Development of Communication Competence in Pre-Service Vocational Education Teacher Training

Abstract

This paper presents a seminar concept for the development of communication competence in pre-service vocational education teachers with the aid of video annotations, feedback, and peer microteaching. The seminar is offered within a teacher training program for students taking a master’s degree (MEd) in vocational education at the FH Münster University of Applied Sciences, Germany, and has been conducted three times. The advantages of the seminar concept are manifold. On the one hand, we create a learning environment in which students individually prepare and conduct five peer microteaching lessons in a row and receive prompt and constructive peer feedback on every performance. On the other hand, the quality of feedback improves so that our students are professional feedback providers by the end of the seminar. The provision of teacher feedback alone does not help our students become successful feedback providers. Nor, given the resources available at the university, is it a realistic alternative in terms of time constraints. In addition, due to recordings, the students gain a better insight into their teaching skills since their lessons can be observed and approached from an outside perspective.