Austria

Pädagogische Akademie des Bundes in Tirol, Innsbruck: www.ph-tirol.tsn.at   

The Pädagogische Akademie des Bundes in Tirol (PA), an Initial Teacher Education Institution is a federal initial teacher’s training institution for Primary School, Lower Secondary Schools and Special Needs Schools teachers. Attached to the institution as an integrated part of the institution  are a Primary School and a Lower Secondary School. At present there are 151 members of staff and over 600 students.There are 43 Primary Schools in and around Innsbruck and 16 Lower Secondary Schools, where students from the Academy complete their weekly teaching practice. Approximately 140 Primary Schools and 60 Lower Secondary Schools offer training placements to final year students. Students training for Primary schools qualify to teach across the timetable. Integrated language learning at Primary level is an important curriconsiderable curricular  aspect.
The PA has been involved in a considerable  number of European projects. The ERASMUS Programme has been in place since 1991 and the PA has an almost 10% student mobility. The PA has much experience in partnership activities and also in the co-ordination of a COMENIUS 3 Network and an Accompanying Measures Project as well as in the coordination of Erasmus projects.
From October 2007 the PA was given the status of  Pedagogical University encompassing the Berufspädagogische Akademie (training of vocational school teachers)and integrating the  Pädagogisches Institut – institute for the in-service training of teachers (which offers Inset services to over 10,000 teachers) and integrate in-service training of teachers into the university. The teacher training institution is currently undergoing fundamental reforms in line with the Bologna process and is also currently modularising all its training and in-service training courses according to ECTS principles and developing new academic structures and degrees.
Staff involved in the project:
Friedrich Wittib