Teacher training program at secondary schools with special education convinces students.
To mark the start of the new "Teaching degree for secondary schools with special needs education" course at Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences in the winter semester 2025/2026, a comprehensive survey was conducted for the first time - with an exceptionally high response rate of 88%. The results paint a very positive picture of the start of studies and confirm the university as an attractive place to study with personal support and a high level of student satisfaction.
Students were particularly positive about starting their studies: over 85% of respondents rated their choice of the "Teaching degree for secondary schools with special needs education" course positively. 91 percent are very satisfied with their decision to study at Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences. The cooperation between students and lecturers also receives top marks: 81 percent are very satisfied here.
Subject-specific support and student advisory services are also highlighted: around 90 percent of students are satisfied or very satisfied with the advice provided by the course advisory service. The provision of teaching materials and support from the University Library and service facilities are also rated very positively by the majority of students.
A key result of the survey concerns the decision to study: The most important sources of information through which the first-year students became aware of the courses offered by the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences are
In addition to recommendations from friends, parents or family, these channels are not only frequently used, but are also rated as very informative. The website and the online university information day in particular scored above average here.
Another strong signal for the region: 76% of students can imagine staying in the Zittau/Görlitz region after completing their degree - for example for their traineeship. The main reasons they cite are the proximity to home, family ties, the high demand for teachers and the quality of life in the rural areas of the three-country region.
Nine out of ten respondents state that they are (very) likely to recommend the teacher training course at the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences to their friends and acquaintances.
At the same time, the evaluation also revealed individual potential for development, for example in organizational processes - aspects that are now to be further developed in a targeted manner.
Particularly in view of the shortage of specialists in rural areas, the successful start to the course confirms that the new teacher training course is attracting students to the region and has the potential to retain them in the long term - an important signal for secondary schools and special schools in eastern Saxony.
The survey was conducted in January 2026 using a questionnaire specially developed for the Görlitz teacher training course. The evaluation was technically and conceptually supported by Leipzig University's Office for Quality Development in Teaching and Studies. A total of 21 first-year students (LOs25) took part in the survey. The results are therefore considered to be very meaningful.
The cooperative study program "Teaching Qualification for Secondary Schools with Special Education" is offered jointly by the University of Leipzig and the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences. The unique teacher training course combines academic depth with a strong practical focus. Classroom teaching takes place at both locations of the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences. School internships are completed in the East Saxony region.
Against the background of the demanding set-up process, I am extremely pleased with this overall very positive result. It is an expression of the great personal commitment, the high level of professionalism and the constructive cooperation across institutional and location boundaries, both in the organization of the degree course and in teaching at the Zittau and Görlitz locations.
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