through accreditation – a look at teacher training study programmes“).

In the aforementioned handout, the Accreditation Council recommended focusing the random samples in particular on specific characteristics in order to meet the requirement of considering the overall model of teacher training in the assessment. The subject of these random samples could therefore also be the interlinking between the training phases as well as between didactic, subject-specific and educational science training, the function of the centers for teacher training or schools of education or practical phases during the course of study and the opportunity to spend time abroad.

Theology / Religion

If the higher education institution offers full or partial theological study programmes with Protestant theology/religion and/or partial study programmes with Catholic theology/religion in accordance with § 22 para. 5 MRVO, one of these must be included in the random samples, taking into account all formal and academic criteria (§ 31 para. 3 MRVO). This means: If study programs with Protestant theology/religion and study programs with Catholic theology/religion are offered, one study programme per denomination must be included in the random samples.

In accordance with the amendment of the resolution “Key points for the study structure in study programmes with Catholic or Protestant theology/religion” by the KMK on 08.09.2022, the study programs in Catholic church music are now also understood as divisional theology.

However, the accreditation of Catholic theologicalstudy programmes that qualify students for the priesthood and the profession of pastoral worker (full Catholic theological studies) is carried out exclusively in the form of programme accreditation in accordance with Section 22 (5) sentence 1 MRVO, meaning that these study programmes are not included in the regulatory sample.

If the study programmes with Protestant or Catholic theology or religion are teacher training courses, these can be integrated into the teacher training sample, whereby the cooperation and approval requirements of the professional licensing authorities must be observed accordingly in accordance with Section 18 (2) MRVO (see FAQ 19.07).

The decisive factor is that the sample in the selected form must allow valid statements to be made about the specifics of regulated study programmes and at the same time the random samples character of the procedure must be maintained, also taking efficiency aspects into account.