The Expectation of Teacher Neutrality and the Depoliticization of Teaching

Implications for Teacher Education

Abstract

In the wake of the rise of the AfD, Germany has seen a new debate about teacher neutrality and teacher disclosure. The notion that teachers should remain politically neutral is not new, however, and retains widespread support. The results of a survey among Heidelberg University trainee teachers presented in this paper show that their ‘teacher beliefs’ about neutrality are often unclear and sometimes contradictory. Based on these results, this paper discusses the depoliticization of teaching, which is closely connected to the discussion on teacher neutrality. The final part of this article looks into the implications for re-politicizing teacher education, with the goal of nurturing a critical and reflective attitude among teachers.