Teaching practice in a German school: Faculty of Education to collaborate with Marburg University

The University of West Bohemia in Pilsen and Marburg University in the German state of Hesse are preparing joint programmes. The two institutions, both members of the EUPeace university alliance, have now agreed on specific outlines of future teacher-training exchanges

Students of the Faculty of Education at UWB will newly be able to complete part of their teaching practice at the partner institution, Marburg University. Likewise, students from Marburg will be able to come and teach at Pilsen schools – long-term partners of the faculty – starting from the winter semester of 2026. This step aims to strengthen the international experience of future teachers. In mid-November, four lecturers from Marburg University visited the Faculty of Education to discuss the details.

“We have prepared a clear plan for recognising teaching placements completed abroad, and I am very pleased that the lectures delivered by our German colleagues received excellent feedback from our students,” said Vice-Dean for Internationalisation Tereza Havránková. The German lecturers also introduced a thematic block focused on the specifics of the German education system and teacher training. It drew particular interest from students of primary-school teaching.

German students from Marburg will also gain insight into what teaching looks like in the Czech Republic thanks to an upcoming Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) scheduled for the spring months. A BIP combines an initial online meeting with an intensive in-person component hosted by the partner institution.

“This will be only the second BIP organised by the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen, which shows the university’s growing international engagement. For the faculty, it is also an opportunity to share with international partners the know-how we have developed through TAČR-supported projects, especially in the field of the virtual classroom,” added Tereza Havránková. Eight students from Marburg have already registered for the programme.

The professional collaboration has also brought new personal connections among subject didacticians. “It is always great to find a like-minded counterpart at a foreign university, and in Carina we have found exactly that – the cooperation has been established, and we are already planning the programme for our upcoming visit to the University of Marburg. I was also delighted to hear from a colleague in Civics Education that she immediately joined joint online round tables,” said geography didactician Václav Stacke.