New Study Shows: Teachers Keep On Learning
Freiburg, 02/06/2026
Researchers at the University of Freiburg have investigated how the pedagogical/psychological knowledge of mathematics teachers develops in their everyday working life. On average it increases significantly – even long after they have completed their studies. Systematic reflection of teaching experiences is beneficial in this context.
Teachers keep on learning even long after completing their studies: They often continue to expand their pedagogical/psychological knowledge during their everyday working life – with positive effects on the quality of their teaching. The key to this is that teachers consciously reflect on their own teaching. This is demonstrated by a longitudinal study of mathematics teachers in Germany, conducted jointly by the Universities of Freiburg and Potsdam, the Humboldt University of Berlin, and DIPF, the Leibnitz Institute for Research and Information in Education in Frankfurt a. M. The new findings were published in the journal Contemporary Educational Psychology.
Teachers’ professional competence
‘Our results are encouraging’, says Prof. Dr. Thamar Voss, professor for empirical school and instructional development research at the University of Freiburg and head of the study. ‘The results show that teachers keep on developing even long after completing their studies. Many of them continue to expand their professional knowledge even in the later career phase, when formal learning opportunities are often less structured.’ Pedagogical/psychological knowledge is the basis for designing teaching that is effective for learning – for example when it comes to structuring learning processes, responding to different learning needs, or providing helpful feedback. This is where the professionality of teachers reveals itself in everyday life.
The research programme ‘COACTIV–expeRt: The Development and Impact of Teachers’ Professional Competence’, funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG), is studying how teachers’ professional competence develops throughout their careers. The basis is an extensive longitudinal study on more than 800 teachers, who were surveyed repeatedly over the course of many years, starting with their practical training phase of teacher education in 2007/08. The goal is to achieve a better understanding of what factors promote or hinder teachers’ professional development.
“If you want good teaching and instructional success, you need to support teachers’ professional development over the long term. Teachers can continue to learn throughout their careers and should be supported in this. In the end, it is their pupils who benefit most.“
Prof. Dr. Thamar Voss
Professor for empirical school and instructional development research, University of Freiburg
Intensive experience in the practical training phase
Dr. Nikolaus Bönke and Prof. Dr. Thamar Voss from the University of Freiburg and Talha Sajjad from DIPF have now presented new findings on the development of pedagogical/psychological knowledge. They measured this knowledge several times in the study with the help of a standardized competence test. The result: on average it increases in their everyday working life – particularly during the practical training phase of teacher education. This is where prospective teachers gain their first intensive practical experience in the classroom and are closely supervised. But the increase is still significant even later on.
However, the study also makes it clear that the key factor is not the experienced gained alone but what one does with it: Teachers who reflect consciously on their teaching, scrutinizing their own actions and drawing conclusions for future instructional situations, develop much more quickly. Programmes that encourage systematic reflection – such as mentoring, collegial advice, or further training courses – therefore remain important even in later working life.
The pupils benefit most
This results in a clear message for teacher education, says Voss: ‘If you want good teaching and instructional success, you need to support teachers’ professional development over the long term. Teachers can continue to learn throughout their careers and should be supported in this. In the end, it is their pupils who benefit most.’
Further Information
- Original publication: Bönke, N., Sajjad, T., Voss, T. (2026). They keep on learning: Teachers’ pedagogical/psychological knowledge increases over 15 years in the teaching profession. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 85, 102459. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2026.102459
- Prof. Dr. Thamar Voss is professor for empirical school and instructional development research at the University of Freiburg’s Department of Educational Science and director of the COACTIV-expeRt study. Dr. Nikolaus Bönke is a research assistant at the department. Talha Sajjad is a research assistant at DIPF | Leibnitz Institute for Research and Information in Education in Frankfurt a. M.