Welcome to the Department of Vocational Education
PD Dr. habil. Christian Steib, Dr. Daniela Reimann, Dr. Alexandra Zelfel, Vanessa
Vocational education studies deals with questions of vocational education, its organization, didactics and vocational teacher training. The tense relationship between work, occupation and education as well as the conditions and processes of acquiring vocational qualifications and vocational orientation are examined within the framework of vocational education research in the department. Company, school, education and labor market policy as well as qualification aspects and interests play a central role here, as these have a significant influence on the design of vocational education. In addition, initial and further training are closely interrelated with various technological innovations and transformation processes and lead to continuous change in the world of work.
The Department of Vocational Education at KIT is responsible for the training of teachers for the industrial-technical teaching profession. As part of a wide range of research and development projects, the conditions and challenges of learning processes, qualification and skilled work for different target groups are examined. Research results are used to design job profiles and to further develop vocational teaching/learning processes and are incorporated into didactic concepts for vocational training and teacher training for vocational schools.
AG BFN Conference 2026
The AG BFN conference will take place in Stuttgart from March 12 to 13, 2026. Take part now!
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We say goodbye to Yuhang Chen, who has supported our department as a student assistant and study ambassador since August 2024. His time with us ends with the submission of his Master's thesis. We thank him warmly and wish him all the best for the future!
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On the campaign day, two four-legged supporters with "Engineering Education" neckerchiefs fly the flag for our degree programs at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) - charming, motivated and with a wink.
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At the end of the Sociology of Work and Industry seminar, the Master's group in Pedagogy visited the KIT Learning Factory "Global Production" with the Vocational Education department. There they experienced a realistic, customizable value chain - a practical laboratory for Industry 4.0 that combines technology and pedagogy and creates synergies for research and teaching.
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My interest in this field began somewhat unexpectedly. I first came across it through a term paper my sister had written in Prof. Steib's class. The central question was: Do schools educate us to give us freedom, or to turn us into workers? I found this question surprisingly compelling. It challenged the way I had always thought about education and made me curious to explore the topic further.
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Our mentoring program supports first-year students as they start their studies. In a dynamic session, mentors and mentees played the interaction game "The Floating Stick" to strengthen team spirit, clarify questions and give valuable tips.
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Discover how KIT student Nina Zimmer is gaining research experience, gaining new flexibility and shaping her professional future in the education sector in the InnoVET project after her change of teaching profession. Read the complete 5 questions now!
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