Anita Schilcher

Prof. Dr. Anita Schilcher is a Professor of Didactics of German Language and Literature at the University of Regensburg, Faculty of Languages, Literature and Cultural Studies, Institute of German Studies. She has held this position since 2007 and also serves as Director of the Regensburg University Center for Teacher Education (RUL) since 2013. Her work focuses on German language and literature didactics, with particular emphasis on reading and writing promotion, children's and young adult literature, and teacher education.

Her educational background includes:

• 1987: Abitur at the Gymnasium Pfarrkirchen
• 1987-1993: Studies for primary school teaching, Master's degree in German Literature with minors in Psychology and General Pedagogy
• 1992-1994: Preparatory service for primary school teaching
• 1997-2000: Doctorate in Didactics of German Language and Literature at the University of Passau
• 2007: Habilitation on writing didactics

Prof. Schilcher's research interests span multiple areas of German didactics and language education. She has made significant contributions to the understanding of narrative competence, literary education, and the development of reading and writing skills in primary education. Her work on writing didactics has led to innovative teaching approaches that bridge theoretical understanding with practical classroom application. She has also conducted extensive research on children's and young adult literature, examining gender representation and the educational potential of popular culture texts. Her current research focuses on evidence-based reading promotion, teacher competencies, and the integration of media in literary education.

Her recent publications reveal a strong focus on practical applications of educational research, particularly in developing and evaluating reading and writing promotion programs. She has been instrumental in large-scale projects like FiLBY (integrated reading promotion in Bavaria) and ELiS (evidence-based reading promotion in schools), which combine theoretical research with practical implementation in classrooms across Germany and Europe. Her work consistently bridges the gap between educational theory and classroom practice, with a particular emphasis on developing evidence-based teaching strategies that can be effectively implemented by teachers.

Her scientific recognition includes:

• Karl-Heinz-Pollok Memorial Prize for her habilitation

Prof. Schilcher has supervised numerous doctoral students, with completed dissertations covering topics such as ancient mythology in contemporary children's literature, linguistic-cognitive activation through teacher questions, narrative abilities in primary and secondary education, and oral competencies of teacher trainees. She has been involved in significant research grants including FALKO (subject-specific teacher competencies), FiLBY (integrated reading promotion in Bavaria), RESTLESS (Regensburg self-regulation training for reading and writing strategies), and ELiS (evidence-based reading promotion in schools), demonstrating her leadership in large-scale educational research initiatives.

She leads the research network for "didactic-empirical writing research" (dieS) and is a member of the project team of ZSK Regensburg. Her work with the Regensburg University Center for Teacher Education (RUL) has positioned her as a key figure in shaping teacher education in Bavaria, particularly through her involvement in the development and implementation of the new primary school curriculum (LehrplanPlus).