Development and Implementation of a Pedagogical Concept for Initial Teacher Education to Foster Pre-service Teachers’ Media Education Competence

In light of the rapid processes of digitalization, teachers must possess the competence to develop adolescents’ media literacy. Against this backdrop, a theory- and practice-based pedagogical concept was developed to enhance pre-service teachers’ media education competence. This pedagogical concept is grounded in a competence-standard model for media pedagogy in initial teacher education and employs an action- and development-oriented pedagogical approach. It includes competence-oriented tasks, a structured teaching and learning process, and learning and reflection portfolios. The pedagogical concept was implemented as a semester-long course at a German University. In an exploratory case study involving a convenience sample of 71 pre-service teachers, participants’ media education lesson designs were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Results indicate that when participants described learning prerequisites and objectives in their lesson planning, they primarily focused on adolescents’ knowledge and experiences, as well as their intellectual and socio-moral development and needs related to media use. Most participants elaborated on learning and teaching activities centered on design, followed by assessment, problem-solving, and decision-making. Conclusions and implications for further research and practice underscore the importance of theory- and evidence-based approaches to enhance pre-service teachers’ media education competence, which is essential for progressive initial teacher education.