Education Sciences Subject Area Group: Subject-Specific Competences

A first preliminary remark will relate to the relevance of European Union education policies for both educationand teacher education studies. Education and training have become priorities of policies of the Council of the European Union within the framework of more comprehensive economic and social policies (cf. Lisbon process). Strategic objectives for the development of education and training systems in the European Union have been defined (Lisbon 2000, Stockholm 2001) and decision has been taken on a detailed work program at European level stressing actions to be taken at the level of the Member States of the European Union (Barcelona 2002). The important role teacher education has to take in educational reform has been explicitly mentioned. «Investing in competencies for all» (OECD 2001) has become a top priority. Knowledge —based and dynamic learning societies would depend on highly qualified education staff in a rich variety of contexts (e.g. lifelong learning, @-learning, inclusive education). As a consequence, the initial education and continuous professional development of education staff has become subject to rapid expansion, diversification and professionalization —and (productive?) uncertainties with the adequacy of solutions for the professional education of staff for the education sector developed yet. Against this background the paper will deal with problems with «knowledge / core curricula / content» for education— and teacher education studies.