SDGs in teacher education – University of Innsbruck
Project team (from left to right): Ann-Kathrin Dittrich, Sunet Grobler, Rosa Modiba, Irma Eloff, Kgadi Mathabathe.
As part of the “Teach4Reach” project, funded by AfricaUninet, an international exchange took place in November 2022 between the project partners of the University of Innsbruck and the University of Pretoria, South Africa. During the visit, the focus was on topics of the 2030 Agenda in teacher training.
The international project “Teach4Reach” (Teaching the Global Goals: Exploring synergies between Teacher Education Programs and the Sustainable Development Goals) builds on current societal, social and economic transformation processes and their challenges and has set itself the goal of exploring possibilities for sustainable development in the context of Greater focus on teacher education. The research project examines how teacher education programs in the Global South and North can be used to support the Sustainable Development Goals. Of great interest is raising awareness of the SDGs in teacher education. “Results from the project make it clear how central actors in the education system have little knowledge of the SDGs and their role in the context of the 2030 Agenda is largely unclear,” emphasizes project manager Ann-Kathrin Dittrich from the Institute for Teacher Education and School Research (ILS) at the University of Innsbruck.
The project focuses on the topics of “quality education” (SDG 4), “gender justice” (SDG 5), “reduction of inequalities” (SDG 10) and “health and well-being” (SDG 3). Within the framework of various webinars, dialogue spaces were created in which various actors in teacher education such as teacher trainers, teachers and students from all over the world could exchange views on how curricula for teacher education can be reformed.
A living visit
The research stays of the colleagues Irma Eloff, Kgadi Mathabathe and Rosa Modiba from the University of Pretoria to gain insights into the structures of the University of Innsbruck and to present research results. Participating in courses and visiting schools were particularly valuable during their stay. “The discussions were invigorating and enriched our understanding of the SDGs. During the visit to Innsbruck we were also able to discuss new possibilities for the future and to continue the various international partnerships between Innsbruck, Vienna and Pretoria,” summarizes project leader Irma Eloff from the University of Pretoria.
The project team consists of Irma Eloff and Kgadi Mathabathe (University of Pretoria), Evi Agostini (University of Vienna) and Ann-Kathrin Dittrich (University of Innsbruck) as well as doctoral students Rosa Modiba (University of Pretoria), Sunet Grobler (University of Innsbruck) and Joseph-Sebastian Steinlechner (University of Vienna). A research visit by project members to the University of Pretoria is planned for 2023.
Ann-Kathrin Dittrich/Red