University College of Teacher Education Tyrol

At the “University College of Teacher Education Tyrol,” work with vignettes and anecdotes is firmly rooted in phenomenologically oriented educational research. The research project "Tracking learning experiences. Vignette and Anecdote Research in Tyrolean Primary Schools", which started in 2021 at the University College of Teacher Education Tyrol is designed as a long-term study (running until August 2026) and explores the question of what significant experiences students have in elementary school, how and what they learn there, and what learning phenomena emerge—particularly in light of the various facets of diversity within the learning groups. Numerous vignettes created as part of the project can be found in the collection of texts on the VignA Network’s website. Additionally, 40 selected vignettes are presented on DIN A5 cards in a wooden vignette box. Instructions included with each box provide ideas for working with vignettes in teacher education and professional development, as well as in school development.

As part of the research project “Pedagogical Ethos of Primary School Teachers: An Empirical Exploration” (2026–2029), the study examines whether and in what ways ethical attitudes are reflected in the everyday actions of elementary school teachers. To this end, pedagogical ethos will be made visible and accessible in third- and fourth-grade elementary school classes through phenomenological vignettes. To gather further information, teachers and their students will be asked about their perceptions of and experiences with ethical teaching practices based on the vignettes created. In this way, different perspectives can be explored, and pedagogical ethos can be examined from the viewpoints of both teachers and students.

Furthermore, vignettes and anecdotes are used in courses for teacher education programs (primary and secondary education) at the University College of Teacher Education Tyrol. Students write reflections on vignettes or anecdotes or write their own vignettes and anecdotes during their teaching internships. In this way, they practice an experience-oriented approach to learning and teaching and further develop ethical attitudes.

Several staff members of the University College of Teacher Education Tyrol were involved in one of the two research projects funded by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) "Personal Educational Processes in Heterogeneous Groups I" and "Long-Term Study II" at the University of Innsbruck or in the research project at the Free University of Bozen/Bolzano and continue to use vignettes and anecdotes in their work, in training and further education or in research.

• Christiane Heidegger, Department of Early Years Education
• Silvia Krenn, (retired)
• Klaudia Kröll, (retired)
• Gabriele Rathgeb, (retired)
• Barbara Saxer, Department of Human Resources and Organizational Development
• Martina Thanei, Member of the research group "Tracking learning experiences"
• Norbert Waldner, Department of Primary Education