IST objectives and content
IST serves to maintain and extend the professional skills of teachers. It helps teachers to meet the current requirements of their teaching career and to fulfil their school’s educational mission. Attendance at IST courses serves to deepen and extend knowledge and skills in the fields of educational theory, psychology, didactics and subject-related studies which the teacher requires as part of their job.
The range of subjects covered by IST is extremely broad. Course content can relate to school subjects, types of school, educational and teaching methods and goals, special problems within the classroom (e.g. in inclusive education settings), or special questions within a special disability.
In central IST in particular, many courses are aimed at head teachers, guidance teachers, teachers training probationers in the preparatory service and school inspectorate officials. In some Länder the main target group of central IST are the subject advisors who themselves organise and hold IST courses for teaching staff. IST generally involves training sessions in the form of courses, study groups and conferences that can last half a day, a full day or several days.
For further information, please see the report on The Education System in the Federal Republic of Germany 2011/2012.