Prof. Dr. phil. Katharina Schober

Academic Profile

Prof. Dr. phil. Katharina Schober conducts research and teaches at the intersection of vocational education, didactics and vocational qualifications. Her main areas of focus are the development of vocational education and continuing professional development programmes, the analysis of work processes and the content of vocational tasks, and the design of teaching and learning processes. Through her many years of experience in research, teaching and educational consultancy, she combines academic expertise with practical perspectives on vocational education and training. Since 2023, she has been working full-time as a lecturer, heads the Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programmes in Vocational Education for Nursing and Healthcare Professions, and serves as Dean of the Faculty of Applied Social Sciences.

Academic and professional career

After studying Vocational Education at TU Dresden, Prof. Dr. phil. Katharina Schober passed the state examination in 2013 qualifying her to teach at vocational schools in the subjects of food and nutritional sciences as well as environmental protection and environmental technology, and was awarded the academic degree of Diplom-Berufspädagogin. In 2022, she was awarded a PhD at the Institute for Vocational Education and Vocational Didactics at Dresden University of Technology.

Prof. Dr Schober gained professional experience as a member of staff at Dresden University of Technology, as a programme officer at the German Children and Youth Foundation, and as a research project officer at Dresden International University. There, she was particularly involved in training career changers for the teaching profession.

From 2017 to 2023, she also worked as a self-employed consultant, specialising in educational development, continuing professional development and analyses of vocational teaching methodologies. Since 2023, she has been working full-time as a lecturer. In addition, she is the programme director for Vocational Education for Nursing and Healthcare Professions and holds the post of Dean of the Faculty of Applied Social Sciences.

Research Focus and Interests

In her research, Prof. Dr. phil. Katharina Schober addresses issues in vocational pedagogy, in particular the development of didactic concepts for structuring vocational learning content and the design of goal-oriented initial and continuing education programmes.

Plans are in place to analyse the content of vocational work tasks and to derive structuring approaches for the health and care sector.

Teaching

Prof. Dr Schober teaches on the Vocational Education for Nursing and Healthcare Professions programmes – part-time, at Bachelor’s and Master’s level.

Projects

Erasmus BIP Programme 2025: Understanding with all senses – Self-awareness and perspective change in dealing with limitations in health and nursing.

Project for the Long Night of Science in Dresden 2025: Be brave, get involved, be the first! The project invites participants to learn first aid in emergency situations through various interactive stations. From learning how to carry out triage in an A&E department to practical exercises such as performing CPR.

Project for the Long Night of Science in Dresden 2024: (1) MedikidsLab The SkillsLab enables children and young people to experience the diversity of care first-hand. From practical exercises and life-saving procedures to interactive demonstrations. (2) Dementia Experience Trail: The Dementia Experience Trail offers a unique opportunity to experience the challenges people with dementia face on a daily basis.  

Project for the 2023 Dresden Long Night of Science: Experiencing ageing with GERT: What does it feel like to be limited and dependent on help? What is everyday life like as you grow older?  

Publications (selection)

Schober, Katharina (2022): Development of a didactic and methodological approach to structuring content in the field of nutrition and home economics according to subject-specific logic

Schober, Katharina; Gardyan, Rainer: An apprenticeship as a butcher? Yes, please! Results of the pilot study by the Baden-Württemberg Regional Association. In: Allgemeine Fleischer Zeitung (2018), No. 23, pp. 16–17

Schober, Katharina: Tactics are key: the action model for the development process helps to boost innovative capacity. The step-by-step plan illustrates the individual phases to guide, reflect on and ultimately expand the strategic approach. In: Allgemeine Fleischer Zeitung (2017), No. 27, pp. 15–17

Schober, Katharina: How an idea becomes a market-ready concept. Part 2: Key factors in innovation must be right. Working as a team, staff develop a holistic view of the business. In: Allgemeine Fleischer Zeitung (2017), No. 26, pp. 16–17

Presentations and trade fair participation (selection)

9th International Conference on Education, Bangkok, 2023: Integrating training-relevant and sustainability-related content on food production processes into lessons by adapting an approach based on subject structure analysis

Annual Conference of the DGfE Commission on Professional Research and Teacher Training, Oldenburg, 2022: Between School and University – Lateral Entry in the Tension between Academia and Industry

Baden-Württemberg State Guild Masters’ Conference, 2018: What our apprentices need – presentation of the findings from the pilot study conducted by the Baden-Württemberg State Association

Meatcamp organised by the Saxon Butchers’ Guild Association, October 2017: Rethinking Apprenticeships 

Annual Conference of the Saxon Butchers’ Guild, March 2017: Enhancing Innovation Competence in the Skilled Trades

Awards

Winner of the afz Sponsorship Award from the German Meat Industry (2015)

Commitment

Member of the Association for the Promotion of Initial and Continuing Training for Vocational Educators at TU Dresden