The facets of judgement formation

Many people find it difficult to make sound, balanced judgements and stand up for them in public. Despite a wealth of information or precisely because of it. But forming judgements can be learned and practised. An interdisciplinary team of didactics experts from Philosophy and Political Science at Friedrich Schiller University Jena has been working on how this can be achieved at school. Ilka Hameister, Peter Starke and Dr Mario Ziegler have been awarded the University of Jena's 2024 Teaching Prize for their seminar "The controversy surrounding the controversy requirement: forming judgements from a political and philosophical didactic perspective". The 2,500 euro award in the teaching award category for the best course concept will be presented on 19 November at this year's "Dies legendi".

Enabling and reflecting on one's own experiences

"Controversy and judgement are a perennial issue in teacher training and the topic seems to be particularly hot at the moment," says Ilka Hameister. The 30-year-old research assistant at the (university) chair of Didactics of Politics cites talk shows as an example that regularly spark the question of how political arguments should be conducted. At the same time, controversial discussions at school are part of everyday life for teachers. The question of how this can succeed and where the limits of controversy lie is at the centre of the jointly developed seminar. The innovation lies in the consistent implementation of an experience-led teaching-learning concept: "We let the students have their own experiences and encourage them to reflect on them afterwards," says Mario Ziegler, who works as a research assistant in the didactics of Ethics/Philosophy. In doing so, the student teachers are challenged to admit controversy themselves. When reflecting on controversial views, the different perspectives are instructive in the best sense of the word. Peter Starke, who works together with Mario Ziegler in Philosophy Didactics, explains the teaching concept as follows: "The students become involved in controversies as actors, then observers and finally reflective academics." The ultimate aim is for students to develop and implement their own teaching concepts and reflect on them together in order to discuss alternative courses of action.

Teachers cannot be neutral

Ilka Hameister says that one of the funds of choice is a simulated scientific conference in which the students slip into different, controversial roles and act accordingly. Another format is videotaped classroom scenes in which charged topics such as party banning procedures or the causes of migration are discussed controversially. Mario Ziegler: "A very important experience is that teaching staff can never be neutral and that their views and opinions are always incorporated into the lesson design." Rather, it is about becoming aware of one's own prejudices as a teacher and finding a responsible way of dealing with them. The basic experience that politics and Philosophy offer divergent perspectives is immensely enriching. Ilka Hameister: "You recognise the limits of your own subject and learn to go beyond them!" The teaching award honours a concept that enables students to combine two academic disciplines and tap into the potential of interdisciplinary lesson planning.

In the category "Special commitment to teaching", the Teaching Award 2024 goes to Physics Professor Dr Martin Ammon.