Curriculum, duration of studies, specialisation In-service training serves to maintain and extend the professional competence of teach-
ers. It helps teachers to meet the current requirements of their teaching career and to fulfil the educational mission of their school. Attendance of in-service training courses serves to deepen and extend the knowledge and skills in the fields of educational theory, psychology, didactics and subject-related studies which the teacher requires as part of his job. Great importance is attached to in-service training for teachers at Förderschulen (special schools), especially in connection with the integration of the disabled in mainstream schools.
The range of subjects covered by in-service training is extremely broad. Course content can relate to school subjects, types of school or educational and teaching goals. The subject matter includes topics relating to general and school pedagogy, sessions on subjectrelated didactics and studies, courses dealing with key current issues (e.g. intercultural learning or new technologies) and introductions to new curricula. Many in-service training measures serve to improve the close link between the elementary sector and the Grundschule (primary school) and are aimed at a smooth transition between the educational stages. In central in-service training in particular, many courses are aimed at head teachers, counselling teachers, heads of department at teacher training institutes and school supervisory officials. In some Länder the main target group of central inservice training are the subject advisers who themselves organise and hold in-service training courses for teaching staff.
With regard to the further development of this sector, the Gemischte Kommission Lehrerbildung has formulated the following principles which reflect the problems related to the realisation and organisation of in-service teacher training measures: