The University College of Teacher Education Vienna (Pädagogische Hochschule Wien, PHW) is Austria’s largest initial teacher education institution (ITE) and offers an extensive programme of primary, secondary, vocational and inclusive teacher education. Each year, about 3000 teacher students of primary, secondary and VET enrol at the institution. PHW also offers continuous professional development (CPD) courses and in-service training to about 50,000 teachers of different school types a year, from single training seminars to two-year professional development qualifications. 

PHW offers the full range of Austria's four-year Bachelor in Education courses and a one-year full-time Masters programme. A separate 90 ECTS Master of Education is offered for Special Needs Education. PHW has a focus of expertise on practice-oriented pre-service training in schools (school internships), learning technologies and innovation, multilingualism, diversity, health education, inclusion, didactics, and inquiry-based learning. It also houses a Regional Educational Competence Centre for Sciences and Maths and other special research centres. The institution encompasses a primary school and a lower secondary school, with some 18 classes and 400 pupils aged 6-15, which are co-located on campus and play an important role in experimenting with pedagogic methodologies and innovation. The schools serve as testing ground for pedagogic innovations and in-school practice. A separately run Kindergarten Academy is also on site with shared facilities. PHW offers specific teacher training courses with a focus on inquiry-based learning and project-based learning. It also houses specialist expertise centres concerned with research areas highly relevant to the TEASPILS project. Among these are the Centre for Learning Technologies and Innovation (ZLI), the Future Learning Lab (FLL), the Education Innovation Studio (EIS), and the Centre for Healthy Schools (ZGS). In the context of the TEASPILS project, the expertise available in these establishments is being combined to support successful outcomes as well as implementation directly in the two schools attached to PHW.
 

PHW has a special focus and a dedicated research centre on "Healthy Schools" – servicing and enhancing physical and mental well-being in schools. This includes tackling issues like bullying and mobbing, physical and psychological support for children, stress-avoidance of staff and students, healthy eating, sports, etc. Establishing a climate of productivity and respect between stakeholders in the classroom is the main aim of these activities. TEASPILS aims to make a major contribution to enhancing our knowledge on how plants and greenery can support well-being in the learning environment.

 

The University of Teacher Education Vienna (PHW) involves its Primary and Secondary Practice Schools as pilot locations for the TEASPILS project, which helps the pupils and teachers of these school directly and immediately benefitting from the project's progress. 

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Dr. Wolfgang Greller, is Professor for Learning and Teaching Innovation. He is a leading expert on learning analytics and has long-standing experience in EU projects, going back some 25 years. Piloting and implementing new innovative forms of learning that reflect the pulse of the times is one of his interests. He offers an ideal combination of technological and pedagogical know-how.

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Walter A. Swoboda, is lecturer and researcher at PHW. He holds Master degrees in Psychology, Sociology and Philosophy. His research is primarily focusing on constructivist principles of learning both on individual as well as social level. In previous projects he was successfully coordinating and running training seminars and workshops as well as multiplier events.