Manuela Gamsjäger

Manuela Gamsjäger serves as Professor of Educational Sciences with focus on Research Methodology at the University of Education Upper Austria (PH-OOE), where she leads the Centre for Practical Pedagogical Studies Linz. Her academic work spans teacher education, democracy education, and qualitative/quantitative social research methodologies.

Her educational background includes a Doctorate in Pedagogy from Johannes Kepler University Linz (2014-2019), Sociology studies at Karl-Franzens University Graz (2001-2008), and international experiences including Baltic Sea Region Studies at University of Turku (2003-2004) and Human Rights studies at University of Bologna (2005).

Professor Gamsjäger's research centers on teacher professionalization processes, with particular emphasis on school-practical studies, student participation in democratic processes, and educational policy implementation. Her work examines how pedagogical-practical studies influence prospective teachers' development, investigates democracy education frameworks, and analyzes the impact of educational reforms on classroom practice. Current research explores post-pandemic adaptations in teacher training and interorganizational cooperation in school-based education.

Her publication trends reveal consistent focus on teacher candidate development (60%), democratic education frameworks (25%), and methodological innovations in educational research (15%). Recent work increasingly examines pandemic impacts on teacher training and longitudinal professional development trajectories.

Professor Gamsjäger directs multiple significant projects including EPPAL (2025-present) studying pedagogical-practical studies' influence on teacher professionalization, scientific support for teacher training across Austrian universities (2023-present), Austria's youth values study subproject on democracy education (2023-present), and the Erasmus+ SLEAD project on democratic competences (2022-2024). She also leads the Linz Centre for Practical Pedagogical Studies and organizes the Summer School for teacher training students.

Her institutional leadership includes validation committee membership for career-changer programs, quality framework development for practical pedagogical studies, and master's program coordination for school management. She contributes to diversity initiatives and writing center services at PH-OOE while participating in curriculum development and teacher upgrade programs.