Univ. Klagenfurt
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University of Klagenfurt
Consortium Partner and Leader of WP8
Uni-KLU
Austria
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The Institute of Instructional and School Development (IUS) of the Klagenfurt University (UNI-KLU) is an Austrian Educational Competence Centre (AECC). Its field of operation is the development of and research on educational practice, schools and educational systems. It incorporates the derived insights in teaching and counseling. A key issue is the interrelation between research and teacher education. Teachers, teacher educators and other contributors to the field of education are supported in their professional development by innovative programs. These interventions are evaluated and investigated. The insights gained are communicated to the national and international community of educators and educational researchers. Diversity, sustainability and reflection are regarded as principles that are as important as cooperation and networking among the persons and institutions involved in any developmental process. This results in an interdisciplinary mode of operation; the IUS is open for different scientific paradigms. In addition to classical qualitative and quantitative research, we foster action research. The discussion about internal and external points of view is regarded as a basic presupposition for learning in social systems. Accordingly, great importance is attached to an open dialogue between academic research, school authorities and practitioners. The research and development activities of the IUS extend across all levels of the field of education - instruction, the single school, and the educational system - as well as the professionalism of teachers.
The following presents the largest departmental projects, however, there are various other research and development projects (in the areas of instructional and school development as well as Education for Sustainable Development) pursued at the IUS. The IUS conducts the national large-scale project IMST (Innovations in Mathematics, Science and Technology Teaching) which aims at improving instruction in mathematics, science, IT and related subjects. The focus is on students’ and teachers’ learning. The project involves about 6000 teachers across all Austria who participate in projects, attend conferences or cooperate in regional and thematic networks. The IMST-programme Regional and Thematic Networks supports and researches regional networks in all nine Austrian provinces, five thematic networks and 18 Regional Competence Centres. Within the IMST-Fund, teachers put innovative instructional projects into practice and get support in terms of content, organisation and finances. In the programme Examination Culture , teachers reflect their forms of assessment in various seminars. Gender Sensitivity and Gender Mainstreaming are important principles of the project, and their implementation is supported by the Gender Network. In order to investigate the impacts of IMST, evaluation and research is integrated on all levels. (http://imst.uni-klu.ac.at, German).
The IUS is part of the Faculty for Interdisciplinary Studies (IFF), which is a faculty of the Klagenfurt University and is resident in Klagenfurt, Vienna and Graz. The IUS has two sites, one in Klagenfurt (with the head of the department), and one in Vienna (http://ius.uni-klu.ac.at).
Prof. Dr. Franz Rauch, head of studies at the IUS (i.e. 9 part-time university courses for teachers); holds a master’s degree in Natural Sciences (teaching certification), a Ph.D. and a Venia Docenti in Education; he was a science teacher for several years; since 1991 involved in research and development projects in curriculum and school development; he is actually a member of the leading team of IMST and leads the IMST programme Regional and Thematic Networks. Fields of expertise and publications: networking and science education, environmental education – education for sustainable development, continuing education of teachers/professional development, action research.
