University-School Partnerships in Teacher Education in Germany

University-school partnerships are essential elements of the teacher education system in Germany. They allow mitigating system inherent challenges such as the theory-practice gap, the institutional fragmentation among the three consecutive phases in the German teacher education system, and the structural innovation lethargy. Thus, university-school partnerships bear potentials for the improvement of student teachers' and teachers' professional development, the implementation of didactical advancements, and systemic capacity building. Against this background, the present contribution provides a systematic outline of various types of university-school partnerships in teacher education in Germany. This outline is structured with regard to the following characteristics: (1) the degree of formalisation and institutionalisation, (2) the quality and intensity of cooperative relations and (3) the general objectives of the university-school partnerships. Moreover, conceptual considerations will be combined with reflections on relevant educational policies and illustrating examples.