Teaching & Lectures

Sociological Teaching as an Invitation to Research-Based Learning
The focus of sociological teaching in the context of social work is the mediation of a lively relationship between basic theories of social science, current research on social problems and methodological competencies of research. This is a specific challenge for the practice orientation of social work: theory and practice follow different logics and have to be translated for each other. This requires a general attitude of research-based learning and forms of problem- or object-based teaching. Research-based learning is not limited to the empirical and practical parts of the course. In concrete terms, this means inviting students to investigate theories as well as concepts of action and to learn to assess their scope and limits. The invitation to a reflexive handling of different knowledge is connected with a comparative approach to teaching, both theoretically and methodologically, and it presupposes a generalist understanding of social work. Practically, this means intensive joint work with and on theoretical texts, a critical approach to different research and practice approaches, and the practice of an understanding attitude with regard to the acquisition of hermeneutic competence.