Cooperating schools

GPTE was developed in close cooperation with schools to ensure a strong connection between theoretical preparation and practical experience. Student teachers complete 150 hours of school-based practice in two different settings, which may include state, private, bilingual, or international schools. During their placements, they work on planning and implementing CLIL units, work towards their individual professional aims, and engage in regular collaboration with mentor teachers and university supervisors. School mentors provide students with ongoing feedback on their lesson performance. Additionally, each student receives detailed feedback from the university supervisor on one specific lesson, as well as on their overall teaching practice. This three-way partnership fosters continuity between coursework and practice and supports the development of professional teaching competences.

The programme is supported by a network of approximately 30 schools and 50 trained mentor teachers, many of whom have participated in targeted professional development courses. In-service teachers who take on mentoring roles contribute both to the preparation of future teachers and to ongoing pedagogical development within their schools. The partnership model also extends to international cooperation through projects such as the ERASMUS+ INVITED Project (https://invited-project.eu/), which brings together universities from Germany, Spain, Slovenia, and Poland. Within this framework, student teachers and school-based mentors collaborate on the design and implementation of virtual exchange (VE) projects in preschool and primary language education, contributing to the development of digital and intercultural competences in young learners and their teachers.