Since its founding in September 2007, the Catholic University College for Education Graz (Kirchliche Pädagogische Hochschule Graz, KPH Graz) has focused its efforts on pre-service training for primary and special needs teachers, as well as on in-service training for kindergarten teachers and for teachers in lower secondary education.
KPH Graz builds on the successful educational work of its forerunner institution, the Teacher Training College Graz Eggenberg (Pädadogische Akademie Graz Eggenberg), and is committed to promoting innovation, good values and internationalism.
Students of all degree courses complete compulsory modules such as “How to teach multilingual and culturally heterogeneous classes”, “World and language” and “Education and values in a multicultural society”. Students are able to link these topics with innovative pedagogical concepts that reflect the challenges schools are facing in the 21st century.
By introducing the European Language Portfolio into its degree programmes and offering CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) in pre- and in-service training, KPH Graz follows the European trend in language learning. Students also complete a mandatory teaching placement in Great Britain during their undergraduate studies. Courses for teaching French in primary schools are an additional part of KPH’s language learning portfolio